Norman Hotel - Woolloongabba

Coming up to the end of the year, it was time for me to reconsider all the foods I had eaten and try to tick off a couple more places before time was up. Only then did it strike me that I hadn't had a good steak in a very long time. So with that in mind, the Tomcat family and I headed over to the worst vegetarian restaurant in Brisbane, the infamous Norman hotel to scratch our itch for steak. 

Having made a reservation earlier, we were promptly shown to our seats. 

Like all the good steakhouses there was a selection on display which made it all the more difficult for us to make our selection when we wanted them all. Nevertheless a choice had to be made and we selected three different steaks to allow us to try a little of everything. 

Other than the steak cabinet, another thing that I always adore is the glass windows in which we could use to peer in and admire our steaks as they cooked. 

Over at the well stocked bar, alcoholic Tomcat ordered a beer whilst Mrs Tomcat and I settled for lemon lime bitters. 

Since the place wasn’t overly packed, our meals came quite quickly. 

Tomcat, as expected, ordered the big Norman rump, medium with pepper sauce. It came with a perfectly pink centre and was definitely very big. Trying some myself, I really enjoyed the rich beef flavours and the spicy pepper zing, but the texture was unfortunately a little tough and chewy for my liking.

Mrs Tomcat had the fillet Mignon, which came wrapped in bacon and covered with mushroom sauce. This was by far the best steak of our evening, striking a perfect balance between flavor and texture. If only they had a larger size I would have ordered it as well. 

My choice for the evening was the rib fillet, cooked rare with pepper sauce. Whilst definitely not as chewy as Tomcat’s, I've had far smoother rib fillets at other steakhouses. Again I liked the zing of the peppercorn sauce much more than the rich creamy mushroom sauce. At this point, special mention must be given to the jacket potato, which was deliciously fluffy on the inside in addition to being topped with smokey bacon, probably one of the most perfect steak sides I've had in a while.

Price Range: $30 - $50pp

Taste: 7.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 8/10

Pepper Lunch - Sunnybank

Japanese food enthusiasts like many of my readers and myself included would no doubt have been extremely excited to hear of the Grand Opening of Pepper Lunch, the infamous Japanese chain, which opened its first QLD store at Sunnybank just over a week ago. Perfect timing for an end of year foodie gathering with Joe K, Brisvegustarion, Just Island and The Invisible Food Critic. Arriving just past 6, there was already a queue outside, thankfully Joe had already negotiated with the manager and we could get a table after a short 20min wait. 

As mentioned in numerous reviews, the restaurant focuses on meats grilled on a hotplate, DIY style. The menu clearly reflected this and there were very few other options. Other options though did include everyone's favourite ice cream! 

For those unfamiliar with DIY cooking, a convenient sign on our table explained it quite well. 

What I did find confusing though was the ordering system. Rather than going to the counter near the kitchen, they had an ordering station close to the door which was surrounded by people waiting to be seated. It took us quite a while to understand the system, which should hopefully be more apparent when the crowds lessen. 

Taking it in turns to order, we were given a number for our table. 

Our food arrived at lightning speed after. This was my classic beef, arriving just after Joe K’s jumbo beef. Whilst smaller, I found the size to be ample and good value for money. After noticing quite a few photos being taken at the table, the manager came to give a demonstration of how to cook the dish, using my classic beef as an example. The end result was a cross between beef stir fried with rice and Korean Bulgogi. I enjoyed the delicious garlic butter which infused the whole dish and the delicious crispy rice at the bottom but found it to be somewhat bland for a whole meal, and whilst the meat quality was better than Zen Flavours it was definitely way overcooked for me. 

Other dishes around the table included the Wild Wagyu Steak with added egg,

Teriyaki Salmon,

Hamburger and premium steak combo,

and Eel Pepper Rice.

Having ordered a set, I had a side of chips. Considering it cost an extra $6 for this and a drink, it wasn't that great value. The chips were freshly fried and quite hot, but generally lacked crunch and the wow factor. Some options for sauce or seasoning could have easily rectified this though. 

Brisvegustation, being the healthiest out of the group, ordered a salad to go with his eel pepper rice. It came confusingly served in a cup with a hole at the top, which made it not too conducive to shaking with sauce.

 

Rounding off our meal, around the table we had both the premium and standard matcha and chocolate varieties. Whilst the appearance was quite aesthetically pleasing, the consensus around the table was that it tasted not far from a McDonald's sundae. In summary, I had a great night at pepper lunch, catching up with some wonderful people to round off the year, but other than satisfying my long term curiosity, the food at pepper lunch was really mediocre at best. 

Price range: $15 - $35pp

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

Miss Kays - Brisbane CBD

After our wonderful experience at Melt Brothers, owners Justin and Felix passed on our contact to the management of Miss Kay's Burgers, which the also happen to have founded (pretty awesome life achievements imo). Receiving a gracious invite from the manager, the Tomcat family and I soon found ourselves at their CBD store to try out a few of their menu options. 

Decor was largely the same as last time with its red brick theme and neon lighting. Tres American. Unlike last time though, the upstairs seating was fenced off and we had the whole area to ourselves, which we really appreciated. 

 

As expected from a burger joint, the menu consisted mainly of burgers with some sides and a focus on shakes, the true American way. Ordering at the counter downstairs, we were given a number and waiting patiently for our food.

Luckily it came quite soon to much oohing and aahing. 

This was the signature double cheeseburger. It came with two patties, double cheese, mustard, ketchup, onions, pickles and miss Kay's sauce. The bun was served fresh where I would have preferred it toasted. Both patties erred on the side of being well done, where I would have preferred it to be on the rarer side, but the sauces added much to the texture. 

Whilst we were keen to try out this month's special, mozzarella burger, that was sold out and we were recommended the poutine burger, cos who doesn't like chips on their burger. Other than chips, it also contained a beef patty, bacon bits, haloumi, gravy, pickles, lettuce and mayo. It was by far my favourite burger that meal. The gravy and chips made the burger a very comforting and homey experience while the pickle added some extra zing to the burger, and the haloumi added some depth to the overall texture. 

Our third and last burger was the Get Clucked. It contained a very healthy piece of lemon pepper chicken breast, pineapple, guacamole, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Like the beef, the chicken also erred on the cooked side and was a bit dry. This was slightly alleviated by the mayo, but could have been better. Given the pairing of guacamole and pineapple, this was the freshest tasting of our burgers, drawing sharp contrast to the poutine burger. It had a decidedly summery theme to it and whilst not the type that I would usually order, I still found it to be quite enjoyable. 

On top of out three burgers, we also had three sides. These were the onion rings which came super crunchy and freshly fried. Whilst Tomcat found the batter to lean towards the thicker side, I found it to be quite delicious and part of the onion ring experience. 

We also had a serve of sweet BBQ wings. Given the sauce, the skin was as expected no longer crispy, and the sauce absorbed well into the meat, giving it a very smoky, sweet, and tangy taste. 

Our final side was of course the dirty fries, topped with Miss Kay's seasoning, cheese sauce, tomato chilli and chives, the flavors exploded in my mouth. The fries were deliciously crunchy and soaked well in the sauces. The chives added a whole new dimension and I couldn't help but think it would be perfect if it had added bacon bits. 

Drinks included the Cee Lo Green and Puff daddy milk shakes. Both were amazingly rich and creamy with delectable minty and caramel tastes accordingly. As you can see the portions were amazing, but we definitely needed water to clear our palate rather than be overwhelmed by the thickness of the drinks. Without a doubt, we really enjoyed our experience at Miss Kay's, whilst some improvements can always be made, the substance was all there and we would be back without a second thought.

Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Miss Kays, but our opinions, as always are solely our own.

Price Range: $10 - $25pp

Taste: 7/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8.5/10