Forest Catering Services - Forestville

If I were serving rice with an Asian stir fry, it would definitely be perfectly steamed Jasmine rice, not that poorly cooked rice shaped like a cup on the side of my plate. The whole dish didn’t feel very Oriental; it reminded me of the Australian Chinese food from the 1970s instead of the modern flavors and thicker sauces we enjoy now. For $19.50, I felt like I wasted my money on that meal from the "new menu." I'm now having second thoughts about going back next month. My friend ordered the prawn cutlets, and I'm relieved I didn't choose that dish. The prawns were deep-fried in a flour batter, which I found unappealing; I was expecting them to be coated in breadcrumbs instead. Breadcrumbs are far superior! Plus, they serve far too many chips with their meals, and the salad options could certainly be improved. A better side salad could include iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, cos lettuce with cherry tomatoes, sliced capsicum in red, yellow, and green, slices of Lebanese cucumber, Spanish onion, and a dressing on the side, even if just in a small dish. They really need to mix it up a bit instead of serving that dry, mixed leaf salad that's just boring and hard to chew without dressing.

I’m left wondering about the chefs in the kitchen—are they Chinese or Asian/Thai, or just Australian cooks? A properly cooked Asian-style roasted chicken should be marinated before being wok-fried, resulting in moist, tender meat. The honey soy sauce was essentially non-existent. I had to go back to the condiment counter to get more soy sauce and a substitute sweet chili sauce to compensate for the dryness of my meal. As for the rice, if I were serving it with an Asian-inspired dish, I would opt for freshly steamed jasmine rice, not poorly cooked, dry rice packed in a cup on the side. The overall flavor and presentation felt more like Australian Chinese food from the 1970s than a modern, aromatic dish with rich sauces. At $19.50, I genuinely felt like I wasted my money choosing this meal from the ‘new menu’. My friend ordered the prawns, and I was relieved I didn’t go for those. They were deep-fried in a thick flour batter when I had expected a lighter breadcrumb coating. Why use a heavy flour batter when a crispy breadcrumb crust would be so much more enjoyable? Additionally, they should enhance their side salad. Instead of the usual boring mixed greens without dressing, they could serve a fresh salad made of iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, cos lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers (red, yellow, and green), sliced Lebanese cucumber, and perhaps some Spanish onions, along with a small dish of salad dressing on the side. A bit of creativity in the presentation could go a long way. I’m left with second thoughts about returning next month after this experience.

The restaurant is clean and offers excellent service.

The food was outstanding.

The dining experience was outstanding.