84 Rosewood Av, Woodlands
Ph: (08) 9446 8880
They Keep Coming Back!
Bada Bing café nestled right next to Jackadder Lake in Woodlands, serves Modern Australian fare with an Italian influence. Bada Bing features a contemporary café-style feel and a spacious alfresco area, with views of the lake, to enjoy lazy days or dusky evenings. During the few hours we sat at our table, a mix of business men, ladies lunching, large family gatherings, and friends meeting for a quick coffee and cake, were the vast mix of people buzzing in and out of this busy restaurant.
Proudly owned and run by Executive Chef Nathan Sharp and wife Simona for three and a half years, they have created a hub of activity, offering great value food, with fast and friendly service. This formula seems to be working well, and the customers we spoke to were very happy, and have been returning again and again.
Our first Entrée was Grilled Field Mushrooms- filled with creamy mozzarella, sun-dried tomato and flat parsley baked and served with fresh rocket and parsnip crisps. A juicy dish with loads of flavour, finished off nicely with the sweet crisps. A great start!
Seared Scallops- Open-grilled scallops served with salsa verde, lime-infused pear and chilli and rum syrup, our second Entrée, tasted every bit as good as it sounded. The scallops were seared with a nice caramelisation, the salsa verde was smooth, and little balls of the pear were completed with a touch of chilli. Forking each scallop, picking up the shell and pouring the juice into your mouth is the way to go! The juice was fantastic and the flavours of the dish worked beautifully together.
Whilst still discussing the goodness of the scallops, out came our first Main- Lamb Cutlets – Pistachio and lime-crusted cutlets with sweet mash, bok choi and rustic tomato sauce. This is one of Bada Bing’s most popular dishes and we can see why; the plate was full of colour and as devoured, was full of flavour. The cutlets were crisp and golden, the lime and pistachio combination shone through, and the flavours of the accompaniments worked very well with the cutlets…and yes I did gnaw at the bones until they were clean!
Our other main dish was Pork Cutlets – Linley Valley pork grilled then slow roasted in a cashew and Marsala sauce served with grilled polenta, creamy mash, seared leek and silverbeet. This is one dish I recommend you try; the pork was to die for, caramelised yet juicy, it lay in the sweet creamy sauce that was later mopped up with the polenta.
Time for dessert- Warm blueberry and treacle pie with candied-orange peel ice cream’. Every component of this dessert was home-made at Bada Bing, and it was a real winner! A sweet pastry case filled with a moist almond meal and blueberry filling, topped with the ice cream that was not only smooth and creamy, but with the zesty peel and flecks of blueberry, was absolutely delicious. A great end to a very satisfying meal, best finished off with a cup of tea or coffee.
Overall the dishes were very enjoyable. The portions were very generous and there were lots of vegetarian and gluten free options. Bada Bing is open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Tuesday – Saturday, and open for Breakfast and Lunch on Sundays and coffee and cake on Mondays. By the look of how busy the café is, bookings are recommended, especially if you have a special occasion in mind, or have a large party of people. It’s a perfect spot for a casual catch-up with friends or dinner with someone special overlooking the lake. Or take the family for a lazy breakfast or lunch, then finish off with a stroll around the lake. Bliss!
By Chef Sophie Budd
