Gelateria Amoroso - Sunnybank Hills

Sunnybank regulars may have noticed that a new gelato shop has opened fairly recently in Pinelands Plaza. I hadn't paid all that much attention to it when it first opened, as I wanted to wait for the weather to warm up a bit before I sought out some more Gelato. However this thought was dashed after I saw some posts about their Matcha gelato online, which looked both strong and authentic. So I dragged Dr L with me to go out right after dinner and brave the cold for some gelato.

The shop is not particularly big with about a dozen small tables. Not only do they sell gelato, they also have a selection of basque cheesecakes, croffles and coffee. Gelato flavours were undeniably skewed towards Asian tastes, with both matcha and hojicha on the cards. Prices were 50c lower than Milani at Market Square.

As you would have all guessed by now, I had the matcha and Dr L had the chocolate. The matcha was as I had envisaged, reasonably strong and very fragrant. I found the flavours to be more intense than Milani but to have a better texture than Sonder next door. I also liked the addition of the waffle cookie which was a nice touch. Trying some of Dr L's chocolate, it was as intense as Milani with a texture that was definitely comparable. I think we've found our new go to for gelato!

Despite being quite full, I was dying to try out the Basque Cheesecake as well. The matcha flavours were intense and it was also not too sweet. However as a basque cheesecake, it was a little bit overdone as there was no creamy centre, rather it was a bit overcooked and as such the texture was a bit coarse. So the gelato was quite good, but I probably wouldn't go back for another slice of basque cheesecake. I wouldn't say no to trying their croffles later down the track though.

Price Range: $5 - $15pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10 

 

3 Sisters - Coopers Plains

Recently, I found out that one of the branches of my gym had a bring a friend for free promotion on Saturday. Bringing Brisvegustation with me to get fit, we also had to get takeaway home to feed our respective households. This particular Saturday, I opted to pick up lunch at 3 Sisters Korean Restaurant. Having enjoyed their Kimbap from Hanaro Mart, I was keen to have it fresh from the source.

The shopfront was quite small with a few tables available for those who want to dine in. The menu comprised of fried chicken, kimbap, tempura and set menu options. These were all quite reasonably priced and I would be keen to try the other options on a later day.

My focus on the day was of course the Kimbap. Ordering at the counter, I thought that the owner would just take some premade ones out from behind the counter. Instead, she made them fresh on the spot, which impressed me greatly. By the time I got home, the rice was still warm, which was a great touch.

Between Dr L and I, we had two rolls to share, this was the Tuna Kimbap. It had canned tuna, carrots and some pickles. The roll wasn't anywhere as large as Queen's gimbap but it had a fairly good rice to filling ratio. The fillings were fairly standard but wholesome with a generous amount of mayo tuna and crunchy pickles. 

I also had a serve of bulgogi gimbap. I didn't like it as much as the tuna which was more flavoursome. The beef was also a little coarse but had a mellow soy flavour to it which I enjoyed. 

I quite liked the gimbap at 3 sisters, it wasn't as big nor as generous as Queen's gimbap at Underwood, however the rolls are also roughly half the price. Given its convenience near the gym I attend on Saturday, I will probably be back quite frequently.

 

Price Range: Under $10pp

Taste: 7/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 6/10

Scugnizzi - Brisbane CBD

Readers who work in the city have undoubtedly recently seen the popularity of the new pizza and pasta joint, Szugnizzi. With owners heralding from Beccofino and Doughcraft, the bar was definitely set very high and I visited during their second week of operations. Situated along Adelaide St, it wasn't too busy before midday when we arrived, but that immediately changed the moment the clock struck 12, with a queue that snaked its way outside.

The menu was fairly concise with a selection of Pizzas, Pastas and sides, all of which are made fresh in house. There are discounts if you order a main, side and a drink. I would have given this more consideration, except that the drinks didn't have a price tag and I wasn't keen on holding up the already long line behind me.

For those who are pizza aficionados, you might notice that Scugnizzi serves Roman style pizza. Roman pizza is distinctive because it is usually rectangular and sold by the slice, it has a light crust that is less chewy, but thicker than Neapolitan pizza, and it is known for it's wide variety of toppings. 

Having recently made some pasta at home, I opted for the funghi pizza and an arancini ball to go. Although the pizza was freshly made, they reheat both items on order and that took a little while.

There was minimal seating inside, so we opted to sit in King George Square instead. My pizza definitely fit the description of Roman Pizza. The base was airy but thicker than usual and firmer rather than chewy. Maybe it's the social conditioning, but I think I prefer Neapolitan pizza bases more. Toppings were fairly generous but I would have preferred it if it went closer to the edge and if it had more truffle flavour to it. 

I enjoyed the arancini ball a lot more than the pizza, it was fresh and flavoursome with porcini bits in it and a light crumb. The rice inside was particularly tasty and had a wonderful texture to it with a creamy mushroom infused sauce. Next time, I'll definitely order this again.

Overall I had a good experience at Scugnizzi. There definitely appears to be a niche in the market for a pizza and pasta joint in Brisbane, which they have fit well into. Next time I go, I'll definitely try out their house made pasta.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 7.5/10

Value: 6/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7/10
 

Sincerity by Jacorey - Upper Mt Gravatt

Readers may be reminded that we had quite a good time at Jacorey cafe at the Valley. I was quite excited to hear that they opened a second branch out at Mt Gravatt, which meant not needing to take the bus into the city to get my fix. Arriving at 9am on a Saturday, the place was packed and it was hard to get a table. They also do not take reservations. Unlike their valley store, there was no menus and we had to rely on ordering via the display cabinet, which was also unmarked with prices. 

 

Getting drinks first, I had a matcha latte with an extra shot of espresso whilst my friend had a latte. I was quite shocked that my drink (even with the extra shot), came to $7.30. The large size was probably closer to the medium sizes I could get elsewhere and the shot was also about half the size of usual. The drink itself was quite well done, the milk was silky smooth but the matcha was quite sweet. For that price, I couldn't recommend it. 

In terms of food, we opted for some dishes to share because we couldn't choose. It's also noteworthy to state here that they don't sell chubby sandos in their Mt Gravatt branch. 

First up was the bulgogi croissant with cheese corn. The croissant was buttery and flakey but there wasn't too much by way of beef inside of it. The cheesy corn was stringy and sweet though, but overall not that special compared to other croissants I have tried. The salad on the side was a nice touch but overall, I don't think it warranted the price.

The brekky croissant also represented similar value for money, with some tomato, sausage and a poached egg inside of the croissant, it was delicious, but didn't stand out compared to cafes near work where I could get one to go before starting my day. 

Looking for something more unique, we had the brown cheese croissant as our sweet option. The base croissant was the same as above, it was topped with a considerable amount of cream and an odd caramelised sweet and savoury cheese. I found it to be quite decadent and the cheese to be quite strongly flavoured, probably not something I would go back for either.

They did however, have brownies for sale, I ordered a box to take home for dessert. These were flavoursome, not too sweet and had a sticky texture to it and a fragrant rice smell to them. I quite enjoyed these and wouldn't be adverse to popping in for some to go, but other than that, I'd have to say that the food and drink were not that impressive here and I'd much rather go back to their original valley store.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 6/10

Value: 3/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 8/10