Banneton bakery - Camp Hill

This week's adventures in driving took us to Camp Hill Village, a place I have long wanted to go to but never made the time to check out. It was completely packed when we went (mid morning on a Saturday), which did not help the situation as Dr L was still learning how to park. Anyway, I was able to eventually make my way over to Bannetons to pick up some lunch.

There was a small queue when I arrived and it moved quite slowly. Service was friendly and staff made and attempt to chat to all customers. For the small store that it was, it had a huge abundance of baked goods crammed into a very small space. It took a bit of deliberation, but I ordered my selection to go.

So it turns out that the hot savoury items were actually stored cold so that I could reheat them at home. Staff were very helpful in advising me the best way to heat them up (from when the oven is cold). This was the pork and fennel sausage roll. It was flaky and wholesome, I liked the crumbly pork and the buttery layers of pastry which melted in my mouth. I also think that the ratio of filling to pastry was generous and wonderful.

Our other savoury pastry was the Guinness Beef Pie. I found this to be quite ordinary, there were a few discernible chunks of beef in the pie but it was largely mince. The gravy was quite strongly flavoured with beef and veggies, to the point where I couldn't get much by way of stout flavours. Nonetheless, it was filling and delicious.

We rounded off with a  Pain au Chocolat. I liked how layered it was without being too greasy at all. The layers were light and airy with hints of butteryness. There wasn't too much by way of chocolate but what it did contain was rich and slightly bitter. I really enjoyed it and would come back for the croissants alone.

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

Taste: 7.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10

Soba Shimbashi - Sunnybank Hills

Those who frequent Sunnybank will have no doubt heard of the recently opened Soba Shimbashi, opened by a Japanese couple, they source their buckwheat from Tasmania and make the soba on site.

The display window allowed for passers by to watch as the noodles are made too. 

A booking is definitely recommended as the restaurant isn't too big and there are a lot of people who want to dine here. Bookings were allocated into two slots, 5.30pm and 7.15pm. We opted for 7.15pm as the other was too early for dinner.

As expected, the menu was very much soba based, split into hot and cold sections. Other than that, there are some rice dishes, entrees and sides. Prices were fairly steep, especially for noodle dishes.

 

We got two entrees to share, the Nasu Dengaku and Chicken Karaage, these came relatively quickly. Both were fairly small but well executed. The eggplant was fairly crisp and had a delicious umami miso sauce to it and a soft supple interior. Speaking to some friends after, their portion sizes were definitely not consistent, with other people reporting considerably larger portions. The chicken was also executed well with a thin and light batter as well as a deliciously marinated meaty centre that was still able to retain its moisture.

It was super lucky that we had actually ordered entrees, because it took 45 minutes for me to get my main meal. By the time it arrived, I was super hungry. Like the entrees, the portion sizes were a bit disappointing. The soba was fresh and was very textured, it was served wonderfully al dente in a delicious dashi broth. I liked the addition of seaweed adding to the fragrance of the dish. I just wish the portions were larger. The tempura was also delicious, I note the menu said that it was vegetarian, but it contained at least one prawn and a whiting fillet. These had a light batter and were very fresh and crisp. I also wish there was more. 

Overall I enjoyed the food at Soba Shimbashi, but the time it takes to get a table, the time it takes to wait for food and the actual value of the food makes it not really worth a return visit. 

Price Range: $25 - $35pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 5/10

Service: 6/10

Environment: 7/10 

Tan Dinh - Inala

This week's driving lesson took us to Inala where I continued my quest to try more Banh Mi in the area. Last time we had banh mi, we got it from Scott's Road's Takeaway and it definitely set a high standard, so I was interested to see how relative newcomer, Tan Dinh would compare. Arriving at 10am, there was a small queue but service was very fast. The bread rolls are made on site and there was the longest variety of banh mi I've seen on the menu.

The bread wasn't toasted but it was delicious because it was freshly baked with a crusty exterior and a fluffy interior. The portions and fillings were very generous. I had the combination pork as well as the roast pork belly to share.

Both rolls looked fairly similar from the outside on account of the abundance of salad, but when cut in half you could really see the Roast Pork in the Roast Pork Roll. The crackling was very crispy and the meat was deliciously seasoned. The salad was also fresh and crispy, it went really well with the bun.

Our second roll was the Combination Roll. It came with an assortment of pork mince and ham. There was a bit more pork in this roll than the roast pork roll and it had a delightful contrast of textures to go with the bread and salad. Whilst Tan Dinh was a bit more expensive than the other Banh Mi in the area, it was definitely well worth the price. I'll definitely have to come back for this again.

Price Range: Under $10pp

Taste: 9/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7.5/10

Sankalp - Annerley

Other than delicious Thai food, Annerley is also home to what is allegedly the best Indian food in Brisbane. Although not one who knows much at all about Indian food, I was definitely curious. Being only 500m from home, I often wonder about trying it but have been quite uncertain as to what to order and how to order. It was quite lucky for us then to have an Indian friend go along with us and take charge of the ordering as well as provide commentary on what it is they consider to be good.

 

Bookings are definitely recommended, almost essential in fact as the place is full every time we walk past. Without a booking, it is very difficult to procure a table, so it's also fortunate that we did. The menu was extensive and I had very little idea what to order, neither did Dr L. So we left it with our friend to look after us, which he did really well.

First to arrive were the sauces. If anything the whole dinner was very saucy and the sauces appeared to be interchangeable with different foods. Of the four, my favourite would have to be the yogurt garlic dip which was refreshing and not spicy.

We had three entrees and three mains to share, this was the Panner Tikka which was cottage cheese slices grilled with a lot of spices. The texture was very similar to halloumi but with the added fragrances of capsicum and chilli. We really enjoyed it.

This was the Kozhi Sukka, a dry type chicken curry. The chicken was both fragrant and moist with a relatively light amount of spice. I would have enjoyed this dish a lot more if it came with rice or another side.

The highlight of our meal was definitely the Super Paper Dosa Masala. This was something I've never seen before, a paper thin cone of pastry with delicious seasoned mash and spices in it, eaten with curry sauce. I liked how thin and delicate the pastry was and how it retained its crispiness in the curry sauce.

Next came the mains, this was the Chicken Sofiyani Biryani. It was a seasoned chicken rice which was then cooked in an oven under a pastry covering. The rice underneath was well seasoned and tender but didn't contain all that much chicken. I did also really like the garlic yoghurt sauce which accompanied this dish.

We also had two curries as our mains, the Butter Chicken and Lamb Roganjosh. These were smaller than I thought, being roughly the same size as the entrees but because both dishes were so saucy they were able to go with quite a large amount of rice or naan bread. There wasn't too much meat in the curry but the bits that were present were tender. I liked the spice profile, it wasn't overbearing and we could still enjoy the flavours of the meat.

We had both rice and naan to go with our curry. The rice was far longer grain than I had previously enjoyed and each granule fell apart without clumping together. It was soft without being soggy and went well with the curry.

My favourite side though would have to be the Garlic Naan. Fluffy and fragrant, there were layers of buttery goodness, almost like a croissant but more elastic and moist. I definitely enjoyed it both on its own and with some curry. Can definitely say we had a really great time at Sankalp and can't wait to come back to try more.

Price Range: $20 - $25

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8.5/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7.5/10

Kebab Station - CBD

Another week in the office means another opportunity to grab lunch out. This week I tried out Kebab Station at Myer Centre. I believe that shopfront used to be noodle box but since the pandemic, they closed and Kebab Station opened. 

I ordered and paid ahead of time but my order didn't get prepared until I arrived. It meant I had to wait a bit but it also meant that my food was very fresh. I also really appreciated the super friendly service too.

Not knowing what their specialty was, I had the Doner Kebab in a medium meal. 

My understanding was that this was a combination of both beef and lamb. The filling was generous and the salad was fresh. Added with Tahini and Garlic yoghurt, it was quite a light and refreshing meal. The flavours were amazing and I only wish that the meat texture was better. Overall though, a really delicious kebab.

My meal came with a side and a drink. My medium chips were quite large for a medium and these were freshly fried and crisp. There was no sauce but it was doused in a generous amount of chicken salt though, making for a very tasty addition to the meal.

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: N/A

Thai Aiyara - Annerley

 

One of the benefits of living in Annerley is the abundance of food options, readily available in walking distance. Last weekend we had an impromptu board games session with friends and rather than cooking, I walked out to get us some takeaway from the local Thai place which also happened to be quite popular from online reviews. 

The menu was filled with what you would expect, rice, noodles, curries and sides. It was lucky that I ordered ahead of time because there were quite a few people lined up to get take-away and it would have been a considerable wait for us to get our food otherwise.

The walk home was short and it was still nice and warm by the time we got back and it was quite a feast.

Our first dish was the Tom Yum Fried Rice w Pork. The portion size was pretty good, our medium take away box was filled to the brim. The rice was quite delicious with a light spice that was quite tolerable for me. There wasn't too much pork in the dish though, but what it did contain was quite tender and well seasoned. The seasoning though was quite sweet but I did really like the coconut fragrance with the rice.

Keen to try out their curries, this was the Thai Red Curry with Chicken. I was a little confused by the menu listing as there was no indication that it came with rice, so I ordered rice on the side and then realised that the dish did in fact come with rice. The dish itself was alright taste wise, there was a lot more rice than there was chicken and it was also loaded with bamboo shoots and cucumbers. It was lucky we got home when we did, otherwise the rice would have been quite soggy. If I did order this next time, I'd have to ask that the curry be packaged separately to the rice.

Our last dish was my favourite of the evening, Pad Thai with Beef, making up the trifecta of proteins. Again there wasn't too much beef but the noodles were deliciously seasoned, albeit sweet and they were also cooked quite tender but retained a good bounce to their texture. 

We had two sides, this was the Deep Fried Tofu. It came in a box rather than an open bag so by the time it came home, it was quite moist and steamed which detracted from the crispiness that we would have enjoyed if we had dined in. Having said that, the tofu was quite tender and the batter wasn't too thick. I'd be interested to try this again in store.

Our other side was the Vegetarian Spring Rolls. They came in a bag and was far more crispy when we got home. The skin was crispy and the fillings were fresh. It was definitely an enjoyable side that I would come back for again.

Price Range: $20 - $25pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: N/A

Scotts Road Takeaway - Darra

With every week that Dr L learns to drive, I get more opportunities to go try out new places that were not as easily accessible for us by public transport. Last week we drove over to Darra to get some of the infamous Banh Mi for lunch.

The prices were extremely good value and there was also a decent range of Banhi Mi along with other burgers, sandwiches and sides. Interestingly enough they only take cash. Service was fast and our banh mi was made fresh to order.

By the time we got home, they were still moderately warm.

This was the chicken one. The bun was super light and fluffy but there wasn't too much by way of filling, especially when it came to chicken. The salad components were fresh and crisp though, and what little chicken we had was flavoursome. I just wish there was a bit more, but for $5 in this day and age, it was excellent value.

Our crispy pork roll was far better when it came to fillings With an abundance of crackling pork and lashings of sliced bbq pork along with the standard salads, it was fulfilling and delicious, especially with the buttery pate. It was well worth the price and the drive out. Will try to come here again as soon as I can.

Price: Under $10pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 9/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 5/10