Bloom Patisserie - Sunnybank

Had heard that a new cafe opened recently in the newly renovated Market Square. Checked it out with a few friends this afternoon after a board game and lunch session.

Arriving at the second level of the newly opened centre, the store immediately caught our eye. The cakes definitely drew us in too. With a focus on crepe cakes they had quite a few flavours in addition to other cakes and desserts. 

The drinks menu was fairly standard with hot and cold coffee options as well as some snow ice desserts. Notably bubble tea was not available, but I suppose there are quite a few options within the shopping complex.

We ordered at the counter and got a number for our table.

Our companions had a mango shaved ice and a strawberry cheese shaved ice respectively. They found these to be light and refreshing and very delicious. Compared to other places that serve shaved ice though, the portions were definitely far more suited to individuals than a group.

We had two crepe cakes to share. The matcha one was fairly light in taste and lighter in colour compared to B and C Lab. However the crepe layers were far more dense than others that I've had. Overall it was fairly pleasant but definitely not the best one I've had in Brisbane.

We also had a milk tea crepe cake. In comparison, although lightly coloured, the milk tea flavours were a lot stronger than the matcha versions. The layers were again fairly dense and decadent, with a good ratio of crepe to cream. Would definitely be back for some of their other cake options.

For our drinks we had a hazelnut latte and an iced chocolate. Both were reasonably priced and adequate. I liked that they didn't have the overly rich cream or ice cream on top. Would be keen to come back for their hot coffees.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 6/10

Impressive Dumplings - Sunnybank Hills

Quiet weekday night and mum and I decided to go out for dinner. Without too much of a plan, we decided to check out Impressive Dumplings which opened in the new shopping strip at Sunnybank Hills, behind Sonder. With a new branch just opened at West End, they have definitely built up a strong following in a short time.

The restaurant was very large and spacious, we grabbed one of the tables and the it was more than half filled up with a continuous stream of take away orders coming through.

Ordering was done via ipad, however rather than sending order straight into the kitchen, you still needed to flag down waitstaff to come and pick it up. Options included dumplings (of course), noodles and rice along with a few snacks and drinks.

Cutlery was conveniently located in a drawer at the table.

We had a bowl of braised beef noodle soup to share. The portion of noodles was ample, the meat was also ample but there were only two small pieces of veggies for the whole bowl.The noodles themselves weren't too soft and had some bite to it while the beef was fairly tender. I found the soup to be quite wholesome and not overly oily. 

Of course we had a serve of dumplings as well. This was the pan fried prawn and pork dumplings. These came out almost entirely homogeneous and didn't taste like they were hand made. The skin was thick and not all that smooth whilst the fillings weren't all that generous and didn't contain soup. The base itself wasn't crispy but the crepe felt like an add on after the dumplings were cooked through. I have definitely had better elsewhere.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 7/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10 

Little G - Woolloongabba

Earlier in the year, Dr L and I tried out Corella, under the Drapery for dinner. With excellent food and good service for a reasonable cost, I was surprised to see that it had closed down. Since then, Little G a well established pizzeria which had previously been located in Dutton Park has taken over the premises. We decided to go check it out for dinner last Friday.

Despite the name change, the setup was largely the same, down to the cutlery. I liked the relaxed but elegant vibe. Bookings were not available, so if you want to ensure a table, get there early.

The menu was split between the pizza menu on paper and the non pizza menu which was projected on the wall. Unlike a traditional pizzeria, the variety of options were far more modern Australian and there were a few choices that I was very keen to try out.

 

Starting off, we had three arancini balls. These were filled with truffle mac and cheese, served atop pea puree and topped with truffle sheep's cheese. Despite the strong truffle aspect, it was still very mild tasting with the truffle flavours light but fragrant. Being more used to rice arancini, the mac and cheese variety was a lot more richer and decadent.

Our other entree was the fried chicken. The portion was very substantial, especially for an entree and each chicken tender was extremely crisp and crunchy. Served with sour pickles, it really cut through the oiliness. 

Predictable as it may be, our first pizza was the Mixed Mushroom, fresh buffalo and truffle. Like the mac and cheese arancini, flavours were definitely more delicate and light with a fragrant aroma of mushrooms and truffle permeating through the pizza. Toppings were generous and complemented each other well, however the pizza base was a bit denser and the crust a bit thicker than the other ones I have enjoyed at Julius or Sugo Mi.

Dr L's favourite pizza for the night was the Wagyu Cheeseburger. Topped with cheese, pickles and a light drizzle of mustard, it had all elements of a good burger atop a pizza. Flavours were super intense and the sharp tang of tomato was inescapable, however again, I found the base and crust to be in need of improvement, otherwise this would have been a completely enjoyable pizza.

Price Range: $25 - $40pp

Taste: 7.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8.5/10

Espresso & Matcha’s Sixth Anniversary

Dear Readers,


Another year has gone by and suffice to say, this year was one that no one saw coming. From the bushfires to coronavirus to the lockdowns which we are still seeing the aftermath of, especially in Victoria, 2020 hasn't been a particularly good year for anyone. 

If anything, this year has taught me that you cannot plan for everything. Even the most meticulous and well thought out designs can be overridden by random black swan events. All we can do is try our best given the situation handed to us. To this point, I have continued as best as I can to write my blog given the constraints and support the restaurant industry in addition to leveling up my cooking skills.

To this point, as always, I would like to say thank you to you, dear reader for continuing on my journey with me as I embark on the seventh year of this blog. 

-by HsiaoFu

El Camino - Bowen Hills

Had a quick lunch catch up with friends not long ago at El Camino on King Street. Have had cravings for Mexican food for some time now so the opportunity was perfect to have them satiated. 

Made a booking before hand and our table was already set up for us. The place wasn't overly crowded and we were given complimentary salsa and corn chips to get us started. 

With no contact measures in place, we were able to access the menu, order and pay via the QR code on each table, which was super handy.

 

Between the two of us, we shared six tacos.

First set comprised of confit mushrooms and char grilled steak. The steak was fairly chewy and well done, but I enjoyed the flavoursome spicy sauces. My favourite was definitely the milder flavoured confit mushrooms whicih were tender and cheesy.

Our second set comprised of beer battered barramundi and cheeseburger. The beer battered barramundi was by far my favourite, with a wonderfully crispy coating and soft flaky fish inside. The salsa on top was also fresh and crunchy. By comparison, the cheeseburger was not as I expected. There was an ample amount of ground beef, but not too much by way of cheese or pickles to finish the flavour profile.

Our tacos were served with rice and beans. This was fairly small but well seasoned. I particularly enjoyed the tomato elements in the rice. The beans were tender and not too powdery. 

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 7.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10

Agnes - Fortitude Valley

Readers may recall my visit to Agnes Bakery earlier in the year which had achieved a phenomenal amount of hype for its' baked goods that quite a few people got up at the crack of dawn for. Since then, it has closed and the original restaurant by Ben Williamson has finally launched and it was immediately booked out for months. We were very fortunate to get a booking for four last Saturday lunch. 

It took us a bit to find the door as there was minimal signage and the original bakery door was closed. Inside, the restaurant was far more dim and moody, I really liked the open plan kitchen where we could peer in and watch the chefs at work. 

 

The drinks menu spanned multiple pages and they had a very extensive wine list. In comparison the food menu was a lot shorter, combining snacks, small dishes, large dishes, sides and desserts in one page. It didn't take too long for us to decide what we wanted.

 

Starting off with drinks we had some wine and a mocktail. The wine was well received and the mocktail was curiously salty, a first for my companion.

Kicking off with the food was the snack sized dishes. This was the Sardine Sandwich with white n’duja and white strawberry. Biting into it, the bread was wonderfully fluffy and squishy but what really struck me was the extreme saltiness of the sardine. Even with the added condiments in the sandwich, there was no masking the salty stringy fish.

Our other snack sized dish was the Scarlet Prawn Doughnuts with vinegar, sour herbs. As my companion eloquently put it, this was essentially a prawn takoyaki. The dough was light and chewy with a crisp exterior and ample amount of prawns inside, but when compared to Takoyaki, the price for a single piece was definitely steep. 

Moving onto small plates, the Bluefin tuna with grilled fennel and horseradish was the dish I was most looking forward to. Having seen a photo of it online from another foodie, I was expecting some very fatty tuna, but unfortunately ours was not. It was lightly smoked and well seasoned but didn't have the melt in your mouth texture that I was expecting from my friend's experience. 

Next up was the Beef tartare with smoked chestnut, mushroom, almond and turnip. It didn't have the normal flavour profile that I am used to with pickles and capers, but I did really enjoy the lighter flavours of this dish,, highlighting the freshness of the beef, coupled with the added crunchy of the chestnut and turnip.  

Our favourite of the evening was the Octopus with black lemon, almond and garlic shoots. Although the garlic flavour wasn't overly strong, the octopus was very tender and I liked how the yoghurt sauce went with the burnt charcoal flavours of the octopus. 

From the main dishes this was the Aged Duck with candied kumquats and bread sauce. Like the sardine sandwich, the duck was also extremely salty with a moderately crispy skin but it had a very firm flesh. By contrast the kumquat was very sweet and complimented the duck well. 

Our other main was the Lamb Neck with ancho mole, pickles and flatbread. The lamb itself was quite chewy and firm, not very tender. It was also very salty. The sauces managed to reduce this a bit and the flatbread was soft and dense, but the pickles turned out to be even more salty. It took a lot of water to wash this down.

Finishing off, we had two basque cheesecakes to share. This was highly inconsistent as one was cooked completely through whilst the other had a fairly runny centre. The flavours were still on point though with the light saltiness of cheese and the decadent creaminess, but I would have liked both to have had the infamous liquid centre. Overall, for what it was, I would not be in a rush to return.

Price Range: $70 - $90pp

Taste: 6/10

Value: 5/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 8/10