Oriental Yum Cha, Fortitude Valley

I consider myself a pretty greedy person when it comes to food, so me hearing about any kind of buffet is like a kid hearing about Disneyland. I've been waiting for an all can eat yum cha for some time, so when Thoa mentioned Oriental yum cha was doing this, I didn't hesitate, not even for a second. 

We were seated and offered tea but food was yet to come around as they were still setting up, apparently twenty minutes after opening was still too early to arrive. We must of sat around for about 15 mins before trolleys came around so it really took time out of our 1hr seating time which they were very adamant about keeping. They however didn't seem to mind how many items you have on table at once though, so we made up for some lost time on the first trolley that came by.

Along with ordering classic favourites, we decided to try a few new things since it wasnt costing us any extra. Beef balls were a new discovery...not the good kind of discovery though. I have nothing to compare it to so i'm not sure what a good one is suppose to taste like, but what I can say is, as a dish in general, it was quite unpleasant to eat. Texture was gelatinous and slimey and tasted and looked like raw mince despite being cooked. I'm not sure i'm game enough to try that one again at a different place unless someone can tell me that I just had some dud ones.

Xiao long baos were okay. The broth along with pastry was average in flavour but we found the presentation to be annoying. We had a few mishaps with the pastry sticking to the silicon and no matter how careful we would be, it got a little bit messy.

The chicken feet was probably the stand out from this visit although not quite on the same standard as other places, but it was full of flavour and we both enjoyed it.We ordered a few other dishes too that we didn't take photos. Har Gow would be one of my favourite dumplings and i recall the pastry being super thick and dry and the fillings are minimal prawn. sui mais were pretty tough and dry and lack the usual flavours. We finished with some egg tarts and mango pudding; the former lacking flakiness in the pastry and the latter being overly sweet and tasting superficial. 

We stopped ordering at this point and were just finishing off dessert and tea, but we were gently reminded about 3 times by different wait staff that our time was up. There were a number of tables still empty with no new customers coming in, so it seemed a little unnecessary. I think the last girl noticed how uncomfortable she made us so she top up our tea before leaving, but nonetheless we didn't want to overstay our welcome so we scoffed down the rest of our egg tarts and got up to pay.

It set us 19.90 each and I was satisfied enough that I had every intention of coming back but since the, I've been to a few other yum cha since (old favourites and new ones), and really, you can eat all the yum cha you ca handle and it costs you a little over $20 anyway. not to mention that the food quality is better and you can sit for as long as you please.

Food: 5/10
Service: 4/10
atmosphere: 5/10
Value: 6/10

Overall 5

Little Sista, Coorparoo

In my constant search for a local cafe where I can be a regular at, I decided to try Little Sista. I've been here for coffee a long time ago with a friend and made a mental note that it might be worth coming back to for a proper meal. So on one fine day off, sleeping in well breakfast time, we decided to come here for their all day breakfast!

We sat outside in their patio area to soak in some sun. I often sit outside in the sun with my coffee on my days off and while on holidays so I thought the setting was relaxing and peaceful and felt like was away from Brisbane for a little while.

We started with a couple of coffees and after the many awful coffees we have had recently, we were looking forward to a cup of Campos. The espresso shot was extracted well but the milk texture could have been smoother.  The coffee wasn't bad, but it was nothing to write home about either.  I'm a Barista and a decent one at that, so my expectations are probably a little higher than my dining companions.

Our waitress was very quick and bubbly and ordering was done without a hitch. Jamie, being a growing man, ordered the biggest breakfast he could; the Big Sista breakfast which consisted of eggs, chorizo, mushroom, bacon, beans, tomatos and hasbrowns served with sourdough. 

I went with the little Sista breakfast, which wasn't all that little. I thought this was a pretty good option because you're given a few steps to build and customise your own meal. You get eggs your way on sourdough, followed by a meat option and two sides. I went for the greasy and hearty options of savoury mince, vegetable fritter and hash browns. 

The savoury mince was delicious, full of flavour and nice and saucy. The fritter from what i can recall (a fair few weeks have past since we were here) was primarily spiced pumpkin and deep fried. it was crispy around the edges but being quite oily and mushy, became sickening half way through. 

I thought it was a little pricey for breakfast coming in at $50 for two people but then again, that would be the average price in a trendy cafe these days. The quality is definitely worth it though, you wouldnt be able to get anything like this from any place with a big sign out front offering a $12 big breakfast...not in Brisbane anyway.

Food: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Value: 6/10

Overal: 6.5

 

Little Red Dumpling, SUNNYBANK HILLS

If I had to pick one cuisine to eat everyday for a year, without a single shred of doubt, it'd be dumplings. I could eat it three meals a day and not get sick of it so when Little red dumpling offered all you can eat dumplings for $30 (for two people), how could I resist?

The all you can eat deal was limited to dumplings and a couple of noodle dishes. Entrees and drinks were not included but with a couple of main sized noodle dishes and several choices of dumplings on offer with the option of having them either pan friend or steamed, I wasn't complaining. 

We arrived for dinner on a relatively busy Wednesday night without a booking but staff were still accommodating and sat us down with menus, table water and friendly smiles. I started with a pot of tea while we browsed over our choices and discussed a game plan of how we should tackle this and make the most out of an(already amazing) deal. 

generous amounts of tea for one person served in beautiful teapots and cups

We decided we didn't want to fill up on noodles and to stick with just dumplings so we could try all the different flavours. I didn't bother taking photos of all the plates we ordered as they looked very similar save for some very slight variances in sizes/shapes between the different fillings.

Pan-fried Chicken and prawn dumplings

Steamed lamb and coriander

We managed to try almost every dumpling available to us that night, except for the vegetarian one which we weren't to fussed about missing. I think they were all very nice but the stand out fillings of the night were definitely chicken & prawn and the pork & chives ones. The only real complaint I have about these dumplings would be the thickness of the pastry skin; with it being quite thick, sometimes it gets a little too doughy and you miss out of the flavours of the filling. The skin didn't seem quite as thick when we opted for the pan friend version though. All dumplings plates were served with an extremely generous amount of dipping sauce (soy, vinegar & chilli oil), and they even provided extra bottles on the table. 

walls are adorned with strong, powerful artwork

The place is gorgeous and there is lots to gander at while you wait for your food to arrive. The furniture is made up of wooden benches and stools mimicking small Chinese restaurants without lacking comfort and cleanliness. The staff were amazing and I could not fault them on anything; everyone was super friendly, looked after us well and actually looked they wanted to be there.

Final verdict? Not the best dumplings around, but I definitely enjoyed them, all 30 or so of them! In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I actually purchased another Scoopon and super eager to go back and eat an unhealthy amount of dumplings and somehow manage to fit some dessert in too. I'm super psyched.

Food: 7/10 (based on dumplings only)

Service 10/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Value: 7/10 (based on normal prices)

Overal: 8/10

-wd

 

Alegria Mediterranean Bistro, MILTON

When people picking or discussing popular weekend breakfast spots, Bistro Alegria is not a place that often gets mentioned. I believe a lot of people are unaware that this restaurant, often thriving and bustling with customers most nights would serve big hearty breakfasts early weekend mornings. Bistro alegria is probably one of my favourite places to have dinner and currently the only restaurant I visit multiple times in a year. The food and dessert  are all made by the chefs in house and is consistently spectacular. 

Despite knowing about breakfast at Alegria for a while now, this was actually my first opportunity to make it out there on Sunday morning. The menu is considerably smaller but offers all the favourites  with a Mediterranean twist. 

Spanish omelette with jamon, feta, confit potatoes and roast capsicum

The Spanish omelette was served in a decent sized paella pan and filled with generous amount of jamon and the confit potatoes were full of flavour. It was a big meal and must of contained about 4 eggs and was served with a thick slice of grilled sourdough. It definitely more than I could ever eat for breakfast...or any other meal for that matter.

Mediterranean Breakfast 

Alegria's version of the big breakfast was definitely big. There were thick slices of house made honey bacon, juicy heirloom cherry tomatoes, fresh avocados, watercress, mushrooms and haloumi and two massive slices of grilled sourdough.

The food here is amazing, and serving sizes are always gigantic; big eaters don't need to worry about being left hungry after a meal. The coffee here is pretty average, but you wont really have room for anything else after a breakfast. Their tea selection is pretty unique though if you're after a hot cuppa.

Whether you choose to come here for breakfast, lunch  or dinner, you'll fine something delectable from the menu. Dinner is still probably my favourite time of the day to come as there is lots of delicious seasonal tapas and mains to choose from, and with live musicians playing every weekend night, it really is a great venue for friends and family to get together for dinner and have a drink or two from their expansive wine list.

-wd

 

Carolina Kitchen, COOPARROO

There was a lot of talk about Carolina kitchen when american food became popular in Brisbane. I was pretty late to board the train and only got around to visiting recently. Carolina's kitchen is located in a suburban area of Cooparroo, and offers popular American soul food  such as hoagies, ribs, wings and a range of dessert pies.

I love corn bread, so it was no surprise when that was the first thing I picked off the menu. The cornbread was shaped as a muffin. It was warm, moist and had the perfect amount of sweetness, probably one of the better corn breads I've tasted. I wasn't a fan of the sauce served on the side though, it was like some sort of lukewarm tomato and beef mince chili, without the chili.

I had the "Aunt Lilly Mae's BBQ ribs" that came with a side of southern potato salad. The meat was falling of the bone and topped with tangy and sweet BBQ sauce. The sauce really was delicious; if it weren't for fellow diners, I would have picked up my plate and licked it clean. The potato salad although not all that different from a regular potato and egg salad, was very tasty and seasoned well. Only down side of this dish, was the size. It was pretty small for a half rack and even with the addition to the side salad, and half a corn bread, I wasn't completely satiated afterwards. Unless you're a light eater, you really have to order a few extra sides or at least a large size of ribs.

Enjoying the cool artwork while enjoying a refreshing Dr Peppers

The restaurant isn't fancy inside or out and decor seems a little outdated, but it's cosy and humble and has a lot of interesting memorabilia to check out while you wait for your food. The music played in the background is pretty great, it was a mix of jazz, soul and blues when I was there. Although the food was a little bit expensive for the amount you get, it was still delicious and I definitely want to come back for more ribs and maybe a hoagie and some wings too. Sometimes you just have to splurge a little to get good food.

Food: 8/10

Service 6/10

Atmosphere: 5/10

Value: 6/10

Overal: 6/10

-wd

 

Toro Bravo, FORTITUDE VALLEY

The fortitude valley is becoming a utopia for dining with many new venues serving up exciting cuisines from around the world but before trying all the new stuff, I decided to visit a place that has long been on my list; Toro Bravo. I absolutely love the idea of tapas and small share plates so naturally Toro Bravo would be on my ever expanding wish-list.

I dined here a couple of weeks ago and to this day I still haven’t come up with a definitive answer as to whether I had a good night or not. There were amazing points and there were moments that tipped the scale towards the other direction. I arrived earlier than my friend so decided to proceed inside, the bartender casually strolled up to ‘greet’ me and I informed him that I had made a reservation. Unaware of any bookings made, he asked me whether I was by myself. I told him I was waiting for a friend and happy to do so at the table that had been set aside for us and the response I receive was uncalled for and it really put me off, so I decided to go back out front and wait while I contemplating eating next door.

My friend arrived and we were then greeted by the waiter who sat us down inside. Service took a massive turn at this point and I was glad I chose to stick around. Our waiter handled things superbly; he was a friendly and knowledgeable and helped us choose the right amount of food and made the experience fun and comfortable.

We started our dinner with the Field mushrooms and feta that came with a mound of rocket. This was probably the simplest dish we ordered but was definitely my favourite. The mushroom was cooked well and full of flavour and juicy while the feta was soft and rich. A perfect example of how simple ingredients can taste astonishing when cooked well.

Sauteed field mushrooms with roquette roast pumpkin, feta & manzanilla sherry dressing.

Croquettes are a must have every time for me; it’s exciting to see what new flavours chefs are trying with the croquettes. That night at Toro Bravo, it was hamburger. Intrigued at first and not sure what to expect, we were bitterly disappointed when they finally came out...not to say they weren't absolutely delicious and perfectly crispy, it just wasn’t as adventurous and bizarre as we hoped. In all fairness though, when you break down the ingredients in a hamburger it’s really is just ham, cheese & tomato sauce. We had a good laugh about that one.

Croquette of the day: Hamburger

The bartender came with out with our paella and seemed annoyed that there wasn’t enough room left on the table. He lingered uncomfortably for a little while and then popped then dirty plates on the table next to us, placed the paella down and walked off empty handed and left us with the nice view of our used dishes. I could have done that myself.

The paella was pretty good. There was a decent amount of chorizo and prawns, and the rice was cooked nicely however the chicken was a little bit dry. The flavours were good and I was quite satisfied with the dish but it would have been much better with a bit more heat to it

Chicken, prawn, chorizo paella with winter vegetables.

Lastly, just to make sure we were really done and full, was the lamb skewers. The lamb had a strong charred flavour and the haloumi was still soft and moist and although the rosemary oil was evident, I think it would have been nice if it was accompanied by a dipping sauce.

Chargrilled lamb and haluomi skewers with rosemary oil.

We were going to skip dessert but upon finding out that Thoa has yet to try a clafoutis, I made an executive decision to order one despite our stomachs telling us we were done for the night. It came out warm and was very comforting to eat on a cold night. The only complaint I have with this one, was it needed more sour cherry and would have been nice with a sauce. I liked it, but felt like it was a little plain and needed one more thing to make it memorable.

Sour cherry clafouti with vanilla icecream

When we were ready to leave, we got the passing bartenders attention for the bill and tried to inform him that we had an entertainment card so he would know to adjust it accordingly  rather than having to go back and do it later. He stuck his hand up to us and said he was already getting it and didn't take the card with him. We fixed our bill up at the counter and were on our way back to the car pack when he came running after us and said he needed to see the card because he forgot to take down some details, so back in we went. Although not being inconvenienced by it, I felt like the way he spoke to us and his attitude could have been a bit better at that moment and throughout the night, but we tried not to dwell on it seeing as everything else was pleasant.

With or without the entertainment discount, I think Toro Bravo offers good value and would be a great place for big groups and families. Our bill came out much smaller than expected and despite a few mishaps, service from the waiter was excellent and we received a decent amount of food that came out quickly even though only one chef was in the kitchen that night. I'm definitely keen to come back and give their mains plates/grills a go some time in the near future.

Food: 8/10

Service 8.5/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Value: 8.5/10

Overal: 8/10

-wd

 

The Burrito Bar, SOUTHBANK

The Burrito Bar has been a part of Southbank dining for a long time and remains popular with movie goers for a quick bite before or after their session. I’ve eaten here a couple of times years ago when they first opened up and found it to be quite average. They have since had a makeover and extended their menu so I decided to give it another go. Surely they were doing something right to still be standing even after the addition of new burrito joints in the area.

Their change in menu does sound more appealing with crowd pleasers such as slow cooked pulled pork that can be added to burritos, tacos, nachos and quesadillas.  Along with your standard tortilla based dishes, they offer items such as buffalo wings, chargrilled corn, ribs and chilli as well as a few unorthodox dishes such as nacho chips and Mexican burger. They certainly have a lot more to offer in terms of menu choices in comparison to their neighbouring competitors.

We placed our order with a very quiet, yet friendly girl at the counter then proceeded to find a table. The only clean table happened to be in front of the counter and board menus and we found it extremely uncomfortable. I felt like I was getting in customers way as they tried to order while at the same time having my personal dining space invaded. We ended up moving to a different table next to tacky uncovered pipes and chipped away poles where we had to clear away dirty plates ourselves.

Our pulled pork nachos were the first to arrive. I was surprised to see it come out on a real square dinner plate, even though it was chipped in the corners. Serving sizes for the nachos are much smaller than the competitors for the same price but offered a generous amount of sour cream at no additional charge. The pulled pork was good and salsa was fresh, however the downside to this dish was the overly salty and oily corn chips, otherwise it was a pretty-okay plate of nachos.

The 10-hour slow cooked Smokey BBQ beef burrito was out next. The beef was definitely soft and tender and had a nice flavour to it and was wrapped nicely in a decent sized soft tortilla. We shared the burrito and despite being quite hungry, I was unable to finish my half due the mound of uncooked rice inside it. I don’t mean slightly undercooked either, the rice was still crunchy and upon snapping a grain in half, revealed a chalky white uncooked centre.

We left hungry and disappointed that even after the change, our impression and experience at The Burrito Bar remained the same as our first few tries. The main clientele seemed to be made up of young teenagers out with their friends and making use of the food discount they receive along with their Cineplex movie ticket. Everyone older knows better and is willing to pay the extra few dollars and have gone down the road. It’s such a shame though because the pulled pork/beef was actually very nice, but that alone isn’t enough to make me come back any time soon.

Food:  3/10
Service:  4/10
Value:  4/10
Atmosphere:  3/10
Overall:  3.5/10

-wd