Fritzenberger - Wilston

Last weekend, I had to work, as all poor girls do, so as to be able to put food on the table. Luckily for me though, I had the good fortune of being able to attend Fritzenberger's opening event as FoodieAdam's dining companion. What better way to enjoy the remnants of my weekend on a Saturday afternoon than with burgers, chips and great company. Arriving there at 3pm, our table was set and there were a few other tables grazing their afternoon meal. Having only tried their Paddington store via Foodora, I was super excited to be able to have some fresh.

 

Drinks came out first, I opted for a diet coke to somewhat balance the gluttony that stood before me. The table was also decked out with a considerable number of salt shakers so that we could sprinkle them on our chips when they came out.

 

 

First up we got to try a large selection of sides including mac and cheese balls, caesar salad, loaded fries and tomato with mozzarella. My favourites were the super indulgent mac and cheese balls which were fresh, crisp, hot and had a gooey stringy centre. Second pick would be the crunchy and refreshing casear salad which was of a very high standard from burger place.

 

Without a doubt though, our main attraction was the burger and chips. I tried a Fritzenberger with bacon as well as a side of chips. The burger had a soft fluffy bun, a nicely caramelized meat patty along with fresh salad and crunchy bacon. All filling elements were executed well and I found them to be thoroughly enjoyable. Only improvement I would suggest is that the buns would have been far superior if toasted. Chips were handcut with skin on, also very fresh and tasty. Exterior was crisp but filling was reasonably firm. It went well with the variety of salts we had to try.

 

For dessert, I tried the vanilla ice cream with nutella. Ice cream was quite sweet and had a nice texture to it, making for delightful conclusion to a wonderful meal.

Espresso and Matcha got to enjoy this complimentary meal by freeloading off FoodieAdam's invite. But as always, my opinions are solely my own.

Price Range: $10 - $25pp

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

The Cube Hot Pot - Sunnybank

Having tried out almost all the Hot Pot restaurants in Brisbane, one that keeps getting pushed further and further down my list is The Cube Hot Pot. With winter having truly set in, and the abrupt closure of my beloved 100 Degrees, I finally decided to make my way to Sunnybank Plaza and give it a go last Saturday over lunch.

Menus were available at the door. I don't think there is any a la carte option, but rather just two variations of hot pot, a basic meat and veggie option and a meat, veggie and seafood deluxe option. Neither of us were seafood fans, so we settled for the more basic option.

We managed to get a seat immediately after going in. Ordering for the buffet was via paper lists that we could mark and hand to the waitstaff. Food being prepared in the kitchen means no hygiene issues that other buffets have with other patrons touching or coughing over the food, but also means a lack of control over the portion sizes that you order. If I ticked a "1" on the tofu box, I might get six pieces to a serve when all I really wanted was one piece.

Soup came fairly quickly. We went half half, with half spicy and half herbal. Both tasted quite good, as usual, my preference was herbal.

Further to the hot pot, there was also a small selection of cooked food, along with some fruits.

The sauce station was quite a sight to behold. Needless to say, I went overboard with the garlic.

Behold my soy garlic creation, to which the after effects could still be felt 3 days after the fact.

Our food arrived by the time I had finished making my sauce. I do like the addition of a multi level trolley on the side so as not to overcrowd our table.

This was our shaved meat platter. Note the lack or organisation, everything was just mixed in together. The sliced beef and lamb were also extremely fatty, with the fat content being evidently more than half the whole sliced portion. I wish there were less fatty sliced meat options.

Our quasi seafood dish comprised of sliced fish, some seafood sticks, meat balls and marinated beef which was definitely less fatty, but quite thick cut.

Our veggie dish was quite generous with very fresh greens, enoki mushrooms and tofu.

We also had two types of noodles, udon and shanghai noodles. The udon was the preserved type that I'm not really a fan of, but the shanghai noodles were fresh and tasty.

Without further ado, we got started with our meal with our hot soup which bubbled away happily. The meat was fairly fresh, and had a good texture (it really is hard to be chewy when they're sliced so very thin), but again it was very fatty, and I consumed it with much guilt. The fish was fairly fresh and I liked the flaking texture of the meat which had absorbed a good amount of soup. Veggies were quite crisp and tasty too. Throughout the meal, service was reasonably friendly and very prompt, perhaps due to the fact that the restaurant wasn't overly full. Nevertheless, we did have a good time and the meal was quite enjoyable.

Price Range: $26.80 - $29.80pp

Taste: 7/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7/10

Espresso & Matcha's Fourth Anniversary

Dear Readers,

Today marks the fourth anniversary of  the establishment of Espresso & Matcha. This means I've actually written consistently for five whole years now(　ﾟДﾟ)＜!!. I know, I almost can't believe it myselfೕ(•̀ᴗ•́).

Looking back through the years and reminding myself of why I started this blog, I am glad to say that I have adhered pretty firmly to the goal that I initially set out to do, in being a source of independent and unbiased reviews for my readers(۶•̀ᴗ•́)۶. Given the contemporaneous issues surrounding fake news, and by extension, fake reviews, I find it all the more important to provide an objective and impartial information٩(｡•ω•｡)و.

As with all worthwhile journeys, it is often met with trials and tribulations. Throughout the years, I have been offered incentives to write positive reviews(๑°⌓°๑) as well as hostility when my feedback is not appreciated꒰⁎×﹏×⁎꒱՞༘✡. I am pleased to say that despite all of this, I have still been able to present unfettered recounts of my experiences. To this, I hope that you, dear reader, will continue with me on this journey(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑.

-Hsiao Fu

Greek on Cav - Coorparoo

Without a doubt, I love Asian food, being of Asian heritage, it is hard to resist a steaming hot bowl of noodles on a cold winters day. Having said that, I do get the not infrequent, very strong cravings for Greek food every couple of weeks. Having gone to all the hotspots in West End, I thought that this time I would venture a little further and try my luck at Coorparoo, where I had incidentally completed my primary education back in the day. 

Arriving at about 12 on a Saturday, the restaurant was half full and filled with a cheerful relaxed vibe which I really liked. 

Menus were provided by the very cheerful manager, and it contained all the essential elements you would want from a Greek restaurant such as platters and mains.

Putting our order through, our dip and pita bread was first to arrive. It was slightly warmed, and very tasty, especially whens served with my favourite garlic potato dip, skordalia. The potato had a good smooth texture with a strong garlic paste at the bottom. It was well received around the table.

Our mains came fairly quickly after we finished our appetizers, and it was quite a bit of meaty delight.

Having ordered the meat platter, it came with lamb and chicken souvlaki, Greek meatballs, lamb cutlets, lemon potato and haloumi. My favourite of this dish was surprisingly the Greek meatballs which were crumbly and well seasoned, when dipped in the Greek yoghurt, it added a layer of tang and smoothness to it. My companions liked the souvlaki, which again were well seasoned with lemon and rosemary. Despite how meaty it was, it wasn't a very heavy dish.

With one companion being quite the carnivore, we also had half a grilled chicken, topped with a honey mustard dressing and served wtih lemon potatoes. Not being regularly exposed to such a flavour palate, I found it to be quite enjoyable and refreshing take on roasted chicken. The chicken itself was quite tender and succulent, with a nice chargrilled skin. 

As a side, we got another serve of lemon potatoes, because I love lemon potatoes. These were lightly seasoned with herbs but doused in considerable lemon juice, making for a comforting and yet sharp experience which I really enjoyed. 

Price Range: $25 - $40pp

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

Corbett and Claude - Upper Mt Gravatt

So for those who are aware, I work just upstairs from Corbett and Claude in the CBD, and as a result of this, Mr Claude is often my go to for morning coffee whist C&C is my backup for days when I forget to bring my packed lunch, but on my days off, I still found myself craving their food. So I found myself at their Garden City store after running a few errands.

With the place only half full at lunchtime, we found a seat quite quickly inside next to the bar. Setup was more well lit, but largely the same theme as the CBD store.

 

The menu was also the same as the CBD store, so I was able to order for the table without skipping a beat.

Our food came quite quickly, considering that the pizzas are freshly made.

The chicken bites came first. These were served with chipotle mayo. These were crispy and very well seasoned pieces of chicken breast that maintained their juiciness despite frying, the portion was fairly decent too. I was particularly impressed at the absence of oiliness on the exterior of the chicken as well. 

Our first pizza was the Forager, which comprised of mozzarella, prosciutto, mushroom, parmesan and truffle oil. Being a big fan of truffle pizza, this really hit the spot. The base was fresh, fluffy and doughy without being hard, but I would have preferred to have the toppings extend a bit further outwards. On the toppings, the mushroom, cheese and prosciutto really came together in a harmonious melody of flavour. I could probably eat this pizza every day forever.

To share, we also had a bowl of creamy mushroom linguine, topped with haloumi. Like the chicken, the haloumi wasn't overly oily, and had a delicious crunchy exterior. Compared with the pizza and chicken, the portion for linguine was small for a main size. Pasta had a delicious al dente texture and sauce was creamy. I suspect it would have been a little bland without the haloumi though.

Last pizza and everyone's else's favourite is always the cigar pizza. This was the maneater, and was filled with tomato sauce, meat balls, ham, pepperoni, mozzarella and bbq sauce. Depending on which part you get, the ends were very doughy, but the middle sections were loaded with filling. I loved the stringy mozzarella which complimented the tangy bbq sauce well. The meatballs crumbled inside my mouth and the ham was meaty and tasty. It provided a good contrast to the milder tasting forager pizza.

Price Range: $20 - $25pp

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