Having not worked at the courts for quite a few years now, it is now all the way at the other end of town from my current workplace. As such, I've not been able to fully explore the legal precinct of Brisbane as much as I would have liked to, especially the evolution of the food options in the area. One such restaurant which I didn't get to try when I used to work nearby is The Florist Kitchen and Wine Bar, situated along Turbot Street, near the Commonwealth Law Courts. I was lucky enough to receive an invite last week to try it out, so we headed there for a quick Wednesday night dinner after work.
Arriving at our designated reservation of 6pm, there were quite a few patrons outside enjoying the bar area, but we chose to sit inside where it was more cozy.
Menus were provided quickly and there were quite a few options for our dinner, including entrees, mains and share plates. Although most dishes were evidently modern Australian, there was no doubt of an addition of an Asian twist.
In terms of the drinks menu, there was a large assortment of wines and cocktails. We tried three of the cocktails, the Berry Mule, the Botanical Crush and the Bahamas Lychee. We really enjoyed the fruity and floral tones of the drinks, which were refreshing and sweet. My favourite was the Botanical Crush with its citrusy tang from the Lemon, Lime and Grapefruit elements. For a cocktail, it was also definitely larger than others I've had elsewhere, making it fairly good value.
Our shared entrees soon came. First up was the Crispy Fried Chicken served with tahimi mayo, sprout salad and toasted sesame seed. Both portions were served atop a lettuce leaf, making it almost like a san choy bao. The chicken itself was very crispy, juicy and well seasoned. The salads were fresh and crunchy, but I found the chilli and coriander somewhat overpowered the flavours of the chicken.
Our other shared entree was the Lamb Koftas with mint and lime yoghurt. Being a big fan of Greek food, I really enjoyed the dish. The lamb was fresh and meaty, with balance found from the creamy yoghurt. Coupled with the side of mint, cucumber and onion salad, it was a very enjoyable dish.
After our entrees, our shared main came soon after, and it was definitely impressive. This was the T Bone Steak to share, served with Bearnaise sauce, duck fat potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
Despite this being a regular point of contention (I like my steak rare, he likes it medium rare), I won out again on this instance. The steak was quite tender and juicy. It was complemented well with the buttery Bearnaise that we both enjoyed. The duck fat potatoes were caramelised wonderfully with a crisp exterior almost reminiscent of wedges, except they were small whole potatoes, making for a perfect companion for the steak. As for the seasonal vegetables, I was pleasantly surprised to be served with a dish of stir fried bok choy with snow peas and capsicum, it tasted quite homely, but I found the mix of cuisines a little confusing, given that we usually have salad or roast veggies with our steak.
Given that Adam is unable to survive one day without dessert, we got a Chocolate Brownie with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate ganache to share as our conclusion to the meal. Despite the name of brownie, we both agreed that given its level of moisture and texture, it was definitely closer to a chocolate pudding or even a lava cake. Regardless of title, the dish was rich and chocolatey without being overly sweet. I liked how moist it was and also the clash of temperatures between the hot and cold, definitely a wonderful way to finish off a memorable meal.
Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Florist Kitchen and Wine Bar, but as always, our opinions are solely our own.
Price Range: $25 - $40pp
Taste: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8/10
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