Urban Bloom is a personal floral delivery service for regular subscribers.  In a nut shell – if you fancy having a lovely bouquet of flowers delivered straight to your home or office on a weekly, fortnightly or even monthly basis at a reasonable price, then this is the service for you.

Whilst I adore having a lovely floral arrangement as a centre piece in our dining room, I’m not fussed on paying premium florist prices for a bouquet and don’t have the time to get to the flower markets to nab them at a good price.  The Urban Bloom service finds a nice mid-waypoint between both options, by providing a convenient delivery service and a lovely floral arrangement bundled together for a reasonable price.

The bouquet provided on this occasion was a lovely, abundant combination of purple and pink roses ($35) and accompanying the delivery was friendly service.

The bouquets available from Urban Bloom range from a small bouquet ($35), medium arrangement ($48 – $65) to an attention seeking ensemble ($85) and deliveries occur on a Friday.

• For more information, check out www.urbanbloom.com.au

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Brunswick Social, Brisbane welcomes you!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Bang Coffee Bar – 133A Kirkland Ave, Coorparoo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a carnivorous mood but with an empty fridge we decided to head to the The Steakhouse at The Piney for a steak as opposed to our usual choice of the Breakfast Creek Hotel which is a substantially longer drive from our home.

A fairly new-ish renovation and addition to the historical Pineapple Hotel, The Steakhouse is a fresh, roomy and pleasant area to dine, with your typical cold cabinet display of red meat, cut any which way you like it – with the standard process of lining up to order at the counter and taking a number.

The restaurant was fairly quiet on this occasion and our waitress was super friendly and attentive, making sure we were well hydrated and comfortable throughout our dinner.  Unfortunately, whilst the ambience and staff were nothing to fault, the food at The Steakhouse was a real let down.

To be fair, my Thai beef salad with coriander, bean sprouts, carrot, onion tatsoi, cashews and Thai dressing ($18) was ok – it was reasonable in serving size, and the beef was very tender, cooked to my liking and I was pretty happy with the price.  However, the salad itself was well off the
mark with the dressing very tart and too tangy with a very strong presence of sweet chilli sauce from the bottle and not much else by way of Thai flavours.  I pretty much ate the beef off the top and left the rest for the rabbits.

MM chose the 200g MSA eye fillet described as short loin, classic thick sliced, lean and tender with pepper sauce, chips and salad ($32.00).
Expecting a nicely rounded, thick fillet of juicy beef, MM was presented with a large, thin, messy, who-knows-what-cut of cow, laced with fat, over cooked and chewy.  Unimpressed, MM made the comparison of his meal with a cheap cut of meat from a local supermarket – which he’d be happy to eat if he’d only paid 5 bucks for it.

Unable and uninterested in finishing his meal, we wrapped things up pretty quickly at The Steakhouse and headed home to sulk in our state of dissatisfaction.
We’d sooner drive the distance to the Breakfast Creek Hotel, or the Normal Hotel to spend the same, or even more money on an eye fillet and come away very happy, full and satisfied.

• The Steakhouse, Pineapple Hotel – 706 Main St, Kangaroo Point.

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

Swiss food, like its people, is largely influenced by its neighbouring countries with the exception of course, of fondue which the Swiss can credit themselves for.   The menu at Des Alpes mostly takes on German and French style cuisine combined with traditional Swiss flavours and at the helm of the kitchen is a chef who can pump out a variety of eye fillet steaks at a rate of knots, always seemingly cooked to the customer’s specifications.

On our recent visit to Des Alpes we thought it would be remiss to not indulge in some fondue action, so for an entree the four of us shared a Swiss cheese fondue ($10.50pp).  The hot pot of melted Swiss cheese prepared with garlic, white wine and kirsch (brandy) was so rich, but so, so more-ish.

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something fun and child-like about being able to stab pieces of bread with a skewer and swish it around in a gooey pit of cheese….

We also shared a small pot of the escargot, out of the shell served with mushroom sauce and a pastry top ($12.50).  I’m not a huge fan of snails, but at the same time I don’t dislike them; I guess the most noteworthy thing about the Des Alpes snails is that they weren’t overpowered with garlic, which was a nice change.

After practically licking the pot of cheese clean it was always going to be a struggle with mains – a word of warning, go easy on the fondue, and make sure you wash it down with white wine or Coke to help with digestion.

I decided to have the Zurich geschnetzeltes ($26.50); sliced veal in mushroom cream sauce served with Swiss rosti potatoes and salad.  The veal was tender and the mushroom sauce full of flavour and thankfully not too salty.  The rosti potatoes were like a little piece of hash brown heaven!

MM had the prime eye fillet steak with homemade Bernaise sauce ($27.50) also served with rosti potatoes.  The tender steak fillet was cooked medium rare as requested and the Bernaise was delicious.

PM, although with much deliberation, opted for the eye fillet steak Chasseur with sautéed bacon, mushrooms and shallot ($27.50).

CM tried his luck with the eye fillet steak Provencal with tomatoes, herbs and garlic butter ($27.50).

Again, the steaks were both cooked to perfection and the subtle addition of traditional sauce/toppings makes each dish slightly different but equally delightful.

Somehow we managed to squeeze in dessert.  CM & PM shared the parfait flambé Grand Marnier ($12.50).  The home made orange and Grand-Marnier ice cream was chocolate coated and flambé with cognac – another novelty dish for the evening – what is it about flames and food that makes an evening so exciting?!

MM and I shared a serving of the creamy profiteroles ($8.50) drizzled in smooth chocolate sauce.

The Des Alpes experience was yet another exercise in over indulgence, which of course we thoroughly enjoyed.  The staff are friendly and you can tell they are considered an extension of the owners’ family as there is such a warm and caring vibe about this restaurant.  The meals, whilst not the prettiest, are honest and home made with love.

Des Alpes is open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday and lunch Friday to Sunday.  On market days they are open for breakfast and lunch.

• Des Alpes Swiss Restaurant – 47 Blackwood St, Mitchelton +61 7 3355 9627

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Battered chickpea balls with spicy dipping sauce

Chorizo and beef meatballs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vegetarian spring rolls, $4.80 for 4 pieces. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stones Corner reeks of social potential and those of us with a soft spot are waiting with bated breath for things to go pop.  Last Sunday was the first of many market days to come, with Jan Powers vowing to return and hitch her market cart outside the famous Stones Corner pub on the second and fourth Sundays of every month.

So how did the first market day stack up?  Well I’m 110% committed to the Stones Corner revival cause and to see the strip packed with stalls and people jostling for space was fantastic – so yeah, I reckon the first market day stacked up ok and I can’t wait for the next one.

I guess as far as markets go, it’s fairly standard and on par with the other Jan Powers farmer markets around Brisbane. 

There were plenty of fruit and veg stores that were on the cheaper side of well priced and the produce looked good.  There were a range of food and beverage stalls oozing personality and all sorts of mouth watering smells. 

There are plenty of stalls to tickle your home wares fancy as well as a range of flower stalls to choose from.

Aside from the markets, there are some new cafes in the area at which you can rest your weary feet over a coffee or brekky and also some boutique clothing stores that are well worth a look.    

The next Stones Corner market day is Sunday 25^th September. 

• Jan Powers Farmers Markets – Logan Rd, Stones Corner.

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

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

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

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

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

One of the many performances on the agenda for Brisbane Festival 2011 is Beautiful Noise, playing at the purpose built QUT festival theatre at the Brisbane Powerhouse, from now until the 10^th September.

A brilliant, awe-inspiring and breathtaking show of tap dancing, acrobatics, contortionism, grace, strength and pure athleticism is one not to be missed! 

The outdoor arena intimately surrounds the imposing, external facade of the Powerhouse which becomes the backdrop for projected images, and a platform for some wicked horizontal, gravity defying tap dancing and amazing abseiling-inspired acrobatics.

Tickets to the event will set you back $40; the hour long show will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more.  For more information on Beautiful Noise and all the events on the calendar for Brisbane Festival 2011, check out visitbrisbane.com.au 

• Beautiful Noise (Brisbane Festival 2011) – Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm

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

MM and I were on a very exciting mid-week double date with R & B who like us enjoy a big honest feed accompanied by a modest helping of wine and good comany.  The menu at Campo Dei Fiori certainly appealed to us all, with a great range of pizzas, pastas and typical Italian mains/secondi.  A specials board thrown in the mix made it all a very hard decision.

We decided to skip entrees as the serving sizes coming out from the kitchen looked very generous and we all felt it necessary to leave plenty of room for some dessert.  Whilst scanning the menu, we opened ourselves a bottle of red, fresh from R & B’s cellar.  The service at Campo Dei Fiori was a little vague and careless and the staff seemed particularly disinterested in taking our orders.  Eventually we got there, making a small ruckus to get their attention.

MM chose the gnocchi al pomodoro, home made with Napoli sauce and parmesan cheese ($20).  What arrived was a very large plate of big, round gnocchi lumps that were stodgy and gluggy, lacking any interesting flavour and looked to be re-heated in the microwave.  Enough said.

I opted for the fettuccini and spicy chorizo special in Napoli sauce with parmesan and olives ($24).  Again, a very large, inelegant helping arrived; the sausage chunks were too big and the Napoli sauce whilst perfectly spicy was otherwise bland.

R chose the other special of the day, the fettuccini with grilled Moreton Bay bugs in a Napoli marinara sauce with parmesan ($24).  The bugs were (thankfully) cooked well and had a nice sweet tasty flesh.  The Napoli sauce was obviously from the same pot out of which the previous two dishes came and toned down what could’ve been a delicious, punchy marinara dish.

B was the only one who chose from the extensive pizza menu, having the quattro stagioni with ham, salami, mushrooms, olive, tomato, mozzarella and cheese ($20.50).  The fluffy crusted, crispy based pizza was pretty nice, perhaps a little dry – lacking much in the way of sauce, but the flavours were nice and the toppings generous.

For dessert we all shared a blueberry panacotta and the lemocello ice cream (both $7).  I don’t like panacotta, but there was a general ‘meh’ from the table with regards to how this one stacked up.  The lemoncello (lemon sorbet coated in white chocolate) was in fact a hit – I’d almost go back for that alone, particularly on a hot summery day.

There’s something to be said for traditional home style, mamma’s kitchen type Italian cooking and I think that’s what we were expecting from Campo Dei Fiori.  We weren’t looking for dainty, mouse sized, perfectly presented meals but something with a little more authenticity, flavour and perhaps even a little love.

• Campo Dei Fiori – 278 Junction Rd, Clayfield +61 7 3857 3893

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The road may be busy and you can just hear the trains, but that doesn’t seem to matter once you step inside the tastefully decorated Montra Thai Day Spa.  The owner, I gather her name is Mon by the newsclipping proudly displayed by the entrance, is a lovely gentle soul who greets you with a seat, a smile and camomile tea. After some form filling, it was not long before I was taken into a  comfortable, clean private room, which was set at a warm balmy temperature, just right for me, but may be a bit warm for some.

I’ve had my fair share (or should that be unfair share?) of massages and this was certainly up there with the best. I was lucky enough to get Mon herself and she certainly knew what she was doing. I had 60 minutes of the traditional Thai message with oil. I was told that without oil, the massage targets pressure points and is a bit harder, whereas with oil is more for relaxation. Best of all, I was completely at ease with Mon and felt I could let her know if I thought the massage was too hard or too soft (it was neither). And there was none of the “hmmm, not too sure about this, that’s my spine, ooh, spinal cord…” which I have experienced in the past. I felt I was in safe hands.

After being given the full hour, and then some, I came out of my room to a small tray with a glass of water, more tea and two crispy spring rolls. I’m not too sure if the spring rolls come standard as it was lunch time, but it’s these small inexpensive touches which always impress me. 

Montra Thai Day Spa does a range of massage types (including for pregnancy), body scrubs, facials and reflexology starting from $90. Full details are on their informative website. They are having a special at the moment: $99 for 1.5hrs including traditional thai massage with oil, hydrating facial, foot spa ritual and light Thai meal. Not sure when that special ends.

Montra Thai Day Spa is open 9am to 9pm, 7 days a week. It’s not clear to me when Mon sleeps, but I will definitely be back and send friends and rellies her way.  Sorry, no pics for this one!

• Montra Thai Day Spa – 117 Annerley Rd, Dutton Park

Reviewing live theatre whether it be stand up comedy, musicals, ballet and so on is always hard as one’s inclination towards it is such a personal thing.  Something that is totally rocking in my opinion could be as entertaining as sticking a pen in your eye to someone else…hence, I was nervous to accept Brisbane Marketing’s invitation to attend opening night of Dr Zhivago at QPAC; one, because there was a chance I would see more of the inside of my eyelids than the show itself, and two, I would then have to find the words to describe this potentially sleepy experience.

With minimal knowledge of the storyline and the state of origin decider falling on the same night, MM was reluctant to fulfil his husbandly duties; a few stern words later however commonsense prevailed (yes, he earned some serious brownie points) and to his and my pleasant surprise, we had a really enjoyable evening .

Without giving too much away, it’s well worth mentioning the sadness and gloom of the opening scenes in which a young Yuri Zhivago mourns the death of his father, which sets the scene for a few low decibel, timid and reserved opening numbers.  Fast forward several years and the now mature, educated gentleman who has since become a doctor and renowned poet enters the stage with such a chilling, provocative sound that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.  MM turned to me and casually said “wow….that dude can hold a tune” to which I responded “no sh*t!…..that’s Anthony Warlow!”

From there the story of Dr Zhivago twists and turns from the latter days of Czarist Russia, through the tumultuous Russian revolution, revealing a bizarre love triangle intermingled with stories of love, war, lust and betrayal.

The first performance of the season wasn’t exactly flawless (queue armchair critic status) with the occasion tremble and quiver of nervous voices.  And my mind did a small amount of wandering in some of the longer musical numbers, but all in all it was quite a spectacular performance.  The cast provided a well balanced mix of singing, acting and dancing with some entertaining and humorous scenes to pleasantly lift the mood from its baseline intensity.

Anthony Warlow provides an exhilarating experience for the audience and towards the close of the show he demonstrates why he is one of Australia’s most renowned performers, his pitch-perfect voice projecting well and truly above the orchestra and his fellow cast members, to finish off with some more spine tingling moments.

For regular theatre-goers I don’t think there’d be any reason you wouldn’t find Dr Zhivago an amazing experience.  For those who are like me and are perhaps more inclined to seek musical entertainment in a karaoke restaurant, or a grungy bar in the Valley, it is a provocative story, but be prepared for some chin nods as some of the numbers drag on a little.  Even so, the storyline contains enough intrigue and suspense to keep your mind coming back to where it was before you started thinking about whatever it was you were thinking about.

• The Dr Zhivago season runs every day at QPAC until August 11^th, check out visitbrisbane.com.au for more information.

Regulars to the Logan Rd precinct across from the Gabba (with the occasional tipple at nearby Canvas), Bistrot Bistro was a chance encounter for MM and I recently, even though we’d had our eyes on it for quite some time.

In an effort to take care of our hip pockets as well as our waistlines, we decided to keep it a low key affair, ordering only some bread to share, a main each and a dessert to share (as opposed to the usual bottle or two of French wine, bread, starters, mains and desserts – read: minimal sharing!).

The Bistrot Bistro restaurant itself is a beautifully restored and decorated warehouse with high ceilings, beautiful fittings, lovely art work, a gorgeous comptoir and romantic mood lighting.  The waiters were prompt, attentive and friendly – not too snobby but not too casual.

To start, we decided to be a little adventurous by choosing the duck liver pate, red wine jelly and baguette to share.  The baguette, which I suspect was baked onsite, was divinely doughy and the red wine jelly was so good that the normally non-red wine-jelly-eating MM even enjoyed it.  As for the foie gras – it’s official, we’re not fans.  The big, plump quenelle of pate was pretty much untouched, much to the waiter’s dismay; however, I’m sure to the trained palette, this pate would’ve been tantalising.

For a main I couldn’t go past the seafood bouillabaisse ($32), perfectly warming on a cold winter’s night.  Unlike other bouillabaisse I’ve tried in the past, Bistrot Bistro’s was not based on a thick tomatoey soup, but rather a light, fragrant broth with the odd minted pea sprinkled throughout.  The bugs, mussels, prawns and other fishy pieces were fresh and flavoursome, cooked to perfection and left me wanting more, however I was adequately full.

MM decided on the filet mignon, rare, on a bed of potato mash and red wine jus ($38).  Cooked to perfection, this was probably the best filet mignon we’d sampled in years – and that’s a big call from such regular carnivores as ourselves.  The red wine jus was light and the potato creamy and lump-less.

For dessert we shared the home made profiteroles with vanilla ice cream ($15).  Needless to say this were the perfect end to a lovely meal at Bistrot Bistro.

Our only regret is not ordering entrees in order to sample more of the beautiful, modern French cuisine on offer at Bistrot Bistro.

• Bistrot Bistro – 14 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba +61 7 3162 1185

Biagio is essentially a fine dining Italian restaurant, complete with the white linen tablecloths and service to match, but with modern and elegant decor and a relaxed, casual feel to it.  The price list isn’t exactly inexpensive, but the dining experience at Biagio is well and truly an exercise in value for money.

The menu is no less than exceptional, with almost too many items to choose from and unfortunately for my waistline, a hard-to-go-past Italian feast – a seriously delicious and creative 11 dishes.  This was a birthday celebration for yours truly, so we decided to lash out a little….okay, a lot…by choosing the Italian feast ($89 per head) and an accompanying few bottles of Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc ($39 – Biagio is also BYO wine, which we were unaware of at the time).

The feast started with a lovely, onion free tomato and olive oil bruschetta.

The share plates that followed were plentiful but not too filling, rich in flavour (but not too overbearing) and contained the freshest produce, including seafood and meat, salad and vegetables.  I can’t remember an Italian meal so thoroughly enjoyed unanimously by a group of people in my presence!

First up – whole, local calamari grilled and served with a Sicilian salmoriglio of extra virgin olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs.

Cozze Sute – blacklip mussels served in a light tomato sauce with a touch of white wine, extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs.

Gamberi Sute – large Queensland banana prawns sautéed with extra virgin olive oil, white wine, a touch of tomato, chilli and garlic.

Capesante – grilled half shell Queensland scallops served with salmoriglio.

Moreton Bay bugs grilled and served with salmoriglio.

Gnocchetti con Polpa di Granchio – petite (we’re talking small here, I feel for the chef who had to make these tiny morsels with their bare hands!) potato gnocchi served with fresh crab meat, tomato, extra virgin olive oil, chilli and coriander.

Costolette di Agnello all Griglia – sovereign 5 star lamb cutlets chargrilled and served with salmoriglio.and seasonal green vegetables.

Scaloppine al Ragu di Funghi Porcini – grass fed tender veal medallions panfried and served with slow cooked porcini mushroom ragu.

For dessert, we received a large share plate with selections of Biagio’s decadent homemade desserts including cannoli, pannacotta with strawberries, profiteroles, chocolate mud cake…the list goes on.

I couldn’t fault a single dish in the Italian feast at Biagio and I can’t even pick a favourite – they were all exceptional, well presented and generously portioned.  The flavours were authentic and passionate, as was the service.  I’ll be returning to Biagio in no time to sample some of the other items from the a la carte menu.

• Biagio Restaurant – 191 Musgrave Rd, Red Hill +61 7 3369 7417