Pizza on Earth

An easy-to-follow video on how to make pizza dough.

Riverbend Cafe

We went to Riverbend cafe for brekky on my b'day this year. We had always wanted to go into this quaint little bookshop/cafe for a meal but never got around to it.

They had the usual array of breakfast options but the menu and the staff had a definite "West End" feel to them. Maybe it was the brades! :P

The dinning area was outdoors on a deck surrounded by somewhat of a bamboo forest that gave it that nice soothing feeling, detaching it from the bustling oxford street right outside.

The food was pretty good and nicely presented. The staff were very helpful. We both had the scrambled eggs. Mine was augmented with sausages and bacon. The price ranged from around $14 to $23 (for my augmentation, which was around 5 sausages and 3 rashers of beacon. One of each was probably what I wanted!).

The hightlight of the day though was the hot chocolates we had ordered. It came in a small cup full of chocolate bits which you then had to melt with the supplied hot pot of milk! The result was a yummy hot chocolate which was also fun to make! :)

Highly recommended.... even if you only go there for the hot chocolate! :)

Rating: 4/5

193 Oxford St,
Bulimba
Sunday to Tuesday:8am-5pm
Wednesday to Saturday:8am-late

Rava Dosai

This is an amazing recipe for dosai minus the overnight fermentation step. Brilliant if you want dosai now and opposed to tomorrow night. Sanjay's presenting is excellent and is really funny!

We made this the other night and were not disappointed! :)

Please enjoy! :)

Maple 3 Cafe

This cafe is situated down maple street in Maleny (#3 Maple street to be exact!) This cafe has a nice outdoor deck area with a view of maple street and the new woolworths! (How exciting!) and a tree which sports the sign "Woolworst" close by. :) They have a large indoor area as well.

I ordered a beefy stew and Annie ordered a cheesy pumpkin tart both which cost around $15 each. The food was good but not spectacular. We also had 2 hot chocolates which were quite nice.

One of the reasons we went into this cafe, was that, all the other restaurants in town had closed for the day! So if you are out and about in Maleny and are stuck for a place to eat Maple 3 is worth a look.










Rating: 6/10

3 Maple St
Maleny
07 5499 9177

Poet's Cafe

We recently visited the rather quaint city of Montville and stopped by the Poet's Cafe for some lunch. The cafe was hussling and bussling and generally full - which is always a sign of a good restaurant. The decore was bright and pleasing.

I had the Lamb Korma ($23) which was excellent and served with rice and Papads, while Annie had the Soup of the day which was a spicy pumpkin soup with a Thai twist to it (around $15).

The food and the ambiance are highly recommended!

A fun little cafe to visit if you are ever up Montville way.




Rating: 7/10

Poets Restaurant and Café
167 Main Street
Montville
Phone: (07) 5478 5479

The Himalayan Cafe

Tibetan and Nepalese Restaurant

I have wanted to return to this restaurant for over five years but hadn't gotten around to it until a few Saturdays ago when Sanj and I went with my bro and his girl, Hannah. I can't wait to go back again because the food was delicious, the atmosphere excellent and the price was great!

We didn't book early enough to get seating in the back section (which is the cool section with great decor and cool seats from what I remember) but out the front was still fantastic. We arrived for a 7.30pm seating and the place was packed. After finding our seats (with cushions - i always love a cushion or two).... we set about ordering. I was delighted to have so many vegetarian options to choose from and we also settled on a few breads to share!

The breads were excellent and we also ordered a dip to come with it - sooo yumm!! The name of the dip escapes me but it was wonderful.... so very worth remembering.. (oh well!) And as luck would have it I have a menu here and it's no wonder I forgot the name of it... it's called "Traditional Dipping Sauce for Bread" ... straight to the point.... and yum yum yum :)

For the main I had the Organic Tofu Curry for $13.95 which was sweet and very fudilishus!!! Sanj had the Nupalya Sayala for $17.00 a mixture of beef and hot himalayan spices. and Sam and Hannah had a selection of meaty dishes that they shared and enjoyed...



Nepaya Khayala

After this first visit it was less than two weeks ago that Sanj and I returned on a weeknight and had yummier dishes than our previous visit. Sanj had the Nepaya Khayala for $17,95, a chicken dish of mixed spices and a coconut cream (and a few other things too I'm sure :)) that he thoroughly enjoyed (much more than on our previous visit)....


Dal Bhat Tarkari Ra Saag

I had a different meal too (so not like me - usually i have the same thing again and again if I am happy the first time) and enjoyed it as much too. I had the Dal Bhat Tarkari Ra Saag for $18.95 which was a vegetarian platter of lentils, vegetable curry, apple yoghurt and shimpu kwha serviced with good ole jasmine rice.... And they even let us take our uneaten portions home.... I love it when a place does that when you have loved the meal!

All this talk about these fantastic meals is making me hungry (despite the fact I JUST ATE... :)) Oh the power of the tastiness of the food from Himalayan Cafe..... I am keen to return yet again... maybe be more organised this time and book for the back seating section :)

I would rate this place 9/10

You can find it:

Himalayan Cafe
640-642 Brunswick Street
New Farm
Phone: 3358 4015

Gino's Italian Restaurant

Have you ever felt the need to invent a gastronomic time machine? If you are anything like me and find yourself occasionally craving the artery blocking cheesy goodness of the Italian Family Food of your youth, then Gino's in Hamilton, Brisbane is the place for you.

"Retro Italian" is best represented here with generous family portions that encourage sharing - generally baked in a béchamel sauce that rivals that of your mum's.

Gino's has a relaxed feel to the busy restaurant, and while they claim to seat "200+" you cannot help to shake the feeling that you are sitting in Nanna's kitchen. The decor is basic "no frills", but polite floor staff and efficient service make you feel like the valued customer that you oh so deserve to be.

The "baked spaghetti" (I told you... retro) was a dish my husband could not resist. It came to our table straight from the oven, and while we both had a desire for it to be a little more "tomatoey", was hot, hearty and cheesy.

I was apprehensive to order a pizza since my food scan of other people's meal choices on entry showed what looked to be a solid, and over cooked rendition. Nevertheless we risked a traditional marguerita (ham, olives, anchovies and additional mushrooms). It arrived looking burnt but closer inspection revealed a tasty combination with just enough topping on a base as light as a feather. The slices remained super tasty long after the heat subsided.

Ultimately, Gino's is not somewhere you would go if you are looking for wood-firing or gourmet pasta. If you want a hearty relaxed meal it is a great option. The take away service was also doing a roaring trade.

The basic fare is a little pricey - $20-$22 for mains that could feed an army, $16 for the pizza that is really a single serve, but when you see that the packed Gino's is smack bang in the middle of affluent Hamilton / Ascot, you think that the owners deserve the extra $4 a serve that they are charging.

We will definitely give Gino's another shot when our tummies eventually empty.

Cheesy, Cheery, Comfortable - Gino's Traditional Italian Restaurant - 7/10


Gino's Traditional Italian Restaurant
468 Kingsford Smith Drive
Hamilton
http://www.ginosrestaurant.com.au
Ph: 3268 5366

Tues-Sun

Posted by Alison (the first of what has just become a new addiction)

Aromas

We lunch in this cafe on Hastings Street, in Noosa recently. The atmosphere is very casual and you get either a view of Hasting Street or a view of some funky water fountains, depending on which side of the restaurant you sit on.

The lunch menu was mostly made up fanciful items such as quail, salmon steaks and the like and we were hard pressed to find something "normal" on the menu. I finally settled on a Chicken baguette and Annie had a garden salad and a bowl of chips. We got 2 lemon-lime and bitters to go with it. The food was a little expensive. For example, the bowl of chips was $9!!

The baguette was average. The real highlight, as funny as it sounds, were the chips! :) They were coated with a somewhat sweet crusting and the aioli was excellent! The garden salad was about average as well. The lemon-lime and bitters were were excellent too!

I would recommend this cafe based on it's drinks, chips and excellent location on Hastings Street.

Rating: 6/10








[There were 2 baguettes. I unfortunately ate 1 before I took this pic]



Aromas - Modern Australian
32 Hasting Street
Noosa
07 5474 9788

Pizza Italiana

A pizza with a spice tomato base, topped, with veggies and ham.

Steps

1. Prepare/buy a pizza base
2. Apply the spice pizza sauce with a basting brush.
3. Add sliced mushrooms in a circular fashion starting from the outside working inwards with each rotation.
4. Sprinkle thinly-sliced green capsicum
5. Sprinkle coarsely chopped semi-dried tomatoes
6. Sprinkle some coarsely cut champagne ham (optional)
7. Add a few generous shakes of mixed italian herbs [mixture of Marjoram, Basil, Red Bell Peppers, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsely and Thyme].

We found that adding in the herbs, just before the cheese, as opposed to directly on the base, brought out flavours of the spices much more.

8. Add your pizza cheese.
9. Pop in the oven/Pizza oven
10. Enjoy! :)


Before



After

Spicy Pizza Sauce

Keeping in line with all the pizza-related posts, here is my "spicy pizza sauce":

Mix the following in a bowl:

1. 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce.
2. 1 tablespoon of chili sauce
3. 1 teaspoon of Leggo's Basil Pesto (or any other Pesto me thinks)
4. 1/2 a teaspoon of olive oil
5. Salt and pepper
6. A sprinkle of paprika (optional)
7. 1/2 a teaspoon crushed garlic (about 1 pod) (optional)
8. Tabasco and/or chili powder (if you want it a little more spicy) (optional)

Mix the above with a spoon and spread over the pizza base with a basting brush. Add toppings! Pop in the oven. Enjoy! :)

Simple Pizza Base Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups bakers flour (other flour can probably be substituted)


• 2 tbs olive oil


• 1 tps salt


• 1 tps castor sugar


• 1 cup warm water


• 1 sachet dried yeast (2 teaspoons)

Preparation

1. Combine flour, yeast, salt, sugar and 1 tbs oil in large bowl (I use a glass bowl, which helps with the proving later).


2. Gradually add in the water, until a good consistency is reached (depending on the ambient temperature you may not need all the water).


3. If dough is too wet (it'll be sticky & glisten), add in more flour while kneading.


4. Sprinkle flour on bench, and knead dough (around 5-10 minutes until the dough is supple).


5. Roll dough into ball, place into bowl.


6. Pour remaining 1 tbs oil over the top of the dough.


7. Cover bowl with cling wrap and leave in a warm spot for 1-2 hours, preferably in the sun. Using a clear glass bowl for this helps, as the sun shines directly on the dough, helping it to rise (prove).


8. Once dough has risen, make a fist and punch out the air.


9. Take out of bowl, cut in half (for two bases). You may freeze one base now in cling film


10. Take one base and roll it into a ball again and allow to rise again for 30 mins in the covered bowl.


11. Sprinkle semolina on bench, and roll each ball out to fit the size of your tray/stone. Base should be about 8 mm thick. Depending on your oven, this may be too thin, so play it by ear.


12. Place bases onto tray/stone, possibly with some flour or smear of oil (or spray) underneath to stop sticking.


13. Add toppings, etc.

Makes 2 large bases.

Simple pizza delight recipe

Ingredients & steps

1. Prepare a pizza base.
2. Add a thin layer of grated mozzarella.
   
3. Combine tomato base with garlic and herb spice and smear generously over pizza base.
4. Add sliced asparagus.
   
5. Add sliced mild Hungarian salami.
6. Add thinly sliced pieces of feta.
7. Add sliced tomato.
8. Sprinkle some fresh sea salt and some grounded black pepper over the tomatoes.
9. Add a final generous layer of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle some mixed herbs on the top.
10. Add into heated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 13.5 minutes.
11. Remove from oven, cut and serve.

Before


After

Enjoy :)

Cod Piece

Restaurant: Cod Piece - Gourment Fish & Chip Restaurant
Location: Shop 5, 572 Brunswick St, New Farm [3254 4844]
Date: 12.04.2008
Time: 7pm

I was dreading to go to this restaurant since I am not a big seafood fan. However, I love eating fresh fish and fish which does not taste like fish. The whole concept of this restaurant is that they don't freeze fish and it is freshly delivered in the morning. There were not many fish varieties available. There is a board which lists the fish available. There were around 5 to 6 types available.

The restaurant had a good atmosphere and friendly staff. It felt like I was inside an aquarium. Although, water was provided for us, they were not refilled. We had to wave our hands to get the attention of the staff to provide water for us.

I asked the waitress, "Can you recommend a fish which does not have a strong fishy taste". She recommended "Red Jew", which apparently does not have a strong fish taste. There was an option for grilled or deep fried. I chose crumbed.

I got the meal with the fish, salad and chips. Not only Red Jew did not look like fish and it did not taste like fish either... Actually, I cant even describe the taste (Wierd!!!). However I did finish off the fish. I tasted Swordfish (Deep fried) and Spearfish (Deep fried) and they were absolutely tasty especially the Spearfish. The fish were indeed fresh. I regretted ordering the Red Jew.

Overall, I would go back to this restaurant for the fresh fish.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Vancha Ghar

Restaurant: Vancha Ghar - Nepalese Restaurant
Location: Shop 2, 63 Macgregor Tce, Bardon, [3367 3070]
Date: 19.04.2008
Time: 6pm

I went to this restaurant with a bunch of friends on 19th of April 2008 after a bush walk. I was absolutely starving so I was looking forward to a big feast.

After reading a lot of good reviews about this Nepali restaurant, I was rather surprised to find the restaurant absolutely empty. We were the only customers. The Italian Restaurant next door was completely full. Anyway, we were welcomed into the restaurant... To my liking, the water was promptly provided and refilled at regular intervals... The restaurant had a large TV and was showing a Nepalese wedding... It was interesting to watch some dancing and wedding formalities of the Nepalese people... However, my friend was quite annoyed since the music was repeated over and over... I did not mind though.

The menu was quite large and there were a lot of dishes available. The waitress made a mistake or we did not order correctly since we wanted to share the entrees. We were surprised to get a plate each consisting of samosas and dim sims.... However, to my surprise, the entree was really tasty. I didn't really care about the mistake.

For the mains, I ordered Chicken Korma (Cannot remember the Nepalese name). The dish was tasty however did not have enough salt. I went about sharing and tasting all the other dishes ordered, however some of the other mains consisting of lamb, beef and paneer were quite disappointing. Many of my friends did not finish their mains (I finished mine though), which could only mean that they were not satisfied with their meals. Although we were charged for the rice, there was plenty of rice available, which is never the case when visiting other restaurants.

To conclude, the absence of other customers and some meals not being up to standards, I would not go back to this restaurant in a hurry... I am not sure how long this restaurant is going to last since we only saw 1 customer getting takeway during our visit.

Score: 6 out of 10.

Best of - Sushi Bar

Add your best Sushi Bars here:

Hanaichi
(adjacent to Wagamamma)
Wintergarden
Shop G316
32119881

Best of - Turkish

Add your best Turkish Restaurants here:

Caravanserai
1-3 Dornoch Tce
West End
3217 2617

Ahmets (Bulimba)
136 Oxford Street
Bulimba
3395 8600

Best of - Indonesian

Add your best Indonesian Restaurants here:

Bali Grill
Shop 6
164 Baroona Rd
Rosalie 4064 QLD
3369 0877

Jakarta Indonesian
2/702 Brunswick Street
New Farm
33585715

Red Chilli Thai Restaurant

We went out last night (Sanj, Nic and I) for a nice bite to eat at Red Chilli Thai in good ole Forest Lake. I am a regular visitor to this place and have enjoyed many meals here. Last night was no exception! Both Nic and I enjoyed a Yellow Curry (mine with tofu and nic's with chicken) while Sanj ordered the usual Fish Chilli (but without the chilli on the side this time - it's hot enough!!!!)

Nic's Yellow Chicken Curry :)

Yellow Vegie Curry with Tofu

Fish Chilli

This restaurant has both a takeaway and a restaurant menu (as well as a very reasonably priced lunch menu).... The curries are between $10 and $15 each.... but they have an extensive selection of menu items to choose from (as well as some banquet deals).....


The staff are very accommodating with my many requests for meat meals to be made vegetarian for me just the way I like it :)

Rating: 3.5/5

You can find Red Chilli Thai Restaurant:
Forest Lake Shopping Village
Forest Lake Boulevarde
Ph: 3372 9333

Onyx

Being in Milton, I had walked by Onyx several times over the last couple of months and always wondered what it was like. Annie and I, went to Onyx for a cheeky lunch today. The ambiance is very nice with views of Park Road and Railway Terrace. Plenty of natural light and comfy seats! :)

Annie had the Marinated vegetarian sandwich, which she thought was quite good. I had the pasta of the day which was a squid linguine, which was so-so. It was served in a "pool" of olive oil for some reason and that made things very oily (naturally). The squid itself was quite tasty.

An excellent place for lunch, although quite expensive for a casual lunch. Mains ranged from $15-$30, with tapas around $11 a pop! Still the ambiance was very nice and it would be an excellent place to meet for drinks or dinner in the night.

Rating: 3.5/5







Onyx - Modern Australian
12 Park Road
Milton
3367 0547

Era Bistro

Janelle and I had a spur of the moment child-free night last Saturday (thanks to the Grandparents), and decided to head out to dinner. After tossing up between Era Bistro and The Corner Bistro & Wine Bar (our usual favourite), we ended up heading into South Brisbane with a last minute reservation at Era.

We booked late and arrived early, but the attached bar has a pretty decent selection of beer so we settled in for drinks. We got a decent seat and the service was excellent as usual. We shared the scampi tails for entrée, which was very nice, but like their other entrée's was a little on the pricey side.

For main we both had fish, Janelle had the Coral Trout (fish of the day) and I had Salmon. I was asked how I'd like it cooked, which as I've not been eating fish for very long, was a little confused by. Turns out it's how well would you like it cooked, similar to a steak. The meals are quite small, but we were fairly hungry, so we ordered a side of veges, which were delicious. Both meals were excellent, as was the beer and wine. All in all a good night with great food.

Rating 4/5

Era Bistro
102 Melbourne St (Cnr Merivale St)
South Brisbane Q 4101
(07) 3255 2033

Bar None

We've had dinner @ this pleasant little cafe in Graceville, a couple of times now, and have been generally pleased with the food and the service. The atmosphere of the cafe is pretty casual. We managed to rock up without a reservation and still get a table without any hassles.

The service is very good and the staff are very helpful. We had a really interesting version of "garlic bread" - see pic, which was a nice change. It seemed to be a garlic wrap with some Balsamic reduction drizzled over it. Quite nice! :)

Annie had a vegetable tart which was quite nice. I had the Prawn Fettuccine, which was passable, although, I didn't get Fettuccine but some kind of thin pasta instead! The meals very reasonably priced between $15 - $25. The mains are good but not best we've ever tasted. Worth giving it a go if you are around Graceville way.

Rating: 3/5








Bar None - Modern Australian
Shop 5
409 Honour Av
Graceville 4075 QLD
3278 1044

Tongue and Groove

What can I say? We used to be a fan of this restaurant a couple of years ago, with its bohemian atmosphere and great food.

Unfortunately the TAG seems to have changed management. Gone is the very bohemian feel it had to it. We went there last night for dinner and found several things wanting. Firstly, we had a table right near a stack of beverages - see pic below. (kind of made us think we were sitting in the store room) The waitress mentioned that there would be a "little" delay on the food, as there was a function downstairs. 45 minutes later our food arrived. It might have been nice to know that the food was going to be that late, since, we were both starving by the time we got there.

The decor seems to be undergoing some change. The front section of the restaurant is using some of the old furniture while the rear section seems to have undergone some modernization. It just looked very incongruent at this very time. Also the whole restaurant lacked any energy to it. Usually there is some live music playing in there on the weekends. There was nothing on this occasion.

The food itself was pretty good, when it arrived. Nothing too spectacular. I ordered the Chicken Fettuccine which was passable and Annie order a Leak Tart which was above average. The mains were fairly prices, ranging from around $15 - $25. We used an entertainment book voucher which gave us a 2-4-1 so we were quite happy paying for just one main meal.

We were underwhelmed and disappointed. The TAG seems to have slipped from its former glorious status.

Rating: 2/5











Tongue & Groove - Cosmopolitan
63 Hardgrave Rd
West End.
3846-0334

Opening hours are
Tuesday: 5.30pm till late
Wednesday through Sunday: 8am till late

Restaurants we want to visit and check out!

• Himalayan Cafe - Tibetan, New Farm
• Wild Pepper - Pizzeria, West End
• La Kasba - African, Woolloongabba
• Mint - Indian, The Valley
• The Watt - Modern Australian, New Farm
• Dakbla - Vietnamese, West End
  
• Kim Thanh - Vietnamese, West End

Caravanserai

I had driven past this somewhat curious Turkish Restaurant a while back in West End, always intending to check it out in detail at a later date. At the spur of the moment Annie and I decided to go there for dinner on a Wednesday night.

The decor is very bohemian and very West-End-like. Reddish walls, cosy corners, ambient lighting and are some of it's enticing features. We had never heard of many items on the menu and were keen to try something new! If you are after Pides and the like look elsewhere!

I had something called a Prawn Zhourg ($22) , which was a pastry which acted like a bowl that contained cous cous, Prawns, Mussels and a spicy sauce. I must say that I usually hate cous couse but this was absolutely delicious! Annie had Ispanak Borek($21) - 2 filo pastry puffs, one with spinach and feta and one with Ricotta and roast capsicum pesto, fresh salad and a Yoghurt sauce. The service was good :)

To top it off we decided to have some dessert, some Baclava ($2.50) and some Hurma ($2.50). These were spot on and extremely cheap as you can see. We also had 2 hot chocolates and they were made with beautiful thick chocolate ($3.50). Yumm!


Rating 4.5/5















Caravanserai - Turkish
1-3 Dornoch Tce
West End
4101 QLD
3217 2617
http://www.caravanserairestaurant.com.au/
Opening Hours: Daily 6pm to 10pm
Friday & Saturday- noon to 2:30 pm

Lamb vindaloo

Thanks to Josh M for this recipe:

A delicious curry in the true Indian style.

Serves 4

You need:
Garam Masala
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons cardamon seeds
2 cinnamon sticks, broken up
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)

Lamb Vindaloo
1 kilo diced lamb
8 large red chillies, chopped
1 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
5 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons oil or ghee (clarified butter)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Method:
Garam Masala
In a small frypan, gently sauté the ingredients except the nutmeg until there is a pleasant aroma. Remove from the heat and place in a coffee grinder. Add nutmeg and blend to a powder-like substance. Place into an airtight container for later use.

This gives you your curry paste for the recipe below.

Vindaloo
Soak chillies in vinegar for ten minutes. Place ginger, garlic, chillies and vinegar into an electric blender and puree. Add garam masala and salt, and blend. Marinate the lamb for two hours in the mixture.

Heat the oil in a frypan and sauté the onions until transparent but not burnt.

Drain the meat from the marinade and gently fry in the pan. You may need to do this in stages. Add the sealed meat to a baking dish. Pour in the marinade and stir. Cover and bake in a moderate oven at 180° for one and a half hours until the meat is tender. Stir in the sugar and service with plain rice and accompaniments.

Recipes for side dishes:

Cucumber in Spiced Yoghurt
Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and de-seeded
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
3 tablespoons hot water
2 green chillies, de-seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups drained yoghurt

Method:
Grate the cucumber. Sprinkle the coconut with the hot water and toss with your fingers, until the coconut is moist. Add the cucumber, coconut, chillies and salt into the yoghurt.

Mint Chutney
Ingredients:
1 cup mint leaves, firmly packed
4 spring onions, cut short
2 green chillies, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons water

Method:
The easy way to make this fresh chutney is to place all the ingredients into an electric blender and blend it to a smooth paste.

Blue Frog

We were taken by suprise by this restaurant. It seemed very ordinary from the outside (much like an office of a realtor) but the cuisine is excellent. There are varied influences (such as French and Mediterranean) on the menu. I had the Osso Buco which was excellent though a little pricey. We were also served with a amuse bouche on the house.

Excellent for a hearty meal but it's not cheap!

Blue Frog - Modern Australian
Shop 1
29 High St
Toowong
3870 5502
www.bluefrogpond.com.au

Wagamama

This is my favourite restaurant for comfort food. Excellent food, inspired mainly by Japanese influences. Plenty of fresh ingredients and a very casual atmosphere. Perfect for a lazy sunday afternoon lunch. It does get very busy and "trendy" on Friday and Saturday night especially at the Emporium.

A small quirk is that when you order and entre and a main, the main could come out first, which is downright weird! Mostly if you mention to the waitperson that you want your entres first they work some magic and your entres come out first.

Wagamama's has a loyalty card called the "Frequent Noodler" card. You can ask for it at the counter. You basically get 1 point for every dollar you spend. For each 100 points you get one main meal free. It specially good to take the Frequent Noodler card with you when you go out with a group of friends as you get that 100 points pretty quick.

Wagamama - Asian Noodle Bar
level 3, 171 - 209 queen street mall
Brisbane
3036 7135

Emporium, 1000 ann street,
Fortitude valley
3257 3855

Westfield shopping centre,
Parkland pavilion,
Cnr gympie & hamilton road,
Chermside
3350 3034
http://www.wagamama.com.au/

Cha Cha Cha

Annie and I went to Cha Cha Cha for her b'day last year and we were very pleasantly surprised! They had an extensive meat and seafood menu. And for a restaurant renown for their steaks they also had a separate vegetarian menu!

Annie had the risotto - combination of asparagus and mushroom and she said it was "the best she has ever tasted"! I had the T-Bone steak and it was also done to perfection.

The atmosphere was great - very lively and great service too - despite them being super busy ... even on a Thursday night.

Great food, great atmosphere! :) Just a tad pricey.... but "you get what you paid for" :) Great for "special" occasions!


Cha Cha Char Wine Bar & Grill
Shop 3 Plaza Level
Eagle St Pier
Brisbane, QLD 4000
07 - 32119944

http://www.chachachar.com.au/

Decks Seafood and Steak Restaurant

Thanks to Jason F for this review:

I was a bit suspicious of this place, being both a seafood and steak restaurant. Particularly as the idea of steak restaurant isn't normally my thing. But everything about this place was great.

The food, it was seriously the best steak I can remember having. Everyone at the table was really impressed with the meals. They were good sized portions and was just really delicious. Only negative I have on the food would be the hot chocolate, the hot chocolate from the coffee machine at work is better.

Our hostess was really friendly and quite helpful. Even showing us the juice bottle so we could see if it was real orange juice. Meals came quickly despite warning us it might take awhile. Atmosphere was great, we dined outside looking out towards the backdrop of southbank and the river.

Definitely recommend going to decks. The prices were reasonable and the food is delicious.

Decks Seafood and Steak Restaurant
End of Tribune Street
Southbank Parklands
Brisbane, Qld, 4000

Ph: 07 3846 4036
http://www.deckssb.com.au

Spicy Coconut Sambol

This is a spicy Sri Lankan coconut sambol which is excellent with plain bread and butter or as a side dish with rice.

Ingredients

250g (1 cup) freshly grated coconut
1 tspn chillie power
2 tspn paprika or 1 dried red chillie
1/2 a red onion chopped coursely
1/2 tspn salt
1 tbsp lime juice (around 1/2 an average-sized lime)

Method

Pound together chopped onion, chillie, paprika (or dried chillie) and salt in a mortar and pestle until you get a reddish paste. Add pounded mixture to coconut and mix well until the grated coconut turns red in colour. Depending on how spicy you want it you could either add more chillie power or more grated coconut to increase or decrease the spicyness respectively.

Add the lime juice and mix well. Check for salt and add as necessary.

Grappino's

I went to this awesome little Italian place in Paddington for dinner with friends a few months ago. The ambiance was excellent, reminiscent of a 1940's cafe with lovely antiquated ceiling fans and quaint furniture. There was a variety of food from pasta to steaks to sea food.

The food was superb and excellently priced (I had the Alla Puttanesca for $22). I also had some Italian beer (Messina) which was very nice!

The deserts were also extremely good! I had a Tiramasu (which was around $10) which was sublime!

Annie and I went back to Grappino's for a special occasion and we were very pleased with the food (again!). The service was a little annoying though. We had a trainee waitress ask for our order every 2 minutes, so we felt kind of rushed.

Also the restaurant was so full that the next table was only about 10 inches away from us. No private conversations there!

In retrospect I have to say the ambiance is excellent for groups as opposed to couples.

A strange highlight was when the people at the table next to ours shoved their baby in its little carrier under the table for the duration of their meal! Stranger things....















Grappino's - Italian
226 Given Tce
Paddington 4064 QLD
Phone: (07) 3367 0033
www.grappino.com.au