ChristChurch – Saved $66

Coffee Club $4
Coffee Corner $12
International Antarctic  Centre $50

Thai Spice House – saved $13

When I saw Cremorne Curry Bugs on the menu, I knew I had to try them whatever they were.  Turns out, they weren’t like the bugs you find street vendors selling on the streets of Bangkok, but rather Moreton Bay Bugs.  These “bugs” are a type of lobster, and really quite good.  I think next time I visit I’m going to have them make a Thai green curry with bugs.

The atmosphere is Thai Spice House isn’t going to impress a date, but the food was as good as any of the neighboring Thai restaurants.

City Extra Circular Quay – Saved $21

I had the burger lot for $21 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Mrs. E has the chicken pot pie and didn’t like it at all.  This is a diner, so I’d stick to the burgers, shakes, and fried food here.  That said, this place is open 24×7, and is centrally located, so it’s a super easy place to use your Entertainment Book at.

Pancakes on the Rocks – Saved $26

I’ve now been to both Sydney locations of Pancakes on the Rocks.  I first went to the Darling Harbour location.  This location has high ceilings, feels roomy, and has a few slight views of Darling Harbour.  The Rocks location feels like it should be an old pub, with plenty of exposed brick and wood beams.  The Rocks location is inside the Metcalfe Arcade.  It took me a bit of time to find, and I should have just trusted the GPS location in my iPhone app, as it was pretty spot on.  There’s a small sign on Hicksons Road which lets you find the entrance.

This time around I had the Mexican Potato pancakes.  I felt like I was going out on a limb trying them, but it turns out they were amazing.  Having lived a block away from the ‘Panacke Factory’ in New Jersey, I thought I’ve tried every pancake combination possible.  While Pancake’s does have all the traditional sweet pancakes one expects, the savory ones you find here you won’t find elsewhere.  While I want to Pancakes at 9am, they are open 24×7, and I’m sure it’s a popular place to go after a night of drinking.

The pancake mains range from $10 to $16 dollars.  The Entertainment Book discount is BYGO, so the first time I managed to save $15, while on the second visit I saved just $11.

Pilu at Freshwater – Saved $45

We went to Pilu for Mrs. E’s birthday. At first I was a bit worried, as often restaurants whose dishes are all listed in Italian are more pretentious than gourmet.  However, once the food arrived, I was convinced this is one of the best restaurants in Sydney.  Mrs. E says it’s the best dinner she’s ever had, beating out places such as Jean Georges Restaurant.  I wouldn’t say the same, but I would but it in my top ten.  Nobu and Spark’s would have to be at the top of the list.

For our starter, we had the Pane e ricotta.  The bread was like a tastier Papadum, and the ricotta was simply wonderful.

For our next course (primi) we had a twisted pasta with yellow-fin tuna, which was one of the specials.

For our mains (secondi),  I had the Kingfish, while Mrs. E had the swordfish.  While both were good, the swordfish was certainly the better of the two.

For dessert (dolci), I had the Affogato Sardo al caffé while Mrs. E had the Semifreddo al cioccolato Amedei con sorbetto al cioccolato.

I didn’t take Mrs. E here just because the place was in the Entertainment Book, but getting 25% off with the Gold Card certainly made the bill a little easier to pay.

Ben & Jerry’s

I went to Ben & Jerry’s opening night in Manly.

It’s been a while since I’ve last had Ben & Jerry’s. It was tough deciding which flavour to choose.  It was like a family reunion, and you don’t know who to hug first.  Finally,  I decided on the New York Super Fudge.

In addition to great ice-cream, they are introducing another first in Australia – free WiFi.

They don’t have an offer in the Entertainment Book, but hopefully they will next year!

Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar – Saved $20

While my favourite pizza place near Manly is Ray’s, we thought we’d give Crust a try since we had a voucher for it.  The buy one get one large pizza is a bit hard to use with just two people, but is just right for four adults.  I like my pizza’s simple, but most of the pizza’s at Crust are ‘gourmet’.  We tried the meatball pizza which was really good, and the peri-peri chicken which wasn’t my favourite.  You have to pick up the pizza to use the voucher, but this isn’t a big deal as the buy-one-get-one savings are pretty good.

Vibe Savoy Hotel Melbourne Cookbook Package – Saved $83

Mrs. E and I went down to the Great Ocean Road for our 5th anniversary.  We flew down to Melbourne on a Thursday night, and I found the Vibe by looking for a hotel somewhat close to the airport.  I think the Vibe is actually closer to the CBD than the airport, but it offered a nice place to stay.  I thought the cookbook package was a bit unique, and Mrs. E always appreciates another cookbook.  The room was a nice size and clean.  The only thing we didn’t like was the elevator felt like it was about to drop off it’s cable.

I Thai – Saved $11

I Thai is one of the more economical places to eat in Darling Harbour, but is still a bit more expensive than similar Thai restaurants in Sydney.   I ordered the Thai Beef Salad and was expecting a cold dish with lettuce, but it was served hot, without lettuce.  I don’t know if I got the wrong dish, or if they prepare it different.

If your in the Darling Harbour area, and want to go to one of the less expensive restaurants which still has a nice view, then I Thai is a good choice.

Various take away – Saved $45

Royal Copenhagen, Circular Quay x 2  $10.40
Subway 12″  $13.90  (BYGY 12 Chicken Tiki + 5 fruit juice)
Pie Face  $3.50
Guzman Y Gomez Taqueria  $10
Oporto $7