031. Goin' Vego - Sanitarium Kitchen

As an avid carnivore, a vegetarian restaurant wouldn't normally be my first choice to go for a satisfying feed but I had heard so much positive feedback and great reviews from friends about Sanitarium Kitchen that I thought I'd give it a go. 

Sanitarium Kitchen is a fresh, fully vego restaurant in the CBD. Open for breakfast and lunch during the week, it's a popular place for the 'suits' of the city for a creative and delicious vegetarian meal. The service is friendly and the venue is nice and open, nearby the cooling winds of the river. 

I visited the restaurant with a friend for lunch and I had the fried bocconcini with tomato and avocado salad. It was amazing. Admittedly, prior to my visit, I honestly wasn't a huge fan of bocconcini and I chose this dish purely for the fried component! But now I love bocconcini and this salad was fantastic. I think I would go back just for this. It was just so well put together and how fresh and healthy does it look?!

I haven't been to many fully vegetarian restaurants, I think they are quite rare in our little city so if you get the opportunity to go, Sanitarium Kitchen is a very good choice. It would be lovely if they were open on weekends because it would be a lovely place for a casual brunch/lunch. Sanitarium Kitchen is definitely recommended! 

030. Birthday Celebrations: The Survey Co

Editor's Note: So I have been particularly tardy in the last few months with blog updates and subsequently may or may not have photos which accompany the next few updates. I sincerely apologise if the lack of photographs that accompany posts tarnish your food-bebe experience. 

I am absolutely digging the lane way vibe Brisbane is starting to emit throughout every pore of the CBD. We are a small city, yes, but we are starting to get creative with the space we have. We're upping the stakes and putting ourselves on the culinary map of Australia, and perhaps, the world. Working in the heart of the city, I often get the opportunity to eat at establishments other than food courts or the 'lonely cafe on the corner' for my lunchtime breaks. A foodies dream.

Burnett Lane is home to The Survey Co and it has settled in quite well. It is a classy and elegant restaurant in a lane way you would otherwise avoid if you didn't know better. I stumbled across the not-then opened Survey Co when using the lane way as a thoroughfare between meetings in different offices. Naturally, I stalked the website until its opening and have been back a countless number of times.

I love the atmosphere of Survey. Just enough lighting in the dining areas, nice open kitchen and amazing service. The food is just as pleasing. The lunch meals are a perfect portion size; not too light but not too heavy. The dinner meals are a fresh take on modern Australian and their menu changes seasonally. I have recommended this place to a number of friends and colleagues and the reception has been very favourable. I think it's a very lovely spot for more intimate dining events; a date perhaps or small birthday dinner. 

Do try The Survey Co and support our new lane way friends! 

029. Birthday Celebrations: Popolo Italian Kitchen and Bat

Editor's Note: So I have been particularly tardy in the last few months with blog updates and subsequently may or may not have photos which accompany the next few updates. I sincerely apologise if the lack of photographs that accompany posts tarnish your food-bebe experience. 

South Bank recovered in spectacular style post-flooding by introducing Brisbane to many wonderful new food fares. Popolo Italian Kitchen and Bar is one of my most highly recommended newcomers to the Brisbane scene. It is perched in prime position along the river with cute little lawn chairs out the front for everyone to sit and chill and the place itself is cute, warm and inviting. 

I have been to Popolo several times for lunch and dinner and it has never disappointed. The tapas style of eating has exploded in Brisbane and I LOVE it. It's a smart *cough* cheeky way of trying other peoples' meals without them actually being other peoples' meals. Genius! Popolo offer Italian tapas - the word is used interchangeably between cuisines nowadays. I cannot stress how amazing the Lattonzolo e pesche; Kingaroy suckling pig with spiced peach compote, anchovy sauce is. I have ordered it every time I have dined at Popolo. I was never an anchovy fan until I tasted the sauce with the pork. Two ingredients I never thought possible made oh-so-well. 

If you get the chance, a lunch time sitting is a beautiful casual affair whilst a night time sitting will show you a picture perfect view of Brisbane. 

028. Birthday Celebrations: Glamorous Wok

Glamorous Wok - the name catches you doesn't it? I only wanted to go because of the name. I didn't know much about the place but feedback from friends was more than positive. I heard many glowing reviews about 'Glam Wok' being the most authentic Taiwanese in Brisbane. I'm not from Taiwan, nor have I ever been, so I wouldn't know about the authenticity but since my first visit, I have come back time and time again. The service is a bit hit and miss; being a first generation Aussie Asian who cannot speak fluent Cantonese or Mandarin, it can be a little difficult on the communication front but the food makes up for it. My first visit was with family for a birthday lunch so I was saved by my mother who could converse fluently with the staff. But on other occasions when I have visited with non-Chinese speaking friends, it has been a little difficult.  Food wise, the quality is great but not fantastic, definitely above average especially considering the area we are talking about here. I recommend the salt and pepper pork or calamari - I always order this. Their rice dishes, sadly, can be a little bit oily.

Among the plethora of Asian cuisines in the Sunnybank area, there isn't much in the way of Taiwanese fare that compares to Glam Wok. I would definitely recommend a visit just for the salt and pepper dishes with fried rice that has Chinese sausage in it. Yum yum!

 

002. One of my favourite food groups is dumplings: Harajuku Gyoza

[Editors Note: Not sure what's happened here but a very old post has decided to pop up to the top of my blogs list. At time of writing, HG has been opened for quite some time and still a favorite of mine]

One day, whilst walking through the Fortitude Valley with a friend, I nearly went into cardiac arrest when I saw the above sign plastered on a shop window. "Oh my fucking God, Tash, LOOK!" I was in a daze. Like the fat kid from Willy Wonka, I had found my sweet, sweet confectionery. Only that it wasn't open yet (and still isn't). 

Harajuku Gyoza is a restaurant bar opening mid-October. It combines two of the best food groups; dumplings and alcohol. Need I say more? 

I am a huge fan of dumplings. There's something so satisfying about a warm, meat and vegetable filled thin dough smothered in tangy vinegar that make dumplings wonderfully delicious. I am eagerly awaiting the opening of Harajuku Gyoza. Stalk their Facebook and Tumblr pages with me:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harajuku-Gyoza 

Tumblr: http://harajukugyoza.tumblr.com/

Website: http://www.harajukugyoza.com/

Once this baby opens, I will be there with arms, mouth and belt buckle wide open. The oh-so-cute Gyoza dumpling beckons me to try it. Stay tuned for a review. 

027. Birthday Celebrations: The Euro

Editor's Note: So I have been particularly tardy in the last few months with blog updates and subsequently may or may not have photos which accompany the next few updates. I sincerely apologise if the lack of photographs that accompany posts tarnish your food-bebe experience. 

The Euro is another one of the Urbane Groups' lovely venues. This one is a little less formal than Urbane but still an elegant spot for a mid-ranged price meal. European inspired food and decor are combined for a classy dining experience. 

On my visit with some girl friends, we were shown to our table by the maître d' who was friendly and polite. One of the girls knew our waitress and subsequently were graced with impeccable service. So although we knew our waitress, the service was consistent and graceful. I ordered an orricette dish which is an Italian word for 'little pasta' I believe and it was superb, fresh and light. The feedback from the girls was that their dishes were amazing and they would definitely come back to try out the other meals. 

The Euro is a classy little spot and is perfect for a fantastic meal. You are in good hands at when you dine at an Urbane Group establishment.

Website: http://www.urbanerestaurant.com/the-euro/

026. Birthday Celebrations: Public

Editor's Note: So I have been particularly tardy in the last few months with blog updates and subsequently may or may not have photos which accompany the next few updates. I sincerely apologise if the lack of photographs that accompany posts tarnish your food-bebe experience. 

I went to Public a few weeks after they opened up shop in Brisbane so this has been some months now but I have been back a number of times and my impressions have not changed one bit.  I have been back a number of times and as expected, the menu changes seasonally. My first experience was again, for my birthday as part of my birthday dinner week extravaganza. 

First of all, I wanted to note that prior to Public, the space was occupied by a Groove Train restaurant. From when I first discovered that general area, I noticed not as many people frequented that Groove Train compared to their other locations like King George Square or the Eagle Street Pier restaurant. So I wasn't sure how Public would fare. The area is right near the law courts and it is a side of town where a lot of 'suits' work. 

My first impression of Public was that the decor was beautiful, elegant and classy. I was hoping for the same dining experience and it did not disappoint. The Public style of fare is tapas style, small plates of dishes designed to share. The dishes were crafted beautifully and it seemed like no matter what you ordered, they would compliment each other well. I love dining tapas style, it gives me the opportunity to try all the different flavours and combinations which you would otherwise have to come back multiple times to try the entire menu. The food is fresh and absolutely made with the finest quality with amazing flavour combinations. I highly recommend the Texas Brisket with Flour Tortillas and Chilli Sauce, the Asian Slaw and if they still have it as a special, the Scallop Pie. It is simply just amazing, high quality, stylish food. 

The staff were kind, polite and accommodating. I am in love with venues where the lighting is just enough, not too much that you feel like you're in a dining hall or not too little where you feel like you're dining in a closet. The lighting adds to the mystical elegance of the place.

As I mentioned earlier, I have come back a number of times since and I have loved every dining experience. When I find a place I love, I tell the whole world and his dog about it. I am sure that Public will be an establishment that will make its mark into Brisbanes culinary landscape for many years because it truly deserves to. 

Website: http://www.lovepublic.com.au/

025. Birthday Celebrations: The Laneway

Editor's Note: So I have been particularly tardy in the last few months with blog updates and subsequently may or may not have photos which accompany the next few updates. I sincerely apologise if the lack of photographs that accompany posts tarnish your food-bebe experience. 

The first of my birthday dinner ventures began with some close friends from work at The Laneway. This was a casual get together after work for a cocktail and burger to kick off my birthday week. 

The Laneway is one of the four classy establishments housed under the Urbane Group of restaurants. It is much more of a casual affair in comparison to its fine dining sibling, Urbane.   Primarily, The Laneway operates as a bar, however, I would actually just go there for the bar food. Now, it has been some months between this post and when I actually was at The Laneway and thus they have updated their menu. Nevertheless, I am sure that their quality has not waned. So on my particular visit to the venue, my friends and I were greeted with the most polite of barmen and swiftly given food and drink menus. I ordered the 'Brigitte Helm' cocktail and it was delicious. I ordered a burger (from which they had many to choose from when I was there) and you know when you can tell if the meat of high quality or not and flavours just ooze out of the patty, well that was my burger and it was fabulous. The general consensus from my friends were that their burgers were some of the best they had ever had. 

Now, as I mentioned earlier, it has been some months between this post and my visit and I believe The Laneway were closed for a period of time. Checking out the website, the menu has changed, incorporating more tapas style dishes than mains. Still sounds delish though. Look like I'll have to go back for another visit. 

Website: http://www.urbanerestaurant.com/the-laneway/ 

024. Birthday Celebrations

About a month ago, I celebrated my birthday by gathering smaller groups of friends together to try out a number of places that had either recently opened up in Brisbane or places I was yet to trial. Below is the list of places that I went to and will be subsequently reviewing.

• The Laneway 
• Public
• The Euro
• Glamorous Wok
• Popolo
• The Survey Co

023. Lyrebirds nest together for a beautiful meal: Uccello

First of all, you may have seen the post below was a little out of the ordinary in terms of formatting and whatnot. That's because I've just downloaded the Blogger app for my phone so I will be posting more via computer and phone. So please, excuse the formatting and lack of numbering :)

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[Editors Note: alas, my blog as been corrupted by Internet gremlins and thus my photos have disappeared :( ]

My visits to Sydney without a doubt, ALWAYS include a new food adventure. I visit Sydney quite often and it is always surprising me with new gems. On my most recent trip a few days ago, I had dinner with a colleague at one of the Ivy's many restaurants, Uccello. 

I love the Ivy. I've only ever been to the main bar a few times but it never fails to impress. It certainly is a place of prestige among the suits of Sydney with their flashy bars and expensive drinks. So I definitely had high expectations for their restaurants, especially as Uccello is a 'hatted' restaurant. Boy did Uccello deliver.

Firstly, I felt sooo bad for being late to the reservation. Our flight had landed a tad late therefore resulting in us being late to check into the hotel and late to arrive at Uccello. But the maitre d was so lovely and ushered us straight to our table without a look of judgement or disgust (as I would expect a classy establishment would). The waiter was exceptional; warm, friendly and catered to our needs very efficiently. 

As we had pretty much just stepped off a plane, we were starving and went straight for the mains. I ordered the Roasted spiced Pyrenees lam rack, Sicilian minted cous cous, almond and currants and my colleague ordered the Pan roasted Kurobuta pork cutlet, brussel sprouts, pancetta, pumpkin puree and sage jus. First of all, both dishes came out so much quicker than expected. The restaurant itself was probably at half capacity, even still I expected a longer wait. Secondly, lovely presentation. The food looked inviting. As I went for my first bite, my colleague was over the moon about her dish. "Best pork ever" she exclaimed and I think she only had one bite so far. It certainly looked and smelt awesome. Although my lamb was superb, I take my hat off to the minted cous cous. It was divine. So many flavours, it complimented the lamb so so well. I just wanted to keep eating the cous cous. Beautifully fluffy with an array of textures from the soft, sweet currants to the crunchy almonds, it was a perfectly balanced meal. 

So by the time we were finished, we were actually quite stuffed (the started bread and a glass of bubbly usually help with that). But there's always room for dessert. Unfortunately, we were way too excited for dessert to take photos but you will just have to try for yourself. I ordered the Rhubarb strawberry tiramisu with almond praline and it was phenomenal. Not your average tiramisu, this was a fountain of flavours. Loved every bite. I think I nearly cried when I physically could not finish it. We were intrigued by the biscuit-y base of my colleagues dessert and the waiter was even kind enough to ask the chef for us. Wonderful service!

Uccello in Italian translates to bird. Lira Uccello is lyrebird. This beautiful little lyrebird of a restaurant can surely take you away to a far away food heaven. 

Website: http://merivale.com.au/uccello/

I don't even know what number post this is but i just had to blog: the best sausage I've ever had in my life so far: The Snag Stand

Okay, so I'm in Sydney for the weekend and I've just stopped my shopping for a bite to eat. Usually when I come to Sydney, I make myself try new places to eat because that's what you do right, when you're away from home. So, I walk into the Westfield Pitt St food court and am completely overwhelmed by the choices. I've been here a few times but never end up having anything because I usually have reservations elsewhere. First of all, this "food court" is pimp. I put food court in inverted commas because this is like the Kings food hall or something. It's quite fancy. I have a hard time deciding on what tl eat because when I'm hungry, I want to eat everything. In situations like this, I opt for classics. In this case, a hot dog place called The Snag Stand catches my eye. A sign on the wall says "gourmet sausages and haute dogs" aka fancy hot dogs. So I go for it.
The hot dog has come from humble beginnings to become a haute dog. Different variations in flavour, spice levels and even textures take the classic pig-in-a-blanket to a gourmet meal fit for royalty (you totally imagined the Queen downing a hot dog didn't you?).
So I'm now faced with the dilemma of what kind of hot dog to get: the Americano, the Greek, the this, the that. Overwhelmed but also rushed by the people in line behind me, I order a Spicy Chorizo dog (and a side salad of half rocket and balsamic and half potato salad). The hot dog is a Chorizo sausage with sundried tomatoes, rocket, grated goats cheese and an aioli type sauce. It was heaven in a soft brioche bun. I, then and there decided I was moving to Sydney due to being sick of mediocre food. The goats cheese compliments the sauce which affectionately smothers  the sausage which is hugged by a soft bun that sandwiches this heaven in a food item together. In one word, amazing. It's a little pricey at $9.50 for a hot dog but the quirky ingredients that go on top of said hot dog are well worth the cash.  I think I would be a very wealthy lady if I had enough business sense to take some of these Sydney chains and restaurants up north.
Check out The Snag Stand. Just do it.

021. Bye Bye Baia - Baia The Italian

A few weeks ago, some friends and I went to Sydney for a weekend away and to go to the Mardi Gras parade; eating and drinking our way through a super fun weekend. We were due to leave on a Sunday midday flight so had enough time to squeeze in a harbourside breakfast before we were to leave.

So we sauntered down the road down to Cockle Bay and found a sleek looking Italian place called 'Baia The Italian'. The place looked fancy, staff well dressed, and who could resist an Italian accent anyway? The girls agreed (and our one male friend was happy with the location being in front of a bikini photo shoot) and so we walked in. 
Looks aren't always what they seem. The place looks nice, the staff look nice, even the food looked nice. Below is my friend Tash's Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon and Apple Scented Hollandaise sauce. Looks nice right? 

But the place leaves a dry taste in your mouth and this is when looks don't matter. As with any food establishment, drinks are ordered and served first, and that we did. Our drink orders were the usual coffee, tea and juice, which seemed to take a lifetime to arrive. Our food, a further 45 minutes. Bear in mind this is breakfast we're talking about, not a slow cooked lamb ragu or anything. Breakfast aka sausages, toast, grilled tomato etc etc. And the place wasn't even half full! The lengthy wait on breakfast made us on edge; we had a flight to catch very soon. I had asked several times on the status of our food and was rudely assured 'it is on its way'. As if I were not allowed to know when my food would be ready. And when our meals finally arrived, we collectively agreed that the food was definitely not worth the wait.

One of my beliefs is that a meal should not require extra condiments unless they are supposed to have them. A chef has not done his job if what he cooks gets drowned in sauces that are not meant to accompany the meal he makes. I ordered the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. I'm not sure if it was just me, but it seemed as though they had put maybe one slice of smoked salmon into the eggs. Did they manage to omit the salt and pepper too? It was completely tasteless and so I asked for some hollandaise sauce to try up the flavour. The hollandaise sauce was akin to watery mayonnaise, with less flavour. No 'apple scent' whatsoever. I think Coles branded hollandaise has more flavour.

Our meals were not overly complicated which added to our gripes on how they managed to take so long to deliver. Again, I stress this was BREAKFAST. And to top it off, my friend Khalil found a piece of metal from a metal scourer IN his scrambled eggs; definitely not what he ordered. Tasteless food coupled with bad service really leave a sour taste in your mouth. I'm not a huge breakfast person but I fail to understand how such simple meals can take so long to serve. Completely disappointing end to a wonderful Sydney weekend. 

020. Ooh La La - La Via

[Editors Note: First of all, I sincerely apologise to the 5 or so people who actually read this blog for the lack of posts. Various things in my life have taken my attention away from this blog, but fear not for my love of food is oh so ever strong]
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Recently I took one of my closest friends out for her birthday to a beautiful little Italian place called La Via on Little Stanley Street, South Bank.  We only decided to go there as we wanted to go somewhere in South Bank that neither of us had been before. Turns out La Via was a wonderful choice.

First of all, the staff were amazing. So much so, I actually emailed La Via to commend them on their service. I'm not a huge wine drinker and I don't know too much about how to pair wines with food but the waiter recommended a beautiful one to go with my pizza. 
Secondly, the pizzas. Oh my god. There is a reason they promote themselves as having the 'Best Pizza in Brisbane' and it's not to toot ones proverbial horn, they really were amazing. I had the 'Wagyu bresola, roast garlic, truffle oil and parmesan' pizza. Four key ingredients on a handmade pizza base that tasted like a million dollars in my mouth. It just shows that the combination of simple, fresh ingredients can really create a gourmet meal. Some pizza places try to sell their pizzas as being 'top quality' by over complicating with extra unnecessary toppings but La Via strips it all back down to a simple mix creating an enjoyable pizza. And it's not particularly hard to get pizza wrong, but it seems as though it's hard for places to really get it right.  La Via does just that.

I highly recommended La Via for a delicious, beautifully created pizza. Now I just need to go back and try the rest of the menu. 


Website: http://lavia.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laviasouthbank

019: Oh I love a good buffet: Sofitel Seafood Buffet (Thyme 2)

Thyme2 at the Sofitel Brisbane is home to a very classy and popular seafood buffet. Offering endless prawns, freshest of fresh oysters and quality cooked mussels, it is a seafood lovers dream. The restaurant itself is a delicately embellished, French inspired, stylish venue. The waiters and waitresses speak snippets of French to you as they deliver exceptional service. 

I recently went to Thyme2 for a work Christmas lunch. Being Christmas, the theme was all around. 

 Chocolate fondue fountain

 Macaroon baubles with glass snowflakes 

Moet & Chandon Christmas bauble

Unfortunately, I did not take photos of the food, it was simply too good to stop and take a shot (above photos were taken after lunch, food baby in tow). As with every seafood buffet I go to, first stop is the seafood. I loaded up my plate with a heap of prawns, fresh oysters and some deliciously cooked mussel. The oysters and prawns were seriously fresh. You can really taste the difference when seafood has been out for a while or when its so fresh it tastes like it just came out of the sea; this was the latter. There were mains from Modern Australia, India, China all with enough dishes to satisfy even the pickiest people. There were more than enough desserts on offer; the chocolate fondue fountain with marshmallow sticks and apple jelly cups were popular among my work cohort. This is a wonderful buffet and I would highly recommend going. Visit the adjoining bar for a suite of delectable cocktails and premium high end liquor. 

Website: http://www.sofitelbrisbane.com.au/thyme2/brisbane-restaurant.html

018. Fly into Dragonfly: Dragonfly

Dragonfly is an underground restaurant/bar that opened a few months ago on Edward Street (where Rosie's used to be). There is a distinct lack of quality nice Chinese restaurants in the CBD and it's refreshing to see that I now don't need to go to the Valley or Sunnybank for a good dim sum feed because Dragonfly delivers.  The first time I heard of the place was through a friend who enthusiastically informed me of their (then) up and coming dim sum Wednesdays. All-you-can-eat for $18.95. As a food aficionado, I was keen to try everything because it was a new venue As a person of Asian decent, this appealed to me because of the price (you Asians know it).

On the first week of the promotion, there were no restrictions on the type of dim sum you could order and quantities and so my friends and I took it as an opportunity to sample every dish on the menu. The food was fantastic, authentic and fresh. BBQ pork buns were a hit as well as the Japanese Gyoza. Unfortunately, since the launch of dim sum Wednesdays, restrictions have come into place as well as a restricted menu (for obvious reasons aka people like me and my friends taking all you can eat literally!)
The following photos are not from all you can eat Wednesdays but from a lunch time dining date and an after work special:

 Calamari salad, Japanese Gyoza, Pork Dumplings, Pork Spring Rolls

Fish Bowl Punch!

I highly rate the dim sum. The fishbowl punch is a definite winner at $30 for a bajillion drinks! The only downfall is that being in the city, I found that the prices were suited to the city-folk, however, the decor and cocktails do make up for it.

Website: http://dragon-fly.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dragonflybris