Penelope - Fortitude Valley

These days with the cost of living spiralling out of control, Dr L and I try to save more refined (expensive) dining experiences for special occasions. Penelope has been on my radar for some time and we were keen to go but wanted the right reason which is why we waited for our anniversary to make a booking.

Arriving for a late weekday dinner, the bistro was still reasonably full and we were promptly seated. Service was very good that evening, our waitress was friendly and had a very high level of attention to detail.

The menu wasn't very long but contained a significant number of items that I wanted to try. I might have gone a bit overboard but I ordered with no regrets. 

Starting with the appetisers, we had the Oysters Penelope, Champagne and Strawberry Mignonette. The oysters were definintely on the smaller side but we really enjoyed the sweet tang of strawberries and champagne.

We also had a bite of Scallop, Potato Scallop, Oscietra Caviar and Chives each. These were also consumed in one mouthful but very decadent and indulgent with the rich mayonnaise and caviar atop the scallop and freshly fried potato scallop.

 

Next to arrive were my two picks of raw dishes, being the Kingfish Ceviche, Pickled Fennel, Citrus Vinaigrette and Lime Pearls and the Wagyu Beef Tartare, Pecorino, Horseradish with Pickles. Both were executed well with respective proteins. Between the two, I definitely preferred the rich creamy tartare more but Dr L liked the sharp tang of Kingfish.

 

During our dinner we also had a couple rounds of cocktails. I had the sidecar and the martini. Both were reasonably strong and I liked that the sidecar wasn't particularly overloaded with syrup. They were expertly crafted and well enjoyed.

In spite of protests from Dr L, I couldn't help myself from ordering a serve of Chicken Tenders, Hot Honey with Buttermilk Ranch. The downside of tenders is that they're often served fairly dry. This was definitely not the case. They had a light crisp batter and a juicy meaty interior. The added honey and ranch made it a bit more unique compared to the usual tenders you might get elsewhere.

Earlier on, we had forgotten to order the Barbecue Lamb Skewers, Sumac, Green Sauce with Yoghurt. I only remembered this when I was halfway through my tartare. The waitress put the order in immediately and it was served with the tenders without much delay at all. I liked the lamb skewers, they were fairly were well charred albeit a bit dry. This was made up by the tangy sharp yoghurt it was served atop.

I was most interested in the Steak Frites, being the crescendo of our meal. The steak was a tad chewy but I really liked their peppercorn sauce and the generous amount of fries on the side. Perhaps it was because we had already eaten quite a few dishes but this was a good portion to share. My opinion may differ if I had had this on an empty stomach.

We ordered a Waldorf Salad to accompany the steak and expected a reasonably small portion but instead we had a huge plate that was almost the size of the plate the steak came on. I don't usually enjoy my salad with walnuts and grapes so this was quite a new combination for us, one that we didn't mind at all.

Not wanting to leave without dessert, I ordered the Cafe Noir whilst Dr L had the S'mores soft serve. As with the previous cocktails, the cafe noir was a delight to consume. The soft serve was a minor let down though with the texture being fairly coarse which was far from ideal. Dr L didn't mind it though, but for the price, it was probably worth going to Messina around the corner instead.

Although there were a few minor hiccups in our meal, we still had a fantastic anniversary dinner at Penelope. It was a meal well worth waiting for and would gladly return to for another occasion.

Price Range: $125 - $175pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 9/10

Environment: 8/10 

Miel Container - Runcorn

When it comes to burgers, Miel Container has a special place in my heart. From the shipping container I used to frequent when I started out my career, they quietly moved off to their lodgings on William Street. Only recently did I learn that they had a second store off in Runcorn, when I noticed they went on First Table. Keen to find out whether the quality is just as I remembered, we went to try it on a Sunday night.

The restaurant was fairly small. Arriving at 7pm on Sunday, there was only one table other than ours. Service was friendly and hospitable.

I couldn't remember the burger menu from back in the day but the dozen options available all seemed fairly appealing. Most of the options were fairly generic but the bulgogi burger and tandoori chicken burger was definitely more unique.

Being a first table offer, we each ordered a can of coke zero to start our meal.

 

Dr L had the Mozzarella Burger with an extra patty. Unlike the picture in their menu which showed the burger with a number of crumbed mozzarella sticks, it actually came with a solid slab of mozzarella patty instead that made for quite an epic shot when he cut it open. He really enjoyed the burger and commented that it was not greasy in spite of its decadence.

I had the Bulgogi Burger also with an extra patty. Notably, neither Dr L's burger of mine came with fries. When queried, the staff said that First Table offers do not come with complimentary fries. The special conditions did say that the deal was for burgers only, but this was fairly confusing when the menu said that all burgers come with fries. I took the condition to mean that stand alone order fries were not eligible for the discount. Anyway, my burger originally came with a huge amount of bulgogi but no extra patty. When I pointed this out to staff, they said they had understood my order to be for extra meat not specially a beef patty and they offered to fix it up. We both expected that I would just be given a stand alone patty, perhaps with a slice of cheese, but instead they re-did the whole burger, so Dr L got an extra that night. Burger wise, it was exactly as I had remembered it, the milk bun was glossy and fluffy. The bulgogi was sharp, tangy but also had a good amount of fat content to ensure a smooth mouthfeel. The salads added balance and the burger itself was generous in size, exactly as I remember from all those years ago.

We didn't know how big the burgers would be so we ordered some boneless chicken to share. Thankfully these also came with fries and the portion was actually very big so most of this was taken away. The chicken was crisp without being oily although the fries were a tad underdone.

Overall, aside from the minor hiccups, we had a fantastic time at Miel Burger. It was a nostalgic blast from the past. Prices are reasonable and they have not shrinkflated the product. I will be keen to take the hike up to William St for a work lunch sometime.

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 9/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7/10

Komeyui - Brisbane CBD

 

Komeyui is a Japanese restaurant that had been on my radar since its opening in 2023. Since then, I've had quite a few readers ask me for a review, but given the pricing and mixed reviews I've had from a few friends, I've held out from going in favour of other omakase restaurants in Brisbane. Anyway, after all these years, I was invited to a social event at Komeyui and finally managed to experience it for myself.

Located in the former AFP premises, even though it was slightly refurbished as a restaurant, it couldn't help but give off a bit of corporate foyer vibes rather than a refined Japanese restaurant.

As we were attending a function, we were seated in a private dining area. We shared the Omakase at Table, comprising of five courses. For an extra charge, you could also get four courses of sake pairing. The meal started with a glass of complimentary umeshu. It was fruity and sweet but not a particularly smooth drop. I had asked the staff for the bottle but although they nodded, they walked away with it and I didn't manage to see what it was.

The first course was the Sashimi of the day. As with all of our courses, they were put down without much by way of introduction, luckily I was able to identify the elements of the plate, being scallop, kingfish, otoro, salmon and uni. It was paired with a glass of Kubota Junmai Daiginjo. The sake was floral and crisp with a smooth finish, pairing well with the first course. I found the sashimi to be of good quality. The salmon, kingfish and scallop were fairly standard. The uni was a tad on the watery side but the toro was melty and buttery rich. What did surprise me though was that it was served at room temperature rather than lightly chilled as you would in other restaurants.

 

Our next course was the Foie Gras Chawanmushi and Nori Crunch which was served with a glass of Izumibashi Junmai. The chawanmushi was silky smooth and the added foie gras on top made it particularly decadent and buttery. The nori crunch added some contrasting texture and was particularly delightful with the tuna on top of the crisp. Our drink was dry, had a refined scent and very umami, pairing well with the course.

Third course was far more meaty, comprising of the Australian Wagyu Imperial Blossom MB 9+. It came with a glass of Kenbishi Kuromatsu. I enjoyed the steak which was served rare but also found it odd that no one was asked how they liked their steak cooked and everyone was served steak to the same level of rarity. The steak itself was tender and buttery. I could have enjoyed far more than the four pieces served. The Kuromatsu had an interesting scent with a delicate nutty flavour to it, making it a very unique drop.

Our final savoury course was the Premium Nigiri, served with a glass of Dewazakura Seijo. Again the course was placed in front of me with no introduction. From left to right, it comprised of aburi kingfish, aburi salmon, tuna, scami and scallop with foie gras. I'm not a huge fan of aburi sushi but they were done well, providing a bit of contrast to our earlier sashimi courses. Each had a good topping to rice ratio and the fish was generously sliced. The Seijo was delicate and didn't overpower the fish.

Dessert comprised of an Ice Cream Sandwich Monaka served with a complimentary beverage. I opted for the green tea whilst Dr L had a matcha latte. Again I had to ask to be told that this was in fact a white chocolate and blueberry ice cream topped with vegemite caramel sauce. The white chocolate was quite overpowering and I couldn't get much of the blueberry taste. Vegemite provided more than a touch of savoury to the dessert and I'm not sure I enjoyed it. The monaka was crisp and light. I enjoyed my genmaicha whereas Dr L's matcha was also rich and strong.

Overall we had an enjoyable night at Komeyui. There were a few hiccups with the food as highlighted above but all in all it wasn't bad. We left the meal feeling not hungry but also not entirely full. The service and environment were definitely lacking compared to other omakase restaurants in Brisbane. I have no regrets in going to finally satisfy my curiosity, but would not be going back on my own initiative.

Price Range: $180 - $230pp

Taste: 7.5/10

Value: 5/10 

Service: 5/10
Environment: 5/10

Cotti Coffee - Brisbane CBD

In my more recent travels across various parts of Asia, what has really stood out to me is the uptake of coffee culture. As a result of this I was pretty excited to hear that Cotti Coffee, the third largest coffee chain in the world had finally decided to come to Brisbane. With an opening promo of $3.90 per drink, I was keen to try it out. Stopping on my way to work last week, I was happy to see that it was open and that there was essentially no queue at 7.30 in the morning.

The menu was more similar to a bubble tea store than I would have imagined. Only about half the drinks were coffee based and the other half were tea based. Notably their basic coffees regular retail for $3.50 to $4.90, which is a lot cheaper than other cafes in the city these days. 

Given the discount and my desire to cover off on more than one drink in this blog post, I got two to go. In spite of the lack of queue, it still took a good 15 minutes for my drink to be prepared.

 

Starting off with the 16oz Cappuccino which I ordered with an extra shot. Interestingly, it came with no chocolate on the top at all which was already not a good starting point. They also offered no alternative milks so I had to settle for full cream (rather than skim). The coffee itself was almost non existent in taste with the beverage tasting pretty much like hot milk, despite the extra shot. It brought me back to the days of UQ when Darwins cafe literally forgot to put the shot of coffee into my beverage. Unfortunately given the colour of this drink, there most definitely was some form of coffee in it, it was just bland and tasteless. I had high hopes this would become my regular since it's fairly cheap but as it stands the 7-11 coffees taste better than this.

I thought it was a stroke of genius to have gotten a Grapefruit Americano to go as well. I had asked them for no added sugar but it turns out that the grapefruit syrup was already extremely sweet. The syrup itself tasted like artificial citrus flavouring and wasn't distinctly grapefruit flavoured. The beverage tasted a lot more like a low quality bubble tea than it did coffee, which was at best a minor hint.

Overall I was glad to have tried Cotti when I did. I am quite surprised at how poor their drinks offerings are. Perhaps we just have a very strong coffee culture in Australia but I would not recommend trying them out unless you want coffee that doesn't taste like coffee. Given the plethora of options nearby, I won't be back.

Price Range: $5 - $10pp

Taste: 3/10

Value: 4/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7/10 

Aunty - Fortitude Valley

My readers will be aware that as a matter of principle, I do not go seeking restaurant invitations, so when the instagram hype starts up for new restaurants, often I sit back and wait for the wave to pass before going on a self funded venture. However in the case of Aunty, we were graciously invited to dine and try out their set menu, which we keenly accepted.

 

 

As with all Tassis ventures, the banquets were the main event, with three tiers to choose from. We opted for the Eat More Banquet which was priced at $88pp. Other than the banquets we also were able to try their happy hour menu which offered good deals on a few bar snacks and drinks.

Starting off with drinks from the happy hour menu, this was the Mando Spritz. It was fruity and very potent. We really liked how refreshing it was and how much there was, allowing us to enjoy the beverage throughout our meal.

Also from the bar menu was the lobster rolls. Usually they sell for $26 each but during happy hour it is reduced to $12. The lobster salad is reminiscent of the Taiwanese iteration I often have which is mixed with mayonnaise and tobiko. For the happy hour price, it was a generous serving with quite a lot of lobster in the fluffy bread roll.

Moving onto items from the banquet, this was the prawn toast. It was served straight from the fryer and garnished with spring onion. Like the lobster roll, there was a generous amount of prawn paste that was well seasoned and had adequate bounce when you bit into it.

 

Second course was the wagyu tartare. This wasn't particularly asian fusion except it was served with lotus chips rather than the usual bread or crisps. It was topped with smoked duck egg yolk for added umami. Although not really an asian dish by my estimate, I do enjoy tartare and this was an enjoyable iteration.

This was the golden sand calamari, also coming with a generous dusting of salty egg yolk and served with a side of aioli. The portion was fairly big and more than enough to share between two. I enjoyed the crispiness but did find the batter to be on the thicker side.

 

This was the cauliflower and mushroom eggplant served with a side of miso dipping sauce. The vegetarian filling made for a far lighter dish compared to your usual pork mince spring roll. The mushrooms offered umami which was then amplified further by the miso dip. 

Our mains came in three parts. First of which was the chilli crab shanghai noodles. This was probably the least impressive of the meal. I'm fairly certain a whole crab did not get mixed into the dish, given there wasn't too much crab meat in the dish. That aside, the noodles were done well, tender but not overly soft and the crab butter bisque was tasty.

In contrast the highlight of my meal was the pork neck char siu. This came with the perfect cut, partially fatty and partially lean. It was well marinated with flavours absorbing deep into the meat. It was probably as good as or even better than anything I could get from the butchers at Sunnybank.

To balance our mains was of course a dish of greens. This was done well and seasoned with ample amounts of oyster sauce. The portion was fairly large and went well with our noodles and char siu.

Dessert was the creative five spice caramel crunch bar. Each piece was but one bite but the five spice scent definitely dominated the morsel with the sweetness of caramel and chocolate coming through after the spicy hit. It was unique and I'd be interested in trying out their other desserts.

Although I was skeptical to try fusion Asian food, Aunty has proven herself to be capable of surprises. Although hardly traditional, each dish was executed with precision and we had an enjoyable evening that I wouldn't mind returning for.

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

Price: $100 - $120pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7/10