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

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

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

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

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

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

In similar fashion to uber-popular coffee stops Garage and Bunker, there’s a bit of funk and quirkiness to how the place is decked out.  Paintings by local artists line one wall, while empty hessian coffee bean sacks line the other (and the ceiling too!).

Tucked away in the laneway behind the Stones Corner Pub (just down from the…err…adult store…), it’s almost a case of blink and you’ll miss it.  What Grindhouse Espresso lacks in street frontage and ‘look-at-me!’ on the outside, it makes up for with friendly service (refer to previous ‘Cheers’ comment!), positive attitude and most importantly awesome coffee at very reasonable prices.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen such care and love put into a 16oz cappuccino paper cup.  And not only is it full of love, it’s full of punch (that keeps me wired all day), with a creamy blend and no hint of burnt edges or insipid wateriness.

Also on offer at Grindhouse Espresso are selections of pastries, fruit loaf, banana loaf and a few other random tasty treats to accompany your perfect coffee.  There’s room to sit and enjoy the free Wi-Fi or relax with a paper while the friendly team strike up some light hearted conversation and play a bit of get-to-know-you.

With their vibrant nature and great coffee (and their uncanny ability to remember your name), Grindhouse Espresso is a welcome addition to the Logan Rd strip at Stones Corner and will no doubt help give Stones Corner the lift it needs in attitude and quality food and beverage services.

• Grindhouse Espresso – 9/360 Logan Rd, Stones Corner

Green Papaya has good genes; the owners are those responsible for the very popular Mons Sabai Thai in Camp Hill. The elegantly mood-lit Green Papaya dining area is spacious and open-plan with a direct line of sight to the hard working geniuses in the kitchen.

Upon being seated, MM was granted the privilege of selecting a bottle of white for our party of three to sip on, as we feverishly studied the menu containing both Thai and Balinese dishes.  Steering mostly towards the Thai influences for starters, we shared a few plates of your standard Thai entrees, however there was nothing standard about them. The curry puffs with minced chicken, potato and onion ($7.90) were light and fluffy on the outside with a delicious, mildly spicy filling.

The sate madura, or chicken satay skewers, ($13.90) were made with fresh, lean chicken pieces with a home-made satay sauce with the perfect balance of peanut chunks, tang and spice, without too much clag factor.

One of the entrée specials for the evening was the duck spring rolls (sorry, no price); tender cooked pieces of duck meat drizzled with hoisin, wrapped in a crispy spring roll case. Beautifully presented in a Villaroy & Boch coffee cup, the duck wraps were delightful, however my favourite was the sate madura.

The mains were definitely a tough decision, with so many delicious Balinese and Thai options to choose from including old favourites, but so many new and innovative combinations as well. Without a second thought I chose the island duck curry ($19.90); roast duck in red curry sauce with coconut milk, pineapple, lychee and tomato – served in a half-pineapple shell! Duck curries are my Achilles’ heel at the moment and Green Papaya delivered a hands-down winner with this dish.

Under the Balinese banner, the beautifully presented tamarind snapper – crispy fried and topped with crispy ginger and tamarind sauce ($25.90) was perfectly cooked and the flesh gently infused with fragrant ginger and hints of chilli.

Another item from the specials board, the boys decided the barbequed Kangaroo with papaya salad and dark dipping sauce was a must-have. This was a fresh, modern approach and an exceptional example of how kangaroo meat should be cooked.

Compliments of the manager, we were lucky enough to be treated to one of Green Papaya’s signature dishes – the Penang king prawns ($21.90) with local, king sized prawns in a creamy and peanut sauce. Without a doubt, this was the best Penang sauce I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting and the boys had a fight on their hands to even get a taste.

The array of beauty that lay on our table was almost overwhelming…..every dish was beautifully presented with fresh garnishes good enough to eat (but almost too perfect to touch!), and dipping sauces that you could lick straight from the spoon. The sauces in which the meat dishes bathed were full of flavour, not heavy and not one bit boring.

To me, Green Papaya is Brisbane’s answer to the Spirit House in Yandina (minus the lake and water dragons of course…) with regards to their quality of taste, preparation, creation and ingenuity. The modern menu demonstrates their passion for delivering high quality, creative yet traditional food and they certainly have that WOW factor I’ve been looking for.

Thanks to the staff and management at Green Papaya for inviting us to sample what could possibly be Brisbane’s best Thai!

• Green Papaya – 898 Stanley Rd, Woolloongabba +61 7 3891 5000

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

Railway Terrace has sprouted a few new additions to the Milton cafe scene in recent months, one of which is the aptly named Bunker.

 With barely enough to room to swing the proverbial cat, Bunker houses a fridge, a coffee machine, a couple of bench seats and a few cosy staff members piled behind the counter, all underneath and surrounded by ivy-covered concrete.

Boasting organic blends of coffee and chocolate, the Bunker baristas are friendly, welcoming and make a mean coffee – the best I’ve had the pleasure of drinking in the Milton area for some time.  The caffeine kick left me pretty much incapable of doing anything back in the office, with the exception of bouncing off the walls – just what I needed to beat my severe Mondayitis!

Blink and you’ll miss Bunker as you cruise down Railway Terrace – keep an eye out for the ivy covered surrounds with a couple of cool retro pushies out the front.  Parking’s not exactly easy so best to approach on foot if possible.

• Bunker – 21 Railway Terrace, Milton.

 To be honest, when we rocked up to GYZ it wasn’t at all what I was expecting:  the restaurant premises are spacious and relaxed, but it’s a strange mix of fast-food, frenzied, high turn over style dining at one end, with calm, friendly alfresco communal dining at the other.  

The rules of engagement at GYZ are pretty straight forward:  line up to order at the counter (behind which are a plethora of cooks on open grills trying to keep up with the orders), take a docket/number and then fend for yourself with regards to getting a seat.  The communal dining at the long bench seats works pretty well, although I think they’ve slightly under catered – there were a heap of people left standing or wandering away to eat, but plenty of space to fill with a few more bench seats in my opinion. 

The first thing that caught our attention on the GYZ menu was the frozen slushy margaritas ($8.50).  Just what we needed on a balmy day, we had one each and sipped on them slowly; the tequila was pretty strong!

Princess and I both chose the chicken guerrero burrito with rice, cheddar cheese, vegetarian black beans, salsa and mildly spicy chicken ($10.50). 

The burritos arrived shortly after ordering and when unwrapped revealed a huge soft tortilla bursting at the seams with all the stuffing.  The ingredients were fresh and whilst the texture of black beans makes my skin crawl a little, I really enjoyed the burrito…not that I could get through it all.

Abs went for a gluten free option of spicy chicken salad, with mixed leaf lettuce, corn, cucumber, pico de gallo salsa and vinaigrette dressing ($10.00).  While a salad doesn’t constitute a meal in my book, Abs was really impressed by it and the helping of chicken was generous. 

Other GYZ menu items include tacos, nachos and quesadilla for around ten bucks.  For what is essentially a fast food chain (yet to take hold in Brisbane; Sydney has 7 locations) GYZ isn’t a bad option at all for a quick, fresh and tasty feed that will well and truly fill you up.  Beware the car park though; you’ll need the parking fairies on your side.

• Guzman Y Gomez Mexican Taqueria – Emporium, 1000 Ann St Fortitude Valley +61 7 3188 1701

It’s a bit like a hole-in-the-wall takeaway venue with very limited space inside its pokey little bunker-style dining area.  Luckily, Thai Seasons is perched next to a vacant lot with a concrete slab and at night it resembles the bustling night markets of Phuket, with blinding flood lights high above and row after row of plastic chairs and tables filled with beer swilling locals and tourists alike.

On arrival we weren’t quite sure what the rules of engagement were; we did have a booking but suspected it didn’t count for much, seeing as every table and chair was already taken on the courtyard and inside.  We quietly observed from the footpath and soon realised it was first come first served and get in (the very long) line to order.

MM skulked around the slab, waiting to pounce on tables left by departing diners while I took to the queue to order our meals.  It’s hard to describe the crazy vibe, but in addition to 15 people queuing to order, there were about 7 people in the kitchen which looked to hold 3 comfortably; one lady on the til, one man on the floor.  Yikes – it was noisy and hot, confusing and amusing all wrapped up together!

Whilst marvelling at the operation of this bustling venue I noticed that all meals were served in plastic bowls and plates and the wine ‘glasses’ were pretty much straight from the camping/picnic aisle at the supermarket.  All good – except most of them were broken or being used.  I was concerned we would have to drink our wine straight from the bottle…alas we found some semi-adequate vesicles to enjoy our Verdelho.

As we sat and awaited our meals it was clear that many of the courtyard diners were regulars, and they had the formula worked out.  Come early, bring your own place mats, bring your own wine glass, bring your own anything that will enhance the dining experience (candles, chairs, table cloth etc) and ensure you have ample utensils from which you can eat and drink.  The rest was left in the hands of the chefs and they did a bloody good job.

MM and I shared chicken satay skewers for an entrée (although they came during the mains!) which were really tasty.  The satay sauce was thick and tangy and we agreed that it probably didn’t come from a bottle – but who could be certain after two glasses of wine?

For mains, we shared a green chicken curry as well as chilli basil beef and vegie stir fry.  The curry was exceptional, with heaps of chicken, heaps of vegies and a decent chop of chilli too.  The sauce was sweet but wasn’t too coconut-ish.  The beef arrived as we were half way through the curry, which didn’t really bother us except we were getting full.  The man-sized chunks of chilli scared MM off a bit, so he picked his way around the dish until declaring defeat.  Not long after, I surrendered too, totally satisfied and vowing to return the next night for more Thai Seasons fun.

With contented tummies, MM and I sat and enjoyed the balmy evening, people-watching from our wobbly plastic chairs.  Things started to settle around 10pm and the lone man looking after the diners was finally able to take a breath or two.  The queue to order had finally fizzled and the slab was starting to look like a vacant lot again.

It’s probably worth mentioning that Thai Seasons is a cash only venue, none of which we had in our pockets.  They were gracious enough to let us pay after eating, so I didn’t have to go to the ATM and the end of the queue when I ordered our meals.  Our bill came to $29 for the both of us; an awesome night of great food and cheap entertainment and we can’t wait to return.

• Thai Seasons – 10 River Esplanade, Mooloolaba +61 7 5444 4611

The list of dishes (in no apparent logical order) in Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai cuisines seems a little odd, but caters perfectly for those of us who can never agree on what region of Asia we’d like to sample the goods from. I crave Thai all the time, which drives MM crazy, so it was to his delight that Minh’s does a wide range of Asian style cuisine which means we don’t have to hit two separate venues to satisfy our opposing takeaway cravings.

Your standard curry or stir-fry dish with vegies, meat, noodles or rice will set you back about eleven bucks. If you go for something a little fancy like duck or seafood, prepare to part with $13-$14 (gasp!). The takeaway plastic bowls are perfect to eat from which means no dishes to be done, which in turn means happy husband.

The red curry chicken and red curry duck are two of my favourites and Minh’s packs the takeaway bowls full of ample sized chunks of meat and bright, fresh, crunchy vegies. The curries are flavoursome and fragrant, and up there with some of the best Thai venues in town.  As for MM’s fave, honey lemon chicken, the meat is plump and fresh, not over-fried, with a tangy but sweet sticky lemon coating. MM can put some food away, but he struggles to finish a bowl of the lemon honey chicken in one sitting, so it’s great value for money.

I can’t comment on the dine-in experience as we’ve only ever had takeaway, but from what we know, the service is always friendly and prompt. Best of all the food is cheap and there’s stacks of it.

• Minh’s Asian Restaurant – Shop 5, 336 Ipswich Rd, Annerley +61 7 3391 3288

Known to his mignons as The Don, Lukeus Povis has made such an impression with his mobile beans that he’s opening a new Cart El Coffee right in the heart of the CBD on Monday 1^st November.

To celebrate the new location and really kick things off with a bang,  Cart El Coffee are having a promotional ‘free stuff day’ operating from 6.30am to 6pm to ensure the Brisbane public well and truly know who to go for great coffee on the run.

The Don and his boys pride themselves in providing great coffee at great prices through prompt service, providing time-poor, caffeine- needy customers the best takeaway coffee experience. 

Cart El Coffee uses a signature triple origin blend consisting of 100% organic fair trade & rainforest alliance Arabica coffee.  Their medium to dark roast sounds to me how one might describe the perfect man:  Central American (sweet and full bodied), South American (sweetness and tartness combined with a good body) and a hint of Sumatran (exotic and spicy!).

For lovers of espresso, kilos and kilos of beans will be on standby at Cart El Coffee for the grand opening of the new CBD venue, as will various flavours of syrups for those who like their coffee with a sweet twist. 

Not fussed on coffee?  There will be free club cinnamon and vanilla honey chai lattes being handed out courtesy of Bondai Chai Latte, and for those who need a hit of anti-oxidants, the Cart El Coffee specialty 80% cocoa hot chocolates will also be on offer free of charge.

Samples from the Byron Bay Cookie Company will also make a cameo appearance for the event, as will bags of goodies from Amore Fine foods and Pastry Perfection.  Mmmmm muffins….

Make a noise down at the Cart El Coffee cart and you may even get famous.  There’ll be a professional photographer from 7.30am to take caffeine-fuelled photos of the event and if you get snapped, you’ll be able to tag yourself on Cart El Coffee’s Facebook page to win a complimentary coffee on your next visit.  Keep an eye out for the lucky spot prizes too….

• Cart El Coffee – 102 Adelaide St, Brisbane CBD

Enter Cream Patisserie Boulangerie to the equation however and I think we’ve made a start…

For someone like MM who is a diehard cake and pastry fan, I’m pretty sure Cream Patisserie Boulangerie is how heaven will be (unlike myself, who’s heaven will consist of limitless warm shelves of pies and sausage rolls).  The front counter is jam packed full of homemade delights such as petit fors, chocolate gateaux, jam drops, macarons, cupcakes, melting moments…the list goes on. 

 Whilst MM decided which pastries would be going home in a box, I focussed on the task at hand which was breakfast.

 The smoked ham and mushroom three-egg omelette with creamy mushroom sauce ($12.90) caught my attention.  The fluffy omelette enveloped a generous middle of fillings and whilst the creamy mushroom sauce wasn’t thick or heavy, it was a touch too rich for my liking.  The dish was cooked perfectly and took me back to a delicious afternoon spent in a true Swiss creperie with MM and my brothers after a hard day on the slopes. 

In less sentimental conditions, MM spent a brief amount of time devouring the Cream Big Breakfast Sandwich of two bacon rashers, sliced tomato, Ketchup and a fried egg on thick toast ($10.90).  I figure it’s hard to plate up a bad one of these (really, how hard can it be?) but according to MM, plenty of places get it wrong; but Cream Patisserie Boulangerie passed the test in a big way. 

Although seemingly full from his big sandwich, MM insisted we peruse the pastry cabinet a second time before paying the bill, just in case we needed a sugar hit on the way home.  In a show of unusual constraint, we walked away with the world’s biggest jam drop (sorry, no price on this one) and a couple of cappuccinos to wash it down with.  How we managed to walk away without one of these cupcakes is a mystery….

All pastries at Cream Patisserie Boulangerie are made onsite with a bucket load of love (and patience!).  Cream Patisserie Boulangerie is open 7 days for breakfast and lunch, Friday and Saturday for dinner.  You can even take savoury and pastry cooking classes!

• Cream Patisserie Boulangerie , Shop 3 Cavendish Central, 380 Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo, +61 7 3324 2713

A survivor of Sir Joe’s courtship with the Deen Bros. demolition ball, the Waterloo Hotel has stood the test of time and its façade of old still remains standing, witnessing no doubt countless episodes of bloodied brawls over the years gone by.  Its latest iteration maintains this façade, showing no glimpse from the outside that anything has changed, with the exception perhaps of a lick of paint.

I’ve never actually set foot in the place (refer previous blood bath comment) and the anticipation of dining in the newly spruced venue was almost too much for me.  On this Wednesday evening, I have to say the Waterloo Hotel was much quieter than I was expecting and as we entered the bar area I wondered if perhaps we’d imposed on their night off….it was a bit of a ghost town.  Never the less we proceeded to the dining room and were half-heartedly greeted by a well presented waiter who didn’t seem too fussed to see us.

I scanned the surroundings, taking in the scenery and pondering my feelings on the décor…eccentric and eclectic definitely, but a mish-mash of modern and retro, which in all honesty didn’t float the boat of the amateur interior designer within me.  The outer edges of the Waterloo Hotel dining area consisted of private booths which looked quite cosy, however the 1950’s style wooden-framed dining chairs and tables in the centre of the room weren’t particularly comfortable and just didn’t look right.  The surrounding bar area was a meld of marble, mirrors, glitz and grandeur which was lonely without patronage and ached for a glamorous crowd.  The retro and somewhat stale feel of the dining room did the bar area no justice at all.

Onto the menu and the first thing that impressed me was the reasonable price tag.  The bulk of the items were well and truly affordable and the majority of options available sounded tempting.

Our waiter skulked past every now and then, still unsure if he really wanted to be there; with gentle persuasion and encouraging nods from us all, he timidly took our order.  Big Dog in his usual fashion opted for 5 spice slow cooked pork belly with gai lan, sweet potato fondant and soy reduction ($23).  It looked the goods, but unfortunately the pork was a little stringy and overcooked.  The accompanying crackling was too thick and way over salted.

Rizza, in his usual carnivorous (and typically unimaginative) state opted for the grain fed rump with red wine and thyme reduction ($29).  His slab of tender moo cow looked very appealing and held a lot more moisture than the poor Dog’s piggy.  Rizza was impressed and was quick to suggest that he would return to the Waterloo Hotel for the steak in a heart beat.

My choice of the whole baby barramundi with Japanese soy, chilli, ginger and shallots ($32) won serious presentation points.  I was awed, to say the least, when my fishy friend of the sea presented itself (as per the menu) whole – from its beady little eyes and gaping jowl, right down to its crispy mortis tail.  He didn’t look to happy to see me.

The construction of this dish was intricate and a great show of clever salad assembly, although the pictures don’t quite do it justice, sorry.  The fish flesh was cooked very well and tasted beautiful.  The Asian flavours of the accompanying salad were fresh and spicy and complimented the fish perfectly.  To my disappointment however, it was just too damn salty.  I couldn’t finish it due to the salt factor – before long my lips were crinkled and felt like they’d knocked back a litre of ocean water.

A mixed bag is probably the best way to describe our evening at the Waterloo Hotel .  The food could be better, but has serious potential and a bit of life in the wait staff wouldn’t go astray.  Despite its funny mix of ultra modern, super-chic style with Grandpa’s favourite chairs and tapestry covered lounges, I can’t help but feel that deep inside the Waterloo Hotel there’s a monster with seriously fun attitude just dying to be let out – I think it’s just a matter of time or timing.

• Waterloo Hotel – Cnr Ann St & Commercial Rd, Newstead, +61 7 3719 4100

Although MM would have been quite happy to settle with his large popcorn and frozen coke for dinner, I was after something a little more nourishing.  Seeing as we’d already tried the sushi joint and pizzeria on previous visits, we stopped in at FAB fish and burger grill to see what was on offer.  As soon as I spotted the tight-arse Tuesday specials board, I was sold.  Every burger on the menu was available for under 10 bucks.

In similar fashion to the nouveau burger places such as Grill’d or Burger Urge, the menu at FAB fish and burger grill has a good selection of funky sounding compilations that differ from your every day chicken, beef, fish or vego burgers with salad.    The addition of tangy, Asian-influenced sauces and all kinds of spreads makes for an interesting menu and flavours that you probably hadn’t thought of combining on a burger before.

True to style, MM chose the Royale (normally $12.95) with prime beef, lettuce, tomato, bacon, egg and FAB relish.  Upon recommendation from our friendly waitress, I went for something slightly more exotic – the Bangkok Heat (normally $13.95) with a Thai fish patty, Asian greens, tomato, chilli jam and aioli.  On the side we shared a bowl of chips with aioli ($6).

Both burgers (which arrived promptly) were really well constructed, with minimal oozing and leaking of meat, spreads or salad.  The patties were fairly generous in size and full of flavour under a doughy, fresh white bun.

To be honest, I didn’t think these burgers would touch the sides – MM and I both have pretty big appetites after all, and they just looked a little too fancy and dainty to do any damage to our hunger.  Boy was I wrong.  Only three-quarters through and before we’d even hopped into the chips, we were contemplating top-button relief.

I gave up with a few mouthfuls left, totally satisfied with my menu choice and enjoying the chilli hit.  MM soldiered on with his Royale experience and on his second wind he moved onto demolishing the chips with consummate ease.

We wound things up pretty quickly in order to get to our movie, but FAB fish and burger grill isn’t only for those in a hurry.  They are licensed, so you can settle in for a few drinks and enjoy people watching in the alfresco area.  There is a range of alternative menu choices for those who don’t want their fish in a bun – but if you are in need of a quick and tasty feed it will certainly do the job.

• FAB fish and burger grill – The Barracks, Petrie Tce, Brisbane +67 1 3367 8088

Mints is a fairly recent addition to the buzzing Rosalie village and is perched between Tomatos and Grill’d with a great alfresco dining area – the perfect lunch spot, especially on Friday when work isn’t high on the agenda. My party of 4 arrived to an empty restaurant, but it was just before midday and the lunch time rush hadn’t yet descended upon the village. 20 minutes later however it was a different story and there wasn’t a spare seat in the house.

The first thing to point out is that the menu is huge – I guarantee you are going to have trouble deciding what to have. If you’re anything like me and prefer to sample various menu items, make sure you bring a wicked hunger and a crew of fellow cravers with you! As soon as our entrées arrived, we knew this lunch time feast would gazump us – there was no way we were going to get through this meal without requiring a doggy bag.

The prawn and pork rice paper rolls ($9.00 for 4) tasted as fresh and light as they look. Just look at how well they are constructed!

The chicken satay sticks ($5.50 for 2), one of Princess’ favourites wherever we go, were in a tasty pool of the best satay sauce I’ve tasted in a long time. It was light, smooth and tangy as opposed to the thick claggy mess you get so often with satay sauces.

The golden, piping hot home made spring rolls ($6.50 for 4) were crunchy on the outside with real mince, vegies and thin noodles in the middle.

The mains arrived shortly after we demolished our entrees and I couldn’t believe my eyes when the dishes arrived at the table.

CB’s tom yum chicken noodle soup ($11.90) had a strong, fresh and spicy aroma and looked like it would pack a mean chilli punch. This was a serious soup with serious flavour and oodles of noodles under the delicious top layer of chicken and tomato. This will be my pick when I return for lunch this week!

BB chose Hue’s spicy noodle soup ($11.90) with pork and beef. The waitress had mentioned this dish was extra spicy and although BB requested a milder version, I’m not convinced they obliged. The soup was piled with large slices of tender beef and pork in a steaming and spicy broth which brought a tear to BB’s eye. It was entertaining to say the least and we fought for the pleasure of wiping his brow during his half time interval.

Upon my recommendation, Princess chose the sugar cane prawn and salad rice paper wraps ($15.90). Having a stomach the size of a sparrow, I knew Princess wouldn’t be able to get through this which was good news for the rest of us who were hovering for a taste. Her dish was full of the usual fresh Viet salad ingredients, including a spicy cucumber sauce and she entertained us with her questionable roll making skills.

I opted for the roast duck noodle soup ($11.90) and was delighted to see the beautiful crispy, fatty morsels of duck meat arrive on the side so I could enjoy it independently of the steaming, veggie and noodle packed broth should I so desire.

Needless to say, we all struggled to finish these huge, deliciously fresh and tasty meals. I had the pleasure of sampling them all and would return in a heart beat to order any of them for myself.

Banquets are available at Mints for larger group bookings and you can even create your own meal if you can’t find something suitable on the menu (errrr…not likely!).

• Mints Vietnamese & Asian Cuisine – 4/21 Nash St, Rosalie – +61 7 3367 8868

From what I can tell, Capri Café Bar is a family business of two brothers delivering their impression of fine Mediterranean cuisine to the masses.  I’ve always been impressed by their pizzas, and if you check out their website, you’ll see their nominations as finalists (year on year) for the Restaurant and Catering QLD Host Plus Awards for Excellence.

On this most recent visit, I brought with me 8 of the harshest food critics I know (yes, they all eat food therefore they are critics!) and they were super hungry after a frantic day in the office. We decided to share a range of starters between the 9 of us to take the edge off our hunger.  These consisted of a serve of the toasted Turkish bread with baba ghanoush, tzatziki and hummus ($13.50), the arancini balls of porcini mushroom and truffle risotto with capsicum coulis and fried chorizo sausage ($17), and the pan fried calamari with a seasonal vegetable salad and mango chilli coulis ($16).

The arancini balls were superb; in fact, they were the best meal of the night.  The chorizo morsels were packed with fiery flavour and were the perfect accompaniment to the lightly battered mushroom risotto packages.

The calamari on the other hand had a strange smoky flavour and whilst it was cooked perfectly, there wasn’t much substance to the dish as a whole.

The dips for the Turkish breads were flavoursome and fresh – the baba ghanoush was the stand out.

On to the mains and with such diversity (and increasing intoxication) at the table it was going to be interesting to see who would opt for what dish.  Without hesitation I chose the pumpkin gnocchi in a creamy sundried tomato pesto sauce with fresh spinach and Grana Padano cheese ($21).  This dish was mild on the cream but full of rich pumpkin and cheese flavours, well complimented by the tomato pesto.

SH was all smiles with her special-board dish of the crispy skinned salmon fillet on a bed of fresh Asian greens ($21).  The salmon was perfectly cooked and drizzled in a light olive oil.

Woody decided to go against the Mediterranean theme and chose the 250g eye fillet in red wine jus ($42.50).  His steak was cooked to perfection at medium-rare and accompanied by creamy mash and fresh greens.

Surprisingly, CB and Princess were the only pizza goers at the table, and both opted for the Capricciosa Special ($21) with salami, mushrooms, olives and mozzarella cheese.  To be honest, the pizzas didn’t have the usual flare and finish that usually comes from the pizza oven at Capri Café Bar, but the girls were happy with the flavour.

Big Dog didn’t seem too pleased with his choice of the prawn and calamari linguini with chilli, garlic, Italian parsley and olive oil ($30); he was disappointed with the lack of flavour however there was a generous amount of seafood in the dish.

Similarly, LR thought his sand crab and scallop risotto in seafood bisque ($32) was missing something on the flavour side and looked to scavenging other plates to fill the void.

The other dishes were demolished before I could get a picture or sneak a taste, but the general consensus at the table was that the meals were sound.  The service was exceptional; we weren’t the easiest bunch to contend with and were getting a little rowdy towards the close of the evening.  There were some concerns over the prices, particularly with the seafood and steak dishes and I’m inclined to agree that perhaps Capri Café Bar is pushing the envelope a little here, particularly when you can go to a specialist seafood or steak venue for the same price and have an exceptional meal.

All in all though, Capri Café Bar is a lovely venue with good atmosphere and great service.  Their menu is varied and offers a range of dishes that represent the flavours of the Mediterranean and all this makes for a lovely dining experience.

• Capri Café Bar – Shop 18, The Emporium, 1000 Ann St, Fortitude Valley (07) 3257 0401

Zenbar is a modern Australian restaurant with Asian influenced cuisine and as long as I’ve known it, they’ve been serving excellent quality, fresh and flavoursome food.  At lunch time it’s hard to find a seat as the suits descend from the buildings above to grab a quick curry and a beer in their lunch break, or, settle in for 3 courses while they solve the world’s problems.

My most recent experience at Zenbar was for dinner with a customer who hadn’t previously had the pleasure of dinner service, only a few beers on a Friday after work.  We were fairly ravenous after a long afternoon in meetings so I encouraged a selection of entrees be made before indulging in mains.

We decided to share a few dishes between the 3 of us and I insisted one of those be my Zenbar favourite of the duck wraps with cucumber, hoisin sauce, shallots and Chinese pancakes ($18.50 for 6).  We also chose the lightly toasted roti flat bread with spicy satay dipping sauce ($7.50) and the Vietnamese rice paper rolls with spicy nam jim dipping sauce ($13.50 for 6).

The duck pancakes were a huge hit and we actually had to play rock-paper-scissors to determine who would have the pleasure of devouring the remaining piece.  The duck was nice and tender with a touch of crispy skin, and once rolled into the fluffy pancake with hoisin sauce and cucumber it really was a flavour sensation.

The roti bread was a little over-toasted for my liking, but the spicy satay sauce made up for it with a zesty punch.  The Vietnamese rolls were my least favourite of the three dishes as the filling lacked texture and depth of flavour; again however, the accompanying sauce was fiery and complimented the rolls well.

On to the mains and I was surprised when my guests who are both curry lovers opted for the more main-stream meals of the marinated lamb rump with Moroccan vegetable cous cous and raita ($34.50) and the Coorong beef fillet with kipfler potatoes, garlic mushrooms and red wine jus ($36.50).  Quite the duck lover at the moment, I opted for the red curry of twice cooked duck, with lychees, tomato and tamarind relish with a side of rice ($27.50).

My curry was delicious – the red paste was punchy but not too hot and the coconut milk was subtle and didn’t disturb the flavour of the duck meat one bit.  The lychees complimented the dish perfectly by adding just a hint of sweetness and took the edge off the chilli.

The steak sitting across from me looked plump and juicy and was cooked to MG’s satisfaction of medium-rare.  The serving was generous (more than you’d probably expect from most restaurants with these sorts of price tags as they flaunt quality over quantity) yet basic, with the small kipflers and large field mushrooms beautifully supporting the fillet.

GG’s lamb dish looked delicious and was cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of pink in the middle.  The bed of cous cous and raita complimented the dish well.

Full marks so far – my guests were well impressed with my recommendations and hinted ever so gently that dessert would ensure their evening was a true success.  I politely passed as I couldn’t possibly fit another thing in, but GG indulged in the chocolate mud cake with vanilla ice cream ($14.50) while MG went for the affogato with honeycomb ice cream ($12.50).

Thankfully I had the pleasure of tasting both desserts, and while the mud cake was too rich for me, it was moist and dense with no doubt the right amount of Calories to qualify as a true mud cake.  The affogato was to die for, with the bitter espresso shot perfectly complimenting the sweet honeycomb ice cream.

Zenbar impressed my guests and of course it was no surprise to me that the meals would be flavoursome and impressive.  The wait staff were attentive, friendly and even a little cheeky as they dished some banter to my fussy counterparts, which made for a pleasant experience all round.  The bill is always a little on the high side of average at Zenbar, but for the quality of the service, food, ambience and overall dining experience, I’d be willing to say it’s justified.

• Zenbar, Post Office Square, Brisbane CBD, +61 7 3211 2333

Earth ‘n’ Sea is a bit of a Brisbane icon, with several locations around the suburbs and a super-sized pizza and pasta menu. It’s been at least five years since I visited one of their stores and whilst I don’t remember raving about that last experience, I don’t remember walking away utterly disgusted as I was on this occasion.

MM and I were catching a 6.50pm movie so arrived at Earth ‘n’ Sea at the very quiet time of 6pm. When we arrived, the restaurant was pretty much vacant, with the exception of another two couples and one small family. We waited for about 2 minutes at the entrance of the large venue while several staff made eye contact with us, but refused to acknowledge our presence as they fiddled with things behind the counter and pretended to be busy. Finally we were attended to and shown to a seat out on their patio area. The waitress took our drinks orders as we scanned over the huge menu. Unfortunately she didn’t return with our drinks for another ten minutes and when she did, we had to make a point of telling her we would like to order, as she didn’t seem too fussed to ask if we were ready.

I wasn’t in a pizza mood so went straight to the pasta section. The ricotta ravioli with herby vegetarian tomato sauce ($18) caught my attention, while MM chose the small Earth ‘n’ Sea massive meat lovers pizza ($18) with bacon, beef, ham, pepperoni, special BBQ sauce and an egg.  At this point, I was pretty disgusted with the service considering the place was pretty much empty and the fact that the dishes were eighteen bucks each was playing on my mind. However the proof is in the pudding, so I’m never too quick to judge until I’ve sampled the fare.

Time was ticking quite slowly as we awaited our meals and I noticed that a couple who arrived after us were already munching on their pizza (possibly because their waitress had taken their order in a timely manner). Sigh. Finally our meals arrived and by then we only had twenty minutes before we needed to get to the cinema. MM’s pizza was a decent size for what is classified as a small and he had trouble getting through it. The flavour wasn’t too bad and it was heaped with meat and cheese. The overall look of the pizza wasn’t appealing to me at all – but I’m a pizza snob and love these nouveau wood fired things that the fancy cafes do – so it’s not really appropriate to pass judgement.

My ricotta ravioli on the other hand was pitiful. A pile of square, flavourless pillows (freshly thawed from the freezer I suspect) drowned in bitter, tasteless tomato sauce, with no frills whatsoever, does not warrant eighteen of my hard earned dollars. This dish was straight from the frozen/cold food section at the local supermarket and failed terribly to satisfy my hunger as I pushed the red mess around the bowl. Disappointing – knowing I could go to Otello up the road and have one of the best Italian meals in Brisbane for the same price, with great service.

We wrapped things up in haste and headed inside to pay our bill. Even then they didn’t want to acknowledge our presence as we waited patiently for the ladies behind the counter to finish their private conversation before they took our money. Earth ‘n’ Sea boasts to be a family restaurant serving good quality food that is ‘not just pizza, a way of life’. Their pizzas may pass the test and are definitely big enough to feed a family – but their menu is over priced and the venue poorly managed. I’m not sure how the other stores around Brisbane are, but due to my experience at Earth ‘n’ Sea Bulimba, I won’t be in a hurry to find out.

• Earth ‘n’ Sea Amazing Pizza & Pasta, 142 Oxford St Bulimba, +61 7 3899 5988

To see what we had to say about Otello on Oxford St, visit http://www.bnehotornot.com/hot-otello-1180-oxford-st-bulimba/

I recruited some fellow Thai lovers and insisted they join me for a feed on a school night, after a couple of beers down the road at the Elephant and Wheelbarrow.  Bow Thai is licensed and BYO wine and they do take away as well as dine in.  We were greeted with smiles all round as we entered the venue and seated by one of the lovely Thai staff.

We were pretty ravenous so decided to kick things off with some entrees.  We sampled the chicken curry puffs ($7.20 for 4 pieces) and chicken spring rolls ($7.20 for 4 pieces).  I’ve only ever seen vegetarian or beef options of these entrees, but the chicken was pleasant and the pastry on both the curry puffs and spring rolls was delightfully fresh, crispy and piping hot.  The contents on the inside were also fresh and with visible pieces of real meat and vegies.

For the mains, we decided to share two dishes between the three of us, with steamed rice as well.  I have a real thing for duck at the moment, so suggested we try the Bow Thai signature dish Gaeng Dang Duck ($21.90) – roasted duck with pineapple, grape, cherry tomato cooked in red curry paste and coconut milk with mild chilli and fresh basil.  Red & Bel had never tried a duck curry before and were quite bewildered by the fruity contents in the dish.  I’m not usually too fussed on warm or cooked fruit, but for some reason the fresh grapes, lychees and pineapple in this dish really complemented the red curry paste and basil flavours and gave it a hint of sweetness.  This is definitely a dish to return for; the flavours were strong yet well balanced and not overbearing with the presence of coconut milk.

Our second dish was the chicken with vegies, chilli and fresh basil ($17.90).  This dish had some fire to it and we all had some sweat to wipe from our brows.  The chicken was sliced quite thinly and to be honest I think it was a little over cooked and dry.  The vegies however were fresh and crispy and the basil flavour throughout was prominent but not too much.  The chicken did let the dish down a little, but it the full flavour helped pull it through.

The menu at Bow Thai is quite extensive and I wouldn’t mind going back with a bigger group of people in order to sample more.  The prices are on the higher side of average, but the helpings are very generous and the flavours pack a punch.  Luckily for me, I’ve now got a city based Thai restaurant to recommend!

• Bow Thai Restaurant, Shop 14, Cathedral Place, Wickham St, Fortitude Valley – +61 7 3216 1700