Sarnies (Telok Ayer)

Typical big brekkie that you get at a cafe. Bacon was either over fried or refried. Hard as hell and had an old oil taste.

There’s only two choices on the desserts menu at Sarnies - brownies or acai soft serve. Due to a misunderstanding with the waiter, I ended up getting only one brownie although I was intending to use the Mains + Dessert offer on Entertainer on Thursday night. Oh well. The brownie tasted really nice, probably made even better while I was under the impression that it was free.

All I can say is WOW. This is one good brownie. It’s not fancy, but it’s moist, soft, slightly fudgey, and super chocolatey. Even with my sinus-dulled senses I could still taste so much chocolate in each bite and enjoyed it a lot. Wasn’t too sweet at all but it could’ve been made even better if it were warmed up. Apparently you can have it served with ice cream too as we saw another table with vanilla ice cream beside their brownie.

A tender piece of barramundi with crisp skin served atop pea purée with a decorative dollop of lemon aioli. I love how much thought went into the presentation of this dish, and while the portion of fish wasn’t that large, it was very affordable with Entertainer 1-for-1. The green crispy cracker didn’t have much taste, but food presentation is half the battle, and it sure did elevate this main to the next level. I love how soft and tender the barramundi was, along with the contrasting crisp skin that was so satisfying to cut and bite into. The pea purée was great too, considering I don’t like peas. It wasn’t bland, nor did it have an overly vegetal taste. Also, possibly a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes so I’m not complaining. The lemon aioli is rich and creamy, and pairs really well with the barramundi as well as fries.

A breaded chicken breast with tomato paste, and melted cheese served with coleslaw and fries. This main sure takes me back to Aussie days. For $19, this is definitely very value for money especially considering the size of the chicken and the location of Sarnies. The chicken is perfectly breaded and fried to a golden brown, with just the right quantity of sauces. The breading doesn’t get soggy, and the chicken remains moist and soft on the inside. The coleslaw was not bad, I appreciate that it wasn’t too wet. The fries, while crispy and beautifully fried, tended to be a little too under seasoned. More salt or spices would’ve done the fries some good, but I ended up dipping them in the aioli that came with the barramundi main instead and loved it.

This side was recommended by our server as we were choosing between this and the Arancini. The sliced mushrooms were sautéed in chopped garlic and served with fried garlic chips and sprinkled with coarse grains of rock salt. Overall, I really liked how flavourful and juicy the mushrooms were, and the garlic chips were awesome cause they were crisp but not burnt. I wouldn’t recommend eating the garlic bits sprinkled on the side as there’s lots of sea salt bits in them, they make for nice presentation and deco but too salty to eat on its own. One thing that could be improved on is how oily the dish is though. The top and middle layer were okay but a pool of oil ended up collecting at the bottom.

First time visiting Sarnies for their dinner menu. Even on a weeknight, this place is pretty popular but there shouldn’t be much issues getting a seat indoors or outdoors.

King trumpet mushrooms:
This side was recommended by our server as we were choosing between this and the Arancini. The sliced mushrooms were sautéed in chopped garlic and served with fried garlic chips and sprinkled with coarse grains of rock salt. Overall, I really liked how flavourful and juicy the mushrooms were, and the garlic chips were awesome cause they were crisp but not burnt. I wouldn’t recommend eating the garlic bits sprinkled on the side as there’s lots of sea salt bits in them, they make for nice presentation and deco but too salty to eat on its own. One thing that could be improved on is how oily the dish is though. The top and middle layer were okay but a pool of oil ended up collecting at the bottom.

Chicken parmigiana ($19):
A breaded chicken breast with tomato paste, and melted cheese served with coleslaw and fries. This main sure takes me back to Aussie days. For $19, this is definitely very value for money especially considering the size of the chicken and the location of Sarnies. The chicken is perfectly breaded and fried to a golden brown, with just the right quantity of sauces. The breading doesn’t get soggy, and the chicken remains moist and soft on the inside. The coleslaw was not bad, I appreciate that it wasn’t too wet. The fries, while crispy and beautifully fried, tended to be a little too under seasoned. More salt or spices would’ve done the fries some good, but I ended up dipping them in the aioli that came with the barramundi main instead and loved it.

Pan seared barramundi ($25.50):
A tender piece of barramundi with crisp skin served atop pea purée with a decorative dollop of lemon aioli. I love how much thought went into the presentation of this dish, and while the portion of fish wasn’t that large, it was very affordable with Entertainer 1-for-1. The green crispy cracker didn’t have much taste, but food presentation is half the battle, and it sure did elevate this main to the next level. I love how soft and tender the barramundi was, along with the contrasting crisp skin that was so satisfying to cut and bite into. The pea purée was great too, considering I don’t like peas. It wasn’t bland, nor did it have an overly vegetal taste. Also, possibly a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes so I’m not complaining. The lemon aioli is rich and creamy, and pairs really well with the barramundi as well as fries.

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner meal at Sarnies, perhaps even more than our breakfast. I think I’ll be utilising my remaining Entertainer offers for dinner rather than breakfast as is one of the few gems that Entertainer has 1 for 1 offers for which Burpple Beyond doesn’t, plus there was a deal with Mains & Dessert for use on Mon-Thur dinner which I intended to use (but received wrong information on how to redeem it so I ended up being served and paying for only one dessert). I should’ve checked more thoroughly since I ended up missing the chance to use the Mains & Dessert weeknight dinner deal :(