Location: Highpoint Shopping Centre (Rosamond Rd), Downstairs near the cinemas
Phone: 9317 3990
Time: 8.30pm ( I was there for dinner)
Price: Unreasonable( I paid approx $29 for steak and hated it)
Cuisine Type: Cafe food
What got dished out:
Whenever I go to a cafe type place for some odd reason I always order the steak.I guess because for me, the steak tells me so much about a place. I.E the quality of their food. If the steak is cooked properly then I know that the standard is pretty good with everything else and that I'd be returning to try everything else. Of course, cook the steak incorrectly and it's game over.
This was supposed to be the Eye Fillet with chips and Vegies with Mushroom sauce.
I always request for a medium steak, most times it's a hit and miss. I mean what's the point in anyone asking, it should be like "you get what the chef feels like" because I've asked for medium and it either comes out nuked (i think thats supposed to be "well done" or it comes out rare with blood squirting me in the eye with each cut.
The chef/cook got it right, it was indeed medium. It was indeed steak tasting, but my biggest issue was the plate being too small. I mean they dumped the piece of steak on a bed of chips and veggies. Where exactly did they think I was going to cut up my steak? On my lap perhaps? My friend of course was like "you can cut it on top of the chips", true but then I'd be squashing my chips.
The chips by the way weren't that flash, more like cooked in oil that hasn't been changed for ages.
Now I'm no salad fan. I don't unfortunately eat my vegetables as I'm supposed to. And the salad that they lumped on my plate didn't look all that appetizing either. It looked like a day or two old and i wasn't going to bother with it.
This is pretty much the end result. I didn't touch much of the chips, I wasn't going to attempt any of the salad and frankly the steak was just too bleh to go any further. I might as well add here that I also had an issue with their mushroom sauce which tasted nothing like mushroom sauce. In fact it tasted like something that I'd get from a gravax tin, add water, cut up some mushrooms and claim it to be mushroom sauce. Oh wow, I think I just worked out their secret. LOL.
The sauce was really watery and bland, actually it just tasted like packet sauce to me, it was the most disappointing steak I've had in a while, not the worst steak but was pretty up there in terrible steaks and I know I've had better somewhere else... Actually, i think I could have cooked up something better and I am no cook, in fact I think there is a law somewhere where it's illegal for me to cook =].
My friend ordered some veggie burger. I can't remember the actual name of it. But when it came out, the first thing she said was "Gee the bread sure does look waxy". Being that I didn't bother taking a bite out of her veggie burger, as I'm no big fan of "veggie patties", I thought I'd give it a miss.
My friend being the actual vegetarian commented that it was one hell of a burger, as in it was pretty decent. I'd take her word for it, I'm not one to go to any cafe/restaurant/take-away place that serves meat and order vegetarian of anything. I like my meat dishes a bit toooo much. But she did rub it in a little bit (probably without realising it) that her meal was awesome (yes she did find the chips a bit soggy and also believed that the oil was old),and she was apparently fine with the salad. The damn girl ate the whole thing and left nothing on her plate.
My thoughts:
When it comes to shopping centres, I totally believe in just sticking to the fast food joints. Nothing ever really comes good out of a shopping centre especially when it comes to dining. I prefer places like McDonalds, KFC or better yet Nandos over something like Happy Days. Fast food outlets are consistent on making bad unhealthy food but the standard is the same no matter where you go. LOL.
Right where Happy Days is situated there is a Nandos, a La Porchetta, Seared, Grilled and China Bar. It puzzles me on how such a place that serves mediocre food can still exist. Yes it's got that 1960's feel about it, as in there's a juke box in the background. It's quirky but that's as far as it goes. Diners go to a place to eat. you get wow`ed at the scenery for like 5 minutes, get bored and expect good food. Which clearly they really struggle. Okay fine, I only had the steak but like I said, the steak is always an indication on how a place is travelling.
Happy Days has some stiff competition considering La Porchetta does something very similar for a lot less and are consistent at making their food taste a certain way. Which I guess also explains why La Porchetta is bigger and busier.
Who in their right mind go to Happy Days? Those who couldn't find a seat at La Porchetta or Seared. Can't be bothered with Grilled or Pancake Parlour. OR they think "we walk past Happy days all the time, let's give it a try"
Would I go back? hell NO! Especially considering there are so many OTHER better options around it, that I'd rather eat there. Happy Days should be called "Struggling Days". Because I struggle to comprehend why they're still there and who the hell would even bother going there.
2 comments:
I am a former employee of Highpoint's Happy Days Dinner. This relieve is extremely accurate form the mushroom sauce to the oil's age.
Believe it or not there are many reviews like yours which had been brought to the attention to the owners, however there are little to no response. I worked there for 3 months and gave up from being wrongly payed and the food handling was shocking. Your whole review is correct and luckily for the public, it has been shut down.
Yes the food frequently sucked, and it was definitely over priced, but it is still the best place ever coz I used to love the wall mounted juke boxes and there were no less than 8 Fats Domino tracks on there. The only bad time was when the music was too low and they wouldnt turn it up after I asked but the eight other times I went there they turned it up as soon as I asked.
My routine was to order a "Steak Al La Fonz" and 10 one dollar coins. Then line up a Fats Domino playlist. That's what I call relaxing.
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