Burger Edge (St. Kilda Rd. - afternoon tea)

Overall score: 64/100 

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Burgers are a staple these days for The Chameleon, especially for lunch; whenever he has a break, almost magically, a burger joint suddenly appears from nowhere. And this is exactly what happened with Burger Edge, a 'whole in the wall' like burger shop on St Kilda Road; strategically placed for the Chameleon and his mates to stop for a quick bite. It didn't turn out to be such a bad choice.   

THE EXPERIENCE

Upon reaching the counter, The Chameleon had a very uncomfortable experience ordering his burger; the counter staff made him very confused with a myriad of options. He thought that by choosing a burger type from the well presented menu would be the end of it, but then there was additional questions (one at a time) of cheeses, sauces, buns, etc. etc....the Chameleon just wanted a burger, not 'Subway like' decision making. The shop presents as a buy and go, but it felt like minute after minute of answering one question after another to end up with a designer burger. The seating ended up under an umbrella which was not large enough to cover all of the group, but it was the only option after the minimal seating inside/attached was occupied.

THE FOOD

The burgers, having arrived in decent packaging and presenting quite well, were large. The Chameleon had "The Okker". It was definitely enough to fill The Chameleon to the brim, the flavours were OK, but not quite memorable. The Chameleon has had larger burgers, more tasty burgers, more 'complete' burgers, but while it was evident that Burger Edge creates a premium product, the flavours were not exactly unique or interesting enough to draw The Chameleon back. The prices were however reasonable.    

OVERALL

I'm not sure if the gentleman behind the counter was having a bad day or if this is the usual service model Burger Edge will consistently push; if it is, there will be a continual stream of confused and (perhaps) slightly frustrated customers who just want a burger, not a questionnaire to pass an exam or somefink. 64/100   

Signature Cafe (lunch)

Overall score: 74/100

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The Chameleon was in his territory in the wild wilderness that is Tasmania, but towards the northern tip near Launceston lies George Town, a quiet little sea-change town, struggling with the stigma of low socio-economic living, it's name tarnished possibly forever. It was thus such a surprise for The Chameleon that The Signature Cafe, open for lunch on this beautiful day presented a memorable dining experience. 

THE EXPERIENCE

Signature Cafe opens from not only the main street of George Town, but also through a back entrance from the Woolworths car park, creating a long and narrow take away shop. It's hard to miss, the cafe looks rather unassuming from both entrances and a quick peek inside suggests nothing more than the typical fare you would come to expect in any Tasmanian take away...deep fried everything, with a hint of local produce. 

This however, was a great misconception; upon entering, you begin to see some refinements, a hint of design thought even, a bit of quality. And then it hits you. The walls. Yes, the walls. Covering almost every nook and cranny of this place, are messages, some scribbled haphazardly, some that look like time was taken, some longer, some very short and some very creative. It's not often the Chameleon will say this, but the highlight was the rest room. He will just say he walked out of there inspired. 

The staff were extremely helpful and made sure the Chameleon's crew was very comfortable; smiles all round. 

THE FOOD

The Chameleon ordered a souvlaki and he also had an opportunity to sample some wedges. First the souvlaki. Look, the Chameleon will say it here and now, it's a bold and brave move to put this dish on the menu; souvlakis are typically either done very well, or very dismally. Surprisingly, this one was in the middle. While the lamb was nowhere near the type of lamb you get in souvlaki mad Melbourne, it wasn't totally horrible either. The filling was OK, the wrap was OK, the garlic sauce could have been better. But you know, it wasn't bad; it just wasn't  "Melbourne standard".

The wedges. One word: WOW. The wedges were just right. Nice texture, great mixture of crunch and softness, great flavours lingering on. Well done Signature. 

OVERALL

Signature cafe is worth your visit. The wedges easily took the meal over the line and the uniqueness of the 'signatures' is definitely worth a look. A must in northern Tasmania. 74/100 

Bistro Gitan

Overall score: 85/100

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Oh Melbourne, how cultured, how divinely old and new, how wonderfully diverse is her weather. The Chameleon recently enjoyed another trip to this wonderful city that is the mecca of multiculturalism in Australia and so it was that the visit to this French inspired restaurant on Toorak Road reflected much of what this wonderfully contradictory city is all about.    

THE EXPERIENCE

Bistro Gitan was (literally) only  a stone throw from where The Chameleon was staying on this particular trip (if you throw the stone that is a little bit round and it rolls along a little, perhaps helped by some moisture on the footpath, and a good arm, but I digress) and having walked past it a couple of times on previous evenings, a peek through the windows was all that was needed to lure this little critter in for a visit.   

The Chameleon was very, very glad he did, as Gitan excelled when it came to the atmosphere and, perhaps more importantly, created the type of mood that fits it's Melbourne location down to a tee; urban cool, old and new, simply brilliant. Any new restaurant looking to create that 'just right' ambiance should look no further than a visit to Bistro Gitan; wonderful use of textures and layout, mixed dining options (bar style/formal seating/group seating/casual/romantic are all options) and the lighting....oh the lighting was exquisite. How can lighting be exquisite The Chameleon hears you ask? Well, Gitan had successfully created an intimate, yet lively and adventurous mood by setting the brightness low, but with intense highlights and focal points with the employment of interesting lighting. In the past, The Chameleon has raved about the wonderful atmosphere created at Brisbane's Verve Restaurant Bar Cider House but Gitan has easily overshadowed that wonderful offering. Add to this the clever rich display of wine, artifacts, a creative bar, open see-through kitchen and music that worked a treat and you get one of the best ambiances you will find anywhere in Australia. It was no surprise that The Chameleon's group had a wonderful evening. 

As The Chameleon's party walked through the door, the host/owner welcomed them in with a cheeky smile, and, without appearing desperate nor pretentious (but just letting  the group know that he is doing us a small favour of some sort), he found us a table. The service continued to be quite acceptable throughout the night.

THE FOOD

On this particular evening, the Chameleon was able to run his long sleek tongue across an escargot entree, two different types of steak (one a special, the other off the menu), as well as some delectable red wine that the Chameleon tried to match to the steak.

The escargot (read: snails) was good. The unique texture, which in this case resonated as a somewhat unusual mixture of thick snot, loose overcooked tripe and melted duck lard, was quite pleasant. The flavour from the accompanying sauce was overly buttery, and the escargot only just emerged on the palate; but it worked. So a decent start to the evening. 

The mains were steak; Gitan did not get this right. The Chameleon's specials menu steak came out overcooked, definitely not medium rare. The texture too was overly dry and the flavour, passable if you were sitting in a pub. That's a bit harsh to be honest, but The Chameleon expected much higher considering the prices that were paid. The side of spinach that was ordered never really got past bland. It was...spinach; and nothing else, which came as a surprise since the robust full flavours of any steak will hide untouched spinach every time. A little garlic, some chilli perhaps, just SOMETHING to give it an edge  of flavour, but nothing emerged. Unhappy Chameleon. 

In stark contrast, the menu steak was absolutely spot on. Cooked as per ordered, it left The Chameleon yearning for someone else's meal. The meat was soft, flavoursome and looked outstanding on the plate. It didn't cost much more than the special and was by far the better choice. 

So there was some inconsistency and, for the price the group ended up paying, this is reflected in the overall score. 

A word on the drinks. Bistro Gitan is very much on the expensive side. You pay top dollar for beer. You pay top dollar for wine. The Chameleon paid top dollar for both. There are no cheap alternate offerings, no 'house wine' to quench your thirst. So expect to pay $40+ upward for a basic bottle of red. The French dry chosen by The Chameleon was a very unusual spicy merlot/shiraz style, not a bad drop, but there are better sub-$20 Aussie reds that you can pick up at a bottle-o. If you are interested, there is a very good selection of premiums, reaching over $500 per bottle, which The Chameleon can not comment on for various obvious reasons.

    

OVERALL

Wow, what a glorious bistro! Highly impressive atmosphere/setup, in fact, would visit again for this singular fact alone, but there were some deficiencies in The Chameleon's meal. Getting it right on one plate is fine, but to appease this reptile, it must count on his plate. Pricey for food, a bargain for the atmosphere. 85/100 

Toowoomba Hong Kong Chinese

Overall score: 68/100

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An urbanspoon highly rated Asian influenced restaurant in Toowoomba is the very well positioned Toowoomba Hong Kong Chinese, residing in the town's feeble attempt at a mall, albeit, visible from Ruthven Street. The restaurant appears very inviting to the passer by, lots of colours drawing you inside. The Chameleon couldn't resist to try it's delights, and, after a less than satisfactory first visit over a year ago, he was hoping that this time around things might be different; and to some extent, they were.  

THE EXPERIENCE

On first impressions, Toowoomba Hong Kong Chinese presents very well; on this busy night, the crowd seemed cheerful and happy, the ambience was one of relaxed dining, although the music was very very soft in the background; not enough to create a privacy screen for chit chat. The room was decorated as you would expect for such a place; Asian influences evident around the room, but apart from a fish tank in the corner that looked quite interesting, the rest was 'stock standard' basic Chinese. 

As The Chameleon sat down to begin his dining adventure, the staff were initially very helpful and attentive; unfortunately this lasted only until the drinks were bought out. As The Chameleon mentioned earlier, over a year ago, a visit here was less than satisfactory, the main cause being the service and the time for the meals to be delivered to the table. It looks like that time has done no favours, as the service faltered not once, not twice , but over and over again during The Chameleon's visit. Initially, after being seated promptly and attending to the group's needs, the waitress quite simply forgot about us! The Chameleon waited patiently for a while, it was the least he could do on a busy night, but when the waitress begins clearing tables while diners (not just us) were still sitting there without menus, it is an unfortunate mistake. Following this mishap, the orders were subsequently taken quickly, but then a lengthy wait ensued. For the meal that eventually landed in front of The Chameleon, the delays didn't amount to flavour at the table. 

Furthermore to these 'mistakes', were two glaringly obvious shortfalls. One of the waiters was dressed very much like a call-in; a raggedy shirt, shorts and to top it all off, flip-flops! The final inconvenience presented itself in terms of what The Chameleon refers to as a "dump table"; a table housing serviettes, cutlery, table cloths etc. etc. that is often seen in restaurants pushed for space. While dump tables are not necessarily a dilemma  they are when it's placed in front of the restaurant's visual focal point; the fish tank. Having got up to observe the koi swimming around majestically, The Chameleon had to negotiate the Toowoomba Hong Kong Chinese's dump table. A less than adequate start.         

THE FOOD

Toowoomba Hong Kong Chinese raised its score once the meals began pouring out. As an example, the Tom Yum chicken soup entree was very flavorsome. There were some tiny lime pieces which littered the bottom of the bowl and The Chameleon unfortunately chewed on some of these during some of the last spoonfuls. These could have been larger and hence easier to spot and remove, but overall, a great soup. 

The BBQ Pork Noodles too were great. Good balance between ingredients, subtle flavours which worked well. These dishes have saved an otherwise dismal score from The Chameleon.  

The Mongolian Beef dish was marginal. The sauce texture was inconsistent, sometimes gluggy to the point that it diminished the textures, and once again, the over-use of salt before it arrived at the table dimmed what would have otherwise been a shining beef dish.

Another unfortunate part of the meal was that, once again, the lackluster service resulted in our waitress forgetting the group's rice.     

While free fortune cookies were a slight attempt to make-up for the inconvenience of the night, even some of these were stale to top off a forgetful experience.  

      
OVERALL

Atypical Chinese restaurant food, with unfortunately dismal service. While not being particularly costly, the food saved Toowoomba Hong Kong Chinese from a very low score;  it was rather difficult to look past it's shortcomings. 68/100 

Highfields Tavern (lunch)

Overall score: 51/100

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Highfields. The ever-growing utopian suburbia spreading it's wings, the symbol of 'modern living' in the Toowoomba region, the epitome of high brow. But in the centre of all this modern residential growth lies a very un-modern and unassuming shopping center, anchored by Woolies, with the only noticeable dining seemingly belonging to Macdonald's and recently, the addition of a few take away joints hoping for flow on from the multinational. Across the road is a pub. The Highfields Tavern. No surprises there. What was a surprise it that it rated a mention on urbanspoon and hence The Chameleon slinked his way into the car park ready to quench his hunger (and thirst) at the attached bistro.     

THE EXPERIENCE

As the Chameleon exited his car, the unfortunate experience of stepping onto broken glass initially curbed his enthusiasm for the experience that was about to follow. No doubt a lively evening before may have been the catalyst for this unpleasantry; surely a blower in the morning would have taken care of such annoyances to the daytime customers, but alas, beware with kids. 

Upon entering, Highfields Tavern appeared very much like any suburban tavern, with a welcoming pub and a vast eating area at the back. Having visited Crazy Galagher's in Wilsonton not long ago, it was easy to make comparisons to what is basically a very similar venue, with a very similar target market and, surprisingly  an almost identical menu. It dawned on The Chameleon that perhaps these establishments are  in fact linked, possibly even managed, by the same entity. He did notice that the pie ordered at Galagher's was on the menu here as well, so this time round, it was time to see if they can deliver on a decent 'lunch special'. 

In all honesty, Galagher's was way better; the kids area was ten times as good and the spread-out spacious nature of the large room left it with no atmosphere to speak of. A lonely television was playing a lackluster daytime TV drama from the 70s; not exactly augmenting the mood. None-the-less, it was what it was and, for a suburban bistro, satisfactorily acceptable.   

The food ordered was delivered very quickly. Almost too quickly. Freshness questioningly quick.

THE FOOD
The Chameleon ordered the lunch steak (slightly cheaper than the standard steak), and he was also able to sample a steak sandwich and children's menu nuggets from within the group of lizards that the Chameleon was with on this occasion.    

Keeping in mind that The Chameleon is a food critic, sampling some very fine steak in the past, keeping in mind that this was a suburban bistro, AND, keeping in mind that this was a 'lunch steak', it was no surprise that it was barely on par with the steak he sampled at the atypical country pub that was the Pioneer Hotel. The mind boggles when you consider that, in Highfields of all places, the bistro plated up this very, very ordinary piece of flesh. It was overdone, above even the 'well-done' level. Let The Chameleon be clear, he loves well-done steak (charcoal-ed in fact is one of his favourites), he really does, but it is not his preference, and when a bistro goes to the unfulfillable effort of asking how you want it cooked, you expect medium-rare; it's like asking for a cappuccino with two sugars and getting a short black with no sugar. A message for virtually all bistros: please do not ask a customer how he/she/it wants his/her/its steak. You and The Chameleon know that it will be well-done every time. Not that there is anything wrong with well-done, but for the love of god, do not ask!

So, a less than satisfactory steak. The chips too, pub standard, uninspiring. However, there was a very surprising highlight on The Chameleon's plate! The salad dressing that was poured over a very fresh salad was brilliant. The Chameleon is not sure whether it was just the right amount, or whether it was some special in-house sauce or whether it was out of a No-Frills bottle, but whatever it was, it worked well. 

The Diane sauce, as it is in many places, was passable, but definitely not from scratch and did not differ from the atypical lackluster average offerings elsewhere.  

Upon sampling the steak sandwich, The Chameleon approved. It was of a nice consistency, the steak was soft, the overall package was in-fact moreish. The children's nuggets too were 'real' and cooked well. So the Highfields Tavern did some of the food well, but where it counted the most (on The Chameleon's plate), it fell quite short.

OVERALL
The Highfields Tavern had so much potential. New-ish establishment, plenty of space to do something interesting, plenty of time to get the meals right on this slow lunch afternoon. Yet the overall feeling when walking away reiterated to The Chameleon exactly what he was thinking when he saw that lunch time steak; we came, we ate, we will eat somewhere else next time. 51/100

Verve Restaurant Bar Cider House

Overall score: 90/100

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Verve Restaurant Bar and Cider House has the unfortunate label of being the highest rated Brisbane CBD restaurant on urbanspoon and hence, expectations were very high for The Chameleon when a glimpse of a chance to dine presented itself one day.

THE EXPERIENCE
The Verve is located a very short walk from Queen Street Mall and hence it's central CBD location means it's within easy reach of anyone visiting. Quite unlike many restaurants in Queensland, the Verve has the romantic 'down in the cellar' feel as you walk through the darkly lit staircase and descend into the pit. For The Chameleon, this was akin to coming home to his beloved holiday home in a hole, which instantly created a mood of warmth and security. The red theme which welcomes visitors creates just the right amount of dark mood, as the paint was neither too bright  nor too dark, you can tell someone put some thought and effort into this decor. 

The Chameleon was greeted by a very friendly hostess and was shown to an appropriate table; it was as if she read The Chameleon's mind to remain hidden and chose the table accordingly. 

To be honest, the atmosphere was quite good. A large group was also dining this evening and it filled the room with a fair amount of cheerful laughter and the clinking and clanking of cutlery. As much as all this jolly spirit added to the mood, at times, it also became a bit over bearing. The room 'echoed' and bellowed with the sounds, almost like some sort of out of tune orchestra practicing for the recital, but someone turned up the amps. This was only a minor niggly distraction however, and overall, the Chameleon could see one of his business dinners taking place here in the future. 

THE MEAL
Verve excelled here. While the menu was extensive and offered plenty of variety, the waitress recommended the blue cheese risotto which, upon reaching the table, was presented simply but effectively. The ring of red sauce around the edge was a nice touch and the package in front of the Chameleon said "Go on now, dig in!" The multi-leveled flavours on the palate showed the craftsmanship of the dish, although The Chameleon did note that it was very salty overall. Luckily, the hostess also recommended a nice glass of dry wine which balanced out the saltiness, but The Chameleon  was somewhat disappointed. Salt, being a flavour enhancer, needs to be used sparingly in the kitchen, and then to taste by the diner; a meal should never present salty. Overall, bar the above, this risotto was exceptional. 

The overall price was very reasonable, in fact, tending on 'cheap food' level. The staff alone made the experience, tending to The Chameleon's needs and whims in a flash, with repeated visits to the table to see how the meal was, if he needed anything, and at one point, The Chameleon was thinking they may even ask him if he wanted a massage. This service was on par with the best he has received in Australia.  


OVERALL
The Verve Restaurant and Cider House is a very well executed dining experience, with a mood and ambiance that deserves a visit alone, augmented by outstanding service. The food was very very tasty, but the unfortunate over use of the salt detracted from the experience. Does it deserve the highest urbanspoon score for the Brisbane CBD? Yes, yes it does. 90/100 

Hog's Breath Cafe Toowoomba (Lunch)

Overall score: 66/100 

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Just by a happy coincidence, a very hungry Chameleon had a chance to revisit Hog's Breath Cafe in Toowoomba for the third time in his slippery slimy little life. It was lunch time, it wasn't The Chameleon's choice, but being in a group and having his meal shouted for him, The Chameleon happily crawled along to this very well known franchise at the end of Russell Street, not far from the Toowoomba CBD. In fact, it's really walking distance from Ruthven, but the location (again) is away from any 'dining precincts' as such, and The Chameleon is beginning to wonder if such a place even exists in Toowoomba.

THE EXPERIENCE

Hog's Breath Cafe is a very popular restaurant. Let's face it, if you get your meal within the hour, you are probably doing well and in Toowoomba, the last two visits by the Chameleon resulted in lengthy waiting times. This time however, considering the size of the group that the Chameleon was with, the service was brilliant. Usually, drinks are well and truly finished before the food makes it onto the table, but upon arrival, the group entrees were ALREADY on the table. "Boss Hog Mushies" and garlic and herb bread greeted the, "we'll eat a horse each" crowd. They were OK, not bad for appetizers  although, as tasty as the mushrooms were (and deep fried 'just right'), they were a bit cold when The Chameleon was able to sample them. The mains were delivered well within what The Chameleon deems acceptable, especially for a large group as this one was.

The setting was as you would expect from Hog's Breath; raw, nostalgic, but tough and ready for whatever crowd were to visit. The furniture is rugged and the effort to mirror it's corporate image of a 'steakhouse for a football team' works in it's favour. In fact, The Chameleon could almost smell the various spilled beverages (of which 95% would of course be beer) from the previous night's festivities. The reality is, this is what you should expect here and, delightfully in some sense, it is what you get.     


THE FOOD
The Chameleon chose the aptly named "Serious Steak Burger". Although at the time he did not know it, it was to be the most expensive burger he had ever eaten at $19.95. Framed by this thought during this reflection, The Chameleon can not but wonder how this burger ended up this expensive. Yes, it came with the very delicious curly fries (and they were very good indeed) and yes, the burger itself tasted awesome and even the chilli edge was spot on, but $19.95? Similar burgers can be had in most take-aways for $8-$12 and you could charge maybe $3 for the fries, so this means, really $11-$15 would of made sense. Hog's Breath would of course say "oh yes, but our burgers have double steak and double cheese". Unfortunately, the 'steak' was two thinly sliced pieces (very much tasty), instead of the 'piece of thick juicy tender steak' as one would imagine in a burger of this charge, and to be honest, who actually wants/notices double cheese on such a burger? Overall, The Chameleon was quite satisfied with the burger and it had that wonderfully grilled onion edge that is the signature of Hog's Breath, but would he spend the money again on the Seriously Expensive Steak Burger? Probably not, as a short walk and $11 get's you a much larger and much more unique burger at Phat Burgers. 
  
OVERALL

Hog's Breath Toowoomba stays true to the franchise niche and delivered positively on much of the experience, including excellent customer service this time around. The food was OK, but the prices are on the steep side for what is basically an upmarket raw-edged premium McDonald's when it comes to their burgers.
The Chameleon is mindful that in the past, a visit to a Hog's Breath in Brisbane delivered one of the finest steaks he had ever sampled, and that must be kept in mind when looking at this overall score, as the burgers probably do not truly reflect the quality that Hog's Breath is capable of on a good day. 66/100  
      

Carousel

Overall score: 59/100

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Restaurants come in many guises and Carousel is, in a typical way for many regional restaurants, one of those that is semi-detached to a motel. Carousel is simply a rather small dining room, fitted with very simple decor and a number of separate dining areas allowing reconfiguration for groups large or small, for casual dining or even for those who are interested in hiding a little bit in a corner somewhere and not draw attention. A bit like The Chameleon. 

THE EXPERIENCE

First impressions were not positive. While The Chameleon is sure the motel is a very nice place to stay overnight, the Carousel restaurant is small and appears 'intimate', but it just doesn't work. There is hardly any parking, yet the Chameleon has never had trouble finding a spot to park his ride (this was approximately his fourth visit), confirming that Carousel is the type of restaurant where you probably don't need to make reservations. 

The staff were excellent. 'Chirpy' is the only way The Chameleon can describe the overall vibe from the waitresses, and the waitress who served The Chameleon did a very good job recommending dishes. Carousel presents as simple and uncomplicated, and although this can be an advantage for some venues, the small size of this restaurant required further thought into the decor. While there were some things to look at around the room,  and the chandeliers added a touch of class, the lighting was just all wrong and the overall feel suffered as a consequence of this simple approach.  

THE FOOD
It pains The Chameleon to say that once again, a Toowoomba based restaurant has delivered uninspiring and discordant food. 

Things started well; the entrees were presented briskly, getting The Chameleon's hopes up that he may finally give away his third 80-90 score for Toowoomba. And they tasted good, very good in fact. While simple and 'no frills', The Chameleon's taste buds soared when he sampled the very well made bruschetta; it was fresh, the right acidity, the right amount. If the meal had finished then and there, The Chameleon would have walked away a very happy camper. Unfortunately, some disappointments followed.  

The Chameleon ordered the special, which on this particular day was the salmon. The Chameleon often orders this, as it's a great litmus test for most restaurants. It was somewhat pricey on the menu, but then again, so is everything else at Carousel. When it did come to the table, the waitress remembered where I sat (and obviously what I ordered) and kudos again to the friendly staff. The salmon was actually quite good in places. The skin was crispy and 'just right', but the flesh of the fish was cooked inconsistently. Some parts were nice and juicy, while some of it was way overcooked. The sides were minimalist and when you see a small piece of fish, you expect some fill; The Chameleon did not get his money's worth on this night. Unfortunately there was very little and regrettably nothing outstanding on the plate.   

When the dessert was sampled, The Chameleon's heart sunk, as he knew the final score would not equate to that wonderful bruschetta at the start of the evening. The dessert, which The Chameleon won't name (because he has forgotten what it was called), was very poor. Dry was the only way to describe the biscuit portion and there was not much of the ice cream to balance it out. In retrospect, had he covered the biscuits with the ice cream and waited slightly longer, it may have worked, but seriously, The Chameleon does not go to restaurants to cook, that's the Chef's job!

OVERALL

Carousel started promising little, rose to great heights early on, but unfortunately faded somewhat dismally by the end of the evening. The food was barely passable and hence very much overpriced for what The Chameleon consumed over the evening. Another case of an expensive 'once visit' motel restaurant in regional Queensland. 59/100

The Everest Spice (Takeaway)

Overall score: 69/100 (take-away adjusted)

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There is no doubt that most people in Australia (and for that matter, England) have at least once in their lifetime, dined on Indian take away. There are so many littered throughout this great country that inevitably you will find yourself trying a korma or a butter chicken, along with a yummy garlic naan and so forth. This was the exact predicament The Chameleon found himself in not long ago; a visit to The Everest Spice, another one of Toowoomba's highly recommended Indian offerings.   

THE EXPERIENCE

The Everest Spice, as it seems is often the case for Toowoomba take-away restaurants, is located in a less than ideal location, squeezed in next to a Chemist at the top part of Margaret Street, away from the main action of Ruthven. It looks very much like a take away and this became very evident when The Chameleon saw that there were no table cloths and no particular effort to dress up the little restaurant. The Chameleon will guess and say that The Everest Spice has become such a busy take away that those who opt to dine-in become more of an inconvenience than the staple. 

But this critique is not about the dine-in experience; no, it's about the take away butter chicken, Rogan josh, the accompanying rice and a plain and garlic naan.  

The Chameleon had high expectations of Everest. The fact that he had to wait for over 40 minutes from when entering the restaurant, to when he got in his car to drive back to the tree house (and repeating the order to the kitchen hand twice after the initial order) wasn't even a major issue, The Chameleon could see they were busy and doing their best. Another kitchen hand/front counter person wouldn't have hurt though, especially on this busy night. Just a small side note; it's great to see the owner of such a busy place working in the kitchen and not barking orders at kitchen staff from the front. 


THE FOOD

The only word that justifies the overall Everest Spice meal was 'inconsistent'. It pains The Chameleon to say this, but unfortunately it is true. As you may have read in past reviews, the option of choice for The Chameleon is butter chicken and The Everest Spice has done what Chutney Mary did not too long ago; delivered a very, very good butter chicken. It had all the character of a beautiful sweet sauce, succulent melt-in-your-mouth chicken with that slightly smoky/charcoal tandoor edge; The Chameleon will be honest, apart from the slight over sweetness, it was exquisite. 

The rice too was very nice; not too soggy, not too dry. It was thus a great shame that the Rogan josh and the naan bought the overall experience back to "average". The Rogan josh had just the right amount of heat for a 'medium' curry, but the sauce was very salty and the lamb was dry, the pieces too large. This was definitely not a more-ish dish; it just didn't work. The naan, both of them, were under-cooked, undersized (in terms of thickness) and very floury overall. The Chameleon has had much better naan in various places, especially the garlic variety, he could hardly notice the garlic. Such a shame after the spectacular opening of the butter chicken.     

OVERALL

The Everest Spice has unfortunately displayed what so many restaurants do; doing an outstanding job on one dish, yet making a horrible mess of another. Such a shame (The Chameleon thinks he has already said this), as he would go back again and again just for the awesomeness of the butter chicken.  The Chameleon hopes to sample The Everest again and report back soon.
69/100  

Chipper Fish

Overall score: 87/100 (take-away focus adjusted)

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Going to a 'fish and chip' shop is often associated with good old fashioned greasy chips, heavily battered fish and wedges of lemon, eating out of paper wrapping next to a beautiful beach. It is thus very difficult to refer to Chipper Fish as a 'fish and chip' shop, as this title is just a very clever disguise, much like The Chameleon's, as all is not what it seems in this little shop in Toowoomba. 

THE EXPERIENCE

Chipper Fish is a highly rated 'fish and chips' shop in a small shopping complex not far from the Toowoomba CBD, but by no means walking distance. Very much a small hole in the wall, Chipper Fish is wedged into your typical suburban shopping complex and The Chameleon noticed that the store didn't even get a mention on the large display board with the names of all the businesses protruding onto Drayton Road. This, The Chameleon believes, is a big mistake made by the managers of the complex, as this petite gastronomic marvel is the highlight. 

The shop itself is unfortunately positioned in such a location that there is no doubt, it  hinders it's potential. A fish and chip shop like this on Ruthven Street, or even in the Brisbane CBD, would have people lining up for miles and miles (that's right, miles) as the dishes claimed to be your typical 'fish and chips' from here would sit very well indeed in any of Brisbane's finest restaurants.

The shop itself is neat, but simple, a black fish sculpture is a vague attempt at creating a nautical feel and a few fishing and boating magazines also helped, but seriously it could do with a decor make over yesterday. 

The menu was very well presented. Retro cool, great colours, simple and easy, not overloaded with too many choices, basically perfect. The Chameleon found it hard not to chuckle at the "Carnival Treats" title given to the usual deep fried food that you can purchase if your heart desires. 

There was one area that unfortunately reduced what was a very pleasant experience, to a mediocre sit down; a TV, positioned above the drinks fridge was on ABC, turned to such a volume that it was neither audible, yet loud enough to be an annoyance. It was also angled awkwardly. A simple replacement of a slightly larger wall mounted unit, or even a small boombox serenading the dinners with cool laid back tunes would create an ambiance worthy of possibly staying to enjoy your meal, but as is, perhaps the TV could be turned off. This shop is unfortunately just the local "fish and chip" joint and in it's current location will no doubt serve 95% take-away and perhaps remain that little bit hidden from the potential monopoly it could have in any decent busy dining location. 

THE FOOD

Let's get this straight: Chipper Fish is not a 'fish and chip' shop. It is a restaurant in disguise, serving up deliciousness in a flimsy paper box. No fanfare, no fancy packaging, just a lot of heart and soul going into what matters the most; great tasting fish. And The Chameleon could really go on and on about the grilled barramundi in his "Queenslander Pack", it was perfect in texture, taste and seasoning. PERFECT. 

The Chameleon was highly impressed from the first bite. The coconut encrusted prawns were a taste sensation and the Cesar salad side dish, while not very impressive, was adequate to moisten the mouthfuls (though, the fancy hard/soft croutons were quite good here). The pineapple fritter was also very well presented, with the slight acidity retained in the pineapple, and the batter, again, unique and very suitable. Perhaps a slight disappointment were the chips; although in a typical take-away they would more than suffice, they simply did not live up to the high quality of the perfectly grilled fish, prawns and pineapple fritter.

A nice little touch was a piece of grease-proof paper between the chips and the fish sitting above; you won't get a soggy mess of chips from Chipper. Well done.     

OVERALL

Chipper Fish deserves all the raving reviews for it's cuisine; the fish was simply superb, the uniqueness of it's side flavours very tasty and overall everything was top notch. It is a pity though that this little hidden restaurant exists only for take-aways, spending very little effort on dining or drawing in a loyal sit-down crowd. The location is atrocious and the effort going into setting up for dining was poor. Do yourself a favour Chipper: move to a decent location on Ruthven. 87/100