Archive for CAFE

ally | 16/02/2010
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Milk Review

One morning, after a bit of a hectic night, I stood in front of my open fridge and chugged a huge glass of milk. I have no idea why milk seemed like an ideal beverage at the time, but I do remember how damn refreshing it was. People, if you can get over the chance it will make you sick, I can definitely recommend an icy glass of moo juice for the morning after.

We had the ultimate in refreshing milk the other weekend at Milk. We passed Milk on the way to an errand in Newmarket, and it was a sign – I’d heard about them and had been wanting to visit. I believe there’s one at Ashgrove (is this a chain or a coincidence?)

Milk has tried to model itself on those old-school milk bars, offering the comforts of milkshakes, spiders, and old-fashioned lollies. I really love this concept, but I think Milk has fallen flat just a little bit. The little baggies of strawberries and cream are there, the extensive ice cream spider menu is there too, and there’s even kitschy seats and decorating. But let me ask you this: did your corner store have Asian Brown Rice Salad? No. No, you had a shriveled up pork roll and you liked it. Did it have fancy little gingerbread cupcakes? No, you chowed down on stale doughnut men, dammit. While the cupcakes and salads looked pretty tasty, I’d love to see more old-school food. Pies! Doughnuts! Sandwiches on blindingly white bread! We’ve heard of gastro-pub, what about gastro-milk bar? They do do an all-day breakfast though, which is very commendable.

So, like I said, we were craving some calcium. I got a Coconut Walnut Milkshake, and D ordered the Caramel Thickshake ($10.45 all up). There’s a huge range of milkshake and thickshake flavours, and you can order a ‘skinnier’ version made with skim milk. My milkshake was tasty and has pleasant hints of coconut, but not much of the walnut. D’s thickshake trumped mine – it was super thick, creamy, and really sweet. In a word, awesome. Plus, they were both served in those massive silver tin cups – oh yeah. I felt like I was six years old again, except I don’t know many six year olds who…never mind.

The milkshakes are really good, but it’s a shame that Milkbar don’t, erm, ‘milk’ their concept a bit more. After all, milk is never a bad choice.

Milk Cafe

Windsor Homezone
142 Newmarket Rd, Windsor

(07) 3357 3009

Milk on Urbanspoon

Category: CAFE, DESSERT, NORTHERN SUBURBS, NORTHERN SUBURBS |
ally | 06/01/2010
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T4 Pizza Review

Back when I was at uni, I was studying advertising and was doing an campaign for UDLcans. It was also the early days of D, and we were on a little date. Since I was studying UDL cans so on such an intense level, I had to buy a six pack and take them on the date with us to T4′s in Toowong.

I remember two things about that date. The UDLs tasted good and the pizza did not. But times change; now I’ll only drink the lemon & lime flavour, and T4 Pizza has improved immensely. The last time I had it, it was just incredibly average. Ordinary base, decent enough flavour, but nothing that made me better about the fact I paid three times more for something that was marginally beter than Dominos.

Recently, I stopped by T4s because damnit, I felt like some pizza for dinner, and Dominos is only acceptable at 3 in the morning. I got a takeaway small Margarita ($9~), and a half serve of garlic bread ($2~). Their menu is pretty large, and they have a variety of regular and gourmet pizzas. T4s also do pastas and salads, and are BYO. There’s not a huge amount of seating, but it’s a cosy place to people watch.

Pizzalicious.

On first looking at the pizza, I was surprised. It had a lovely thin and crisp crust, and wasn’t crazily saucy or overloaded with cheese-just how I like it. While there was a minimal amount of basil, it tasted really good! It was chewy and flavourful, and the simple flavours all worked together well. I really like this style of pizza, and find it similar to what I’ve had in Italy. The base also reminds me of New York Slice, another favourite. While the pizza was good, the garlic bread made me furious. LOOK AT THIS, people, look at this **:

What the hell is that. I know it was only a couple of dollars, and I know it’s a ‘half serve’, but seriously? The bread was too hard and not garlicky to boot. I had crumbs from the crust flying everwhere as I angrily gnawed on this sorry excuse for garlic bread.

So. Change can be a wonderful thing. T4′s, you’ve gotten it half right-now I just need to do the same and switch to Smirnoffs.

T4′s
Pizza Cafe & Takeaway
33 High St
Toowong

(07) 3371 6333

** Teh internetz is mad at me and this garlic bread photo won’t display on the home page. Simply click on ‘T4 Pizza Review’ to open the review in a separate page and see el carbo!

Category: CAFE, TAKE-AWAY, WESTERN SUBURBS, WESTERN SUBURBS |
ally | 30/11/2009
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Sassafras Review

It is the last day of Movember for 2009 today, people. For those of you who don’t know what Movember is (and can I just say: FAIL. Fail to you), it’s a month where guys grow mos, money for prostate cancer and men’s depression is raised, and awareness is spread about these two issues. It’s also the month where you seem to embark on a lot of foolish fund raising activities-like the Mousdash. What’s the Mousdash? It’s a 10.5km fun run up and down Mt Coot-tha. 

It’s also something that makes you a hungry little sucker. A couple of weeks ago, my Mousdash teammates and I went to Sassafras for a post-Mousdash breakfast. I needed FOOD, and man was I glad we booked-Sassafras is notorious for being packed for breakfast on the weekend; make sure you book at least the day before! 

“Carb load!” D and I squealed to each other when we arrived, rubbing our sweaty little hands in glee. We ordered some drinks to whet our appetite. Who am I kidding, we were starving, no one else was there yet, and it seemed more polite than going ahead and ordering our meals. D got a Mango Smoothie, and I grabbed a Mango, Coconut and Banana Frappe (both $6). I was worried my frappe would be little more than an icy mess with a touch of sweetness, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was creamy, very thick, and very fruity. It was so much better than the smoothie-in fact, the smoothie kind of sucked. It was very thin, and didn’t have a strong mango flavour. But my frappe was seriously awesome. 

I’ve posted before about how D and I tend to gravitate towards Eggs Benedict and muesli respectively on breakfast menus. Yeah, we did it again at Sassafras. It was slightly harder this time though-I was eyeing off the Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb Butter and Maple Syrup ($14.20), and a workmate was raving about the Grilled Banana and Walnut Bread with Brown Sugar Butter ($7.20). But predictable ol’ me went with the Organic Muesli ($9.20), and boring fuddy duddy D got the Eggs Benedict with Salmon ($16.90). 

I was surprised at first when my muesli came out. I was expecting it to be already layered with yogurt and fruit, as is often the case, but instead a huge serve of dry muesli was accompanied with a little dish of Greek Yogurt, a sachet of honey, and a little jug of milk. This was quite ideal, as often muesli in cafes is not as ‘light’ as it seems-giant, fruit-filled serves, mixed with lashings of full fat yogurt and dollops of honey means that the humble cereal is transformed into something more suited for dessert. 

D was also enjoying his Eggs Benedict. There was a generous serving of salmon, and the hollandaise sauce had a nice lemon flavour. It threatened to show the beginnings of that scary ‘sauce skin’ thing though. 

Sassafras Muesli

Sassafras Muesli

 

Sassafras Outside

Sassafras Outside

 

Sassafras Frappe

Sassafras Frappe

 

Sassafras has an ideal breakfast menu; all the basics are there, but they’re given a twist. They can also prepare any meal to be gluten free, and they have a kiddies breakfast menu too (although let’s face it, when we were kids we ate more than our parents. Am I right?) 

It’s a very casual and relaxed space to dine in; there are small rooms crammed with antique furniture; little nooks around the side with benches; and a large outdoor area surrounded by trees. Prices aren’t exactly cheap, but the servings are large and everyone at our table enjoyed their meals. Despite the creativity that some dishes have taken (think Chilli Corn Cakes with Hummus, Spinach, Crispy Bacon & Tomato Relish, $15.20), it’s still a very casual and pretty basic deli/cafe. You can get food in a ‘fancier’ place for virtually the same price, but Sassafras is a very relaxing place that’s ideal for groups. 

There were a tonne of goodies in their display cabinet too-I think I’m going to have to make a return trip just for their blondies or fresh sandwiches. And I may not even wait for the next time I sweat a year’s supply of beer out of my pores. 

Sassafras 

Cafe & Catering 

88 Latrobe Terrace 

Paddington 

(07) 3369 0600 

http://www.sassafrasfoods.com.au

Sassafras Fine Foods on Urbanspoon

Category: CAFE, INNER CITY |
ally | 26/11/2009
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Blue Lotus Review

I am a very tricky woman. You can’t fool me. That muesli slice, packed with nuts and seeds, that tastes healthy? I know there’s a block of butter in there. That fruit tart, packed with kiwis and peaches? I haven’t forgotten the thick layer of custard sitting under it. If something is bad for me, I want it to taste like it’s bad for me. Otherwise, what’s the point? If I want to eat something that tastes healthy, I’ll eat a damn apple, not a low fat apple muffin that’s crammed with sugar.

I had this conundrum recently at Blue Lotus, a lovely little cafe in Kelvin Grove. I ordered a massive Florentine cookie ($2.80). It appealed to me because it was the size of my head-and I have a big head. I’m not kidding, my noggin’ is large. That’s why I don’t buy hats. It’s sad, but I’m dealing with it.

Florentine Choc BaseThe cookie was packed with corn flakes, peanuts, raisins, and covered in a layer of chocolate. It was tasty-in a way, a Florentine isn’t a cookie per se as it’s very crunchy and hearty. It’s a bit like a muesli bar in round, cookie-shaped form.

As I was munching away I nearly fooled myself into thinking I was eating something remotely healthy. But I looked closer, and saw the lovely way the peanuts caramelised together, melting in with the fruit and the cornflakes, and suddenly realised I was, in fact, eating a sugar bomb. That’s totally cool-but it didn’t taste bad for me, and I knew it was bad for me. Dangerous.

Blue Lotus Florentine cookieNow, if you’re not retarded about such trivial things like I am, then go get yourself a Floretine, or any of Blue Lotus’ other sweet treats-the Melting Moments look buttery and rich, and the Banana Bread is enormous. Plus, the coffee is always good-my Merl0-blend skim cappuccino ($3.30) on this visit was so creamy I questioned whether there was a mistake and it was in fact full cream milk. Nup, just good coffee.

The cafe has lots of comfortable bench seating and cushions, both inside and out. It’s really quite a lovely place to chill out in, and the service is always friendly and fast. Blue Lotus do lunch as well, and I am holding out for Summer when their sad-looking empty gelati case is once again full.

I might just make one note too: on a lot of websites, Blue Lotus is described as a ‘dessert bar’. It definitely isn’t. Yes, there are yummy treats and at certain times of the year, gelati, but I’d just classify it as a standard, good cafe.

Short of buying a deep-fried Mars Bar wrapped in bacon, I’ll just have to try harder with what I pick when I next want something naughty.

Blue Lotus

Cafe

Shop 16, The Village Centre

Cnr Musk Ave & Carraway St

Kelvin Grove

 

(07) 3832 9633

Category: CAFE, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, TAKE-AWAY |
ally | 30/10/2009
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My Sweetopia Review

Fancy Cakes

There is something about cupcakes that really bothers me. Or rather, there is something about how other people view cupcakes that really bothers me. A cupcake does not have to just be a pretty little cake made with plain vanilla batter, topped with some tasty yet plain icing, and a sugared rose bud on top. A cupcake can be, and I quote from some random cookbook in my momma’s kitchen, “absolutely any sort of cake in a smaller, individual form”. I am dying for Brisbaneites to use their imagination more with cupcakes. You’ve heard me rant before, so I won’t go into too much detail.

Recently I was very impressed with the imagination that had gone into the flavours in the cupcakes at My Sweetopia in South Bank. Was that a Turkish Delight cupcake that didn’t claim its name just because it was a plain chocolate cake with some Turkish Delight chucked on top? Were those cupcakes with a base flavour other than chocolate or vanilla?

I was excited. The cakes were also very, very pretty, and piled high with icing and decorative touches. We got the aforementioned Turkish Delight cupcake, as well as an Espresso Mudcake (forgive me if I’ve gotten the names wrong). We got them to go and tore into them the next day, when they still tasted very fresh.

The Espresso cake was hollowed out a little bit and had a scoop of a creamy icing in the middle. The cake part itself was fantastic; definitely a chocolate mud, with a very chocolatey flavour and a dense and moist consistency. The rest of it was a little disapointing; I couldn’t taste a single ounce of coffee or mocha flavour anywhere in the whole thing. D insisted he could in the icing, but to me it just tasted like cream.

The Turkish Delight was also very dense and well-made, and the cake initially had a very strong white chocolate mud taste. Then – boom – the rosewater flavour hit me and I was in Istanbul noshing on fresh, powdery Turkish Delight. Very impressive. But, again, I was let down by the icing. It reminded me of that old-school frosting that makes up the letters and edging on generic birthday cakes. I really didn’t like the texture; it went okay with the cake, but by itself it was a bit nasty.

So, My Sweetopia gets major points for showing some imagination with their cakes, but the toppings fell a bit flat. I fear that they are too focussed on making very pretty cakes. But you know, that’s the reason most people really love cupcakes, so who am I to awkwardly climb on my high horse and judge?

My Sweetopia deserves massive, massive bonus points because they are open late on the weekend. It is sad when it’s a huge thing for a little dessert place/cafe to be open late on the weekend, but that’s Brisbane for you.

The cafe itself is small but bright, cheerful, and sweet. There’s lots of outdoor seating too. Even though I wasn’t totally blown away by their cakes, I’ll definitely be back; it’s rare to find a ‘sweet’ late-night spot.


My Sweetopia
Bakery, Cafe, & Catering

Shop 8
180 Grey St, South Bank

(07) 3844 3732

www.mysweetopia.com.au

Open seven days

My Sweetopia on Urbanspoon

Category: CAFE, DESSERT, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, TAKE-AWAY |
ally | 28/10/2009
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Area profile: South Bank

All the Colours of the Food Rainbow

South Bank used to have a beverage that my friends and I thought was the ultimate in culinary delights: the Rainbow Smash. I can hear you all sneer, “Oh, it’s just a frozen coke.” It is not just a frozen coke. It is a Rainbow SMASH, people. It’s all in the title. The range of flavours in the Rainbow Smash are not to be reckoned with. As I’ve grown older, my tastes have matured (somewhat), and so have South Bank’s. Here’s a brief run down on some of the dozens of restaurants, bars, and cafes that are scattered around this relaxed riverside community.

Breakfast
Poppy’s Basket earned rave reviews from Nick recently for their accommodating service and fresh eggs. Era do an all day breakfast on the weekend, and are more higher-end.

Lunch & Dinner
There is such a huge number of food places in and around South Bank that I’m going to just list them under the one heading-I am fairly sure that all of them are open for both lunch and dinner. I’m also going to list them by cuisine, as the beauty of South Bank is the plethora of different foods.

Pub-style
The Fox is on the outskirts of South Bank, and is a busy bar by night and a relaxing spot for a pub lunch by day.
The Plough Inn and The Shipp Inn have this same relaxed open-air feel and upscale pub grub.
Beastie Burgers are the perfect spot for a working lunch; they’re outdoors in the sunshine, they’re licensed (gets you through that arvo meeting), and they have awesome burgers.

Italian:
Dell ‘Ugo are an upscale restaurant with traditional Italian food, available on both a set menu and a regular menu.
La Via Pizzeria is ideal if you want to seduce someone (sexy low lighting and waiters that don’t hover), plus enjoy some pizza and Italian fare while you’re at it.
Amici’s do some impressive sounding banquets, or just some singular Italian dishes for all you weaklings out there.

French:
Piaf do possibly the most well-priced French food in Brisbane (think under $20).

Asian:
Satay Hut have low prices, a casual and modern setting, and mainly Thai and Malay food.
Viet De Lites: I am dying to try some food off this fresh, healthy-sounding Vietnamese menu.
Ginga Japanese are a sushi train (yay!), as well as a more up-scale Japanese restaurant.
Gandhi Curry House is another very reasonably priced, clean and chic restaurant, this time offering South Indian and Sri Lankan food.

Other
Mado do delicious Turkish food and are ideal for large groups.
Chez Laila have some of the best river and city views, and offer Lebanese dishes.

Modern:
Toscani’s have a huge, varied menu, including pasta, seafood, steak, and sandwhiches.
Sardine Tin was recently opened by Piaf’s owner Simon Livingstone, and is a small, open-air space serving mainly tapas.
5th Element is possibly the best-looking lady on the strip, with low lighting, open flame features, and a waterfall behind the bar. The menu is a bit more up-scale, and the service is fantastic.
Stone are located within the Saville Apartments, and are being very mysterious and saying that they have a new concept coming soon.

Drink
Era Bistro has a restaurant menu as well as a varied tapas menu, and are well-stocked with a variety of wines. Aside from The Fox, The Plough Inn, and The Shipp Inn, there aren’t many large bars or pubs around South Bank. You can take a short walk down the road to West End, or simply enjoy drinks at a South Bank restaurant’s bars (like 5th Element, who have a well-stocked wine bar, or Sardine Tin).

Sweet
Speaking of 5th Element, I am still yapping to people about my recent, unique dessert experience there. There’s also cute cupcakes at My Sweetopia, which is open until late on the weekends and also serves coffee. For something more casual, Movenpick ice cream serves up Swiss ice cream scoops that are all-natural. And, well, I have to say it: Cold Rock is right nearby. It’s no Rainbow Smash, but the ice cream flavours and mix-ins are equally as enticing.

Category: BAR, CAFE, DESSERT, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, RESTAURANT, SPOTLIGHT, TAKE-AWAY |
ally | 26/10/2009
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Coffee and Chocolate Mini Review

Pretty but Pricey

Everyone loves teeny tiny chocolates, especially when they’re displayed in a glass case. People crouch in front of the case, making little ‘ooh’ noises, and giving murmurs of advice to their friends on which chocolate to get.

On a recent pit stop at Coffee & Chocolate in Queens Plaza, was I one of those people, hovering over the glass case, mumbling and exclaiming, “Oh I just CAN’T decide! *giggle*” ? No. No, I was not. My eyes quickly sought out the cutest looking chocolate and I promptly made my decision based on that. Call me shallow.The chocolate in question was the Cupcake. See how cute it is? All of the chocolates were mini works of art, and included a variety of flavours, like tiramisu, hazelnut, strawberry, or the more exotic Ruby (blood orange caramel filling with dark chocolate case). Coffee & Chocolate also do coffee, tea, and some food, as well as cakes.

Now, they are expensive. Most chocolates are around $2.90 and they are really small. Cakes like the friands or the Raspberry Coconut Tart hover around the $7-$8 mark, but they look very fancy and pretty.

My little Cupcake chocolate was assembled much like its namesake. A hard chocolate case and fluffy strawberry ‘cake’ were topped by a layer of chocolate truffle. The strawberry centre was a lot like a very thick and rich marshmallow. Sounds cool, right? Well, for $2.90 for a little bite I was expecting a bit more than something resembling a Pascal classic. Granted, the chocolate truffle top was rich and of a high quality, but the whole thing was very average. Perhaps I would have been better off sticking with one of the simpler truffles or cream centers.

Coffee & Chocolate is a very pleasant spot for a coffee; it’s got a plush and elegant feeling to it, and it has a fantastic view looking down on Queen Street Mall. It’s hard to find pretty places like these in the heart of the CBD (and in a shopping complex to boot), so for that I give them kudos. I don’t really like to judge the place based on just one chocolate, so I think I’ll go back in the future and give them another go.

Coffee & Chocolate
Cafe and Fine Chocolates

QueensPlaza-Level 1
226 Queen St
Brisbane CBD

(Also at Paddington)

(07) 3229 7799

Open 7 days, Friday until 9pm

Coffee & Chocolate on Urbanspoon

Category: CAFE, CBD, CBD, DESSERT |
ally | 23/10/2009
One comment

Planet Matterz Review

Hi everyone. Meet Pahvai, our guest poster this week. Her post’s title makes me think of lolcats, and that must be a very good thing. Enjoy!

Breakfast Organic “Stylez”
I have a lot of idiosyncrasies. I hate wearing wet socks. I hate pineapple in a ‘curry’. I never wear polka dots. There’s a lot, trust me. I also hate words spelt with a ‘z’ instead of an ‘s’. And I have to be in a certain mood to enter places that serve ‘organic’ food because it usually means an automatic hike in prices. I’ve come around a little bit on the latter issue as I have a couple of friends who work for Australian Organic Certifiers, and I’ve eaten at a few restaurants that serve organic food that has been deliciously prepared (e.g. Mondo Organic, West End).

Despite this, it still surprised me on Saturday morning, when I called my friend Andrew up and said “Breakfast? Now?” and he mentioned Planet Matterz. I had driven past it countless times, recognising it as a ‘healthy’ food place but dismissing it as a grocer, in the realm of Mrs Flannery’s. But I’m always happy to be proven wrong.

Upon entering, you notice there’s seating outside, sheltered by trees, and spacious seating inside. There’s a deli counter with the chef and his staff bustling behind it, with sounds of sizzling bacon and bubbling/steaming milk emitting. There are also aisles and aisles of organic produce; fresh fruit & vegetables, organic bottled & canned goods, cheeses, milk, frozen Humble Pies – the usual stuff. But it’s well-lit, clean and not cramped. I spend a few minutes checking it all out before I look at the menu. I notice a big display unit showing delectable looking muffins, cakes, frittatas, stacks etc., but I glance at it quickly because I know I can get a little overzealous in my ordering, especially before my morning coffee.

Saturday was one of those elusive days where I felt like pancakes and not my usual egg variation. I scan the menu and to my disgust, there are no ‘pancakes with maple syrup’. I am unimpressed. There is a mention of it on the kids menu (‘Kids pancakes with banana and maple syrup’). I ask the staff member behind the counter if they do “adult pancakes”. He laughs. Of course they do. “But it’s not on the menu?” Regardless, they do serve it. I assume it’ll be the kids pancakes upgraded to ‘adult size’, and I order that and a serve of bacon (bless Canada). Andrew orders scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast. We both order coffees.

My total comes up to about $17, which doesn’t seem too painful. We sit down and about five minutes later, our coffees arrive. It’s very good coffee, made from Australian organic coffee. I couldn’t tell you if they had the right amount of foam in the latte, I just notice that it’s smooth, the coffee isn’t burnt and it tastes lovely. Andrew’s breakfast arrives, and he enquires about his bacon. The waiter doesn’t think Andrew ordered bacon. After looking at him pout for a few seconds, I offer (very generously) to share my bacon when it arrives.

My pancakes arrive and they are not what I expect. They are not pancakes smothered in maple syrup. Instead, it’s a stack of pancakes with berry compote and a scoop of ice cream. With a side plate of bacon. They must’ve thought I was just really craving bacon, not attempting to understand the beauty of maple syrup, bacon and pancake combination. Also, Andrew’s scrambled eggs look a bit like an omelette to me, but he insists they’re scrambled.

Regardless, I’m not in the mood to argue, so I tuck in. It’s very good. The pancakes are light and slightly sweet, the berry compote has mulberries and raspberries, and it’s all very tasty. The bacon is perfect. It had the consistency that I like: soft with crispy sides, and smoky. Deliciously smoky.

The staff at Planet Matterz are friendly, and seem genuinely happy to be there and that made the ambience good. But Andrew and I are reasonably relaxed customers, so we’re happy with our mismatched meals. There was no discounting that it was a well-prepared, tasty meal, but whether or not Andrew forgot to order bacon, or I didn’t clarify that I wanted pancakes with maple syrup, the experience felt a little perplexing. I am, however, very willing to give Planet Matterz another shot.

Planet Matterz
Organic Food Store and Café

684 Wynnum Rd, Morningside

http://www.planetmatterz.com/

Phone: (07) 3399-6008

Planet Matterz

Picture courtesy of www.news.com.au

Category: CAFE, EASTERN SUBURBS |
ally | 19/10/2009
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Max Brenner’s Review

Sweet Anticipation

We’re going to venture a little further afield with this review. Pretend it’s EatDrinkGoldCoast, just for a moment. I just spent the weekend at the coast with my homeslice. We had been looking forward to relaxing, enjoying the warm weather, and spending quality time together.

Who am I kidding. We were excited about none of this. We were going to MAX BRENNER’S BABY!!

Okay, so obviously I’ve been looking forward to this for a while. I first got a taste when I peeped into their New York store. My appetite was whetted when a colleague brought me back some chocolate covered waffle balls (you read that right) from the Sydney store. Then, recently, they opened in Robina (shortly followed by Main Beach). Oh yes. This was fate.

We visited the Main Beach cafe, which has lots of seating and is decorated with warm chocolately colours. Obviously you don’t come to Max’s and order a salad. That would be rude. Plus, the ‘healthiest’ thing on the menu is waffles with fruit.

We were incredibly restrained and ordered a Chocolate Banana Pizza ($14) to share, plus an Italian Thick White Chocolate ($5.50) and a Cookieshake (white chocolate, cookies, and caramelised pecans, $7) . My hot chocolate came out in a ‘hug mug’. It’s designed so that you can cup your hands around, and really enjoy the ‘chocolate drinking ceremony’. Lovely idea and all, but the mug wasn’t really wide enough to properly hug. Either that, or I have man hands.

I’m usually disapointed when I order white hot chocolates-they never taste very chocolatey. Well. There was certainly an expression on my face, and it was not disaspointment. This was like drinking pure melted white chocolate. In fact, in reminded me very much of the mixture in a white chocolate cake I make-melted butter, white chocolate, and sugar. This was ridiculously rich, but so, so good. I can only image how good the other hot chocolates must be-Coconut White Chocolate, and Mexican Spicy Chocolate sound like they’re worth a return visit.

D’s Cookieshake was a bit more tame, but still sweet. It was thick and refreshing, with a strong vanilla flavour. What we suspect were Oreos were crushed up very finely, and provided a subtle flavour to the drink.

I admit, the small-ish size of the treats in the cabinet (like the cheesecake with the brownie base) had me a bit worried. What if our pizza wasn’t very big? What if we were hungry still, and were forced to actually get a sandwhich or something equally as lunch-like? No matter. The pizza was rather sizeable.
I was expecting something like a cookie dough base, but it was much like an actual pizza, only lighter. The texture actually reminded me of naan bread. It was the perfect neutral base to the topping: smears of thick melted chocolate, marshmallow bits, caramelised pecans, and chopped up banana.

Sadly, this is where I started to slow down. I’m quite embarassed by what follows. Usually, I have a scarily high tolerance for sugar. I can dominate sweet things in huge volumes. The more I have, the more I am able to take in-it’s a skill. But after the pizza, I couldn’t finish my hot chocolate. I didn’t want to finish it, delicious as it was. This is the worst part: D finished it. I was relishing a chance for him to bow out from our sugar fest early on so that I could taunt him, but here he was, finishing my hot chocolate along with his shake. Plus, he shared my last pizza slice with me. For shame.

The prices seemed pretty reasonable, given the size and quality of the drinks and the pizza. The prices do pretty much mirror that of your average cafe or dessert restaurant, so I’d say Max’s is value for money (although, as I’m looking at the website, the prices seem a little different to what we paid-I’ve recorded the current website prices in this post. My head is still leaking sugar, so I can’t remember exactly what we paid).

Now, after that sugar high, I’m sure you’re waiting for some complaints. I really only have one: no plates with the pizza. We were served knifes and forks, but no plates. I’m all for getting in there and getting nasty with some chocolate, but this wasn’t a late night kitchen binge. This was a respectable establishment that didn’t judge you when you mopped up the chocolate scraps on the pizza pan with your finger.

Max’s is an ideal place for dessert, but if you’re ordering anything more substaintial (like the pizza, or the waffles), bear in mind they are very filling. We thought of this before hand (we are pros) and went to Max’s for ‘lunch’.

I’ve seen a few dessert pizzas on various menus around Brisbane, so I’ll be very keen to see if they match up to Max’s. I am doubtful though that the drinks will-and this might be a good thing. I’m not sure something as delicious as that hot chocolate should be available in such close proximity to me.

Update
Max Brenner is now  at South Brisbane in the Stanley St Plaza!

Max Brenner’s
Dessert Cafe and Chocolate Shop

Shop 24, Ground Floor
Marina Mirage Complex
74 Seaworld Drive
Main Beach, QLD

(also at Robina Town Centre)

(07) 5591 1588

Open Monday-Friday, 10am until very late
Saturday and Sunday, 9am until very late
maxbrenner.com.au

Category: BEYOND BRISBANE, CAFE, DESSERT |
ally | 12/10/2009
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Sugar and Spice Mini Review

And All Things Nice

What are little Allys made of? Sugar and spice and all things nice, that’s what little Allys are made of. Well, in reality, I was sweaty, wearing old gym clothes, and probably didn’t smell that fantastic. But at that moment, sitting in Sugar and Spice in the city, I felt rather sweet and pretty.

The white chocolate triangle I was scoffing might have had something to do with it. This little beauty was like a cross between a brownie and a cheesecake. It was very dense and chocolately, but had a creamy aftertaste. Topped with a layer of white chocolate ganache, it was an absolute steal at $3. Most of the other treats at Sugar and Spice are the same price-like the brownie, pecan tart, or lemon tart. They’re all quite sizeable portions, and if the white chocolate triangle is anything to go by, the quality is fantastic. The pecan tarts in particular looked awesome-little piles of pecans were sitting in a rich, honey-coloured goo, all enclosed in a flaky pastry shell.

Sugar ‘n Spice bake all of their treats in their own patisserie, which is quite hard to find in this sad but delicious age of wholesale and mass production. They also sell sandwhiches and quiches, and coffee is priced from $2.80. The whole thing reeks of cheap and dodgy, right? But the ambiance is quite the contrary. It’s a cosy little space with warm colours, high stools (as in chairs. Not poo. In case you were wondering), and cute teapots and mugs adoring the walls.


Sugar ‘n Spice was one of those places that I passed by a million times a week and never went in. Now, I sort of wish I hadn’t gone in, because I know of the delights inside. Ass, expect to get a lot bigger in the months to come.

Sugar ‘n Spice
Cafe

210 Adelaide St
Brisbane

79 Albert St
Brisbane (correct me if I’m wrong, and this location isn’t owned by the same people?)

(07) 3221 2222
Sugar 'n' Spice

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