Posts Tagged ‘Brisbane’
January 30, 2010 | 
Author Little Larder
76 Moray St, New Farm, QLD
07 3358 2024
To be honest, Little Larder was not our first choice. I’ve been to Little Larder before and while it was great, we were extremely keen to try Au Cirque. Disappointingly, Au Cirque had a power failure, which meant that not much was available and so we had to go to Little Larder.
Thank goodness Little Larder did not disappoint. Whilst the service was a bit abrupt at times, they generally deliver efficiently in a Saturday morning mad rush. We had two breakkies between the three of us, as the servings are quite big.
Pesto scrambled eggs $13.5- I love, love, love pesto so as you can clearly see- green colour of the eggs = lots of pesto! YUMMM! The scrambled eggs are creamy and salmon compliments the pesto and eggs well (actually, what DOESN’T compliment eggs?), kudos also to putting toast on top to the scrambled eggs, so it won’t get as soggy- the only glitch was that it needs a little teeny bit more salt- then it’s prefect.
We also had a polenta served w/ poached eggs, avocado, spinach and dill mayo $13. Ok, polenta may sound like a dull, healthy, tasteless snack but you’d be amazed what it can taste like with good seasoning. The polenta we had in Little Larder was crispy and I can safely say that it’s almost as yummie as a hash brown!! The dill mayo is just awesome with everything and the only complaint I have was that the avocado has these sad dotted brown spots all over it.
On such a hot day, I also had a watermelon, mint and apple juice- which not only cools you down but invigorates.
I still want to try Au Cirque just because I haven’t tried it before, but Little Larder is definitely a good choice if you’re hanging around New Farm. 7/10
Jellyfish Restaurant
Cuisine: Seafood
Boardwalk Level, Riverside Centre
123 Eagle St, Brisbane Queensland
Ph: (07) 3220 2202
www.jellyfishrestaurant.com.au
Standing along the Brisbane river on a brisk night I drank in the sight of the Story Bridge lit up on my left and the Kangaroo Point cliffs reflecting off the water to my right. But the Jellyfish Restaurant sat behind me and like a siren drew me closer, convincing me it was going to be much nicer waiting for my guests inside and to order a sweet cocktail and start poring over the menu.
We started with some cocktails.
Deciding on entrees was difficult because I wanted to try all of them. In the end we managed to pick just three.
Flash fried squid, spiced watermelon salad, curry leaf, lime $24 – Tender pieces of calamari fried with a spicy curry coating. This was a hit with 2 out of 4 of us, but hubby and I didn’t fancy the curry flavour. The watermelon salad really cuts through the spice and evens it out.
Seared scallops, Jamon Serrano, truffled cauliflower purée, chicken jus $24 – Fresh scallops, though only three and we had to do some creative splitting to share it evenly.
Softshell crab $25 – This was a special entree of the day and my favourite of the three. Full of flavour and I’d probably have a whole one to myself next time.
We had such a lovely dining experience right from the start. The staff were all very friendly and we soon discovered that they really do know their fish. Jellyfish boasts that their aim is to source and serve a school of 8 fish daily and have an understanding of each fish and be able to recommend to diners the best way to cook the fish and a sauce to complement it. You can either choose one 200gm fillet ($28) or choose two (400gm) for $38. There are also some whole fish ($36).
Amongst us we decided to get 2 of the 400gm fish plates, plus another fish and a lamb main. WhiWe most certainly ordered a little too much food but I made sure I left room for dessert.
For one of the two fish plates hubby chose the Goldband Snapper cooked tempura style with a Vietnamese sauce and the second fillet was the Mahi Mahi grilled with a Nori buerre blanc.
For the second, Froggy chose the Barramundi oven baked with a lemon and shallot sauce. She then asked the waiter to suggest a good fish to accompany the barramundi. You can immediately tell that the staff know the fish well. He asked whether she preferred stronger fish flavours and from her answer was able to suggest that a good complementary fish is the Goldband snapper.
I chose the whole Suzuki Mulloway, crispy fried with a Japanese soy and spring onion sauce.
All the fish were excellent and the sauces really did accompany them well. The whole Suzuki Mulloway was lovely and probably a bit too much for me to eat on my own after entrees and sides. I think it would have been good if there were more crispy bits all over the skin instead of just at the bottom. The sauce was lovely and it was like eating a nice Japanese grilled Unagi.
Jellyfish also has a range of mains which include other seafood and meats for those guests who don’t necessarily want fish.
Froggy’s Mr. Fireworks ordered the Cressi grain fed lamb rack, ratatouille, pumpkin purée, curry spiced jus. Tender lamb on a lovely ratatouille base that was perfect comfort food for the cold weather. The sauce was quite strong on its own but when eaten with the lamb and pumpkin it was a good combination.
There are also some salads and sides and I particularly love the 5 types of potato sides ($6). We made Froggy display some restraint and limited her to two types of potato only. The creamy baked potato and shoe string fries were the potato of choice. The baked potato was very soft and creamy but we would have preferred if it had more saltiness or just something else to liven up the creamy flavour.
After all that I did say that I had room for dessert and we ordered two, even though it was obvious the boys hadn’t planned this far ahead in the meal. Froggy and I ate most of the dessert and I’m glad we did.
The Orange crème brûlée, minted orange salad, black pepper biscotti, vanilla ice-cream comes out flaming and had the perfect amount of orange flavour, not too overpouring as some citrus desserts can be.
I ordered the Cashew nut semifreddo, fresh raspberry, Persian fairy floss which was really beautiful. The cashew nuts gave the dessert a good texture and the persian fairy floss had a nice soft nutty flavour and melted in my mouth.
We really enjoyed the food and the whole evening the staff were very friendly and attentive. We will definitely visit again. Jellyfish is also in the latest Entertainment Book (2009/2010).
The Crosstown Eating House
Cuisine: Sharing plates, Australian
23 Logan Road
Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Ph: (07) 3162 3839
The Crosstown Eating House opened up less than a month ago on a little stretch of Logan Road in Woolloongabba I am now considering calling the greatest place on earth. Well maybe if Chouquette and Salon move there too.
One one side of the dusty, roadworks laden street is Pearl with the great cakes and breakfast and directly opposite is the Crosstown.
Several weeks ago staff at Pearl told some my friends that a friend of theirs was setting up shop across the road. This sort of thing excites me and fuels my curiosity. Hubby, my sister and I were early and were still waiting for four more of our party. We went in to wait and were led to the courtyard. A cosy little “outside” area turned into an inside space. You’re on the verandah and through the window is the bar where a friendly face is offering you drinks and nibblies. I immediately fell in love with Crosstown. It feels like your neighbour or a good friend has invited you over for a drink and a nice meal and now you want to move in with them.
They don’t take bookings, but invite you to just rock up. It’s that whole friendly neighbour thing again really. And bring friends of course, that’s highly recommended.
After we were all seated our table were made ourselves busy trying to decide what to eat. After trying to stop ourselves from ordering one of everything per person, it was explained to us that the idea behind the menu was to share. I noticed that they had to explain this to other diners as well after they experienced similar dilemas to us. It might save them some hassle in the future if they print the explanation of sharing plates on the menu or tell guests when they are seated. After all that though I think we did almost order everything on the menu. Only a few of us wanted lamb cutlets or oysters but everything else we shared in our feast. We had managed to order just the right amount of food with room for dessert.
Before I show you all the food, just to save me some typing, EVERYTHING was good.
Meat Balls and Sauce ($14) – I suggest you order some bread to dip in the sauce left over at the end.
Prawns and white anchovy mayonnaise ($15) – the prawns had a sweet flesh and the mayonnaise was a great complement with a light anchovy flavour.
Steak and horseradish ($15) – tender steak in a lovely horseradish sauce, another one to save for dipping bread into.
Lamb Cutlets ($4 each) with a lovely tomato relish. There is enough to load heaps of relish onto your cutlet.
House shucked oyster ($3 each), very fresh oysters, why did I only have one?
Lamb Shoulder and Pasta ($25), was what I am certain was handmade pasta as it was so soft and the sauce with tender pieces of lamb shoulder was delicious. This was one of my favourite dishes and one of the more substantial sharing plates.
Spatchcock and outside stuffing ($28), was again one of the more substantial sharing dishes and also one of my favourites. The meat was moist and full of flavour. The “outside stuffing” was pieces of bread with herbs and not all soggy as “inside stuffings” can be sometimes.
Whiting fillets and tomato ($16) nice pieces of seasoned whiting.
Mushrooms and toast ($12), an absolutely wonderful mushroom dish. A nice mix of mushroom types in herbs, garlic and olive oil with crusty slices of toasted bread. Another favourite.. how many can I have?
And then we had room for dessert. My sister and I were a little overzealous when it came to dessert and ordered 3 of the 4 available, but it was totally worth it.
Mini Ice-cream Cones ($8), 3 mini waffle cones with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice-cream sitting in a pot of granola for dipping. This has to be one of the cutest desserts ever. You would think that because there are three that you should share, but you really don’t have to and you probably won’t.
Jam drop and chocolate chip walnut cookies ($4), 2 very big cookies, perfect for your coffee.
Chocolate Pear Pot ($9) a little chocolate pudding/souffle with pear down the bottom and a side of pouring cream or custard. Very rich and good for chocoholics.
Favourite dessert time and the winner is the Strawberry Sanga (sandwich) ($9). Two slices of sponge cake for bread, with marscapone cream and strawberries, cut and arranged club sandwich style drizzled with strawberry sauce. How can you say no? Don’t say no.
I think I have worked out what I would order if I ate there on my own but I know it’s probably food for two. I had a really wonderful meal here and of course it had a lot to do with the company too. I will definitely be going back to my new home away from home. Maybe I’ll see you there some time.
Posted in Brisbane, Dessert, Italian, Modern Australian, Sharing Plates | 
Tags: Brisbane, Dessert, Modern Australian, Sharing Plates | 
3 Comments »
Desi Dragon
Cuisine: Indian Chinese
1/60 MacGregor Terrace
Bardon, Brisbane
Ph: 3369 9558
I enjoy trying new things when it comes to food and I have never had Indian influenced Chinese food before. I took a look at the menu in advance and was intrigued by the notion of Szechuan potato fries and salt and pepper paneer. I had been working up quite an appetite before dinner and the first entree was the Szechuan potato fries ($7). I don’t know why I’ve never heard of potato fries with a szechuan sauce before but they were very tasty. Not very spicy at all though. I wondered if I was enjoying them so much because I was really hungry but everyone else confirmed that they were indeed good for eating.
Next up was the Chicken Saiwoo ($10), buffalo wings tossed in a sweet chilli and shallot sauce. The sauce was sweet but again not spicy. Regardless I was a little disappointed that I had to share the four pieces of chicken.
Our dinner guests had ordered the Happy Dragon Platter for 2 ($19), an entree platter with two buffalo wings, a bowl of Szechuan fries and also paneer and pea wontons and lamboo tikki (some lamb and bamboo rissoles, get it?).
The salt and pepper paneer ($9) was really strange as it was neither salty nor peppery. I was expecting something similar to a nice piece of deep fried camembert but the paneer did not have much flavour and the batter did not add anything to the dish.
When we ordered our mains we asked for them to be served with medium hotness but I’m not sure if the waiter misheard us or underestimated our ability to consume chilli. If only he knew that I have always suspected that one of us sleeps with a bottle of mega death chilli under his pillow (ahemyangcough). The only dish that was a bit spicy was the Chicken Manchurian ($25), chicken dumplings tossed in a soya garlic shallot sauce.
The goat shank Szechuan style ($28) was my favourite dish. The meat was so tender and went beautifully with the herb sauce.
The chilli chicken ($25) was good, though again not spicy. There were dried whole chillies in the dish but I avoided biting into those. I also realised after a few bites that there were whole peanuts in the dish and somehow I survived without my allergies affecting me.
For a fourth main we had a designer main, where you match a meat (or paneer, tofu or vegetables) with one of their sauces. There is a choice of six sauces, Szechuan, chilli garlic, hunan black bean sauce, satay sauce, sweet and sour or ginger and lemongrass. Hubby likes to bring balance to the world by eating the foods I can’t, so he ordered chicken with the satay sauce ($21). He finished most of it off so it appears to have met his love of all peanut foods.
To accompany our mains we had some plain egg fried rice with chicken ($14). I really liked their fried rice, it wasn’t too greasy. One bowl was just right for the four of us after entrees and four mains.
We were much too full to try any dessert but I was very curious about the crisp honey sesame noodles with ice-cream ($7). Our dinner was finished off with the presentation of a small wooden chest which contained a bounty of fortune cookies and of course our bill.
It was a little pricey and I’m not used to paying a lot for Chinese food having been brought up in a family where no one likes to spend a lot of money on food mum and dad tell you they can make at home. But I don’t think mum has ever told me she can make Szechuan style goat shank and it was an adventure trying something new. An exciting night out for a foodie.
La Quinta Mexican Café y Bar
Cuisine: Mexican
Shop 1/189 Oxford Street Bulimba
Ph: 07 3399 2800
La Quinta is a wonderful Mexican restaurant with a wide range of Central and South American beers and cocktails. Most of the cocktails are just under the $10 mark. I have tried the Pina Colada, Mojito, Fruit Daquiri and the Acapulco Colada (not all on the same night thank you very much). My favourite so far is the Acapulco Colada (Malibu, triple see, pineapple juice, coconut cream, cream) which made me VERY happy.
Hubby usually treats himself to a Dos Equis XX. They also have chilli beer with a little chilli sitting in the bottom. I don’t drink beer but I tried a little and it does make your mouth tingle.
We usually start the meal with some dips to share. If there are more than 2 of us we will get the 3 dips ($16) which comes with corn chips and tortilla. There are 10 dips to choose from and the ones we have tried are:
Guacamole – avocado, lime, chilli and coriander
Queso – Cheese, cream and fresh salsa
Chefs salsa – Sweet potato, corn and chilli
Mango salsa – Mango, lime and onion
We will always get the guacamole and my favourite other dip is the chef’s salsa. It’s very different and can have quite a kick if you get a piece of chilli.
The starters we’ve tried are the buffalo wings ($7) and the Veracruz prawns. The menu says that the buffalo wings are supposed to come with a spicy BBQ sauce but they weren’t very spicy at all. There isn’t a chilli next to it on the menu though, but these would have been improved with a bit of kick.
The prawns on the other hand are very fresh and the spiciness will build up the more you eat. For most chilli fanatics this probably won’t be that spicy, especially if you are sharing with others and don’t get to eat a lot of it. This would probably be classed as “medium” hotness.
You can get the prawns as both a main ($25.50) and a starter ($12). The main comes with salad and tortillas. It also comes with rice and I sat there for a while wondering why there was no rice then suddenly found it hidden at the bottom of the bowl of prawns. This meant that you will get some spicy sauce with every spoonful of rice, so if you would like it separate try to remember to ask when ordering.
Main portions are quite large so bring your appetite. There are some lighter meals.
The Aztec Chicken Salad ($15.50) is lettuce, corn and tomato topped with a good helping of seasoned chicken and a crispy fried tortilla piece on the side. This wasn’t my meal but it looked so yummy.
Nachos ($13.50) are a good light meal/snack size for one.
And the burrito meal ($14) is a good small eater size also. Hubby’s mum ordered this one and she commented a few times that it was very good.
If you want a bit more than one burrito or feel like making your own, then order a fajita meal ($19 for vegetarian and $22.50 for meat). It comes with two tortillas, cheese, guacamole and sour cream and a choice of a sizzling plate of either steak, chicken or vegetables and beans.
Quesadillas ($18.50) are soft tortillas spread with guacamole and a choice of either beef, chicken or cheese and chorizo in the middle. I guess its a bit like a pizza topped with salsa and a side of sour cream. We had the cheese and chorizo one. They also come with a side of rice and salad.
Then there is the Chicken Poblano ($24) which is chicken breast topped with a creamy poblano sauce. You also get a side of salad, corn and potato. The sauce is so nice and creamy and this was my favourite dish. That was until I had the steak (Salsa Carne $28.50) which is basically the same thing except you get a 350g rib fillet steak instead of chicken breast. They are both great and we’ve been there so often now I have too many favourites I don’t know what to eat.
The Mole De pollo ($24.50) is chicken breast with a chilli and dark chocolate sauce and a side of baked potato. It is something really different to anything I’ve eaten before. The sauce smells like chocolate and when you first take a bite you can taste the dark chocolate but then it changes and you can fell a little kick from the chilli. I much prefer the chicken poblano but it was very interesting to try this dish.
I have also tried their Mexican lamb shanks ($24.50) which is simply an enormous dish. The shanks are infused with chipotles, garlic, oregano and tomato and sit atop a bed of mashed potato.
Everything on the menu looks appetising and we keep returning so one day I should be able to try everything on the menu. We haven’t had any of the desserts yet as we’re always so full after our mains. But one day I want to try their chocolate nachos.
*sing* I like pina coladas and dining at La Quinta!
Baguette
Cuisine: French (Classic and Contemporary)
150 Racecourse Road
Ascot, Brisbane
(07) 3268 6168
The kitchen at Baguette has Michelin-starred chef Bruno Loubet at the reins, but only until April 30th. So if you have never been there’s still a couple of weeks for you to drop by and sample his menu. If you do go, I recommend that you visit the Baguette website and sign up to their mailing list to receive a $50 dining voucher, which is exactly what I did.
Baguette is situated close to the race tracks, fronted with a cosy bar area. We were greeted at the door by the restaurant’s owner Francis Domenech who helped direct us through a large crowd to the elegant dining area at the back of the restaurant.
It didn’t take us long to decide what to eat and after ordering the food came out quickly. We were quite early though and managed to order before the large group made their way from the bar to their table. We weren’t so lucky when we ordered our dessert though and had to wait while the 30 something people at a birthday party were served dessert before ours was ready. The staff were very friendly, attentive and apologetic, taking the time to explain the wait and reassure us that we weren’t forgotten.
Our first entree was the grilled mushroom caps with tallegio (cheese) bruschetta ($16.80). These didn’t last long at all. I absolutely love mushrooms and I also love cheese, and this was a wonderful combination.
We also ordered some spiced chicken pieces on a bed of cous cous. The chicken was really tasty and I loved the spices. This was a special for the month, so sadly, I’m not sure if it will be available the next time I go.
Hubby ordered a main that was on the special menu. Grilled moonfish on a bed of lemon and tomato with polenta chips. The polenta chips were really crispy. I’m sure they weren’t good for me, but it didn’t really matter at the time. The fish was fresh, tasty and nicely cooked. The dish was accompanied with a tuna aioli that hubby enjoyed a lot.
My sister ordered the chicken tagine ($29.80). The chicken was very tender but I didn’t like the flavour but this was mostly because there were olives in it which I am not a fan of. It was a very large serving though and my sister couldn’t finish it.
Mum chose the squid and prawn burger on a bed of aromatic vegetables ($28.50). Mum quite liked this dish, though it probably would have been just as successful without the hamburger bun. After enjoying the combination of seafood mum commented that she might go buy some prawns and squid to make something similar at home.
I ordered the 250gm sirloin steak, Bordelaise sauce and chips ($35.80). There’s also a 400gm option for $45, but if there are people out there who can order one and finish the whole thing, they should probably get a medal. The steak was good and I liked the rich sauce. I have to say though that it really needs either some salad or vegetables. I ended up giving half my chips away (Francis Domenech walked by and said I was being too generous) and ordering a side of vegetables ($6.50).
We were all very full after our meals so it took some time before we made a decision about dessert. Should we or shouldn’t we? The answer was of course, yes, we should.
I couldn’t pass on the Crème brûlée and citrus madeleine ($12). Baguette serves theirs in a shallow dish which excited me as there would be more caramelised sugar to creamy brulee. The citrus madeleine was very nice and the citrus icing was really strong. But I filled myself with the Crème brûlée and only had a tiny bite of madeleine.
My sister ordered the Chocolate soufflé with crème fraiche ($14.50) which was so light and fluffy. She was really happy that the others were too full and I preoccupied with my own dessert so that she could have most of it to herself.
Overall it was a very enjoyable night. The friendly service made it all the better and the wait for dessert was definitely worth it. Bookings are recommended and don’t forget to sign up to the newsletter for the dining voucher! They’re also in the Entertainment Book if you plan on getting your hands on the 2009 issue.
Grappino
Cuisine: Italian
226 Given Tce
Paddington
We spotted this restaurant on our visit to that French restaurant and made a mental note to come back and check it out. We were quite lucky to be able to get a table, booking very last minute (spontaneous desire to eat out) – prompted from a conversation with MinWye who touted Grappino as a favourite Italian restaurant.
We didn’t realise it was a game night at a nearby stadium which meant a 15 minute limit on street parking. Luckily we were dining quite early and there were spots in the car park behind the restaurant. When we entered the restaurant we were greeted cheerfully by Deanna Roduner one of the owners, letting us know that there was a set menu ($60 per person) because of the game. Not deterred by any means we took a table by the window. Later Deanna returned for a lively conversation about Singaporean food and family. This just set up the whole evening of attentive and friendly service.
First up was our antipasto platter. I will try to recall each morsel as best I can here.
From the left to right, I believe the first item was some very tasty meatballs. Then some chillies topped with herbed cheese (I managed to eat the first one feeling only a bit of a kick then with some bravado tried to take down a second only to be defeated. Luckily I had wine and water at hand.) and the third item was a fish or seafood fritter (like fish cakes) which were very flavoursome.
From left to right again, we had some fried risotto balls (very nice with perfectly cooked rice), at the background, prawns topped with tuna, below that little anchovy and caramelised onion tarts and at the front chorizo with dates. I loved every one of these (even though I’m not a huge fan of anchovies) and ESPECIALLY loved the chorizo with dates. Very tasty chorizo mixed with the sweet date.. mmm perfect flavour combination.
And lastly from our antipasto platter, little frittatas topped with sundried tomato.
All of these served with a bread basket, including garlic and olive oil thin toasted bread slices.
I think I could have just eaten antipasto all night.. but our mains were up next.
There were three on offer that night as part of the set menu and we had all three at our table.
Mum had the seafood marinara, which I ended up stealing a lot of. It was a beautifully cooked pasta dish, with very fresh seafood, fish, scallops in the shell, mussels and prawns all soaked in an amazing lobster cream sauce. Piggy would have loved this dish and I savoured as much of it as I could on her behalf.
Next was my partner’s veal scallopine with potatoes, greens and honeyed carrots. The sauce was rich and tasty and I especially loved the carrots. How do they get them to taste like that I don’t know.
My main next, the duck leg with mushroom and pasta. The sauce for this dish was quite sweet. I was happy to eat it all but it was a bit too sweet for my sister who had the same dish. The duck leg was very tender and topped with what I think were crispy potato shavings.
Though we were very full and satisfied from dinner, I couldn’t pass up the dessert menu. Dessert was not part of the set menu, but how can you pass up things such as:
One of the best tiramisu’s I have ever eaten. Creamy, with delicious sponge and coffee flavour…
Or the Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta, silky smooth and accompanied with seasonal berries (strawberries this time!).
I had the Crespelle Di Arancia – Orange Pancakes “Dolce Vita”. A very thin crepe topped with mandarin liqueur, valencia orange pieces and a scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream. The sauce was quite strong for me as I don’t usually enjoy syrupy citrus sauces, but the ice-cream helps to balance this out and you can let a lot of the sauce drip off before devouring it.
And then there was the Affogato. A scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream with a shot of espresso coffee and liquer of your choice (this time Frangelico for its hazelnut flavour) to be poured over and then eaten/drunk. It was like a very luxurious iced coffee.
I really enjoyed the night, the service and of course the food. I would love to go again to try their ala carte menu and I will probably be forced to take Piggy there for the marinara the next time she’s in town. I can only hope.
Posted in Brisbane, Dessert, Italian | Tags: Brisbane, Dessert, Italian, Paddington, pasta, Seafood | 2 Comments »
Gusto Da Gianni
Cuisine: Italian and Spanish
Portside Wharf
Gusto Da Gianni sits along the Portside Wharf promenade and features a menu of pizza, pasta and tapas style food. Its the kind of place where it is a good idea to have at least one or two other people who are happy to share “a bit of everything” with you. That way you can order all the tapas that sound enticing (a lot of them) and not feel like you’ve missed out on something. Luckily for me I had just the right dining companions!
Before I continue this post let me apologise for some of the mis-focused photographs. I recently acquired a new camera (thanks very much to Min Wye) because of a silly accident with my G9. This was the first food test of the camera but we were so excited when the food came out (and my companions so hungry) that I hurriedly snapped away so we could dig into the food. I think I need a bit more practice with the digital SLR before I venture out again.
Most of the tapas are $7 to $8 for the “tapa single” serves and either $17 or $21 for the bigger “racion shared” serves.
Zucchini Flower with Goats Cheese and Olives
Octopus Gallega Style, Potatoes and Sweet Paprika – Tender octopus sitting on a yummy potato slice.
Cipollata and Chorizo Sausage – Slices of sausage in a tomato and onion sauce.
Home Made Meat Balls served with Tomato and Peas – These were really nice meat balls cooked in a very tasty tomato sauce. I think we all but licked this plate clean.
Patatas Bravas served with aioli – Fried potato pieces with an aioli sauce, we are potato fiends, so of course we loved this one.
Marinated Sardines with Cabernet Sauvignon Vinagrette – Tom really liked these and I was happy to let him have most of it.
Fried Calamari and Zucchine – Very nicely cooked calamari and zucchini fries. We shared this one amongst four but I could have had one to myself … maybe.
Black Mussels cooked in a white wine chilli sauce – The white wine chilli sauce was not that spicy (to me, though that’s saying something). I remember someone commenting that something was a bit spicy for them but I’m not 100% sure if it was this dish. The mussels were plenty and fresh and somehow I was left with the task of eating most of them. I’m happy to say I did my duty.
Organic soft Polenta and mushrooms served with italian sausage – This was the least favourite dish of the night for anyone who tried it. The Italian sausage was nice but we felt it was the only part of the dish with flavour. The polenta was mushy and tasteless and while the mushrooms were okay, we felt that the whole dish was missing something.
Most pizzas are $21.50.
Pizze Bianche (Olive Oil Based), Campagnola – Caramelized Spanish Onion, Mozzarella, Lemon Thyme & Italian Sausage. Gusto’s pizzas are made on a thin light base, almost like a pita bread. There is a definite taste of olive oil as expected on the olive oil based pizzas and while it seems like the toppings are scant they are packed with flavour and you won’t find yourself disappointed.
Pizze Bianche (Olive Oil Based), Al 4 Formaggi – Dolce Latte, Stracchino, Buffalo Mozzarella and Caprino Cheese.
Tagliatelle All’Abruzzeese – Slow cooked white veal mince ragout and mushroom pasta.
On another occassion I have tried the potato pizza and also one with porcini mushrooms and they were a huge hit with our table.
I enjoy eating here, especially with a group who like to share dishes but there is the tendency to want to order almost everything off the tapas menu. Not that you’ll regret it, you just might have to sit there a bit longer to finish it all.
Sono
Cuisine: Japanese
level 1, Building 7
Portside Wharf
39 Hercules Street
Hamilton, Brisbane
Ph: 07 3268 6655
Not only is Froggy my breakfast companion but she is my my partner in crime for skipping night lectures and eating at Sono instead. When we started out we frequented the City Sono restaurant at the bottom of the Queen Street Mall. Our must-order dish was the Japanese potato salad. We suspect they would prepare it as soon as they saw us walk in the door as it would reach our table just as we barely finished ordering. I guess that is a testament to how much we used to go there.
Sometime ago they spent a lot of money fitting out a new premises at the Hamilton Portside Wharf complex. This new establishment has several private dinning rooms and a wonderful view of the river. The other night we were up to our old tricks again, this time with hubby-to-be.
The menu had changed since the last time we were there (over 6 months ago). But it didn’t take us long to start reading out dishes that caught our eye. Even though there were only three of us we ordered pretty much everything that took our fancy and it ended up being 8 dishes. We didn’t order rice (good decision) and managed to eat everything. We started to struggle a bit at the end and skipped dessert but its difficult to let any morsel of Sono food go to waste.
Soft Shell Crab with Shiso Salsa
Crisp deep fried soft shell crab with a rice vinegar sauce and shiso leaf salsa. The vinegar sauce was very tart and there was a lot of it for just three pieces of crab. Still the crab was delicious and crispy.
Portobello Mushroom and Tofu, served with seasonal vegetables, enoki, shiitake and oyster mushrooms in teriyaki sauce. This dish was really nice but it felt like it could use something else. I think some melted cheese on top would have been perfect.
Wagyu Beef Stew
Slow cooked wagyu beef with garlic, miso and soy sauce.
Hubby-to-be and I ate this about a year ago at the City Sono. It was just a seasonal special and we felt it was a shame we might never be able to eat it again. But its a year later and we were very excited to see it at Portside. The wagyu was so tender it just falls apart effortlessly. The first time we ate it we had trouble picking it up because each time we put a fork in the beef just broke apart. We almost licked the bowl clean this time the sauce was so tasty. We will be back next year for more of the same.
Kani Cream Croquettes
Deep fried crab and cream croquettes. We always get these and there is a fight for the last one every time. We’ve learnt to be diplomatic and cut the things in half. It saves the tears.
Moreton Bay Bug Ume Cream Yaki
Grilled Moreton Bay Bug with a plum flavoured white sauce. Make sure the pieces of bug are drenched in sauce when you eat it. The meat is tender and the sauce is a little bit sweet. Just try and stop yourself from licking the shell clean.
And here are the dishes we ordered from the March Special Menu:
Pan Fried Duck Breast with Mustard Miso Sauce by Chef Hiroshi Tanno
This was served on a bed of asparagus. It was quite nice though I would have preferred more tender duck pieces.
Beef omelette Tempura in a Seafood Broth by Chef Isamu Kudo
Slow cooked egg omelette filled with beef then deep fried in tempura batter, served in a seafood broth. This was really tender and juicy.
Shrimp Cocktail with Miso Mayonnaise by Chef Kohei Nakazawa
Cooked tiger prawn cutlets dressed with Miso Mayonnaise sauce, accompanied with witlof salad
The prawns were exceptionally fresh and the crisp witlof salad was the perfect partner.
So our old friend Sono has new surprises to distract us from our old favourites that have disappeared off the menu. It seems to have worked though I do miss the clams, baked scallops and of course the potato salad. I’ve heard rumours that sometimes if you ask for things no longer on the menu they may be able to prepare it for you. Fingers crossed!
Posted in Brisbane, Japanese, Portside Wharf | Tags: Brisbane, Japanese, Portside Wharf, Seafood, Wagyu | 1 Comment »
Pearl Cafe
28 Logan Road
Woolloongabba
Ph: 07 3392 3300
I did say I would go back to Pearl Cafe again for breakfast and more cheesecake and it seems it happened sooner than I anticipated. Only a few days after my beloved breakfast companion arrived back in town we were able to make room for a breakfast double date.
So do you want the good news first or the good news? Well the good news is that Pearl Cafe’s breakfast was wonderful and the good news is that they had caramel cheesecake and even more good news is that I bought some and ate it and it really was an amazing cheesecake. I will even venture to say (and this is for Inga & Mati) that it was infact the best cheesecake I have ever eaten.
But breakfast first!
My husband-to-be somehow snuck an early drinks order in and managed to secure himself a cappuccino. I didn’t try it but he ordered a second one later on, so either I woke him up too early for breakfast or they were good coffees (lets say its a little of both).
Cherry Sarsaparilla – Sarsaparilla with cherry syrup with a whole cherry and slice of lemon. Quite refreshing with a really nice cherry flavour.
Citron Presse – A lemon soda drink.
My breakfast beverage of choice was a banana smoothie and it was creamy with a hint of honey. Brilliant.
The “Big Breakfast” – Two eggs cooked whichever way you like, some toasted bread, bacon, grilled mushrooms, sausage, crispy potato pieces and tomato relish. I think I have found my perfect big breakfast. Usually I have to get one or a combination of sides just so I can have hashbrowns or potatoes, grilled mushrooms and sometimes even bacon. The potatoes were nice and crispy on the outside and the tomato relish was really tasty with a hint of herbs and spices. There was the temptation to spread the relish on everything but I found it went best with the sausage. My eggs of course were scrambled and perfectly cooked.
Hubby-to-be had the same except with his eggs nicely poached.
Charles had the most amazing sweet breakfast. The “Eggy Bread” was bread cooked “french toast” style topped with berries, mascarpone, pistachios and dusted with icing sugar. Delicious and perfectly sweet but too overpowering for a morning meal.
When I went to pay for breakfast and my take-home slice of Caramel Cheesecake I spotted this display of yummy looking muffins and promptly asked for one of those as well. Turned out to be the most amazing pear muffin. Delicious pieces of pear throughout and it reminded me that pears are in season. Time to visit the fruit shop.
Didn’t try either of these (rocky road or brownie). But don’t they look yummy?
My caramel cheesecake and pear muffin! It’s hard to decide if you like the cake part or the base the most. I think it depends which bit you are eating at the time. It’s all good! Crunchy and sweet base with a fluffy, caramel everything else. Oh I want more!
Froggy bought a slice of peach and raspberry tart (and a pear muffin as well!) to take home.
I always seem to find a different dessert to try at Pearl Cafe. Not sure what’s next but its more than likely going to be too delicious to resist. And of course I will report back! You will find there can be a little wait at breakfast time. But there is a list at the door, so just put your name down and they will let you know when your table is ready (while you venture next door and shop.. hehe). I have read some other comments/reviews about Pearl Cafe saying that they didn’t like the service. But it was very prompt and mostly cheerful. Anything else can be forgiven as just staff trying to deal with a busy time of day. They’re not rude or anything, just in a rush! But that’s the way you will want it when you are hungry and waiting for one of the best breakfasts in Brisbane.
