Fill the Bowl - Sunnybank

So despite the ongoing construction at Market Square, not only are all stores still open, but there are also a fair number of new openings in the area. A notable opening is Fill the Bowl, which took the space that used to hold Miel Container. Feeling the malatang itch once again, I decided to venture out and try this reasonably new restaurant.

As usual, we walked in and grabbed a plastic bowl and helped ourselves to the large variety of meats, vegetables, seafood and noodles. I noted the seafood looked quite fresh and captivating, there wasn't too many varieties of noodles to choose from, and the meat was definitely fattier than I would have liked. There were also a large amount of meatballs and fishballs to choose from though. As usual, we made our selection and put our order through at the counter. I note that compared to the Love Malatang at Runcorn, we could only choose between mild, regular and extra spicy soup. My companions who weren't very heat tolerant weren't too impressed at the lack of a non spicy option.

As usual, there was a DIY sauce counter. As usual, I went way overboard with the garlic and soy (which I'm sure my companions will no doubt appreciate later in the car).

Ordering three bowls, we had individual numbers as one does at malatang. Water was also obtained via self service.

Our food came quite promptly after. My companions both quite enjoyed their meals despite the initial spice, although they did comment that they prefer Love Malatang more. Personally, I found the ingredients to be well cooked, with a light spiciness. The crab meat was done well to be soft without disintegrating, the beef wasn't overdone, but still very fatty, the fish was flaky and crumbled well in my mouth. The tofu and mushrooms also had good texture, but the noodles were a little softer than I would have liked.

Price Range: $10 - $15pp

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

Revisit: Sushi Kenzen - Fortitude Valley

Further to my experience with getting Sushi Kenzen via Foodora, I received a friendly invite from the owner of Sushi Kenzen to try out their customisable rice bowls. Being situated in Fortitude Valley, it made for a long brisk walk from the city, perfect for a Friday afternoon. Wanting to also bring a foodie friend with me to check out the restaurant, I asked Brisvegustation to come with me for to forage for lunch that afternoon.

Arriving at about midday, the restaurant was certainly busy. I noted that there really wasn't much by the way of inside seating, but most of the customers had their orders take away, but we both decided to have ours at the restaurant.

Having tried their sushi options in the past, our focus for the day was on the original bowl and the original 8" long roll, which they make for you on the spot. With choices between fillings, sauces, toppings and sides, the options for sides, this basically allows you to make the perfect bowl or sushi with everything you could want in it. Making our order at the counter, it did take a bit of deliberation, and the owner gave us quite a few ideas on what the more popular orders were before we made up our mind.

After a quick wait, our food was soon served.

The rice bowl contained a considerable amount of unagi and a large selection of pickles, including ginger, wakame, cucmber, lettuce and pickled radish. I found the rice quality to be top notch, with a smooth exterior and a soft fluffy interior.  The unagi was a bit chewy, but the sauce was quite yummy. Alone, the rice bowl wouldn't have been enough for a meal, I would recommend ordering it with a side.

We also had a tempura prawn roll to share. It came with prawn and avocado and lettuce, with kenzen sauce. The prawns were freshly fried and very crispy. The avocado was ripe, and the lettuce was fresh and crunchy. What I really enjoyed of the roll though, was the kenzen sauce, which had copious amounts of fish roe in it, which made for considerable popping joy in my mouth.

We also got two drinks to try, the pearl milk tea and the citrus ice. Both were refreshing and not very sweet, which Brisvegustation and I enjoyed. He did however note that the pearls were a little on the harder side. I liked the sour iciness of the citrus ice which was tangy and zesty.

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

Price Range: $10 - $15pp

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

Walnut Bar and Lounge - Brisbane CBD

End of the week and mum didn't feel like cooking dinner (yet again). Being the good daughter I am, I offered to take them out for dinner. Making a reservation online, it was only a quick walk over to Alice street from work. Arriving at my arranged time, I was very pleased at the very warm and friendly reception that I was greeted with. Without any prompting, staff were already able to welcome me by name when I mentioned I had a reservation, a level of attention to detail that I found to be highly impressive, as was the level of service throughout the evening.

I was promptly seated in the very stylish and sophisticated restaurant to await my companions. The menu was quite extensive, but being too captivated by my surroundings, of course I forgot to take photos of it. My companions arrived soon enough, and an order was placed without too much deliberation on our part.

First to arrive was our shared entree, the Seafood Platter which comprised of natural oysters caviar, pan-seared scallops with Jamon and cauliflower as well as salt & pepper calamari with lime aioli. As always, fresh oysters were well received by all, and I especially loved the popping caviar that it was served with.The calamari was freshly fried and nice and peppery, but nothing out of the ordinary. The highlight for me though, was of course the pan seared scallops wrapped in jamon, which offered a good texture contrast with the silky scallop and meaty ham. As there were only two in the platter, I only wish I could have had more than half a piece. Still, we found the platter to be very enjoyable and decent value for what it was.

After our entree, mains arrived soon after. First up was the Fraser Isle spanner crab spaghettini smoked chorizo and heirloom cherry tomatoes. It was a simple and elegant dish, with the spaghettini a little softer than we would have expected. My companion though felt that there could have been a little more crab meat and perhaps some sauce to accompany the dish which she found more on the bland side as the tomatoes and crab didn't cling to the pasta as much as she would have liked.

Another companion had the wild mushroom ravioli consisting of sauteed mixed mushrooms, asparagus, truffle cream and chevre. Compared to other ravioli we have had at other venues, the portion here was considerably larger. The ravioli had considerable bite. The mushrooms made it a mild comforting dish but the chevre added some tanginess to it, making it quite a well balanced dish.

My final companion ordered the Char-grilled Scotch fillet. It was served with vegetables “a la plancha”, herbed Kipfler potato, confit garlic and red wine jus. The steak was a good medium rare, just as he had requested. The pan fried veges were a classic combination to go with the steak, and this coupled with the timeless red wine jus made for a satisfying dinner.

Wanting to try something new, I opted for the Chicken Ballotine, served with roast potatoes, baby carrots, asparagus, tarragon and saffron cream. I quite enjoyed the stuffed chicken, which proved to be quite moist and tender. For a main though, three pieces of chicken was a little small, but the veges on the side were done well, and I did appreciate the saffron cream sauce.

Between our table, we also shared two sides, first of all was the rustic fries served with truffle aioli. The fries were wonderfully crunchy and remained that way throughout the meal. The truffle aioli was also deliciously fragrant.

Second side was the Garden leaf salad with house dressing. The leafy greens were fresh and crispy, with the tangy house dressing, it made for a good balanced meal with our hearty mains.

After our mains, we still had some room for dessert, so we ordered two to share. First to arrive was the Trio of Chocolate, comprising of a dark chocolate ganache tart, chocolate mousse and chocolate gelato. I really enjoyed this dessert, mainly for its abundance in chocolate taste with not too much sweetness. The gelato was rich and smooth. The mousse was light and fluffy. The tart was dense and heavy, but I wish the tart base was a bit less firmer as it proved very difficult to break apart.

Second dessert was of course my pick of the Bombe Alaska, containing joconde sponge, vanilla bean ice cream, berry coulis, Italian meringue and white rum. I usually select this dessert out of my love of theatrics, and setting something on fire always makes me happy. Unfortunately the bombe alaska in this instance came out pre torched which disappointed me slightly. I did however really enjoy the delicious sourness of the berry coulis, which was a nice variation from the norm.

Price Range: $50  -$70pp

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

Panorama - Indooroopilly

Read Joe K's review on Panorama Cafe in Indooroopilly Shopping Centre and made a point to go try it before meeting with friends to see a movie. Was drawn in by the bright setup with large open spaces that gives off quite a relaxing vibe. As with most cafe style places, food was ordered through counter service. I ordered at the counter and was given a number, before finding seating to await my order.

My coffee was first to arrive. Ordering a skinny cappuccino, I found the size to be generous, but the coffee tasted slightly burnt and the milk could have been frothed to a creamier state.

My avocado toast was next to arrive. At a price point of $8.50, it was cheaper than the usual cafe prices, however the serving itself was quite unexciting. The avocado wedge was roughly 1/3 of a whole avocado, and it was served with two pieces of block loaf, of which one was cut into triangles and a small amount of butter. Adding some salt and pepper to the avocado, it was quite enjoyable, albeit the avocado portion really wasn't enough for the bread. The choice of block loaf was a little disappointing, but at least it was toasted well and the bread was fresh.

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

Taste:  5/10
Value: 5/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 8/10

The New Black - Fortitude Valley

Saw quite a few posts lately about the newly opened "The New Black" at Fortitude Valley and the shots were very enticing, so with a work meeting cancelled, I made the hike out to fortitude valley on Friday to check out the food on offer and kick off the weekend. Initially, I had wandered into Bakery Lane, expecting it to be there, but it turned out to be outside, along the ever busy Ann Street. Wandering in, I noted the modern hipster setup with rustic exposed brick walls. I was soon greeted by the friendly waitress, who explained that the cafe ran via counter service and offered me a seat. 

 

Taking a look at the menu, my attention was immediately drawn to my favourite build your own breakfast due to my longstanding love affair with all things customisable. I also liked the large variety of coffee other than the standard espresso types. Without further adieu, I made my order at the counter. 

 

Wanting to try something out of the ordinary, I ordered the nitrobrew coffee. The coffee was quite smooth and rich, much like a beer but with a more velvety texture. I found the coffee to be quite sharp with a mild bitterness and very limited acidity. 

My breakfast also came soon after. I opted for the sourdough with poached eggs, haloumi, avocado, bacon and cured salmon. Portion wise, I found the bacon to be quite generous, but the salmon and avocado to be somewhat lacking. The taste though was definitely high caliber with a well toasted sourdough that had a nice crunch to it. The bacon could have been a bit crispier, but nonetheless the fat rendered quite well. Eggs were tasty with a runny yolk. The avocado could have been more ripe, and was slightly difficult to spread. Salmon was quite well seasoned with a beetroot flavour, but the portion was really not enough for me to really enjoy it. 

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 7/10
Value: 5/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 7/10