Reviewing the review: opinions the spice of life

Recently, a friend, another travel writer, rang me to ask about Orpheus Island, a tiny resort off the coast of Townsville. She asked if I really meant what I wrote in my newspaper review. 

Well yes, I said. It really was fantastic.

I guess I can understand her scepticism. Journalists, are, apparently down there with used-car salespeople in the popularity stakes (though everyone's enrolling in media courses), and now that we all can blog, publish and call ourselves journalists, there's double the reasons for her to double-check.

Just the other day, I was hunting for a local Indian restaurant. The two online reviews beneath one restaurant read:

"The food prepared at Chowdhary is so fragrant, tasty and more-ish. This is due to the use of freshly-made spice preparations. My dining companions and I all agree that its quality surpasses the Masala Indian Restaurant in Albert Street, by a long stretch. We will be recommending it to everyone we know and will definitely return regularly."

I'm assuming the owner wrote that. In case you weren't sure, it was followed closely by:

"What a food of your restaurant. I really like the food of this restaurant. The taste of the food is very different from the other restaurant. I think every one should go in this restaurant."

A bullied dishpig, perhaps?

We didn't go. Perhaps we should have. Instead, we ended up at an extremely ordinary Italian.