Fatcow Steak and Lobster - Brisbane CBD

Last weekend we caught up with some friends over dinner. They wanted to check out FatCow Steak and Lobster which had opened not too long ago along Eagle Street Pier. I had noted it when it opened but the earlier reviews I had seen were mixed, coupled with quite an expensive price meant that I held off from trying it out until now.

 

Arriving a bit earlier than our reservation time, we had a couple drinks at the bar whilst our table was being set up. I had my usual Espresso Martini whilst he had a Kiwi Mocktail. I quite enjoyed mine which was less sweet than a lot of the others I've had and relatively strong in coffee taste. Dr L's Kiwi drink was very beautiful and fruity. He also really liked it.

 

The menu came leather-bound and the contents followed the namesake theme of steak and lobster. Neither Dr L nor I were particularly keen on getting our hands dirty with lobster, so we stuck to the steak options.

We both had the Rib Fillet on the Bone. I had mine rare, with garlic peppercorn sauce and he had his medium with mushroom. As usual, I am irritated by the notion of having to pay extra ($5) for sauce when the steak itself is already quite pricey, I would have thought it would have made more sense to just include the cost of the sauce into the steak price, even if it meant charging a few dollars more. Presentation wise, mine was fine, however we found it a little odd that his had come with a considerable smear of blood on the plate. In terms of cooking, mine was done quite well, with a deep pink interior whilst his was indeed medium. Rib Fillets are as usual quite rich and fatty with a creamy texture to compliment the beefiness which really satisfied.

Each steak came with a side, he had the bowl of chips whilst I had the potatoes au gratin which we shared. The chips were crispy and the aioli was rich and fragrant. Having tried Potatoes Au Gratin before, these were cut quite thick and chunky and didn't have the thin layers that I enjoy. It was rich and decadent with cheese and cream, but didn't stand out compared to the steak. Whilst not a bad experience, I would definitely have to say that there are better steakhouses in town that serve better quality food for superior value. I don't think I'll be back anytime soon.

Price Range: $60 - $80pp

Taste: 6.5/10

Value: 4/10

Service: 5/10

Environment: 7/10 

Heeretea - West End

Other than restaurants, another notable addition to West Village is HeereTea, well placed to provide the residents with their regular dose of bubble tea after shopping. Being quite a big fan of their other stores, I definitely stopped by for a beverage.

Other than their regular assortment of drinks, they also had a small selection of cakes. Unfortunately there was only one small table and two chairs, so if you wanted to enjoy the cakes with more than one friend, you'd have to take it away. Thankfully there is amble seating outside.

Without too many chocolate options, he had the Oreo Brulee Milk Tea and I had an Iced Matcha. Trying is, it wasn't overly sweet and the brulee was very creamy but the tea flavours weren't too strong and there weren't too many pearls. I think the CBD and Sunnybank branches execute this better. In comparison, I really enjoyed the Iced Matcha, it was vibrant and strong without being overly bitter. I actually enjoyed this far more than the matcha lattes I've had recently and would definitely think this would be a wonderful drink for summertime.

Price Range: $5 - $10pp

Taste: 7/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7/10
 

Beirut Bazaar - South Brisbane

A friend of mine recommended that I check out the new shopping precinct at West Village a couple of weeks ago, and since then I've had a fairly (un)healthy obsession with Harris Farmer's Market. Having gone there quite a few times now, I also decided to try out the local food options. Of the restaurants there, Beirut Bazaar most piqued my imagination and it took a few tries before we could make a reservation for a table.

 

Getting a table inside meant we weren't out in the cold. The menu was quite extensive and I really liked the large assortment of meat options. Service was attentive and friendly.

 

Between our group, we ordered two platters for two. This comprised of some dips with flat bread and three dips with some salad. There was quite a large amount of dips and nowhere near enough bread to have with the dips, but the dips were so delicious we decided to have it with our other meats when they came. In terms of sauces we had the Hummus, Baba Ghanouj and the Garlic dip. My favourite was clearly the garlic with its pungent fragrance and sharp taste. 

The other part of the platter for two was the Shwarma mix, hot mezze, wings skewers, rice and salad. These were very delicious, my favourite was actually the lamb skewer which was extremely flavoursome and had a crumbly texture. The rice was quite different to my usual but it was very complementary to the dish. 

We had another dish of Lamb Shwarma to share. It came with tahini and rice. The lamb was a bit tough but the seasoning was very delicious, the tahini was very fragrant with sesame flavours which went well with the lamb and rice. Dr L really liked this.

We had quite a few sides to share, this was the Batata Khara which our waitress recommended. It was cubed fried potato with pan fried coriander, chilli and garlic. These weren't crispy like chips but the flavours were super intense and they were delicious on their own even without a main dish.

A side salad we ordered was the Fattoush salad. It came with lettuce, tomato, raddish, parsley, shallots and deep fried bread. The bread was very thin and extremely crispy. The pomegranate molasses was unlike other dressings I've tried before. The dish was just quite crunchy and refreshing.

Of the dishes we had that day, my favourite was unexpectedly the Aranabeet, deep fried cauliflower with lebanese sauce. Although it looks like cauliflower, it tasted like spicy hot wedges. These were super fragrant and (probably) healthy. I could have had another dish on its own.

In case that wasn't enough, we also had a bowl of hot chips to share. This was lightly seasoned with paprika and served with a side of ketchup. The portion was generous and it really hit the spot. We will definitely be back for more food soon.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10