Revisit: Pappa Rich - Brisbane CBD

Having already been to Pappa Rich and written about it on one occasion, I was pleasantly surprised to receive an invite to attend the exclusive bloggers lunch after the official opening last Saturday. It was a great opportunity for us to try out some more of their menu, and report it to our loyal readers.

There was a slight confusion because some of the wait staff were unaware of the event, but we were soon seated in the bloggers area, outside on the terrace. It was slightly warmer than our liking, but not unbearable. As mentioned in my prior post, the environment was clean and welcoming, service was a lot more attentive and friendly (especially as we were not in any hurry to rush back to work this time), and staff appeared to be a lot better trained. 

Again, the table had a buzzer, and we could order via the sheet provided. Having ordered at Sushi Edo last time, I gained a new found appreciation of being able to add remarks to my order. As such, I was able to adjust my food and drinks order to better suit my personal preferences.

Again, water was provided on request.

Between my companion and myself, we ordered two mains, one snack, two drinks and one dessert to share. The first to arrive was the Ipoh Kway Teow Noodles Soup, served with steamed chicken. The first thing that struck me was that the chicken breast was served boneless, and had a nice soy vinegar dressing with it, that made it quite refreshing on a hot summers day. The noodles were flat rice noodles served with delicious light broth, special mention goes to the fried onions on top, which was super fragrant and added an extra dimension to the dish. I noted that the portion of noodles provided was significantly less than our other main, but it allowed me capacity to try all the other dishes.

My companion ordered the Curry Fish Fillet Noodle Soup. As I'm not usually a big fan of curries and laksas, I thought that I wouldnt be eating much of it, but to my surprise (and his), I ate quite a bit of this dish. The fish was still very crispy despite being dipped in the curry soup. The added tomato was refreshing, and the soup wasn't as spicy as other ones I've had, whilst retaining a bit of creaminess from the coconut milk. The noodles were vermicelli, cooked to a nice springy but not hard texture, and our preference for no eggplant was well received and catered for without question.

Our drinks came shortly after the mains. I note that other tables seemed to get their drinks before their food though. We ordered the Open Sesame and Matcha on the Rocks. We asked for the drinks to be served less sweet, and this was provided to us with a warm smile. I tried both drinks, and the ice cream was quite smooth and refreshing. Of particular note was the Open Sesame, which contained freshly ground sesame seeds, which were extremely fragrant. I expected the drink to be rich and filling to the extent where it would impact on my ability to finish my meal, in actuality, it was a lot lighter than I thought it would be, and very milky, which neutralised a lot of the spice from the curry noodle.

Pappa fried chicken wings came out next, and they were really tasty. The first thing that came to my notice, was that the chicken skin and fat was relatively yellow, which indicates that the chicken was corn fed. I could definitely appreciate the difference in the texture of the meat, it was a lot smoother and had much more chicken flavour than other wings I've had before. Whilst the chicken was nice and crunchy, the batter wasn't too oily. I really enjoyed it.

For dessert, we tried the Roti Banana, served with Matcha Ice Cream. I really enjoyed how flaky and soft the roti was. The layers were super thin, and they were springy and had pieces of banana between the sheets. The ice cream added a lot of freshness to it and as mentioned before, it was very smooth and creamy. The only draw back was that the pastry was a little oily for our tastes. 

Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Pappa Rich and Wasamedia, but as always, our opinions are solely our own.

For our previous post with ratings, please see link here.

Yakitori - Sunnybank

Being a regular at Little Taipei, one of my favorites is without a doubt Yakitori, situated in the corner next to David's sizzling. As I had mentioned in the Birds Nest post, I am of the firm opinion that Brisbane is very deficient in restaurants that cook proper Yakitori. Whilst this place is predominantly Taiwanese run, the foods were authentic and the skewers were probably the best I've had in Brisbane.

For those who are unfamiliar with the restaurants in Little Taipei, it operates like a food court, where you order your meal via counter service, get a number, and find a table. From the offset, I noticed that the staff at this restaurant were very warm, friendly and patient, which I really appreciated after a long day.

I ordered the hot pot set for $13.00. This came with a basket of veges, fish cakes, enoki mushrooms, tofu, a seafood stick, some noodles and a prawn. It came with an option of meat, I chose beef, and I also chose the non spicy pork broth. The pot of soup came on top of a portable gas stove, which I found to be slightly dangerous, but luckily I've yet to experience an incident. Condiments were obtained from the counter, and I was very impressed by the quality and cleanliness of condiments provided. Being an avid garlic fan, I took particular note of their finely diced fresh garlic which had all the juices still locked in, as opposed to crushed with all the juices having run out.

The pot itself was very delicious. I found the broth to be light but nourishing, with a definitely stronger taste than what we had at Shabu Shabu and I found the offering to be far superior. The portion of beef was far more generous, and not very fatty, and the sides were ample to satisfy us.  

My companion ordered the Yakitori Set, for $12.50. It came with our choice of five skewers, to which we chose cheesy chicken, beef shallot, beef garlic, pork belly and chicken wings. It also came with a bowl of rice with braised pork, a cup of home made plum tea, and some preserved veges. In my opinion, these were the best skewers I've had in Brisbane. They didn't have the packaging that Birds Nest would have, but it came at a fraction of the price, and were even more tasty. All the meats were perfectly caramelised and the cheesy chicekn and the garlic beef stood out to me as particularly outstanding. As I have mentioned, I have a long ongoing love affair with garlic, and to have tasty little grilled beef parcels burst open to reveal rich buttery garlic pieces was quite heavenly. The plum tea was a little sweet in my opinion, but it balanced out the intensity of the skewers. The salads were also refreshing, but I found the rice to be especially delicious, with a smooth texture and delicious braised pork bits on top, and an added egg for good measure. 

Price Range: $10 - $20 per person

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

Getta Burger - West End

After a substancial hiatus, the burger connoisseur has returned to review another burger joint with me when he heard that Getta Burger opened in West End. With the recent rains in Brisbane, we braved the storm and arrived there dripping wet for dinner.

Upon arrival, the big cow decoration really caught our attention. Being surrounded with descriptions
of how the meat has been cooked, I definitely found it to be both interesting and informative. We ordered at the counter and were given a number, although food was brought out to us.

 Hot sauce was available on the table, and cutlery was also provided.

Our food arrived before long, and was served on a tray. with extra forks provided for the dirty fries.

Lemon water was provided on a DIY basis. I enjoyed the nice difference it had to regular tap water.

Burger connoisseur ordered the signature "Getta Burger", which came in a sesame bun and contained a beef patty, lettuce, onion, tomato relish and cheese. 

On the other hand, I ordered the "Getta Lot" burger without pickles. It came with bacon, a beef patty, double cheese, onion, tomato and lettuce. I was quite impressed with the ability to make alterations, as I am well aware that some restaurants do not allow changes. 

Burger connoisseur and I came to a consensus about our opinions of both burgers. In terms of the bun, whilst it was soft and fresh, we would have liked an option of a different type such as a brioche or ciabatta bun like Grilld or Miel. The patty was nicely cooked and slightly pink on the inside, sufficiently thick and had a good texture to it. The only thing we both agreed on was that it really needed a bit more seasoning to give it more flavour. The tomato and lettuce was fresh and crunchy, as was the bacon. The cheese was deliciously melted on top of the beef patty was strung out when we bit into it. Whilst the burger wasn't particularly impressive in terms of taste, we were very surprised by the generous portions of the burger. It definitely filled us up.

What we really loved though, was the famous "filthy fries", which were shoestring fries (my favourite), served with braised beef, pulled pork, onion, bacon and covered with melty cheese and sauce. It was very rich and full of flavour, but the chips could have been a bit crunchier. Like with the burger, the portions were very generous.We absolutely loved it. 

Price Range: $10 - $20 pp

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

Willow and Spoon - Windsor

As my loyal readers would know, we have been trying out a lot of brunch places recently. With our recent interest, we were pleasantly surprised to receive an invite to try out Willow and Spoon's new spring menu.

We attended last Saturday, and were caught in the torrential rains on our way there. Luckily our table was still waiting for us, and we were ushered in very quickly and seated without further ado. Water was provided promptly, service was friendly and efficient. Apparently there is also a backyard which provides for outdoor seating on regular days, but this was not available due to the rains.

Menus were provided to us, and the specials of the day were explained. The food menu and the drinks menu consisted one page each and covered a number of savory and sweet options, coffees, juices and smoothies. It took quite a bit of debate before my companion and I decided upon what we should order. After ordering, the manager, Alison came out to greet us. She explained that they had been open in long established Alderly before their relocation, and have since been located in on Newmarket Road for the last couple of years.

Our drinks came soon after, with my cappuccino in a mug, and my companion's English Breakfast tea. I thoroughly enjoyed my coffee, especially the the rich foam which was a lot more substantial than the other coffees I've had before. The strength of the coffee was also refreshingly strong for a change.

My companion enjoyed his English Breakfast tea as well. He was pleasantly surprised by the whole leaf tea, as other places he's tried serves tea bags, or at best shredded leaves. Despite this though, he said the tea could have been a bit stronger.

Between the two of us, we shared two mains. This was the Oscar, which consisted of two croquettes with semi dried tomato pesto and a side of spinach and a poached egg. The croquettes were freshly fried and crispy without being oily. It was filled with potato, Jamon (a spanish dry cured ham), and Asiago cheese (an Italian cow's milk cheese), this ensured that whilst the filling was fluffy, the Jamon added a bit of extra texture and the Asiago ensured its creaminess. What stood out in the Oscar though was the tomato pesto which added an extra dimension to the dish to which we enjoyed very much. 

 The second dish was the Willow, which consisted of bacon and eggs, with buttered sourdough on the side with house made rosemary and tomato relish. For the dish we were offered eggs either scrambled, fried or poached. While the bacon was not as crispy as my companion would liked, I found it to be very tasty and thankfully not too fatty. The sourdough was crisp and the butter was very easy to spread, unlike other places I have been to. The relish I found was fragrant. However I  would have preferred the eggs to have been served a bit more seasoned to create a little more depth to the dish. 

Overall we had a wonderful morning at Willow & Spoon. Despite the short trek up to the north side, we found this to be well worth the efforts. We enjoyed the food and the great service, and look forward to trying out the rest of their menu.

Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Willow and Spoon,but all opinions are our own. 

Price Range: $15 - $25 per person

Taste: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 8.5/10
Environment: 8/10

Chung Hae Izakaya - Sunnybank

Driving past Sunnybank on a frequent basis, one could not possibly miss the Chung Hae sign going up on the outer wall of  Sunny Park. We noted the flashy signboard for quite a while, and finally decided to go one evening after a shopping spree at DFO. 

We arrived a bit after 6 to find that this was actually their first day of operation. We were provided a table at the bar. The interior was very well decorated with lanterns and reminds me of eating street food in the streets of Japan. Although when we heard the wait staff converse in Korean, we were already aware that this was going to be a Korean run Japanese restaurant.

Food could be ordered via the ipads available, and I note that the prices were in Yen, with a sign underneath telling patrons to divide the shown price by 100.

We were faced with a pop up before we confirmed ordered indicating that "It is impossible to cancel the menu. Are you Okay?", which I found a little concerning.  Nevertheless, we pressed ahead and made our order.

On an interesting note, we asked for table water to be provided to us an were informed that they do not provide table water, and we would need to pay for bottled water. Needless to say, I was not too impressed by this.

 To begin with, we ordered two starters, being the fried prawns and fried Camembert. Both came out freshly fried and piping hot. Whilst the prawns came out with sweet chilli sauce, the cheese did not come out with any sauce, and as a result of this, I found it a bit lacking. We raised this with the wait staff, but as it was a new restaurant, they indicated that they were unable to provide us with any sauce.

My companion ordered the Teriyaki Chicken Rice. He said it reminded him of canteen food that he had when he was in school. The portions were generous, but there could have been more sauce. The chicken pieces were thigh bits, and we would have preferred chicken breast, but aside from that, it was nothing outstanding.

After my companion's order arrived, there was an over 30 minute wait before my order of shabu udon came. Apparently they lost my order, which was surprising as they took the order electronically. Despite the long wait, when it did come, I was really quite impressed with it. The soup was light but nourishing, the udon was the delicious square type that didn't have the sour after-taste and the seaweed, tofu and green onion complemented the noodles very well. 

Whilst the restaurant is new and I appreciate that there are many issues which need to be ironed out, there are many areas which do need to be smoothed out, and I'd be very keen to try it out again later.

Price Range: $15 - $25 per person

Taste: 5/10

Value; 5/10

Service: 5/10

Environment: 7/10

Shin Yuan Restaurant - Sunnybank

From as long as I could remember, Shin Yuan has been a part of Market Square, having gone there on several occasions, many of my friends swear that it serves one of the most authentic Taiwanese Food. Needless to say, a review of this place is long overdue.

We were lucky to get the last free table when we went for dinner. The menu is extensive, containing a selection of entrees, rice, noodles and sides. 

Unlike other restaurants at Sunnybank, you order and pay at the counter before being served.

What stands out to me about Taiwanese restaurants is their generosity when it comes to soup. Shin Yuan is no exception. They have unlimited soup of the day for patrons. Whilst it wasn't something that stood out all that much, it was a nice light cabbage and pork broth, which stimulates the appetite.

My first companion ordered the very famous chicken fillet served with rice. It came with numerous sides including noodles, an egg and two types of stir fried chinese veges. Quite a few friends (including burger connoisseur) claim that this is the tastiest fried chicken in Brisbane. Whist I still think that Hot Star has the best fried chicken, this is definitely a near second. Despite it being not as big as Hot Star, it was also battered with potato starch and served moist, tender and well seasoned. The rice was also nicely topped with braised pork, which made it very delicious. 

Another companion ordered the wanton noodles soup, which was served with a clear broth and quite a few wanton. What I find particularly stands out with an order of noodles at Shin Yuan is that they give a huge portion of noodles, albeit you have to stir it up to loosen it, but one you do, I would suspect it is a good 50% more than the other regular chinese restaurants. The noodles were the Taiwanese white noodles, as opposed to the regular egg noodles, the wanton was also covered in white pastry rather than yellow pastry as well.  As a whole, the bowl was nourishing and delicious, especially as my companion was feeling a little under the weather.

I ordered the beef noodles soup, which is quite a famous Taiwanese dish. I really enjoyed how strong and spicy the soup was, and note that the noodles were the flat white yang chun noodles like an authentic Taiwanese Beef Noodle. The beef itself was tender, soft and well marinated. It was served with a very generous portion of noodles, like the wanton noodles. Having previously gone to Taiwan and tried their beef noodles on countless occasions, I can definitely say that this was an authentic beef noodle, and a very good one at that.

I also got to share some of the signature pork chop. With the by line of Shin Yuan being 'king of pork chops', I definitely wanted to try their pork chops. It came deep fried, with minimal batter, unlike the chicken fillet, and was very thick cut and quite delicious and we enjoyed it greatly. The noodles were again very large in portion size, and served in the same light broth as the wanton noodles. 

Price Range: $9 - $15 per person

Taste: 8/10
Value: 8.5/10
Service: 6/10
Environment: 6/10