Dark Shepherd - Brisbane CBD

Last weekend, Dr L and I found ourselves in the city running a few personal errands. Without too much planned for the evening, we opted to have dinner at Dark Shepherd, at the Star Casino, largely because it comes with complimentary parking upon dining and to satisfy a bit of my curiosity about their banquet dinners. 

Anyway, we made a reservation for 6.30pm and arrived to a restaurant half full. Diners were fairly relaxed and the vibe was a bit more casual than I originally anticipated. The setup was dark and moody with interesting geometric patterns throughout.

The menu had a strong emphasis on lamb, but there were other mains like steak and lobster, but my focus was of course on their banquet offerings, as is the highlight in most Tassis restaurants.

 

We opted for the Baa Baa banquet at $88 per head, striking a good balance between cheap and expensive options. Starting with an aperol spritz and an espresso martini, these were tasty but didn't stand out from the norm.

Their banquets must have been very popular, with dishes being ready to go soon after we ordered. First to arrive was the Oyster Mignonette. These were fairly small and the vinegarette overcame the potential for us to taste the freshness of the oysters, but they were enjoyable nevertheless.

Also part of the first course, we had a Beetroot Taramasalata served with Pillow Bread. Although I was keenly aware that beetroot is purple, I couldn't help but feel that the pink was a bit bright. I couldn't get too much of the citrus-y beetroot taste from the dip, but it was creamy and yoghurt heavy. The pillow bread was served hot and deliciously fluffy.

Second course came soon after, comprising of Pastitsio Bite, Spanakopita and Woodfired Octopus.

 

I really enjoyed the Spanakopita a lot. It was a flaky Greek pie with spinach and feta, wrapped with light buttery filo pastry. It was quite decadent and the small square we were given was just right. The pastitsio was new to me. It came out like an arancini but was filled with pasta instead of rice. It tasted like a ball of deep fried lasagne, which was also fairly indulgent.

The stand out for me of the second course though was undoubtedly the woodfired octopus. This was slow cooked and then finished on a charcoal grill. It was tender but also flavoursome, doused generously with olive oil and lemon juice.

Our most anticipated mains came after. This course comprised of Lamb Shoulder, Woodfired Peppers and Oven Potatoes.

The oven potatoes were by far the weakest dish of this course. I was expecting something more dry with a bit more skin, but it was very wet and covered with capsicum sauce, not something you would expect in a dish of that name. The portion size was generous though, when you consider this was for two people to share.

The Woodfired Peppers were better than the potatoes but not a lot better. It was tender and flavoursome but lacked the delicious char you would have otherwise gotten from something woodfired.

The highlight for us was undoubtedly the half lamb shoulder. Which was huge considering it was shared only between the two of us. It was well seasoned and the meat easily fell off the bone. I just wish the sides were better to compliment the quality of this dish.

I was quite keen to find out what dessert would be that night, but was left disappointed. We were served a slice of biscoff cheesecake and walnut cake. The biscoff cheesecake was exceptionally sweet and I couldn't stomach more than one bite. It was creamy though. The walnut cake however was very dry, to the point where they had to douse the slice in sugar syrup that leaked all over the plate, but it was still not enough to improve the coarseness of the slice. Overall a letdown to round out what would have been an alright meal. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it.

Price Range: $80 - $100pp

Taste: 6/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10 

Mr Tall - Sunnybank Plaza

Malaysian food isn't something I eat too frequently these days, but it does bring back quite a bit of nostalgia. As my mum's favourite cuisine, I ate my fair share growing up, and now having it for dinner does bring back a few memories of childhood. That's why I was quite excited to sample a few of the dishes when I was invited to try the options at Mr Tall, who had recently opened a new branch at Sunnybank Plaza.

Although it was located in a food court, their menu didn't detract from their Sunnybank Hills store too much. All the favourites were there.

Starting with a few drinks, we had the calamansi, wheatgrass, barley and wintermelon drink. These were fairly refreshing. Being pre made meant it had a fixed sugar ratio. Although it was a bit on the sweeter side for my tastes, it would probably be a lighter touch to mainstream preferences.

Our food didn't take too long to arrive after ordering.

One of our friends had the pork offal soup. This was generous in portion with a good ratio of toppings to noodles. The offals were well cleaned and didn't have any weird smells to it. The noodles were tender. 

Dr L had a beef brisket noodle soup. It didn't look like much but there were quite a few pieces of tender, soy infused beef brisket hiding under the surface of the soup, and an ample amount of bouncy egg noodles. Sampling some for myself, it was fairly tasty. Probably on par with the offerings at Sunnybank Oriental around the corner.

Another friend had the chilli pan mee. It was quite a huge bowl and very satisfying.

I had a portion of hainan chicken rice. The chicken was poached well, not being undercooked but with a silky smooth texture. I only wish there was more. The bowl of rice was fairly large and had considerable chicken and ginger flavours infused into it. The broth on the side was warming but light. All round it made for a very satisfying meal, one I would gladly return to.

Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Mr Tall, but as always, our opinions are solely our own.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: N/A 

Em Saigon - Brisbane CBD

One of the joys in working above Post Office Square is that I am close to Gresham lane and can often go there to pick up lunch. A highly popular venue along that strip is Em Saigon which often has quite a considerable queue outside the place. Having heard good things about the banh mi there, Brisvegustation and I went to check it out on a lunch break.

Usually (at least for me), one banh mi is not enough for a main meal, but two is too much. So between the two of us, we ordered three to share. It also meant we could have half each and compare all three flavours. Prices were a tad steep, being $14 - $16.50 each, but they were made fresh and huge.

First up was the crispy chicken. Like all of them, this was generously filled with hand shredded crispy chicken breast. It was also topped with lashings of siracha mayonnaise. Whilst the taste was fairly good, with an abundance of salt and pepper taste, the chicken was unfortunately very dry. I suspect that it would have been executed better if they had chosen to use chicken thigh instead of chicken breast.

Next was nem nuong. Again flavours were fantastic and the sausage was well seasoned with cane sugar as well as salt and pepper. However I'm not sure if it has been left on the grill for too long but it was still quite dry, in spite of the ample carrot and cucumber in the roll. 

 

Although we were already quite fully after one full banh mi, we still had to finish the biggest of them all, the signature. Comprising of crispy pork belly and, an omelette, carrots and cucumbers, it was absolutely hefty. Of the three, I found this one the best. For some reason the omelette provided quite a bit of balanced moisture to the bread roll. The pork belly was crispy but also on the dry side.

Overall we enjoyed our meal at Em Saigon. The fillings were generous, justifying the price. Improvements could be made, but I wouldn't mind a return visit.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 7/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: N/A 

Central - Brisbane CBD

Without going into too much detail, I have a significant event coming up at the end of this year which has involved considerable organisation on my part. Anyway part of the food from the upcoming event will be sourced from Central, which is why I decided it would be prudent to grab dinner there to make sure I was happy with the food first.

Making a reservation beforehand, Dr L and I were warmly welcomed and seated at the benchtop overlooking the kitchen. Arguably the best seats in the house, ensuring I could watch and learn some cooking skills from the chefs while I enjoy my dinner.

Menus were provided promptly. There was an a la carte option as well as an executive banquet. Dining during the month of June also mean there were a couple of Dine Brisbane deals. Maintaining my eye on the end goal, we made our choices selectively off the a la carte menu.

Staff were super attentive during the evening and even though I didn't announce my arrival, they recognised my name and gifted Dr L and I a glass of champagne each to commence our meal which was a very nice touch. We were also provided prawn crackers whilst we browsed the menu, these were delightfully seasoned rather than being served plain and also came fresh out of the fryer.

 

Starting with a few serves of dim sim, we had the chicken and foie gras siu mai and the crab and prawn spring rolls. Both were served unbelievably hot and fresh. The siu mai was wholesome and decadent, straight out of the steamer. The spring rolls were unbelievably fresh and crispy with very plump prawn fillings and a generous amount of crab.

We also had a scallop and prawn dumpling straight out of the steamer. It was served with some salmon roe on top. Again the fillings were delicious and fresh. Arguably the dumpling skin could be a tad thinner, but it was executed fairly well.

Opting for the Dine Brisbane deals meant we had two cocktails to go with our steamed dimsim. We had the heart of glass and the night fever. They were fairly sweet and could have been a bit stronger for my liking. We also had a serve of the XO sauce scallops, these were flavoursome and tender without being overcooked at all.

Our main event came soon after, being a serve of roast duck served with greens and rice. The roast duck was heated in the oven and then finished off in the deep fryer, ensuring a crunchy, crispy skin, however it did dry the meat out somewhat. Otherwise the seasoning was delicious and infused deep into the meat. The greens were done exceptionally well, not too overcooked and not undercooked with generous lashings of oyster sauce. Had we just shared this between the two of us, it probably wouldn't have been enough, but as a main with some entrees and dessert, it was very satisfying.

 

On the topic of dessert, we finished our meal with a french toast with black sesame gelato. Interestingly the french toast came with the crust cut off after frying. It was soft and had a fairly thick smear of chunky peanut butter that was a tad sweeter than usual and lacked a bit of saltiness. The condensed milk added more sweetness to it, but I did like how the peanut and sesame complimented each other with harmonious nutty flavours. 

Overall we had a good time at Central. It is an expensive venue to enjoy a casual date night but well worth the effort for special events.

Price Range: $100 - $110pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 9/10

Environment: 8/10 

Mr Peng - Runcorn

 

Given my obsession with North Eastern Chinese BBQ, it was inevitable that we would find ourselves in Runcorn, checking out Mr Peng, one of the most popular Chinese BBQ places in Brisbane. Last time we walked past, I saw a bunch of Chinese uncles squatting outside the restaurant smoking cigarettes and I knew it would be authentic.

We made a reservation for date night but quite a few friends joined us for the meal and it became quite a party.

 

We ordered online via the QR codes and went all out, ordering a bit too much.

After our beer came, the crushed cucumbers showed up. These were fairly standard, refreshing and crisp. Portions were generous and there was a large amount of fragrant sesame oil.

As with all Chinese BBQ places, the skewers were grilled in the kitchen and the food was placed on a central serving plate. First to arrive were logically items that were not raw and therefore quick to cook so long as it was heated up and so the grilled dried tofu showed up first. These were very tasty and offered a good amount of surface area for the cumin and chilli seasoning.

Next were the fish cakes. I'm almost certain that they were sourced from the same asian grocery store as the pack in my own fridge. Either way they were chewy and tender, coated in the same cumin and chilli seasoning.

Quite a few came after that, including scallops, chicken wings, and beef tongue. Of these, the stand out for me was of course the beef tongue with its lightly chewy texture. Seasonings were the same as above.

Dr L is a big fan of enoki mushrooms. We ordered it in two variants, in a foil tray and also grilled. The grilled one was seasoned with the same bbq flavours but the foil tray offered a super strong garlic hit as well as some tender vermicelli.

Eggplant came with a similar flavour profile to the foil enoki, with an abundance of garlic and vermicelli inside of the tender eggplant.

A massive hit of protein arrived when our pork belly, lamb and beef arrived all at once. The lamb was more tender and fatty than the beef. The pork was also fatty and that rendered well to result in a nice crisp. These were well done but by that point I had started to get a little bored of the repetitive nature of the seasoning.

By the time we were finishing up with some squid tentacles, I was fairly bored of the same flavours again and again and welcomed the end of our meal. The squid itself was done well with a tender texture. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it came earlier on in the meal, but at that point I was fairly tired of it and would really have enjoyed a level of variety. 

Overall I wouldn't say I had a bad time at Mr Peng's, each skewer was generally well grilled and tasty, its just that the lack of variety in tastes made the meal fairly tedious by the end. I would still come back but would prefer it as a snack more than a main meal.

Price Range: $50 - $70pp

Taste: 7/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7/10