MOCHA JO'S

87 Kingsway 
Glen Waverley

http://www.mochajos.com.au/

Many restaurants have come and gone in Glen Waverley’s Kingsway strip since the arrival of the Village Cinema complex reinvigorated the area in the late 90’s.  Mocha Jo’s has been a staple of the area since 2000 with its prime corner location guaranteeing a steady flow of customers from breakfast through until dinner.

J and I decided to pop in one recent Sunday and see what was on offer.  What follows is one of the more bizarre dining experiences I have experienced.  Waiter 1 seated us right in the doorway so J asked if it was possible to have a table further inside.  We were taken to a corner booth but told it was booked at 2.00 p.m. so we’d have to be out by then.  That was no problem – it was 12.25 so we were happy to comply.

Once seated, Waiter 2 approached and enquired if we were having breakfast or lunch.  I asked if we could look at both menus.  “Well we’re only serving breakfast for another 5 minutes as it finishes at 12.30”.  “Well in that case we’ll order lunch” I replied.  “Well I’ll just let you know that there’s a 20-25 minute break between when we stop serving breakfast and start serving lunch so the kitchen can prepare”.  Ok then. 

Ten minutes later, Waiter 1 approached and we thought he was going to take our order...wrong!  “I’m sorry girls but I’m going to have to move you to another table...this table is booked at 2.00 and you’re not going to be done in time”.  Well it would help if someone would take our order I thought, but we nodded politely.  We assumed he would move us when another table became available...he never came near us again – what the?

Waiter 2 then arrived with our drinks and quickly exited.  Perhaps the break between breakfast and lunch means they don’t take any orders during this time, we thought?  He eventually arrived back to take our order at 12.50, 25 minutes after we were seated.  Well at least ours should be one of the first orders to arrive...right?  Wrong!  It appeared that while we had been ignored, the other waiters had all been taking lunch orders from other tables.  For the next 20 minutes we watched as a procession of lunch orders went out to tables that had been seated after us.  Not happy, Jan!  Finally our meals arrived at 1.10, 45 minutes after we had been seated.

Now, even if the kitchen does have a break between breakfast and lunch, if the waiter had taken our order at the start we could have had our meal 20 minutes earlier...and they could have had their table back.  Dessert looked very tempting but with the clock ticking closer to 2.00, we decided not to bother.

WE ORDERED

J had the Lemon Pepper Calamari - Fresh calamari dusted in lemon and pepper seasoning, Thai cashew nut salad, chunky chips, mustard mayonnaise

I had the Camembert Chicken Mignon - Prosciutto wrapped chicken breast stuffed with Camembert cheese served with sage, herb & garlic kipfler potatoes, spinach & shiraz jus

WE THOUGHT
J thought the calamari was nice and tender and the mustard mayonnaise full of flavour.  A very enjoyable meal.

The Chicken Mignon was incredibly tasty and I cleaned the plate, something I don’t often do.  The mignon filling was smooth and creamy, the potatoes crispy and the spinach beautifully cooked, the shiraz jus proving to be a most appetising dressing.

WE LIKED

The quality of the food was fantastic and the menu was very diverse - there were a few things I would like to have tried.  The atmosphere and location make this an enjoyable place to dine.  A water bottle and glasses were brought to our table and topped up frequently.

WE DISLIKED
The erratic service was a big turn off.  Most establishments manage the transition from breakfast to lunch service smoothly and with Mocha Jo’s serving breakfast seven days a week for over ten years, you’d think they’d have it down pat by now.

WILL WE RETURN?

I am willing to give Mocha Jo’s another chance based on the quality of the food alone.  But the service needs to improve.  No customer should be treated like they are an inconvenience and that was how we felt – it also cost them a dessert order.

5/10

WHEELERS HILL HOTEL

Crn Ferntree Gully & Jells Rds 
Wheelers Hill

http://www.wheelershillhotel.com.au/index.html

On a recent Sunday night, J and I decided to squeeze in some quick sister time and head to the nearby Wheelers Hill Hotel for dinner.

The Wheelers Hill has been an institution in the area for as long as I can remember and for good reason.  The main building on the corner was the area’s original post office in the late 1800’s and its heritage listing means it remains whilst surrounded by a brand new hotel built around ten years ago. While the public bar has been a popular haunt for the young of the area, it also attracts the older crowd with its Morning Melodies shows and Seniors Specials.

The main thing the Wheelers has going for it is the atmosphere, with the bistro’s full glass windows taking advantage of spectacular views over the Dandenongs.  A fireplace and comfortable lounge chairs add to the cosiness.  Like many pubs, drinks must be ordered at the bar and meals from the counter.  The menu has recently been relaunched and includes the usual pub bistro favourites along with an extensive grill menu.  Several specials are also available along with a special Kids and Seniors menu. 

WE ORDERED

To share as a starter -

Baked Mini Loaf - Oven baked, accompanied w roasted garlic, herb & semi-dried tomato & basil butters

For main course (both from the specials menu)

J had Vindaloo Prawns - Twelve tiger prawns bound with a mild coconut & vindaloo sauce, capsicum & spanish onion resting upon steamed rice & accompanied with pappadams.

I had Char Sui Pork Belly - Oven baked pork belly served with fries & a salad of cucumber ribbons, wild rocket & cherry tomatoes finished with char siu sauce.

WE THOUGHT

The Baked Mini Loaf was huge and there was more than enough flavoured butter to go around.  The bread was warm and tasty...this was a very enjoyable starter.

J enjoyed her Vindaloo Prawns and thought the sauce had good flavour.

The Char Sui Pork Belly was massive and instead of the usual one piece of pork belly, I had three.  I must admit I forced myself to get through it.  It was a bit tougher than what you might find at a fine dining establishment and the crackling was on the chewy side rather than crispy.  Still the sauce was very tasty and for the price you couldn’t go wrong.

WE LIKED
The beautiful view and pleasant atmosphere.  The big meals which are good value for money.  Those who find pub bistros too noisy may prefer the Wheelers.  With no kids playroom it is much quieter than many other pubs and children are generally better behaved. 

WE DISLIKED

The lowlight of the night was the slow service.  Only one person was working behind the bar which meant a wait of almost 10 minutes for drinks.  The line to order food wasn’t too long as we got in early but if we’d been a bit later we would have been in for a wait.  The meals also took a long time to arrive on a night when the bistro wasn’t full...perhaps they were short staffed in the kitchen?

WILL WE RETURN
Yes.  Apart from the fact it is close to home, the great views and value for money meals mean we will be back, possibly for a family meal next time.

7/10