Billykart - Annerley

With the winter drawing to an end, mornings are becoming a little less dark, making it easier for me to get up and go out for breakfast. Working down my brunch list, a long time addition that I finally got to the highly regarded Billykart in Annerley. Arriving at around 10am, I was pleasantly surprised to find parking outside. 

Whilst it was definitely busy, the cafe was huge, and we easily got a table. It was situated near the kitchen, so like usual, I was able to admire the food as it came out.

The menu was quite comprehensive, with a large range of breakfasts and drinks. Having said that, we still stuck to our conservative preferences, but having the option for something exotic is always welcome.

I started off with a cappuccino, and both of my companions opted for lattes. I found the campos blend to be quite full bodied as expected, with a subtle caramel aftertaste that I found quite pleasing. Opting for lattes, my companions drinks were a bit weaker than mine, but the frothy milk made for quite a creamy drink.

My first companion opted for a BKK huevos rancheros. Consisting of baked eggs, chorizo, chipotle braised yellow squash, red peppers and plantain, it was a sharp, tangy and tasty way for my companion to start her day. In particular she liked the thick saucy concoction which allowed her to put more onto each bite of plantain. She also really liked the spicy choizo which was quite filling.

My second companion opted for a ham and cheese croissant, which came out perfectly toasted to a point of crispiness without being overdone, still maintaining its flakey soft interior. It came with a side of dressed rocket, which was also a nice addition.

I opted for the special of the day, being Truffled Scrambled Eggs on Sourdough. I was surprised that there was only one slice of toast, but also pleased to see such a large amount of shaved tuffle on my eggs. The scrambled eggs were somewhat wet and a bit undercooked, soaking into my toast and leaving a small pool of egg/milk at the bottom of my plate, but at least the truffle was quite fragrant.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

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

Frankie & George Coffee Bar - Brisbane CBD

Rounding off my days at on the other side of town, my companion, Iron Fist, decided that the second cafe that we should try was at Frankie and George, along George Street, not far from Iconic. Being quite a minimalist, he was drawn in by their simplistic yet bright setup.

Ordering at the counter, the options were much the same as any regular cafe. Like Iconic, the cafe also featured seating out the back, but today we didn't have time to appreciate the setting.

Ordering at the counter, we sat up front and waited for our coffees to be made.

I found it to be quite a moderate brew, with quite a sharp taste to it. The milk was surprisingly one of the richer and smoother ones I've had in Brisbane, which is as always, much appreciated. Iron fist also really enjoyed his flat white and the strong caffeine hit that it gave for us to continue on with the long day.

Price Range: $5 - $10pp

Taste: 7.5/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 7/10

Hot Star - Upper Mt Gravatt

There are few greater joys in life than fried chicken, and despite the hype for Korean Chicken, early readers will remember that there is nothing I love more than Taiwanese Fried Chicken, which has and will always be my one and only favourite fried chicken. Having heard that they opened a store in Garden City, I made immediate and plans to go.

Their menu had quite a selection of items, but of course, they were all fried, but included chicken, and vege options, with larger items being separated from sides. 

Ordering three combos, we were quite pleased to see a selection of Asian drinks rather than the usual soft drink options. So of course, we settled on getting them rather than a generic coke. I opted for a milk tea, whilst my companions had a guava tea and a peach tea.

Like in their Sunnybank store, we were given some plastic bags for us to collect and hold our order when it came out after around 15 mins. 

 

As usual, I ordered a piece of fried chicken fillet with seaweed powder. The fillet was huge (as usual), and freshly fried. It was so hot that I was unable to hold the paper bag directly and rather had to hold it between napkins. It was super crunchy and deliciously seasoned with seaweed, salt and pepper, whilst maintaining a fresh juicy interior. It was really satisfying.

Another companion ordered the chicken bites which were also freshly fried. Sneaking a bite, they weren't as crispy as the chicken fillet, but just as moist and juicy. The seasoning was similar, but on the positive side, it was boneless, which is why my companion ordered it. 

Despite the variety of options, my pick of the sides was as per usual, curly fries. The fries were very crunchy and tasted as if it was double fried. The inside could be fluffier, but the curly novelty never wears off for me, and I really enjoyed it. 

Price Range: $10 - $15pp

Taste: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 7/10

Greenglass - Brisbane CBD

With our rare opportunity to be working on the other end of town for a couple of days, I definitely took advantage of the situation and headed to Greenglass, which has long been on my list, but my extreme laziness had prevented me from walking across the city during the lunch hour. Going with Iron Fist, he was temporarily confused when I mentioned where I had intended to have our lunch, thinking that I had actually wanted to go the establishment next door instead ∑(O_O;). This misunderstanding was quickly addressed when I lead him up the dark stairs leading up to Greenglass.

In spite of the bustling exterior, the restaurant was relatively tranquil. I loved the difference in environment and the peaceful respite it provided.

 

We were presented very quickly with a drinks menu. I was slightly confused at the lack of a food menu to begin with, but this was clarified when the waiter came around with a chalkboard menu. Perhaps they change their food menu often. There were only a handful of options, but quite a few were captivating, and I liked the fact that they had a variety of light and heavier options.

Despite the variety of options, our decision was quick and unanimous. After a short wait, our food was soon delivered to our table.

My companion had the rib fillet steak frites, which he quite enjoyed, but also felt it wasn't rested well enough, seeing as he had ordered it medium rare, but ended up with a plate somewhat soaked with blood.

Mine was the smaller version of the Steak Frites, being the Sirloin cut. As usual, I ordered it rare, and it was done just as requested, with a deep pink centre. The steak was a little fatty for my liking, but at least it was all situated along one strip to the side, allowing me to remove it with ease. The steak itself was harder in texture than expected, but not overly chewy. I really enjoyed the pepper sauce, which was very sharp and had bite. The salad was fresh and could have done with a bit more vinegarette, and I really enjoyed the large portion of shoestring fries which were very crispy and tasted well with pepper sauce.

Price Range: $15 - $30pp

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

Iconic - Brisbane CBD

Was down on the other side of Brisbane for some serious business last week, but decided to grab a coffee with my colleague before starting on our gruelling two day session. Having done his research beforehand (of which I am very proud), my colleague suggested that Iconic was definitely the cafe that we needed to try, seeing as it had a secret garden at the back (despite the fact that we actually had no time to enjoy the garden).

Having been in quite the rush to leave home earlier in the morning, I was relieved to see their selection of sandwiches and pastries on display and promptly ordered one.

Despite the small shopfront, there was quite a spacious seating area out back, where I savoured my chocolate croissant whilst waiting for our coffees.

For an unheated croissant (I didn't have enough time to ask for it to be heated), it was still quite tasty. The pastry was still quite flaky but not as crisp as it would have been if heated though. I also enjoyed the bitter sweet dark chocolate, though wished there could have been a bit more.

Before long, our coffees were done and we had to be on our way. My companion, the self proclaimed Flat White Connoisseur who shall temporarily be known as The Immortal Iron Fist, opted for his flat white, and I my regular cappuccino. The coffee was very hot (almost scaldingly so), and very strong, but not sour or overly acidic, which I appreciated. The milk could have been richer, but it was a good cup and gave me a much needed wake up call.

Price Range: $5 - $10pp

Taste: 7.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service: 7.5/10
Environment: 7.5/10

The Apo - Fortitude Valley

Having recently gone to Gerards to enjoy quite a delightful (and last) breakfast, I had made a note to go and try out The APO which is run by the same owners as Gerards and conveniently also situated at fortitude valley. 

Making a lunch reservation for the 12, we were the first ones there. Faced with the option for indoors and outdoors at the back, I naturally took the inside option. Despite the abundance of natural light from outside, it was still a little dim for my liking. 

 

The food menu was contained on one page and the drinks menu on another. There was a lack of subheadings in the food menu, but we were easily able to identify the entrees, mains and desserts. I liked the innovative menu which contained quite a few dishes I hadn’t heard of. 

First to arrive was the Puffed tendon Aleppo and sumac spice. Not knowing what to expect, I can only describe it as a lighter version of prawn crackers, less the seafood taste but with additional sumac, it definitely did not taste like the tendon that I’m used to, and made for quite a tasty appetizer. 

Also from the entree selection was the Smoked tartare, pickled artichoke, potato crisp. I really enjoyed the freshness of the smoked salmon, which was contrasted by the potato crisp. The seasoning also added quite a bit of depth to this delicious morsel, which quite similar to the salmon taco I had at Nobu recently. 

For our mains, my companion and I both ordered the highly captivating Steak frites with cafe de paris. I enjoyed the steak, which was cooked perfectly rare, very tender without being overly fatty. The cafe de Paris could have been a bit more seasoned though, as the butter and herbs were extremely mild in taste. The fries were also only fried very lightly, and could stand to have been browned a bit more. 

Our dessert consisted of my companions favourite Profiteroles, mushroom custard, olive caramel, cocoa. Despite the strange combinations, it was actually quite tasty to have the unique scent of mushrooms and olives in a dessert context. I note the puffs were deliciously crispy and the custard wasn’t overly sweet. My companion quite enjoyed this dessert.

Price Range: $30 - $40pp

Taste: 7.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service: 7.5/10
Environment: 7.5/10