Banneton Bakery - Woolloongabba

Had a very disappointing brunch at a famous southside cafe last weekend. To make ourselves feel better, we opted for a light snack from a well established local to make up for it. So off we went to grab some baked goods at Banneton Bakery in Woolloongabba.

Arriving at 11am many of their baked goods had already been sold out. Dr L's much loved Pain au Chocolat was long gone. Nevertheless, we still picked up some to go.

Getting a Cappuccino, this was moderately strong but the milk could have been creamier. In a way it was lucky that it wasn't too strong as I already had a few coffees that morning and it didn't result in caffeine shakes, but I've had better coffees elsewhere.

I also had a plain croissant. This was buttery, light and flakey. I really enjoyed the crispy golden layers and would not hesitate to come back again for some more bread and pastries.

Price Range: Under $10pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7/10
 

Mumo Tea - Brisbane CBD

Going back to the office on a more regular basis (two days a week) means reacquainting myself with the city and its openings and closures. After seeing one of my favourite coffee shops had closed down, I also noted the abundance of bubble tea places, especially along the Elizabeth St and Myer Centre block. Last week we decided to try out Mumo Tea, which had opened it's second branch only two streets away from its original on Adelaide St. 

Compared to some of the newer stores, the menu was somewhat unimaginative, covering milk teas, fruit teas and cheese foam. Despite the promotions it was running, the store was quite empty. Egg waffles were notably also sold out. 

He had the Oreo Brulee Milk Tea whilst I had the Grapefruit Green Tea. 

Being a moderately hot afternoon, I opted for little ice rather than no ice and mine was sufficiently chilled. With little sugar it was still a little sweeter than I had expected. The tea flavours weren't too strong and the grapefruit was a tad artificial. 

His Milk Tea was without ice and it came out fairly warm which was disappointing to both of us. The brulee was creamy though and the oreos had a decent crunch. He noted that standard sugar was also quite sweet compared to other places. Overall, it wasn't particularly a memorable experience for us and given the competition nearby, I don't think there would be much reason for us to come back anytime soon.

Price Range: Under $10pp

Taste: 5/10

Value: 5/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 6/10 

La Cache a Vin - Spring Hill

End of February means that it's Dr L's birthday. Since the end of last year, we've had cravings for some good French food. Unfortunately, our favourite, La Cache a Vin had closed for an extended period over the holiday season and only reopened recently, making it just the right timing for his annual celebrations. Being only open on weekdays, we made a reservation to go on the day of his birthday, after work was over.

It was quite a hike to get up to Spring Hill and I was very glad that the air conditioning was strong. We had a seat near the back of the restaurant. The moody subterranean vibes were very cool and added to the ambiance.

 

We were provided the menu fairly quickly and we loved the free flowing sparkling which was provided complimentary. Options on the menu were very traditional and it was quite hard for us to decide what we wanted to order. 

Starting off with drinks, we had the Manhattan and Cosmopolitan. He liked the sweeter option with its fruity cranberry tones and sharp citrus bite from the lime. Having enjoyed several Manhattans now, the whiskey was smooth and smokey, providing for a drink that was definitely strong.

All of our food came very promptly, his entree was the Souffle a la Oignon et Gruyere. Decadent and rich in flavour but light and fluffy in texture, it was a warming and inviting way for him to start the meal. He enjoyed it so much that he mopped up all the cheese sauce with our complimentary bread and said this was the best course of the meal.

My choice of entree was without a doubt the Steak Tartare which was served with brioche. Seasoning wasn't as strong as other places and there was a notable lack of vinegar-y zing to the dish, but the beef was very fresh and there were a lot of textures to the dish which really made it stand out. The brioche that it came with was also toasted to a crisp, which was very enjoyable.

  

Not wanting to miss out on their selections of wine, we had two glasses of Shiraz to go with our mains. This was far more mellow and softer than our usual, which Dr L liked.

His choice of main was the Roti d'Agneau, a roasted lamb with lemon thyme gnocchi and caramelised fennel because loves lamb above all meats. It was cooked a light pink. Trying some myself, it was very lean and tender without the gamey taste that often accompanies lamb. The gnocchi was fairly soft and not as robust as others I've had and the fennel was also roasted quite well and soaked up a lot of the juices, making it a very delightful main.

My main was the Filet de Boeuf with home made french fries, green salad and pepper sauce. I had my fillet cooked rare and it was definitely rare with a deep red interior but a nice caramelised exterior. The meat was flavoursome and complemented the creamy pepper sauce quite well. Added chips enabled me to completely finish off the sauce and the greens were fresh and the dressing was well mixed through. This was without a doubt the highlight of my meal.

 

Rounding off with desserts, he had the Tarte Tatin whilst I had the Dacquoise a la Noisette et Mange Blanc. He liked the simplicity of he Tarte Tatin with warm soft apple and the contrast of light vanilla ice cream. My Dacquoise was more complex with a melody of textures and that highlighted the various nuts that comprised this dessert. Overall we had a fantastic time and can't wait to come back for another celebration. 

Price Range: $100 - $120pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 8/10

Cheeky Poke Bar - Brisbane CBD

Working close to the riverside precinct in the city, I walk past Ulster lane every day (that I go into the office) and can't help but be curious about what will eventually open so close to work. My question was answered a couple months ago when they announced the upcoming opening of Cheeky Poke Bar. For long time readers, you will have seen that I haven't really gotten onto the bandwagon much, and this is not because I don't enjoy the food, but rather more because the main stores are just out of my usual haunts. Having said that, I had a fairly pleasant delivery experience just recently so decided that I'd go down and check it out on opening day.

There is a menu at the front of the laneway where you can order online or at the counter. Strolling in, I decided to just place my order at the counter.

 

There were a few signature bowls preset and a few tacos which I had previously really enjoyed, but I can't really go past anything that is fully customisable, so I made my own bowl.

A bonus to ordering it at the counter is being able to watch as my food got made up.

Within five minutes, I was back at my desk with a wholesome bowl of poke.

Compared to my experience with their Greenslopes store, the bowl was definitely on the lighter side and not as substantial in content. Toppings were consistently fresh and delicious. My only feedback on this would be the fact that the portion of toppings was uneven in the sense that there was a great deal of cucumber but not too much lettuce or glass noodle. Having said that, there was an abundance of salmon which I really liked as well as tobiko. Am grateful that there is now an option close to work and will be getting some more whilst the warm weather lasts.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 7.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10 

Big Roddys - Fortitude Valley

Friday night we had dinner with some friends after work. Being situated in the Valley, we wandered around nearby and decided to grab some dinner at Big Roddy's, their second venture after their original at West End. Having not been for a couple of years, I was keen to get another taste of their food.

Having made a reservation shortly before, we were quickly seated. Gone were the days of Madame Rouge, the moody French Bistro and it appears that only the bar remains. The vibe was a lot more upbeat and casual with considerable view of the street. The menu was fairly standard of American style BBQs, with an assortments of ribs, burgers and sides. We ordered at the counter.

All four of us are huge fans of beef ribs, so we had two servings of double bone beef ribs to ensure one rib each. They came with a side each, we had the corn and the coleslaw. These were fairly big portions and the meat easily fell off the bone. Basting was sweet and sticky whilst the meat was soft but a bit stringy. The servings of sides were also generous, I really liked the charred toasty flavours of the corn on the cob and the refreshing balance that the coleslaw brought.

We had a few extra sides to share, this was the buffalo wings. They were unbeleivably spicy and I wasn't really able to eat it without the ranch sauce on the side. These were also sticky, but I could barely taste much by way of flavours in the chicken under the spice.

 

Other sides we tried were the poutine and the jalapeno poppers. The poutine was of course my favourite, with wholesome gravy and cheese curds, it made for the ultimate comfort food. The jalapeno poppers were surprisingly not spicy at all and filled with mac and cheese. The batter was fairly thick and also packed a crunch. Overall the food was quite good at Big Roddy's, next time I'll be back to try the pork ribs.

Price Range: $25 - $35pp

Taste: 7/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7/10 

Bibimbop - Garden City

Caught up with one of Dr L's good friends over the weekend and he happens to be the biggest fan of Korean food. Asking where his favourite place was, I had expected one of the larger institutions in Runcorn or Sunnybank, but was surprisingly told that he prefers the food at Bibimbop at 8 Street, Garden City, which is why we decided to head over there for some lunch and chats.

Given the small shopfront in the hawker style laneway, it was understandable that there would be a limited number of food options. These largely revolved around rice, noodles and soup with a few snack options. Prices were quite reasonable and service was efficient.

Dr L had the combination udon. It had a generous size almost filling up the whole bowl. Noodles were tender and flavoursome and there was a generous amount of toppings given the portion of noodles and he really enjoyed it.

Wanting to have some of their signature bibimbap, I had their raw beef one. It came out very quickly with a generous assortment of toppings to rice. The stone pot was very hot and cooked the beef as I mixed it all in whilst the fresh yolk on top kept some moisture amongst the crispy toasted rice grains. Definitely was one of the better bibimbaps I've had lately and would definitely not hesitate to recommend.

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 8.5/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7/10