Biota Dining

Bar Bar Food Booze Dessert Eat & Drink Modern Australian Produce Wine

Jackie McMillan
February 27, 2013

Biota Dining gets its luxury from its use of space, and space is luxury – especially when you’re used to being squished together in the city! The restaurant, bar and grounds -complete with sculptures, kitchen garden, pond and (reasonably) friendly geese – speak of bounty and plenty. There’s a definite synergy between the site, and what’s presented on the plates, but the whole here is greater than the sum of its parts. Get your first taste of garden botanicals in the Biota Pimms Cup ($15) before delving into the inviting wine list. I splashed out on the 2010 Bindi ‘Composition’ Chardonnay ($93); it’s vivid terroir only added to the equation. For lunch you select three courses ($58/head) from a list of minimalist menu descriptions. My fascination with beach plants meant Brooke Trout, Summer Squash, Samphire, Truffle Sand, Mussels was a must-have. It was eclipsed by Beth McMillan’s wonderful Burrawong Duck presented with cauliflower, white raisins, pear and a flurry of pine needles, and constructed by three chefs each brandishing long surgical tweezers. As we awaited dessert of Sweetened Root Vegetables, Artichoke Ice Cream and Carrot Sponge (which ended up being the dish of the day) conversations randomly sprung up with other diners (despite the distance between tables). It’s that kind of place…

Biota Dining
Kangaloon Road, Bowral
Ph: (02) 4862 2005 biotadining.com
Modern Australian $$$-$$$$

REVIEW: Karen’s Diner Top Ryde

Arts & Entertainment Eat & Drink Scene

Swagatalakshmi Roychowdhury
June 28, 2022

I am not going to lie, walking into Karen’s Diner, which is reputed to have the worst customer service in the city, can be nerve-wracking. After several minutes of nervous pacing and scrolling through the reservation confirmation with clammy hands, a Karen turned to serve me. Rolling eyes and sass made up most of her demeanour, which finally put me at ease. As I looked around, I realised I was not the only nervous one in the diner. Many of customers were similarly hesitant to order their food, all of whom were understandably unwilling to invoke the Karens’ wrath but equally keen to experience what this place was all about.

An evening at Karen’s Diner was a fun experience indeed. From aggressive pushes of food on the table to constant f-bombs and booing at customers, Karen’s Diner was a vibe.

The diner decorations were also quite beautiful. Seated at a high-top table with a table full of has-beens next to a comic plastered wall we watched the customers heading out to play the Wheel of Misfortune. Misfortunes that could land you anywhere between model walks to the not-so-fun spicy shots.

I ate a meal called the “Royale Karen” alongside sips of a cocktail called the “Sour Karen” – listening to Good Golly Miss Molly playing overhead. The food was good, but it could have been better.