Queens Bapsang - Toowong

It's been a little while since I've seen the opening of a restaurant and immediately felt the desire to go try them out as soon as I can. However when I heard that Queen's Gimbap at underwood opened a new restaurant in Toowong focusing on Korean meals (Bapsang), I knew I had to drop everything and head there as fast as I could. So there we were on a Saturday evening, having dinner with Mr J. As it was fairly newly opened, we didn't try to reserve a table and it was ultimately unnecessary but I can easily imagine that there would be a significant queue when busy.

 

Having perused the menu beforehand, I was happy to try all the items. There was a wide variety of set meals that came with rice, noodles as well as side dishes. Having made our mind up, we ordered and paid at the counter.

Our meals came out before long and our table was joyfully filled to the brim.

Mr J had the Spicy Pork Dolsot Bibimbap. The rice and other toppings came as expected in a hot clay pot, he mixed it in thoroughly to ensure that the ingredients were well mixed. He said it was really delicious and the clay pot was hot enough to ensure that some rice was crispy and caramelised at the bottom.

Dr L had the Bulgogi Bapsang, being one of their signature dishes and one of the pricier things on the menu at $35. Although it was more expensive, what he was served was definitely worth the price. It was a full course meal with bulgogi beef, seaweed, tamagoyaki, kimchi, japchae, lettuce, rice and also fruit as a side. He loved this meal and finished it off in its entirety. I tried some of the beef and found it to be tender and well seasoned.

It took me a while to decide, but I settled on Galbitang because I couldn't resist the giant beef rib. This was a wonderful meal, I was initially a little bit concerned that the beef may not be well seasoned through to the middle but this was unfounded, the beef was well marinated and flavoursome through and through. I also really liked the small dish of japchae we had and the soup was wholesome and warming, going well with the rice. I would have ordered this again next time but I need to try other things on the menu.

We had two sides to share, this was the kimchi jeon. It was probably the letdown that evening. Although it was flavoursome and packed full of kimchi, it was not particularly crispy but probably a little bit undercooked and moist. If it was fried a little bit longer, I'm sure it could have lived up to its potential.

Of course we couldn't go past a some Korean Fried Chicken, so we had a half serve of Garlic Soy to sample. At almost $20, this was somewhat steep for a half serve that yielded six boneless pieces, having said that, each piece was fairly large and there was a decent serve of chips on the side. The chicken was crispy on the outside without being too hard whilst juicy on the inside. Seasoning was on the lighter side but it was ultimately very enjoyable. We had an excellent time at Queens Bapsang and this store definitely lives up to the reputation of it's original, I'll definitely be back soon and bring more friends and family to dine here.

Price Range: $20 - $40pp

Taste: 9/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10 
 

Davids Noodle and Hotpot - Upper Mt Gravatt

We haven't had much malatang lately given the weather is starting to warm up, but upon receiving a gracious invite to dine at David's Noodle and Hotpot as organised by instagrammer Amexquisites, we headed there on a Friday evening after work for a large group dinner.

Arriving at around 6, the place was about half full but filled up soon after we ordered and sat down. I'm not sure if they would entertain bookings but there might be a queue during busy periods, so definitely come prepared.

There were two large cabinets of ingredients for us to choose from. One largely meat based and the other plant based. Staff were helpful and attentive throughout, working hard to keep all items well stocked.

Also worth mentioning, they have a small selection of seafood on offer, which we took full advantage of.

Having made our selections, we headed to the counter for a weigh up. At $3.80/100g, pricing was fairly mid range for malatang.

There was also a small sauce station were we loaded up on extra flavour for our bowls. There wasn't much to choose from but it contained everything I would have wanted.

There were also a selection of drinks on offer. Wanting to sample something more unique, we went for an unsweetened oolong tea and a chinese herbal drink that goes well with hot pot.

Our food took a little while to arrive but that was probably because staff had to cook a significant amount of food for each of us. Both bowls were hefty, not just with ingredients but also with the soup.

I had my bowl served with the orignal pork bone soup. This was originally non spicy but because it looked very pale and white, I added a bit of chilli oil for visual appeal. The soup was quite umami but not as rich and creamy as other malatang places. My toppings were cooked well with the meat definitely not being overdone but not pink either. I found the veggies to have erred on the side of being softer than I would have preferred but everything else was fine.

Dr L went for a seafood heavy meal. Also not particularly spice tolerant, he had the tomato soup. I tried a bit and it was tangy but light at the same time, making for a very appetising flavour profile. Even though the bowl was huge (1.2kg of ingredients), he managed to polish it all off by himself. He particularly enjoyed the mussels and sliced meat as well as the quail eggs. Overall, David's is definitely one of the better malatang places in Brisbane and without a doubt we would come back if we were nearby.

Espresso and Matcha dined as guests of David's noodle and hot pot but as always, our opinions are our own.

Price Range: $20 - $40pp

Taste: 7/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10 

Wagyu Hub - Fortitude Valley

Wagyu hub is a little spin off restaurant by the owners of Magnolia Modern Chinese. On days they are not using the space  for Chinese fine dining courses, they host sukiyaki and shabu shabu. Notably with MB9+ wagyu for $46.80 per person. I have been keen to try for quite a while but had seen a bit of controversy online so waited a little bit for the reviews to settle before making a reservation to go.

Although their instagram profile says that they welcome walk ins, it was a full house on the Thursday evening that we went so bookings are definitely recommended if you want a guaranteed seat.

  

All ordering was done by way of QR code and service was exceptionally fast which was fantastic for a buffet. At the offset you decide if you want to have sukiyaki or shabu shabu and pay for the selection, then you could order unlimited serves of beef, chicken, veggies, sides and rice. 

As mentioned, food came out extremely quickly and our table was soon set for us to start.

Whilst all our neighbours opted for sukiyaki, I am not a fan of the overly sweet soy broth, and preferred the more mellow umami broth of shabu shabu. I also appreciated not having to keep an eye on the stove for the water drying out regularly either too.

Despite the controversy I had read online, the meat was of a substantially high quality. It was thinly sliced, well marbled and wonderfully tender. We went through quite a few plates.

There was a small selection of veggies to go with our meat, this included carrots, wombok, enoki tofu and vermicelli noodles. These were fairly standard, the enoki could have been a bit more fresh but everything was of a standard I would have expected.

Not wanting to only be having beef, I had a serve of the organic free range chicken breast. This was moderately thinly sliced to roughly half a centimetre thickness and was tender and flavoursome with our shabu shabu.

Rather than have a completely raw egg, we had onsen eggs to go with our meat, this was cooked well with the yolk forming a delicious gelatinous consistency whilst the white was still fairly runny. It went well with our wagyu beef.

Other than food to cook with shabu shabu, they also had a small selection of fried entrees. I had a small portion of karaage chicken and takoyaki. These were probably the let down of the meal, the batter for both were very thick and they were not served particularly hot. It satisfied my curiosity but when I come back next time, I probably wouldn't order this. 

Rounding off the review, I have to take the time to mention that every dish of subsequent beef that we ordered was of an equally high standard as our first dish. The plating may not have been as neat but the meat was just as delicious. Overall we had an amazing time at Wagyu Hub. It is probably the best value hot pot buffet in Brisbane right now based purely on the quality of meat offered, although the menu could definitely be expanded a little more. Dr L has already said that we need to go back very soon.

Price Range: $46.80pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 9/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7/10

Eight Ounce Cafe - Springwood

Very recently, I've seen a series of Japanese cafes open in Brisbane with a wide assortment of Matcha themed food and drink. One that really stood out to me was Eight Ounce Cafe, located out in Springwood. With a reputation of hours long waits and menus that sell out if you dared show up later in the morning, I was intrigued. So we set out from home at 7.30am in the morning on a Saturday to ensure we got there at opening time to try it out.

The cafe itself wasn't too big and all seats were undercover but not indoors. This would probably be an issue later in the summer and I am glad I came before it was very hot. The menu was very unique by Brisbane standards, with a variety of Japanese style pastries and sandos as well as their signature chazuke. Prices were very steep and I sincerely hoped they were worth what we paid.

I had a matcha latte with a shot of coffee. My companion had a hojicha shake. Both were delicious. My matcha was particularly high quality and the intensity reminded me strongly of cafe creasion in Sydney. With the added shot of coffee, it was the perfect drink in the morning. 

My companion had the toriniku chazuke. I managed to sample some and found it delightful. The chazuke came with soup already poured over. The soup itself was creamy and wholesome without being too heavy. The chicken was probably cooked with a sous vide machine because it was so tender and moist without drying out. 

Opting for the (most expensive) signature dish, I had the Unagi Chazuke. Having seen pictures of it online, I was afraid it would be small, however it was actually as filling as you would expect for a main meal. The rice was seasoned with crunchy furikake and topped with a whole grilled eel, garnished with tempura perilla and enoki. The whole eel was generous in size and made the $32 price tag worthwhile. I think it erred on the side of being a bit undercooked as the skin was still a little bit too chewy rather than crispy, but the flavours were very wholesome and complementary. The soup was clear and umami. 

Overall we had a fantastic time at eight ounce cafe. The prices were high but we were given value for what we paid. I am very keen to come back for another matcha latte and perhaps a sando.

Price Range: $35 - $45pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 6/10 

Daon - Calamvale

Daon is one of those places that have long been on my list. Situated in Calamvale, it is slightly out of the way but I have consistently heard great things about the place. We only managed to get there by virtue of a dinner with friends and I regret not going earlier.

The restaurant itself is very small with roughly a dozen tables inside and perhaps half a dozen outside. A reservation is definitely recommended if you want to ensure you get a seat.

 

The menu was fairly short and we ordered via QR code. The menu largely comprised of stews, korean fried chicken, stir fries and some side dishes. As a fairly large group, we managed to order a good assortment to try.

First to arrive was the banchan with unlimited refill. We don't get seaweed much and I really enjoyed it. The kimchi was richer than usual and also very delicious.

First to arrive was the Budae Jjigae which comprised sausage, spam, pork mince, baked beans, kimchi, cheese, tofu, enoki mushroom, sliced pork and instant noodle. What made it different (and better) in my opinion from other budae jjigaes I've had is the fact that rather than chicken stock, it was cooked in a rich beef bone broth. We enjoyed it to the end and even enjoyed every last drop of broth with the rice.

We also had their signature Chef's Speical Bo Ssam which came on a giant platter. It comprised of a soft boiled pork belly with radish pickle, chives salad, soy pickle, lettuce, garlic, chilli, Korean Dipping sauce and Korean soybean soup. The amount of pork provided was definitely less than their competitors (Tasty Rumour, Holy Hock), but the pork was tender and delicious. The amount of sides were also generous and the flavours complimented the pork well. I especially enjoyed the soybean soup.

On soup, we also had a serve of Korean style rice cake soup with dumplings and glass noodle. This was surprisingly my favourite dish of the evening. The bone broth was rich and umami, coupled with the soft rice cake and dumplings with the fragrant sesame oil made it an absolutely irresistible dish. I would come back for this alone.

We also had a serve of Soy marinated pork, this came on a cast iron platter served with a side of lettuce and onion salad. Like the Bossam, this pork was tender but it was extremely flavoursome with a delicious sweet soy glaze, it went well with rice.

Rounding off our meal, we also had a serve of DIY Seaweed Rice Ball There was a generous amount of seaweed and the rice was again doused in a substantial amount of sesame oil. It went well with all our other dishes and overall we had a fantastic meal, probably one of the best meals I've had for the last couple months and even writing this makes me want to go back for more.

Price Range: $30 - $40pp

Taste: 9/10

Value: 8.5/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7/10