Memories Treasure Chest

Newmarket Hotel

2021-01-26T12:21:00.004+10:00

Newmarket Hotel, Newmarket

Newmarket Hotel has been on our regular place to visit as it is quite a family friendly restaurant; and obviously quite close to home. It can get quite busy at times but as we usually dine when restaurants open (5 or 5.30pm) so it was not too bad. Parking is ample with the complex's undercover parking.

What I love about Newmarket hotel is that they do have kid's meal and Grace always enjoy their chicken tenders. Yay! The kid's meal come with a drink (and the drink container can be brought home) and ice cream for dessert. No photo for her meal but we ordered it with steamed vegetables.

If you are a seafood lover, give their calamari a go! They are beautifully crumbed and cooked just right. This is an entree size but you can upgrade to the main size. I tried their fish - special of the day; barramundi with some crispy pumpkin/potatoes and the 'sauce'. Honestly, I did not expect it, as this was more like a gravy sauce dish. The portion was big, fish was not overcooked but just too much sauce.

Mr's usual dish - steak cooked to medium (perfect) and this time opted for mashed potatoes instead of chips. Good flavourful mash with no lumpiness.

PS: read through my old blog post of Newmarket Hotel, and looks like my favourite dish is still the calamari.

Milk Cafe, Ashgrove

2021-01-26T12:04:00.002+10:00

Milk Cafe, Ashgrove

Throwback to late last year when we visited Milk Cafe in Ashgrove. It is just adjacent to Woolworths Ashgrove and you will not miss it. Plenty of parking is available in the complex. Famous for its milkshake, we did not order any as we get quite apprehensive when the kids are so high in sugar 😅.

I could not remember the exact dish we had that day but the first dish was poached eggs with bacon, and cripsy potatoes with addition of haloumi. Little M dislikes cheese but she will gobble up the haloumi in no time.

We had the pancakes as well and they were fluffy and soft. The girls thankfully enjoyed them, as sometimes they can be picky with their food.

The indoor setting is reasonably large and there is outdoor setting as well. Bonus--> it is part of the Entertainment book's voucher. But ya, we will be back one day.

Breakfast at Milk Cafe

First meal for 2021

2021-01-10T13:51:00.003+10:00

Sassafras, Paddington

Happy 2021 everyone!

This is my first post of the year after one long year hiatus from the food blog. As I am writing this blog, we are currently into Day 2 of 3 Brisbane lockdown and currently having a donut score of 0 case. Yay!

Anyhow, back to Sassafras. I have heard of this place years ago and we finally made it here. Along the stretch with King Tea and Hai Hai ramen, you will not miss this one. This cafe is divided into indoor and outdoor sections, with lots of plant at the back. It was unfortunate that the outdoor setting was fully booked that day as I know the kids would really enjoy it.

It has become a routine for me to sign up electronically for everyone and Sassafras is equipped with the QR code. What did we order for our first brunch of the year?

First up, was the little people's breakfast; pancakes, strawberries and maple syrup ($7.90) (I think this is one of the affordable kid's breakfast around). Miss G requested for blueberries instead of strawberries and the staff happily accomodate it for her. The pancakes were a winner and both kids enjoyed them.

As for the adults, I ordered the chilli corn fritters with kale tabouleh, relish and avocado. I love the simplicity of this dish and the freshness of the tabouleh with it. Despite the word 'chilli', it was not a spicy dish at all.

As for the Mr, he had the scrambled eggs on toast with the addition of haloumi (the kids freaking love haloumi), avo and homemade hash brown. I have a soft spot for homemade hash brown, and Sassafra's version is generous in size, and love the crisp!

Instead of coffee, we tried their premium hot chocolate drink and it was so decadent. Give it a go next time.

Overall, a good experience for us dining there that day (before lockdown restriction), and we saved 25% by using our Entertainment book voucher.

Banoi

2019-12-18T20:38:00.000+10:00

Banoi, Bowen Hills

This was a last minute decision to go to Banoi that day. I had a call from my specialist that I had to be admitted into hospital the night prior to my delivery. Guess what was my first question? Can I go out and have dinner first before I admit myself? Luckily the bed manager said it is okay. Lol!

So together with Mr, we went to Banoi at Bowen Hills because there was a deal at Eat Club. It was busy on a weeknight and glad that we made a booking.

Feeling very ravenous as I had to fast from midnight, we ordered quite a bit. For entree, we ordered their 'Imperial Spring Rolls' which are made of crab and prawn. It was crunchy, crispy and indeed very moreish.

Next up, we tried their soft shell crab rice paper rolls served with crab sauce (spicy tomato relish). I thought this was okay as it was quite dry and I was not too fond of the crab sauce.

As for our mains, I had the lemongrass beef vermicelli salad and I was impressed. The beef was just so tender and at one point I was worried whether it was undercooked because they were just so soft. I finished the whole bowl without sharing it with Mr.

He had the beef pho and again, an excellent dish from the team at Banoi. As we finished both mains, we were still feeling quite hungry and ordered an extra dish.

Very curious of their steamed rice rolled pancake, we ordered that to try. It came with pork mince, mushrooms and water chestnut; and with some salad on top (cucumber, bean sprouts and Asian herbs). It was an interesting dish and refreshing. Definitely give it a go if you have not try it before.

We both had a good time that night, especially knowing that the next day will be a big day for both us, welcoming Miss Mabel. The service here can be a hit and miss, which is most likely due to them being busy.

Les Bubbles

2019-11-02T22:12:00.001+10:00

Les Bubbles, Fortitude Valley

Date night don't come often enough once you have kids! We had a free night as Grace had a sleepover at her grandparent's place. So we decided to visit Les Bubbles to check out their steak and unlimited fries.

Parking is always horrendous in the Valley, yes those street parking. We eventually found somewhere about few streets away and walked down to Les Bubbles. I was surprised that they are quite busy considering it a Wednesday night. Menu is straightforward because there is only ONE MAIN to choose from and with the entree, you can choose either the Camerbert OR the bone marrow.

As Mr has not tried the bone marrow before, we chose this to share. It came with some mustard, pickled radish, parsley and preserved lemon. You do need the acid to cut through the gelatinous and fatty bone marrow. It wasn't too bad but it is not something I would keep ordering in the future.

After our entree, we were given salad to start with. It was a simple lettuce salad with walnut and some dressing, which was well balanced and spot on. I love it.

As for our steak frites, Mr had his medium rare and mine medium well (if there's such thing). I just need to be safe for the last few days being pregnant! Their steaks were cooked as requested and were perfect. The meat still succulent and tender although Mr said he had better steak before. Their shoe-string fries were cooked perfectly, still warm and crunchy. I had to admit we had a few rounds of the fries that night and they happily accommodate your request.

Our mains came with three sauces: the Cafe de Paris, Bearnaise and Green peppercorn & Cognac. They were all good but I think the standout sauce for me was the peppercorn sauce.

Overall, I enjoyed our dinner here but we secretly wish the steak size could be bigger.

Alcove Cafe and Deli

2019-10-21T07:00:00.000+10:00

Alcove Cafe and Deli, Wilston

It was a special Monday because that Monday was the last Monday Grace will be our only child. She knew that she would have a sibling soon but I don't think she understand how a new addition will change her life quite significantly. As she normally goes to childcare the rest of the week, I wanted to have breakfast with her and we chose Alcove.

Parking can be quite a challenge in this area but eventually manage to find some street parking. It is a counter service, so Mr had to order once we knew what to have. Unfortunately there is no kid's menu available so we tried to order something that she may have.

Mr ordered their 'Alcove Breakfast' that came with poached eggs and the usual lots. We would like to change to scrambled eggs but unfortunately they only make either poached or fried eggs. In the end, Mr went with the fried eggs hoping that Grace would have some. The rest (bacon, haloumi and sweet potato mash) were quite good.

As for me, I ordered the 'Italian Eggs' - poached eggs and smoked Italian sausages in rich tomato sauce. Their poached eggs were cooked to perfection, yolk still runny and it was a delight to have it with the toast. The tomato sauce had hint of some spice and it was appetizing.

Overall, we quite enjoy the breakfast that day and it was a bittersweet moment with Grace.

Malay House

2019-10-18T07:00:00.000+10:00

Malay House, Underwood

I think I may have found my favourite Malaysian restaurant in Brisbane! I have heard of Malay House but because it is located in Underwood, it is quite a travel for us to visit there. Thankfully opportunity arises and together with the in-law we went there for lunch.

It was already quite busy even though we arrived fairly early for lunch. Sharing the meals between four adults, I chose some signature Malaysian dishes to share. Firstly, the chicken satay. The marinade of the chicken satay was quite close to home and feels almost like the ones from home. The chicken was tender and not dry at all. The dipping sauce - peanut sauce was good.

Next up was the Hainanese chicken rice and I was blown by it. I think this place serves the best Hainanese chicken rice in Brisbane. I know it is a big call but you have to try it to judge it and let me know. The chicken pieces that they gave us included thigh and breast meat; and they were so tender. What's a good Hainanese chicken rice without the 'rice'? The rice was so good - flavour wise and the four of us agreed. We had to order another bowl of rice because it was that good.

Char koay teow is a baseline dish for me to try in a Malaysian restaurant. The servings here are quite generous and their koay teow is served with prawns, fish ball and I think squid. The flavour is quite good and there was some 'wok hei' present. Overall a good CKT.

As I have not had curry laksa for ages, I ordered one and it came with fried wantons, BBQ pork and fish cakes. The curry base soup is quite thick with some spiciness and was flavourful. Yes, another good dish from Malay House.

We left Malay House with praises from my in-laws. I was happy to have some Malaysian hawker food before the start of my confinement. :)

Ben's Vietnamese

2019-10-15T17:02:00.000+10:00

Ben's Vietnamese, Woolloongabba

Ben’s Vietnamese has been in Princess Plaza for years and it has not changed at all since my last visit (when I had my farewell lunch with colleagues prior to my maternity leave for Grace). This time together with Mr, we visited Ben’s for lunch. Quite a bit has changed in this complex and I have noted some new restaurants and bakery, which I am sure will attract the staffs from Mater Hospital.

I was craving for pho so we ordered their combination beef pho, and it did not disappoint. The broth was hearty and it was generous in terms of the beef and noodles.

Our next dish was the grilled pork vermicelli salad and yum, it definitely hit the spot for me. The sliced vegetables were fresh, and I was not worried at all consuming them while pregnant. The grilled pork was so flavourful and tasty and could have eaten more on its own. Yum!

We used the Entertainment Voucher in this visit, making this lunch an even better deal. Now time to plan to head back there during our next visit to Mater.

Than Nuong Charcoal Vietnamese

2019-09-06T08:30:00.000+10:00

Than Nuong Charcoal Vietnamese Restaurant, Woolloongabba

There was a deal from TheFork app just before Mother's Day and I grabbed this deal of 50% discount for Banquet menus at Than Nuong. Together with the in-law, we celebrated Mother's Day on that Saturday night. As the discount was only applicable to the banquet, I enquired upon arrival whether we could have 2 of Banquet 1 ($40pp) and 2 of Banquet 2 ($60pp) so that we could have a variety and thankfully, they did.

Entree of Banquet 1: spring rolls, deluxe chicken wings and prawn rice paper rolls

Entree of Banquet 2: soft shell crab, chargrilled quail and grilled local scallops with fresh lime

Soft shell crab

Chargrilled quail

Grilled scallops

The entrees of both banquet were simple and satisfying with the exception of the chargrilled quail. As you can see from the picture, it was really charred. The quail was overcooked and relatively dry. Otherwise, every thing else was just moreish!

Mains of Banquet 1: We chose the Wagyu beef pho and also the prawn pho

Wagyu beef pho

Prawn pho

Now for the mains: their pho was surprisingly good. The rice noodles used in Than Nuong seems like the fresh ones (rather than the dried rice noodle sticks) and they are thicker than other pho I had. The soup base was well balanced and my little girl kept on asking for more noodles. Instead of the usual fresh beef pieces, we opted for the waygu beef which was cooked to perfection; and the shelled prawns were deep fried to perfection. The prawn's head was still crispy and you need to have it before it is entirely soaked in the broth.

Mains of Banquet 2: Wrap your own rice paper rolls with lemongrass chicken, betel leaf beef and wagyu fillet steak (which I have forgotten to take any pictures!)

The 'Wrap your own' main was a feast! I could not imagine the amounts given were for two people and they were definitely generous - in terms of the proteins and vegetables. They provided us with a dipping device for the rice paper and it was so useful. I had so much fun wrapping the rice paper in comparison to the rest, and I daresay, I made them looking close to professional ones. This main requires some manual dexterity and not for those who dislikes mess. But if you like to give it a go and have some fun, why not?

The dessert for both banquet is fried ice cream and it was pretty big (unfortunately no photo taken). The coating was quite crispy and the vanilla ice cream inside is pretty standard. You can have the options of chocolate or strawberry sauce. Another treat for Grace. :)

The service was attentive especially on such a busy night. This is certainly a good deal and I highly recommend it.

MD's Italian Kitchen and Bar

2019-09-03T17:21:00.003+10:00

MD's Italian Kitchen and Bar, Fortitude Valley

Has anyone heard of the EatClub app? If not, I recommend downloading this app in your phone ASAP as this is where you can get some last minute discounts/deals from various restaurants! As I was lazy to prepare dinner one night, I stumbled upon a 40% discount for MD's Italian Kitchen and Bar.

Together with Mr, we made our way to the Valley/New Farm trying to locate this restaurant. As always parking in New Farm can be challenging and after a few rounds, we managed to find one. As we walked into the restaurant, it felt rather empty for such a big restaurant. There were about 4-5 other patrons that night.

Service was prompt and attentive that night. As we were pretty hungry, I was keen to eat. To start with, we had the garlic ciabatta ($12) with balsamic. They were toasted nicely but I thought the garlic flavour could be stronger.

Our next entree was the arancini balls ($18). The crumbed surface was crispy and the flavour combination of pork and cheese was quite good. It came together with a side of aioli or mayo on the side.

Now for our mains, I wanted to try both the pasta and pizza. We had the 'Fettuccine Al Granchino' ($30) which has the Australian crab meat, cherry tomatoes cooked in garlic and chilli sauce. The pasta was not what I had expected, the sauce rather watery and the crab meat does not taste like it was freshly picked out. We were quite disappointed.

As for the pizza, we ordered the 'Make your own pizza' with the toppings of spinach, sausage meat and pumpkin. It was quite a good pizza except for the pumpkin pieces. It had an odd taste to it (maybe marinated in something?) and it was still rather hard.

Overall, it was an average dining experience for both of us, mostly due to the mains and we probably have ordered the wrong choices. Well, the good service certainly made up for it.

Roti Place

2019-08-10T06:00:00.000+10:00

Roti Place, Brisbane CBD

Roti Place in the city has recently relocated to Charlotte St, replacing the old Little Singapore that was previously there. I have been to the old Roti Place years ago and it did not leave much impression on me then. However, I have heard good things about it recently and Mr and myself visited it after my doctor's appointment.

Being Malaysian myself, I do have some high expectations of Malaysian food in Brisbane. Roti Place boast in specialising in making roti in their open roti kitchen and I had to try their basic roti - roti canai ($5.50). It comes with one piece of roti with a side of curry gravy. As I was sitting opposite the open kitchen, I managed to see the skilful girl making the roti from scratch. The roti was not too bad, my serve was not particularly crispy or flakey unfortunately. I think the one at Pappa Rich was much more flakey and crispy. The curry gravy was quite nice and spicy.

As I have been craving for Prawn Noodle Soup aka har mee ($14.50) for quite a while now, I ordered this to share with the Mr. Unlike the photo from their website, the prawns in my noodle dish has already been de-shelled and de-veined. Hmm... the soup base of this har mee is all right. I thought the prawn based broth can be a little stronger.

Finally, we ordered the usual Char Koay Teow ($12.80) and it surprised me. Their CKT is actually a decent one and quite tasty. It came with seafood (prawns, squid and fish cakes) and as well as lap cheong aka Chinese sausage. I like it that their bean sprouts are still plump and crisp.

Overall, I think Roti Place do offer a satisfactory introduction to Malaysian food but the best would be to visit Malaysia especially Penang to try our local food! Hehe! The service was relatively attentive despite being a busy lunch session that day.

Koto Sanpo

2019-08-08T12:26:00.000+10:00

Koto Sanpo, Brisbane CBD

The second restaurant that we recently tried in FudoDori was Koto Sanpo. I am a big fan of anything matcha and was excited to be checking out this place. We arrived early around their opening hour of 11.30 am and they were already quite busy. We were seated and after browsing their extensive menu, Mr went to the counter for our order. As we were there for lunch, we ordered savoury meals rather than their sweets or desserts.

But first up, a drink of matcha is a must and for a basic matcha latte, there are options of white chocolate, yuzu honey, rocky road or even caramel matcha latte. I think it is best to try their basic matcha latte and it came in a rather huge ceramic bowl. I could not fault their matcha latte at all. The latte was creamy and most importantly, not overly sweet and there's still hint of bitterness of matcha which is how I like mine.

Now for our main meals, Mr tried their chicken karaage curry ($15.80) and surprisingly, the meal arrived fairly quickly. The karaage chicken was cooked in a cutlet form rather than small pieces which we would receive in other Japanese restaurants. While the flavour was there, it was not as crispy in comparison to the small chicken pieces. Their curry sauce was strong and not overly spicy.

As for myself, I ordered the 'Eel Bento box' ($22.80). The meal itself came in a lovely compartmentalised round plate with ingredients of fresh salmon sashimi, egg, beef on a piece of Adegashi tofu, pickles and my unagi! The eel/unagi was cooked well and I really enjoyed it. The rest of the condiments were quite good as well and I did enjoy my bento box. For $22.80, I thought it may be on the dearer side.

Overall, the food here in Koto Sanpo was quite good but possibly on the more expensive side in comparison to other Japanese restaurants. The service here was quite fast and approachable despite being newly opened. Now, hopefully we can return to try some of their desserts in the future considering I do not need to be that strict with my sugar/sweet intake post partum. :)

LuCha Kitchen + Bar

2019-08-03T07:00:00.000+10:00

LuCha Kitchen + Bar, Brisbane CBD

The old Elizabeth Arcade has been transformed to a 'FudoDori' meaning food street and LuCha is one of the first few to set foot in this lane. I have got no idea re this place until I suggested to Mr let walk past this area and see what is new.

LuCha has an opening offer that time which include 'Buy 1 drink and get the second one free'. Intrigued, we both went inside for lunch that day. While it may be busy that day, I thought the service was still prompt and friendly.

Looking through the menu, there are definitely a variety on the list ranging from different kind of rice or noodle dishes. I was definitely tempted to order their Signature LuCha Roast Chicken dish but worried that the servings size may be too big for the two of us.

In the end, we opted for their 'Seafood Laksa' which came with a variety of seafood including prawns, mussels, fish cakes and fish balls. The serving size was decent but thought the soup base was not as strong as I like. It tasted quite watery and missing the supposed creaminess in a laksa.

Our other main is the 'Roasted pork with rice' and while the portion size was adequate; the roast pork was quite fatty. I have had better roast pork and this was just average unfortunately.

As for our drinks, we had the rose milk tea which was not too bad, there was hint of rose in there. Our lychee drink was refreshing and not overly sweet.

I think there is potential for Lucha but we just ordered the wrong dish that day. I think the Signature LuCha Roast Chicken sounds very promising.

Jacaranda Coffee Lane

2019-07-30T09:00:00.000+10:00

Jacaranda Coffee Lane, West End

Last term, we enrolled Grace at Queensland Ballet and enrolled her in the Early Years Dance class, which she seems to enjoy. As we will be quite busy these coming months with a new addition, we decided to stop and hopefully restart again next term. As part of a celebration that she completed a term, we decided to have breakfast at Jacaranda Coffee Lane, after a visit at the West End Library! (Yes, trying to find excuse to eat out... )

We were thankful to have seats readily available that morning, and the service was prompt and friendly. I noted that there are some colouring pens/crayons available and Grace was happy to do some colouring (well, attempted to). The menu here is so interesting with some Asian influence and I could not wait to dig in! They also have kids meal available and ordered the 'Scrambled Eggs on cheesy toast' ($6.50) for Grace. Among other cafes, I think Jacaranda has the best value for kids meal.

Her scrambled eggs were generous for kids meal and Grace almost finished all of them. We usually request for her meals to arrive first and then for our meals to arrive, so that she will not be distracted by ours.

The Mr had the 'Jacaranda Signature Big Breakfast' ($18.50) that came with hash brown, roasted mushrooms, grilled tomato, tomato chutney, baked beans and eggs of your liking (scrambled for us); as well as choosing one of the main proteins - either bacon & chorizo, Taiwanese sausage & smoked pork belly or haloumi cheese & spinach. We opted for the combo of taiwanese sausage and smoked pork belly, which turns out to be an excellent choice.

As for myself, it was either the 'Crab omelette and potato' versus the 'Pla Goong - Chilli and Garlic King Prawn' and in the end, chose the former. This came with wrapped prawns on turkish bread with some drizzle of crab and prawn meat sauce, rice crisps and fried shallots. In honesty, I thought this was one of the best breakfast I had! Love the flavour of the sauce, and the crab meat was fresh and generous. Love it!

As I am staying away from coffee throughout the pregnancy, I ordered their black sesame drink which was very well balanced and not overly sweet. A tick from me!

After we have finished our meals, they gave us complimentary fruit dessert which I thought was very thoughtful. Jacaranda Coffee Lane is definitely worth a visit if you can!

Home Cafe Ashgrove

2019-07-26T07:00:00.000+10:00

Home Cafe Ashgrove, Ashgrove

Quite a while ago, Grace and myself went out for brekkie at Home Cafe before her weekly music class. We have driven past this cafe multiple times but have yet to set foot here. Parking can be tricky I think but we just parked next to a park or you could park outside Coles.

As we walked into the cafe, I was overjoyed to see a small children's play area with some toys. This has certainly got Grace excited! As we await for our meals, she kept herself occupied in the kid's playroom.

Yay for kid's menu! Among the choices, I ordered pancakes ($8.50) for her, and it came with two pieces of pancake with maple syrup. Grace managed to have some of the pancakes and I think she quite likes it. She can be rather picky with her food and I was just glad she ate them.

As for myself, I had the 'Crispy Potato Rosti' ($18.90) that came with pesto scrambled eggs, ham, relish and sour cream. The rosti was amazing as they were indeed very crispy! (Grace definitely much prefer my rosti than the pancake, hehe). The scrambled eggs were cooked well too. The serving size was pretty generous and I was definitely struggling to finish all of them.

Next time, I would love to try their 'Tsai Dor See' which is a Hong Kong style french style with peanut paste filling... which does sound amazing!

Home Cafe Ashgrove is definitely a place that we would return again.

Cheeky Poke

2019-07-22T20:42:00.001+10:00

Cheeky Poke, Newstead
If you were pregnant, what do you think you will most likely crave of? The list can be never ending, but I think the most common answer would be sashimi or some sort of raw fish... Agree? This is probably true for me and when I got an offer to dine at Cheeky Poke via Zomato Bne, I could not resist the offer!

Mr and myself both went there for lunch one day and were keen to get things rolling. First off, we started with their 'Taro crisps' which can be served with either wasabi mayo or beetroot hummus. We chose the wasabi mayo and it was well balanced, not overly spicy from the wasabi. The taro crisps were so addictive and we nibbled them all in no time.

Taro Crisps with wasabi mayo

Now to the mains! How could we not order a poke bowl in a Cheeky Poke bar? You can choose either their signature poke bowls or 'Make your own' poke bowls. When it comes to choices, I rather choose one of their signatures because I would not be able to decide on which proteins, bases (rice vs vege), salads and then the sauces... So we went with their Salmon signature poke bowls.

Salmon poke bowl

Yes, I could only enjoy the poke bowls by staring at the salmon sashimi. The poke bowls here came in a generous size and looks so well balanced in terms of colour, texture and flavour. I did however, try some of the individual components of the poke bowl and they were so fresh. Mr finished the whole bowl and commented how good it was, and he was pretty full after that (he is usually a big eater!). I can't wait to have mine after the delivery!

I was rather keen on their tacos and you can choose either the 'Nori Taco' or 'Wanton Taco' to start with. I was intrigued by their nori tacos and ordered the '3 for 20' with proteins of kingfish, chicken and tofu. They all have the same base of coconut turmeric rice, cabbage, avocado, pickled ginger and spring onions. The taco shells were crispy and overall, a delicious one!

Nori Tacos

As I was feeling a little under the weather that day, I ordered their 'Chicken Bone Broth' to hopefully improve on the cold symptoms. It came in a small cup and I assume we just sip it like that. Maybe I am more sensitive to saltiness in this pregnancy, but I found the broth to be way salty. Unfortunately I could not finish it. I think the broth will be better if I have ordered their chicken bone broth noodle soup instead.

Chicken Bone Broth

We love the atmosphere at Cheeky Poke in Newstead. I would definitely return to try their signature poke bowls and who knows after a few visit, I will start choosing the 'Make your own' option.

Snag and Brown

2019-07-05T13:23:00.000+10:00

Snag and Brown, Annerley

Like it's name, Snag and Brown focuses on sausages and hash browns/potatoes and who does not like this combination? I used to live around this area and seriously have not been to this cafe until when Mr and myself were down south to do some errand.

As it was on a weekday, it was not too busy and street parking was easy. They do have outdoor seating at the back of the cafe but as it was fairly warm and sunny, we just stayed indoor. They do have some basics in the menu but some obviously with snags (with vegan option as well) and browns.

Mr chose the 'Snag of the day' that came with their specialty hash brown (2 options to choose from), poached eggs, sourdough and some tomato and onion relish. I could not remember the flavour of the snag but I think it was beef based and he went with their original hash brown. The sausage was very flavourful and not overly dry. Their hash was amazing! It was so crispy and I have always enjoyed a housemade hash rather than a store bought ones.

As for myself, I decided on the 'Sicilian snag and eggs'. It is quite similar to baked eggs, with spicy Italian snag in Napoli sauce and ricotta cheese together with poached eggs, and toasts. Initially I thought the Napoli sauce was quite watery but to my amazement, after eating together with the ricotta cheese, the marriage of both flavours just wowed me. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and the spiciness level was not too overpowering. Loving this dish!

Being naughty, we ordered their 'Potato Twirls' - beer battered twirly potato wedges and it was my first time trying twirly wedges and it was so addictive! Gosh they were crispy and tasted better than plain wedges.

I was definitely full after this and could not finish my hot chocolate. Lucky Mr had a big appetite and we did not waste any food that day! ;)

It was a lovely brunch for both us and we used the voucher from Entertainment book, making it such a good deal.

Udonya Tokoton

2019-07-02T11:50:00.000+10:00

Udonya Tokoton, Sunnybank

I have walked past this Japanese restaurant but have never actually set foot until recently. I surely have been missing out on this little gem! It took some time to figure out their ordering system but it is really pretty straightforward.

You can start by deciding whether you want rice or noodles (soba vs udon) with the size of either Medium or Large and then proceed to adding some side dishes if you want to. The side dishes are all ready made and you can choose and pick whatever you like (obviously with additional cost for each item).

We took the in-laws that day and they are more interested in the side dishes and they chose some soft shell crabs, prawn tempura, kakiage (vegetable tempura), sweet potato tempura and also some fish cake like tempura. Who does not like tempura or fried food? They were all pretty tasty and still retained the crispiness.

As for the main meals, I ordered the large Karaage chicken rice bowl and a large beef soba noodles. With the addition of $2.50, we can get a mini udon bowl with every purchase of rice bowl. The servings were quite generous and the flavour fairly decent. Well, Grace definitely enjoyed her soba noodles and kept asking for more.

Overall a good experience for us and I am sure we will be making our way back there soon.

PS: the price is on the cheaper side for the main meals but definitely need to limit the side dishes as the price can get expensive.

Southside Bistro

2019-06-28T12:10:00.000+10:00

Southside Bistro, Sunnybank

On a rather early weekend, Mr and myself visited Southside Bistro prior to visiting the in-law. We normally visit the Asian breakfast places in Sunnybank and this time decided to give Southside Bistro a go, especially when we can utilise the Entertainment book voucher.

Their menu here is very enticing with Asian influenced dishes. I was definitely keen to try a few of them and in the end, I chose the 'Breakfast Puffle' just because I want some egg puffles! It is a fusion Asian breakfast (oolong egg tea, rice with Kimchi and also some pork floss) and was topped with deep fried youtiao (aka fried chinese bread stick). It all does sound good right?

Breakfast puffle

But I was quite disappointed with this dish... The puffle does not taste like it was freshly made, the rice was not warm enough (more like lukewarm for me) and overall, quite a dry dish with the sauce being only mayo. Hmm... my excitement has definitely dwindled down after this dish.

On the other hand, Mr had the 'crab omelette' which was definitely better than mine. Quite a generous amount of crab present and the dish was relatively simple but wishing there were more on his plate - as the portion size seems quite small.

Crab omelette

We have been to Southside Bistro a while ago but were there for dinner and I remember the food being much better. Hopefully this is just a once off episode as I do want to see them get better! Well at least, the taro latte was good!

Taro latte

Yuan's Wok

2019-06-26T07:30:00.000+10:00

Yuan's Wok, Kelvin Grove

I have walked past Yuan's Wok multiple times and they are usually busy with most diners being student. One day, I decided to give it a try while on the way back home. While Mr parked the car at the underground car park (free for 2 hours), I made the order at the counter.

Their menu is quite extensive and I was not too sure what to order, and in the end decided on the 'sweet and sour fish' with rice; and also the 'minced pork with pork belly' with the addition of pork meat ball soup.

Sweet and sour fish with rice

The meals arrived so quickly and Mr has not even arrived yet. You do wonder at times how did they prepare the meals so quickly (whether they have been pre-made or cooked on order). The vegetables (chinese cabbage with carrots) do looked like they have been pre-made.

Pork belly and minced pork with rice

The pork dish was not too bad, and I would say they are better than average. The sweet and sour fish was all right, the flavour on the milder side. Overall the meals here were okay and the price reasonable since they are targeting the students.

Will we be back? Probably not so soon, but keen to try their stir fry (rice or noodles) which seem to be more popular.

Little Red Dumpling

2019-06-20T16:28:00.000+10:00

Little Red Dumpling, Newmarket
The Newmarket Village has gone through a big transformation (well, a while ago now) and currently houses some decent places to eat. We have visited Sushi Edo there multiple times and on a lazy night, we decided to give Little Red Dumpling a go. Once seated, we were introduced to their ordering system via a tablet as it was our first visit.

The menu is pretty straightforward and to get things going, we ordered the chicken noodle soup for Grace. The portion was fairly generous and the chicken base soup was all right. Grace really enjoyed their noodles and could not stop slurping. In the end, we added a portion of noodles to our order so that we adults can have some as well.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Unsure what to order, we tried their banquet which came with entree of spring rolls and mixture of dumplings. We did not read the menu properly and thought we would have more entree serving! Imagine our disappointment but thankfully each of the entree was satisfactory and delicious.

Mixed Entree

As part of the banquet, dumpling of our choice was included and we tried the steamed pork dumplings. They were juicy, plump and bursting with flavour.

Steamed pork dumplings

And to end our banquet, we were served with ice cream bun - vanilla ice cream sandwiched between crispy fried buns. Overall a good experience dining in Little Red Dumpling, but for $21.80 per person for the banquet... it was definitely on the pricier side (for us, anyway). We were still hungry after that and had to get our second dinner from Zeus Street.

Ice cream bun

Deery's Restaurant and Smokehouse

2019-06-17T11:48:00.000+10:00

Deery's Restaurant and Smokehouse, Kangaroo Point
It is better late than never! Well, when it comes to blogging it seems that I have a cycle of stagnancy (due to work obligation) and the engine starts to rev again when I have some free time...

Mr and myself visited Deery's Restaurant back in February for early Valentine's Day celebration. With the in-laws looking after Grace, we took this opportunity to treat ourselves to hopefully some good food and let's see how our visit went at the Deery's.

One of Mr's favourite food is oysters and we ordered some that night. We went with both the natural oysters and the Kilpatrick version (for me). They were indeed fresh and lovely, and Mr was so satisfied (he certainly wished he ordered more!). Another of Mr's favourite is duck liver pate, and when he saw that on the menu, he could not resist it at all. Poor me, just watching him devoured the whole pate of his own and he was just smiling throughout.

Oysters - natural and Kilpatrick
Sourdough with dukkah
Pork belly lettuce cups

Duck liver pate

Not missing out on entree for myself, we also ordered the 'Pork Belly Lettuce Cups' which came with asian slaw, tomato and chilli jam. I love it! It was well balanced, and the lettuce and asian slaw added some freshness to the pork belly.

Now to our mains... My weakness is definitely 'Leg Duck Confit' and I can never say no to it. Apparently in Chinese culture, we are not supposed to consume duck meat when you are pregnant (not sure why), but I still went ahead with it which I did not regret at all. The meat was so tender and flavourful. It was a perfect dish for me pairing it together with morcilla sausage, mash, lentils and orange marmalade (a hint of it).

Leg Duck Confit

Mr's choice was the 'Rib fillet' cooked to medium, paired with potato and rosemary terrine, peas and bacon, with his usual mushroom sauce. Again, another excellent meal from Deery's and Mr could not be happier.

Rib fillet

Good chips!

We were certainly very full after our banquet at Deery's but luckily we had to walk some distance back to our car. Parking there can be quite miserable at times and we had to go a few rounds to find some street parking. The service at Deery's was attentive at first but once they got busy, it was sometimes difficult to get the staff's attention.

PS: We used the entertainment book voucher and looking forward to visiting this place again in the future!

Banh Mi Now

2019-06-14T10:42:00.002+10:00

Banh Mi Now, Brisbane CBD

Banh mi, the 'Vietnamese subway' is my go to comfort food or snack especially when I am pregnant. Well, I just order those without the pate, to reduce risk of listeriosis. I have been to Banh Mi Now multiple times, even the Mr knows to take away some when he drops by in the city.

We usually order their Crackling Pork belly banh mi because they are so damn delicious! I love the balance of their pickled carrots and radish, and sometimes think that is the best part in a banh mi. They give generous amount of the vegetables. Their crispy pork belly is flavourful and good as well. Overall a good combo in a fairly crusty baguette. Therefore, expect some crumbs on your clothes when you bite onto them! :)

My Street Food - Taste of Vietnam

2019-06-12T20:54:00.000+10:00

My Street Food- Taste of Vietnam, Woolloongabba

When you search hard enough, you will eventually find the right place for a delicious banh mi and it is located at My Street Food. One day, after dropping off the Mr in the southside, I made my way there. Parking was horrible as I did not know there was onsite parking. My persistence for parking finally paid off and I am so glad that I came here.

As it was still early (mid morning), there weren't any customers yet but you can straightaway sense that they are going to be busy once the rush hour arrives. They were busy preparing fresh vietnamese spring rolls and one of the chef was busy grilling heaps of grilled pork/pork chop!

As it was more for 'morning tea', I ordered their M.S.F. lemongrass grilled pork banh mi ($7.50) and immediately devoured them outside the shop. The grilled pork was flavourful and the overall banh mi was delicious. I did not save any for the Mr but bought some fresh spring rolls (the lemongrass pork) ($6.50) home. Their 'nuoc cham' dipping sauce or homemade style fish sauce was so well balanced and delicious with the spring rolls.

From now on, it will be my go to banh mi whenever I cross the river as I have found the banh mi's quality from Cafe-O-Mai has just dropped... I am also keen to try their other dishes here like their vermicelli salad.

Two Black Birds Cafe

2019-03-23T12:56:00.000+10:00

Two Black Birds Cafe, Brisbane CBD

We chanced upon this cafe after Grace's swimming class back in early January when most cafes are still having their holiday. While Mr finds a parking spot, I ordered 'The Butcher's Block' for him, and a ham and cheese croissant for Grace.

I was interested in their Matcha Latte ($5.50) which is made of coconut milk with sprinkles of cinnamon. It is definitely not the usual matcha latte that I had previously, this one more chai based... and I thought it was okay. Certainly much prefer the usual matcha latte.

The croissant came toasted and was quite good. Grace managed to have a few bites and we gave it a pass. The Butcher's block aka Big's Breakfast was generous. I like it that it came with house made baked beans and it was flavourful. The scrambled eggs were creamy and cooked to perfection. Overall, a very fulfilling meal.

They have other interesting dish on their menu that day, and this is one place that we most likely will return when we are back in the city. Thank you.