Tender Trap - Doncaster East - review

Name: Tender Trap

Address: Shop 2/266 Blackburn Road,  

Doncaster East,
9842 3466

Food: ModOz, European
Average price: Entree - $17. Main - $24. Dessert - $10.50.

Complimentary: Two slices of thick white bread with olive oil, slices of garlic, and kalamata olives.

We ordered: Entree: Slowly roasted pork belly with apple, watercress and truffle potatoes - $18.9

Goat’s cheese and pickled beetroot salad finished with roquette, watercress, orange and walnut praline  - $18.00

A nice combination of flavours.

Main: Pan fried gnocchi with pickled baby beetroot, asparagus, gorgonzola and water chestnuts  - $26.9

After having loved the gnocchi the last time I came, I ordered a different version tonight. The gnocchi had the same gorgeous texture I remembered from before, however this time around, the flavour combination was not as nice. The water chestnuts seemed to be the component that complimented the dish the least, although they did add a textural element. The dish was OK, but the combination just didn't gel well.

Fish of the day - $36.9

Mr.M did not enjoy this dish at all. After consuming one of the razor clams he found bits of some texturally unpleasant, almost gristle or shell like, and therefore decided to give the other one a miss. The rest of the dish was dull and lacking flavour.

Dessert: Caramelized lemon tart served with toasted sesame gelato  - $14.5

Decent tart with a nice level of acidity, however the gelato didn't mesh well flavour-wise.

Greek donuts (loukoumathes) with honey, cinnamon and pistachio syrup with baklava ice cream  - $14.5

Mr.M enjoyed these but I found them to almost have an alcoholic edge to them. 

Cost: $$129.70 - 2 entrees, 2 mains, and 2 desserts.

Service: Great - The waiters were very friendly our water was always topped up and the dishes were cleared promptly.

Atmosphere: The restaurant is lit by down lights and has a bar that runs across the left wall. One wall is a brushed concrete whilst the other is painted a dark grey with booth seating. The back wall of the restaurant is a vibrant red that polishes off the modern interior.


Parking: The restaurant is in a string of shops in a service lane off Blackburn rd. There are quite a few car parks in that lane in front of the stores, but at 7pm on a Saturday night 90% were full (we managed to snag one). There seemed to be street parking on the side streets as well.

Website: http://www.tendertrap.com.au/Default.aspx

Hours: Lunch - 12pm to 3pm Mon to Fri. Dinner - 6pm til late Mon - Sat.

Would I return: Yes - decent local restaurant.