Top Choice, Sussex St, Haymarket

Top Choice, Sussex St, Haymarket
Friday 10 August, 2007

Tonight we were off to see The Cure at the Entertainment Centre. What an amazing show! I loved every minute of the 3 hour extravaganza.

Beforehand we met inside the Sussex Centre to grab a bite to eat along with all the goths and emos. The outfits were fantastic!

Up the escalators to the Sussex Centre food court you are met with an array of choices. The food court is enormous and the offerings are extensive. Last time I visited, we ate at Happy Chef the shop front lauded by Luke Mangan etc.

So, tonight we watched where the crowds went and viewed all the menus to try and make our selection. I have been to Top Choice inside Market City but never inside the Sussex Centre. After looking over the menu we decided to start with an entree of sizzling honey prawns followed by a main course of Grandmother's beancurd.

The idea is simple - you order and pay at the counter then hover close by. The staff yell out the order into the kitchen and within minutes your dish is up! It's quick, simple and very reasonable. The only downside is that there is only one shop front to purchase your drinks - not sure why this is the case - it's annoying - or maybe I'm just lazy. How many places these days expect you to buy food from one place and drinks from another????

The honey prawns came up first and were sizzling - served on a hot plate they looked and tasted amazing. The prawns were plump, coated with a light golden batter and drizzled with honey. The main course was very spicy with large cubed chunks of beancurd. The sauce was thick and there were peas and thin slices of beef (not mince) throughout. As a massive fan of Grandmother's beancurd I was a little disappointed.

The great thing about the Sussex Centre is that the staff move around clearing plates and cleaning tables regularly so you can always find a table even on a busy Friday night. It's not a place you hang around in - the food is fast and fresh and the idea is to move on quickly. It's ideal for a quick meal on the way somewhere.

In our case this was to Cold Rock. I have a confession to make - I've never been to Cold Rock so had absolutely no idea what it was all about. Pick an ice cream flavour then select some lollies e.g. cherry ripe, smarties etc and watch the staff mash them together. Yum!

Top Choice - Shop F10a/Sussex Centre, 401-403 Sussex Haymarket - (02) 9212 1580