“Don’t let that little cartoon character fool you. His food is pretty darn good,” says dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.

A DRAWING of a little man with a big moustache and white chef’s hat is front and centre of Lakeside Restro’s branding. We weren’t sure what to expect from this cartoon character but were curious by the promise that Lakeside Restro, at the Kingston Foreshore on the water, is a “global restaurant”.

The venue meets that promise with food from several parts of the world, including Australia, Nepal, Italy, Malaysia, China and Russia.

Lakeside Restro is a small, family-owned business that dishes up breakfast, lunches and dinners seven days a week. Family members head to the markets for fresh produce and have struck up relationships with quality, local suppliers and vendors. Meat is all halal certified.

The outdoor dining area is super large with plenty of shade and sun. It was lunch and we settled around a big circular table, taking in the fresh air.

To start, two of us shared the Nepalese-style dumplings ($15) which were sensational. Lakeside Restro should bottle (and sell to customers) the house-made tomato chutney it serves as part of the dish. We loved dunking the plump dumplings into the sauce, relishing in its incredible depth of flavours, and complex and intriguing flavour profile.

One of our party selected the fettuccine stroganoff, a huge serve ($23). It’s an earthy, moorish dish featuring perfectly cooked pasta and loads of sautéed beef and mushrooms in a smooth, silky sour-cream sauce.

The seafood trio ($24) got a big thumbs up and, again, the batter on the prawns, squid and fish was light and crispy. The accompanying sauce was spicy and the “hint of salad” on the side super fresh.

A delightful meal is the fish and chips ($24). The dish is a perfect portion and the beer batter on the fish is light and crunchy. The chips were crispy and the small side salad bright and tasty.

Heartier mains on the menu include steaks and a decent line-up of chef’s specials. 

The “dishes from around the globe” section of the menu includes a chilly chicken ($23), chilly garlic pork ($23), sweet and sour pork with pineapple ($24), sizzling garlic king prawns ($27), stir-fried chow mein ($17-$22) and fried rice ($17-$20).

Lakeside Restro takes care of kids, with smaller meals served all day.

Wines and beers are very reasonably priced. The line-up of vino includes local, national and international labels. Beers are $6 all day. 

Lakeside Resto buzzes when busy but doesn’t appear to have a lot of atmosphere during quieter times. Service can be hit and miss but staff are friendly and earnest. 

And don’t let that little cartoon character fool you. His food is pretty darn good.