Martin FrimetTaco Bill topples at the last
April 23rd 2008 06:14
I admit I was expecting the worst as we walked toward Taco Bill in Camberwell. Though un-affiliated to its American near-namesake, Taco Bell, the slightly grotty exterior of this Camberwell institution did nothing to dissuade me from the gut-rumbling feeling that the Mexican cuisine I was about to eat was going to be all grease and no guile.
Things got worse before they got better. The atmosphere in the dining room was painfully stale, the walls washed in ugly brown and – always a sin and an especially big one in a relatively small dining room such as this – the TV was on, beckoning concentration away from both friends and food. Maybe that, I figured to myself, was another sign of what we were in for, and that those at Taco Bill would rather us remember what we watched here than what we ate.
As bad a start as it had been, things next took a turn for the better. Our friendly young waiter greeted us with enthusiasm and took us to a corner table, as far from the TV screen as possible. Perhaps fairly new and definitely a little nervous, he nevertheless seemed happy to help us, talking us through the cocktail menu and, later, picking out his favourite dishes from the menu.
And, somehow, Taco Bill’s recovery continued apace. One of the restaurant’s famed fishbowls, full of tropical-flavour margherita, was plenty big enough for four to share and was a deliciously easy-drinking blend of juice, ice and liquor.
Best of all, the meals we finally chose and ate were good.
Slow-cooked beef stew in a soft burrito came with the kind of flavour that made you think a big Mexican matriarch must have been stirring earnestly in the kitchen for a day or so, while my potato skins topped with chicken and sweetcorn had something of both the crisp textures and crisp tastes I had been praying for. All meals came served with Mexican rice and pureed beans and no one left hungry.
Filling and well-flavoured then, the food at Taco Bill had not been exceptional but it was far beyond the one-dimensional grease-fest I had been expecting.
And yet, after recovering from my own unfair preconceptions and a poor first impression more of its own making, Taco Bill somehow let itself down right at the last. Because, however reasonable the food was, our bill was far from fair. For such simple, stock foods in such a simple, sterile atmosphere I felt robbed that we were paying upwards of $25 each for our one-course meals.
Taco Bill may not have been nearly as hard on my stomach as I had feared but, for being far so much more brutal on my pocket than it needed to be, I’m still certain I would never go back.
Taco Bill
675 Burke Road
Camberwell
Things got worse before they got better. The atmosphere in the dining room was painfully stale, the walls washed in ugly brown and – always a sin and an especially big one in a relatively small dining room such as this – the TV was on, beckoning concentration away from both friends and food. Maybe that, I figured to myself, was another sign of what we were in for, and that those at Taco Bill would rather us remember what we watched here than what we ate.
As bad a start as it had been, things next took a turn for the better. Our friendly young waiter greeted us with enthusiasm and took us to a corner table, as far from the TV screen as possible. Perhaps fairly new and definitely a little nervous, he nevertheless seemed happy to help us, talking us through the cocktail menu and, later, picking out his favourite dishes from the menu.
And, somehow, Taco Bill’s recovery continued apace. One of the restaurant’s famed fishbowls, full of tropical-flavour margherita, was plenty big enough for four to share and was a deliciously easy-drinking blend of juice, ice and liquor.
Best of all, the meals we finally chose and ate were good.
Slow-cooked beef stew in a soft burrito came with the kind of flavour that made you think a big Mexican matriarch must have been stirring earnestly in the kitchen for a day or so, while my potato skins topped with chicken and sweetcorn had something of both the crisp textures and crisp tastes I had been praying for. All meals came served with Mexican rice and pureed beans and no one left hungry.
Filling and well-flavoured then, the food at Taco Bill had not been exceptional but it was far beyond the one-dimensional grease-fest I had been expecting.
And yet, after recovering from my own unfair preconceptions and a poor first impression more of its own making, Taco Bill somehow let itself down right at the last. Because, however reasonable the food was, our bill was far from fair. For such simple, stock foods in such a simple, sterile atmosphere I felt robbed that we were paying upwards of $25 each for our one-course meals.
Taco Bill may not have been nearly as hard on my stomach as I had feared but, for being far so much more brutal on my pocket than it needed to be, I’m still certain I would never go back.
Taco Bill
675 Burke Road
Camberwell
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Comment by Anonymous
I attended the Sandbelt Hotel, South Road Moorabbin, tonight (Wednesday 13/10/10) with my family to have an enjoyable meal.
Having ordering drinks I order some garlic bread plus 2 x Chicken Parmigianino, 1 x Chicken Schnitzel and a Tasmanian Salmon.
After the food was brought to our table my 2 x daughters cut into their chicken parmas only to find that the meat was still pink inside. I immediately took these back to the kitchen and requested they be “fully” cooked, i.e. well done to avoid salmonella poisoning. This was done and the 2 x parmas were brought back to the table some time later “well cooked”.
After taking the parmas back to the kitchen I asked my wife if her chicken was “cooked enough” to wit she replied she thought so but wasn’t sure. You have to take into account that my wife does not enjoy conflict and accepted the condition of the chicken as it was. However she was only able to eat the outside portions which “she deemed well done and suitable to eat” as the centre of the schnitzel was also pink and appeared uncooked. I ate my Tasmanian salmon and found it enjoyable. It was only at the end of the meal that I found out that my wife was unable to eat the centre portion of the chicken, i.e. due to her leaving it on her plate, ands when I asked why she had left it - she showed me the colour. I immediately got up intending to complain to the kitchen but was subdued by my wife and 2 x daughters, i.e. that it wasn’t worth the aggravation.
However when your staff attended at the table to clear off the plates and I was asked if I had enjoyed the meal, I responded that I hadn’t really and that I was disappointed In the quality of food being served.. I explained about the 2 x parmas, and that although this had been resolved by providing 2 x “well cooked” pieces of chicken (parmagiana), I had later found that the chicken schnitzel served to my wife was also “under cooked” (pink). Your staff responded by offering to refund the meal which I accepted. I accepted this both because the chicken schnitzel meal was in our view “under cooked” and because of the distress caused to both my 2x daughters and my wife and I, due to the chicken parmas having to be replaced.
I was therefore subsequently amazed and disillusioned when while speaking to Kirsten I was informed that she would not be authorising the refund of the meal as a result of the chef advising that as the chicken served was unbleached it was quite alright for it to be served pink.
My complaint is in 2 parts:
• Firstly if the chef was okay with the chicken being served up pink then why in god’s name were my 2x daughter’s meals replaced; and,
• If a staff member offers a refund then why is that refund not honoured my management, i.e. maybe you need to educate your staff in relation to what they can and cannot offer customers.
Let me make it perfectly clear – I did not request the refund. I was offered the refund and accepted same honestly believing it to have been made in good faith and in the guise of good customer relations.
Further, it was always my belief that the customer was always right. Obviously that is not the case at the Sandbelt Hotel in South Road, Moorabbin. Also known as the Southside Six.
I am interested in managements thoughts regarding this incident.