Two Sisters - Coorparoo

Dr L and I were running a couple of errands around Coorparoo the other week when we decided to stop for a quick bite to eat. Having seen a couple posts about the recently opened Two Sisters Coffee and Banh Mi along Cavendish Road made our decision fairly easy.

Parking was also relatively easy along the main road but finding a table in the very popular but very small shop turned out to be difficult. It took us a little bit but we found a seat inside in a corner. Menus were plastered on the wall and there were options including Banh Mi, Rice and Vermicelli bowls, Rice paper rolls and drinks.

Drinks were the first to arrive. I had asked for my viet iced coffee to be served less sweet and it was definitely less sweet than usual with reduced condensed milk. It was also very rich and strong. Dr L had the iced chocolate. It came with a scoop of ice cream atop some chocolate milk and chocolate syrup. This was fairly standard for cafe fare and he had no complaints.

First of our banh mi to arrive was the crispy roast pork. I had asked for it to be toasted and it came out as such. The bun was crisp and warm on the outside but definitely a bit more dense than the offerings I've had in Inala. Toppings wise were adequate but I wouldn't call it generous. Roast pork lacked the crunch I would have expected from a crispy pork belly.

My comments about the bread and filling stand for the traditional but I would say that the flavours were better with the multitude of cool pork slices in the sandwich, it provided more textures and variety compared to the roast pork. All in all, I would say that this banh mi would definitely not be able to stack up to offerings in Inala, but for the convenience of being located in Coorparoo, I don't mind it but I would still rather drive to Belmont to Mr Bills though.

 

We also had two sides to try, first up was the chargrilled beef rice paper roll, the other was spring rolls. The beef wasn't particularly charred but the rolls were plump and generous. I found the rice paper itself to be on the dry side though. The spring rolls were freshly fried and super crispy. Otherwise I don't find them all that different to offerings you could get from a Roll'd. Either way, I appreciate the convenience of their being located nearby. I am in no rush to return but wouldn't be opposed to it if given the opportunity.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 6.5/10

Value: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7/10

Nonda - Newstead

Readers will know by now that I'm not a fan of fusion food. I've long considered myself a diehard traditionalist, but Nonda at Gasworks had received enough positive reviews that it had my attention. The only thing that was really stopping me from going there was the seemingly high prices on its menu. This was soon rectified when I saw that they had gone on First Table, thus providing 50% off the food bill when you order a beverage. With that in mind, I went with my mum on my day off work to have a relaxing Monday lunch.

Usually when you see restaurants put on promotions, you expect it to be fairly quiet. This was definitely not the case when we went, as there appeared to be a large group of corporates there for a business lunch, along with a couple more small tables. The fitout was very modern and sleek with an open kitchen. In hindsight I would have liked a seat along the kitchen bar and should have asked for that.

Although they did have a lunch special, this was excluded from the First Table promo, which was fine for us as there were quite a few things I wanted to get off their a la carte menu. The menu itself was sorted into snacks, dumplings, large dishes, raws, sides and desserts. We tried to get an assortment to sample most things.

 

In terms of drinks, I had the matcha martini whilst mum had the lemon lime bitters. I found mine to be exceptionally sweet and light on alcohol or matcha flavours, even more so with the added garnish of honeycomb which I had to set aside. My mum said the lemon lime bitters was fairly standard.

Our raw dishes came fairly quickly. First to show up was the coffin bay oysters. These weren't too small and it was served with a refreshing yuzu chilli granita that was distinct enough from the norm. We really enjoyed it and it wasn't really spicy at all.

Another dish I was particularly keen for was the sashimi taco. Served with avocado cream, cucumber and chilli. Like the oyster, it was exceptionally light and refreshing. The sashimi was chunky and well marinated, the taco shell was very crisp. At $9 each it would have been on the expensive side but at half price it was good value.

Last of the raw dishes was the kingfish crudo served atop a bed of fennel. Like most crudo dishes it was doused liberally in a bold citrus dressing, this time yuzo kosho. The portion was generous to share between two but probably not any more people. Mum liked the addition of the fennel which had absorbed a lot of the citrus. The kingfish was fresh and had a firm texture to it.

Having received recommendations from friends, they told us that the corn and eggplant were both must order dishes, so we picked those from the snack plates. Both were fairly fantastic and surprisingly large in portion for something under the snack category. The corn was really enjoyable with a nice charred and burnt scent to it, a generous dash of smoky paprika and a lot of parmesan to keep it all creamy. There was definitely too much for the two of us to share. As for the eggplant, I'm not a fan of eggplant but this was executed well. The tempura batter was light and crispy and it was served before the eggplant could excrete further veggie juices.

Moving onto the larger plates, I was torn between the short rib or the chuck flap tail. We settled on the short rib on the basis that we had already ordered quite a lot of food. It turns out that even one rib can be a fairly big portion. Served already off the bone and cut up, it was rich and buttery with a delicious sweet soy glaze. The tart pickles on the side allowed us to cut through the decadence, making this a fairly well balanced dish.

Our waitress had recommended we order the crispy potatoes on the side to go with the rib and we were glad we did. These were amazingly crunchy and the nori flavours really shone through the mayo with an umami scent permeating each mouthful we enjoyed. This is definitely on my re order list if we come back.

In spite of my apprehension for fusion dishes, this was a really enjoyable lunch and we both left very full. Between the two of us though, lunch came to over $110 after the discount but including drinks, meaning that we would have been pushing pretty close to $200 if it wasn't for First Table. Whilst the food was executed well, I don't think that our lunch was necessarily worthy of the full price tag. On that basis I'm not sure that I would go back to Nonda if it wasn't on sale but would gladly return if it was.

Price Range: $50 - $60pp (post discount)

Taste: 8.5/10 

Value: 8/10 (if no discount, I would say 5/10)

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10 

Espresso and Matcha's Eleventh Anniversary

 Dear Readers, 

As another year has rolled by, I find myself reflecting not only on my own journey with this blog, but on the shifting food landscape that surrounds us all. Eleven years ago, dining out did not require too much afterthought, it was something many of us could indulge in regularly without much hesitation. Today, against the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis, the very notion of “value” has become increasingly subjective, fraught, and hotly debated.

Restaurants and cafés are caught in a difficult bind. With rising rents, ingredient costs climbing to unprecedented levels, and staff shortages biting harder than ever, operators are forced to raise prices or cut corners, neither of which endears them to a tightening customer base. At the same time, consumers — myself included — are weighing each meal out against mounting financial pressures. What once passed as a casual weekly habit is now a carefully considered decision.

The result is a mismatch of expectations. Diners, understandably, want generous portions, impeccable quality, and attentive service — but at yesterday’s prices. Operators, equally understandably, cannot sustain the same output without charging more, compromising on sourcing, or reducing staff hours. In this climate, the very definition of “value” has fractured: for some, it lies in abundant quantity; for others, in quality ingredients or artistry; for others still, in the ambience and sense of occasion.

What has become clear over the past year is just how fragile the balance is between hospitality providers and their patrons. I have seen stalwarts close their doors after decades, unable to keep pace with escalating costs. I have also seen newer ventures struggle to find footing, not for lack of talent or creativity, but because fewer of us are able — or willing — to take a risk on the unknown.

Against this backdrop, my role as a diner and critic has also shifted. Where once I might have been more casual in my judgments, I now find myself deeply attuned to the economic pressures on both sides of the table. A twenty-dollar bowl of noodles is not just noodles anymore — it is a calculation of rent, wages, produce, and the collective willingness of diners to shoulder the burden. Whether that feels “worth it” is no longer a simple question of taste.

Eleven years on, Espresso & Matcha remains my attempt to navigate these complexities with honesty. To celebrate the good, critique the disappointing, and above all, to bear witness to a dining culture that continues to evolve under pressure. It is not an easy time to run a restaurant, nor an easy time to be a consumer. But perhaps that makes the meals we do share — whether lavish or modest — all the more meaningful.

Here’s to another year of tasting, questioning, and reflecting.

As always, thanks for reading. If you want to contact me, feel free to send me a message to my insta Espresso_and_Matcha or email me at EspressoAndMatcha@gmail.com

-Hsiao Fu

Namika - Calamvale

Every now and again, I have readers contact me and ask me for recommendations for Japanese food in Brisbane. In all honesty, it is getting quite difficult for me to make recommendations. Between Sushi Edo and Sushi Room, there is a wide chasm with no serious contenders that really strike me as particularly good or memorable. Sakura in Runcorn is gone, Oishii in Sunnybank Hills is gone, Amimoto in the Gold Coast is very far and the chef is retiring in November. It is with this sentiment that I was particularly interested in the new opening of Namika in Calamvale.

Headed up by Chef Michael Jang who had worked in Butterfly Korean and also as an Omakase chef in Korea, I was particularly impressed by the value proposition the menu presented. A couple of mixed reviews from opening night also made me a little bit wary of what to expect on the day.

We made a reservation online but it turned out that this was somewhat unnecessary given that there was only one other table when we dined. Service was friendly and the chef was gracious but the waitress could definitely do with a bit more training as she lacked initiative (not actively topping up water or soy sauce when we ran out) and making a couple of mistakes when we ordered. 

 

The first error we encountered related to the sashimi platter. We had ordered the biggest platter with 30 pieces but what initially arrived was only the small 15 piece set. We notified the waitress of this when it was put down. Rather than taking it back and re-plating it, we were provided with a second dish later on in the meal, bringing the total up to 30 pieces. For a restaurant that was aiming for a bit of a more refined vibe, it would also have been very helpful if the waitress introduced each cut of fish when it was put down. Either way, we were largely able to identify each type of fish, which paired well with their house made soy sauce. The dry aged salmon particularly stood out as delicious and enjoyable, as well as the chutoro. For the price, the variety and quality was fantastic.

Before the next course arrived, we also had another incident where the waitress dropped a dish that we didn't order. After we queried it, she picked it up and put it down on the other table. If I had been a diner on the other table, I would have been pretty concerned that my food had been sitting on another person's table for a period of time. Anyway our next course was the Golden Oyster. We made a point to order hot food as it was still fairly chilly that night. I had heard reports that other people had some oysters with a strong fishy taste but I'm pleased to report that ours were fresh and deliciously creamy, albeit a bit small. This was enjoyed by all, particularly with the home made tartare sauce.

Another hot dish we ordered was the Aka Miso Yasai Dengaku. For $14, the portion was surprisingly small and not really enough for four people to share. The chef did notice this and came out with a second portion so that we could enjoy a little bit more. The flavours were mellow, sweet and deep with a rich umami taste. I really enjoyed it and it would probably have gone really well with rice.

I was pretty excited to see futomaki on the menu so I definitely made a point to order it. The roll was filled with a wide range of assorted sashimi, unagi and some cucumber and a bit of pickles. The ratio of rice to filling was hugely impressive to me but it was also because of this that it was a bit loose and so it took us a fair bit of skill to pick up each piece without it breaking apart. 

Without a doubt, the highlight of our evening was the nigiri sets. We opted for two Ka sets to share. These were served with fish stock miso and a salad. Unlike the sashimi which was served without commentary, Chef Michael came out to explain each piece to us and how it had been laid out to be eaten from top left to bottom right. Sharing with Dr L, my favourite piece of the night was the fried spring onion snapper which was fragrant and had a crisp and sharp flavour to it. The abalone nigiri was also a delicious highlight.

As part of the opening special, each of us was also given a complimentary piece of salmon nigiri with salmon roe. These were generously sized with a thick cut piece of delicious aged salmon. We really appreciated this.

Rounding off our meal with two portions of ebi nigiri, these were generously served with three pieces of sweet ebi rather than two as you would at other sushi shops. The ebi was fresh and delicious and we would definitely order this again when we come back.

Overall we had a pretty good experience at Namika. The menu is short and there isn't too many hot food options which was a bit challenging for us during colder months, this will be a welcome change no doubt when summer arrives. The food was of a higher quality than you would get at other places like Goukai. The Korean elements reminded me a bit of Kintoto, and it definitely wasn't a pure Japanese experience. Regardless I found it to be great value for money and I am excited to come back again to enjoy more of chef's nigiri.

Price Range: $60 - $80pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 6/10

Environment: 6/10 




 

Sushi Room - Fortitude Valley

 

Some of you who follow me on social media may have remembered that earlier in the year I was asking around for peoples opinion on what constituted the most decadent dining experience in Brisbane (and surrounds). The purpose of this was to find an appropriate venue to celebrate Dr L's completion of his training program (and the end of my nagging him to study or do his assignments). I received a few recommendations to go to Exhibition, Dan Arnold and Sushi Room. Ultimately, Japanese food is still my number one passion and I couldn't walk away from an opportunity to experience the full Omakase there. Truth be told, I had dined here previously when they were doing the sushi counter set but never got around to doing a write up.

Despite making a mid week booking, the restaurant was still very packed and thus very loud. We were seated at the sushi counter where we were well looked after all night by head chef Shimpei. Although the chef was gentle and attentive, I couldn't help but be distracted by the sounds and a longing for better lighting throughout the dining experience.

Being seated at the counter meant we were sat in front of the fresh produce, where we could appreciate each piece in its glory.

Of all the omakases in Brisbane, I believe that sushi room is the only one that offers complimentary beverages. We started off with a glass of champagne each, which was a very nice touch, adding a celebratory mood to commence our meal.

First course was the decadent caviar topped with gold flake. I loved each piece of savoury popping umami that paired well with the champagne. Sushi rice was served slightly warmed and not cold, which is definitely to my preference. Nori was very crisp.

Next was the Lobster course in a light ponzu. Crisp and refreshing with its citrus tang, I liked the mild crunch that lobster provided. It was a real palate cleanser that whet the appetite. 

In the spirit of omakase, it was Uni season and we were treated to a course comprising of Australian and Japanese Uni to compare side by side. Personally I appreciated the structural integrity of Japanese Uni with its distinct mouthfeel, but Dr L liked the creamy Australian variant more.

I was quite taken aback that the next course was Tako Yawarakani. Having done a bit of research into the ordering of courses in Japanese dining, I was surprised to see braised octopus be served so early in the meal when I expected heavier dishes to come at the end. Nevertheless, the octopus was braised to a tender and succulent texture, enriched with a sweet soy umami.

Continuing with the cooked food, our next course was the Kagoshima A5 Sirloin wrapped around Enoki. I love A5 wagyu and this dish absolutely didn't disappoint. The meat was buttery soft and the fat had been lightly rendered. The ponzu and enoki kept it fresh and didn't overwhelm the course with richness. 

Our next course was the Ebi shinjo kakiage, adding to my confusion about fried food being served so early in the meal when it usually comes at the end. It was however crispy and savoury with the scent of the ocean without being overly greasy.

 

Continuing on with the scent of the ocean, our next course comprised of a Chanwanmushi topped with seaweed. It was served steaming hot and silky smooth with the strong fragrance of dashi.

It was only at this point, the display box of fish for our nigiri courses were presented. With a wide variety of fish, I was so excited for what was to come.

First up was the Tai. It was firm without being chewy to the point of having an almost crisp taste to it. Flavours were light but sweet.

Next was the Sumi - ika. A favourite of my dining companion. It was thick and luscious with a sticky texture that clings to your teeth as you bite into it. It was sweet but not as sweet as the Tai.

Moving onto my most anticipated tuna courses, first up was the Akami. Firm but tender with a lean and bright taste to it, this was definitely a high quality piece of tuna with a refreshing meaty taste.

Chutoro is my favourite cut of sashimi. Striking a balance between the meatiness of akami and the buttery oiliness of otoro, it leaves a smooth aftertaste without being too rich. I only wish there was more.

Moving onto the more premium cut of Otoro, this was rich and buttery without being overly rich. It was lightly seasoned with soy and literally melted in my mouth.

Next up was the Vinegared Tommy rough. Smooth and firm, it was a fairly oily cut of fish. The vinegar added to the balance in the nigiri, making for a unique but memorable experience.

The next course, Nanyo Kinmedai was a form of snapper, similar to the first nigiri. It has a softer and more delicate texture than the first course however, although still fairly firm. The charred skin on the side gave it a level of chewiness I hadn't experienced in the other dishes to date.

Our final nigiri of the night was the Akaza-ebi (Scampi). This was definitely a highlight to me with its plump, crisp, fresh and sweet taste. With a light soy taste and an intense ocean flavour, this was one of my favourite pieces of the evening.

As an encore to the tuna courses, we had the Toro Taku. Adding a touch of luxury, it came with a topping of uni. Again the tuna was rich and buttery soft without being too greasy. Again the rice was nicely seasoned and nori was very crisp.

As a graceful end to the nigiri section, we rounded off with a Tamago. Sweet and bouncy it almost tasted like a piece of sponge cake more than an omelette. 

Next up we had a piece of the delectable Kiwami Tenderloin served with truffle. Tender and juicy, it was fairly meaty and not as buttery as the earlier A5 with enoki. The added fragrance of truffle was also much appreciated.

 

Our final savoury course was the Osuimono, a clear dashi based broth. That evening we each had a slow cooked baby abalone in our bowl, elevating the broth into luxury tier. It was a well rounded and polished way to finish off our meal.

Cleansing our palate with a fruit course, this comprised of a wedge of nashi pear and dragon fruit. I liked the refreshing choice that didn't overwhelm. Both were perfectly ripe and sweet.

 

Rounding off our meal was the Caviar Ice cream, served with a glass of complimentary umeshu. I really appreciated the two glasses of drink that the course came with, adding a very generous touch to our meal. The ice cream wasn't too sweet, it was creamy and had a strong vanilla scent to it. The added caviar gave it an extra layer of umami popping pleasure. In contrast, the umeshu was far sweeter than the ice cream and had a rich fruity tang to it, complimenting the richness of the dessert.

Overall, we had a good experience at Sushi Room. I find it hard to compare it to places like Black Door or Katsuya which is a far more intimate and quiet experience where I could have my moment and appreciate the food in front of me in peace and have a quiet conversation with the chef. In contrast, Sushi Room is more designed for the masses (particularly given the location) and I found the loud environment, bustling patrons and darkness of the venue to be very distracting. Having said that, if I had judged Sushi Room on the food offerings alone, it is a solid contender for one of the better omakase offerings in Brisbane and I would have no hesitation returning for another meal.

Price Range: $330pp

Taste: 9.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service:9/10

Environment: 6.5/10