As much as I would love to lavish our only child with the biggest birthday party, we cannot afford to spend hundreds – much less thousands – of dollars on a 3-year-old’s birthday party. Instead, the Little Mister’s 3rd Birthday Party was celebrated earlier this month at our home with some of his friends and family.

While I’m gutted we couldn’t invite more friends, it was for the best. Our little apartment felt cramped with eight adults and three kids. The SO had to turn on the air-conditioner by midday, as the humidity was stifling with the threat of rain.

Nevertheless, the kids had a great time playing with all the toys, and the Little Mister was obsessed with ripping off the wrapping. His current obsession is the original Ghostbusters, so his favourite birthday gift was a Ghostbusters Electronic Proton Pack.

Little Mister has come such a long way since that first day we held him in our arms. He can now:

• Speak in full sentences
• Express some of his emotions (angry and grumpy are the most mentioned)
• Can articulate what he wants
• Load and unload the washing machine
• Blow out his candles without spitting into his cake
• Actively seeks to make friendships with other kids

Since this was an intimate party, I planned a morning tea simple enough that I could make beforehand.

And most importantly that both adults and kids would eat.

The Menu

• Ham and Cheese sandwiches
• Cucumber sandwiches
• Ham and Cheese Pinwheels (I substituted the Dijon mustard with pizza sauce)
• Spinach and Ricotta Rolls
• Cheese and dip platter with crackers
• Fresh watermelon and grapes
• Chocolate Covered Banana Pops with Crushed Peanuts
• Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• Beverages: Tetra-packs of juice, Coffee, Tea, Diet Coke, Lemon Tea and water

The Preparation

I did the following the day before:

• Made and baked the ham and cheese pinwheels. Refrigerated them overnight once cooled.
• Made and baked the spinach and ricotta rolls. Refrigerated them overnight once cooled.
• Made and baked the chocolate cake.
• Made the chocolate buttercream frosting. Iced the cake.
• Added decorations to the cake. Stored covered at room temperature overnight.
• Made chocolate covered banana pops. Refrigerated them overnight once cooled.

Two hours before guests were due to arrive:

• Assemble the sandwiches.
• Wash and cut the fruit.

One hour before guests were due to arrive:

• Preheat the oven.
  • Warm the ham and cheese pinwheels.
  • Warm the spinach and ricotta rolls.
• Assemble the cheese and dip platter.
• Set everything on the table

Preparing this way made the party go a lot easier. I was also able to communicate to the SO what and when I needed help with. I had more time to enjoy everyone’s company and make memories with the Little Mister, rather than for him.

Hopefully I’ll be just as prepared next year, but on a larger scale with more friends!

Melissa Loh - A journey through time and space

Carne. AUD$16

I don’t think there’s a person out there who has never had a pizza. This versatile disc of baked dough is everywhere, and now gluten-free and vegan versions are becoming ubiquitous. What’s not to love?

I have certainly had my fair share of pizza. I have even conducted The Australian Delivery Pizza Taste Challenge back in 2014. That was a lot of fun.

But the perfect pizza? Now, THAT is the holy grail and I think I have found it at Italian Street Kitchen.

The Venue

We’ve been visiting the Italian Street Kitchen‘s only Queensland outlet at Gasworks in Newstead for a while now. The entire area is getting a mother of all facelifts, and Italian Street Kitchen is in the middle of all this development at the fresh Gasworks Plaza.

The restaurant’s front is open floor to ceiling onto Skyring Terrace, which gets plenty of gorgeous sun and sky. It should have Brisbane River views, but it is currently blocked by development walls from the upcoming Waterfront apartments across the road. Italian Street Kitchen will undoubtedly have a more reduced view once development is complete.

On arrival, you’ll be asked to wait to be seated. Seating options are generally catered to families and groups – tables of four. Tables are generously spaced with wider aisles (thumbs up for those with prams or kids).

Don’t bother trying to get on-street parking – that situation is beyond dire in the area. Instead, take your chances with the underground parking at the Gasworks Plaza instead.

The Service

Each table is already locked and loaded with menus – folded paper squares that remind me of roadmaps. They’re not complicated and are not too daggy, so they must be replaced quite frequently.

Each table also has scissors, because adult pizzas are served uncut on cardboard ‘plates’. This might not be something most people are used to, but I think that I can cut my pizza whichever way I see fit.

Even though you’re ushered to an available table, Italian Street Kitchen is counter service. You are invited to order and make payment at the counter.

The food will be served to you at your table. It has never taken our orders very long to prepare. However, the best part is they have ALWAYS prepared and served our toddler his kids’ pizza within 10-15 mins of our order. This is fantastic when your little one is hungry and is running out of patience for his food.

Water is available on tap opposite the ordering station. Sometimes the wait staff bring it to you, sometimes they might not. You can help yourself to as many cups as you need.

And there is a sink right beside the water station to wash those pizza drippings from your hands, so you don’t have to trek around the corner to hunt for the public restroom.

The Food

While there are a number of items on their menus, Italian Street Kitchen is mostly known for their pizzas.

And with very good reason.

Their pizza bases are practically paper thin and evenly cooked right to the middle. The dough, which is apparently risen over 48 hours, is incredibly light and doesn’t taste yeasty. It is not difficult for most people to finish one on their own. In fact, you probably wouldn’t want to share anyway.

The toppings are varied. There are nine options available, ranging from the ever simple and classic Margherita (AUD$13 for mozzarella, parmesan and basil) to meaty Carne (AUD$16 for Casalingo salami, Roman porchetta, pork sausage, ham, red onion, tomato and mozzarella).

My personal favourite Italian Street Kitchen pizza at the moment is the Funghi. It has stretchy mozzarella, Gorgonzola, mushroom, parmesan and parsley. The beauty is its simplicity – little bursts of salty Gorgonzola with the subtle earthiness of mushrooms.

The Capricciosa is a very close second because, in addition to mozzarella, Champagne ham, mushrooms, Kalamata olives, basil and parmesan, it has artichoke hearts. And I love artichoke hearts.

You can also customise your pizza with add-ons at $2 each, but I suggest trying their pizzas as they are first. I have yet to try any of their pizzas and feel a need to switch things up.

One of the best parts of the Italian Street Kitchen menu is their kids’ section. It only has three options, but they are all super simple – pizza Margherita (Napoli sauce and mozzarella), pizza ham (Napoli sauce, mozzarella and champagne ham) and pasta rigatoni/spaghetti (Napoli or bolognese sauce). This is great for picky eaters and younger kids who still reject complex flavours. Mr Almost-Three always devours his own pizza ham without hesitation at every visit.

Gustosa. AUD$16.50

Kids menu pizza ham. AUD$7.50

Ravioli. AUD$16

Funghi. AUD$16

The Verdict

You’ll find the perfect pizzas at Italian Street Kitchen, so if you haven’t been yet, you need to drop in for your next pizza hit. They are simple and made with lovely fresh ingredients that speak for themselves.

It is also one of those rare establishments that have given consideration to those with kids in tow, making it a gem for families looking for the perfect place to share a lovely meal with loved ones young and old.

Melissa Loh - A journey through time and space

 

My mum works at The Halia‘s current and only location in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. She makes the many drinks the restaurant offers and sells at its kiosk stand. It’s hard work with very early mornings, but she seems to enjoy the work and the people she works with.

She has worked there a number of years now and we’ve been to Singapore several times, but never got the opportunity to dine at The Halia. We decided a visit was long overdue, so we went for lunch on our visit to Singapore in December last year.

The Venue

Nestled inside the Singapore Botanic Gardens, The Halia is a fair walk from the Botanic Gardens MRT station. Signage to the restaurant is limited, but follow all signs to its neighbour the National Orchid Garden.

The Halia might not look imposing nor impressive from the outside, but its true nature is hidden by the surrounding ginger plants and palm trees. It offers several dining areas, each with a unique view to the greenery outside. Those who seek relief from Singapore’s unforgiving heat and humidity can escape to the air-conditioned dining room, but the open-air deck was just as popular.

The Service

As my mother works at the restaurant, I am not inclined to comment on the warmth of service.

The Halia was busy at the time with a number of large groups, so while time to table and ordering were swift, food service was slow. However, we were told from the very straight that our meals might take awhile, and the manager apologised for the delay. Both strategies helped manage our expectations and we were fine with how long it took.

The Food

The Halia offers a weekday set lunch menu from 12 pm till 2pm. It includes a starter, a choice between 3 mains, a choice between 2 desserts, and coffee or tea to finish. Two courses set you back SGD28, and three courses are SGD 34. Prices do not include 7% GST or 10% service charge.

The SO worked up quite the appetite walking from the Botanic Gardens MRT station to The Halia, so went all out with the three-course weekday set lunch.

The soup of the day was white vegetable soup – potato, parsnip, etc and served with a freshly baked bread. Tasty, but not particularly stellar.

Ginger Jive. SGD 7

Between the barramundi, slow-cooked chicken breast or puff pastry parcel, the SO went with what’s familiar to him – the pan-fried barramundi.

The Halia did very well with its crispy pan-fried skin and not drying out the flesh underneath. The bed was a Thai coconut cream (think super mild green curry), served with lengths of firm asparagus, cherry tomatoes, pignolina and basil oil. This was, for us an unusual flavour combination with barramundi, but it was enjoyable and satisfying.

Panfried Barramundi

I got The Halia‘s Puff Pastry Parcel, which in hindsight I could easily recreate at home. Filled with butternut squash (pumpkin), spinach and feta, the pastry is dressed with dehydrated olives, mesclun, and a drizzle of basil and tomato oil. Deceptively simple, and utterly delicious for those looking for something vegetarian and heartier than a salad.

Puff Pastry Parcel. SGD 24

The Paperbag Oven-baked Halibut Fillet was by far the star dish of our meal.

Presenting the fish in its crinkly paper bag offers the diner to create their own personal dining theatre – one has to gingerly untwist and peel back the folds with anticipation, to reveal the prize inside.

If you have any initial sense of disappointment at the dark mess inside, don’t get your panties in a twist! Stick your fork in there and taste it. The fish has sucked up the umami flavours from its ginger and soy broth. Add a touch of the wasabi aioli or ginger flower sambal (or both! My preference was for the sambal though), and your taste buds will sing!

Paper bag oven-baked halibut fillet

Ginger Spice, all things nice

Dessert was a toss up between Die Die Must Have Chocolate (chocolate and raspberry, which sounded kinda vanilla to me) and Ginger Spice, all things nice.

We decided to be adventurous and opted for the Ginger Spice, which was delightful! I admired the number of elements that all balanced each other: ginger and almond nougatine parfait (the base and it’s stunning, without being sickeningly sweet), coconut mousse (very light and not too heavy on the coconut), compressed pineapple (little cubes of summer sunshine) and shavings of dehydrated coconut flesh.

The Verdict

I am definitely willing to overlook the slow service to visit again for a lazy lunch of good food.

The Halia
1 Cluny Road, Ginger Garden, Singapore Botanic Garden, Singapore 259569
Phone: +65 8444 1148

Melissa Loh - A journey through time and space

 

Bam Bam Bakehouse has been on my radar for awhile and I was thrilled we stopped in on the way home from a quick weekend on the Gold Coast.

It started with an early morning at Tallebudgera Beach. Its gentle crystal clear waves and soft sand are the perfect backdrop for a day of frolicking under the warm summer sun. Tallebudgera Beach is also a patrolled beach, making it our favourite beach to take the Little Mister swimming.

The lifesavers are from Neptune Royal Life Saving Club, which is right by the beach. At the bottom of the Neptune Royal Life Saving Club, there’s a coffee stand and I discovered they offer some Bam Bam Bakehouse goodies for sale.

One Nutella cruffin later, and I was hooked!

The Venue

While Bam Bam Bakehouse is located on the Gold Coast Highway, you might not quite see it driving past. It is tucked along the side of the building in front of a small car park, but fret not – you’ll need to find parking somewhere nearby first. We found parking on Francis Street, and some might get lucky on Montana Road.

The cafe is fairly large with plenty of open air to capitalise on the gorgeous Gold Coast weather. There is a somewhat Parisian air to the place, and the clientele is not the average daggy flip-flop wearing beachgoer. Think well-pressed polos, crispy white shirts, luxury bags and proper footwear – casual, but not cheap.

The Service

Now there are a number of reviews that mention it’s impossible to get a table without a booking. Or that the wait might be 20 minutes. We went in for a late lunch, and while they were busy, we did not have trouble getting a table with some space for our pram.

While you’re ushered to tables by staff, you order and pay at the counter. Service was quick, even though nearly every table was occupied. Staff were friendly without being overly-clingy – they did not hover over us asking how our meals were going before our first bite.

The Food

Bam Bam Bakehouse‘s claim to fame is their delectable croissants. Each flakey bakes creation takes three days to make. And they sometimes offer special limited edition croissants, such as their mince croissant for Christmas, mermaid croissant and lovers croissant for Valentine’s Day.

Twice baked almond croissant. AUD$8.90

These are their almond croissants, fresh out of the oven and they disappeared very quickly. If you see them, buy them straight away! You can also order these babies online.

If baked goodies are not your thing, Bam Bam Bakehouse also has a meal menu.

Egg Nasi – AUD$18.90

The Egg Nasi was super popular while we were there – every table surrounding us had at least one person devouring one of these. This is Bam Bam Bakehouse‘s interpretation of a nasi goreng, a Malay/Indonesian fried rice. Rather than mix in an animal protein, the Egg Nasi is instead full of vegetables and topped with the perfect sunnyside up egg and liberally sprinkled with crispy fried onion for crunch.

And of course, what’s a nasi goreng with a generous dollop of sambal? Their sambal is spicy, but it’s not going to explode your head.

If you are quite hungry (as the SO was on this occasion), add the chicken satay for AUD$7.

Karaage chicken croissant. AUD$16.90

My choice was Bam Bam Bakehouse‘s Karaage chicken croissant. with an additional side of sweet potato fries for AUD$8 (cuz I’m such a sucker for sweet potato). This was utter perfection! The beautiful buttery croissant lent itself as the ultimate vessel for a crunchy large chicken karaage. The rest of the ensemble were simple – finely shredded crisp iceberg lettuce, kewpie mayonnaise (of course!) and a sweet in-house made teriyaki sauce. God, I’m still drooling at the memory of it.

The Verdict

Bam Bam Bakehouse is a wonderful must-visit cafe on the Gold Coast, but be prepared to spend – it’ll worth every cent though! If you cannot get a table, at least grab some croissants to enjoy while soaking up the sunshine.

Melissa Loh - A journey through time and space

Do you often have “read more” as a new year’s resolution? Or is it your 2018 resolution?

And as a result, do you buy lots of books that you never finish reading?

Then after reading Marie Kondo’s book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up“, you end up throwing away your collection of never-finished-reading and only-read-once books?

I read more than 50 books in 2017 without spending a cent, and am hoping to repeat it this year. Here’s how you can do the same.

Get a library card

If you have a Brisbane City Council library card, you’re already halfway towards a universe of books to jump into this year.

Every town or city has a public library, and membership is usually free. You’ll need a form of identification to sign up and away you go!

Find your nearest Brisbane City Council library here.

Use it to access ebooks

Finding the time to go to a library and select books I want to stick my nose into can be a monumental task. This is especially when you are juggling a toddler, work/business and home.

But you don’t need to step foot into a Brisbane City Council library to check out a book and read more!

I learnt Brisbane City Council library catalogue has a growing number of ebooks. To access them, you need to download the mobile app Libby, select the appropriate library collection and type in your library card number.

The E-Book space is going to continue to surge more and more with the introduction of e-readers like Kindle and there are many companies that can help with outreach to your clients through CRM’s and targeting them with all sorts of email and ad campaigns. You should really look into the Benefits of CRM if you intend to become an author in the internet space.

And voila! You can now browse, tag, hold and check out books from the comfort of home.

Get more ebooks

Whether you have an iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle or Nook, you should subscribe to BookBub. They will send you alerts on limited-time offers for the best free books in over twenty genres, from both top-tier publishers and critically-acclaimed independent authors.

There are also free ebook collections:

• Google Books
• Project Gutenberg
• ScribD
• Open Culture
• ManyBooks.net
• free-ebooks.net
• BookRix
• Bookyards
• 2020ok

Join a book club

If you’d like to keep track of your reading goals this year, sign up to Goodreads. They have a huge community with book recommendations, book clubs, deals and giveaways.

You can start with 2018 Reading Challenge, Emma Watson’s Our Shared Shelf or Oprah’s Book Club group to help you along. Sure, you won’t get to sit around someone’s living room, sipping tea or wine with like-minded readers, but you can still connect with fellow bibliophiles.

If you DO decide to take up more reading and sign up to Goodreads, friend me and we can share our reads over the year!

Melissa Loh - A journey through time and space

I swear the years fly faster the older you get. How the hell did I blink and we’re already a week into 2018?

This blog has seen fuller days – 2017 has not been kind, so I wanna a fresh start.

Let’s start with reflecting on my 10 goals for 2017.

• We never got around to scheduling those date nights, but there were tonnes of family time.
• Our 10th-year-anniversary celebration was a disaster – a Noosa weekend turned into a diarrhoea episode on the SO’s part.
• I smashed my 30-books reading goal by reading 56 books, thanks to BookBub.
• I didn’t get to physically attend a conference, but I DID watch videos from Social Media Marketing World 2017 conference.

And I obviously didn’t stick to ANY editorial plan for this blog.

So much for that.

Let’s hope I do better this year.

Celebrating 2017

While 2017 ended on a horrible note with my father having to undergo a triple bypass (more on that later), I cannot deny there have been some incredible moments worth celebrating.

• Our amazing trip to Los Angeles and Disneyland
• Started using Doterra essential oils and LOVING IT!
• Dying my hair an ‘outrageous’ colour for the FIRST time – purple
• Visiting Hong Kong for the first time
• Backing my first Kickstarter project

So it certainly wasn’t all bad.

Nonetheless, I should mention our Christmas/New Year.

Our family originally planned to host a small Christmas lunch with the SO’s family, but it was quickly abandoned after my father was admitted to hospital for heart attacks in late November. He was told one of his heart arteries was 100% blocked, and the other two were 80% blocked – a triple bypass was inevitable.

The surgery was to take place in January, but further heart attacks forced his doctors to push it forward with a week’s notice. We immediately booked tickets to Singapore and stayed 22 days over Christmas and New Year. When we weren’t at the hospital, we were cleaning my parents’ home (did I ever mention I come from a family of hoarders?), fixing toilets and installing handrails, and helping with his post-op care.

I came home earlier this week, physically and emotionally exhausted. It took me two days of hiding at home to recover. Thank god for Youfoodz and an understanding husband.

What’s in store for 2018

As they say – “Man Plans, and God Laughs.”

Who knows what 2018 has in store? Whatever it throws this way, buckle up and join the ride. I am still planning to keep these things around.

• Journalling is here to stay! I’ll be using a Passion Planner this year.
  While I certainly miss the flexibility of a plain notebook, I am loving this planner’s structure and weekly motivational quotes. Heaven knows I need it.
• Can I up the stakes with my 50-book reading challenge in 2018? I hope so, with the help of my local library.
• Single-use plastic shopping bags will be banned in Queensland this July. It’s about time too!
  I’ll be pushing our family further into a no-waste lifestyle. We already use reusable shopping bags (I love and use this one), cups, water bottles, lunch boxes and metal straws. I also use a MeLuna menstrual cup and Tic bottle for toiletries.

But don’t worry – the food will always still be here.

So thank YOU for sticking around, for following me on Instagram, for watching my stories…

I love you too.

Melissa Loh - A journey through time and space

We had started the day late. Little Mister had been sleeping in. We had a long drive ahead, and I couldn’t bear being stuck in the car with a fussy toddler almost 2 hours without decent sustenance.

I scrolled through my map of pinned bookmarks and remembered Wild Canary Bistro. It has been on my list, due to the Instagram-worth breakfasts and cakes. And best of all, it was in the general direction of where we were headed.

I wasn’t quite sure what I was expecting, but I certainly didn’t know Wild Canary Bistro is located inside the Brookfield Garden Centre. You wander through lush plants (including gorgeous magnolias and fluttering orchids) and garden wares, past a beautiful garden setting to the cafe. There was even a vegetable and herb garden, just outside the bistro – perfect for taking energetic toddlers to explore.

Service at Wild Canary Bistro was impeccable. When we decided we would enjoy a table outside (Brisbane winters are mild), we were still ushered to a table next to a heater. Water was poured into glasses, and coffees were ordered the moment we sat down. A fork was magically offered seconds after Little Mister dropped his on the floor with a clang. You cannot imagine how stunned we were, because we’ve NEVER had service like this at a cafe/bistro/restaurant.

Fig, raspberry and rose Danishes. AUD$7.50

Wild Canary Bistro uses carefully sourced local and regional ingredients to offer seasonally inspired dishes. Their breakfast and lunch menus include dishes with a twist, such as warm spiced pumpkin & pecan bread (which sounds so much nicer than banana bread), Buddha bowl (kitchen garden greens, quinoa, carrot kraut, pecans, golden raisins, Persian feta, watercress, free range poached egg), and quinoa & chia coconut porridge.

Corn and zucchini fritters. AUD$23

The corn and zucchini fritters had my name all over them. Although I loved those three generously-sized balls, they were overshadowed by beautifully mashed Upper Brookfield avocado, blistered tomatoes that burst in your mouth and two perfectly poached free range eggs. I even wiped the plate clean of the pickled jalapenos, cornichons, watercress and dukkha.

The SO decided to try Wild Canary Bistro special – spanner crab omelette. The last memorable crab omelette he had was at the Gunshop Cafe in West End. While Wild Canary Bistro‘s version didn’t have as intense crab flavour as the Gunshop Cafe version, the Asian inspired dressing with the slaw was a refreshing spicy kick. And Little Mister loved it more than my breakfast, so it still got a thumbs up all around.

Now if you need a BIG breakfast, order the Gardener’s Breakfast. My jaw dropped when I saw this massive platter of bacon steak, fresh fig, debrecener sausage, mushrooms, Persian feta, poached free range eggs, garden greens, spiced Moroccan tomato relish and sourdough toast hit the table next to us. But be warned, it comes with an AUD$26.00 price tag.

And just because we were utterly relaxed and loved our breakfast, the SO ordered us a salted caramel macadamia slice to share. We NEVER have desserts for breakfast, but the cold display cabinet was far too tempting. I’m not a huge fan of caramel slices – I find most of them much too sweet and thick. However, I’d gladly have Wild Canary Bistro‘s lighter version all to myself in future.

Now I’m trying to think of an occasion to justify ordering one of their stunning whole cakes!

Daily special: Spanner crab scramble

Salted Caramel Macadamia Slice

Wild Canary
2371 Moggill Road, Brookfield, Kenmore, Brisbane, QLD
Tel: (07) 3378 2805

Melissa Loh - A journey through time and space

FoodByUs allows vetted passionate local cooks to list their homemade food on a platform. Buyers then select what they want and either collect their order or get it delivered for a delivery fee depending on the location.

FoodByUs have already signed up over 75 Brisbane makers, so there is plenty of choice! Some of the ones I’m already eyeing are:

• The Foodie Vegan’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Garlic, White Wine & Truffle Sauce
• Cinnamon’s EveryMite spread (suitable for Vegans, Vegetarians, Paleo, Celiac, Candida sufferers, MTHR Gene Mutation carriers, vitamin and mineral deficit people, ferment, and organic wholefood and healthy lifestyle lovers)
• Musa Nana‘s Sambal Hebi and Sambal Chovies (cuz I’m so Asian)

I’ve already ordered Ugly Food and Co.‘s Beef Rendang and Achar Awak Malaysian Pickle, which will be delivered this Friday. I can’t wait to share how that goes with you!

Word of warning: always check the delivery cost. I’ve found delivery costs can vary widely from $5 to $31.

By the way, if you use this unique code at checkout: MELLR7UV: 

1. You get $25 off your first order (minimum spend $50)
2. I’ll earn $25 credit
3. And I go into a draw to win $500 in FoodByUs credit (which I will share if you let me know you ordered with my code)

Everybody wins!

Melissa Loh - A journey through time and space

Brisbane’s free food festival, Regional Flavours presented by The Courier-Mail, is back!

This will be the festival’s ninth year and it is promising to be better than ever, so lock it in your calendar from 15-16 July in South Bank Parklands.

Which celebrity chefs can you expect to rub shoulders with?

• Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston from MasterChef Australia
• Miguel Maestre from The Living Room on Network Ten
• chef and author Tobie Puttock from Jamie’s Kitchen Australia on Network Ten
• pastry chef extraordinaire Darren Purchese from Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio
• Brisbane’s own Jocelyn Hancock
• MasterChef Australia 2015 alumni Georgia Barnes
• highly-acclaimed indigenous chef Clayton Donovan, who is also Australia’s only hatted indigenous chef

I would also recommend bringing some shopping bags (or even a trolley). With over 80 stalls planned to be at the festival’s Marketplace, you’ll definitely want to bring some goodies home. I am already excited about:

• Backfatters Farm and Piggy in the Middle
• Broken Nose Vanilla
• Dunlop Apiaries and Hum Honey
• QCamel
• Natural Evolution

I can’t wait! Will you plan to be there?

Melissa Loh - A journey through time and space

The Reuben. AUD$12

You can be a little spoilt for choice down at the Southbank precinct, but Brooklyn Depot is one spot you’ve got to add on your list if you’re in the area and in the mood for some Americana.

Read – burgers and dogs. 

The Venue

Brooklyn Depot is in a super convenient location along Little Grey Street on South Bank. That convenience, unfortunately, doesn’t apply to parking – everyone knows parking in the area on a weekend is expensive and can be hard to find.

That convenience, unfortunately, doesn’t apply to parking – everyone knows parking in the area on a weekend is expensive and can be hard to find.

The restaurant is casual with an indoor and outdoor dining area. We’ve always sat in the outdoor area, which is mostly undercover. Most seating is geared for couples and groups of four.

The Service

We’ve been a couple of times on weekends, and service can be a bit hit and miss. The last two times we’ve been, it’s been above average (great personable wait staff who were not shy about interacting with the Little Mister and making it a great meal experience for him too), but I sometimes visit wondering if we might catch them on an off-day.

Brooklyn Depot can get busy – don’t be surprised if you are asked to wait awhile for a table. Busy days also mean you might have to flag down staff to take your order, but don’t be shy.

The Food

Brooklyn Depot‘s menu is easy to navigate. There are a number of starters, which include their Texas Style Beef Short Ribs (AD$38), Skinny Fries (AUD$8) and Instagram-worthy MACLOVIN BALLS (AUD$14). These crispy coated fried mac and cheese filled balls served with a side of their sauce. It definitely needs the sauce to provide oomph.

You have a selection of burgers and dogs for mains, and if you still have room, there’s also dessert.

Fugazy. AUD$11

Charred corn. AUD$8

Pimped chicken winglets. AUD$10 for 5, AUD$20 for 10

Two styles to choose from: spicy buffalo and crispy Southern fried. Guess which one this is.

I don’t think you can go wrong with the Brooklyn Classic (AUD$10) – a burger ensemble of grass fed beef patty, American cheese, oak leaf lettuce, fresh tomato with Depot special sauce, but Brooklyn Depot have a couple of other stunners I think everyone should try.

If you’re super hungry and don’t mind pineapple in your burger and pizza, try the Depot Burger (AUD$16). It’s a MONSTER with TWO grass fed beef patties, double American cheese, hickory smoked bacon, grilled pineapple, oak leaf lettuce, fresh tomato with Depot special sauce.

The OUTTA TOWNER! (AUD$15) is tamer in size and flavour with the same grass fed beef patty, provolone cheese, thinly sliced premium steak, roasted green peppers, caramelised onions and cheese sauce. It’s not as cheesey as you might think.

The Filthy Pilgrim (AUD$15) is also an amazing burger. It is essentially Thanksgiving in a burger. They had the most succulent turkey breast, homemade gravy sauce, rustic roasted potatoes and garlic, melted brie cheese, herbed stuffing crumble and cranberry mayo. Definitely my recommendation!

Brooklyn Depot
Shop B8/B9, 168 Grey Street, Southbank, Brisbane, Australia
Tel: (07) 3844 3040

Melissa Loh - A journey through time and space