Saturday 30 April 2011

Simply Noodles!!

Simply Noodles offers a wide variety of noodles, soups and rice dishes.
From classic Chinese noodle dishes to delicious noodle soups and freshly cooked noodle stir-fries, the tastes of Asia are sure to delight at Simply Noodles.
All dishes are made to order and customers can dine in or takeaway


I'm rating Simply Noodles as a fast food place, rather than as a restaurant. That said, Simply Noodles does good food and does it quickly, which is great if you're grabbing lunch before a lecture at Uni, or takeaway. Some dishes are better than others - the shredded duck fried rice is a flavourful stand out. The laksa is pretty good, without being fabulous. Plus there's a wide range of vegetarian meals for all those vegetarians, Simply Noodles is a cut above your usual food court fare. This noodle bar is quite clean and has modern touch.

Location
Level 4, Shop 406,
Corner of Herring Rd and Waterloo Rd, Macquarie Centre

Coffee on Campus

In order to be conscious enough to sit through 3 hour lectures and 2 hour practical classes, sometimes a caffeine hit is needed.

I normally buy a regular sized cappuccino. This costs $3.20, which is decent value when you compare it with the cost of a Gloria Jeans coffee or a coffee from a cafe in the Mac Centre (which is closer to $4).

My experiences with the coffee available around MQ has been very hit and miss, in terms of quality. Sometimes the coffee is too weak, while other times the coffee's milk is burnt. Its all just a matter of luck, unfortunately.

If coffee isn't your thing, the coffee carts (which are conveniently scattered around campus) are still worth a look as you can buy hot chocolates, cold drinks and muffins.

For those of you considering buying coffee from an outlet around campus, although its not great, I would still recommend it based on its value for money and convenience.

Friday 29 April 2011

Hey guys get your "FREE can of Drink or Coffee" with any sandwich or food purchase at RJ's Sandwich Works, Print your voucher from the following link  http://www.macquariecentre.com.au/food/exclusive-food-offers.aspx  
  



RJ's Sandwich Works located at Macquarie Centre
Level 3 Shop No 96
Opening hrs Mon-Fri  7am to 6pm
Weekends closed
This offer valid only until 31st May 2011


RJ's offer an extensive range of sandwiches and other lunchtime delights...
Create your own Sandwich, Bread roll or Wrap or choose from the extensive menu, all prepared daily with fresh Ingredients.
While you wait try hot baked potatoes with your favourite hot and cold toppings!! At RJ's sandwich works there is space to dine in or you can get take away between your short Uni break. Average meal price is between $2 and $10 which is very cheap and affodable for all Uni students.

Hotdog

Location: Macquarie Center

Store: Event Cinema - Scoop Alley

Food:  Hotdog

Cost: $3.00

Rating: 2.5/5



Keeping in line with the previous post, this is a cheep and cheerful option of lunch. The Scoop Alley is located on the top floor, next to the cinema. This place does a pretty good hotdog, that is better the Doughnut King one(the only other place to offer a hotdog). Another bonus is that at the Scoop Ally you can get a superior (in my humble opinion) frozen coke, which goes well with the hotdog.  Unfortunately it does not come with cheese. Overall is a good option for lunch if your in the mood for a sausage.

Warning, be careful and don't get caught up in the feel that you are going to the movies, you are just getting movie food, you most likely don't have time to see a movie....you're probably late to your lecture already!

Banna Bread / Toast

Location: Macquarie Center

Store: Gloria Jeans

Food:  Banana Bread / Toast

Cost: $4.00 / $2.50

Rating: 3/5



Gloria Jeans can be found in two locations in Macquarie (for the moment). One is in the Food Court of the Center and the other is located in the closing down Borders. This is a good option is you're in a rush and unable to have a good sit down breakfast. These items can be eaten on the go and are relatively cheap.

With the toast you can either get plain or raisin toast. These slices are quite thick (which is my preference).
With the banana bread, you can have the option of getting it toasted, but I prefer as it is [cold].
 

With both these food items, you can get them toasted (obviously) and select butter and/or a jam. This results in a cheap and cheerful breakfast, which I recommend. (this option is even better then some of the other options for breakfast)

Thursday 28 April 2011

Traditional Aussie Burger

Location: Macquarie Center

Store: Nick's Cafe

Food:  Traditional Aussie Burger

Cost: $13.90

Rating: 3.5/5



This is the best burger you can find in and around Macquarie! It comes with beetroot, tomato and salad. As well as a side of chips. A milkshake from their menu also compliments this dish well. They have a variety but I chose Vanilla and it was delicious. This place can also cater for people who are after a real drink having a decent selection from their bar. The downside is that there is a bit of waiting involved and that you actually have to sit inside the cafe. Other items on the menu are also quite large, so make sure you are hungry before going here.The cafe is also located at the entrance to Macquarie Center. So this is only applicable if you know you have time to spare, but it is worth coming late to a lecture for.

butter chicken in Masti

Those of you who are fans of Indian cuisine and simply love butter chicken, Masti in Macquarie Centre is the place to go. Two days back I had butter chicken in Masti and I have to say it was very good. It’s pretty cheap as well. You can get a small bowl of butter chicken curry and a cup of rice for just $9.90 only. The chicken fillet pieces were small and they presented it in a small bowl in a very Indian way. The curry paste was perfect and the tomato puree was thick enough to give you the right flavour. The best part was the hint of cinnamon and the thick cream they used. However the amount of ghee was less just the way I like it to be. I would recommend everyone to go and taste this dish. You can either choose white plain rice with it or you can choose nun bread. I am planning to try with a nun bread next time I go for sure. One of the interesting things about this restaurant is the fact that they keep on playing Indian movies’ songs which give you the feeling you are actually in India and having butter chicken in some local food shop. I loved it.

Chicken Teriyaki

Location: Macquarie Center

Store: Mr Teppan - Teppankaki

Food:  Chicken Teriyaki

Cost: $9.50

Rating: 4/5

Mr Teppan is one of the better places to eat around Macquarire. It's located in the shopping center across the road from the University (although this is a bit of a walk, particularly if you are on the wrong end of the campus). It is in the main food court section. They do a variety of dishes and offer many different sauces with your meal. The servings you get are very large (as their plates are massive). The food is quite good for what you pay and is a good alternative if you are tired of fast food. All the food here is made to order. It is at it's core a rice dish and comes with vegetables (quite a few) [You are also able to acquire a frequent user card, which enable you to receive your 10 meal for free]

I'd highly recommend eating here for lunch or dinner.

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Pide at Doner Wrap


The Doner Wrap food outlet on campus at macquarie is a cheap and filling place to buy your lunch.
Today I bought the cheese and spinach pide from Doner Wrap, which cost me $7. The pide was a cheap and quick meal, which was good as I was in a rush and had to eat it while walking.
The pide had enough fillings in each piece, and the cheese was well spread. The only thing that would have made it better would be more lemon. One lemon wasn't enough to cover over all the pieces of pied.
If pide isn’t your thing, they also have kebabs (which are also really tasty), and also meat plates with salad. Cold drinks are also readily available from this outlet so you won’t be left thirsty from your meal.
Overall, I highly recommend Doner Wrap for the next time your feeling hungry and am in a rush.

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Oporto Bondi Burger

One of the cheapest things to grab which would fill up your tummies for sure in MQ centre is the Bondi Burger in Oporto.
Its only $5.5 and you can get a meal pack at only $7 with the burger, French fries and a can of soft drink.
It tastes great!
This burger was first introduced in 1986 in a small Portuguese charcoal chicken shop in North Bondi (About.com, Syrie Wongkaew).
What still make the burger so irresistible is the freshly grilled and marinated chicken and the legendary chilli sauce.
However if you are not a fan of hot-spicy food, you can order for the mild sauce which is not so chilly, yet would give you the same sour taste. You can also choose not to have any sauce at all and just enjoy the soft juicy chicken.
I would say you should definitely spend some dollars to try this burger. The chicken is marinated with a secret sauce which somewhat has a similar taste like the peri-peri sauce and along with fresh bun and lettuce, a slice of cheese and a bit of chilli sauce its heavenly.