Six Feet Under - Newstead

Last week, I had the privilege of accompanying my favourite instagram celebrity out to try the food at the preview launch of Six Feet Under, the newest cafe at Newstead. Situated at Masters street, it was a short distance away from the central hub that is Skyring Terrace. With its vintage gates, it was definitely striking and definitely piques the interest.

The interior is quite large for a cafe. Being inspired by cafes in Melbourne, it had a very alternate rustic charm to it. 

The seasonal menu had quite a few light options, just in time for the summer months. Being able to talk to the chef and understand his ideas ans inspiration behind the menu was also definitely a highlight of the morning.

 

First up though was our coffee. Adam had a long black (hot as they were out of ice), and I had my usual cappuccino. Both were strong and really hit the spot. The foam on top of my cappuccino was rich and dense without excessive amounts of cocoa. 

Our breakfast came before long. Adam had the Scallops which were served with  black pudding, pea panna cotta, pumpkin, broad beans, puffed pork rind. I really enjoyed the puffed pork rind which was crispy like a rice cake, it went well with the pea panna cotta which was smooth and creamy almost like a dip. The scallops were well caramelised and had a nice texture to them as well.

Forgoing my usual eggs on toast, I had the Salmon, this was served with gin + passion fruit gravlax, cucumber, kohlrabi, buttermilk, yuzu gel and 63 degree egg. It was a wonderfully light and refreshing dish, with the delicious salmon complimenting well with the crunchy cucumber and kohlrabi salad, which tasted almost like a coleslaw. The egg made for a rich sauce which was then balanced with the sharp tang of yuzu. I only wish there were more.

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: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 9/10

Espresso & Matcha's Saporous Expedition - Adelaide: Coffee Barun

Flash trip work trip to Adelaide with Iron Fist. On the road again, we decided to stop for lunch before attending to other matters. Being in the neighbourhood, we were keen to try out the highly popular The Coffee Barun, which is of course famous for its coffee. 

Heading in quickly, we ordered at the counter with the friendly staff.

A bucket of cutlery was provided along with two glasses of water. 

Coffee came up soon, Iron fist had his usual flat white, which he found to be creamy and strong. He liked the caramel tones in the coffee, which went with milk quite well. 

Not wanting my usual cappuccino, I opted for a cold brew with a side of milk which I was happily provided with no judgment. I particularly enjoyed the fruity tones of peach and grape, which were surprisingly not incompatible with the milk, providing a refreshing drink with my added dose of caffeine for the day.

For food, we decided to share a Philly Cheese Steak, being their house specialty. We loved the light crusty bread, the lightly shaved beef slices and melted tasty cheese. A sandwich that bought a smile to both our faces. The rosemary wedges were also fragrant and hot, although they could have been a little crispier for my taste.

Price Range: $10 - $25pp

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

Espresso & Matcha's Saporous Expedition - Adelaide: Nano Coffee

Having done research as usual, I made sure to try out one of the higher rated cafes in Adelaide before our trip back home. Unfortunately one of the restraints that we have to contend with when travelling for work is that if we want to have a proper sit down breakfast, it needs to be done quite early in the day before our appointments commence. Luckily I was able to do some digging and found that Nano Coffee, a popular among the locals, did in fact open quite early. So we check out of our hotel and headed there bright and early. 

We ended up being the first ones in there at 7am. Without menus, we were able to make our choice through the options on the board, ordered at the counter and got a number to take to our table.

Despite my usual preference of seating indoors, I found the laneway Nano was situated in to be very quaint and picturesque, so we opted for outside seating, especially given that it wasn't yet overly hot so early in the morning.

Our coffees came quite promptly. Iron Fist had his usual flat white and I my cappuccino. We liked that they were quite strong and bold, but agreed that it could have been smoother. My cappuccino was also a bit overdone with chocolate, which is not ideal.

Food came soon after. I liked that they had a build your own breakfast option, which meant that we could customise and load out plates with all our favourites.

Iron fist's breakfast comprised of the standard eggs and a home made bread roll, with additions of bacon, spinach and sausages. As all of his items were also found on my plate, I'll be reviewing them together.

Not wanting to decide too much, I opted for breakfast with the lot, so it contained eggs, the bread roll, tomato, mushroom, spinach, bacon, sausages and pancetta. I enjoyed the vegetable elements of the breakfast, which were executed quite well and cooked to had just the right amount of charring on the mushrooms and tomatoes. Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same of the bacon which was a little underdone for my taste. The eggs were moulded to the same shape, while it is probably done for consistency, I do prefer individually prepared eggs. The bread roll tasted a bit like damper and was dense, but soft and filling. 

Price Range: $15  -$25pp

Taste: 6/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 7/10

Espresso & Matcha's Saporous Expedition - Adelaide: Enzos

In my preparation for my Adelaide trip, I made sure to do thorough research on the best places to get food try during our brief visit to Adelaide. With a gaming friend based in the city, I asked him about where he would go if he could only choose one meal to best represent local cuisine. He didn't blink an eye when he recommended Enzos, which is why we headed there for dinner right after our plane landed.

Making a reservation, Iron Fist and I were quickly shown to our table 

I loved the traditional Italian menu and the gorgeous high roof setup of the place. It took a while, but we made our order with the friendly waiter.

 

Drinks came first, I had a diet coke whilst Iron Fist started with a red wine.

We had some bread to start. It was crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Served with olive oil, there was no reduction in temperature as you might find when you use butter. 

Iron Fist's entree comprised of the Pancetta di maiale arrosto, a slow roasted then grilled pork belly, served with pickled vegetables and balsamic glaze. The pork belly was reasonably lean given the cut, and the skin was very crispy. Portion wise, it was also quite generous for an entree. Iron Fist really enjoyed it.

Wanting something light, I tried the Funghi alla griglia con taleggio e pesto di rucola which comprised of grilled portabello mushrooms, grilled ciabatta, melted taleggio cheese and rocket pesto. For a self proclaimed carnivore, it was very delicious and meaty for a vegetarian dish. The mushroom was quite substantial and coupled with the cheese and pesto, I could not find any faults with it. The sourdough was also deliciously toasted with a crispy exterior which soaked up the mushroom juices and sauces wonderfully.

Mains soon arrived after our entrees. Iron Fist opted for the special of the day, Eggplant Parmigiana. Like my mushroom entree, the eggplant served as a surprisingly good substitute for meat. It was filling and quite decadent for a vegetarian dish.

My main was the Linguine con polpa di granchio, being Benedetto Cavalieri linguine with blue swimmer crab meat, fresh tomato and chili. The pasta was cooked wonderfully with a softer than al dente texture which I always love. There was some crab in the pasta, but I would definitely have appreciated more in the dish though. Other than this, I enjoyed the refreshing lightness of the fresh tomato and chilli. It made the dish very light and refreshing. 

Price Range: $35 - $50pp

Taste: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 8/10

The Florist Kitchen and Wine Bar - Brisbane CBD

Having not worked at the courts for quite a few years now, it is now all the way at the other end of town from my current workplace. As such, I've not been able to fully explore the legal precinct of Brisbane as much as I would have liked to, especially the evolution of the food options in the area. One such restaurant which I didn't get to try when I used to work nearby is The Florist Kitchen and Wine Bar, situated along Turbot Street, near the Commonwealth Law Courts. I was lucky enough to receive an invite last week to try it out, so we headed there for a quick Wednesday night dinner after work. 

Arriving at our designated reservation of 6pm, there were quite a few patrons outside enjoying the bar area, but we chose to sit inside where it was more cozy.

  

Menus were provided quickly and there were quite a few options for our dinner, including entrees, mains and share plates. Although most dishes were evidently modern Australian, there was no doubt of an addition of an Asian twist.

  

 

In terms of the drinks menu, there was a large assortment of wines and cocktails. We tried three of the cocktails, the Berry Mule, the Botanical Crush and the Bahamas Lychee. We really enjoyed the fruity and floral tones of the drinks, which were refreshing and sweet. My favourite was the Botanical Crush with its citrusy tang from the Lemon, Lime and Grapefruit elements. For a cocktail, it was also definitely larger than others I've had elsewhere, making it fairly good value.

Our shared entrees soon came. First up was the Crispy Fried Chicken served with tahimi mayo, sprout salad and toasted sesame seed. Both portions were served atop a lettuce leaf, making it almost like a san choy bao. The chicken itself was very crispy, juicy and well seasoned. The salads were fresh and crunchy, but I found the chilli and coriander somewhat overpowered the flavours of the chicken.

Our other shared entree was the Lamb Koftas with mint and lime yoghurt. Being a big fan of Greek food, I really enjoyed the dish. The lamb was fresh and meaty, with balance found from the creamy yoghurt. Coupled with the side of mint, cucumber and onion salad, it was a very enjoyable dish.

After our entrees, our shared main came soon after, and it was definitely impressive. This was the T Bone Steak to share, served with Bearnaise sauce, duck fat potatoes and seasonal vegetables. 

Despite this being a regular point of contention (I like my steak rare, he likes it medium rare), I won out again on this instance. The steak was quite tender and juicy. It was complemented well with the buttery Bearnaise that we both enjoyed. The duck fat potatoes were caramelised wonderfully with a crisp exterior almost reminiscent of wedges, except they were small whole potatoes, making for a perfect companion for the steak. As for the seasonal vegetables, I was pleasantly surprised to be served with a dish of stir fried bok choy with snow peas and capsicum, it tasted quite homely, but I found the mix of cuisines a little confusing, given that we usually have salad or roast veggies with our steak.

Given that Adam is unable to survive one day without dessert, we got a Chocolate Brownie with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate ganache to share as our conclusion to the meal. Despite the name of brownie, we both agreed that given its level of moisture and texture, it was definitely closer to a chocolate pudding or even a lava cake. Regardless of title, the dish was rich and chocolatey without being overly sweet. I liked how moist it was and also the clash of temperatures between the hot and cold, definitely a wonderful way to finish off a memorable meal. 

Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Florist Kitchen and Wine Bar, but as always, our opinions are solely our own.

Price Range: $25 - $40pp

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