Soul Bistro

We would have liked to have taken at least a shot of this very simple eatery nestled at a corner of Milton Centro, but lunch was a little bit of a rush as we had an appointment to make after. The first time we tasted Chef Terry Leung's creations was way back in June 2006/7 as there was a X'mas promo on at their food & Soul restaurant at Auchenflower. We have been wanting to try his new venture- Soul Bistro for some time now and finally we've made it here....

Archive Beer Boutique Take 2

Archive's Schnitzle is really popular amongst the diners and we see why...THE SCHINITZ comprises of a large, moist, tender chicken breast deep-fried to perfection and served with creamy, chunky mushroom sauce and crispy thick-cut beer battered chips. It really is a very hearty dish...Burrrrrp!

Era Bistro

The London Club

Our very first visit to The London Club was probably a good year back, on the inaugural day of the Teneriffe festival. Honestly, we don't remember what we had then but we didn't recall it to be a bad experience and so we made plans for a revisit with a friend this very day for brunch.

The Chelsea Bistro

Off to The Barracks today for a simple speedy lunch and we were once again lured back to The Chelsea. The last time we visited, this dining precinct only recently opened and we were there for dinner with friends. Unfortunately, we were placed to sit outdoors again and yes i did overhear a few lunch bookings. We would have loved to sit indoors in the elegant saloon like interior...next time remember to make a reservation!

We started with an Asahi dry and a Redbank sparkling. There is a decent selection of wines and this is where they "double-up" as a wine bar alongside a menu of small nibbles/plates.

What great love for turkey and cranberry sandwiches maybe to Miss food hunter is exactly what steak sandwiches are to Mr food hunter. So bingo...a Steak sandwich for him and a Bruschetta for her was on the order. The salad of endive, nectarine, jamon iberico and buffalo ricotta sounded equally tempting!

The steak sandwich consisted of flat mushrooms topped with melted blue cheese, rocket, steak and grilled onions. It was an OK sandwich.  The meat cut was a piece of round steak which is not one of my favourites as it can be a little flavourless and fibrous.  I like the idea of blue cheese on steak but in this combination, it felt overwhelming and monotoned, which simply didn't work for me. What it really needed was a slice of tomato or some relish to give it a bit of acidity.  Sorry if I appear too critical but I DO love a good steak sandwich!

The Bruschetta of fig, stilton, rocket and aged balsamic had an overall clean simple flavour. Personally, the combination is a classic winner. I am not a big eater to start and lately, i am served portions that are pretty small. I love Levain bread and wished that i had slightly thicker slices in the bruschetta. I literally had 2 small slices, one of which was absolutely thin. I swopped one for Mr food hunters top sandwich slice so the meal could be somewhat satisfying. Perhaps also, another half a fig more and non-yellow leaves??

Our feelings are somewhat mixed about The Chelsea. The menu looks exciting, service prompt and attentive but unlike the first visit, this time we left a little less impressed.

The Chelsea Bistro

61 Petrie Terrace

The Barracks

Opens daily

Egg Bistro

Woolloongabba is an area we are not too familiar with, so when Miss food hunter suggested we try Egg Bistro, I am always adamant that she has clear instructions to get there. Alas, even with directions in hand we still managed to drive pass this very inconspicous eatery.  So for our readers we decided to take a roadside picture to help with the spotting.

Eggbistro is located on a busy main road, so we were a little uneasy about how much we might enjoy the atmosphere with so much traffic beside us.  Thankfully once we stepped in, we were well isolated from the busy world outside.  The decor inside is warm and relaxing with soulful music in the background to further set the mood.  There is the option of sitting in the courtyard behind, which is great on a cool night. 

Egg Bistro offers a concise menu of entrees and mains, with a few additional specials. We ordered the Lamb Rump with white polenta and shakshouka and a Chicken Brie sandwich for lunch. The Goat's curd with roast tomatoes & toast must have been a popular choice for breakfast as we first opted for the goat's curd risotto and had already sold out.

The Lamb Rump was a well though out dish as the components worked together and were cooked perfectly.  A nice sticky jus in combination with the flavours of the morrocan spiced shakshouka created a lively well-balanced sauce for the lamb rump. Sitting beneath the rump is a white polenta mash that is lightly-seasoned for a reason.

The Chicken sandwich was composed simply of a grilled chicken fillet, brie, cos lettuce, slices of avocado and a light spread of mayonnaise. As a lover of sandwiches, the use of crusty polenta bread (our guess) was a good change to other leavened breads and the aged brie provided a nice subtle pungency. But at a cost of $16.50, which is expensive for a simple sandwich, one would expect either more substantial fillings or an additional side salad.

Overall, we love the ambience, the concept of the food, the execution, the service and it is really a pleasant place to return to. But we would wish for slightly increased portions with both dishes or adjusted pricing for lighter meal options and particularly so, for a lunch service.

Yes, we did linger on a little longer with a solid cuppa Genovese cappuccino and affogato....

Egg Bistro
989 Stanley street East
East Brisbane

Simpatico Bar Bistro

This was our second visit to Simpatico (pre-flood) but this time it was for a mid-week lunch instead of a friday night dinner. It seems that reservations are essential particularly, for dinner hours as this little Paddo eatery was filling up fast even on a wednesday afternoon!

Simpatico just like Crosstown Eating House and Sardine Tin, embraces a share food concept. There is a concise selection of wines offered by the glass which is updated regularly i.e. good. We enjoyed all the dishes previously and were gearing up for that same tastebud excitement with a different seasonal menu.

We had some italian pane as sides, which was decent in serving and "chewy" the way we like it. Shortly after, the seared scallops arrived. They were 4 plump, juicy, caramelized scallops sitting atop a bed of micro greens and corn. They were cooked beautifully and the only minor gripe we had was the heavy hand of hazelnut dressing. Perhaps, less of the oil dressing or more greens and crab meat??

The duck breast was cooked equally well, moist with a tinge of tender pinkness! It was served with a salad of baby leaves, mango chunks and bean sprouts, drizzled with an asian sweet sauce.

Service was friendly, attentive and efficient...we know this when our water is topped without having to ask. Overall, consistent food standards, an inspiring menu, good wine all in a relaxed atmosphere. And hey, having dinner served at the bar on our previous visit was not BAD either!

Simpatico Bar Bistro Espresso
Cnr Given & Latrobe Terraces
Paddington
Opens lunch & dinner Tues to Sat
Breakfast Sat & Sun

Archive Beer Boutique

We visited Archive Beer bistro sometime end of last november for an early weekday lunch and as it was sometime ago this shall be a short post. We opted to sit alfresco as it was beautiful weather. After placing our orders at the front counter we headed to the bar for a glass of beer on tap and a sparkling.

Shortly, our orders of a Rib fillet burger and a Grilled Prawn and avocado salad arrived. The Rib fillet was tender and the chips were golden and crunchy. With the salad, the mixed greens were fresh and abundant in a citrusy dressing. The prawns were plump and were grilled to the extent that we could munch the juicy sweet heads and ingest the legs! Yum!

Overall, Archive serves quality pub food and next time we shall return night to check out the atmosphere and sample their "Bistro styled" dishes. According to the Archive website, there may be a new head chef at the helm now.

Archive Beer Boutique & Bistro
100 Boundary St
West End