Although I quite enjoy it, German fair would not be my pick of venues for a Saturday night dinner with friends or family, but MM’s side of the family used to live just round the corner from Black Forrest and thought it might nice to head back to their old stomping ground.

The bustling cafe was packed full of smiling punters and it was great to see mostly German nationals running the show (in traditional German costumes too).

Typical of a German venue, the beer menu was just as extensive as the food menu and I had a tough time deciding which cool ale to choose.  Three or four Lowenbrau’s later…..

The Black Forrest menu was full of schnitzel options, sauerkraut-accompanied melees of sausages, meet upon meet with more meet and sauerkraut, and of course pork any way you like.  There were varied options at our table of 8, below is a selection of these – note how huge the dish sizes are, I don’t think a single one of us managed to get through our meal.

Jaegerschnitzel ($28.90), pork schnitzel with champignons, onion, white wine, tomato paste, bacon, sour cream and home made spaetzle (noodles).

Nuernberger Rosbratwuerstchen ($27.90), Sausages originating from Nuernberg with sauerkraut and mashed potato.

Holzfaeller Steak ($29.50), wood cutters steak marinated in olive oil and red wine for 24hours served with brandy sauce and spaetzle.

Muenchener Schweinshaxe ($31.90), oven roasted pork hock with sauerkraut and Bavarian dumplings.

Black Forrest boasts to have the most authentic German meals in Brisbane with specialist dishes that you won’t even find outside of Bavaria and Munich.  I’ve not done the rounds of other German venues to find out, but we did thoroughly enjoy our meals and the overall experience.  There was even some entertainment by way of the wandering piano accordionist who even took requests towards the end of the night. 

• Black Forrest German Cafe Restaurant – 196 Gladstone Rd, Highgate Hill +61 7 3217 2180

 Little Singapore was bustling upon our arrival and we were lucky that JPC had arrived a little earlier to jag a table.  First impressions were pretty good really; there was a mix of clientele with some large, rowdy tables of 6 or more making it an occasion, down to tables for two on a quick mission.

 The large, laminated menu had so many good looking options and what I liked about it was they didn’t really give a description of what the dish was – it had an authentic name and a photo of the end result; so we had to go with gut instincts which gave it an element of danger yet excitement (scary for someone like me who is notoriously bad with menu choices).

 The three of us made our selections and I joined the queue at the counter to order.  A few minutes later I was back at the table, waiting with bated breath for our meals to arrive.  We were surrounded by tables with large portions of steaming noodle and curry dishes – with nothing over $14 on the menu it was clear this is a value for money experience.  However, as we waited 10, 15, 20 and finally 30 minutes for our meals (watching people who ordered after us cleaning their plates with their Roti) our first impressions had fizzled.

 We had to ask several times for our meals and it was clear they had forgotten our order, yet none of the Little Singapore wait staff bothered to acknowledge this and were quite abrupt with us when we requested they check with the kitchen.  When the meals finally arrived (not together, but 5 minutes apart) our hungers had somewhat diminished and it was almost time to get back to the office.

 We quickly scoffed our meals and to their credit the dishes were very tasty.  Princess’ black bean beef ($10.50) was flavoursome, packed full of meet (a tad on the fatty side) and vegies as well.

 JPC’s char kway teow ($11.50) was a delicious, smoky dish of chicken with fat egg noodles in a soy based sauce.

 I chose the BBQ pork and roast duck with rice ($13.90); the pork was a little on the dry side but the flavour was spot on and the duck was mouth-wateringly fatty and roasted in a delicious (what seemed like) plum based sauce.

We all shared a roti planta plate ($9.50) of sweet flat bread with dahl and mixed vegies which was perfect for mopping up any left overs.

Needless to say, the food and price are both winners at Little Singapore so I’ll no doubt be returning to give them a second chance.  I suspect that on this visit we were unlucky; but the overall experience on this occasion definitely warranted the NOT Little Singapore has been given.

• Little Singapore – 42 Charlotte St, Brisbane, +61 7 3211 1177

Better suited perhaps as a romantic venue for two than a Friday lunch for the office crew, Two Small Rooms is a deliciously quaint, fine dining restaurant that most people on the west side of Brisbane would know of.  I’ve been driving past it most days since I was 10 years old and only recently have I had the pleasure of dining there.  It’s actually about 2 and a half rooms by the way…

Whilst there is an a la carte menu on offer in this French influenced venue, we opted for the value-for-money option of the Two Small Rooms set lunch menu for $40 per head, which included an entree, main and dessert each. 

Each course had a selection of 3 dishes to choose from, all of which sounded well rounded and appetizing.  For entrees, the majority of our table chose the Barramundi fish cakes, but being the black sheep of the group I opted for the pork belly with cauliflower puree and apple salad.

I’m not fussed on things that are crumbed or fried, but these fish cakes were very lightly crumbed and fried and plump full of fresh Barramundi in a herbed and creamy white sauce.  My pork belly was cooked well with a nice thin, crispy layer of crackling.  It was resting in a thin gravy as well as a cauliflower puree – both very subtle but complimentary with the pork.

For mains there was a choice of sirloin and shoe string fries, mushroom linguini or sand crab omelette.  Upon recommendation by the waiter, CB and I both decided the crab omelette was a winner and a first time for both of us.  The omelette was in essence a great dish however it was a little on the skinny side and over-salted for my liking.  It was drizzled in balsamic and accompanied with some greenery which all worked well together.

The mushroom linguini was to my right and I managed to sneak a taste; the linguini was perfect with an abundance of mushrooms in a light yet flavoursome cream sauce.  Like the omelette, it was also a little on the small side size wise (sorry, no pic for this one).  The sirloin and shoe string fries took the remaining two places at our table. The meat was cooked as requested and beautifully juicy and tender and the accompanying fries were (too) more-ish.    

For me the stand out course from the Two Small Rooms set lunch menu was dessert.  A selection of ice creams and sorbets was my pick and they didn’t disappoint – one scoop of caramel, one of yoghurt sorbet and a berry sorbet scoop.  All accompanied with a few juicy strawberries and a shard of waffle cone.  Yum!

Princess chose the cheese platter with quince paste and apple, which she thoroughly enjoyed, but I suspect she had a touch of the green eyed monster when the Eton mess (the third dessert alternative) arrived at the table – a big creamy mess of berries, meringue, red wine jelly, cream and ice cream with piles of sugar stirred through.  Double yum.

The courteous and prompt service at Two Small Rooms is worth noting, however the lunch time vibe felt a little hasty and lack lustre.  Perhaps it was because we were a table of 5 in a room that looked better suited to star crossed lovers, gazing at each other over flickering candle light.  I’d like to sample the ambience (and the delicious menu) on a Friday night with my Mr Right and see how it feels; I have no doubt it would be perfectly perfect.

• Two Small Rooms – 517 Milton Rd, Toowong +61 7 3371 5251

 A testament to Brisbane finally growing up and getting a life, when we walked into Drift just after 6.30pm on this Wednesday night, we were informed they were fully booked and we’d have to wait for the 8pm seating. We chose to take a seat in the bar/lounge area and crack a bottle of Sav Blanc to pass the time.

The décor has totally been revamped since its Oxley’s days - Drift has an old-school jazz and cabaret club feel to it. Bottles of Moet lined the walls around the bar, a lady sat at the grand piano singing pleasant but dated tunes and the staff hurried around with an air of arrogance and sophistication. From my initial 30 second appraisal, I couldn’t help but feel I was a little out of place – particularly when the bulk of the clientele walking through the door were my parent’s age.

 After ordering the bottle of wine from their extensive list, I was a little shocked when the waiter waltzed back over and insisted I show my ID. Sure, one should probably take this as a flattering gesture, but how many under aged patrons come in wearing business attire? To soften the blow he kindly requested my two colleagues show their ID as well, but only gave them a token glance over. When it registered in his head that I was over 30, he gave a mild shriek followed by half an apology. Sigh…

 8pm finally ticked over and after being promised a table three times, I managed to stop one waiter in his tracks and request that we be seated at last (my eyebrows were raised – he knew I meant business).  Once we were seated the service was very prompt and professional, however a little stale and false for my liking. The Drift menu however was innovative and mouth watering and it was hard to make a call on what to have.

 For an entrée I chose the crumbed goats cheese, zucchini flower and asparagus atop a cauliflower puree ($18). MM loves his sashimi style dishes, so he chose the ocean trout tartar with salmon caviar, salted cucumber and wasabi-avocado cream ($19). Big Dog’s choice (the best of the three in my opinion) was the Gladstone scallops, chorizo and crisp pork belly dusted in cumin, with quince paste ($21).

 The goats cheese dish was really pleasant and beautifully presented, however the zucchini flower was very small and wasn’t stuffed as they usually are. This meant that the dish really was just the crumbed platform of cheese and had no other element of real substance to compliment it or balance out the strong cheese flavour.

MM’s tartar was a great composition of raw flavours and the dish presented very well however, he thought it was lacking an element of flavour that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.  Either way it needed a bit more punch.  Big Dog’s scallops looked exceptional and again Drift gets top marks for presentation. The scallops and chorizo were in my mind a strange combination but they seemed to work and both were cooked to perfect texture. The pork belly however was overcooked and whilst the cumin dusting was a nice touch, the meat was too stringy and didn’t melt in your mouth like a good piece of pork belly should.

 The mains were of similar standard when it comes to the look of the dish – this is something Drift really excels at and obviously take a lot of pride in. I chose the macadamia encrusted snapper with prawn ragout in a creamy citrus sauce ($33). The fish was cooked perfectly however the macadamia lid resting on top was too sweet and in fact it tasted like a crust of brown sugar. With the sweetness of the creamy sauce as well, it was a little too much for my palette but overall it was a nice dish.

MM’s choice of the honey glazed duck breast with cinnamon and blood orange sauce ($35) brought the little green monster out in me. Whilst the duck was a little over-cooked, the flavour and composition of the dish was spot on and I wanted it!

Big Dog chose the Drift special of the day – Moreton bay bugs in Rendang sauce atop a bed of coconut rice (sorry, no record of the price for this one). There was a generous serve of the beady eyed creatures, and The Dog enjoyed devouring these treasures of the sea.

We were too full to even look at the dessert menu and by this stage we really just wanted to get home; the service had started to wane and any hint of vibrant atmposhpere that may have existed earlier in the evening was certainly nowhere to be seen now. 

 The overall experience at Drift was pleasant, but it was tainted by little moments of pretentiousness and neglect that lead me to rate this as NOT. To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend it to any of my friends who were looking for a fine dining experience, as there are plenty of vibrant venues around our beautiful city with better food and friendlier service. Interestingly enough, Drift has just won the award for best new restaurant at the Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence.

• Drift – 330 Coronation Drive, Milton, +61 7 3368 1866

 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

The truth is that Morris’ presentation of his characters in Four Lions does not constitute a dark comedy; it is just a bad film. It completely omits the psychological, social and religious background that would be necessary to develop the mindset of a terrorist. I urge anyone, who is inclined to find out, to read Shiv Malik’s article on the issue over at Prospect Magazine, which is well researched and written.

Morris, on the other hand, implies that the making of a terrorist is to be laughed at, which doesn’t make the situation any more tolerable or funny for that matter. It is just dangerous. As much as I love escapism, this is one film that is so disconnected from its characters and their community that it doesn’t just escape the issue but rather misrepresent it.

Morris’ TV background glares throughout the film and its handling of the central issue. It picks up with the assumption that the four main characters have decided to be jihadists and never bothers to explain why. This assumption and treatment may work well for TV productions, but it just doesn’t fly high on the big screen. Two-dimensional characters cannot exhibit the urgency required to sustain a feature-length film, especially one that deals with a tough topic like terrorism. Morris’ characters start and end the same. They do not learn or grow; they do not change for better or worse. They have no real incentive to have become who they are or continue down their path, nor do they exhibit any identity confusion or have any issues in their life that would push them to pursue jihad. All we know is that they are all rather stupid, except for Omar, played by Riz Ahmed.

Omar is the ‘brains’ of the group. He’s the one who edits their ridiculous videos, the abundance of which says more about their narcissism than their dedication to the ideals they are fighting for. The others are less rounded, if you can call Omar a well-rounded character that is, where their main character trait is their naiveté. They come off as simpletons frankly, and the viewer gets to find out nothing more about them. We have no idea about their families, what they do to earn a living, how they have come to be friends with Omar, etc.

The worst script flaw though is related to the 5th recruit, a young Pakistani guy whose first appearance in the film ignites a sense of thoughtful commentary. It is the only moment in the film where Morris says something, but then true to form, he later degrades this one single moment of potential revelation by having him become one of the jihadists.

Despite its focus on unintelligent humour, Four Lions attempts to pull some dramatic strings towards the end and show a hip attitude towards violence a la Tarantino, but what might be construed as a cool approach is actually just annoying. The film really feels like a Western attitude towards the complexity of a suicide bomber. If something’s too hard to figure out or understand, people tend to joke around it in an attempt to diminish its importance and their lack of understanding.

Four Lions really feels like it was written by four British friends at a pub, who have no idea about the Pakistani community, the confusion that 2nd generation immigrants face when growing up and how terrorist organizations feed off of this. It is ignorance at its best, and as Thomas Gray says, ignorance is bliss, but it has no part in good film-making.

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

One of the therapists recommended Café Conti at Wilston, so off we went in our post massage haze.  Upon arrival to the busy café we weren’t really greeted, but rather grunted at.  I shook this off as my own fault for being in such a daze and not being aware that the waitress was waiting to seat us.  We were pointed towards a seat outside in partial sun and the waitress took our coffee orders.

As we glanced over the menu, the first thing we both noticed was the firm instructions at the top of the menu – they were hard to miss after all.  Bold print, asterisks, do’s and don’ts were plastered all over the first 5 lines of the menu – alarm bells quickly woke me from my state of dopey contentment.  It was clear that this was one menu we couldn’t mess with.

Not game enough to ask for any menu variations (for fear the chef may do something untoward to my dish, or potentially cop an additional nasty fee for being inconvenient) both Princess and I chose the Conti Breakfast of bacon, 2 poached eggs, basil pesto roast tomato and thick toast ($13.70).  At this stage we were still waiting for our coffees. 

To Café Conti‘s credit, the breakfast was well cooked and the basil pesto was an unusual, but nice touch to the tomato.  The bacon was ample and crispy and the eggs were poached perfectly.  Our coffees however were fairly standard and didn’t arrive until the breakfast was served and there was no sugar in sight.

I got the impression from this point on that the staff were in a hurry to get rid of us, as they rushed to clear the table and didn’t even think to offer us another round of coffees.  The whole vibe was stressful and unpleasant and I couldn’t wait to get going.  Whilst I enjoyed their food, there’s something not quite right with the Café Conti staff and unfortunately they let it show.

• Café Conti – 1/102 Kedron Brook Rd, Wilston, +61 7 3856 5588

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

Today we have a guest post from Jetsetting Mum, making a trip to the Valley to try Flamingo Cafe.

Tucked in an alley on the short Winn Street is the shop-front and the alfresco section of Flamingo Cafe. As the name implies, the place is bold and colourful, full of character. There is no free parking on site or nearby (only metre-parking on McLachlan Street), yet there is no shortage of patrons who manages to find their way there.

The reason for this is simple—good and well-priced food.

I found out that one of the owners of Flamingo Cafe used to operate the small and funky yet extremely busy Yoyomama on Methyr Road. Jettsetting Dad and I liked to go there until there was a change of ownership, then the business declined and eventually folded….

Now back to Flamingo Cafe. It is again small and funky and true to its name, the inside and outside walls have cute cartoon flamingos and palm trees drawn on them. The all-day menu offers a list of interesting, uncommon dishes which can make decisions difficult.

JD and I decided to share two bread dishes. The Rayner’s Ham Apple Coleslaw Spinach Swiss cheese on Rye ($10.00) arrived on a small timber chop-board lined with a white sandwich bag, a  presentation which I found quite creative. Between the toasted rye were thick pieces of ham, slightly crunchy red cabbage coleslaw (I didn’t seem to detect any apple), melted cheese and a generous lashing of wholegrain mustard resulting in a good blend of sweetness and saltiness in taste.

The Labna Avocado Tomato Lemon salt Pepper Toast Topper ($8.50) was a winner. Labna is a smooth creamy yogurt cheese (a low fat alternative to cream cheese). The combination of the ingredients on the toast is absolutely gorgeous in terms of colours, freshness and texture. The basil leaves were so fresh as if they were just picked from the garden. The thick slice of multigrain bread smelled toasty and tasted delicious. Where did they get this bread from?

Despite being quite full, we were tempted to try the home-made Vanilla Slice ($6.50) for dessert. Much to my liking, it was served warm with a big scoop of double cream on the side. The Slice was unremarkable in appearance but definitely remarkable in flavour and texture. It was creamy and smooth without being overly rich. The double cream simply added extra decadence to the enjoyment (calories count had been thrown out of the window on this occasion).

While Flamingo Cafe may be quirky and unconventional in its set-up, it is certainly serious in its quality and preparation of food. Highly recommended!

• Flamingo Cafe, 5B Winn Street, Fortitude Valley +61 7 3252 7557

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

Floria Sigismondi is the director of some of the most impressive music videos of the past fifteen years. Her dark, seductive work has accompanied music by the likes of Marilyn Manson, David Bowie, Interpol, the White Stripes and even Christina Aguilera; strangely, even if you don’t like the song you can be drawn in by the stunning visuals.

It’s no surprise, then, that she’s now moved into film direction — the only surprise is that it took her this long.

Sigismondi’s debut feature film is The Runaways, which chronicles the rise, and later fall, of the band of the same name. I knew little of the band aside from the fact that it featured Joan Jett and that they had the hit ‘Cherry Bomb’.  I certainly knew nothing of the lead singer Cherie Currie, or the fact that the girls were all barely fifteen when they rapidly shot to fame in their ‘manufactured’ all-girl rock ‘n’ roll fantasy group.

The film stars teen actors Kristin Stewart of Twilight fame (who captures teen Joan Jett amazingly) and Dakota Fanning (I am Sam, Charlotte’s Web) as Cherie Currie.  And, while Stewart does a stand-out job portraying Jett’s f*** you attitude and angsty stoop, it’s Fanning’s portrayal of Currie that really makes the film. What these girls went through at such a young age is truly mind-boggling, and Currie’s downfall, with the help of her drug addiction, is heartbreaking.

There are many great things about this film. It’s not going to make anyone’s top 100 or go down in history, but it’s beautifully shot and is thoroughly enthralling from start to finish. There are other great performances as well — Michael Shannon’s portrayal of the sleazy, eccentric band manage Kim Fowley proves very entertaining, and Cherie’ twin sister Marie is nicely played by Riley Keough.

The Runaways is highly recommended if you want to want to spend two hours in a movie without feeling bored for a second.

Thanks to Hoyts Distribution, we have a double pass to see this great film. The pass is valid at all major cinemas across Australia until the season ends. All you have to do is be the first to email your postal address to joyce@bnehotornot.com! Easy

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/

Denim Co. is one of the many little quaint cafes along the stretch of Little Stanley St, behind the peoples’ park that is Southbank.  I have sampled many, many, many coffees here in the past and always rave about their banana bread to my friends.  So, after our usual Saturday morning run around the river recently, I gently persuaded (read: insisted) my running buddies to head to Denim Co. for breakfast. 

I’m not a fan of counter service at the best of times, but seeing as my visits to Denim are always quite fleeting I’m quite happy to over look it.  I’ve never noticed it before, but on this occasion when ordering, I realised that they have some quite funky (and not in a good way) rules around minimum credit transactions (merchant fees – understood) and minimum EFTPOS transactions (what the??!).  Their minimum transaction amounts were really high (around $25) which means that if a person wants to pay for their meal on EFTPOS or credit, they have to buy a whole lot more than their breakfast alone.  Is this a gratuitous play on the concept of the up-sell?  Nothing HOT about it, sorry.

Move to the food however and you’ve got a different story.  I chose the poached eggs and salmon with Turkish bread and a side of bacon ($14), while Princess and K both chose the Denim Co. big breakfast of poached eggs, bacon, mushroom, tomato and toast ($15).  K was particularly impressed with Denim Co’s gluten free bread option, and demolished her big breakfast with ease. 

Princess, who’s on a bit on the fussy side, pushed her mushie and Turkish bread around the plate – a little disgruntled they only had Turkish and not brown bread.  She stuck to her eggs, bacon and tomato and really enjoyed it. 

 My poached eggs were perfect and the helping of smoked salmon was generous and fresh.  The bacon however was too fatty, under cooked and just too much.  We all agreed their bacon strategy needed to be revised.  All in all though, Denim Co. served us a delicious meal with generous servings and reasonable price.  The coffees were spot on too. 

Denim Co. has some great menu items (including a display window full of yummy sweets, friands, cakes, biscuits, fresh sandwiches etc) at pretty good prices.  Their meals were good, but not great.  The whole credit/EFTPOS deal they’ve got going on really gets under my skin, but maybe that’s just me.  So, back to my dilemma – as you can see in the article heading, it’s HOT….but only because I’m denied the pleasure of sitting on the fence as per the rules of our rating system. 

• Denim Co. – Little Stanley St, Southbank – +61 7 3844 0302

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

MM and I have a pretty standard routine of getting to the markets nice and early on a Saturday morning and always look forward to a smoothie from Fat Carrot on our way home.  We were a little hungrier than normal on this day however so we walked past the usual stop and headed to Atomica for something more substantial.

Atomica is always bursting at the seams on the weekends, which I guess is an instant sign that they do pretty good food.  Almost all of the tables were occupied and we were lucky to get a seat.  Despite the crowd, we were attended to quickly – we ordered a couple of cappuccinos straight up and took some time to glance over the menu.

MM chose poached eggs with bacon, toasted ciabatta and tomato relish (~$13).  The generous serve of bacon was nice and crispy with most of the fat trimmed.  The two poached eggs were cooked perfectly with the right amount of goo factor.  The tomato relish looked home made and rich in flavour, but MM didn’t seem too interested.

My selection was the eggs benedict with bacon and baby spinach on toasted Turkish bread (~$15).  The serving was huge (to match my hunger!), with three poached eggs and a stack of crispy bacon atop two lightly toasted pieces of Turkish.  The hollandaise sauce was lovely and creamy and didn’t drown the whole dish, but just covered it perfectly.  Once again, the eggs were perfect.

I chased my meal down with a chocolate milkshake, while MM tried another hit of caffeine.  Extra brownie points to Atomica for serving the milkshake in the stainless steal cup – the way it should be.

These guys really do a great job with food and service and turn over a lot of business on the weekends, without losing their cool.  It’s narrow, pokey and not the fanciest joint in town, but you can settle in with a paper or pay a fleeting visit and the outcome is generally the same – a full belly and pleasant experience at a reasonable price.

• Atomica Eat Drink, 173 Boundary St, West End, +61 7 3844 0333

With the recent introduction of new laws in Brisbane permitting liquor licenses for ‘small bars’, boutique venues are (finally) popping up in the suburbs and (finally) some progress has been made to provide ‘burb dwellers nice, intimate venues full of the character and warmth that many of the bigger, commercial venues lack.

Canvas is only days old, so when we walked into the warm, cosy venue there weren’t too many punters, but enough to create a bit of a vibe.  As per usual protocol, we took a seat at the bar and struck up some chit chat with the owner as she tempted us with the cocktail menu.

The bar is decked out in ‘shabby chic’ décor that is straight out of the 1950’s, and they’ve without a doubt spent some cash on making this new place feel old and homey.  Under the dim but romantic lighting there’s a selection of Chesterfield lounges, antique chairs and booth seating available to settle into, or like us you may choose to hold up the bar for a prime spot to people watch from.

The cocktail menu content-wise has some old faithful concoctions with new names that scream of flavour and fun, mixed with old-school sophistication.  The menu in its physical form contains beautiful, quirky sketches with gorgeous calligraphy, which makes the process for choosing a cocktail a little longer than usual, but ensures a more considered and well thought decision!

The cocktails themselves are made with love – the ice comes fresh from the ice maker and is crushed manually right in front of your eyes.  If you choose the right drink you might be lucky enough to see the staff use a deadly looking pick axe to chip away large shards from a huge ice block.

Canvas boasts a small selection of tasty morsels to snack on while you soak up the ambience; this includes toasted breads ($3), a selection of dips ($5), goats cheese with crackers and quince, muscatels, etc (~$10) as well as plates of cold cured meats and olives (~$10).

MM and I chose a combination of the goats cheese, crackers, eggplant labna, muscatels and toasted bread which were all delicious – special mention to the goat responsible for the cheese, it was deliciously smooth with a just the right hint of tartness.  Perhaps this selection would best have been accompanied by a nice glass of red, but we were in cocktail mode – so the food and drink weren’t too complimentary of each other, but that was no one’s fault but ours!

Canvas has a very relaxed feel to it, particularly after a couple of cocktails.  It’s one of those places that will attract regulars on their way home because of the warm and friendly feel to it, and I’m sure new patrons will travel out of their way to try it out.

Some of these boutique bars run the risk of being a bit over-done, elitist and snobby, but I can’t see Canvas landing in that bucket.  I’m excited to finally have a boutique bar in my local area, where the staff are friendly and remember my name.

• Canvas, 16B Logan Rd, Woolloongabba, +61 7 3891 2111 info@canvasclub.com.au

Right in the heart of Nundah Village, Jam 4012 is open for breakfast and lunch. They have an extensive breakfast menu (I hear their home-made baked beans are to die for), and a simple but refined lunch menu consisting of hearty salads, light meals, fish and chips, risotto and, of course, an all-day breakfast option. On the Sunday afternoon we visited for lunch, I ordered the all-day breakfast, while my friend tried the tempura whiting with chips (which I’ve had before and can highly recommend). We also ordered chai lattes, but these were so delicious they didn’t last long enough for the photo.

The breakfast, although it didn’t include the famous baked beans, was very filling, and included plenty of bacon, tomato, thick-cut toast, home-made hash browns (to die for) and two perfectly poached eggs (which they’re quite happy to cook however you like).

The report I got on the whiting was that it was similarly delicious. Accompanied by a generous serving of chips and a mountain of salad, the only criticism was that there was simply too much to finish!

In addition to the fabulous menu, the service at Jam 4012 is also worth mentioning. The table service is extremely prompt (even if you do sometimes have a short wait for a table at breakfast — they don’t take weekend bookings due to the popularity), and the wait for food is minimal. The cafe is also very happy to cater for their diners’ pooch companions, offering a bowl of water next to the outdoor window tables. Jam 4012 shouldn’t just be considered a stop-off for Nundah locals, either — a trip to the northside is well worth it just for a relaxing breakfast or lunch here.

• Jam 4012, 3/1208 Sandgate Rd, Nundah +61 7 3266 1704

Otello is one of those restaurants I’ve walked past a cozillion times on my way to the movies, but never really noticed and certainly never entertained the thought of sitting down to enjoy a meal (perhaps because I’ve been scarred by many mediocre Italian restaurants around Brisbane).

KL and I were searching for a warm, baby-friendly spot for dinner, quite late on a Saturday night recently and on what seemed like an unusually frantic night on Oxford St, Otello was our pick of the bunch.  The venue was pretty much full with patrons either engrossed in watching world cup football on the big screen, or head down devouring huge plates of pasta.  We were attended to promptly by the friendly staff and had to turn them away several times to take our orders because we simply could not make up our minds – the menu selection was packed with what sounded like mouthwatering dishes to comfort us on a cold winter’s night.

Finally after much deliberation we settled on a meal and in uncanny fashion we both opted for the same dish of fettuccine with lamb, olives and roasted capsicum ribbons in a napolitana sauce with basil and chilli ($19.90).

As we chatted over a glass of red, KL and I eagerly anticipated the arrival of our meals -the dishes being delivered to our neighbouring tables looked and smelled fantastic and I was just about ready to chew my arm off.  We were only kept waiting about ten minutes or so, when our super-sized plates of aromatic, fresh and piping hot pasta arrived to our table.  After a sprinkle of fresh parmesan and cracked pepper, we were ready to begin the adventure!

The pasta was cooked perfectly and stirred through was a light yet flavoursome Napoli sauce with hints of basil and chilli.  The olives were a bit light on, but there was a generous helping of tender lamb pieces and thin ribbons of red capsicum.  I should’ve downed tools about half way through but couldn’t bear to leave any behind as it was just too good.  KL smashed hers with consummate ease and was similarly pleased with the exceptional quality of the food.

I don’t know how, but we managed to dial up some room in the dessert pocket which was bound to ensure we waddled from the premises.  I chose the nutella pancakes ($12) while KL decided the flourless chocolate cake ($12) was more her cup of tea.  I rarely eat crepes or pancakes, but nutella is my weakness so I couldn’t pass it up.  The crepes were thin and lightly brown, folded over a generous blob of nutella, accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream and an additional drizzle of nutella over the entire dish.  Needless to say I wasn’t able to finish them, but the portion that I did eat was a flavor sensation!

KL’s slice of flourless cake was light and fluffy, with a sprinkling of icing sugar and a scoop of chocolate ice cream.  She too wasn’t tough enough to finish the challenge but enjoyed every bite.

The menu was so mouthwatering that I can’t wait to get back over to Bulimba to try Otello again – perhaps the gnocchi or the risotto…who knows? I don’t think it will matter though.  One thing’s for sure, I’ll be waddling out the door and happy to do so.

• Otello, 1/180 Oxford St Bulimba, +61 7 3217 9809

 There seems to be plenty of coffee schools around Brisbane, but this one seemed to have the right balance of cost and time.  It was a 3 hour introductory course for $75 which I thought seemed pretty reasonable.  After all, this is purely out of interest for us – we’re not about to run out and buy a café and become full time baristas.  

 Australian Barista School holds classes in Brisbane and Sydney and their schedule for introductory coffee making skills is twice weekly and you can book conveniently online.  MM and I attended the Saturday morning session with 8 other keen punters.  The classes are limited to 10 people, which is great for ensuring an intimate setting where by the teacher can spend time one on one with participants as required. 

The classroom is cosy, with one large table to gather around as the teacher does demonstrations and then six commercial coffee machines to hone your skills on.  There’s a good mix of practical and theoretical knowledge sharing and throughout the lesson the teacher makes a point of spending time with each student to check on their progress (or the mess they’re making).

Each participant gets their own spot on a commercial machine to learn and practice skills such as packing the head and making the coffee biscuit, frothing milk, making espresso and then pouring all the types of coffees that you’d find in your local café.  You’ll also learn how all the components of the coffee machine work and how to clean it after a hard day on the grind. 

Best of all, you’ll learn how to spot a bad coffee a mile away.  Since doing the course I have become the biggest coffee snob and now that I know how much mark up most cafes put on their coffees compared to how much it costs them to make it, as a paying customer I believe I (and you!) have a right to send it back if it’s not perfect.

The 3hour introductory course at Australian Barista School will definitely give you an insight into the art of coffee making and equip you with enough knowledge and skills to either get a job in a café as a trainee barista, or make your own perfect espresso at home.  It was a jam-packed 3 hours, and maybe a little rushed, but for the money it was well worth it.  MM and I had a fantastic time and would recommend it to anyone has a love affair with coffee.

• Australian Barista School – 131 Wickham Tce, Spring Hill, 1300 838 962

Castelli’s has been tucked in next to Cold Rock at Rosalie for as long as I can remember.  Although I’ve never dined there before to form an opinion, it seems as though they’ve made some good business decisions along the way. They’ve seen huge changes take place either side of them and weathered the storms that the GFC and financial hardships bring – such hard times have seen many a neighboring café close down after months and months on Struggle Street.

KT and I only had an hour to spare for lunch, so we needed it to be quick and hopefully not too pricey.  We walked past the menu on the footpath and noticed Castelli’s had some lunchtime specials, all of which were under $15, so we gave it the nod.  There weren’t too many patrons for 12.30pm on a Thursday, and I wondered if we’d made a poor choice.  The waiter offered us water and a menu promptly before making a few gentle recommendations.

KT chose the salmon and pine nut salad ($12) and I decided to try the grilled prawn skewers with mushroom risotto ($12).  Castelli’s is licensed, with a good range of wines to choose from, but as KT was expecting at the time I decided to go alcohol free and stick to the water.  A few more tables started to fill as we waited for our meals and the mood started to lift a little, which was nice.  Our meals arrived very quickly and we both raised our eyebrows as the fresh aroma of the meals wafted past our noses.

KT’s salad had a generous helping of bite-size chunks of freshly grilled salmon tossed amongst a mixed salad of baby spinach and lettuce, with a scattering of roasted pine nuts, roasted pumpkin and a light olive oil dressing.  A perfect balance of greens and fish and more filling than you’d expect from a light salad.

My dish looked a treat – it was delightfully presented with a skewer of prawns atop a shaped mound of risotto.  The prawns were grilled perfectly with a slight hint of Cajun spice.  The risotto was flavoursome with mushrooms and finely chopped capsicum and seasoned beautifully.  The dish was filling, but nice and light at the same time.

I couldn’t even contemplate dessert as I was so satisfied by my meal.  We finished off our lunch date with a creamy cappuccino each ($3).  We complimented the chef as he had a chat to us while we fixed up the bill.  It really was a pleasant lunch, although lacking a little atmosphere – but for the price and the taste I will definitely be back to Castelli’s again.

• Castelli’s Fresh Pasta Café & Pizzeria, 2/11 Nash St, Rosalie +61 7 3367 3211

Kenchington Patisserie brings a bit of twee to Park Rd and so impressed was I by their small store with a big heart that I just had to return a couple of times before feeling like I was well equipped to post a review and do it justice.

At first glance it presents as your standard patisserie – a window jam packed with petit fours, macaroons, caramel tarts, mini meringues and other items that would send cake lovers into a frenzy.  For me however (who is not so excited by cakes) it was the blackboard on the side walk flogging a lunch-time special of home made gourmet pie and chips or salad (and a drink!) for 10 bucks that caught my eye, so I wandered over and joined the queue.

A closer look revealed another window packed with goodies that would send the savory lovers (yes, Me!) crazy – a variety of gourmet home made sausage rolls and pies, quiches fresh out of the oven, lasagnes (for vegetarians and carnivores), frittatas and more.  Does it get any better than this?!

I ordered my lunch time special to go and took some time to glance around the shop.  I also had a quick chat to the owner Sue Kenchington as she gave me the nod to take some pics – she even lined up one of the house specialties for me to snap.

One wall of Kenchington Patisserie is lined with loose leaf tea varieties and gorgeous little tea cups, saucers, pots and other accessories.  Although I don’t drink tea, I’m fascinated by everything about it and I wished the store wasn’t so packed so I could have a more relaxed look around.  At this stage, the gentleman taking orders behind the counter was seemingly flustered with his gathering crowd, so I casually turned and headed outside in the hope that I could create some breathing room for everyone.

Back in the office, my home made meat pie was delicious, with big chunks of real meat and tasty gravy, with light and flaky pastry on top.  The accompanying salad was fresh and pretty standard as far as side salads go.

On my second visit in as many days I opted for the vegetable quiche with side salad ($11), made onsite and fresh out of the oven.  The quiche was delicious with a good balance of egg and vegies and surprisingly filling.  Princess and CB had quiches as well, although they opted for the ham and cheese and were equally pleased with their choices.  We enjoyed our meals onsite at the shop front terrace that over-looks the bustling Park Rd precinct.

The menu also offers a range of paninis, rolls, wraps and sandwiches with gourmet fillings, so if you’re looking for a healthier option they’ve got you covered!  If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, they do high tea as well.

I suspect that the target market for Kenchington Patisserie is those with a sweet tooth and great appreciation for boutique tea and tea treats.  I have no doubt the sweet, dainty morsels taste as good as they look and regardless of whether you’re a sweet or savory fan, it’s such a nice surprise when you find hardworking shop owners who strive to bring fresh, home made food to their patrons daily and have great pride in doing so.

• Kenchington Patisserie & Fine Tea, 12 Park Rd, Milton, +61 7 3369 8871

That’s what I expected from round 2. But, unfortunately, I was way off mark this time.

Firstly, it was waaaaaaaaay too long. Two-and-a-half hours too long, actually. I spent the entire movie cringing. After we are witness to the gay wedding of the century (really, do we NEED to see Liza Minnelli gyrating in a leotard while singing ‘All the single ladies’? Umm, no), the real ‘plot’ (and I use the term loosely) begins to take shape. The (very basic) premise involves the four SATC girls — Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte — making their way to Abu Dhabi for an all-expenses-paid vacation.

And cue the ridiculous amount of thinly veiled racism… now.

I naively thought that the stabs at Muslim culture were going to stop after the early scene when the girls watched on in amusement as a woman in a niqab (full-faced veil) ate french fries. Unfortunately, they didn’t stop there. As my friend pointed out, one could write an entire PhD just about the later karaoke scene, when the camera panned around the room to women of different cultures while these white, ‘liberated’ Western women sang ‘I am woman’. And, yet, it still managed to get worse from that point on. I’ll spare you the details.

I don’t believe the film had a well-thought-out political agenda (at least, it certainly doesn’t look that way). But it did do its darndest to show us how much Muslim women desire to be as liberated as their Western counterparts. Will the SATC girls and their visit to Abu Dhabi improve Middle-Eastern relations in the slightest? I highly doubt it.

The laughs were few, but the cringes were many. The only marginally enjoyable element for me was admiring the decor of Carrie and Big’s New York apartment. The other women in the cinema seemed to enjoy themselves, but they did appear to have had quite a few cosmopolitans before entering.

For me, Sex and the City 2 was no piece of fluff to watch on a Friday night with your girlfriends — it was something I wished I had avoided. I want to forget this ever happened, and try my best to remember the hilarious and extremely clever TV shows.

Until 10am that morning, the other half of Brek had thought we were actually attending a live performance of Pucinni’s La Boheme. Gently, I explained to him that we weren’t actually going to see a live opera, but rather a screening of an opera. Sure, there would be a darkened theatre, an audience, and even an intermission – but there won’t be live performers on stage or an orchestra to applaud. Just a movie screen and surround sound.

Despite these inauspicious beginnings, it didn’t take long for the music and the quality of the performance to take hold and draw us in. The atmosphere, of course, is never going to be quite that same as being there, but on the other hand you get to see the highest calibre of performer in one of the best opera theatres in the world. Let’s face it, in Brisbane, we aren’t going to get this lavish a production, with as many top quality chorus members or as opulent sets and costuming, or if we do, it’s a Boondall or Riverside extravaganza where the opera experience is sorely compromised. And certainly, getting to see an opera for a fraction of the usual price is a great attraction.

The idea is to emulate a live performance of the Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House – Covent Garden. It is filmed at a live production, including audio of the audience applause and scheduled intermission.  The camera does not sit still, panning and zooming to focus your attention on the important parts of the more complex scenes. The close-ups let you see details that otherwise wouldn’t be obvious back in row X of an opera theatre; the beads of sweat on Rodolfo’s brow, although slightly at odds with the freezing winter setting, really helped us to engage with the performance. In some ways, this made it a more intense experience than actually being there, particularly for us, as we are usually too cheap or slow to get decent seats at a real opera.

The music of La Boheme is utterly beautiful, with an amazing spine tingling quality. The highlight of this production, though, was the wonderful performances. Male brek thought the stand out was Teodor Ilincai, as the lead tenor who plays Rodolfo. For me, I was fixated on the 2 sopranos – Inna Dukach was sparkling and gorgeous, everything a Musetta should be; Hibla Gerzmava put all she had into her performance as Mimi and was exhausted at the final curtain.

Would a lesser opera have held us so entranced in this format? Difficult to say. We can say, though, that we saw this opera live at the Lyric Theatre some years back, and have very little memory of it. But we will probably remember this screening.

So in summary, it is a HOT, but only if (a) you like operas, and (b) you’re not expecting the same kind of atmosphere you would have in an opera theatre.

More information, including a trailer, can be found at http://www.palaceoperaandballet.com.au/

• La Boheme, Palace Opera & Ballet Screenings, The Barracks Palace Theatre, 61 Petrie Terrace Brisbane 1300 627 385

 The Coffee Supplier is Brisbane’s first CBD located boutique roaster and while I’m not particularly interested in what beans I can have at home (that investment hasn’t been made as yet), I am interested in what sort of pleasure in a cup these guys can provide to support my one-to-two hits a day habit.

To be honest, I don’t know how anyone found this place in the first instance – who knew there was a laneway just up from the Elizabeth St Arcade anyway?  Credit due to Fatman 1 who directed me down this lonely alleyway one morning, as we searched for a stimulating cup of goodness to kick the day into life.

The Coffee Supplier is located in what was the old Jimmy’s on the Mall prep kitchen back in the days when the Myer Centre had a roller coaster on the top floor.  The laneway has been named Stereo Lane, unofficially and for the purposes of Brisbane City Council’s current laneways promotion.  Inside the big warehouse is a shed load of room for catching up with friends or holding a meeting.  

I couldn’t resist chatting to the staff as I was rather awestruck by the whole set up and fell in love with the huge coffee roaster that took up prime real estate to one side of the room.  James O’loughlin is the director and kindly spent some time with me to show off his beloved roaster and explained to me that their goal was to provide Brisbane coffee lovers with the experience of having the freshest beans possible for their home or office.

The Coffee Supplier boasts to roast only in small batches and ensures your coffee order isn’t part of a huge roasting schedule.  They hand deliver to offices in the CBD and you can place your order conveniently online, choosing from their blends such as Prima, Espresso, Europa, Organic and Decaf.

In-store, they serve what I believe is Brisbane’s best coffee and they love doing it.  There’s nothing better than getting that first cup in the morning from someone who loved making it.  If you’ve got some time to go exploring, head down Stereo Lane for a gander and soak up the vibe that The Coffee Supplier offers.

• The Coffee Supplier – Stereo Lane, Elizabeth St, Brisbane

The Riverside along Eagle St Pier is home to a range of casual and fine dining venues, all showing off the same magnificent view of the River, Kangaroo Point Cliffs and the Story Bridge.  Groove Train is no exception, tucked in across from the Eagle St City Cat terminal.  Complimentary to the exceptional outlook is great food, great service and a casual but funky vibe that seems to exist no matter what time of day you drop in.

MM and I met another couple for a recent Sunday breakfast at Groove Train.  It was a cool but sunny morning so we ordered a round of coffees before even contemplating the menu.  The creamy coffees came back to us promptly and warmed us up for what was to be a long, lazy session of food and chatter.

Somehow I managed to get the seat that ensured my back was facing the river…but hey, I got to check out what was going on in the restaurant and all its little quirky features.  Groove Train has a long bar located towards one end of the room and overlooks the main dining area that faces the river.  Up the opposing end of the venue is a scattering of lounge chairs for those who like a more casual approach.  Best of all, they have 3 or 4 Galaga game consoles…which takes you back to the 80’s and brings out your inner gamer.  The walls are plastered with all kinds of posters and artwork – let’s call it a constructive mess of vibrant colours and textures.

Back to the menu and there was a myriad of options to choose from and we had to send the attentive waitress away with another coffee order before we could make up our minds on what to have.  Finally some success, after another brain stimulating hit of caffeine….

MM had his usual construction of poached eggs and bacon with a hash brown on Turkish bread.  The poached eggs were perfect in goo-factor and the bacon was trimmed of fat and nice and crispy.

Ebs chose the strawberry ricotta pancakes with yoghurt and fruit which looked lovely and fresh; not my cup of tea for breakfast but she certainly enjoyed it.

Mully had the smoked salmon scrambled eggs with Turkish bread and a hash brown – the aroma from his dish was mouth watering and once again I was jealous and kicking myself for not going down the same path.

I chose the vegetarian breakfast of poached eggs, tomato, spinach, mushrooms and “Boston” beans (an interesting combination of several types of beans in a tomato and onion salsa) with a side of crispy bacon (a not-so-vegetarian option anymore).  The mountain of food on my plate looked, smelled and tasted so flavoursome; the eggs were cooked to perfection, the bacon was crispy and the beans combination was strange, but it worked.

The venue was starting to fill up as we continued to fill our bellies.  I had managed to maneuver my chair so I was able to catch a glimpse of the river and its surrounds without turning my back to my fellow voyeurs.  The side walk by the river was bustling with Sunday morning walkers and families out early to cruise the river on a City Cat.  This really was the perfect people watching spot.  We ordered another round of coffees and watched the world go by for a little longer, then finally we picked ourselves up and sorted the bill out, which was pleasantly surprising at just under $25 per head.

We waddled out on a caffeine-induced high and strolled along the river to aid digestion and soak up the sun as it shimmered off the river.  What a perfect Sunday morning.  I will definitely be back to Groove Train for breakfast and wouldn’t mind having a snap at their highly acclaimed wood fired pizzas for dinner.

• Groove Train, 123 Eagle St, Brisbane +61 7 3320 0420

So for someone like me to happen upon a place like Claret House is probably a bit of a waste, but I know a fancy time when I see one and these guys have got the goods.

This review only just touches the sides of what Claret House has to offer, as my visit involved a quick few glasses of white while my posse waited for our friends’ nuptials to begin over on the river.  They offer a wide range of sparkling, reds, whites and in-betweens, but also available is a lovely dinner and dessert menu, as well as cheese platters.

JPC happened to know the owner, so we were attended to promptly when our group of 8 descended on the Claret House porch front.  The smartly dressed waiter quickly assessed our (limited) requirements for thirst quenching and presented us with a couple of recommendations that were capable of satisfying our budget and palates.

A beautiful setting for an afternoon glass of French wine and a cheese platter, the Claret House porch is located down under the old Wool Stores in Teneriffe and is a great people watching spot.  Inside is a cosy, old school cigar-bar style get-up; a long, old wooden bar with a few lonely stools and a wall lined with a range of reds too great to even contemplate counting.  The ceiling of old wooden chairs hanging precariously overhead is a nice touch.

Back to our uncultured party of 8…we cracked a bottle of the Waipara Hills (NZ) chardonnay ($42) and the Domaine Schlumberger pinot blanc (very French and not sure on the price tag!).  Our crisp, clear medicine was poured into the most beautiful and delicate tall stemmed white wine glasses and imbibed with consummate ease.

Needless to say, we were all impressed with the ambience, service and range of wines available at Claret House – if it weren’t for the wedding we had to get to, I’m sure we would’ve settled in for a few more rounds and sampled the menu as well.  I’ll definitely be returning to sip a few more of their delicious whites, accompanied by a plate of creamy local and overseas cheeses.

• Claret House Wine Bar, Shop 5 36 Vernon Tce, Teneriffe +61 7 3257 0402

[Spoiler alert] Shrek, The Final Chapter essentially picks up where the third entry left. Shrek and Fiona are living ‘happily ever after’ in their swamp, but the film doesn’t lose any time to introduce the dull routine of their lives. Shrek, like any male human who finds himself in a marriage with kids, discovers that ogre males have the same psychology. He feels their world revolves around the kids and that he has no control over his life. He misses the days when he used to roam freely in his swamp scaring the wits off villagers.

A fight with Fiona and a magical contract later, Shrek finds himself in an alternate day when people still fear ogres. The fine print on the contract turns out to be a bit more tricky though as our new villain turns the tables on Shrek. He finds himself on a quest to save not only himself but everyone whom he has ever cared about. It’s a worthwhile premise for the franchise as the story goes back to its roots about true love, but a part of me still wishes that we could have accompanied these colourful characters on an all-new quest one last time.

Even though the Shrek sequels have never been as good as Toy Story 2, if there’s anything they’ve done well, it’s the villains. From Lord Farquaad to Prince Charming and the Fairy Godmother, the Shrek writers have always created screen-worthy bad fellas. The ‘bad’ ensemble adds Rumpelstiltskin with Shrek 4, who originates from a German fairytale. Wonderfully voiced by Walt Dohrn, who is also Head of Story on the film, Rumpelstiltskin is quite a character. From having different wigs for different occasions to fashioning the best evil grin to grace the Shrek films, he dominates the film despite his dwarfish size. Given the initial cliché of middle-age crisis, Rumpelstiltskin represents the creative side of the story. He tricks Shrek into the magical contract and gets the kingdom he has always been waiting for.

The original Shrek became a huge hit because it made fun of the age-old clichés of the animated world and brought a modern day take on fairy tales. From birds exploding by the princess’ song to the reality show treatment of picking a queen for Lord Farquaad, the original grew from its clever restatement of Disney classics.

As new sequels got added to the mix, the writers took off a different direction: the films became about the Shrek universe. The final instalment is a product of that transformation, where the film tries to stand on its own legs without resorting to ridicule of animated classics. It can achieve this to a certain extent as the characters are well-established and loved, but it is also obvious that the writers resorted to some quick and easy gags to fill the laughs.

At the end of the day, the Shrek universe is an off-shoot of the traditional animated world, and its admittance of that fact made the original so good. It’s valiant to see an attempt to create a new, standalone universe, but there isn’t that much new in the mix to support a fourth bloat completely.

 The steak industry is highly contested in Brisbane these days with pubs like the Breaky Creek, The Norman, The Morrison and The Normanby all trying to out-do each other on who can cook the best slab of cow.  And to be honest, they all do a pretty good job.  But when I’m paying serious cash for a small eye fillet, it needs to be better than ‘ok’ and the service that accompanies it (I think) should make you feel comfortable about parting with that hard earned cash! 

 The Big Dog and I were out for dinner to talk shop and whilst the alfresco area out the back of The Char Grill provided a pretty nice setting to do so, it lacked the vibe I’d expect from one of our inner city pubs and it all felt a little sterile.  Add to that the fact that our waitress hardly had a heart beat, let alone a personality, it rated very low on the banter scale (one which is oh-so key to one’s dining experience!).

 On the food front, the entrees were actually pretty tasty and deserve some credit.  The Dog had the chilli prawns Caxton style ($17.90) – banana prawns pan fried with fresh chilli and garlic, deglazed with a tomato concasse and fresh peppers served on a bed of jasmine rice.  This dish looked and smelled divine and I was jealous for a few minutes until my 10 oysters Kilpatrick ($26.90) arrived.  They were not-too-big, not-too-small and had a generous helping of smoky bacon and thick Kilpatrick sauce.

The Dog had obviously worked up an appetite after travelling from interstate, so he chose the New York sirloin and seafood combo ($33.90, house special) which was a thick slab of New York cut cow accompanied by a Moreton Bay bug and a king prawn drizzled (read: drowned) in a creamy hollandaise sauce.  His steak arrived medium-rare as requested but the meat was tough and to be honest it was all just a big, ugly mess.  The bug was still in its shell and the prawn still had it’s big beady-eyed head attached (logistical nightmare for consumption) – both plonked on the slab of meat and coated in this sauce that looked like it has some nuclear qualities (I’m sure it was reflecting light from the moon).  The thick cut chips looked oily and overcooked and added to the overall displeasing look of the dish.

I chose the 300g rib eye fillet ($32.90) medium-rare, with mushroom gravy and a side of chips and salad.  I had spent some time looking for a smaller slab of beef on the menu, but 300g is the minimum at The Char Grill .  I consider myself a steak lover, but 200g is about as much as this little girl can put away in one sitting so I knew there was no way I’d get through this dish.  When it arrived I adopted the same grimace as before; the presentation was messy and the chips oily.  It was more medium than medium rare and wasn’t a particularly tender cut which was disappointing.  To their credit the mushroom sauce was delicious.

I don’t expect these guys to do it like Kingsley’s or Cha Cha Char; after all this is a pub, not a fine dining restaurant – however, when you’re edging towards fine dining prices, it’s a different ball game and I don’t think The Char Grill team are match fit.  A twinkle in the eyes of the service staff wouldn’t go astray either; to quote a line from one of my favourite movies – ‘personality goes a long way’!

•  The Char Grill at Caxton Hotel, 38 Caxton St, Petrie Terrace +61 7 3369 5544 

Coffee Culture is well and truly alive in New Farm and its neighbouring suburbs, if the abundance of coffee shops is of any indication. Amidst this strong competition, Cibo Espresso (New Farm) is doing a vibrant coffee business indeed.

At the centre of the Merthyr Village is an open space not unlike a miniature “piazza”, part of which is enclosed to become the al-fresco section of Cibo. The piazza is always bustling with people and activities. There is no better way to sip your tea or coffee under the cherry red, all-weather umbrellas and watch the world go by. However, if you desire some peace and quiet, there are indoor tables and banquettes. For laptop users, the free wi-fi is a real bonus.

The espresso machine hardly stops at Cibo, starting from seven o’clock in the morning before the rest of the Village wakes up. Undoubtedly, its coffee is consistently excellent (Jetsetting Dad can attest to that). Service is by ordering at the counter, you wait for your name to be called when your drink is ready for pick-up. The system seems to work well. If you happen to be a regular, the friendly staff even remember your name.

Besides beverages, some snacks and light meals are on offer as well. The glass food cabinet displays a range of Italian pastries, cakes and biscuits for the sweet-toothed. We like the ricotta cannoli, in particular. There are also fresh salad, filled pannini, focacce, brioche, etc. One of our favourites is the tuna wrap which makes a satisfying lunch.  The gelati with its variety of flavours are a real treat in the warmer days, too.

Cibo Espresso is a franchised business originating in Adelaide. Its philosophy is to provide traditional Italian food in Australia, in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Their shop in New Farm is doing just that, with friendliness and a smile.

• Cibo Espresso (New Farm), 4/85 Methyr Road, New Farm, +61 7 3358 4359