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Archive for 28/09/2009

ally | 28/09/2009

The Boys Review

Chillaxing
I have a few things that make me insanely happy. One is kittens. One is cracking a beer after moving the lawn. The other is trashy, trashy magazines, full of pretty pictures and celebrity gossip.

Usually I am forced to indulge this habit at the doctor’s office, or the library. But I’ve recently found a nice place where I can sit on a cushy couch, get a sugar hit, pretend I’m as cool as the waitstaff, and read a supply of free trashy mags to my heart’s content.

I’m talking about The Boys, a Kelvin Grove cafe with a big menu and an even bigger trashy magazine stack. Yessss.

The Boys is a very cool space; there are comfy seats, funky wall art, and all the people who work there have hairdos that make me and my ponytail feel like losers. Food includes salads, sandwhiches, pastries, muffins, and the like, as well as an ever-changing specials board. On a recent visit the board included pancakes, a chicken shnitzel burger, and a marinated lamb backstrap.

But forget all that. I was after some of the hard stuff. I ordered a Lindt Hot Chocolate ($4.50 for a regular), and an Organic Choc Chip Cookie ($3). Other sweet treats that looked good included a raspberry & choc muffin, and a pistachio friand.

I’ve had coffee from The Boys a few times and it’s always been really good. They use their own blend, which you can buy in-store. My first non-coffee Boys experience had the unmistakeable flavour of Lindt dark chocolate, which gave a hint of bitterness to the drink. This was quite ideal, as otherwise it would have been too rich and sickly. My only complaint: marshmallows on the side? Seriously? Put those babies in there to melt, man!

The cookie was rather large (I like), and rather hard (do not like). I want my cookies chewy, soft, and sort of under-cooked. But this probably violates several Food & Beverage laws, so don’t be put off by my tastes. The cookie was rich and buttery, and crammed with big discs of choc chips. And yes, I dunked. I dunked in public, and it was great.

The cafe has lots of indoor and outdoor seating, and is also open on Sundays for breakfast. Trashy mags are my equivalent of the Sunday paper, so I daresay I’ll be back.

The Boys House of Coffee
Cafe and Take-Away

Shop 3, The Village Centre
Musk Avenue (corner Blamey St)
Kelvin Grove

(07) 3832 2822

Category: CAFE, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, TAKE-AWAY |

ally | 25/09/2009

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Quick Bites: 25 September

“A Festivus for the rest of us!”

It is festival fever at the moment. Do you feel it? Symptoms include wearing fluro clothing and running around the Botanical Gardens, drunk at 10am. Wait, I’m not talking about music festivals-I’m talking food, baby. Here’s the run-down on some festivals that don’t involve George Costanza, a metal pole, or tears (if you don’t get the reference, you fail).

1. Porchetta Day
Enjoy a taste of Italy in the ‘dah. The first official Porchetta Day is on this year in Gunnedah (you know, that northern NSW town, famous for Miranda Kerr and…Miranda Kerr?) Excuse me Wikipedia, what is porchetta? Well Ally, porchetta is a savoury, moist, and fatty Italian pork roast. It is usually heavily salted, and can be seasoned with herbs like garlic and rosemary. Along with the spit-roasted piggy, there will be eating competitions, music, and kiddie activities. It’s on from 10am-6pm this weekend (26/9-27/9). For more information, check out www.porchetta.com.au

2. Into Africa Festival
Get back to Brisbane and Into Africa. Enjoy African food, dancing, singing, and music this Saturday (26/9). A part of the Brisbane Festival, it’s at Yeronga Park in Yeronga, and admission is free.

3. Brisbane Festival Spiegeltent
essen Sie und trinken Sie deutsche Art! Embrace a bit of Brussels at the Brisbane Festival’s Spiegeltent, a Belgian-style portable venue at Queens Park in the city. The structure features luxe velvet curtains, a dance floor, and stained glass windows. Several Festival events are being run there, as well as the Garden Bar. Entry is free, and it’s open every night of the Festival. I’m not sure how Belgian the food is, so if you’re presented with a cheese toastie just pretend it’s a plate of mussles and frites.

Category: QUICK BITES |

ally | 24/09/2009

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Raun Thai Review

Sweet and Sour

I’m usually a bit of a softie on here. Well. Things have changed. There are two things that make me angry. One is finding used bandaids in the shower. The other is bad Thai food.

Normally, I’d focus on the very sweet and friendly service. Or the fact that the ambiance was actually quite nice and not tacky, which can be rare in Thai restaurants. Or the swift service and little touches like constant water refills and free prawn crackers. But no. My name is Ally, and I’m about to get a little bad ass.

I’ll back up a bit. I was on a blind date with fellow blogger, GG. Being with someone else who whips out their camera at the dinner table was quite magical, I assure you. We started with Kao Tung Savoai ($7). Little rice cakes that very closely resembled rice crispie squares came out, accompanied with a dish of tamarind chicken. I’m sure these cakes were made from Rice Bubbles. The fact that they looked like LCMs but were hot and sort of buttery was very disconcerting. This was a shame, because the chicken dipping mixture was really good; light and fresh, with delicate lime leaf flavours. There was one more rice cake left but I happily left it there and scooped up the chicken in a spoon.

Next came the Yum Neua (Thai beef salad, $16.50) and Moo Kratiam Prigthai (garlic and pepper pork, $16.50). The pork was really chewy. That’s all there is to it; chewy, chewy pork. I got a hint of some nice flavours in the broth, but that meat was an effort to chomp through.

The beef salad was a little better. Flavours were quite nice; lime leaf, coriander, and a hint of chilli came through nicely. The beef, however, also put my chompers to work. My tongue was performing acrobatics trying to wrangle a piece out of my back molar. There was a massive absence of vegies; the dish mainly just had some very large limp lettuce leaves. It was a similar lack of roughage situation with the pork.

Now, this is where Bad Ass Ally takes a break and goes to punch through concrete walls and whatnot, and Soft Ally returns from the land of fairy floss and ginger kittens. I feel bad bagging out on Raun Thai, because the service we encountered was very lovely. The owner (presumably) and the waitress were very sweet, and looked after us. I also feel funny writing this less than stellar review because everyone I speak to just loves Raun Thai. In fact, friends went there on the weekend and had nothing but good things to say. I’ll also point out (not that this is criticism
by any means) that Raun Thai is a bit tricky to find, and is tucked away up a flight of stairs near Woolworths.

So. Did I catch the chef on a bad night? Am I just looking for a chance to flex my bad ass muscle? Or does most of the food leave patrons with a sour expression on their face too? Who knows. What I do know is that you can find far better Thai in this town. Now I have to go soften up and bake some cookies or something. Bad ass does not suit me.

Raun Thai
Thai Restaurant and Take Away

1/6 Sherwood Road
Toowong

07 3870 8103

BYO
Open daily, 6pm-10pm

Category: RESTAURANT, TAKE-AWAY, WESTERN SUBURBS, WESTERN SUBURBS |

ally | 21/09/2009

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Gelatissimo Review

Die Happy and Refreshed

The duvet is getting kicked to the end of the bed every night. A chilled can of XXXX sounds like a really good idea at 10 in the morning. Sweat is getting into all sorts of crevices. Isn’t this weather fantastic?

What better way to cool down than with sugar and dairy (what did you think I was going to say-water?) You know that I advocate gelati even in winter, so really, that opening paragraph was just a chance to get excited about the steamy months to come.

Back to the treats, then. Gelatissimo is a small chain of stores serving up Italian gelati and coffee. There is one store in Brisbane-ONE, people! You know what this means. Either move to the CBD, or plan every upcoming holiday around the location of their other four Queensland stores.

The various tubs of gelati always look amazing, like little whipped mountains of deliciousness. If you could shrink me down to Sea-Monkey size, and if gelati climbing was a respected sport, I would surely fail as I would just eat it all.

Flavours include Red Bull (I’ve always been curious about this-is it good? Does it give you wings, or a satisfied belly?), Chocolate Mint, Honey & Macadamia, Snickers, Raspberry, and faithful Pistachio. On a recent visit I went with the Chocolate Sorbet. D wasn’t going to get any; “Oh I am too full,” he had moaned, clutching his belly. Then we walked into Gelatissimo and he saw Canadian Maple & Walnut. “One scoop, please.”

Usually I don’t really like sorbet. It’s icey, too sweet, and makes you feel like you’re having the diet option of gelati (it’s fat-free, so you kind of are). But either Gelatissimo totally rock, or someone accidently mixed up the signs that day. The Chocolate Sorbet was just too good. It tasted creamy and rich, and the taste of the 85% Lindt dark chocolate was so clear it was like I was hanging out in the factory in Switzerland. Amazing.

The Canadian Maple & Walnut was also pretty tasty, and the flavours worked really well together. I think the maple flavour could have been a bit stronger, but extra points for them using actual maple syrup and not the crap Cottees ‘maple flavoured’ syrup.

Whether you’re motivated by sweat or satiety, trot down to Gelatissimo and get your own little mountain to scale.

Gelatissimo
Italian Gelati

Shop 3, Cnr Albert & Queen St (turn left at Hungry Jacks, stop before you reach the strip club)
CBD

(stores also at the Gold and Sunshine Coasts)

07 3012 9797

http://www.gelatissimo.com.au/

Category: CBD, CBD, DESSERT, TAKE-AWAY |

ally | 17/09/2009

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Quick Bites: 18 September

Chocolate, chocolate, and a bunch of other stuff

I have to get the first two items out of the way very quickly. You will see why soon.

1. 2009 Gluten Free Food Expo. Good for coeliacs/anyone curious about wheat-free food. The Queensland Coeliac Society holding it. More than 35 exhibitors. Food tastings, cooking demos, products for sale. Sunday (20/9) from 9.30am-4pm. RNA Showgrounds. Tickets available at door. Visit site for more info.

2. Pesta Rakyat. AKA Indonesian Festival. 26 September. Lots of good Indonesian food. Traditional and modern Indonesian art, music, and dance. Celebration of Indonesia’s Independence Day. South Bank Parklands, 10am to 10pm. Some events ticketed. Sounds cool.

3. Ok. Now I’ve gotten those two (but important and no doubt awesome) things out of the way, I can move on to the main event: the Chocolate Buffet.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Was that you passing out? Did you fall off your chair? Maybe you dribbled on your keyboard. That’s cool, I won’t judge. And hopefully neither will the geniuses at Bistro Allure, at The Sebel King George Square. They’re holding a 31 Days of Chocolate this month. That means for every day this month, you can slap down $20 and partake in a chocolate buffet. All you can eat chocolate. I KNOW. It’s not just a slap-up soft serve machine and some Sizzler-style chocolate bavarian, either. We’re talking creamy ice cream, Italian coffee and kahlua cups, chocolate cheesecake, petit fours, and warm chocolate puddings. The best bit? You can go twice in one day! The Chocolate Buffet runs from 11.30-3pm and from 5.30pm-10pm. If you have your main meal at Bistro Allure too, the Buffet drops down to $10.50. But you must book-3222 1128. Let’s see, $20×2=$60, and there’s 13 days left in this month, so $20×13…

Category: QUICK BITES |

ally | 16/09/2009

18 comments

Cicada Review

Cool Confusion

I hate Crocs.

Not because they’re sort of ugly (apologies to any Crocs lovers out there). I hate them because as a shoe, they fail. What are they? Are they gardening shoes? Are they shoes to wear in the shower at the gym? Are they casual weekend shoes? Do you wear socks with them? They don’t know what they’re doing. They need to find a singular identity.

So does Cicada, a fairly new joint on upper Adelaide Street (this could or could not be King George Square-I’ve only lived here for 18 years, what do I know) in the CBD. It’s downright beautiful inside: little candles; gold, black, and grey tones; chunky, new modern furniture; and cool copper wall hangings. There’s lots of seating and it’s a popular place for after work drinks. Outside is simple but pleasant, and has a lively vibe.

That all sounds dope, but what’s with the incredibly loud, pounding house music inside? What’s with all the low tables that make you feel like you’re in a restaurant, but the menu that makes you feel like you’re in a pub? What’s with them not being open on the weekend? What’s with such a gorgeous place mainly offering just cheap takeaway breakfasts (from $4) and lunches (pastas, sandwhiches, etc.) during the day?

On the one hand, it’s awesome that one place has managed to capture the holy triumvirate: restaurant, bar, and office takeaway. The bar part is fantastic, although the lack of lounge- and bar-style seating may throw some. It’s mainly the restaurant part of Cicada that is a little weird; the interior design and furniture make you feel like you’re in a restaurant, but the loud club music makes you think you’re wearing fat pants and ordering your third Red Bull.

Now, having said all that: the food is good. Yay! The menu is quite small, with six or seven main dishes and a small snack selection with chips, antipasto, and the like. I ordered the Salt and Cayenne Pepper Squid ($16~), while D went with the Chicken Burger with Portugese Chili Mayo ($15~). Other menu items included a lamb salad; a beef burger; and fish fillets.

While you order and pay at the bar, food is brought to the table. Service was very good: the waiters and bartenders were young and relaxed but still had that professional vibe.
So many places stuff up squid. Often, I find deep frying is the culprit: why deep fry something that only needs a minimal amount of cooking time? In animal life, a cicada would have no chance in a throw down against a squid. But this is food land, and Cicada nailed that bad boy. The generous serving of the squid strips were very lightly crumbed and flash-fried, and melted in my mouth. The accompanying aioli resembled a pile of mayo, unfortunately; a bit of garlic would have made the fish pop. The side salad was quite standard but fresh.

Speaking of salad, who hates iceberg? Hands up. It’s a shame the ‘filler lettuce’ was used on D’s grilled chicken burger, because the rest of the dish used very quality ingredients. A thick breast rested between a pair of very soft buns. Who else is giggling right now? But seriously, it was a good burger. The accompaying chips were a bit of a wedge/chip hybrid, which to me is the perfect love child: a thick, crunchy, seasoned skin gave way to a little pocket of fluffy potato. The Portugese Chili Mayo was another nice addition, although it was very mild in spiciness.

I really like Cicada, but make sure you brace yourself if you’re going there to just eat dinner. The food is tasty and of good quality, and it seems like a great place for drinks. Eating a ‘proper’ meal there, however, can be a little weird.

Cicada
Bar/Restaurant/Takeaway

275 George St
Brisbane CBD

07 3211 2161

Category: BAR, CAFE, CBD, CBD, CBD, CBD, RESTAURANT, TAKE-AWAY |

ally | 13/09/2009

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Il Villagio Review

Baked
There are days when the leftover birthday cake in the office just isn’t going to cut it. Neither is Mr Cadbury and friends in the vending machine. And the pitiful little muffin you brought in from home, sweating in Glad Wrap? Forget about it. Sometimes you need a quality baked treat to hit your sweet spot.

Enter Il Villagio, in Kelvin Grove. A huge array of freshly made cakes, cookies, desserts, and pastries are there, just waiting for you on those days when a regular treat won’t do. The range of authentic Italian desserts is impressive; the dense Sicilian cake, ricotta crostata, is quite hard to find in Brisbane (although Rosalie Gourmet Market do a mean one too). My plan that day was different though: leave the crostata, take the cannoli.

I tried a chocolate cannoli, and it was right up there with some of the best I’ve had. The pastry shell was crunchy and buttery, and lined with quality dark chocolate. The filling was fantastically thick and wobbly-i.e, you could stick your finger in it to scoop it up without the danger of it falling on your keyboard. “What are all these stains on your mouse?” is a common question when people use my computer, so this feature of the filling was key. It also had the perfect balance of custard and chocolate tastes.

On the flip side, one thing that was really disappointing was the jam doughnut. A friend got it, and for such a humble, old-fashioned treat, it looked quite fancy. It tasted, however, like a bread roll dusted in sugar. Huh? I had very high hopes for el jamo, but perhaps Il Villagio’s specialty lies in Italian treats.

Everything is fresh, and is made in their nearby factory. They’re also a good spot for lunch, and offer fresh sandwhiches, paninis, rolls, pies, and the like.

What does baked stuff go well with? More baked stuff. And coffee. A skim cappuccino was very good-smooth, creamy, and with no hint of bitterness. Service is fast and friendly, which was a relief. In the past I’ve encountered one or two particularly rude waitpeople, but they seem to have vanished-with almost as much speed as my cannoli.

Edited to add: Needless to say I’ve made several return trips to Il Villagio since this review. I can report that the brownies are ridiculously good. They’re chewy, dense, moist, and incredibly chocolatey. They’re also dusted in cocoa powder, so you get a bit of a bitey chocolate taste that contrasts nicely with the rich cake. Two (chocolate-stained) thumbs up!

There’s also the Nutella Crostada, a spin on the traditional Ricotta Crostada.

I’ll just let the cross-section of this picture speak for itself:

Enough said.

Il Villagio
Bakery & Cafe

The Village Centre
Blamey St, Kelvin Grove

(07) 3832 2855

Category: CAFE, DESSERT, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, TAKE-AWAY |

ally | 11/09/2009

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Area profile: Rosalie/Paddington/Bardon

I’m going to be totally selfish and kick off our new ‘Area profile’ section with my favourite suburb and its surrounds, Rosalie.

You may have guessed from my posts that I have a bit of a crush on the fair Rosa. And why not? With food choices like these, it’s hard not to. Plus, the area (I’m talking Paddington and Bardon too) is close to the city, is pretty accessible by public transport, and is sort of cool without being over the top. Think casual clothes, but sans food stains.

Breakfast

Sassafrass is always crammed for brekkie. Last week I wanted to go but couldn’t get a reservation. Don’t they know who I am? May you have better luck at this well-priced, deli-style cafe.

Lure on Latrobe dishes up the best muesli I’ve had to date. Also nearby is Simpatico, home of some crazy delicious Turkish eggs, and Spoon Deli Cafe. Further down the road in Rosalie lies Blu Grotto (pretty standard fare, but excellent coffee) and Salt (a bit fancier, laughs in the face of run of the mill breakfast menus).

Lunch

All of the above places are also open for lunch, along with French Montrachet and Italian Grappino, both in Paddo. I hear Montrachet is a bit romantic. I wouldn’t know personally, I haven’t been taken there yet(ahem).

If one of Grappino’s famous veal scallopines is too much for you, toddle down to Harem for some Turkish, or Kookaburra Cafe for some pizza. Or be nasty and un-original and hit up chains like Grill’d or Hell Pizza. Pandemonium Cafe in Paddington is another option for a casual breakfast or lunch.

Dinner

Sing’s. Sing’s. Have I mentioned Sing’s? Oh God, I freaking love this place. It has amazing, amazing Asian food that’s ridiculously well-priced. I have a little dance. It’s called the “I’m going to Sing’s dance.”

Also in Rosalie for din dins is Thai Terrace (Thai), Halim’s (Indian), Bella Notte, Castelli’s, and Tomatoes (all Italian), Sushi Lovers (Japanese), or Sing’s (Awesome). For something a little different, try Indonesian food at Bali Grill (pictured, top). It’s a bit pricey, but apparently delicious and you get to sit up high and look down on the minions in the street below.

If you want to venture further away from this popular Rosalie dining strip, Avanti in Bardon has Italian grub, Sultan’s Kitchen and Indus in Paddo both dish up Indian, and The Lark offers a very varied menu of tapas and main dishes, along with a killer bar.

Drink

Apart from The Lark, there aren’t a heap of places to go for a tipple in this area unless you venture closer to the city and brave Caxton Street. Blu Grotto, however, is a cool spot for a quiet drink and a lounge (they get much more lively on the weekends).

Sweet

I scream, you scream, we all scream for…Gelateria Cremona. Um. So that didn’t have a good ring to it, but luckily their house-made gelati is music for your mouth. Faithful Cold Rock also serves up icey treats, or if you want (need) something heavier, check out specialty dessert cafe Room 4 Dessert. There’s always room in this belly.

Salt, Blu Grotto, Spoons, and Sassafras are also nice places for a coffee and sugar hit, or you can check out the Rosalie Gourmet Market for some takeaway treats. Couture Cupcakes in Bardon is another day time choice. Remember how excited I was when I reviewed The Cupcake Parlour? Prepare for extreme Ally meltdown on the day I get to waddle over to Couture.

Have I missed something truly awesome out? Do tell.

Category: INNER CITY, RESTAURANT, SPOTLIGHT |

ally | 10/09/2009

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Quick Bites: 10 September

Burn, baby, burn: get fired up

1. Make your meat rare. Well, ‘blue’ steak isn’t to everyone’s liking, but luckily Blue September isn’t about that. It’s prostate cancer awareness month, so show your support by holding a BBQ. You can raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia, or the Blue September group. Alternatively, there are other ways you can take part and raise money for a good cause: blue cupcakes. Blue ice cream. Blue jocks. Go nuts! (It had to be done).

2. Hair of the dog? Pah! Ease into Sunday morning with a free barbeque breakfast. The Sunsuper RiverBBQ is part of the Riverfestival, and will be held on the Goodwill Bridge. Things start sizzling at 9am this Sunday, September 13.

3. Get firey with your inner food critic. One person getting excited about food is like a little flame. Give them someone to talk to and it’s like coaxing the little flame out a bit more. A group of food writers talking to food lovers? Sounds like the makings for a good roasting. Check out ‘Talking Food’, a free event from the Brisbane Writers Festival this Sunday. Ben O’Donoghue and Rebecca Huntley talk food, basically. Ben is a celebrity chef and writes for Delicious Magazine. Plus he’s pretty cute. Visit the Festival website for more information.

Category: QUICK BITES |

ally | 07/09/2009

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Onyx Review

Ridiculously Good Looking
I like to think I live on the edge. When rain is forecast, I go out without an umbrella. I eat things that are a bit past the use by date. I ‘forget’ to ask them to omit the cream in an iced chocolate, then feign surprise when it arrives piled high with the stuff. So, yeah, I mix things up a bit.

The same could not be said about my breakfast. The last time D and I went out for brekkie, we ordered muesli and eggs benefict. This time, we ordered muesli and eggs benedict. Excitement fail. Could this mean our relationship was going stale too? Nah, we conceded. We were awesome.

We were also at Onyx, a very cool bar/restaurant on the popular restaurant strip of Park Road. Onyx is usually known for their dinner and cocktails, and have only recently started doing breakfast. It’s probably the nicest digs on Park Road-the seating area looks down on the street below, there’s comfy couches, a gorgeous onyx bar (geddit?), and at night dim and sexy lighting. There’s not a lot of seating though, so beware if you’re there when it’s a full house-it can get a bit squishy.

We started with coffees ($3.50), which were delayed a little bit but the waitress was so professional and apologetic that we didn’t mind. It also helped that the coffees were excellent; my skim cap was just perfect. Oddly enough D’s latte was a little more bitter, but it was still good. They also came with a buttery piece of shortbread on the side. We were naughty and had cookies before breakfast. Don’t tell mum.

The breakfast menu offers a few standard favourites as well as some surprises. There’s Poached Haddock; Pork and Guiness Sausages with French toast; and Banana Bread with Rum and Raisin Mascarpone. Gym junkies and cyclists take note, too: there’s a healthy section, with things like protein pancakes and egg white omelettes. The drinks menu also covers smoothies and fresh juices and smoothies. I’ve had Onyx’s fantastic cocktails, so I bet the juice concotions would be just as delicious.

The meals arrived shortly despite a rapidly filling restaurant and a poor lone waitress. My Bircher Muesli was a generous portion ($9), and D’s Smoked Salmon Benedict was good value at $16. The salmon was of a very good quality, and sat underneath two perfectly poached eggs. You could not poach an egg any better. The little guys wobbled delicately, then threatened to spill over when you cut into them-but they didn’t. Cheeky. The toast was unfortunately a little too hard to cut; the dish would have been better with a soft sourdough on something similar. The hollandaise had that delicate lemon zing that comes with good h’daise, and was finger-in-the-plate licking good.

My muesli was tasty, but unfortunately it was missing…something. Nuts? More fruit? The garnish of the red wine poached pears on top was pretty, but didn’t do a lot for the taste. There’s a bit of a long-running debate over bircher muesli-in its strictest sense, it’s just like what Onyx serves. But come on, how about a little cheating?

The general ambience and surrounds of Onyx are really quite lovely. Service was also very admirable given there was only one waitress attending to a busy floor-despite the pressures, she remained friendly and calm. I shouldn’t complain about a classic recipe tasting a bit bland-but maybe if they can learn to mix things up a bit, I can too.

Onyx
Bar & Restaurant

1/12 Park Road
Milton

07 3367 0547

http://www.onyxbarandrestaurant.com.au/

Open seven days until late

Category: BAR, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, RESTAURANT |

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