Pasta Zu

10 years ago I discovered summer pudding with panna cotta here. Back in Sydney, I returned and rediscovered the summer pudding. Real treat was that the container had a star, which meant ‘eat today’ and ‘half price.’ Awesome, I was totally eating the pudding immediately!
Staff was friendly, had a nice talk with guy behind counter.
Salads, sandwiches, and wraps looked simply amazing. Picture perfect.
some tables both in and out, self-​service although the staff does bring your drinks/​food to your table.

We used to be in this store at least once a week for takeaway– it’s pricey but freshly made and so it doesn’t feel so bad buying convenience. My son loved the Meatballs. My husband, the Caramelized Onion and Bacon Tart. I liked the Leek and Corn Risotto Cakes and the Beetroot Salad but then the wheels came off.
Firstly it started with the merest hint of a taste that I can only describe as fridge. Large industrial fridge. If you’ve worked in catering you’ll know the smell and what it might taste like. I am hound like in my sense of smell and my tastebuds are amped too — this can be a bad thing! Still we kept going then my son had a weird reaction to the tomato sauce on the meatballs. His whole lower face (he’s pretty messy) turned bright red and sore. I mentioned this to the store when I next visited and they just looked a bit bemused and insisted only the freshest ingredients were used.
Finally, we bought a garlic bread with our takeaway pasta and for some reason I checked the foil before I cooked it at home. It was mouldy. I took it straight back to the store where the manager offered me another one. I declined (a little green around the gills) and he somewhat begrudgingly gave me a refund. That took the edge off for me. I’d love to say I still love the stuff in here but it’s pretty hard for me now. Given the price, I’d have to say I expect the highest standards and I’m just not sure that what I’ve been getting.