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Archive for CAFE

nick | 31/07/2009

Watt Park Lounge at the Powerhouse Review

I freakin’ love the Powerhouse. There’s just something about the place that makes me feel at home. It’s great to chill on Sunday afternoons – you can sit, grab a beer, talk shit with your friends and when you’ve run out of stuff to talk about you can go and watch some comedy or live music for free. I can’t think of another venue in Brisbane where there is so much to do and so much variety.

The downstairs river walk area is constantly bustling with traffic as people ride bikes, walk dogs, run and it’s ideal for just sitting back with a coffee or a beer and people watching.

To keep you on premises when the hunger pains kick in, there’s also 3 different options for food; Bar Alto (upstairs) which features Italian fare, Watt Modern Dining (downstairs) which is a formal white table cloth kinda restaurant and Watt Park Lounge, a cut down café style menu and our choice for a recent late lunch.

Park Lounge is definitely the ‘entry level’ option at the Powerhouse as you order over the bar and the menu is compact and affordable – most options are around $12 – $16. But that’s not to say they haven’t made it interesting. I can’t recall the last time I saw a Croque Monsieur ($12) (fancy French ham & cheese sandwich) on the menu and Gravalax of Salmon with Dill and Mustard ($18) is not your standard café grub. After suitable deliberation over the first round of beers we settled on 2 of The Watt BLT ($12), a Salt and Pepper Squid ($16) and Roast Pumpkin Pide with Red Peppers, Goats Curd and Rocket ($15).

The crowd at the Powerhouse on a Sunday afternoon are a diverse mob. People seem of fit in no matter what they’re wearing and I dare say t-shirt, boardies and pluggers would effortlessly blend with those in a suit and tie. The young family with kids on scooters mingle with those that have dropped in for a coffee break on they’re Sunday afternoon cycle – in full bike kit.

But back to the point of this post… our food arrived in a timely manner and it’s clear that the kitchen goes to a little bit more trouble than many other places when it comes to presentation. The plates were sparkling and the food looked delicious. My Pumpkin Pide (pronounced pee-day as I was reminded when I went to order) sat in the middle of the plate, and the vivid colours of the capsicum, rocket and pumpkin just screamed take a picture.

I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed by the portion size though. Both the pide and squid dishes didn’t look like they should of cost as much as they did, despite the artistic flair.

My pide was delicious – the creamy goats curd and pumpkin working especially well together and it took a conscious effort on my part to savour the flavours rather than wolfing it all down. The flat bread was crisp and the whole package was spot on – I just wish there was more of it.

Around the table there were nods and smiles as the BLTs and squid received equal praise. The squid was served with capsicum and a little onion as well as a dipping sauce, the flavour of which now escapes me – the whole lot was cooked well with the squid nice and tender.

If being able to sit back with a beer (these start from about $6) or a glass of wine ($9 – 14) and laze away a Sunday afternoon with some good food is your style then definitely get along to the powerhouse – it’s not perhaps the best value in Brisbane but it’s certainly got a lot going for it.

Watt Park Lounge

The Powerhouse
119 Lamington Street
New Farm map

07 3358 5464

Tuesday – Friday: 10.00 am – Late
Saturday – Sunday: 8.00 am – Late

www.watt.net.au

http://www.brisbanepowerhouse.org

Visited on Sunday 19 July 2009

Category: BAR, CAFE, INNER CITY, INNER CITY |

ally | 30/07/2009

No comments

Six Degrees Mini-Review

Worth the trip

The word ‘Portside’ never used to bother me. It’s just a funny little place with a cinema, a few shops, and half a dozen restaurants. It also had the Coffee and Chocolate Affair the other weekend. The one with the chocolate strawberries. And the Lindt fountains. And caffeine everywhere. The one that I didn’t attend. Are you seeing where I’m going with this? Now, I hear ‘Portside’ and I have to fight back tears-tears of anger and frustration, as I missed out on the celebration of the glorious cocoa bean.

Luckily I had a lovely meal there the other week, so at least I’ve got some happy memories to fall back on. Mumsy and I (I swear I go out with other people. It was my birthday, alright. Anyway, Momma T rocks) ventured out to the Hamilton establishment for a movie. I thought we’d have no problems finding a place for lunch, but the pickings are slim. Chez Laila seemed to be the only ‘nice’ place that wasn’t hugely expensive.

We finally settled with Mahjongg Cafe, and were pleasantly surprised with the extensive menu. There’s something to cater for all budgets and tastes, from $6 (ham and cheese croissant) to $20 (bouillabaisse). The humble sandwich is offered, as well as gourmet pies, salads, soup, tapas, and heavier dishes like pork belly and duck a l’orange. A place with such a wide-ranging menu can often be lacking in consistent quality, but patrons have nothing to fear here.

There was no way I was going to eat something as boring as a sanga on my birthday, so we decided to share the tapas plate. For $24, it was pretty good value. Little dishes of creamy fetta, plump juicy olives, chicken, baby octopus, roasted vegetables, smoked salmon, ham, and chorizo came served with three massive slices of the softest white bread. This bread was so fluffy and fresh. I wanted to lie down on it and take a little nap and have carb-loaded dreams.

The chorizo was a bit too chewy for my liking, but had a peppery flavour that gave it a good overall taste. The smoked salmon and ham were quite standard, but the chicken was a standout. Although it seemed an odd inclusion on a tapas plate, it was worth it; marinated in an Asian-style coriander and lime sauce, it was tender and some of the best chook I’ve had in ages. Also tasty was the melt-in-your-mouth baby octopus-my only complaint is that we only got two of these guys. Vegies included roasted capsicum and eggplant, and were tasty and not too oily.

Service was excellent at Mahjongg; our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Mumsy ordered a glass of Riesling, and he came back over and asked if she’d prefer a dry or sweet version. Little touches like that, combined with table service, are always nice at lunch and make a casual meal a bit more special. The ambiance is also lovely; in fact, we had originally by-passed the place because we thought it looked too nice and would be too expensive. There’s lots of indoor and outdoor seating, but try to avoid the tables that are oddly right outside a shop next door.

My only really complaint was the price of non-alcoholic drinks; a pot of tea was more expensive than coffee, and a beer was only $1 more than a latte. Mahjongg also do desserts-I saw a massive chocolate concoction at the table next to me and openly stared, like a mad woman. What is it with this place and chocolate?

Mahjongg Cafe

Shop 6
Portside Complex
39 Hercules st
Hamilton map

(07) 3630 2151

Open seven days from 8am for breakfast and lunch
Open for dinner Wednesday-SaturdayA sparkle in suburbia

What’s with Indoooropilly lately, seriously? Why is it so hard to find a place for coffee after 9pm on a weekend? When I’ve seen a movie and stuffed myself with candy, sometimes I need a little pick-me-up before I head home.

There is one salvation, in the form of Six Degrees. It’s one of the very few places in the area that have lengthy opening hours. It’s also very nicely decorated, has a massive menu, and friendly wait staff.

I went there for coffee the other day (this is what unemployed people do. We drink coffee when we should be job hunting. We play The Sims when we should be updating our resume). I got a little distracted by the menu-pizza, pasta, Vietnamese food, crocodile, salads, kangaroo, salmon-what don’t they do, seriously? Plus, they have breakfast until 5pm. Respect. Don’t let the varied menu put you off-last year I ate there several times and it was always good.

We grabbed long blacks ($3.20), a fresh OJ, and a mango smoothie. My memory fails me, as does my phone’s ability to save notes-I think the juice and smoothie were around $5.50.

The coffees were good, and came out quickly. The OJ got a thumbs up too, although the sipper said it probably came from a bottle. The mango smoothie caused a bit of commotion. This is what happens with my friends: I ask a simple question (“How is the smoothie?”) and a drama ensues. Smoothie Girl said it was “very yogurt-y”. Was there real mango in it? “Smell it! If it smells like alcohol it’s mango essence!” another declared. So we all poked our noses over the glass for a whiff. Verdict: real mango.

Some may remember the place when it was Saints and Sinners. It’s changed hands several times since then (with a few hairy results), but I think they’re on to something promising now. Indro isn’t the most inspiring suburb, but the decor in this place is lovely-cushy couches, a balcony area, and big paintings on the walls. They’re licensed, and have a big range of reasonably priced cocktails, beers, and wines. My memory needs refreshing, so I plan to chow down on something there soon. If you don’t check it out yourself first, watch this space!

Saints and Sinners Cafe/Restaurant

4/30 Station Road
Indooroopilly map

(07) 3378 7517

Open Monday 5pm-10pm
Tue-Fri 12pm-10pm
Sat-Sun 10am-10pm

Category: CAFE, RESTAURANT, WESTERN SUBURBS, WESTERN SUBURBS |

nick | 22/07/2009

No comments

Viet Hoa Cafe Restaurant

Nights out with a group of friends can be a little bit tricky. Finding a restaurant that suits everyone’s location, budget and dietary requirements can be a God-awful challenge. Thankfully I keep an ace up my sleeve for such moments-cheap, tasty, convenient Vietnamese at Viet Hoa in South Brisbane.

Although after my last visit I’m not sure if I’ll play the card again.

Viet Hoa is a casual café/restaurant on Melbourne street that does simple cooking at its best. They’re open late–I’ve previously been served after 11pm on a random Tuesday night. Plus, there are heaps of options for less than $10.

Styling is simple and basic but adequate; you have a table to eat from, a chair to sit on and if it’s cold they’ll even put a heater next to you to keep you warm in the cool evening.

The menu is Chinese and Vietnamese, but we skipped straight to the Vietnamese section: two pages of entrees, vermicelli salads, rice dishes, noodle soups, traditional mains and sizzling stuff. The vast majority of the menu is under $20 so you won’t have to worry about the budget.

On the Monday night we were there we ordered several plates of Goi Cuon–rice paper rolls with prawn and pork ($9.5 for four) for entrees, and then backed it up with noodle soup, in my case Pho Dac Bie– special beef noodle soup ($9.5).

The waitress was polite and efficient and took our orders without issue and then promptly disappeared.

So we waited.

And waited.

90 minutes later our entrees appeared and were demolished instantaneously.

Now, it’s extremely fortunate that the rice paper rolls were delicious, as there would have been hell to pay if after such a ridiculous wait they hadn’t been up to scratch. I have no idea why our meal took so long, especially when it’s something as simple as rice paper rolls, but other than a small ‘sorry’ from the waiter no reason was offered. To confuse matters, the restaurant didn’t appear to be overly busy–maybe a dozen tables of diners and a few take-away orders, nothing that would indicate that your meal would be served next lunar month.

Luckily we were not in a rush and were enjoying each others company–and the rice paper rolls were good.

Our mains appeared around 9pm–two hours after being seated, and again they were attacked ferociously. Soup is a cunning dish. For some reason it gets mentally compartmentalised as a ‘light’ dish, but often the volume is deceiving. After 10 minute of solid scoffing I still had a huge bowl of soup in front of me. Value ahoy! Oh, and it tasted good too. In case you’re wondering what the ‘special’ in special beef soup means…it’s tripe, brisket and a couple of other interesting bits.

I’m having a really tough time ripping into Viet Hoa for their crappy service as their food is very good, and I have been there previously without issue. Perhaps all I can suggest is that you ask before sitting down if there’s going to be a wait–I realise you shouldn’t have to do this at all, but I don’t want to tell you to avoid them and it’s the only compromise I can think of right now.

Viet Hoa Café Restaurant

Authentic Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine

210 Melbourne St (cnr Edmonstone St)
South Brisbane map

07 3844 4818

Open late

Category: CAFE, INNER CITY, INNER CITY, RESTAURANT |

ally | 17/07/2009

No comments

Mahjongg Cafe Review

Worth the trip

Mahjongg Cafe

Shop 6
Portside Complex
39 Hercules st
Hamilton map

(07) 3630 2151
mahjonggcafe.com
Open seven days from 8am for breakfast and lunch
Open for dinner Wednesday-Saturday

Category: CAFE, NORTHERN SUBURBS, RESTAURANT |

ally | 17/07/2009

4 comments

Extract Espresso Bar Review

Simple CBD munchies
Now that I’m an unemployed loser, there’s one thing that I miss about working (aside from the money thing and the stationery cupboard). Weekday city cafes. There are seriously tonnes of quirky little places all over the CBD that sadly close their doors on the weekend.

If you’re a city worker, or an unemployed bum who’s just been rejected by Centrelink, you’re spoiled for choice during the week. The other day I jumped at the chance to try one of these places. You see, us unemployed people don’t stay home and save money. We go out and shop.

Extract Espresso Bar is tucked away on Adelaide Street, and is housed in a heritage-listed building. There is heaps of seating inside (it actually spills into the foyer of the building next door), and the place has a very funky and cool vibe. A mixture of French and coffee house-style music plays softly, and there’s gorgeous art-deco style tiling on the floor. It’s really a very cosy and comforting space, and is very quiet considering the madness of the city is just beyond the doorway.

The menu is pretty basic: breakfast in the morning, plus sandwiches, pizza, cakes, and other cafe-style fare. Something worth noting though is their range of organic and gluten-free options. I personally am always up for some wheat, so I ordered the avocado on sourdough ($5.20). I was with Mumsy (shopping bugs are inherited you see), and she ordered a special coffee + sandwich deal ($9.50). She didn’t get any choice with the fillings as there was only one sandwich left, which at 12.30pm seems really weird.

The food at Extract is pretty simple, which is good and bad. It’s good because you can chow down and be safe in the knowledge that your meal isn’t hiding a plethora of fatty or salty additions. It’s bad because it makes you wonder what the hell you’re doing paying for something you could have slapped together at home.

Don’t get me wrong-my av on sourdough was tasty. The bread was fair quality, and there was a decent amount of avocado mashed up on top. It was just so plain. I’ve seen heaps of cafes (Brother Espresso comes to mind) do this exact dish with a little more effort on the presentation, which makes such a difference. A little wedge of lemon, maybe thicker bread, or not cutting it into ridiculous tiny pieces could have helped. I know it’s just av on bread, but surely $5.20 should get you something a little nicer?

Mumsy, meanwhile, was struggling with her ham and salad sandwich. She’s a smart lady, but this one had her baffled. Somehow two slices of bread had become fused together. She had to really rip into it in order to separate the two halves, and the result? A pretty basic, albeit satisfactory and seemingly recently made ham and coleslaw sandwich. The ham was pretty salty and not the best quality.

I will be brutally honest here: my coffee (long black, $3.30) was crap. It had a thick crema, which looked promising, but it was really bitter. Mum’s cappuccino was a bit better.

Service was also a mixed bag: our orders were taken by a woman with a bit of a ‘tude, but they were brought to the table by a very friendly dude. Extract is ideal if you’re basic lunch in a soothing environment, but I’m not too upset it’s not open on the weekend.

Extract Espresso Bar

7a / 200 Adelaide St
CBD map

(07) 3221 3166

Open Monday-Friday for breakfast, lunch, and late afternoon snacks

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

nick | 25/06/2009

No comments

Boardwalk Bar and Bistro Review

Ah, 5pm on Friday. The end of the working week and the start of the weekend. I, like so many city dwellers mark this point in the week by grabbing my sociable co-workers and making a beeline for the pub.

Over the years I’ve tried pretty much every bar there is in the CBD, and have established a list of criteria in my head that will ensure a good start to the weekend. A decent Friday night pub must have:

Cheap drinks, so that you can start to forget the week that was… in bulk,
Snack options, because drinking on an empty stomach is just going to end in tears (and the gutter),
An atmosphere that is relaxed, bubbling and welcoming (if a place is popular with pretentious wanker banker types then count me out), and
Available seats on which to sit.

Some may say that I’m being unreasonable to expect all of this from a venue, and I’m sure more than a few of you would consider point 1 as being the only criteria worth considering.

There is, however, a place I’ve found that consistently meets all the above: Boardwalk Bar and Bistro on Eagle St, at the base of the Riparian plaza.

On a Friday night you can get a jug of beer with a bowl of chips for less than $14, so that satisfies the drinks and nibbles (basics are $6 and winos can join the fray from $7 a glass). Boardwalk also has an excellent view of the Story Bridge which you can appreciate when you’re not examining the contents of your glass. On my most recent Friday night escapade Boardwalk even had table service! I must say, the concept of sending attractive women to the bar to do my bidding was rather appealing.

There’s a lot of seating, both inside and out, and the whole place manages to make me feel comfortable-whether it’s been a serious tie and shirt kinda day or I’m slumming it in jeans and tee.

They also have food options all day but experience has taught me that a decent bowl of chips isn’t necessarily an accurate representation of the kitchen’s ability to do anything else. I’d subsequently recommend you try elsewhere when the deep fried carbs are no longer cutting it and the 7pm hunger pains kick in. If you need ideas try Verve or Groove Train.

A couple of hours at Boardwalk on a Friday afternoon is an excellent way to start your weekend. Bottoms up.

Boardwalk Bar + Bistro

Boardwalk Level Riparian Plaza
71 Eagle St
CBD map

(07) 3221 0026

http://www.boardwalkbar.com.au

Category: BAR, CAFE, CBD, CBD |

ally | 23/06/2009

3 comments

Mado Review

Turkish Delight

I’m an old-fashioned girl. I like my VB cold and my tablecloths washable. Alas, every damn restaurant I walk into nowadays is just too cool for proper napkins and linen – it’s either funky, bare table tops, or crappy plain surfaces with some paper serviettes plonked down. Unless potato scallops and battered sav are on the menu, it irritates me.

Imagine my delight then, when I sat down at Mado in South Bank and saw a large yellow napkin on the plate in front of me, both on top of a proper tablecloth. “Proper napkins!” I sang, waving the little cloth happily in the face of my partner. I needn’t have worried about embarrassing myself – the space at Mado is large and can seat up to 250, both inside and out. Inside is very cosy and decorated in traditional Turkish designs – think warm colours, traditional ornaments on the walls, and big bench seats with large cushions. The said bench seats and the banquet dinner options make the place ideal for groups, but it’s also intimate enough for two (ooh la la).

Mado is fully licensed, but you can BYO bottled wine. Not sure about bags of Fruity Lexia though. Food-wise, we decided to share a Mixed Mezze Platter ($15.50), and a Lamb Pide (Turkish pizza, $21.90). The waitress was happy to bring them out both at once, and they arrived in a very short time. The Mezze Platter held little dishes of olives, roasted capsicum, fetta cubes, and artichoke hearts. A basket crammed with warm Turkish bread came with it, which was impressive – ever suffered the too much dip, not enough bread syndrome? No chance of that happening here. Speaking of dip, the Mezze Platter could have benefitted with a little dish of it in place of a vegie serve.

The generously-sized Pide was packed with tender lamb mince and fresh herbs, and was really tasty. A dab of some sort of yoghurt sauce would have contrasted nicely though.

We didn’t have dessert there (we are Cold Rock fiends and there is one just nearby), but I really regret it now-the cabinet was brimming with rows of fresh little baklavas. The cheeky things were gleaming with honey, begging me to have a nibble. If glaze isn’t your thing, there’s also fresh turkish delight, ice cream, cakes, and pudding (from $2.90).

Service was very friendly and swift. We were even offered some complimentary Turkish tea after we paid the bill, which was a sweet touch. The tea was quite refreshing and was a pleasant sweet end to the meal.

Turkish and Mediterranean food is quite ‘in’ and trendy at the moment, but Mado has a distinct point of difference in that they seem like a genuine Turkish-run, Turkish-owned restaurant. The menu is more extensive than others, and seems to be more value for money. Touches like proper place settings, a family atmosphere, and belly dancing make this place something that isn’t so homogenized.

Mado Cafe & Restaurant

Shops 1, 2, and 3 Galleria Apts
15 Tribune St
South Bank map

07 3844 7111

www.madorestaurant.com.au

Open Tuesday – Sunday

Category: CAFE, CBD, CBD, RESTAURANT |

ally | 17/06/2009

No comments

He said/She said: Brother Espresso Review

Escape the city rush

What a treat we have for you guys. Nick and I are reviewing a place together! Two foodie forces, combined at last! Who knows what will happen when both of our taste buds and opinions churn out the one review. I’m hoping for something coherent.

ALLY: If you’re not one of the lucky buggers who works in the hub of the city (yeah, I’m talking to you, Queen Streeters: you with your plethora of food choices and your options for lunchtime shopping sprees) it can be difficult to find a good, fairly quiet place for lunch. Brother Espresso is a cafe tucked away in Margaret St (also Wickham Terrace and Bulimba) that is like a little haven: think little nooks with couches and tables, quality coffee, and winter-worthy fare.

NICK: Brother Espresso is a place I’ve been hearing about for a while and I have actually walked past their Wickham Terrace location many times without realizing it existed. It’s a similar story with the Margaret Street store. You could definitely be forgiven for not knowing about it, as from the outside it’s very inconspicuous with just a couple of small stools and a sign. This unremarkable façade masks a fantastic space that has a bit of a grungy style, brought about by lots of old brick work and varnished concert floors. The rough parts are contrasted with clean rich colours, and lots of new and old wooden furniture. The first thing that grabbed my attention was actually the menu, which was about three meters wide and projected on to the entry wall. This unique approach presented the lunch time selection, with pricings hovering around the very reasonable $10 mark.

A: The range of salads ($10.50) they have looked good, but the Turkish Pockets sounded like they’d be the ticket. Nick ordered a Thai Beef pocket, and figuring I’d probably have food envy, I ordered a Tandoori Chicken version (both $9.50).

N: We also grabbed a couple of coffees (from $2.90). Brother Espresso has a reputation for great coffee and I was certainly keen to put them to the test. They roast their own coffee and my strong flat white was certainly above average. Initially I was frustrated by the lack of white sugar (raw sugar erks me, give me highly refined processed goodness any day) but my coffee really didn’t need much ‘adjusting’ as it turned out. There was very little bitterness and it tasted strong and rich. I was impressed.

A: My coffee was also pretty strong, but whatever, I can handle it (the lack of refined carbohydrates to accompany it was also not a problem). The food puzzled me at first-I’m a very wordy person. I hear ‘pocket’ and I think of a little sandwich with chicken and salad tucked away inside, all sealed up and piping hot. Instead the Turkish pockets are pretty much toasted sandwiches made with Turkish buns. Don’t get me wrong-mine was delicious. The tandoori chicken was tender, and the accompanying marinated mushrooms, cucumber, tomato, and rocket balanced the flavours nicely. I think poor Nick lost out on this round with his though.

N: I’m definitely with Ally on this, the word pocket does not mean toasted sandwich. Mine was disappointing; yes it was hot and filling, but the beef was chewy and the combination of olives, roasted capsicum, and smoked tomatoes made it very salty. I should have stuck with my first impulse, which was a salad.

A: Mine was perfectly toasted (ha ha!), but it did get a little messy towards the end. We were both having dripping issues (do not bring first dates here, people). Service was fast, and the waitress remembered who ordered what. Surprisingly, it was fairly quiet for a mid-week lunch time, but I’ve been there when it’s busy and waiting times are a bit longer.

N: Oddly, Brother Espresso is a week days only operation. They have a pretty decent and well-priced breakfast menu and it’s the kind of place I would enjoy sitting in for a few hours on a Saturday morning. Obviously the CBD just isn’t a popular brekky place.

A: Outrage. We need to fuel up before we hit the shops! I also wish that the breakfast menu were offered past midday (who in their right mind waits that long until their first meal anyway?)-it would also give the menu more range. As it stands, the lunch menu consists of just Turkish pockets, salads, and pizza. All tasty, but no ‘smaller’ snack-like options. Some of us like to have more than one lunch a day, alright?

N: Despite my sandwich only being average, I’ll be heading back sometime in the future to check out the rest of their menu. I just love the space and the feel of the café and their coffee alone is worth the walk from the core of the CBD. Check ‘em out.

Brother Espresso

Watson’s Building
127 Margaret Street
CBD map

(also Wickham Terrace in CBD and Bulimba)

(07) 3003 1346

www.brotherespresso.com.au

Weekdays 7am – 4pm

Visited: Thursday, 9 June 2009

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

ally | 15/06/2009

5 comments

Gelateria Cremona Review

Yeah, it’s been freaking cold in Brisbane this week. It’s hard to get out of bed. You can see your breath in the air. You yelp whenever your partner’s icy feet repeatedly touch yours in bed (you know who you are). Well, I say suck it up. This is Brisbane. It’s not that damn cold. Take off your beanie (you can’t pull it off anyway), brave the chill, and head over to Gelateria Cremona.

“It’s too cold for ice cream!” I hear you wail. Is it? Is it too cold for Ferrero Rocher gelati, with actual chunks of Ferrero Rocher? Is it too chilly for a fresh waffle cone topped with Tiramisu, perhaps a little double chocolate? Yeah. I didn’t think so.

On a recent visit to this Rosalie gelati shop I ordered the said Ferrero and the Tiramisu, with the latter being the best. It actually tasted just like the coffee and sponge layered dessert; most places wack ‘Tiramisu’ on a coffee gelati and think they can get away with it. The Ferrero was also good, but wasn’t as creamy as ones that I’ve had before.

I went with my fellow ice cream fiend, D, who ordered Chocolate and the Rum’n'Raisin (below, on the left). The Rum’n'Raisin tasted like the Bundy bear was having a party in your mouth. A few more scoops and I might have started picking fights and busting a move on a dancefloor somewhere. The chocolate was, well, chocolatey. A good basic that wasn’t overly sweet.

Call me crazy but none of them tasted as creamy as they usually do. I might just be smoking something though; D mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate something that sounded like, “you are nuts it is delicious.” There you go.

One thing that is very admirable about Gelateria Cremona is they usually have very unusual flavours. I know you can get Red Bull and the like at some places, but think more along the lines of seasonal offerings: ANZAC cookies! Hot cross buns! Christmas Pudding! I will be tearing into the place come December 1, and I don’t even like the holiday dessert.

There’s seating inside and out, and service is fine but it can get a little tedious waiting in line when it’s busy. Prices are a little on the steep side compared to other gelati places (from memory, about $3.30 for a single and rather smallish scoop), but the stuff tastes pretty fresh with no chemically-enhanced aftertaste.

So c’mon. Forget hot chocolate. Wave a (temporary) goodbye to a baked pudding. Slurp up some gelati, and if you still aren’t man enough for it, wear some mittens.

Gelateria Cremona
5/151 Baroona Road
Rosalie map

(07) 3367 0212

gelateriacremona@yahoo.com.au

Category: CAFE, DESSERT, INNER CITY, INNER CITY |

ally | 08/06/2009

No comments

The Cupcake Parlour Review

Pretty patty

I am a mad, bad-ass baker. You should see me in an apron – I go off. Hand me an electric mixer and some flour, and I’ll have myself a party.

You can image then, my eagerness to try The Cupcake Parlour, a little cafe/bakery that specialises in the teeny cake treat. Situated in West End, the cafe is not quite unique in Brisbane (there’s also Couture Cupcakes in Bardon, and Carousels Cupcakes in Chermside), but it is still something of a rarity to find specialty dessert/sweet stores in this city. Just looking at the website got me going – I was excited to see they had such flavours as Rocky Road, Peanut Butter, and Fairy Floss.

I’d already sampled the coconut variety at the New Farm markets, but was eager to have the full cupcake cafe experience. They bake their cakes fresh in-store every day, frost them by hand, and also do wholesale and catering.

The range in the cafe is huge, but eventually we settled on a Gooey Choc Fudge Centre, and a Toblerone (left & middle, both $3).

We settled at one of the tables outside and before long, our coffees arrived. Also $3 each, they were excellent. When I asked for some skim milk on the side for my long black (right), my server asked if I preferred steamed or cold – in my book, this earned them major brownie points for quality service. The long black in question was really quite good – evidenced by the thick crema on top. D’s flat white was also top notch.

There’s a decent amount of both indoor and outdoor seating, and the decor of The Cupcake Parlour is very cute without being kitschy. They sell other treats like melting moments and slices, as well as an array of cold drinks and coffees – how good does a Raspberry Mocha sound?

Now, onto what we’re all here for: the cupcakes. We had specifically ordered these two because they had cool stuff inside. The Toblerone was supposed to be “filled with chewy bits”, and the Gooey Choc Fudge Centre was supposed to have…well, you know.

I gave a little yelp when I peeled the paper away from the Gooey Choc-a mass of gooey, fudgey chocolate came away from the cake (below)! I was excited and dug in. Unfortunately, there was no more goo to be found in the cake. It had only been present in a tiny little pocket right at the bottom, which had promptly collapsed when I tore the wrapper off. The cake itself was excellent – dense yet fluffy, and not overly rich. This was a good thing, as the icing was very sweet. I suspect they use caster sugar rather than icing sugar, as it was very hard and I could taste little sugar granules.

The Toblerone also had an excellent chocolate cupcake base, but the filling was also disappointing. We poked, picked, and munched our way through it carefully, but not a single ‘chewy bit’ was to be found. D apparently stumbled across a few pieces in the icing, however. The icing was also very sugary and unfortunately not very flavoursome – a rich chocolate, nougaty ganache would have gone perfectly on top here. I also grabbed a Sticky Date to take away, and am licking the last morsels from my lips as I type this. The cake on the Sticky Date was perfect - just like sticky date pudding, with chunks of dates throughout. But again, the sugary icing let it down – this would have been awesome with a butterscotch cream. If you get this one, I recommend warming it up a little bit first.

The cupcakes are beautiful and it’s a very sweet spot to have some afternoon tea, but I think my expectations were too high. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – get creative, people! I want to see some unusual flavours, something not so safe. Why does the Cookies and Cream cupcake not have chunks of cookie through it? Why are most of the cupcakes just a plain chocolate/vanilla base with a flavoured icing on top? I’m sorry – you can’t pop marshmallows and cherries on top of a plain chocolate cake and say it’s a Rocky Road cupcake.

Now having said all that, The Cupcake Parlour is none the less a specialty cafe, doing something not entirely run-of-the-mill with desserts, and they really deserve kudos for that. I will definitely visit them again to enjoy good coffee, great service, and a ‘safe’ (but pretty) cupcake.

The Cupcake Parlour

5/60 Vulture St
West End map
(also at West End and New Farm markets)

1300 CUP CAKE (1300 287 225)

www.thecupcakeparlour.com.au

Tues-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm
(open occasional Sundays)

Category: CAFE, DESSERT, INNER CITY, INNER CITY |

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