Little Larder, New Farm

Last Sunday, we met up with our friend for lunch at the Little Larder, a popular cafe on Moray St. The meeting was set at 1230pm but we suspected the usual queue-up on the weekend and headed over twenty minutes earlier. Little larder is a simple decked out cafe with a cosy bustling atmosphere. We were quickly served menus and water upon seating. The menu has the usual all day breakfast and a sizeable lunch menu that features their twist on salads, sandwiches and pastas.

From the breakfast menu, we ordered the crispy polenta with poached eggs avocado and hollandaise sauce ($14) and a side order of pork sausages (2 pcs- $5) for extra indulgence and our friend ordered the french toast with grilled bananas and maple syrup ($12). We also ordered the smoked salmon with capers on turkish bread ($11), swopping the cream cheese for their home-made tomato relish, from the lunch menu.

True to its description, the polenta coating was indeed crispy! The inside of the polenta cake was light and fluffy and subtly seasoned which works perfectly when eaten with the rest of the dish. Eggs were poached perfectly, the hollandaise was smooth and creamy and as for the sausages, they were just typical.

Our friend's french toasts arrived as a huge stack of alternating toasts and bananas. Often, french toasts are served drowning in maple syrup so its a nice touch to have a bottle of 100% maple syrup brought seperately, alongside the dish. There were no complaints and the meal was wolfed down pretty quickly so its always a sign of a good dish!

The smoked salmon turkish (as with all sandwiches in the menu) comes with a side serve of balsamic salad greens. The turkish toast was standard spread with mayonnaise, the smoked salmon was to my personal liking- not overly oily and the tomato relish is always a hit. I liked this combination i.e. without the cream cheese but it may not be for everyone. Only towards the middle of my meal that i realised the capers missing...guess it did not matter...Previously, i had their roast beef sandwich and in comparison, that rates higher in my opinion.

Subtly spiced chai with honey

Whenever we visit Little Larder, we know we never leave disappointed. The waitstaff is friendly and attentive and there is plenty of street parking available which is great for frequent visits!!

Little Larder
76 Moray St New Farm Brisbane QLD
Open Mon-Sun

Edamame, St. Lucia

Our first post (hooray) though not our first visit is, to this popular japanese restaurant near the University of Queensland.  Having studied at the university we both have visited this little restaurant often.  Grabbing a bite to eat between those long class breaks or meeting up with friends at night, this is a great place to grab some tasty japanese.

The menu is comprised of cooked japanese dishes so if your looking for sashimi or sushi rolls best head elsewhere.  You can find appertizers such as edamame, grilled skewers, okonomiyaki and teriyaki chicken wings to main meals of noodles (ramen) of various soup bases and an assortment of rice dishes such as teriyaki, curry, tonkatsu, tempura etc. There is also Asahi on offer too if you feel like a quencher.

On this occasion we ordered the teriyaki fish fillet rice ($11.90) and the chicken katsu curry rice ($10.80). First things first, Edamame takes great pride in presenting their dishes and they have maintained this since they first opened doors a few years back. Going back to the dishes, the fish was skillfully cooked, it was moist and flaky and had a few streaks of good char (aburi style) on them. The teriyaki sauce is unique and is unlike your typical teriyaki flavour you find in standard food court fare or bottled sauces. It has somewhat of a worscestershire tang to it and there is a pool of this flavoursome sauce to go with the generous serving of sticky jap rice.



The most important thing about a good curry rice is the sauce. Edamame has created one which really hits the spot! The sauce has that perfect amount of spice and heat which doesnt overpower you in the first couple of spoonfuls, but as you eat the heat slowly builds up in your mouth.  Making that Asahi the perfect accompaniment.  I love the use of chicken thighs in the katsu as opposed to chicken breast as there is so much more flavour in these tender morsels of meat.  The panko crumbs surrounding the thighs are well seasoned in spices and are light and crunchy. 

The food here is always worthy of a return visit but there a few things to note.  The food tends not to be served at the same time so you may have to watch your companions dig in first. On average it takes more than 20 minutes for the first dish to appear. Also, the seating is a little crammed and is only ideal for small gatherings.

Edamame

2/224 Hawken Drive, St Lucia Brisbane QLD

Open for lunch & dinner 7 days a week