Cargo
New Quay, 55A New Quay Promenade, Docklands
03 9670 0999
Modern Australian, Pizza
$$
Food
- Crumbed Calamari Rings
- Wild Mushroom Arancini
- Seafood Paealla
- Huli-Huli Grilled Chicken
- Green Beans with Crumbled Fetta
- Banoffee Sundae
The Good
It was a brilliant start to the evening with the Wild Mushroom Arancini. Fried to a perfect golden brown, the crisp outer gave way to a cheesy and gooey inner that was stuffed with aromatic mushrooms. Well seasoned, the mushrooms within were juicy and flavoursome, perfectly complemented by the slight tang of the aioli surrounding each ball.
The Calamari was also enjoyable though perhaps less spectacular. With a crispy coat of light crumbling on the outer, we found the squid within to be reasonably soft. While we would’ve liked more seasoning on the batter itself to provide more flavour, the tartare provided a beautiful creaminess and perfectly complemented the fresh calamari
One of the highlights of our meal must be the Huli-Huli Grilled Chicken. Char-grilled to perfection, the chicken was tender and well-marinated. With each bite, you are rewarded with an savoury soy sensation coupled with an almost caramelised flavour of sugar, though I am certain that a plethora of other spices went into this brilliant sauce. This Hawaiian-inspired chicken marinade was perfectly complemented by the flavoursome capsicum, black bean and corn salsa that provided a refreshing twist. Served alongside was the warm tortilla and sour cream, which made for a pretty interesting and flavoursome DIY taco of sorts.
We finished off the evening with the Banofee Sundae and it quickly became apparent why this dessert came highly recommended by our waiter. Chomping down on the crunchy golden brown, lightly battered banana skin reveals a soft and almost melt-in-your-mouth inner. This was drizzled with an abundance of salted caramel sauce that exhibited great depth in flavour, and served alongside a generous scoop of creamy and lightly salted caramel ice cream. The occasional balls of caramel crunch, coupled with the coarse biscuit crumbs, provided the perfect contrast in textures. An absolutely delicious treat.
The Mediocre
The Seafood Paella was less impressive on this occasion. While the portion size was definitely more than generous, and was filled to the brim with quality seafood, we found the flavours unexpectedly muted. Scattered all over the paealla were an abundance of mussels, but while they were quite tender and juicy, they were unmistakably fishy and overpowered the rest of the dish. The fish and prawns however were incredibly fresh and tasty, with occasional dollops of salsa verde provided a good tang and adding complexity in flavours. However, we felt that perhaps more saffron, chilli or chilli oil could all be used to further enhance the flavours of the rice.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
Located literally on the bank of Docklands, Cargo not only provides excellent views of the harbour, but most importantly, an interesting menu full of delicious, quality dishes that’s executed to a high level.
The unobtrusive yet attentive service, coupled with the great fit out and ambiance, this is the perfect date night venue that won’t break the bank!
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Most definitely. Great food, stunning scenery, all at an affordable price, what’s not to love?
Penguineats would like to thank Cargo and Eat Marketing Concepts for inviting us.