Simon's Gourmet Gallery

Simon's gourmet gallery is both a deli market and cafe.  Located along busy Moggil road we have often driven past this place without noticing as its pretty inconspicous.  On a trip to Baskin Robbins, Miss food hunter took note of this smallish but well-stocked gourmet market and had to make a return to their attached cafe. So, there we were this very afternoon...

Bamboo Basket

A sunday family lunch out at Bamboo Basket turned out really well. Now that there is temporary undercover parking at $8 for the first 3 hrs, made it less of a hassle to dine at Southbank. We passed the peak lunch hour and scored the biggest 10-seater round table with a lazy susan...perfect for a feast of dishes, which was exactly what we had-a banquet for 6 adults! 

Fundies Whole Foods Cafe

Mr food hunter felt like going vego for lunch today, which is extremely rare for him. Oh finally...Miss food hunter jumped happily at the opportunity and suggested to visit Fundamental Organics that has been long on her wishlist.

Shanghai Noodle House

Shanghai Noodle House serves up reasonably priced rice set dishes for around $10. This includes 2 daily vegetable dishes and for a few extra dollars you get to build your own small cold platter of up to 3 types of cold dishes. This was exactly what Mr food hunter went for.

Vietnam Corner BBQ

In celebration of Mr food hunter's sister-in-law's return from a long holiday, the clan of 6 + Miss food hunter arranged for a simple dinner out. We were looking at share food-type places and thought Sunnybank was the way to go. Vietnam Corner is more adjacent to Sunnybank plaza then in the plaza itself. It really is at a corner of a lower ground parking complex but don't be put off by this, there are many other eateries and an Asian provision store around and it ain't shabby at all!

Cream Patisserie Boulangerie

YaY! We scored yet another treat from Mr food hunter's elder brother. Yesterday, he took 4 little piggies out to town...haha not quite, but close enough to town for lunch. Mr and Miss food hunter last visited Cream a good few years back and we still remember the decadent Chocolate Dianne cake and the luscious fresh fruit tart we had. It is about time we checked ourselves in for an update!

Chase the Rider

You know the feeling of sometimes wanting to start a day in a relaxed quiet surrounding, tucking into a light breakfast as opposed to indulging in a heavy one, while sipping your favourite cuppa?? There are countless number of little cafes that have sprung up in suburban areas, melding amongst residential houses and providing that needed little "pick me up" to the locals. The great thing is these cafes actually do take pride in making good coffee and Chase the Rider satisfies all that!

Cru Bar + Cellar

Before the storms came through today, it was sweltering ~ 35 degrees C heat so we made quick decision on Cru Bar to relax, cool off, chill with some drinks and fill up on some nosh. Today, Miss food hunter finally made it out with Mr food hunter and his 2 brothers, the more the merrier!

Sushi Rail

Mr food hunter was looking for something a little lighter to eat for lunch, having had quite heavy meals lately, so Miss food hunter decided to try a new sushi conveyor at Salisbury. We do love our sashimi but to be honest, we did not come with high expectations in an industrial area like this. However, we thought it is new and why not give it a chance...

Hog's Breath Cafe

A surprise visit from Mr food hunter's younger brother became an impromptu excuse to go out and have a MAN'S meal of steak with the brothers.  Brisbane is really spoilt for choice when it comes to steak places and everyone of them claims to be the best.  Mr food hunter's happy experiences with steak houses first began at Hog's Breath Milton and I will admit it has been a good many years since last visiting.  A good oppurtunity then to revisit and see if Hog's breath has kept their standards.

Pearl Cafe

As it is the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, which marks the last day of the LNY celebrations, we found a perfect excuse to treat ourselves to a nice lunch at Pearl Cafe. My friend had  informed me she had made a reservation earlier and we now understand why it was necessary to do so.

LiuJi Chinese Restaurant

This used to be Yahoo Seafood Restaurant specializing in chinese malaysian cuisine and now it has become LiuJi Chinese Restaurant. We noticed the change round about a month ago as we frequent Just Soy Cafe located directly below them. Their huge flagging signs of lunch specials at $7.90 seemed to suggest perhaps only a change in management? We dined at Yahoo a few times both lunch and dinner and enjoyed it, so we thought to pop in to see what the new changes may be.

Just Soy Cafe 2

Here is the round up from Just Soy's, we would have a few more extra pictures to put up but the camera was sometimes forgotten erm... when gluttony prevails.

Sweeties Paradise 2

We really do love our chinese desserts and can't get enough of them so here is a round up of probably a fortnight's worth of them. We have blogged about Sweeties Paradise and Just Soy before and here is an insight to the other goodies available.....

Shinbashi Yakiniku

Last saturday, we were out with a team of four inclusive of Mr food hunter's brother and sister. Where do you go for lunch when there is more than the usual 2 suspects; now presenting the opportunity to enjoy a greater variety of dishes and have fun simultaneously when eating?? To the BBQ House that is! We have been to a few good korean bbq restaurants, but this time we moved eastwards, off to the land of the rising sun- Japan.

Pho 99

When Miss food hunter first arrived in Brisbane for her undergrad studies, the only place she'd usually head to for Vietnamese food would be West End but all that has changed since being introduced to Inala and Darra. Inala is really the hub for the Vietnamese community and it is of no surprise to see 'that' many viet restaurants and cafes dotted along the periphery of the center.

Suunybank Oriental

Suunybank Oriental is where we go to when we hanker for some crusty bottom claypot rice. In Brisbane, we only know of 2 places that offer claypot rice on their menu, the other being Laksa Hut in Toowong. Service here is swift and you need not wait long for the claypot dishes to arrive.

Shin Yuan

Shin Yuan is probably one of the smallest eatery in Sunnybank Market Square but size does not matter, food is churned out quickly from the little kitchen for both streaming diners and busy take-aways. Aside from neighbouring Half Time Tea Bar, Shin Yuan is another favourite taiwanese restaurant of ours!

Mr food hunter just checked out with 2 fillings from the dentist so he had to forgo his default order of deep fried chicken fillet rice. He returned to ordering taiwanese Beef Brisket noodles and Miss food hunter had the "Gong Wan" soup with rice.

Beef noodle soup is infamous in Taiwan and though we may not have visited the country, we have tried a fair number of taiwanese beef noodle soups from around the sunnybank and calamvale areas for good comparisons. We do not have a strong preference for one or the other. In fact, we appreciate the fact that every taiwnese restaurant is somewhat different in their spice (star anise, cloves, chillies, pepper) level and unctuousness of their broth. Shin Yuan's is a lighter rendition without a greasy mouthfeel but by no means shy of spice.

"Gong Wan" according to google searches translates to big meat balls mainly constituting of pork. Shin Yuan's i suppose is a fish and octopus version and they are shaped like squid tubes rather than balls. Six huge, plump and resilient "balls" sit in a thick savoury broth of chinese cabbage, bamboo shoots, shitake mushrooms and black fungus, drizzled with a little scallion oil. The broth has savoury notes similar to that of the japanese dashi / bonito. There is a noodle alternative too.

Shin Yuan like most other taiwanese restaurants offers a wide array of noodle and rice dishes accompanied with a daily selection of vegetables (3 types). Majority of their menu items are a little under $10 and with their generous servings, this place makes for really good value!  

Shin Yuan Restaurant

Shop 14 341 Mains road

Market Square

Sunnybank

Mundo Churrasco

Miss food hunter had to attend a conference and too bad for her today's lunch she will be m.i.a. But beforehand, she made a recommendation for the carnivorous i.e. yours truly and my brother to Mundo Churrasco. Having heard about what makes a typical Brazillian BBQ, we thought well well....this was going to be a unique dining experience!

The place is quite large and can easily accomodate 50+ people.  Our waitress was quite friendly and explained how the restaurant is run and recommended that the churrasco lunch would be the best (and most popular) option for first timers there.  The churrasco lunch is a buffet style option where the meats are brought out to you along with the accompaniments.  It's nice to see a decent wine menu with plenty of by the glass options along with a few beer choices too.

Skol a brazilian beer for my brother and a nice frosty Carona for Mr food hunter!

The meat is brought to you on giant swords/skewers and cut at your table.  The red meat options are cooked to varying degrees on the sword so you can chooose whether you prefer a piece rare or more well done.  Having a giant sword of meat at your table is really what sets brazilian food apart as it is simply a fun sight!

Mmmmm I like it rare!

To be honest, I didn't really like the fact that the meats are not marinated or rubbed in any spices other than salt and pepper.  According to our waitress its the special red gum charcoal that the meats are cooked over which makes it special as its meant to give a more earthy taste.  We couldn't detect any more earthy taste over using normal charcoal, but it still tasted good to us.  It was tender, juicy and full of flavour. The chicken on the other hand, was dry and overcooked.

The sausages I didn't enjoy, the linguica (mixed pork and beef) tasted a bit like liver and is quite strong in paprika.  The chicken sausage was quite ordinary.

You get a large spread of accompainiments which complemented all the different meats and sausages, some of which are quite interesting...

I loved the cheese bread and this was a different interpretation from what we are usually used to.  The bread interior is in some way mixed with cheese which contributed to its chewiness and the hard outer skin adds to its uniqueness.

This one is cassava root.  It tasted somewhat similar to semolina and according to our waiter, it is eaten with things that are 'juicy' meaning you can mix it with the juices from the moist meats or with salads.  We also found it nice mixed with rice!

On the whole, the Mundo experience was quite unique, very enjoyable and a must try at least once! Dinner times can get quite busy and especially hectic over weekend nights  (the meats do run out!) so if you are looking for a calmer dining experience, guaranteed variety of meats and more attentive service, lunch is recommended. Do note that the dinner menu has added meat options.

Mundo Churrasco
63 MacGregor Terrace
Bardon
Opens mondays to sundays
           Lunch 12 to 230pm
           Dinner 530 to 930pm

Flute

We have not ventured into Rosalie since the floods but we thought to write a short post as old photos of food do bring back fond eating memories ;) We were truly reminiscing the great flavours and presentations of food churned out at Flute and the energetic service provided. Still clear in our heads, it was a very busy saturday morning when we visited Flute and it was right after shopping at Baroona road's first ever farmers market.

And so onto our meals, we ordered the Mushrooms on Toast with roasted garlic, thyme and port reduction, poached eggs and crusty toast and the Savoury French Toast with salt & pepper grape tomatoes, bulgarian sheeps milk fetta and honeyed bacon. 

The servings were huge and were towering high! The mushrooms came with sourdough toasts and were pan-fried in a style that was somewhat more asian in taste due to generous amounts of chopped spring onions. The wine reduction was still prominent nonetheless and oh..the poached eggs reminded me of UFO saucers!

There was freshness on this plate of savoury french toasts provided by the plump sweet grape tomatoes. Instead of thick white toasts, ciabatta was used which is a welcoming alternative. Bacon and honeyed- a perfect canadian classic, was thick and plentiful. Though it may not be cooked till crisp, it was still very enjoyable! The buglarian fetta which wasn't the typical overly salty kind, complemented the dish very well in terms of flavour and texture.

Roaslie houses quite a number of good cafes and restaurants and this is perhaps the best time to do a little more re-visiting!

Flute

Shop 3 155 Baroona road

Rosalie

Made in Africa



We wanted something different for lunch today and having read good reviews on a few African restaurants, we decided to head  down to Moorooka, a suburb that we have never actually visited! For starters, neither of us are familiar with African cuisine and along the way there, we wondered whether we were going to have dishes that tasted somewhat like Indian curry....erm... as their eating styles are quite similar?? We have read about the common use of Berbere spice and the traditional Injera bread and so we really looked forward for whats to come!

Made in Africa serves Ethiopian cuisine.  The place is quite small, seating about 20 and is quite dark inside.  The walls are dotted with ethiopian art and african music is played in the background. After a quick look over the menu Miss food hunter decided on the Lentil Stew and Mr food hunter chose the Tibes Wot.


Tibes Wot $14.90

According to the description on the menu Tibes Wot is a lamb or beef sauteed in herb butter seasoned with onions, green pepper and rosemary.  The dish seemed promising as the aromas of herbs wafted from the plate but once I tucked in, it became a bit disapointing.  Mainly the biggest issue with this dish is the lack of herbs and funny as it may sound, one portion of the lamb was strong in herbs and the other was bland. Non-uniformity in stirring? The rice used is quite similar to basmati and was coated in the butter (probably ghee) which brought the dish together.

Lentil Stew $13.95

Some sourdoughs can get quite tangy but honestly, i have never had bread that tasted this sour and personally, i rather enjoyed it! Injera is a large crepe like yeasted bread that looks rather greyish with a soft springy texture and with this dish, there were 2 rolls, plenty for mopping up the stew. The lentils were cooked in cardamon and onion but i couldn't detect either of them nor could i detect any other spice. Was onion juice used instead and only a sprinkle of cardamon used? In fact, the lentils were rather tangy and that made the whole dish monotonously sour. I have not a clue what Ethiopian lentil stew should taste like and shall rest my case here...a note here, don't be expecting punchy spiced lentils here.

After lunch, our first thoughts were we had to try other African restaurants to make a decent comparison. We went away feeling a little disappointed and felt that the price didn't quite justify the meals that were served. Also, we didn't see Berbere on the menu!!

Made in Africa

Shop 8 -9 Ranchhold Arcade

197- 201 Beaudesert road

Moorooka

Opens monday 10am to 6pm

           tuesday to saturday 10am to 10pm

           sunday 11am to 6pm

Bar Merlo Southbank

We simply love Merlo coffee and we appreciate the fact that a good cuppa is almost always guaranteed from every Merlo bar, thanks to their well-trained baristas. Apart from their quality coffee, their freshly prepared spread of light lunch offerings from the cabinet do very much please the eye....and then the tummy...

A Cajun Chicken Wrap for him and a Roast Beef Grain Sandwich for her was on the roll. Both the wrap and the sandwich were nicely warmed and toasted. They were indeed chunky with plenty of meat and all under $10, they are certainly of good value and surely there won't be any signs of three-thirtyitis!!


Rost Beef w' Horseradish

Grilled Chicken w' Yoghurt



Bar Merlo Southbank
Shop1D Southbank Institute of Technology
66 Ernest street
South Brisbane
Opens monday to friday 6am to 2pm