Pane E Vino - Brisbane CBD

Met up with a friend who had recently come back from overseas at the long established Pane E Vino. Running late, I rushed into the restaurant before taking an outside snap, but thankfully with our reservation, we had a table set for us. 

 

Having made a point to look at the menu online first, I was somewhat disappointed that me selection (the sand crab pasta) wasnt on the menu that evening. So I settled for something else. 

  

Our drinks came first, with a companion ordering the Negroni, our designated driver with a mocktail and my espresso martini. All drinks were thoroughly enjoyed. 

Our shared entree was the arancini balls with pumpkin, sage and mozzarella with gorgonzola sauce. Coming as a portion of three, it was just right for the three of us. I liked the fact that the crumbed exterior wasnt overly thick, and the comforting cheesy risotto centre, with the pumpkin and gorgonzola ensuring it didnt become an overly heavy dish. 

One companion ordered the Polpette, a bowl of pork and beef meatballs, ciabatta and napoli sauce. As you can see in the photo, she wasn’t served any ciabatta, and when she asked staff about it, they said they would investigate, but it still came to nothing, which was a shame. 

Another companion had the Lamb shank braised with roasted vegetables and wine, served with creamy potato mash. This was probably the best executed dish of the evening, with relatively tender lamb that had infused with the taste of red wine. The potatoes were ample, though slightly lumpy, and the comprised of green beans only. 

My dish was the Tortelloni stuffed with ricotta, porcini (mushrooms), served with chicken and vegetable broth. With five pieces, it was a light meal indeed. Looking at the dish it was not hard to draw parallels with my usual wanton soup. The broth itself tasted as if it had come straight out of a Campbell’s can, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the tortelloni had extremely thick pastry and somewhat bland fillings. 

As a shared side, we had a bowl of chips, which were quite delicious as they were hot and crispy, making it the best element of our meal. 

Price range: $20 - $35pp

Taste: 5/10
Value: 5/10
Service: 5/10
Environment: 6/10

2017 Noodle Night Markets - Southbank

Like last year and every year, the week after Regional Flavours is always designated to the annual Noodle Night Markets. Having been to another one earlier in the year, I was glad to see that most of the essential fixtures were still there, and a couple more new additions. Here are some snaps of my day there.

This year, we decided to shake it up and start off with dessert. There was no doubt we would be getting the strawberry watermelon cake, which was perfectly sweet and refreshing as I had remembered it.

We continued our journey grazing on some Chichi Fries from Poklol. The price was a little steep for essentially what was a side, but the portion was quite big that it took five of us to finish, and the toppings were also very impressive.

 

I also got one chicken skewer and one pork skewer from Hoy Pinoi. Both were absolutely delicious, but if I had to pick my favourite, it would be the pork which had an overall better texture when grilled.

Cafe Mondial - Brisbane CBD

Went to grab a quick coffee after a delightful dinner with Meatballs and Beef Cheeks and Lady Meatballs. Went to Cafe Mondial, which wasn't too far from where we enjoyed our last meal. Settling inside for some quiet foodie talks, our friendly waitress came and took our order. Of note was the drinks menu, which boasted a larger than normal variety of drinks, including a Greek Coffee, which I will definitely have to try next time.

Our drinks came quickly, and they looked very impressive.

Meatballs and Lady Meatball had the Affogato with Kahlua, which was reportedly quite tasty. I always enjoy the theatrics of watching these drinks get put together.

My companion had an earl grey which was served with milk. She commented that it came out a little more bitter than it was floral, but other than that the tea was strong and went down well.

I had the cappuccino, which came with a delightful heart shape. I like how the cocoa powder was semi melted into the froth (to avoid my embarrassing choking when I inadvertently inhale the cocoa when I drink and try to breathe at the same time). I also like how the coffee had a good strength to keep me awake and coherent after a long day.

Price Range: $5 - $25pp

Taste: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8/10