Baguette - Ascot

Racecourse road is often a favourite for me when it comes to finding a special place to enjoy a nice dinner. One of the places that has long held my attention has been Baguette, which has long been on my list of places to attend. Sadly, I've always pushed it further and further back due to new openings and other things that caught my attention.

Eventually though, after raising it with a close friend, he expressed quite a strong interest in going, so I decided not to delay it anymore, and go immediately. We drove to racecourse road, and it was not easy to find parking. We parked a couple streets away and took a nice stroll to get there.

As I've mentioned previously, I really enjoy having a menu outside to decide whether I want to eat. I was pleased to see that Baguette had it available, although in this instance, I had already decided what I wanted significantly earlier.

We entered through the bar, which I found to be very elegant and stylish.

As we had made a reservation, we were seated quite promptly. I was surprised to see the restaurant was really quite packed already.

The decor inside was also just as elegant and simple. It was dimly lit and there were candles on each table. I was quite surprised that they did not have air conditioning actually, as it was a bit too warm for me (because I overdressed when I expected a chilly night), additionally because it wasnt exactly an enclosed area, I became a feast for mosquitoes. Other than that, the atmosphere was relaxed and the ambiance was awfully romantic.

We started our meal with a serve of the herb and garlic butter sourdough baguette. As mentioned in a previous post, I really love sourdough bread. Since the restaurant named itself Baguette, I was pretty sure that it would be something we couldnt miss. Indeed this was definitely the case. The bread was deliciously hot and toasty. It was crispy but not overly hard on the outside, but soft and comforting on the inside. The garlic and herb butter was slathered generously over the top, it was not overly salty, but it had a super strong garlic taste to it. I really enjoyed it.

Our mains came next. It is probably noteworthy that it took around 30 mins from the delivery our mains, luckily we werent' very rushed that night, and my companion was a relatively good conversationalist. Due to my insistence, my companion and I shared our mains (so that I could try both). This is the Pan seared duck breast, parsnip puree, land cress, honey jus. I found the portion to be rather small actually, comprising of two large strips of duck breast. Thankfully we shared mains, because if I ate this by myself, I would definitely not be full. In terms of the texture, the duck was cooked pretty perfectly. It was cooked just right, not overdone but not under cooked at all. The duck skin was cooked very nicely too, caramelized just right to lock in the flavour of the duck.

The parsnip puree was really quite delicious, with a subtle flavour. The land cress also added another layer of complexity to the dish, as well as lightening up what would have been a very meaty dish.

Other than duck, we also tried the Steak au Poivre, which was Ribeye, truffle mash, Baked Tomato, Portobello Mushroom, Peppercorn Sauce. We ordered the steak rare, and it definitely came out rare, just the way I like it. For a restaurant that was not a specialised steakhouse (Morrison, Embers, Breakfast Creek), it was probably one of the best steaks that I've had. The steak was fresh and well textured. The peppercorn sauce was rather comforting, but had the added zing of quite a lot of peppercorns. I also really appreciated that the beef was not overly fatty. It made me feel a lot less guilty about my meal.

The truffle mash was very delicious, I would have liked it to be more buttery, but that is a matter of personal preference. The herbs really set it apart from the other mashed potatoes I have tried. The roasted tomato was dry on the outside, but exploded with juices when bitten into. I really liked it. On the the other hand, one thing that stuck me was the lack of the mushroom, but we didnt mind too much. 

We really had a great time at Baguette. I really regret not trying earlier, and can see why it has such a strong following.

Price Range: $40 - $60 per person

Taste: 9/10

Value:8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7.5/10 (lack of a/c and my encounter with mosquitoes)

Miss Kay's - Brisbane CBD

The Villager was one of the restaurants that have held a long time spot on my list of places to try out. Unfortunately, it appears to have closed before I managed to try, but in its spot Miss Kay's opened, and I pretty much dragged Burger Connoisseur with me and we went right after I heard of it.

The menu is displayed on the outside of the restaurant, which was very convenient to take a look at what was available. In fact there was a small crowd huddled there when I walked in.

I really liked the big fluorescent sign, it was very eye catching. 

The restaurant itself is separated into two floors. I opted to sit upstairs.

To say I liked the decor of Miss Kay's would be an understatement. As an avid reader, I absolutely adored the wall shelf. It made the whole place look a whole lot more classy than the regular burger joint.

I ordered downstairs and was given a number as usual. 

Cutlery is obtained on a DIY basis. I found the knife unusually big. Like a steak knife. I liked it very much.

Table water was also provided. The cup was also very aesthetically pleasing. 

Burger Connoisseur tried the Cheeseburger. He was quite impressed. He likened the bun to the Asian buns you get at Pappa Roti, which is sweet, but hard on the outside and soft on the inside. He liked the ketchup and how it mixed with the melty cheese. He also commended the patty, which was generally cooked quite well, although there was a bit that was a little rare.  

I ordered the 'Mac Daddy' and Miss Kay's Fries.

In terms of my own burger, I was a bit disappointed that the bun was somewhat cold on top, and I found it far too sweet for my liking (I'm an avid fan of sourdough). But the insides were quite spectacular. I had never eaten macaroni and cheese and fries in a burger before, so it proved a very interesting experience. The melty cheese in the mac and cheese made it very tasty, whilst the chips gave it a bit of extra crunch. The patty was also very delicious, being a far better texture than the last one I had at Chur Burger. I would like to add though, that with such a protein filed burger, maybe more than one slice of lettuce would have made me feel a bit better. Additionally, I do like how it did not have pickles in it. 

I also had the Miss Kay's Fries. I loved the way that it was cut into the narrow shoestring shape. The portion was ample, and the fries were crunchy, but I really couldn't taste much seasoning though. Nevertheless, I liked it.

In conclusion, Burger Connoisseur and I both decided that Miel Burger was still the unrivaled champion of burgers in Brisbane, although Miss Kay's was really quite good.

Price Range: $10 - $20 per person

Taste: 7.5/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Enviroment: 9.5/10

Sushi Edo - Brisbane CBD

As mentioned in my Hanaichi post, I've been keeping an eye out on Sushi Edo going up every day. Finally as I walked past it on my way to work on the morning of the 13th, I saw the sign saying that it was to open that day. 

I tossed my packed lunch into work fridge and made sure that I was there really early to avoid any crowds of any kind.

The reason why I am so keen on Sushi Edo is their flat rate $3.50 per plate of sushi. As illustrated on this poster, the range is quite substantial, which is why I like it so much.

As with the Newmarket store, Sushi Edo operates on a conveyor belt kind of basis, with the added ipad at every table.

The ipad is used like wagaya, where you can order your dishes and drinks if you dont want to wait for food to come on the conveyor belt.

As usual, I got the hot green tea, which I found to be weaker than the other stores. Perhaps it was because it came in a tea bag rather than loose leaves.

The first dish I ordered was the Salmon Avocado Nigiri. I found the toppings to be really generous compared to newmarket. The rice was nice and warm, whilst the salmon was cool and fresh. It was also quite a thick cut too.

Next I tried the Salmon Avocado Handroll. The seaweed was super crispy and fresh. Again I found the portions to be larger than Newmarket, however like other places, the toppings didnt go all the way down to the bottom.

The Ebi Fry and Avocado was very delicious in my opinion. The softness of the ripe avocado worked really well with the crunchiness of the deep fried prawn. What also stood apart for me was the separation of the sweet chili sauce. As someone who doesn't really appreciate it, I was really grateful that it was served separate.

Next I got the Tobiko Ship. I was a bit disappointed that half of it was covered with cucumber slices, which meant that there was less fish roe for me to eat, but it was still an ample portion size.

Following on portion size, the Unagi was possibly the smallest Unagi that I've ever had. The rice was almost a cube shape, and the Unagi was decidedly short. Thankfully, the sauce on top really made it worthwhile. 

Next up I tried the soft shell crab. Again the seaweed was nice and crispy, but I was a bit disappointed that the crab was rather cold. I would have preferred it to be more towards the hot end of the spectrum.

The Aburi Wagyu beef was a little over cooked compared to sushi train, but the spring onion and mayonnaise was nice.

I finished off with a serving of green tea ice cream. For $4.90, I considered it a good deal. The ice cream was definitely smooth and creamy but it didnt have enough of the matcha taste.

In the end, I managed to finish off 7 plates, and fit in ice cream. It was definitely a very satisfying meal.

Overall, I am very pleased that sushi edo opened in the CBD. In my opinion, it does not fare worse than Hanaichi in quality, but is significantly cheaper. It gives me a much needed new option for conveyor belt sushi joints. As mentioned, the quality isnt exceptional, but for the price paid, its pretty excellent.

Price Range: $3.50 per plate

Taste: 8/10

Value: 9/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 8/10

Movenpick - Southbank

Having purchased an Entertainment Book last April, I am very conscious of the fact that the deals are due to expire on 1 June 2015. Accordingly, I had quite a rush to use as many as I can before they expire. One of the places on my list was Movenpick. Usually we went to the branch situated near San Churro on Charlotte Street, but since it closed down, we had no option but to trek to Southbank to get Ice Cream.

The shop is quite small, and has both outdoor and indoor seating. Again I opted for indoor seating.

There were quite a large selection of flavours available, but I note that they did not offer green tea, which has become available in all other ice cream places I frequent (Gelatissimo, Gelare, Bar Boo...). Anyway, as per the voucher, we were able to get a buy one get one free tasting basket. I went with two other people, because I was not confident that two people would be able to demolish six scoops of ice cream. Two scoops each seemed like a much more achievable outcome. I note that the two tasting baskets came in two individual waffle cups, but between the three of us (who are not as close to be sharing saliva), we would have liked an additional plate or paper cup for us to separate the two. When we requested this, we were initially denied, and when I persisted, we were told it would cost an extra $2 for a paper cup. I was quite disappointed in this service to be honest.

The two tasting baskets were served after a short while, and I ended up separating my two scoops into the cream dishes. 

The first basket contained Cappuccino, Tiramisu and Creme Brulee flavours.

The second one had Vanilla, Strawberry and Swiss Chocolate.

I had the Tiramisu and the Cappuccino. The tiramisu was quite nice and had bits of biscuit pieces mixed into the ice cream, but the Cappuccino one had pieces of ice in the ice cream, which was a definite let down.

I guess I'll stick to Gelare next time I'm looking for an ice cream fix in Southbank then.

Price Range: $5 - $15 per person 

Taste: 4/10 (really not up to standard for what should be gourmet ice cream)

Value: 7/10 (because we had a discount)

Service: 4/10 (a spare plate could have made us happy customers, but they even denied us that)

Environment: 7/10

Surabing Korean Dessert Cafe - Sunnybank

In Market Square, there is a shop which has housed numerous dessert places. Years ago, it sold snow ice, then it sold frozen yoghurt, and now it has reverted back to selling ice. Korean style ice. My personal knowledge of ice for dessert is pretty much limited to Taiwanese style ice (meet fresh, icy ice). So of course, I went to try it out. 

The store itself is pretty small, and the menu is rather limited, as they do only desserts. 

I got the Coffee Bing. It was served with a small jug of milk on the side to pour on. It also had two complementary pocky stuck on the top.

 

After eating the pocky, I poured the milk on top. I liked how the ice was very fluffy, and nice and wet. It was like a cross between a slushee and Taiwanese Snowy Ice. I found the strong coffee taste very refreshing, and liked how it was not overly sweet. The ice cream was smooth and not too icy, but I would have preferred it without the almonds, but as my friends mentioned, its there for the extra complexity of texture.

My friend ordered a caramel macchiato with a strawberry waffle set, and I ordered a green tea latte. I liked the strong matcha tastes in the green tea latte. Whilst it didnt have much colour, it definitely had the texture comparable to passion tree or cha time. I found it very comforting and enjoyable.

This was the strawberry waffle. When we ordered, we were quite impressed with the cheap price, but when we saw it, we understood why it was such a good deal. The waffle was rather small. It was crispy and freshly made, but I found the texture to be a bit too hard (in my opinion, the best waffle in Brisbane is in Gelare - Southbank). It was served with an extra scoop of ice cream, which was pretty smooth.

Our other friend ordered the sweet potato set. Whilst the cake tasted rather artificial and store bought, my friend commented on how the sweet potato latte was definitely infused with fresh sweet potato. She was very impressed.

For a first time try of Korean desserts, I was really quite impressed. I would definitely recommend going to try it out.

Price Range: $10 - $15 per person

Taste: 7/10

Value: 5/10

Service: 6/10 (waitress got 2/6 of our orders wrong and had to have it exchanged)

Environment: 6/10