Happy Boy - Fortitude Valley

Iron Fist, being somewhat fond of Asian food has long been telling me to go and eat at Happy Boy. Adding it to my extensive list of places to try but never really making too much of an effort, I didn't think too much of it until Adam decided to take me there to try their new brunch menu. Originally located in Spring Hill, they're now located at Fortitude Valley, along East Street (coincidence? I'm unsure). Being a fusion take on Chinese food, I was curious to see how it would compare to the more traditional styles of Chinese breakfast that you could get at Sunnybank. Arriving at 9.30AM, we were the third table there.

 

The menu consisted of two sides, one for brunch and lunch specials, whilst the other was their main lunch and dinner menu. Interestingly their brunch menu was quite rice heavy and also strongly focused on eggs. Owner Cameron came to introduce us to his favourite dishes and also shared the meal with us. I was very lucky to be able to get his commentary on all the food that we had.

Our drinks came first, and arrived fairly quickly.

He had the long black whilst I had the gunpoweder green tea. The tea was fairly strong with a sharp aftertaste to it. Trying his coffee, it too was strong and smooth (much like him ;)).

Our shared food came before long. For three people, it was an enormous amount of food.

First up was the Char Siu style Chicken and Spring Onion Wok Omelette with a side of Rice. The eggs were fluffy and chicken was tender.

Our second rice dish was the Crispy Wok Fried Eggs on top of Fried Rice. Whilst it appeared as a simple dish on the menu, it was executed wonderfully. The eggs were super crispy without being overly toasted, and still managed to retain some runniness in the yolk. The fried rice erred on the oily side, but the texture of the rice was spot on, as was the combination of toppings to give a wonderfully rounded dish.

On the side, we had two types of roast, being Roast Duck and Crispy Skin Roast Pork. Friends who I hang out with often enough will know that I am addicted to very passionate about Cantonese Roasts (to the extent where a friend's boyfriend had bribed me with roast duck so as to gain my tick of approval). The roast duck in this instance, had a fairly thin skin, a notable lack of fatty deposits underneath the skin which was also unusually crispy. I would say that it tasted a bit more like crispy skin chicken than it did roast duck. The marinate was delicious though, as was the sauce. The roast pork had a wonderfully crispy skin, and like the duck was also surprisingly not too fatty under the skin compared to roast pork I've had at other places. The meat was also well marinated and really enjoyable. I found this to be surprisingly delicious for a breakfast option, but again, I would have this easily for lunch and dinner too.

Our other dish was the Breakfast Burgers, comprising of Fried Chicken, Bacon and Omelette on a Milk Bun. The bun was wonderfully fresh and soft with a mild sweetness to it. The chicken had a crisp coating on it from potato starch, much like Taiwanese fried chicken from hot star with its classical salt and peppery taste. Bacon, as always is a wonderful addition to almost any dish, and the eggs were quite tasty. I found this to be executed well and would definitely prefer the milk bun over bao.

Espresso and Matcha got to enjoy this complimentary meal by freeloading off FoodieAdam's invite. But as always, my opinions are solely my own.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

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

King Crab Co - Bulimba

Another weekend means another opportunity for me to shadow my favourite instagram celebrity FoodieAdamn on his food crawls and earn my keep as his trusty hand model (gotta work for my meal I guess). This weekend he decided to take me to King Crab Co, a crab shack along the ever popular Oxford Street in Bulimba, so we hitched a ride on the ferry from Teneriffe and made our way there after brunch despite the rain.

 

We originally found a seat outside for better lighting, but before we could order, the rain was quite severe and we moved indoors. The menu comprised of quite a few options you would expect at a crabhouse, not limited to oysters, lobsters, clams and crabs. 

The bucket of utensils only added to my barely containable excitement. 

Our drinks came first, I had champagne (because bubbles make everything more exciting), while Adam had ginger beer. 

Our entrees came first. We had a kingfish ceviche. It came served with lemon and olive oil dressing, with chilli, fennel and corn tortilla. I loved the fresh tangy taste of the kingfish, and I only wish that there could have been more for me to enjoy rather than the copious amounts of fennel. Chilli and oil provided bite to it whilst the corn tortilla contributed some necessary crunch as well as a a vessel on which to eat the delectable kingfish.

Of course, as exciting as the kingfish was, it was nothing compared to our mains, which arrived soon after.

Of course, that meant it was time for us to suit up!

First off, we had the Alaskan King Crab Claw served in Old Bay Butter. 

The crab was very fresh with a delicious firm texture and the old bay butter was a rich and hearty sauce to accompany the crab, which was also very meaty. I also really appreciated the slightly sea salted taste to the crab meat. The crab was also served with some spicy chorizo, offering a good contrast in texture to the crab.

Our second dish was the red claw which we were lucky enough to try as it was in season. We had it with Singapore Chili sauce. Although the redclaw was smaller and definitely harder to attain, the meat was definitely a lot sweeter than the crab. Coupled with the spice of Singapore Chili, it made for quite a delicious dish.

Of course no crab meal would be complete without a crusty piece of garlic bread to dip into. This was nicely toasted with a crunchy exterior and a dense garlicy interior which complimented the old bay butter sauce exceptionally well. 

Espresso and Matcha got to enjoy this complimentary meal by freeloading off FoodieAdam's invite. But as always, my opinions are solely my own.

Price Range: $25 - $45

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

Atelier Brasserie - Bowen Hills

Date night and for once I let go of my usual domineering tendencies for one evening and let him decide on a place to take me out to dinner (along with the usual annotation that should he fail to impress, this will be annotated on his record permanently). He didn't skip one beat and said that he would take me to Atelier Brasserie, the new chic euro brasserie along King Street at Bowen Hills.

With some prior engagements in the afternoon, we enjoyed a relaxing early evening stroll before arriving at our 7pm reservation.

Seating was varied, with standard seats, high chairs and outdoors seating. Not wanting to sit outside, it still took me a little deliberation to decide that I preferred a lounge seat, although the high chairs did give a really good street view, which I will have to return to at a later point to experience it there.

Our super friendly and professional waitress, Jane provided menus and a passionate and inspired rundown of the daily specials in addition to what her favourites from the menu are. It always makes a difference when staff have tried most dishes from the menu and can give such detailed recommendations.

 

Our drinks came quickly after ordering. I had the Pharmaceutical Stimulant, comprising of vodka, kahlua, cold drip and popcorn syrup. Adam, who actually doesn't drink, had a mocktail of the same, but made with seedlip spice, a non alcoholic spirit. Sampling both, I found mine to be more nutty and rich whilst his was more fruity and spicy, both were wonderfully caffeinated and I had a nice buzz going. Later that evening, I also got to try the Solera Side Car, a concoction of Hennessy Cognac, Orange Curacao, cinnamon reduction and pressed citrus. If I had to describe it in one word, it would undoubtedly be strong. I loved the sweet citrus-y tones which were also very refreshing and crisp.

Our entrees came as we were enjoying our drinks. This was the Tomato Gaspacho with yellow capsicum sorbet. For those who haven't tried before, Gaspacho is a cold, Spanish inspired soup made from blended vegetables, perfect for the warmer months. The tomato soup was very creamy, the vegies were crisp and invigorating, but without a doubt the highlight of the dish was the yellow capsicum sorbet. Despite it being sorbet, it was so smooth and so creamy it was almost gelato like, it was savoury and exceptionally fragrant, making for a wonderful addition to an already striking dish.

Now there is no way that I would ever pass up an opportunity to have Steak Tartare if it were on the menu. So this was an easy choice on my part, the Steak Tartare and Bone Marrow which I have long heard of and of which I have seen countless photographs. Simply speaking, I was not disappointed at all, even despite all the hype I had heard about it. The steak was fresh and delicious with a quite congealed texture compared to the other mince-y tartares I've had at other places. The additional pine nuts and marrow ensured both a light but still buttery texture. I also really appreciate that the fresh beefy taste wasn't overpowered by marinade, as well as the optional extra biscotti that Jane offered when she saw I was onto my second one, loved the attentive service.

After our entrees were finished, dishes were whisked away very promptly and mains came.

Having already tried pretty much everything on the menu, Adam opted for the weekly special house made pan fried potato gnocchi with beetroot, green foam and Parmesan crisp. Sampling some of it, I liked the crispy base on the bottom of the Gnocchi and the refreshing savoury green foam. The Parmesan crisp was also strong and sharp, adding a fair amount of crunch and texture to the dish.

My main, being such a predictable person, was undisputed. This was the Steak frites with red wine jus (I had just had Bearnaise earlier in the day and pepper wasn't an option). The cut was his favourite eye fillet, cooked to a wonderful rare which was executed without flaw. Texture was lean and meaty whilst still tender and juicy. The sauce was rich and strong, when coupled with the steak juices, it was a wonderful accompaniment for the fresh and crunchy french fries. Having tried numerous steak frites through the course of my gastronomical adventures, I would have to say that this would no doubt have been one of the best I've had.

Although my Steak Frites came with a small garden salad, we also ordered a side dish as an accompaniment to ensure that Adam got his day's worth of greens. I loved the fresh crispy leaves and the hints of buttery dressing throughout.

Readers will know by now that there can be no meal with Adam without dessert. Tonight he was able to tick off the last dessert on the menu that he hadn't tried, the Almond and fennel tart. Sneaking a bite (or shall I say, exercising girlfriend prerogatives to take what is rightfully mine), the base was crumbly, meringue was soft whilst the fennel had an almost fruity taste to it. 

Being just a little adventurous for once, I had the Rhubarb and lavender Mille Feuille. I loved the crisp flaky pastry. There were hints of rhubarb and a light fragrance of delicate lavender, which rounded of an incredible date night. 

Price Range: $50 - $70pp

Taste: 9.5/10
Value: 8.5/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 9/10