Birds Nest - Fortitude Valley

One thing I do miss from my trip to Japan (amongst all the other things) was the Yakitori. Having followed my nose down a dark nondescript alleyway in Osaka to find one of the best Yakitoris of my life, I was keen to relive something similar. Having gone to Birds Nest Yakitori a few years earlier when their West End store had newly opened, I was assured of their authenticity and quality, but was taken aback slightly by their price point, so when I heard about the Monday special at their Fortitude Valley store, I knew I had to be there. Having only tried their lunch specials from this branch, I was keen to get some yakitori.

We made sure to make a reservation, and it was lucky we did, it was a full house, no doubt everyone was also drawn in by the promise of $3 skewers.

Grabbing a seat right in front of the grill, we got to admire the chef as he busied himself with his art.

A menu was quickly provided, though I did miss the welcoming chicken broth which we had back in the West End store. One look at the menu, and it took all my self control not to just say to the waitstaff "one of each please". The menu comprised of an assortment of popular skewers, with a focus on chicken with a few pork options, some more traditional skewers, some sides and a selection of desserts.

 

Having arrived at happy hour, we also got some $5 drinks. One companion got the house white wine, and my other companion and I decided for some sweet ume, which was fruity and refreshing.

Salt and chilli were provided as usual on the table, and I placed a small pile on my plate to dip throughout my meal.

Our food came out fairly quickly and soon our table was loaded up with toasty chicken-y goodness.

First skewer for me was the immensely popular Sasami - Chicken Tenderloin. My companion ordered it with with ume and shallots, and of course I had mine with garlic and mayo. The chicken was wonderfully tender and juicy without the tendency to dry out as breast pieces often do. Kewpie mayonnaise was smooth and creamy whilst the deep fried garlic pieces on top gave it both fragrance and zing.

This was the Negima - Thigh with shallot and tare. Compared to the sasami, this was even more juicy. I especially liked the char grilled parts which were delightfully smokey without being overly bitter. It was well balanced with the fragrant shallot.

Next up was also thigh, being the Torimomo - thigh topped with avocado, chilli and coriander. This was definitely a more modern and western twist on a traditional skewer, but I loved how the creamy avocado was contrasted by sharp chilli and coriander. 

We also had some Tsukune - Traditional meatballs with Tare. Each ball was delectably well seasoned with a good bounce to each bite. I loved the strong soy flavours of the tare which really set it apart from the other meatballs I've had before.

Our last of the chicken dishes was the Sori - Chicken Oyster, served with yuzu, salt and pepper. For those of you who were unaware, like me, the chicken oyster is a piece of meat at the back of the chicken, near the thigh which some consider to be the most tender and most flavoursome part of the chicken. It was indeed tender and flavoursome. Even with a minimal seasoning of salt and pepper, I could really appreciate the chicken flavours which were accentuated with the zing of yuzu.

Other than chicken, we had two pork dishes, the first was the Buta Bara - Pork belly, one was served with kimchi mayo and the other with grated daikon and ponzu. The daikon and ponzu were a little bland, but the kimchi and mayo were strong and had a good spice to it. I did like the caramelised toasty texture of the pork very much too.

Our last meat skewers were the Tomato Buta Bara. Thinly sliced pork belly wrapped around cherry tomatoes. We waited a while for them to cool as we were advised, but when we did eat them, it was like a meaty parcel of hot tomato juice exploded in my mouth. 

From the selection of vegies, we had a serve of King Oyster Mushroom. It was doused in considerable sesame oil which made it quite fragrant. The nice grilled skin was also very tasty.

To satisfy our Rice Queen, we also ordered two grilled rice balls, the Onigiri with soy and sesame as well as the Onigiri with Tare. Both were very well seasoned, the sesame one was our favourite with its strong flavours, but we especially enjoyed the toasty rice on the outside of each ball.

Testament to our success this evening, our skewer box was full to the brim.

For dessert we tried the Shiro Goma Panna Cotta and Houjicha Ice Cream. Both desserts were fairly sweet for my tastes. The Houjicha was a little weak, but the panna cotta was silky smooth and quite flavoursome with sesame infused in the dessert.

Price Range: $25 - $35pp

Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 8/10 (when Monday specials are on)
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8/10

51st Street - Brisbane CBD

Last month I attended a work lunch at 51st, an American burger joint conveniently situated under the building I work at. Having conveniently made a reservation AND already put through our orders before we even arrived, we were all set for a very smooth and expedient lunch service.

Arriving at our prearranged time, our table was already set. Despite this, menus were still placed on the table so that we could order drinks and pay at the counter. Burgers were the same as their George Street store. 

Our food arrived within 5 minutes of our arrival, which was quite impressive. Iron Fist, being the big eater always, got the Streets Big Burger and a side of large chips. 

The Streets Big burger comprised of two patties, cheese, bacon, egg, tomato and lettuce, topped with onion rings. The cheese, bacon and egg were sufficiently hot from the grill, but like last time, the bun was served slightly chilled, which was less than ideal. Needless to say that this made the burger a bit unsatisfying. He also ordered a large bowl of chips, naturally my favourite, shoestring, and they were served with a small tub of truffle aioli. The chips were lightly fried, very crispy and thoroughly enjoyable, a marked improvement on the burger that could have been quite good if only for that one fatal flaw.

Not wanting to overindulge (read as not wanting to feel guilt afterwards), I had the streets classic with small chips. Containing one beef patty, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles, it was a smaller version of Iron Fist's burger. Again the bun was a shame cold, as I found the fillings to be quite delicious. The beef was crumbly and the tasty american cheese was deliciously melted. Salads were fresh, and chips were crunchy too.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 6/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 7/10

Duo - West End

There is nothing better to bring in a nice relaxing weekend other than a gourmet cafe brunch, especially after a long night out on Friday doing multiple market and dessert crawls. My morning was made all the more better after my sleep in, with an invite to try out the food at Duo at West End. Having just recently celebrated their Second Birthday and launched a new menu, I was really excited to try it out.

 

With both seating inside and outside, I was glad to have been reserved an indoors table. Menus and water were provided very promptly.

With quite a selection of traditional and modern favourites in the menu, it took a fair while for us to decide what we wanted, but once we did, we placed our order at the counter.

Drinks came out fairly quickly after that.

Both my companions had a latte in a mug. They found the milk to be rich and creamy with a good nutty coffee that wasn't bitter or acidic. The highlight for all of us was the adorable love heart cookie that was on the side of each of our coffees, it was super cute and we really enjoyed it.

I had a mug of skim cappuccino with a shot of hazelnut. It also came with a cookie heart. I really enjoyed the coffee, especially the milk which was frothed up to be rich despite the fact that it was skim. The coffee was fragrant and really perked me up.

Halfway through our coffee, our food came out. Needless to say, the spread was epic.

My first companion had the Southern Benny. Comprising of pulled pork, chipotle hollandaise, poached eggs, spinach and pickled cabbage on a bagel, it made for a wonderful breakfast. The pulled pork was slow cooked and melts in your mouth, while the hollandaise gave it an element of creaminess, the spinach kept it fresh and crisp while the cabbage gave it some tang. Compared to the bread we had in our breakfast, the bagel was heavier and denser. My companion really liked this and found it very filling. She also really enjoyed the aesthetics of the dish and its pretty colour contrasts.

My other companion and I shared a Brekky Platter for two. The platter comprised of eggs, bacon, mushroom, house made beans, avocado, haloumi, grilled tomato, hash browns and toasted ciabatta.

Before we delve into the substance of the platter though, I have to take a moment to make mention of the ciabatta that was served with the platter. These two were probably some of the best slices of bread I've had in my life. With a crust that's crisp but not too hard as to scrape my mouth, and a fluffy but still substantial open crumb that just took my breath away, it was heaven in my mouth. It tasted so good that my companion actually couldn't wait to eat his and took a bite before I could even get my first photo.

Back onto the platter, we had two eggs fried and two poached. The poached had a perfectly runny yolk whilst the fried had a crispy outside and bottom. The serving of bacon was very generous, with at least six rashers. Unfortunately though, we found it to be a bit saltier than we would have liked. The avocado was lightly seasoned in oil and spread very well, I only wish there was a bit more. Both tomatoes and mushrooms were well cooked and had a wonderful flavour to them. I loved the crunchy hash brown and the well caramelised haloumi. My companion found the house made beans to be a highlight, with the freshness of herbs and crushed tomato.

To top off this splendid meal, we also ordered a side of crispy chicken bites. These were meaty and crunchy, but the wedge of lemon really cut through the heaviness of the dish. We couldn't get enough of these bites of delectable chicken-y goodness.

Was really impressed with the calibre of food at Duo, which definitely makes my top 3 for brunch places in Brisbane. Even writing about it now makes me want to go back soon for another round of eggs and that ciabatta.

Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Duo, but as always, my opinions are solely my own.

Price Range: $20 - $25pp

Taste: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 8/10