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ally | 13/09/2009

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 | 03/09/2009

4 comments

Babu Burgers & Grill Review

Quote Worthy

We have another special guest reviewer this week! What, again? Are Nick and Ally not eating or something? Trust me, I am chowing down and I have the muffin top to prove it. But I digress-for now here’s Chris, another brave soul who answered our new writer call. Enjoy.

A hamburger is a versatile object. It can be what ever you want it to be-a dodgy slab of processed (though delicious) junk like Maccas or HJs that lines the belly ready for a big night. Or a memorable experience in culinary perfection like Rockpool’s Wagyu burger. The fact is that hamburgers are awesome. I love them. I have visited every corner of Brisbane in search of the best hamburger experience that this town has to offer. There have been highs, there have been lows. But overall I have to say that we Brisbanites are spoilt for choice.

My most recent expedition came from a recommendation from Nick. “Chris, you should try Babu Burgers,” he says. Having been about two weeks since my previous burger outing, this was all the motivation I needed to launch a new quest. Babu Burgers & Grill is located in Wilston. Up until Tuesday I had no idea where that was; turns out it is out near the RBH. It is more of a restaurant than your average burger joint (hence the “& Grill” part of their name). Seats, tables, wait staff, the works! Prices are good, at about $12 for a standard burger. Optional extras are a dollar or two more, e.g. mushroom, egg, etc. All up it cost about $15 for my burger, which is on par with your standard non-greasy-spoon-fish-and-chip-shop burgers.

The beef patty used was one of the best I have ever had. It was a very good quality, coarsely ground beef, with a decent ratio of meat to fat to keep everything juicy. The non-beef elements (tomato, lettuce, etc.) were fresh and of a high quality. I also give points to Babu for toasting the bun, as not toasting is a cardinal sin.

The best possible honor that can be bestowed upon a hamburger is when those you are dining with announce the most famous of lines from Pulp Fiction, “Mmmm. That is a tasty burger!” as spoken by Jules (Sammy Jackson). Babu Burgers scored in producing this quote several times amongst our dining party. I counted about three occasions, most which were said by me.

Recent years have seen an explosion of gourmet burger joints, with each offering their own Australianized interpretation of the humble hamburger. Babu Burgers & Grill gets my tick, and I guarantee we will be going back soon for round two.

-Chris

Babu Burgers & Grill

83 Kedron Brook Road
Wilston

(07) 3356 4039

http://www.babuburgers.com.au/

Category: CAFE, NORTHERN SUBURBS, NORTHERN SUBURBS, TAKE-AWAY |

nick | 05/08/2009

No comments

Little Taipei Review

Earlier this year I jumped on a plane and spent two weeks on a little island off the coast of China called Taiwan. The place where everything is made.

Food in Taiwan is awesome, it costs nothing, it’s often made fresh right in front of you and the flavours are so beyond your local Asian take-away that ever since getting back to Australia I shudder at the thought of what we try to pass off as authentic.

There’s two things in particular that I’ve been hankering for since visiting the island, dumplings (Jiaozi) and Ji Pai (say it like G-Pie) which is like KFC’s pop corn chicken but oh so much better.

Enter Little Taipei, a bizarre upstairs back alley food court in Sunnybank.

The word sketchy is the first that comes to mind when I think Little Taipei but somehow that isn’t quite right. I realise that I’m putting any credibility that I may have on the line by reviewing a food court but the dumplings here are the best I’ve had in Brissy and damn it to hell I’m going to review them.

It’s also the only place that has done a reasonable take on Ji Pai and for these two reasons I’m going to give Little Taipei 15 seconds in the spot light.

After climbing two flights of stairs and making a right through an unmarked door, you find yourself in a large enclosed space with about 40 tables and room for 8 or 9 vendors. But there’s only 4 shops – the rest are empty counter tops.

You choices are now Taiwanese, Korean & Northern Chinese Style and EasyWay Bubble Tea.

A large plate of fried dumplings and a large plate of salt and pepper chicken will leave you with a couple of dollars spare from your 20. Which would be ludicrously expensive in the real Taipei but at least I don’t have to factor in the return airfare.

The dumplings are goooooooooooooood. Hot little parcels of pan fried goodness that combined with a little dipping sauce make for gastronomic delight. The contents is a ground up mix of pork and vegetables the specifics of which are a mystery and the dough skin is holds it all together without being chewy. Apparently this style of dumpling has been around for about 4000 years so I guess that explains why they’ve managed to evolve into the little package of happiness that appears on my plate.

The chicken, while not authentic Ji Pai is the closest thing I’ve found to date. It’s basically shredded chicken pieces battered and deep fried and then covered and salt and pepper. Sounds simple – but there is elegance in simplicity. The chicken is heaped on a plate in such a way that mocks KFC’s idea of ‘large popcorn chicken’ and it provides the ideal dish for grazing while discussing the latest APEC sub-committee report on education standards.

On the off chance you like neither dumplings or chicken (in which case why are you even reading this?), other things on the menu include:

Set meals of fried chicken / fish with pork rice, thin soup, some tofu and asian greens
BBQ lamb on BIG metal sticks
Shallot pancake which are pretty good!
Sizzling Korean steak

But for me it’s all about the Jiaozi.

Little Taipei

Market Square Shopping Centre
317 Mains Rd map (<-- you’ll need it)
Sunnybank

Open ’till 8pm

Category: RESTAURANT, SOUTH SIDE, TAKE-AWAY |

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 |

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 |

nick | 13/06/2009

No comments

Blue Gulabi Review

Curry with a cause

I’m a terrible social activist.

I don’t give money to charity as often as I should; I shy away from people waving copies of The Big Issue; and I change the channel to The Simpsons when Somalia comes on TV.

It’s not that I don’t want to help. But why must it always involve me handing over my credit card details? Isn’t there something else I can do? And can’t it be really simple?

Luckily for unengaged, lazy, tight-arse people such as myself, Blue Gulabi has made it easy to give and feel good about it. All you have to do is eat their curry once a month.

Eat curry? Is that it? Well, in that case I’ll be happy to help. Pass me a fork!

Blue Gulabi is a family run Indian take-away / restaurant in Woolloongabba that on the first day of each month will donate 15% of the day’s income to a charity. To make this even easier, they have a special $10 curry buffet on the day which gets you a plate with as many curries as you can fit on it and a complimentary entrée and dessert.

This is my kind of cause and I’m proud to say that I made it along this month and dragged seven of my friends with me to support Blue Gulabi’s charity of the month, SHE, which helps stop child prostitution in Cambodia.

I made a booking a couple of days in advance thinking that every man and his dog were going to be as excited about $10 curry as I. Interestingly, I called a few hours prior to arriving to adjust numbers slightly and was told, “Oh but we don’t take bookings.” Eh?! Then what did I book?

It turns out we needn’t have bothered as Blue Gulabi is basically a hole-in-the-wall take away restaurant with seating for about eight inside and another six outside. When we arrived we had a 10 minute wait while an earlier group finished their desserts and headed off. This lack of popularity floored me – does no one know that there is $10 curry here? Or am I about to find out that there’s a good reason to stay away?

The $10 special gets you an entrée of half a pappadum and what I think was a large vegetable pakora, with a large plate of rice and your choice of curries. You also get dessert, which is a small Styrofoam cup containing ‘pudding’ made from sweet sticky rice. Not quite what I had mind when I read ‘complimentary entrée and dessert’ but for $10, who the hell cares as long as it tastes good. We also ordered a stack of naans ($3 ea) to accompany our curry because eating Indian curry without naan is like eating a snag without bread – people will look at you funny.

The curry was good all in all. 14 different varieties to choose from (five veg, nine meat) with all the bases covered. There was vindaloo for the cowboys and butter chicken and lamb korma for those with a delicate rear-end. Bizarrely, even though we were eating quite early (at 6:45pm) the butter chicken had been exhausted and a couple of the other dishes were looking to be in short supply. But we all ended up with a plate piled with curry and I didn’t hear any complaints.

Unfortunately the naan really wasn’t up to scratch. It was hard, crispy, and almost biscuit-like in texture. There was simply no way it was going to mop anything up off the plate. Although we ordered a variety of flavours I really couldn’t tell them from each other and we ended up not touching a lot of it.

It’s worth noting our meals were served on throwaway Styrofoam plates and cups with plastic knives and forks. Normally I don’t really have a problem with this considering the price point, but one of my friends made the keen observation that it was all headed for landfill and it seemed a shame we had to punish the environment while trying to support a good cause.

Service throughout was warm, friendly and chatty, exactly what you’d expect from a family business, but it was obvious that they really weren’t expecting much of a turn out and seemed very happy to have us.

The bottom line on Blue Gulabi is that for $10 I can’t complain. Yes, you can get better curry elsewhere and there’s no doubt that Blue Gulabi has a lot of work to do if they hope to make regular patrons out of any of us. But I’m happy to throw some support behind them on the 1st of the month and hope that you will too. Next month the Heart Foundation will be benefiting and it’s definitely a easy way to help.

Blue Gulabi

Gabba Central
Shop 19C / 803 Stanley St
Woolloongabba map

07 3391 1576

www.bluegulabi.com.au

Visited on Monday, 1 June 2009

Category: INNER CITY, RESTAURANT, TAKE-AWAY |

ally | 30/05/2009

3 comments

Grill’d Review

The better burger

Burgers are the bomb. Everyone likes them. Even vegans and health nuts enjoy digging into a tofu gluten-free organic concoction. Me, I’m quite partial to the odd filthy Cheeseburger at the end of a night out. Although, there comes a time when one yearns for a burger that is tasty, juicy, fresh, and a teensy bit fancy…

…one yearns for Grill’d. Grill’d is a relatively new burger chain that claims to make “healthy burgers” using 95% fat free beef, chicken breasts that have been trimmed of all fat, and fresh burger trimmings. While no one’s saying they ought to be replacing level two of the food pyramid, I’d say they are probably the healthiest restaurant/take away burger you can find. Their menu is quite extensive and offers regular burger options like the Simply Grill’d (burger patty, salad, $7.90), as well as more exotic fare such as the Morrocan Lamb (lamb, roasted peppers, tzatziki, salad, relish, $11.50). There are vegetarian burgers and a kiddies menu, as well as a gluten-free bun option.

On a recent Saturday night, D and I visited the Rosalie location of Grill’d. There’s a lot of seating both indoors and out, and orders were completed quickly despite the busy dinner crowd. I ordered the Bird & Brie ($10.90): a chicken breast with brie cheese, salad, and cranberry sauce. D went for the beef and got the Crispy Bacon & Cheese ($9.90), which consisted of a beef patty, bacon, cheese, salad, relish, and herbed mayo. We also got a snack sized chips ($4.30) with some herbed mayo dipping sauce (70cents).

Wait. Give me a moment. I need to talk about the herbed mayo, just for a second. This stuff makes me drool. I pledge my first born to the creator of this delectable condiment. I would happilly roll in a vat of it, just so I could smell like it all day long. It’s like a cross between aioli and the sauce on a Hungry Jack’s chicken burger. It’s creamy, it’s herb-y, and it goes well on chips, burgers, and fingertips.

Back to it hey. Our food arrived quickly, and although Grill’d don’t waste time on fancy presentation, the burgers looked awesome. Stacked high on a soft panini bun was a grilled chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, and a gooey pile of brie cheese (left). Cranberry sauce was spread thickly on one half, which was the winner at bringing this burger together. The sweet sauce went perfectly with the brie cheese, and the chicken was very tender and not at all dry.

I admit I had burger envy though. D’s bacon and cheese (below left) had a classic look to it that reminded me of a fish’n'chip shop burger (minus the grease and sanitisation issues). A pile of bacon and tasty cheese complemented the juicy beef patty, and the herbed mayo-well. We know about the herbed mayo.

Grill’d's chips are a bit pricey, but are of a very good quality. They’re thick cut, seasoned with herbs, and have a slight beer-battered texture and taste.

There are elements of Grill’d that are confusing – is it a casual take away joint, or something more? They’re licenced, but it’s well priced (Coronas $7). It’s table service, but waiters trot around yelling your name. Prices are cheaper than your average cafe or pub, but the servings are huge and the quality is top-notch.

Although service is friendly and efficient, they really need to get a better ordering system. As it stands, there’s no numbers or table markers. On a previous visit, we didn’t hear our name being called even though the waiter must have walked past our table several times. I don’t understand why they don’t introduce a number system. With burgers (and herbed mayo) this good, I do not want to be waiting any longer than I have to.

Grill’d

19/21 Nash St
Rosalie map

(also at Bulimba, Ascot, Coolangatta, Frotitude Valley, Chermside & locations in VIC and NSW)

07 3367 1555

www.grilld.com.au

Licensed & BYO

Category: CBD, EASTERN SUBURBS, INNER CITY, NORTHERN SUBURBS, RESTAURANT, TAKE-AWAY, WESTERN SUBURBS |

ally | 26/05/2009

No comments

Sushi Station review

Yes, this is another sushi review. I know what you’re thinking: “Does Ally have a bit of a sushi problem?” Yes people, I do. It makes me happy. I do a little dance when I know I’m going to be having sushi that day. I may have even given that dance a name (the Ally’s-going-to-sushi-train dance). Quit judging me. I know secretly everyone’s doing their own little sushi dance inside.

Especially when that sushi dance leads to Sushi Station, at Toowong. This place continues to blow me away every time I visit it. The best part? It’s a sushi train! Everyone knows sushi is way more fun when it’s chugging along on a conveyor belt.

Although Sushi Station is a chain, every location has a different menu (yeah, I’ve been to several. Whatever). The Toowong branch is incredible value for money. Plates come in $2, $3, $4, and $5 denominations, featuring sashimi, maki-sushi (bite-size hand rolls), yuramaki (inside out hand rolls), inari, nigiri, tempura, and other delights.

Servings are very generous, especially on the $3 plates. I figured out one day (I have a lot of time on my hands) that a standard $3 plate of maki-sushi equates to about two hand rolls in an average takeaway joint. On an off day, I can spend $6 and be very full at this place.

Seating is arranged around the train, with one large bar-style circular bench that ensures maximum train access. There are also a few square tables jutting from one side, so it’s possible to dine with a bigger group of people. I ordered a plate of tuna and cucumber which the chef happily made up for me. Six little pieces of tuna and cucumber yuramaki were delicious. They held together firmly, and the tuna had a slightly sweet flavour. The cucumber’s crunch meant the dish had interesting opposing textures.

My sushi partner in crime, L, grabbed a plate of California rolls. Again, they tasted fresh and held together well, but I’m pretty sure there was a seafood stick intruder or two.

I thought I might let loose a little and try something different next-I got a seaweed seafood ship. The seaweed on top was crunchy and flavoursome, but there wasn’t enough-a couple of chop stick maneuvers and I was left with a mound of unappetizing plain rice in the bottom of the ships.

We also got a beef and avocado yuramaki (below), a salmon and avocado yuramaki, and a small plate of tuna sashimi. The salmon had a fantastic colour, tasted and smelt fresh, and went beautifully with the creamy avocado. Not bad for $3. The tuna had that gorgeous dusty pink colour that you only see on great sashimi and the cheekbones of Miranda Kerr. It was also fresh-tasting, but didn’t come close to the salmon’s standards.

The range of dishes on the train is really fantastic, and something I haven’t seen anywhere else. Accompanying standard rice-based dishes are endamame beans; marinated chicken, beef, and vegies; egg rolls; steamed pork buns; spring rolls; and this odd-looking kebab type dish (below) that puzzles me. I have no idea what’s in it, but I do know that it’s fantastic with a hangover.

Green tea and water is served free (they’re also BYO, but I’m yet to work up the courage to crack a VB), and there’s plenty of fresh wasabi paste, pickled ginger, and soy sauce. If you are a filthy animal and choose not to savour your sushi, you can grab takeaway too.

My only gripe with this place is the freshness of some ingredients. While the fish and meat are always tasty and fresh, I’ve spotted giant tubs of mashed up avocado and chopped up cucumber in the fridge. At the end of the day, the sushi still tastes damn good, but I really hope it doesn’t come with a side of greens that are long past their use by date.

If the train is not your thing (and if it isn’t, you disgust me), you can order such dishes off a separate menu like Japanese soba noodles ($5), sashimi salad ($9), or agedashi tofu. There’s also green tea and tempura ice cream ($3) if you’re in the mood for something sweet. Although, if you’re like me, you will be rolling out of the place moaning and rubbing your swollen but satisfied belly.

Sushi Station

Shop 11/50 Sherwood Road
Toowong map

(also at a variety of locations around Brisbane including Bulimba, Sunnybank, Carindale, and the CBD)

07 3871 2088

Open for lunch from 11am daily (excluding Public Holidays)
Open for dinner from 5pm daily

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

ally | 16/05/2009

No comments

LR Sushi Review

I would do a lot for sushi. Heck, I’ve been known to choke down day-old rolls just because I needed a fix. But join a line up half a block long, made up of hungry, anxious office workers? The answer is, if the line leads to the magic that is LR Sushi, I will be marching over and possibly even pushing in. Little old ladies, beware.

I’ve seen the line for LR’s Queens Plaza store, and that baby has legs. It runs down Adelaide St and just keeps on going. “How can a couple of hand rolls be that good?” I used to ask myself.

My work pal took me to LR sushi on Felix St last week, and the line up was a little more forgiving (just 10 people or so).

There was so much choice in the cabinet. The hand rolls were huge, stuffed with such fillings like Japanese omelette; fried chicken; tuna and avocado; smoked salmon; and every Westerner’s favourite: the California mix.

I grabbed a tuna and avocado and yes, I got a California roll-mainly because it was of the ‘inside out’ (seaweed on the inside) variety which I love. They were both $2.80, which might seem a bit steep, but they are definitely much bigger than your average roll.

You can help yourself after ordering to the huge bowls of chopsticks, pickled ginger packets, soy sauce sachets, and wasabi sachets. This was great – no one likes paying 20 cents for a soy sauce sachet any more than they like paying 20 cents for tomato sauce for their meat pie. Extra kudos for that, LR!

The rolls are made fresh in the kitchen, where workers churn out about 3000 pieces a day. The rolls we had on our visit were fantastic. Despite being crammed with so much filling that there was overhang, they held together very well. The tuna mixture had a sweet flavour and wasn’t too soggy, and the California was even better. The crab tasted like actual fish (not seafood filler), the vegies were fresh, and the seaweed on the inside meant I had a much more intense taste of everything.

My work buddy couldn’t finish the rest of her fried chicken roll, and these bad boys are so filling that I wasn’t even going to attempt it. Don’t let the line-up at LR put you off. It moves very quickly, and no wonder: service is fast and efficient, yet friendly. But honestly, I wouldn’t care if they threw my nori at me and spat in my face. As long as I can get my hands on these babies, I will fall at the feet of LR sushi.

LR Sushi

Felix St (near the corner of Mary St)
Brisbane CBD map

(also in Queens Plaza on Adelaide St and MacArthur Central on Queen St)

07 3210 6618

Category: CBD, TAKE-AWAY |

nick | 15/05/2009

No comments

Genies Cafe Review

If I ever open a cafe, I’m going to model it on Genies at the University of Queensland, St Lucia. Genies doesn’t do amazing food, have faultless service or particularly interesting decor, but the reason I would choose to emulate them is that they do everything slightly better than average.

And when you do everything slightly better than average, it adds up. I’d much rather eat at Genies which would score a solid B+ in every category than eat somewhere that oscillates, ranging between an A to D+.

Genies follows the KISS formula, a selection of simple lunch options that doesn’t change too often. Combine this with the ability to make great Merlo Lavazza coffee and get everything to your table briskly so that your lunch break is unhurried and free of indigestion, and it’s a sure fire way to ensure happy customers.

It also helps that the most expensive thing on the menu is $12.50.

So when I was on campus last week for a catch up, Genies was the obvious place for lunch. Genies also does brekky from 7am and has the best thick shakes ($5) within a kilometre, but for this lunch my companion and I chose a Beef Burger ($10.50) and Lamb Souvlaki Pizza ($10).

The pizza was very good; the lamb was full of flavour, and the fetta was gooey and was complimented nicely by the yoghurt dressing. I’m a bit of a fan of lamb souvlaki and this pizza was an enjoyable adaptation. The bread base was cooked through, which should go without saying, but it seems to be something others have trouble with.
My companion’s beef burger was large enough to require cutting in half, and I heard no word of complaint. Beetroot is included as standard, which is a must in my books, and the burger is served with enough chips to ward off those 3:30pm tummy rumbles.

Neither of the meals would win an award but more importantly I couldn’t fault them – just well priced, good quality food.

So many places these days seem to focus on making every dish ‘exciting’ by tweaking the bread or using olive oil from a place I’ve never heard of, and subsequently falling down in the basics. A sandwich is still a sandwich, so perhaps skip the fancy stuff until you can put an un-chipped plate in front of your customer with a quality dish on it, at a price that’s value for money, and in good time.

Genies does this extremely well.

Genies Cafe

Ground Floor
Queensland Biosciences Precinct (Building 80)
The University of Queensland
St Lucia map

07 3871 1590

http://www.genies.com.au/

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

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