Chac's Grill - Inala

Had long heard quite a few good things about Chac's Grill, a fairly popular Vietnamese Restaurant in Civic Centre, Inala. Judging by the fairly large crowd outside, we had some high expectations of the food for sure. 

Although packed, it didn't take that long for us to get a table, which was a good mark of efficiency that you often get at Vietnamese restaurants. Menus were provided quickly, as was some hot Chinese tea. The menu consisted of everything you would expect from a Vietnamese restaurant with rice, noodles and an assortment of sides.

Starting with a serve of Spring Rolls, the portion made for good value with a large portion for the price point. The spring rolls were crisp, freshly fried and had a good balance of meat and vegies in the filling. Dipped in fish sauce made for quite an appetizing entree. 

We had three mains to share, this was the Combination Pork Broken Rice. Comprising of a piece of lemongrass pork chop, shredded pork skin, a slice of chilled omelette and a fried egg. Compared to other combination pork rices' I've had before, this was less generous in having only one pork chop as opposed to the usual two slices. The flavours were quite complimentary but there wasn't really enough toppings to go with the rice.

This was the Combination Rice Vermicelli Salad. Comprising of spring rolls, lemongrass chicken, tempura fish cake, pork rind shavings and salad, it was as refreshing as it looked. Having said that, the spring rolls, chicken and tempura were served cold, and the dish would have been far more enjoyable if they were still hot.

Last main was of course the Special Beef Pho, cos you can never really say you had Vietnamese without a steaming hot bowl of Pho, right? This was wholesome, hearty and delicious. With a good amount of brisket, tripe, beef balls and sliced beef, it had a good topping to noodle ratio. The noodles were ample and tender, but the soup itself could have had a bit more depth for our liking.

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

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

Beppin Ramen and Cake - Brisbane CBD

Walking though FudoDori, I noted that there was yet another new opening, this time outside along Charlotte Street. With a winning combination of Ramen and Cake, there was little doubt that my interest would have been piqued. Heading over after work last friday night we decided to try it out.

There was a small selection of cakes in the display cabinet which we were keen to try next time. There was a fairly large selection of ramen which you could order at the counter, including tonkotsu broth ramen as well as chicken ramen and some sides. 

Sauces and pickles were available on a self serve basis.

Food came fairly quickly afterwards.

Starting with a serve of kaarage chicken, this was fried with a light and crisp batter, but it was still fairly oily for my tastes. For the price point, three pieces of chicken wasn't exactly good value.

My companion ordered the chicken ramen, trying some myself the broth was light and wholesome but a bit on the oily side. The noodles were a little firm for my liking and there could have been a couple more slices of chicken. 

Although the wagyu beef ramen definitely called out to me, I stuck with the classic black garlic tonkotsu ramen. Although the black garlic oil was definitely apparent, the taste was barely noticable. The soup itself was thick and rich in texture but also very light on taste. The noodles had a fairly good texture, but wasn't particularly outstanding to me. Definitely have had better ramen in the CBD for a similar price point.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

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

Kushi Maru - Brisbane CBD

Always a fan of Japanese food, I was fairly excited to hear about Maru Group's newest venture, Kushi Maru, which opened along Elizabeth Street below Madtongsan. Going fairly soon after its opening (it's just taken me quite a while to write this up), it was a brisk 15 minute walk from riverside, being located just opposite the Myer Centre.

Getting a booth, each table had an Ipad for ordering.  Aside from the expected charcoal skewers, there were a selection of noodle and rice dishes, bento boxes and sushi. 

Kicking off with the blueberry high ball, this was refreshing, bubbly and fruity, albeit a bit on the sweeter side of the spectrum. 

Our food came soon afterwards.

Brisvegustation ordered the Chicken Katsudon lunch special, for $12, it made for good value for money and was fairly well enjoyed. 

Being a skewer place, we ordered a serve of buta (pork belly). These were very fragrant and grilled to a nicely charred texture on the outside but a little chewy and overdone in terms of texture. Will have to come back and try the beef or chicken options later. 

 

I had the Nigiri Udon set which basically encapsulated the best of both worlds for $15, making it fairly good value for money too. The sushi was well seasoned, had a good fish to rice ratio, but the rice was a little softer and mushier than I would have liked. The udon was warm and wholesome. 

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

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

Amy Sargeantson - Brisbane CBD

Thursday afternoon and a friend decided to bail from work early. We had a spare hour before our movie started and he was in the mood for chocolate (as usual). Taking a quick stroll over to Amy Sargeantson's before closing time, we got our sugar fix for the day.

Although they predominantly sell chocolate for take away, the main highlight for us was definitely the drinks, and I can say that I definitely come here more often than my health should permit, cos their drinks are just that good. 

With an extensive range of samples to try, my companion was easily enthralled. 

Ordering a brownie to share, it was rich, decadent and most importantly not overly sweet. I really enjoyed how it was perfectly moist. With a crumbly texture and intense chocolate overtones, both of us loved it.

 

Although they look largely the same, we had one hazelnut mocha and one vanilla mocha, as my usual peppermint was sold out. These were also rich without overwhelming, and the chocolate overtones didn't overpower the other flavours of the drink. Again, they weren't overly sweet and didn't leave any aftertastes in our mouth afterwards, which is always something we appreciate in sweet drinks.

Price Range: Under $10pp

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

Miss Demeanor - Brisbane CBD

Had seen a number of posts lately on Miss Demeanour, one of Brisbane's newest late night bars. Was really keen to try it out, and met up with a friend after work last week to see what all the hype was about. Despite the numerous references that it was a fairly well hidden bar, it was not too hard for us to locate (hot tip, its just around the corner from Jamie's Italian). 

Walking inside, I love the dark moody decor. Being open fairly late, it would make for a really cozy late night hang out spot.

 

With its extensive opening hours, there was a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu as well as cocktails and a specialty beignet menu. We didn't order too much because we were here for an afternoon snack, but would definitely be keen to try the main meals soon.

Ordering at the counter, we were provided with a number.

We had a small serve of Beignets to share. I opted for berry compote dipping sauce. The beignets were super fluffy inside and I loved the crisp light coating. It was essentially like eating a deep fried pillow. Topped with a little more powdered sugar than I would have liked, the added berry compote added some tartness which I enjoyed. 

My companion ordered the lavender cocktail and I had my espresso martini. Having seen a fair share of pretty cocktails, the lavender one was fairly plain looking, but she said it tasted good. My espresso martini was quite sweet, didn't have as much espresso taste as I would have liked and wasn't too strong. Next time, I'll try another drink.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

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