Firstly, there was Benjarong Thai Restaurant in Howick where hubby and I shared a cracker of a dish – prawns with cashews ($30.90). On the surface it sounded fairly average – peeled tiger prawns, mushrooms, vegetables and Benjarong’s famous soya sauce. The reality was a meal that set our tastebuds tingling. It was full of flavour and packed with prawns.
At the outset we nearly opted for sizzling seafood with ginger, garlic, chilli and a light soy sauce ($29.50). However, I’m glad Benjarong owner Pat Rammanee persuaded me to try the new prawn and cashew dish. It was worth every cent.
On that occasion, having already indulged in entrees of curry puffs and tom yum soup, hubby and I shared the dish. We also took a bottle of wine, which meant the whole night cost us in the vicinity of $56, reasonable indeed.
But October wasn’t done and on visiting Farm Cove’s popular Italian café, Casa Tua, the scotch fillet came up trumps.
Dining with a girlfriend, I had a hankering for steak and so did she so we opted for the same and were delighted at the outcome. Our perfectly cooked, medium rare scotch fillets served stack-style with mushroom and cream sauce, herbed potatoes and asparagus were mouth-watering and at $29, affordably priced. We devoured every mouthful and would have licked the plate clean if manners had allowed. Instead we licked our lips and agreed this dish was a triumph. And it was all the better for our starter of garlic pizza bread served with a very yummy trio of dips ($7).
