Eating Places We Like

Have discovered all sorts of interesting - and not too ex - places to eat while on our long drives east and west of Bundoora.

Here's a sampling:

Vietnamese
Linh Linh 2
32 Main Street, Greensborough (opp Greensborough Plaza)

We tried
Egg noodle soup with wanton ($7.50)
Beef noodle soup ($7.50)
Beancurd-Bbq pork-prawn soup ($3.50)
Veg spring rolls ($7.00 for 10 pcs)
Total bill = $28

Ambience: Excellent.
Turnover: Fantastic. Parties were coming in every 5 mins!
Quality of food: 7/10.
Portions were just right. Beth finished all her soup, which is saying something. Highly recommended.

Thai
Sontaya Cafe Bar Restaurant
1191 Plenty Road, Bundoora

We tried
Vege pad thai ($11.80)
Green chicken curry ($13.50)
Steamed rice ($3.00)
NB. Unlike Sg, rice is charged at min $2 per serving in Oz.
Hazelnut nougat fudge cake ($4.50 for a huge slice)
Latte
Total bill = just under $40

Ambience: Excellent.
Place is upmarket looking but prices are reasonable.
Turnover: Reasonable.
Quality of food: 7/10. The green curry uses slightly different veges; the flavour's fantastic!

Italian
Stellini's Pizza & Pasta Cafe
47 Plenty Road, Bundoora

We tried
Fettucine carbonara ($9)
Veal schnitzel ($12)

Ambience: It's more a takeaway than a dining place. There aren't a lot of tables. The staff take their time preparing your food and you need to be patient, but it's worth the wait.
Food quality: 8/10.
The best carbonara we've tasted!

Lebanese
Al Nada
84 Hudsons Rd, Spotswood

We tried
Sojok pizza (it has haloumi cheese, spicy sausage, spinach) ($3)
Total cost for pizza and 2 drinks = $10.60

What's great about this place
1. Try before you buy. The proprietor will toast a small slice of pizza for you to sample if you're new to the shop.
2. Unbeatable prices. From $1.80 for a whole small pizza.

Food quality: 7/10

Turkish
Greensborough's Best Kebab House
80 Main Street, Greensborough

We tried
Chicken kebab ($4.50)
Shish kebab ($4.80)
Ayran (traditional Turkish yoghurt drink, like Indian lassi) ($2)
Hot choc ($2.50)
Semolina (a cake soaked in honey syrup) ($2.50)
Total cost = just over $16

Food quality: 7/10.
We loved the juicy, succulent meat which is carved when you order.

Chinese
Shining Palace Restaurant
Watton St, Werribee Town Centre

We are generally wary of Chinese eateries, esp those that include "Singapore Noodles" on their menu, but this one was just great. The food was authentic, not too salty, and reasonably priced.

We tried
Lemon chicken and fried rice ($7.90)
Braised chicken with cashew nuts and fried rice ($7.90)
Vege and beancurd soup (for Beth) ($4.50)

Food quality: 8/10