Joe's Deli - Brisbane CBD

Have been seeing quite a few foodies check out Joe's Deli lately. On the face of it, none of them appeared to have been invites, so naturally the prevalent foot traffic had me very curious. That's why I went to try it out with my foodie lunch buddy Brisvegustation last week. Meeting prior to 12, we had hoped to avoid the lunch rush. Unfortunately there was already quite a queue by the time we arrived, but the line moved quickly enough.

I went to grab a table for us, so didn't get to take a closer shot of the menu. Needless to say it was full of sandwiches, hotdogs and sides as implied by the menu.

Water and cutlery were available on an DIY basis. There were also metal knives on request to cut any sandwiches apart.

Despite the queue, our food was made in less than 15 minutes. Between the two of us we shared a Joey's Special Hoagie, Joe's Chilli Dog, Fries and Prosciutto Mac and Cheese Balls.

The Special was my pick as the signature dish. It was a bread roll filled with wagyu pastrami, swiss cheese, slaw, pickles and horseradish. I didn't have too much by way of feedback on this dish, it was as I had expected, neither better nor worse. The bread was fresh, fluffy and on the sweeter side. I would have enjoyed it more if it was a little bit toasted. There was a generous amount of filling inside but again this was served cool. The flavours were quite harmonious and it made for a tasty lunch. The mac and cheese balls were served hot, after being freshly fried, but I didn't see too much prosciutto in it, nor was there too much truffle in the aioli. For the price, it was also not particularly good for value either.

Brisvegustation's pick was originally the Lobbie Roll, but I had convinced him to change his mind after mentioning a few reviews I had read about it. Instead we had the Chilli Dog. Despite being priced similarly, the portion size was drastically smaller than the Special. I did however find the bread to be a stand out in terms of how soft and fluffy it was, as well as being lightly toasted. The fillings were definitely on the sloppier side, dropping out as we ate it, but it was definitely a flavour bomb. I would have rated this a lot higher if it were bigger, but as it stood, it was barely larger than snack side. The fries were also fairly average and lacked a crunch factor. 

Overall, we had a solid experience. There is room to improve but I can see why the store is so popular in the city, however unless asked to go with a friend, I don't see any particular reason to return.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 6.5/10

Value: 5/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7/10

Yido - Sunnybank Hills

One of the last remaining Korean BBQ places that I had kept on my list for a long time was Yido. Situated along Pinelands Road, they were originally a la carte and had set themselves apart from the local competition with its eel offerings. I had wanted to go for some time but since their re-opening with a buffet, I though that it was a good enough reason to go and try them out. Bringing two other friends with us, we went on the first Friday of their new operation.

 

For $59.90 per person (20% off on Wednesdays and Thursdays) you get 100 minutes of all you can eat with a very large selection of high quality fresh meat, marinated meat, cooked food, side dishes and soup. Taking a quick look around, I was very impressed and we tried to get a small selection of everything.

Drinks were a little bit more pricey than market ($17 per soju) and available via QR code.

Burning charcoals were provided promptly and staff were helpful and attentive throughout our meal.

As mentioned, the meat quality was outstanding, especially for a buffet. The wagyu was well marbled without being excessively fatty and the marinated meats were tender and delicious. The only let down for us in the whole meal was ironically their eel. Despite our best attempts to cook it and then dip it in bbq sauces, it was still quite chewy, fishy and had considerable bones in it. Next time I will avoid the eel and only get the meats.

We had a selection of side dishes to share, my favourites would have been the kimchi and the kelp salad, however I definitely recommend trying them all as they were all unique and tasty.

In terms of the cooked food on offer, the pancakes weren't as crispy as I would have liked, however the tteokbokki was tender and moreish. They also had some fried chicken as well and this was done well with a very crispy coating and a juicy wing encased. 

Even though we were completely stuffed at the end, I couldn't resist trying out the soups they had on offer and it was lucky that I didn't miss out! The tofu and veggie soup was extremely heart warming and delicious without being too spicy whilst the kimchi and tofu soup gave more of a kick. Would definitely come back for the soup too.

I was originally a bit sceptical of their being another KBBQ buffet opening so close to midam, given that it is also cheaper, however having experienced Yido, I can confidently say that although it is a bit more expensive, you get what you pay for in quality. I hope they maintain this standard and I'll be back for round two soon!

 

Price Range: $59.90pp (not including drinks)

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 9/10

Environment: 7/10

Yuan Bao - Sunnybank Hills

 

Midweek date night and I had a craving for some Taiwanese food. Wanting to try out somewhere different from our usual at Glamorous Wok, we ended up at Yuan Bao, in Pinelands. 

The restaurant wasn't too packed and we easily got a seat. Service was fast and the decor was quite homey.

The menu was largely divided into mains depending on the protein. As with most traditional chinese cuisines, the food was designed to be shared. We ordered three dishes between the two of us.

The first dish that showed up was the Taiwanese brown sauce fried rice. It was a little bit different from the cantonese ones I've had previously as it had quite a heavy presence of mushrooms. It didn't appear to have too much by way of meat other than some very small pieces of char siu though. We would have enjoyed a better topping to rice ratio.

Next up was the Deep Fried Taro Duck. This is one of my all time favourite dishes, but this was done quite poorly. The taro was deep fried but fairly oily and not very well seasoned. Ordinarily the content would be roughly half duck half taro with two large serves of whole duck breast on the underside. In this instance, all we had were small slithers of duck meat throughout the taro, which made it quite disappointing. 

Our third and final dish was braised tofu. This was the only dish that really met our expectations because it did indeed contain an ample amount of braised tofu along with some carrots, peas and shiitake mushrooms and this was fairly enjoyable. 

Overall though, I would have to say that the meal was disappointing given the first two dishes and I don't think I'll be back anytime soon, especially when this basic dinner for two cost $75.

Price Range: $30 - $40pp

Taste: 5/10

Value: 4/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 6/10

Woka 360 Fusion Bistro - Sunnybank

Having gone to Woka Woka's vegetarian branch just under two years ago, I wasn't entirely surprised to see that they had closed down not too long after. The location wasn't ideal, given the new building at Market Square hasn't had the foot traffic you would expect, and the vegetarian only menu was a bit niche. Anyway, shortly after their closure, Woka Woka came up with a new venture, being their 360 fusion bistro, apparently related to another store, Akai Ushi at underwood, focusing on noodle dishes.

We were seated fairly quickly, but service was quite limited. Menus were provided and we had to work out on our own that ordering and paying was done via QR code. The menu was largely noodle based with high levels of customisation. Choices can be made for toppings, soups and noodles. Further to this, they also have a small selection of entrees and rice dishes as well.

Between the two of us, we had two noodle sets which came with drinks. There was only a choice between HK milk tea and lemon tea. Both were pre made and the sugar level was not able to be adjusted. We found both of them to be fairly sweet for our liking, but the strength of the tea was good.

We also had a serve of Taiwanese popcorn chicken to share. The portion was fairly generous and the chicken was moist and juicy but it also meant that the coating wasn't able to remain dry and crisp either. I probably wouldn't order this again if I went back.

It didn't take too long for our noodle dishes to come. The first one was our beef brisket with rice noodles. The bowl was large and had a generous amount of soup and noodles but not too much by way of beef or veggies. The texture of the noodles was quite tender but as rice noodles don't really over cook, it was enjoyable. The beef was fairly soft and well seasoned and the soup was deep and mellow.

Our other dish was the Japanese Ramen in King Soup with a side of wagyu cutlet. This was far less enjoyable as the noodles were so soft that it was borderline inedible. The soup was far too sweet for my tastes and the beef was also not too crunchy but also a bit chewy. I would definitely not recommend this dish. 

Overall a fairly average to below average experience at Woka 360 Fusion. Unless nothing else was open nearby, or if drastic improvements are made, I wouldn't make the effort to go there again.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 4/10

Value: 4/10

Service: 5/10

Environment: 8/10 

Tasty Rumour - Sunnybank

Despite going to Sunnybank Fish Market quite frequently, it had never occurred to me that 8 Chicken and Beer next door had closed. That is, until I noticed that Tasty Rumour had set up shop next door. Having had a fantastic experience with the food over in their Woodridge store, Dr L and I made a point to go and check it out as soon as we could. 

The shop was very small with roughly half a dozen tables inside. We were lucky to get the only remaining table, so bookings are recommended if you are determined to eat here. The menu was more or less the same as woodridge and I was excited to see if it was just as good. Notably the rice noodles and pork broth wasn't on the menu though.

We ordered the half and half set with garlic pork hock and soy braised pork belly. It was served with an abundance of sides including lettuce, shredded cabbage, kimchi and an assortment of garnishes. The salads were fresh and crunchy, balancing out the meats well.

 

On the face of it, there was a lot more pork hock than belly, however under the pile of meat was a considerable amount of bone, so both dishes had a comparable amount of meat. Dr L liked the milder flavours of the pork belly, but I enjoyed the spicy garlic and fantastic gelatinous texture of the pork hock. Portions were generous and we could barely finish the set between the two of us. I am definitely keen to come back and try the other dishes with a larger group.

Price Range: $25 - $35pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7/10 
 

Costa's Seafood Cafe - Capalaba

So I had read a while ago that Costa's Seafood Cafe was voted the best fish and chips shop in Brisbane very recently. As we all know, Dr L is a huge fan of fish and chips, so we made a point to go out and check it out for a group lunch a couple of weekends ago. Arriving at 12, the place was completely packed. It was just lucky that there was also a huge number of tables to accommodate the crowd.

Ordering inside at the counter, it didn't take long for our food to come out. First to arrive was the prawns which didn't need to be cooked. These were fresh and salty, going well with the wedge of lemon. The meat was firm and plump.

 

Hot food took a little while longer and I think they forgot our salad because we had to chase them up after.

So this seafood platter and the below chips comprised of the platter for four. Rather than the usual large fish fillets, we had a number of smaller fish cutlets, calamari rings, prawns, seafood sticks and scallops. These were coated in a light crumb and we weren't given the option of a tempura batter (which I would have chosen). Everything was done well though, fresh out of the fryer without being greasy, my the crowd favourite was the scallop.

This was a share portion of chips and they were fantastic. Arguably they were some of the best I've had in Brisbane for quite a long time. Although they were thick cut, they retained their crunch whilst being fluffy inside. It also helped that sauces were unlimited and complimentary too.

We also had a serve of potato scallops to share. These werent cheap but they were also done very well, fried to a golden brown with a crispy tempura batter but a fluffy interior, they were decidedly moreish, but I still like their chips more.

As mentioned, the salad took a little while to arrive. This was a medium caesar to share. It was delicious and crunchy with a generous amount of egg, bacon bits and crouton. I wouldn't mind getting this again next time but would also be keen to try their other salads. Having said that, next time I will definitely go for the tempura fish fillets rather than a combo platter, as they looked far more spectacular.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 6/10 

Odaya - Sunnybank

Ever since I've been going regularly to Gelato Amoroso, I've had a number of people tell me that I've got to go check out Odaya for their gelato. Having previously gone to try their tea, I had found it to be above average in taste but poor value in terms of price, leading me to be hesitant to return. However last weekend we decided to go check it out after an impromptu ramen date. 

 

There was a small selection of gelato based desserts along with bubble tea and matcha themed drinks. There were four flavours of gelato, all with a heavy Japanese tea influence. I wanted to try all the flavours, but sadly limited myself to two. Service was friendly albeit a bit slow.

 

Dr L had the black sesame and hojicha and I had the strong matcha and hojicha. I had initially ordered both in a cup but they gave him a cone instead and he didn't have issues with that. In terms of gelato, my matcha was definitely very strong and not too sweet. The texture though could have been creamier, when compared with Amoroso or Milany. I found the hojicha and black sesame to be not all that strong but surprisingly sweet. 

Overall, I'd go back for the matcha ice cream but probably not the other flavours, but it's always better to have more Japanese dessert stores than less.

Price Range: Under $10pp

Taste: 7.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 8/10 

 

Queens Gimbap - Underwood

Readers may recall my recent obsession with gimbap, after watching a certain Korean legal drama. With that in mind, I couldn't say that I had done much deep diving into the dish without having tried out Queen's Gimbap. I had been wanting to check them out for some time now, but earlier in the year they had some time off to relocate their shop from Calamvale to Underwood and I didn't get a chance to go until now.

Like 3 Sisters, the seating area was limited and most of the shop was taken up by the kitchen and display cabinet. Prices were also substantially higher, but the size was roughly double 3 sisters, with each roll bursting with fillings. What I didn't like as much though, was the fact that the kimbap wasn't made to order like 3 sisters.

We ordered three rolls to go. We had beef, tuna and pork katsu. As mentioned, the rolls were huge, and this was definitely enough food for two people for lunch. The beef was well marinated, albeit a bit coarse and we both enjoyed the creamy tuna more, without a doubt, because of the copious amounts of mayonnaise in the roll. 

We also had a pork katsu roll. The pork katsu wasn't as crunchy as I would have expected, but the marinades and flavours were quite well done. Overall, we quite enjoyed our meal at Queen's Gimbap. The rice to topping ratio is second to none in Brisbane, however if the rice was warm and the roll was freshly made, then it would definitely be the whole package. I would not hesitate to come back.

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7.5/10