Perched on the balcony of the cafe, at the edge of Paddington’s steep and winding La Trobe Tce, it was hard to keep track of my brekky date’s conversation, as I continued to lose myself to the view over the leafy suburbs of Rosalie and Milton.  Such a pleasant distraction…

The Hamptons Home Living breakfast menu created an even bigger distraction for me however and it was lucky I’d done some online research prior to arriving; I had at least formed some sort of short list before I’d even sat down.

My creamy cappuccino gave me the focus and kick I needed to make a decision, and finally I was confident the smoked bacon and corn fritters, tomato relish, salsa verde, poached egg and jamon ($17) would float my proverbial boat.

A little on the pricier side of what I usually like to pay for breakfast, I was so delighted to see the dish arrive with ample portions of fritters, salsa and (so much) jamon.  The egg was poached with perfection, the fritters were full of flavour (not doughy) and the jamon was fresh, tasty and as mentioned, plentiful!

RD had to endure grunts of pleasure from my side of the table however he was having a love affair of his own with the Hamptons full breakfast; double smoked bacon, eggs, rosti, Portobello mushrooms, Roma tomatoes and leavain sourdough ($22).

The mushrooms were a standout – so buttery and lightly salted, also a very generous serve.  The rosti was crispy on the outside with soft potatoey goodness inside and the bacon had good crispy factor, while the scrambled eggs were bright and fluffy.

Other eye catching choices on my short list were the baked eggs, chorizo, slow cooked tomato, Yarra Valley Persian fetta and sourdough ($16) and smashed avocado, sourdough, Yarra Valley Persian fetta and rocket ($14).

After digesting the food and a bit more of the view, we headed inside to check out the home wares side of things at Hamptons Home Living.  The front of the store is packed with a range of home wares including French inspired trinkets, hand creams, lounge furniture, throws and cushions…the list goes on.

The Hamptons Home Living store has a very friendly, cosy feel to it; the staff are lovely and patient, on this occasion reflecting the serenity and peace of the view they get to admire all day long….jealous much?

• Hamptons Home Living – 180 La Trobe Terrace, Paddington +61 7 3367 2002

Not knowing just how popular or roomy it was, I booked a table for my party of 6, which in hindsight was a great idea – although the cafe was empty when we arrived, the people of Paddington took very little time in descending upon and filling the small venue.

The long narrow venue has been converted to (or perhaps already was) your typical QLD workers cottage dining area with high ceilings (ruby red in fact), VJ walls, noisy wooden floors and as promised, sweeping views of the Paddington hillside.

The staff were looking a little tired and perhaps reluctant…it was only two days into the new year after all…but they were pleasant, and mostly attentive.

The breakfast menu was a bit like torture – it all sounded so good, and the thought of missing out on something was painstaking.

In the end, I opted for the bubble and squeak hash cakes, wilted spinach and beetroot leaves, poached eggs and basil hollandaise sauce ($15), with a side of bacon ($4).

This truly was a taste sensation.  The hash cakes were full of chunky, soft potato and sweet potato, shallots, corn and goodness knows what else – they were insanely good.  The bacon was crispy, the eggs poached to my liking and the hollandaise sauce added a nice, subtle tang to the dish.

MM had his standard of scrambled eggs ($9.00); a really creamy, generous pile of eggs atop Ruby Cafe’s peasant sourdough.

T had the chorizo, braised leek and shallot, manchego baked eggs with tomato raisin chutney and ciabatta ($16.00).  Another generous, flavoursome serve and a spicy, creative combination from the Ruby Cafe chef.

The more standard menu items of poached eggs and bacon ($13) were also a hit around the table, with perfectly cooked eggs and crispy, lean bacon.

The coffees were a bit hit and miss, but overall pretty good and they do a mean hot chocolate.  Word on the street is that Ruby Cafe’s blueberry buttermilk pancakes are the bomb, but if you’re a not-so-sweet-tooth like me, do yourself a favour and have the hash cakes.

• Ruby Cafe – 233 Given Terrace, Paddington +61 7 3367 2274

The Nook was the random choice for a Sunday breakfast recently only by chance, as CB and I were looking for a location to eat that was somewhere geographically equidistant for us to travel from our respective homes.  And so The Nook we stumbled upon.

Decked out with some modest wooden and mostly retro furniture you might find on your nana’s front porch, The Nook is a very relaxed cafe with a simple blackboard menu of tasty breakfast and lunch options.  They have a little corner for kids too – packed full of all sorts of toys, with a big chalk board to scribble all over and plenty of safe, roaming room for them to wander about.

The breakfast choices, all within a reasonable price range,  include your staples of bacon and eggs anyway you like, yoghurt and muesli options, banana bread and toasts of all varieties.

Both of us couldn’t go past the corn and coriander fritters with bacon, rocket and egg ($14), accompanied by a cappuccino ($3.50).  The fritters were a nice blend of corn, shallots, coriander and a not-too-doughy batter.  The gooey fried egg that drizzled over them was the perfect compliment.  With nice crispy bacon and delicious tomato relish tucked into the well constructed pile of goodness, I was pretty stoked with my choice.

We were also tempted by the warm banana bread ($4).  With 2 large slices, the serve was quite generous for the price, which was a pleasant change to your usual single slice in many a cafe.  Albeit a little dry at the edges, the banana bread was very flavoursome and a nice sweet finish to our meals.

The coffees were spot on too, which made for a delicious, well rounded meal and a lovely relaxed hour or so in the gentle sunlight reading the paper.

• The Nook off Hawthorne – 261 Hawthorne Rd, Hawthorne +61 7 3170 3377

The Brunswick Social, Brisbane welcomes you!

The little snippet (2 cocktails worth) of The Brunswick Social I had late on a Friday evening was enough to impress me and certainly enough to leave me wanting more.

Perhaps it’s the older crowd (and by older, I mean a majority of over 25’s I guess?) that made me feel at home, or the friendly bar staff shaking up some delicious cocktails for me and my sistas?  Notably, the distinct lack of messy teenagers and the presence of happy, friendly people together in one space relaxing into their weekend really did give the place a nice, welcoming atmposphere.

We only sampled a couple of items from the dumpling menu during our short stay.  Both $8 and a quantity of 3 per serve, we had the bbq pork dumplings and the steamed prawn dumplings.  Both were delicious…and I know a good pork bun when I have one!

Strangely enough, the whole cocktail and dumpling thing worked really well.  I like the idea of having yummy, warm, progressive tasty bites over a few gentle drinks with friends.  And with the tunes, the overall vibe and the space (you can find all sorts of cosy little alcoves to hide), The Brunswick Social has got the late night social scene all stitched up.

• The Brunswick Social – 367 Brunswick ST, Fortitude Valley +61 7 3252 3234

After being warned of substantial queue times due to its unprecedented popularity and novelty factor, I’d suggested to my party of 4 that we meet outside Harajuku Gyoza at 6pm on our recent Friday dinner date.  To my surprise, at 6pm, with the sun still up in the sky, there was indeed a queue about 10 deep already.  Cool – I’m actually ok with that – it was just a matter of how fast and in which manner the rapidly growing line progressed that set me off on the wrong foot.

 Every few minutes a coy, but smiley Harajuku Gyoza staff member would pop her head out the door, letting a gush of cool air conditioning and echo of rowdy banter out with her to check if there were any parties of 2, 3, 4 etc to be seated…..you get the picture.   With every turn, she lead us on a little more, teasing us with the smell of gyoza and the chinking of beer steins – why was it that tables of 5 and 6 or 2 and 3, who had seemingly queued for far less time that me and my party of 4, were allowed to enter before us?  Had I missed something?  Was my invitation lost in the mail?  Official gripe#1 – if, as a venue, you refuse to take bookings, you should get your queuing processes in order so not to show preferences to parties of different sizes – why should I be penalised because I have more or less friends than someone luckier than me?

 Half an hour later, we were in!  And we sure as hell weren’t going to leave in a hurry… out of pure protest – that, and it was so nice and cool inside.  Straight up we ordered a round of Kirin beers ($8 each) which arrived promptly in glass steins.

To put it simply – the place was going off.  There wasn’t a spare seat in the place – the booths, the tables, the bar…it was all packed and they were all in the midst of a gyoza frenzy!

The decor is pretty funky at Harajuku Gyoza – cool melamine-type plates with pretty Japanese landscapes on them line the walls.  The booth and table seating are also high on the funk factor.  The stools at the bar cater well for parties of 1, 2 or 3, however the stools are very close to the counter – long legged friends beware!  When new patrons enter, or existing ones leave, there is a roar of welcomes and goodbyes, Japanese style of course, which adds to the fun, friendly raucous.

Onto the food – after all, some noise, banter and decor doth not a great meal make.  To start we ordered a bowl of edamame beans ($4), which were really tasty, but perhaps the smallest bowl of edamame served…ever.

 All the gyoza dishes (which don’t photograph particularly well, sorry) come with 5 pieces per plate for $8.  You can get steamed or grilled gyoza, with all sorts of meat including chicken, pork, duck prawn and vegies.  So to kick things off, we got one of each filling, grilled style.  Well, they were delish – they just didn’t go far.

Next round, we ordered two chicken karage dishes to share.  At $8 per plate, here comes official gripe#2 – I can buy two whole chickens for $8!!  At Harajuku Gyoza, for $8, you get 5 little morsels of ‘popcorn’ style chicken.  Yep, it’s tasty…but at this point I was still hungry and I was cringing at the price my hunger was costing me.

Another round of grilled gyoza options and some more Kirin – and we continued to watch the queue outside grow and the place still continued to go off in true wacky, cool, fun, awesome Japanese style.  We decided to bite the bullet and try the apple gyoza with ice cream for dessert ($8 for 3 gyoza).  Well, this truly was a flavour explosion and well worth a try…but I still couldn’t stomach the price.

I had barely finished my apple pie gyoza and was washing it down with my last few mouthfuls of Kirin when one of the waitresses rushed over and insisted we hurry up and leave as there were a lot of people waiting to come in.  Well, without further ado, welcome official gripe#3….no explanation required.

I love the vibe they’ve got going on at Harajuku Gyoza.  I love the food.  I love the concept – like most things Japanese, it’s wacky but it’s awesome and the people are so god damn friendly.  I do not however love the price.  I do not love the attitude behind the concept of charging exorbitant prices for food that is very inexpensive to make and whose variety is very limited.  And finally to impose a get-out-quick rule after my party of 4 spent $170 on a dinner that didn’t satisfy our hunger…well, that just aint gyoza.

• Harajuku Gyoza – 394 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley +61 7 3852 4624

Bang Coffee Bar is a new and very welcome addition to the Coorparoo cafe scene.  With quick, easy, fare on the breakfast and snack menu, minimal clutter, clean lines and ample floor space, Bang Coffee Bar is probably best described as a simple, but effective cafe experience.

The quaint and eccentric decor is definitely an attraction – from the bold, bottle green walls and the Campbell’s soup tin light fittings, to the old school gasoline pump water fridge in the corner.  There’s also (possibly) the world’s smallest foosball table!

In line with the menu, MM and I kept things pretty straightforward for our brekky date – both of us testing the Bang team on their cappuccino skills to kick things off.  Unfortunately we weren’t particularly impressed….the coffees ($3.50) were served in cups smaller than your standard size and both were bitter and burnt – not beyond the point of undrinkable mind you, but there was definitely room for improvement.

MM decided on the sour dough with butter and vegemite ($4.50), whilst I opted for the sour dough with avocado salsa ($6.50).  Both dishes were very elegantly presented on their very own wooden chopping boards – the serving size was generous and the bread toasted perfectly.

My avocado salsa was served in the cutest little lightening jar which was a nice touch; the chunky salsa was a lovely, subtle blend of avocado with a touch of lemon, and basil (or perhaps some other form of greenery?).

We enjoyed our breakfast over some light and friendly banter with the cafe managers (who are clearly still trying to settle into the swing of things), whilst soaking up the lovely surrounds and stimulating decor.

I suppose Bang Coffee Bar is still finding its feet with regards to its people and processes, and how to make things click with the perception to customers that it’s all very effortless.  The menu has several basic but popular options such as cereal (even coco pops!), toast and spreads, savoury toasties and some sweet cakes, but you won’t find a cooked egg or pancake in the house (well, not yet anyway).  With a few more months under their belt, the potential for Bang Coffee Bar will be huge and if they sort their coffees out, it will be hard to beat.

• Bang Coffee Bar – 133A Kirkland Ave, Coorparoo

At La Cocina de Birdees, there is heaps of potential for an awesome night of tunes, food, booze and cute young things to look at and play with.  The alfresco bar (and pool!) area at Birdees is decked out with bench seating, huge bird cage-type lounges, heaps of cool decor and a very chilled vibe.  The only thing missing?  A decent feed…

MM and I pulled up a bench at La Cocina de Birdeeson a Friday evening chasing some easy Mexican to close out an average week at the office.  To their credit, the staff were really friendly and attentive.  They didn’t know much at all about the menu, but I suspect that’s due to the transient nature of the employees, which is fair enough.

We started things with a couple of tacos.  I had the La Gamba taco with spicy pan seared prawns and pico de gallo ($5).  Now, the waitress couldn’t tell me what pico de gallo was, so I consulted my friends at Google – a fresh, uncooked condiment made from chopped tomato, onion and chilli…a type of salsa essentially.  It was kind of hard to tell what was on the taco really…I know there were definitely a couple of prawns, but they weren’t particularly spicy or salsa-y.  There were however very rubbery, and they were accompanied by a whole lot of dry, shredded iceberg lettuce.  The taco itself was somewhere in between hard and soft, with a little bit of chewy thrown in as well.

 MM had the El Pollo taco with pulled chicken and guacamole ($5) which fit the same description above, with the inclusion of chicken instead of prawns.

Not particularly wowed at this point, but with the care factor reduced by our yummy jug of red wine sangria, we people watched while waiting for our mains.  Refer to previous comment of pretty, cute young things to look at….

We both decided on the crispy Mexican pork belly ($23) with polenta, guacamole, ensalada de col, grilled lime and tortilla for our mains.  What arrived was a very bland, baron looking plate of super fatty, anaemic pork belly pieces, accompanied by more dry, shredded iceberg lettuce (not quite the coleslaw that was promised), a corn inspired patty of polenta and a dollop of guacamole.

The meaty part of the pig was pretty much non-existent…I think the only part of the animal we were served was a thick layer of flavourless fat, covered in another layer of fat, all held and bound together by a salty, thin and crispy skin.  Unimpressed much?  Pushing my helping of lard to the side, I sampled the polenta but didn’t get far with that either.  Dry, crumbly, bland…with the occasional piece of corn…call in the forensic team – the polenta died of boredom and was quite possibly days old.  And the shredded lettuce…well…what more can I say?

The desserts were interesting – not exactly good but not exactly bad.  I had the deep fried ice cream – fairly standard, but the batter was kind of thick and had a rather crumbed and fried chicken smell and look to it.  I ate it, so there’s an indication of how it stacked up to the other items on the menu I sampled.

MM had the churros.  Much to his disappointment, they were cold.  Stone cold.  Not even a tiny hit in the microwave – just straight from the freezer for a quick thaw out, before being plonked on a plate with some strangely flavoured dipping sauces (not even chocolate!).  It was at this point that MM’s face and heart finally sank…we had been defeated and deflated by the La Cocina de Birdees menu.

We threw back what was left of our sangria (which was definitely lacking in alcohol content), payed our bill and parted ways with the growing crowd of young things looking for a big night out.  I hate to think what myriad of sins occurred at the premises later that evening….

Needless to say, we won’t be returning for dinner to La Cocina de Birdees, but I won’t rule out a cool beverage or two by the pool on a hot summer’s day – that’s got a whole lot more fun written all over it.

• La Cocina de Birdees, 608 Ann St, Fortitude Valley +61 1800 682 865

To be honest I had always assumed Satay Hut boasted a Thai menu, which they do, however they also have very comprehensive Malaysian and Chinese menus as well, with noodles and stir fry dishes pretty much any way you can think of.

The ambience and decor at Satay Hut is fresh, friendly and relaxing with a very large and very well sheltered outdoor dining area.  My party of four was chomping at the bit to get stuck into the Malaysian menu.  As far as choices go, the Malaysian entrees are generally always same-same no matter where you go, so we once again kicked things off with the standards of satay beef skewers ($12.90), chicken, potato, pea and carrot curry puffs ($9.50) and roti canai served with peanut satay sauce and Malaysian curry sauce ($10.90).

 With our Malaysian feasting thus far, the roti canai is always the dish that I like to keep a close eye on.  Whilst most of the roti breads you get are very similar, there are really subtle differences that can make or break one’s roti experience!  Satay Hut’s roti was good – but it wasn’t great.  Now I’m no expert, but this roti was a little dry and flat, lacking the crispy, flaky outer shell and the fluffy, moist, doughy middle that can set a roti apart and take you to true roti heaven.  The accompanying sauces were nothing to rave about, but not unpleasant either.

The satay skewers and curry puffs were not particularly remarkable and if anything the pastry around the curry puffs was a little thick and dry, and the beef skewers a little over cooked which was disappointing.

For mains we began with the Malaysian chicken curry ($20.90), another good bench mark dish for getting a feel for Malaysian kitchen quality.  Satay Hut’s Malaysian chicken had a nice flavour, but the chicken meat seemed overcooked and a little like what you’d see from a fast food or bain marie type kitchen.

The combination laksa noodle soup ($19.90) with chicken, prawns, squid, fish cakes, tofu, beans, eggplant, beansprouts, coconut cream, hokkein noodles and rice vermicelli was pretty good and full to the brim with a strange yet compelling mix of textures.  The coconut cream factor was pleasantly present.

The prawn char kwai teow ($22.90) was another dish from Satay Hut that was fairly pedestrian, with a distinct lack of that smoky, chilli infused flavour that we’ve been spoilt with at other Malaysian venues.  The prawn element was generous, but this didn’t really make up for what was otherwise a lack lustre attempt this famous flat rice noodle dish.

The Nasi Goreng ($19.90) with onion, capsicum, tofu, egg, prawns, fish cakes, squid and fried rice was once again a very generous dish, sporting all sorts of elements.  This dish was mildly spicy and had a nice flavour, but the addition of everything but the kitchen sink was almost too much!

The serving sizes of the Malaysian menu at Satay Hut are really generous, so whilst the price tags seem a little high, you won’t go hungry.  

Satay Hut isn’t quite on the money as other more authentic and home-style Malaysian venues around town, but they do a pretty good job at it and provide a huge amount of variety when it comes to menu choices.

• Satay Hut - Shop 3 Little Stanley St, Southbank +61 7 3846 6600

MM and I were seeking a relaxed, low key breakfast over which we could nurse mild hangovers and enjoy some spring time sun.  Banneton Bakery is in our local area and always seems to have a gentle but manageable gathering of patrons at its doors. 

On this occasion the queue was at a minimum, however, the girls behind the counter seemed a little flustered and reluctant to make eye contact in fear they may have to attend to more work.  Nevertheless, our orders were taken with a hint of a smile, and we retreated to the pleasant outdoor dining area to soak up some rays.

MM wanted to devour everything in the cabinet, from the gorgeous little cakes and slices, to the baguettes, croissants and pastries.  He settled for the ham and cheese savoury croissant and the pane chocolate, with a cappuccino.

The savoury pastry option was just oozing with gooey melted Swiss cheese in between a beautifully buttery, flaky, melt in your mouth croissant.  Whilst I didn’t have the pleasure of tasting the pane chocolate, it was made evident that it was delicious, up there with real French pane chocolate from real French patisseries in real France!  It was clearly too good to share….

I decided to try the ham and cheese brioche, as well as a pumpkin scone with butter and strawberry jam.  The brioche was creamy, sweet, salty and slightly bitter all at the same time and the flavour of the cheese was exceptional.  Unfortunately, a little too much onion for my liking (and it’s my bug bear when restaurants don’t confirm its presence in a dish description).  Even so, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

The pumpkin scone was the fluffiest I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting; light and savoury, but with a gentle, pleasant sweetness to it, I could’ve eaten two or three more!

It has to be pointed out that the coffees at Banneton Bakery were exceptional.  MM and I are self-confessed caffeine snobs and it’s not often we stray from our regular weekend spot; it’s good to see the baristas here are on the money.  All up, our mellow breakfast set us back $34, which also included a couple of ciabatta loaves to take home.

Banneton Bakery is barely big enough to swing a cat, so don’t head there expecting to have a lot of room to settle in; chances are it’ll be a spot on the footpath, or perhaps a milk crate-style seat – a high portion of patrons order their pastries and coffees to go.  While you’re there, the wood fired breads ranging from dinner rolls, cob loaves, ciabatta and many, many more are well worth a try too.

•  Banneton Bakery – 25 Balaclava St, Woolloongabba +61 7 3393 2111

No frills seems to be a common theme with our Malaysian venues and Old Town Kitchen is no different – upon entry you’re greeted by the bright and rather scary lights of the take-away section of the restaurant, but continue up a small stair case and you enter the more pleasantly lit and bustling dine in area.  There’s still not much in the way of frills, but the staff are friendly and eager to serve and were more than happy to make some recommendations.

We didn’t want to go overboard with entrees, so started things with the chicken satay sticks which were standard as far as the meat goes, but we really enjoyed the satay sauce – spicier than most satay sauces but still a really nice peanut flavour too.

Wanting to sample about 10 different dishes from the seriously extensive menu, we settled for three, upon recommendations from our waiter with regards to traditional Malaysian dishes.

To begin with, the chef’s special of salt and pepper fish – which was infact a whole flounder!  This was exceptional.  The crispy skin was coated in a fine crust of salt and pepper and as you cracked open that outer shell, it gave way to the soft, fresh and perfectly cooked flesh of our fishy friend.  Garnished with some finely diced onion, chillies, capsicum and greens, this dish is definitely one to return for.

Next up, the sambal prawns.  We’d both really enjoyed this dish at Ipoh Laksa, so thought we should see how it compared at Old Town Kitchen.  To be honest, it lacked that delicious, smoky and subtle chilli flavour from Ipoh Laksa – instead, the chilli was overpowering and the sweetness of the prawns was lost.

Thankfully, the Malaysian chicken curry with roti made up for any disappointment with the sambal prawns.  This roti was without doubt the best I’ve tried on this Malaysian quest.  Without question it was made fresh and not pulled from the freezer.  The delicate little chicken drumsticks were resting in a pool of mild but ever so flavoursome curry sauce and the meat fell away from the bone with ease.  The roti in all its doughy glory was impossibly hard to put down.

The total bill was only a touch over $60 for both of us to indulge in a Malaysian feast of epic proportions.  The whole flounder was still mostly intact, we still had left over prawns and a touch of chicken left as well - as usual, we over catered for ourselves but enjoyed almost every single bite.

Old Town Kitchen is great value for money; their enthusiastic and friendly staff make for a pleasant experience and the food is fresh, authentic and well worth returning for.

• Old Town Kitchen – Shop 221, McWhirters Centre, Brunswick St Mall, Fortitude Valley

Thanks to Malaysia Kitchen Australia, I’ve been given the opportunity to check out what Malaysian cuisine Brisbane has to offer – good bad or otherwise.  If you’ve got any tips or suggestions, leave a comment or send an email to cazm@bnehotornot.com

Ole’s opening week couldn’t be timelier – smack bang in the middle of Brisbane Festival 2011 where the crowds around Southbank are at a peak, on top of the fact it’s also school holidays.  Pretty smart! 

MM and his siblings decided there was no better way to spend a sunny spring Saturday than over a few cool beers and progressive tasty tapas, so off to Ole we went.

The waiter had me picked before I even took a seat – with a quick exchange of knowing glances he promptly bought me a glass of the Ole red sangria, while the boys went with the authentic Spanish beer Estrella, uncannily pronounced ‘a-stray-ya’…

We decided to select a heap of items from both the Tapas and Racione (slightly more substantial than tapas) menus – there were plenty to choose from, all sounding equally as delightful as each other, making the decision somewhat tricky.

The chilli and garlic prawns were exceptional – not too hot, and not too garlicky – just right.

The chorizo and squid with cherry tomatoes – I love it when the chorizo is elegantly sliced like this and the squid was cooked to perfection, although the little creature’s suckers kept sticking to my tongue….eek!

The jamon was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, although the portion was tiny compared to the price – watch out for this one, it really was the only one I was a little taken back with on price and portion.

The ‘patatas’ were thick and chunky and drizzled on top was a tasty, mildly spicy sauce.

Also around the table was chicken skewers with fragrant safron rice;

Battered chickpea balls with spicy dipping sauce

Chorizo and beef meatballs

A little too wrapped up in my sangrias and the conversation, my attention to detail on the menu item names and prices fell mostly by the way side.  I guess all you really need to know is that the prices are fairly standard as far as tapas goes – you know, kind of pricey at first glance for small morsels (anywhere from $8 – $16), but worth it for the flavour sensations, relaxing atmosphere, friendly staff and authentic tapas experience.

• Ole Restaurant, Shop B12 Little Stanley St, Southbank +61 7 3846 1201

There’s always a queue, if not 10 or so deep it’s well out the door, particularly in the evenings. 

There’s a general lack of order and grace in the whole ordering process. 

The staff seem generally disgruntled and unhappy to be there, most likely due to the aforementioned points above.  And let’s not forget, it’s hideously expensive…

So under normal circumstances, these points would pretty much stand a venue in good stead for a whopping great big NOT, but, with Max Brenner (for me anyway) it’s not the case. 

MM and I must be the last people in Brisbane to try Max Brenner at Southbank – basically, we don’t have much (read:  any) patience for queues.  In a moment of weakness however on a recent date night at Southbank, we committed ourselves and dived in head and tummy first.

It’s safe to say we were over the queue and the screaming children after about 30 seconds, but we stuck it out.  Tormented by the Max Brenner menu and its amazing combinations, painfully taunted by the man-sized blocks of chocolate and lolly jars jammed packed full of gummi bears and jelly beans behind the counter, I thought for a moment I had stumbled upon the happiest place on earth….and then the crazy kids in the queue went ferral again…

I was really keen to get myself around the tutti fruitti waffle – warm Belgian waffle drizzled with pure melted chocolate, served with ice cream, strawberries and bananas ($14 for 1 person, $18.50 for 2).  But MM choked on the price and I knew there was no way I could tackle it on my lonesome. 

Instead I settled for, but was still thoroughly excited by, the chocolate dip – a small bowl of warm, melted chocolate with strawberries to dip ($8.50) with a side of banana ($3.00) and marshmallows ($0.50). 

Wow.  I could live on this stuff….plenty of vitamins from the bananas and strawberries afterall!

MM took an option from the fridge cabinet (there are quite a few to choose from); he had the dreamy chocolate cloud ($9.50) which was a fluffy cloud of cream encased in a dark chocolate shell. 

A little on the rich side, MM was otherwise very impressed.  He washed it down with a cappuccino ($3.50).

So, our overall experience at Max Brenner was a little tainted by the queues, the people, the noise, the service….the list goes on, but in the defence of Max Brenner, these are mostly issues due to our own intolerances.  The concept for me, a self confessed chocoholic, is brilliant.  I love the idea, I love the smell, I love the menu and most of all I love the warm gooey chocolate.  It’s everywhere! 

•  Max Brenner – Shop 1.1 and 1.2, Stanley St Plaza, Southbank

A few interesting facts:  Ipoh, pronounced ‘ee-poh’ is a town in the State of Perak in Malaysia with the highest population of Chinese immigrants than any other Malaysian state, due to the influx during the gold rush era.  In conjunction with Malaysian and Chinese flavours, Ipoh cuisine was largely influenced by the British and Portuguese presence as well. 

Each of us around the table at Ipoh Laksa was fairly inexperienced when it came to Malaysian menu knowledge, so we really didn’t know what to choose.  As such, random selection prevailed. 

For entrees we pretty much sampled one of everything on the menu:

Samosas, or vegetarian curry puffs, $4.80 for 4 pieces.

Vegetarian spring rolls, $4.80 for 4 pieces. 

Skewered satay chicken sticks, $7.60 for 4 pieces and skewered satay beef sticks, $7.60 for 4 pieces. 

In all honesty, the entrees at Ipoh Laksa were pretty standard and nothing to write home about – the samosa expert at the table wasn’t particularly impressed, even suggesting these and the spring rolls may have spent some time in the freezer. 

Thankfully, the main dishes were a completely different story – whether we just got lucky with the selection we made, or if all the Ipoh Laksa dishes are this good, who knows?  Either way, we hit the jackpot in a big way. 

The char keow teow ($13.90) was one of the faves, with wok tossed flat rice noodles, prawns, chicken, fish cakes, Chinese sausage, egg, bean sprouts and chilli.

Also worth a mention, and well worth returning for was the sambal prawn stir fry ($18.20).  Spicy, but not unbearably, this dish was smoky, fresh and so flavoursome.

We struggled our way through the Ipoh curry Laksa ($12.00) with coconut curry stock, vermicelli noodles, Hokkien noodles, fish cake, fish balls, egg, chicken, bean curd and bean sprout.  This dish was probably the least impressive – I didn’t see too much in the way of fish cakes, fish balls or chicken – it was mostly noodles, noodles, and more noodles, with a very overwhelming coconut flavour.

The beef rendang ($12.80) was delicious – unlike many dry and stringy beef rendang I’ve tried in the past, Ipoh Ipoh Laksa‘s rendang meat was tender, moist and full of flavour in a generous sauce to mop up with more roti.

Whilst tasty, with a great combination of flavours and textures, the Nasi goreng ($12.80) was your stock-standard blend of spicy fried rice with prawns, chicken, egg, bean curd and vegies (no pic for this one, sorry).  The roti canai with curried chicken ($12.80) was insanely good – I have no idea if the bread was made fresh or pulled from the freezer, but it was doughy in the middle and crispy at the edges and when drowned in the curry sauce it was groan worthy.

We finished things off with some deep fried ice cream and as the last of the staff lingered, waiting for us to down spoons and leave, we pretty much had to be rolled from the restaurant.

Ipoh Laksa is a family owned and operated restaurant, by ex-pats of Ipoh, so one can only imagine the cuisine is authentic and consistent with that found in Malaysia itself.  In any case, it’s no fuss, delicious, fresh and flavoursome cuisine and well worth a visit.  Open 7 days for lunch and dinner, they also do takeaway and allow BYO wine.  

• Ipoh Laksa Malaysian Kitchen – 738 Main St, Kangaroo Point +61 7 3891 2777

But no, it’s not the caveman era, nor Fred and Wilma….it’s the International Hotel on a Friday at lunch time, as ravenous patrons line up to get their paws on the $20 lunch special of 1kg of spare ribs with chips and salad and a tallie of Tooheys Extra Dry.  Oh yeahhh, does it get any better than that?!

A few tips for those who are already out the door to join the queue:  Book a table – this place is nuts on a Friday.  Secondly, book the table early – like, for midday, if not earlier.  Leave it too late and there’s a chance you’ll miss out because this whole rib deal the International Hotel’s got going in is so darn popular.

The meat falls away from the rib bone with ease.  It’s tender, juicy and is covered in a tasty BBQ sauce.  Enough said really.

If you miss out on the ribs, it’s not a huge problem – you’ll still be able to fill your belly as a pretty extensive lunch time menu aside from the rib special does exist – it’s just really hard to comment on because I didn’t even give it a sideways glance…afterall, it’s all about the ribs!!

• Friday Lunch Special, International Hotel – 525 Boundary St, Spring Hill

A simple, old school, family owned and run business, Little Malaysia is a no-fuss, no-frills experience, but what they lack in fancy they make up for in flavour and friendliness.  We ordered a plate of prawn chips ($2.00), pappadums ($1.00) and roti canai with curry sauce ($6.00) to get our palates and stomachs ready for a small feast from the menu of many, many, many options.

The roti was insanely delicious – flaky sheets of piping hot flat bread dipped in a mild but flavoursome, runny curry sauce.  That in itself is worth going for!

For mains, we decided to share three dishes which was a little ambitious, but we couldn’t help ourselves as the choices were too good.

MM had his eye on the spicy calamari from the start ($14.90) and it didn’t disappoint.  Listed as one of their most popular dishes, Little Malaysia really won us both over with this dish.  The batter was light and crispy, the calamari pretty well cooked and accompanied with some finely chopped capsicum and herbs, fried glass noodles and a whole lot of salty goodness.

The chicken nasi goreng ($9.90) was a delicious feast packed with meat, tofu and noodles with quite a spicy back end.  Needless to say we couldn’t finish it but we were offered a container to take home the leftovers.

The nasi lemak was a tasting plate of sorts, with a sample of the beef rendang, chicken rendgang,  sambal boiled egg, pickled vegies, anchovies and coconut rice ($10.90).  The beef rendang was my favourite – beautiful small, bite sized chunks of tender beef in a delicious, dark rendang sauce.  The chicken pieces were a little dry for me and the anchovies weren’t really up my alley, but the sambal egg was strangely more-ish, as were the pickled vegies. 

Open every day for lunch and dinner (except Tuesdays, they are closed), Little Malaysia is a pokey, cheap and cheerful little cafe boasting punchy but humble Malaysian cuisine at its best.  The bright yellow walls, fluro lighting and plastic chairs don’t offer much in the way of aesthetics or serenity, but I suspect anything fancier would take away from a really authentic Malaysian experience.

• Little Malaysia – 156 Boundary St, West End +61 7 3844 0303

Thanks to Malaysia Kitchen Australia, I’ve been given the opportunity to check out what Malaysian cuisine Brisbane has to offer – good bad or otherwise.  If you’ve got any tips or suggestions, leave a comment or send an email to cazm@bnehotornot.com

 Whilst I’m personally not 100% sold on the concept, it certainly seems to work pretty well if the constant line up of people was anything to go by.  One hand, the lovely boutique-style, beachside inspired decor, sweeping river views and intimate design details of Jude lend it to being somewhere you’d settle in for a long boozy lunch with the ladies of leisure. 

In contrast on the other hand, you order and pay at the counter from a selection of pre-made meals that get heated up and then you’re issued with a buzzer which goes crazy when your meal is ready to collect.  And to top it off – it all arrives to the counter in a brown cardboard box of sorts.

 My party of three were a bit perplexed by the whole process to be honest, but the customers kept on coming, so I’m thinking the owners might be onto a winner.  The pre-made meals all look pretty damn tasty – there’s a great selection of daily salads, risotto balls, lamb balls, rice balls – balls of all sorts ready to be thrown into the microwave and then sidled up next to a salad.  There are also gourmet pies, fish and chips, quiches, lasagnes, paninis and more.

Richo had the Jude curry special of the day – bite sized pieces of lightly fried pork atop a bed of satay rice ($12.90).  Not my cup of tea – too much fried stuff, but Richo thought it was flavoursome and filling.

SS had the Thai chicken balls with salad and rice ($15.90), which looked pretty good.  The generous clumps of chicken pattie and rice were in a nice Thai style sauce, accompanied by the Thai style salad of the day.

The menu boasts the ‘best burgers ever’ so without much contemplation I decided to take Jude up on the challenge.  I’ve had some good burgers in my time and I suspected their claim to be a little bold.  I chose the satay chicken burger with chips and salad ($17.90).  The chicken pattie was pretty good – nice creamy satay flavour, good peanut sauce and some pleasant greenery on top.  Was it the best burger ever?  Errr…Nope.

We enjoyed our meals from our funny little cardboard boxes outside in the alfresco area which would’ve been lovely if it weren’t one of Brisbane’s coldest, windiest days this Winter – there’s no cat-swinging inside at Jude, so beware on cooler days and perhaps try to book ahead if you’ve got more than 2 or 3 people with you.

•  Jude – 9/1 Eagle St, Brisbane CBD +61 7 3220 2201

It was pretty clear from the start the Alberto’s Shot staff were experiencing some teething issues with the new menu – they were a little sketchy and as they had new, unfamiliar requests to contend with they weren’t showing much in the way of comfort or flexibility…even so, the coffees were great, so we were more than happy to accommodate their small fumbles and uncertainty.

From the fancy new menu we kept things pretty simple.  MM had the focaccia Australiana with two fried eggs, double bacon, onion and tomato ($12.50).  Pretty straight forward really – not much room for error – the serve size was generous and an all round tasty meal.

I chose the avocado on toast with lime and balsamic ($7.00) with a side of fried eggs (because they weren’t able to cater for poached eggs).  Unfortunately they forgot the eggs, and the balsamic, and I wasn’t particularly happy with the avocado situation – a whole avo sliced down the middle, and two pieces of toast on the plate was as fancy as it got – the rest was up to me.  I like to have my brekkie made for me when I’m paying for it….but apart from that, it was tasty enough.

Another round of cappuccinos ($3.80) and espressos ($3.0) later, we were feeling pretty relaxed with a quiet seat in the sun, reading the paper and enjoying the sounds of suburbia.  Alberto’s Shot has a friendly, casual feel to it with exceptional coffee and a menu that with a bit of  polish will be well worth a taste.

• Alberto’s Shot – 462 Montague Rd West End +61 7 3846 2270

With a reasonable crowd always gathered on the footpath, MM and I thought we should give this unassuming, hole in the wall style cafe a nudge for a Sunday breakfast double date.  Our friends brought their pooch along, who was quite welcome to hang out on the footpath dining area, so we took to a small table and a shared bench seat outside, which was comfy enough, but a little cold on this occasion without any direct sunlight to warm us.

Inside the Brown Dog Cafe is a cosy, warm, rustic little space with only a scattering of tables and chairs, plus one huge share table  - so if you like to swing a cat or two for your Sunday brekky, Brown Dog Cafe may not take your fancy.  If you’re ok with a lap-style feed, or happy to wait a bit for a table to become available, then I’d say hang around, it’s worth it.

The brekky menu at Brown Dog Cafe is priced really well and has some quirky twists on standard fare and plenty of extras to choose from so you can build your own.  I had the Dog’s Breakfast of haloumi, avocado, lemon, spinach, tomato and sourdough toast ($12.00).  Almost too healthy and perfect to eat, the dog’s breakfast had really fresh, tasty greenery and the haloumi was generous and gooey.

AJ and MM both had the free range scrambled eggs on sourdough toast ($9.00) which was again a pretty generous size; the eggs looked organic and were seriously fluffy. MM added a side of haloumi for $4.00

AJ was a little disappointed with her side of tomato ($1) however, with only a small grilled quarter on offer.

SM had the Lazy Dog Roll with ham, egg, cheese and HP sauce ($8.00) which was a bit of a logistical nightmare to consume due to its size and our very small table, however once he got the hang of it he was content.

Whilst we mostly enjoyed our meals at Brown Dog Cafe, we did have to wait nearly 45 minutes as the kitchen struggled to keep up with their popularity.  Their coffees are definitely their strong point and the constant flow of customers for take away coffee is testament to that.

Their brekky menu is worth a stab if you’ve got the time, patience and inclination to take a small seat at a poky table outside should there be no room inside.  Brown Dog Cafe also has a fridge cabinet packed full of fresh tasty take-away options for both breakfast and lunch goers on the run.

• Brown Dog Cafe – 54 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba +61 7 3891 7355

Thanks to Brisbane Marketing, I was given the opportunity to explore and grow the very under developed artist within me, by attending Surrealism Up Late – a lively combination of art and entertainment – held Friday evenings from 5.30 – 10pm.

When JA and I rocked up we weren’t really sure what to expect; there was a mixed bag of punters walking through the doors – some dressed to impress and hell bent on heading straight to the bar, others swanning in casually yet making a prompt move for the exhibition rooms.

We decided to kick things off casually with a glass of sparkling wine each ($7) and took up some prime real estate in elegantly mood-lit main lounge/bar area which overlooks the river and the lovely lights of the Kurilpa Bridge.  Catching up on the week’s festivities at work and home, JA and I were feeling less and less inclined to do the tour of the exhibition hall as each glass of bubbles peeled another layer of coherency away….

We soon enough snapped out of our bubble-induced coma however and headed to the exhibition rooms to start our trek through the years of surrealism (the 1920’s) and what could be only interpreted by the uneducated eye (mine, that is) as a period of indulgence in mind altering drugs – refer to previous squishy eyeballs comment.  Whilst the rooms were magnificently decorated and pieces elegantly hung under lights to show them off in all their quirky glory, it just really didn’t float my arty boat.

Several Google searches later however and now a newfound understanding of what the Surrealism period in the world of art represented, I guess it all makes a little more sense and those ‘what the…?!’ pieces have gained a little more respect and admiration.  Perhaps a little less champagne next time may help my cause….!

Towards the conclusion of our exploration into Surrealism, the evening’s scheduled entertainment was getting well and truly into their set and had the crowd in the bar area toe tapping and head nodding; the mood had lifted somewhat and the venue more resembled a classy but relaxed nightclub and so we settled in for another round of bubbles…

Although we hadn’t been too moved by the artwork (nobody’s problem but our own), the Up Late experience had relaxed and impressed us both and really was a rather pleasant thing to partake in on a Friday night in our beautiful city – and definitely worth it for those who have an appreciation for this type of art, or any affiliation with the arts at all really.   Surrealism:  The Poetry of Dreams runs until 2^nd October 2011, with the Up Late sessions occurring every Friday evening from 5.30 to 10pm until 30^th September, tickets will set you back about $20.  For more information see www.visitbrisbane.com.au

• Surrealism Up Late – Gallery of Modern Art, South Brisbane.

Good thing we agreed to meet our friends nice and early (at the rather uncivilised hour of 8am), because before long the place almost resembled Myer on a Boxing Day sale, which I figured could only be a good sign.

A fairly open, airy and echoy venue, Home Store & Cafe does, as the name suggests, provide a lovely cafe setting for families of all shapes and sizes with a nice section dedicated to lovely kids toys, books and other small home wares that may take your fancy.

The menu took my interest straight away with some not-so-ordinary options like minted pea and feta fritters, bacon and egg brushetta and other lovely combinations.  I couldn’t go past the home store avocado smashed on sourdough with baby vine tomatoes, crumbled feta and preserved lemon, with a side of poached eggs ($12.90).  The dish was humongous – serious brownie points were awarded for the presentation, flavours, creativity and the price.  It was easily the best out and about breakfast I’ve had in months.

MM stuck to his usual game plan of poached eggs with toasted sourdough ($9.90); nothing too interesting to report here, however worth mentioning that the eggs were poached perfectly and a generous serve of toast was provided.

RD opted for the savoury mince breakfast with chorizo, poached eggs and rocket salad with toasted Turkish bread (sorry, no price on this one).  Not my cup of tea for breakfast but according to RD a tasty and mildly spicy combination and once again a really generous serving of goodness.

The coffees, ranging from $3 to $4 were all creamy with the right amount of kick to keep us going for the rest of the day.  While the shop front of Home Store & Cafe was pandemonium, it wasn’t unnerving at all, in fact the bustle and vibe they had going on was pleasant and friendly and the service didn’t falter one bit.

• Home Store & Cafe – 20 Stewart Rd, Ashgrove +617 3366 6652

The girls and I booked a table at The Villager Hotel for a quick lunch break mid-week and found everything from the service, the food and the ambience to be what we collectively described as ‘meh’.  Only a scattering of tables were occupied in the cosy, rustic dining area, however the service was blasé and pretty much non-existent, as our waitress had no interest in taking our order, or even acknowledging our presence…

After making a small scene just to get noticed and our orders taken, we started with the tomato, basil and fetta bruschetta ($11) to share from the tapas menu.  The kitchen was a little slow to deliver, but once it arrived we were pretty impressed with our starter.  The generous pile of tiny diced tomato pieces was drizzled with balsamic and delicate strands of basil, random chunks of fetta and to my delight there was a distinct absence of diced onion.

The mains weren’t too slow in arriving which was a welcome relief.  Princess had the garlic and prawn risotto with congnac cream ($25).  Although not much to look at with its brown, sloppy appearance, the risotto was cooked well and the prawny chunks were fresh and flavoursome.  The cognac cream however was too rich, overbearing and too salty.

I opted for a pasta dish too, having the confit salmon fettuccine with sugar snaps, shaved pecorino and champagne cream ($24).  The serving wasn’t perhaps as generous as I would’ve expected, however once again too salty, too rich and as such I couldn’t finish it anyway.  The salmon pieces were cooked nicely but overpowered by the creamy sauce.

JA had some success with her choice of the wagyu beef burger with hand cut chips and salad ($16).  The patty was nice and plump, cooked well and had a nice big gooey blob of cheese on top, all nestled in a cosy, crusty roll.  And the chips were pretty much spot on.

The menu at The Villager Hotel has some really nice options on it and I suspect a slight attitude adjustment from the staff may see a shift towards a pleasant dining experience.

Whilst I won’t rush back for lunch, I wouldn’t mind spending some time on the tapas menu, with a cocktail or fish-bowl size glass of red wine in one hand.  The Villager Hotel has that feel to it like it wants to go off (in a good way!), but it hasn’t quite figured out how.

Maybe it’s the supper club experience which makes The Villager Hotel shine?

• The Villager Hotel (Gastrobar) – 185 George St Brisbane CBD +61 7 3211 1300

The Burrito Bar Southbank adds a pretty funky and fresh vibe to what is essentially a Subway-style fast food venue with, of course, a Mexican twist including slushy thirst quenching alcoholic beverages.

The graffiti clad walls and Mexican lingo on the menu were a little distracting so I had trouble getting my head around the options and the ordering process.  Afterall, I prefer to spend time contemplating what to fill my belly with, as opposed to being pressured to make a decision…..the bane of my colleagues’ existence.

Once I finally had the process straight in my head, I opted for the small Cancun burrito with rice, refried beans, sour cream, cheese, guacamole and lettuce with a Fajita chicken filling and salsa ($9.90).  Although a little pricier than what I like to spend for a sandwhich style lunch, the serving was generous, really fresh and pretty much hit the mark on taste.

The boys had the same, but in man sizes, with extra spicy things and other additional fillings.  We washed it all down with some tasty imported fizzy drinks called Jarritos.

The contents of The Burrito Bar burritos were super fresh and pretty tasty; although they could do with more meat and less refried beans.  One thing I know about burritos – they’re hard to photograph – there’s just no real way of making them look glamorous.

My accommodating colleagues are quite happy for me to take ‘before’ shots of their meals, but getting them to strike a mid-meal pose is just impossible…so you’ll have to take my word for it that inside these floury parcels were some pretty good tasting Mexican concoctions.

• The Burrito Bar (Southbank) – 5/167 Grey St, South Brisbane +61 7 3847 5352

King George Square has been converted into a mini Alpine village with food and beverage stalls lining the concourse outside Town Hall; from churros and donuts to Gluhwein and chai lattes, this little village doesn’t quite match that of those you’ll find in the Swiss Alps, but it’s a enough of a taste to make you feel like you haven’t totally missed out on the magical winter experience that our European mountain dwelling counterparts get to enjoy for 4 months on the calendar.

Following a rather disheartening false start on opening day (with a blown chiller valve), things at Alpine Winter Festival were soon back on track as the temps around Brisbane hit some all time lows – perfect timing!

MM and I took a burn around the ice on the long weekend after summonsing up some Dutch courage with a mug full of Gluhwein, included in our ticket for skating and skate hire ($35pp).  The open air ice rink sure is a novelty and it’s the first time Brisbane-ites have seen anything like it in their own town.  Perched in the middle of King George square under the towering clock of Town Hall, the ice rink is such a spectacle it’s practically stopping traffic on Ann St.

The skating experience is an act in survival of the fittest, as kids, adults, kids in adult bodies and small orange plastic seal pups scuffle around in fits of hysteria and unorganised chaos for 45 minutes.  MM stuck close by the barriers, white knuckles glowing and a look of sheer terror on his face as the weekend warriors blazed past him.  Showing my skating prowess I ducked and weaved amongst the other wanna-be queens of the ice and twirled with finesse unsurpassed by my fellow skaters….no, really, that’s how it went….

With a sigh of relief that we’d survived the skating experience, we ditched our hire skates and wondered the alpine inspired village in search of some winter treats.  MM and I can’t go past the German Sausage Hut (no matter what the season), so we stopped in there for a kransky and bread ($7), accompanied by an ice cold beer as we did some serious winter wonderland people-watching.

The Alpine Winter Festival has brought young, old and in betweeners out of the woodwork this winter and added a buzz in the city which you don’t usually see this time of year.  Don’t expect it all to be smooth sailing however – the skate hire and cloak room processes could do with some refinement and the skating itself is a mess….but I think it’s all worth it for a touch of winter magic.

The Brisbane Alpine Winter Festival runs until June 26^th; you can buy tickets online or at the ticket office in the alpine village.

• Alpine Winter Festival Brisbane – King George Square, Brisbane CBD info@winterfestival.com.au

My work buddies and I are regulars at My Thai Kitchen due to its proximity to the office and the fact they serve super quick meals that are great value and delicious.

This cosy little establishment has just enough room to swing the proverbial cat and a great range of Asian groceries to peruse while you wait for your meal.  There are all sorts of curry pastes for 2 bucks a pop, packets of noodles in all shapes and sizes, cooking utensils and more.

We usually kick things off with a serve of the Thai spring rolls ($6.00 for 4) filled with shredded cabbage leaves, carrots, glass noodles and fresh herbs.

My favourite main is the pad prik king ($12.50) with beef, bamboo shoots, Thai basil, red capsicum all stir fried with curry paste, thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves and a touch of coconut cream.  It’s a mildly spicy dish and because it’s not drowned in heavy sauce and coconut cream I find it much easier to avoid that drowsy feeling you get after a hot meal at lunch.

Princess sticks to her usual of chicken and cashew nut stir fry ($12.50) with garlic, chilli, onions, red capsicum and shallots with chilli jam and roasted cashew nuts.  Although they always pack it full of too much onion, the flavour of this dish is delicious and not insipid like some of the other chicken and cashew you might find around town.

DAP always has the yellow chicken curry ($12.50) made with a delicate paste of turmeric, galangal, kaffir limes, lemongrass, garlic and chillies with coconut cream, potatoes, tomatoes and coriander leaves.  My Thai Kitchen’s yellow curry is very mild but manages to maintain a lovely strong flavour and is the best option if you’re not a fan of too much chilli.

The lunch time meals are no frills, no fuss – all served in plastic takeaway dishes, even if you’re hanging at the huge share-table to dine in.  What they lack in presentation, the dishes make up for in flavour and size – they’re huge!!

My Thai Kitchen’s lunch time menu runs Wednesday through to Friday from 12 – 2pm and is a cut down version of their dinner menu, at a reduced rate as well.  It’s well worth a visit.

Has anyone tried My Thai Kitchen’s cooking classes?  We’d be chuffed to hear your thoughts….

• My Thai Kitchen – Shop 18, 36 Baroona Rd, Milton +61 7 3369 8555

MM and I had the pleasure of each other’s company for a breakfast date which was novel in itself, regardless of the venue.  It was a cool morning and to my delight, Lady Marmalade has beautiful crocheted blankets for each of the patrons dining outside.  The breakfast bar is by far the best seat in the house, overlooking the walkways of Stones Corner; we settled for a small table on the sidewalk which was pleasant, but very cool in the shade of the early morning.

MM was a little thrown by the menu.  In line with the kitsch meets retro meets quirky decor (yes, that’s a toy budgie on our table in the below pic), the menu doesn’t exactly boast your standard brekky fare of bacon and eggs.  It’s an all day menu, with your staples of toast and spreads, however the more satiable items consist of combinations I’d be too scared to put together, but Lady Marmalade obviously knows what she’s doing (the owners are Mal & Bec of My Kitchen Rules fame after all…).

MM played it safe with a flat white and the organic spelt toast with butter and vegemite ($5).

I pondered the menu while sipping my creamy cappuccino and was intrigued by the haloumi, roast pumpkin, chilli and mint pesto, tomato and spinach on sourdough ($10.50).  I wasn’t quite sure how all this would go together on my uncultured palate; I’m not too adventurous when it comes to breakfast afterall…

The generous stack of fresh, homemade goodness was deliciously flavoursome, not rich at all and surprisingly filling.  The warm gooey haloumi on top certainly made the dish, and the mint and chilli flavours in the pesto are well worth a mention.

For people on the go with no time to sit and check out the all day menu or the cool quirks Lady Marmalade has to offer, there’s a cabinet jam packed full of fresh sandwiches, toasties, soups and more for lunch and brekky to take away.  They also do a great coffees and the service is prompt and super friendly.

• Lady Marmalade – Cnr Logan Rd & Cleveland St, Stones Corner +61 7 3324 2480

The four of us kicked things off with a round of Asahi for the girls and plum wine for the boys (go figure…).  Accompanying the drinks was a bowl of edamame ($5.00) and Charsiu Rice with chilli and takana ($4.00) to share.

Taro’s lovely little alfresco dining area was warm and friendly, with heaters and blankets for keeping cold legs toasty.  At a quick glance around the room, it was clear to see Taro’s was a regular haunt for Japanese business men and students, which was a good sign.

My companions and Thursday night regulars, DJ Tashywash and Simmo, recommended the tonkotsu ramen ($14.80) with extra Charsiu (sliced pork, from Bangalow).  Not being able to make much sense of the menu (the 5 years of Japanese lessons in high school clearly paid off…) I went with their recommendation and it didn’t disappoint.

The bottom of the bowl was packed with fresh, doughy, thin noodles and on top was a gooey, soft boiled egg.  The sliced pork was tender and the hot soup broth was full of flavour and totally drinkable all on its own.

The marketing guff boasts that owner and head chef Taro has a mission to serve the most delicious bowl of ramen ever to Australia.  Now, I haven’t had a lot of ramen in my time, but it’s not new to me either.  I can say with certainty, Taro’s ramen is in fact the best bowl of ramen I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating and slurping.  Taro’s ramen noodles are hand-made on the premises and don’t contain any MSG or preservatives; his dry ingredients are sourced from Japan and his fresh produce is found locally.

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, Taro’s menu also boasts a selection of Japanese tapas items such as gyoza, mini curry, chicken karaage and takoyaki at a reasonable price, with pleasant and speedy service.  It’s simple food, but flavoursome and filling.  As we get further into the cooler winter months I think Taro’s might be a regular for me too.

• Taro’s Ramen & Cafe – Ground Floor, 363 Adelaide St, Brisbane CBD +61 7 3832 6358

I’ve being hearing ‘Egg this’ and ‘Egg that’ in every local rag, and unfortunately our first two attempts to get a table at this little hot spot in East Brisbane were foiled; they don’t appear to cater for walk ins on the weekend (much to MM’s disgust – everyone knows you’re supposed to allow at least 10% for walk ins….).

We’re not fans of having to book a time for breakfast (sure, for parties of 6 or more, I’m ok with it..), afterall it’s so nice to get up on a Sunday at your leisure and go exploring for a nice coffee and brekky spot.  However, my interest in Egg Bistro got the better of me so I conceded defeat and booked a table for 2 at 8.30am on a Sunday (I tried to book for 4 so friends could join us, but they insisted they couldn’t possibly cater for another couple).

Seated in a quiet-ish corner to the rear of the dining area we had the perfect view of the bustling venue.  Egg Bistro is a beautifully decorated cottage style restaurant with French bistro influences throughout, from the gorgeous dark wood comptoir and bar stools, to the mocha coloured surrounds including beautiful wall hangings.  The restaurant was buzzing with banter from a not-quite-capacity crowd, however seemed almost over run with staff (all young, vague, pretty things) who didn’t quite know if they were coming or going and spent a lot of time waiting on the kitchen (as did we…our meals were a long time in the making).  I also noticed two tables for four were vacant….

To the food – our cafe lattes were perfectly creamy and it was clear the resident Egg Bistro barista knew exactly how to drive her coffee machine; she pumped out coffee varieties and hot chocolates with pure finesse.  That may have well been where the good stuff stopped though.

The menu itself wasn’t as impressive as I was expecting.  With a name like Egg Bistro, I had anticipated a myriad of egg related choices, any which way you can think of, plus those you’ve never heard of before.  Unfortunately, it was pretty standard breakfast fare – so much so, that MM and both opted for our default fallback of bacon, eggs and toast ($15.50).  MM had his eggs scrambled, with a home-made hash brown ($3.50 for a side).

I had my eggs poached, and a side of haloumi (also $3.50)

To their credit, the Egg Bistro eggs were delicious and clearly organic, with huge, bright orange yolks.  The bacon however was cut way too thick and had not been trimmed of its fat at all.  As MM so delicately quipped “this bacon’s like a Mac truck….no matter which way you look at it, there’s nothing elegant about it at all”.  The lovely thick baguette style toast slice was doughy and fresh, however so thick that we couldn’t cut through the crust without a fight and with the thick bacon, it was all just a little too hard.

MM finished up with a banana and honey smoothie which definitely deserves a mention; no banana syrup in sight, it was good to see they made it with fresh, real ingredients with the right amount of honey and cinnamon too.

So why weren’t we impressed with Egg Bistro?

Was it the fact that people kept getting turned away – even though those lonely tables for four (and others) were never occupied in the hour that we dined?  There resistance to accept walk-ins bears quite a bug with us both personally…is this a reasonable gripe?

Was it perhaps the fact that I wanted a table for four when I booked, and then two tables for four remained unoccupied for the duration of our visit?  I have been known to hold a grudge….

Maybe it was the lack of egg-citing options on the menu and high eggspectations?  Sorry, couldn’t help myself….

Egg Bistro has the look, the vibe and the high profile and it’s only slightly over priced for my liking.  When I’m sitting on the fence like this, or struggling to make the hot vs not call, I often ask myself “based on my experience, would I go back to this place?”…………and there you have it.

• Egg Bistro – 989 Stanley St, East Brisbane +61 7 3891 1675

With the help of local trade, friends and family, the memories are starting to fade and the scars are pretty much gone as Andavanth reopens their doors, much to the excitement of the surrounding businesses who have sorely missed their regular coffee jaunt. 

Although the extent of the flood damage meant a total rebuild, with the exception of the supporting walls, Andavanth has kept its casual, fresh and breezy Mediterranean feel.  In similar fashion, the Greek inspired menu has had a face lift and boasts an even greater range of breakfasts, lunches and light meals, inlcuding some grab n go sandwich selections and yummy desserts.

With the best coffee in the area and certainly the friendliest service, Andavanth have saved many a local by way of that essential caffeine hit at those crucial times of the day!  Now it’s time for us to return the favour….if you’re in the Milton area, head down to Andavanth to show your support and welcome the team back.

Check out this one from the archives…Andavanth was one of our first blog posts!!  http://www.bnehotornot.com/hot-andavanth-46-douglas-st-milton/

• Andavanth – 46 Douglas St, Milton, +61 7 3367 1794

Upon arrival at Sticks for a Sunday breakfast with MM’s family, we were greeted by friendly wait and pretty much had our pick of the floor as there were very few diners (hmmm….alarm bells ringing?!).

The waiter took our coffee orders immediately but instead of writing down the 6 items, he insisted he’d be ok to remember them all.  Needless to say, a few of us were drinking flat whites instead of lattes.  No big deal I guess, but for most people the first coffee of the day is kind of important…

As we mulled over the Sticks menu, which involved the usual suspects plus some nice variations, only another two or three small parties took a seat to try the Sticks breakfast.  Knowing this, it greatly troubled me that it took the waiter 20minutes to take our order.  I was about to take it upon myself to present our orders on a napkin to the kitchen, when a waiter scrambled his way to our table, full of apologies.

Unfortunately things didn’t get much better from there.  As the clocked ticked on past another 20 minute wait for our food, we didn’t even get offered more coffees or drinks.  The empty cups from the first and only round of coffees we were offered were still taking up space on our table.  Good thing MM’s family enjoys each others’ company, we certainly exercised our vocal chords in the absence of food.

Finally the meals arrived (after I had just chewed my left arm off) and to the kitchen’s credit the meals were presented well and tasted pretty good too.  I suspect they sat under the warmers for a while before being brought to us, however overall they were well done.

JAG’s breakfast pizza ($16.00) with bacon, egg, avocado and tomato salsa looked great and although a little dry and crispy round the edges he was pretty happy with it.

Chook’s omelette ($14) with chorizo and haloumi looked a little on the small side, but she gave it a thumbs up.

MM as usual had the poached eggs and bacon ($16) and I had the field mushrooms with poached eggs, hash brown, haloumi and hollandaise sauce ($18).

The banana pancakes ($12) with maple syrup and maple ice cream were too doughy and sweet for KF, she only managed to pick her way through one of them before going into a sugar induced coma.

We wrapped things up pretty quickly; we had after all exhausted ourselves of all conversation while waiting for our meals.  And while the food was probably a 7 out of 10, the poor service and attention we received well and truly overshadowed the quality of the food and I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

• Sticks Restaurant – Chalk Hotel, 735 Stanley St, Woolloongabba +61 7 3896 6565

Friends of ours had recommended The Lido for the superb wood fired pizzas and it was with much anticipation of some crispy based, cheesy coated Italian love that we set off on our random adventure to the other side of the river.

The spacious yet cosy restaurant was a-buzz with diners and an animated kitchen upon our arrival.  Once seated and settled with a nice (and reasonably-priced) glass of red, MM and I took to studying the menu.  Expecting to see a serious list of pizzas and other Italian fare, I was surprised when confronted with an extensive choice of mish-mash cuisines and fare which were more representative of Mexico than Italy.  Not that it was a problem – a sizzling dish of chicken fajitas came whizzing past, leaving in its wake a few sore necks and initiated some well enjoyed sensory stimulation.

From the ‘light but right’ section of the menu, MM and I chose the gourmet bruschetta ($11.90) to share.  After a lengthy but apologetic wait, we were greeted with a man-sized slice of sourdough topped with diced tomato, red onion, avocado and feta chunks, delicately drizzled with balsamic vinegar.  MM isn’t the biggest bruschetta fan, but even he was well impressed with the creative ensemble, especially the inclusion of avocado.

Somehow the pizzas (our reason for heading to The Lido in the first place) were overlooked as the ‘marvellous mains’ section of the menu took our fancy.  Being a rib lover and an IT boffin, the dish labelled ‘bite to the bone v.2’ ($28.90) covered all the bases for MM, with a Flinstones-esk presentation of smoky, sticky, pork spare ribs atop a bed of chunky potato chips and a sweet chilli dipping sauce.  The meat fell delicately off the bone and the sticky sauce truly was finger-licking good (to borrow the words from a famous Colonel…).

Demonstrating typical Gemini behaviour switching between pasta, pizza and salad options for my main, I finally decided on the Spanish flair ($16.80 half serve); a fiery penne dish, with Spanish chorizo, olives, roasted capsicum and fresh chilli in a thick Napoli sauce.  To be honest the chilli was too over the top for me, and I can handle my birds-eyes pretty well.  But this was too much and unfortunately the flavour of the chorizo and Napoli sauce was spoiled a little, which was a shame as it otherwise had all the callings of a superb dish.

With no room to spare for even looking at the dessert options, MM and I waddled to the car in post-gluttonous bliss, marvelling at the unique and quirky menu options, and already discussing what we’d have next time we come to The Lido.  Maybe the pizzas will have a chance to impress….

• The Lido – 120 Racecourse Rd, Ascot +61 7 3268 7400