Sunday, November 11, 2012

Tropika

Pad Thai, Long Beans and Prawns, Eggplant, Duck and Lychee

 Lamb and Chicken Skewers, Roti and Coconut Surprise

The first time I went to Tropika in the South I was not impressed with the service, food or atmosphere. The place was a bit run down and the food did not seem authentic and lacking taste. 

This week we tried the West restaurant as our friends live near there and enjoy it. As they had been many times before we let them choose the meals to share and I'm pleased we did as every dish was a winner. I didn't try the Pad Thai (I've even my fair share in my life) but by all accounts it was very good. 

My favorite was the beans and prawns, they were so delicious I could have eaten the whole amount. I'm not sure what all the many ingredients were that they marinated the dish in, but it tasted very authentic with a mix of salt and coriander. My favorite! 

The duck was a little disappointing being very fatty but the lychees and sauce of the dish made up for it in leaps and bounds. I've seen a lot of other reviews saying the skewers had bland sauces and were over cooked but we went on a Friday night and did not find that. I think they have a special through the week and on that day I can understand the quality might fall a tad. 

The service was professional but not super friendly. They weren't rude just a bit stiff. The red wine was poured for us to taste and the waters were kept filled. We had to ask for the dessert menu a few times and I just think the flow of the servers was a bit off. For the four of us it was almost $150 which is on the pricey side for a suburban restaurant. We did get a lot of food and a bottle of wine so it's not exorbitant  The restaurant was fitted out well, very comfortable, clean and a nice dark and peaceful atmosphere. 

I would certainly go to the West restaurant again. 

Food taste and quality = 8.5 out of 10
Atmosphere and service = 7.5 out of 10 

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