Yakiniku Hachi - Brisbane CBD

Right after the opening of Amai Kawaii in Fudo Dori, came one of my most anticipated restaurants, Yakiniku Hachi. At the Charlotte Street end of Fudo Dori, its focus is of course on its namesake yakiniku. For those unaware, Yakiniku 焼き肉 translates directly to grilled meat. As an avid fan of burning flesh, and a tabletop cooking enthusiast, Iron Fist and I hit it up after a movie on a lazy weekend. 

Arriving somewhat late, almost at 7pm, there was a small lineup outside the restaurant, however as they were larger groups, we were lucky enough to still score the last two seater at the bar without waiting. It was interesting to note that even though I expected most of the clientele to be students from the accommodation upstairs, there were far more families eating there.

The menu as expected, comprised largely of meat dishes along with some lunch specials and some sides. Ordering was a little confusing, since the menu seemed to suggest there being some options in the choice of sauces and marinades, but we weren't asked what we wanted other than the cut of meat.

Our tabletop charcoal grill was set up very quickly. I loved the fact they used charcoal instead of gas or electricity, however the net on top of the grill really wasn't affixed to the stove at all and there was a considerable amount of risk in the net falling onto my lap as the burning meats cooked. I really hope they fix this before it actually does injure someone in the future. 

We had considered just getting a shared wagyu platter, but was advised that it would be suitable for 3 - 4 people, so instead we got a selection of meats a la carte. This was the Premium Wagyu Beef Rib.

This is the Wagyu Beef Rib.

This is the Miso Marinated Pork Belly.

Last meat dish, we had the Wagyu Beef Skirt.

To balance out the meat, we had a veggie wrap set for good health.

The charcoals were extremely hot and flames were intense when the fat rendered as it cooked. We really enjoyed the textures in the wagyu beef rib, the main difference in whether it was a standard or premium cut appeared to be how well marbled it was, with the premium cut having a good mix of fat within the meat fibres, the standard cut had large strips of fat throughout the meat. Comparatively, the wagyu skirt had a bit less fat and the meat texture was a bit chewier. All beef dishes were marinated with a sweet soy glaze which meant that dipping sauces were a bit redundant. The pork belly was fairly fatty, but this also added to the flames. I liked the rich creaminess of the miso marinade, which provided a nice contrast to the soy based beef.

Wrapped up in lettuce and added with crispy garlic chips, these were juicy delectable morsels of goodness. Can't wait to come back to try some more.

Price Range: $35 - $50pp

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

2019 Matsuri - Mt Gravatt

Got asked by a friend to accompany him to check out Matsuri, the Japanese food and culture festival at Mt Gravatt Showgrounds last Saturday, so we headed over for a relaxing afternoon just before closing time.

The festival itself was a little smaller than I had envisaged, there were an ample amount of food stores and other gifts and trinkets on offer. 

Thankfully lines weren't too long.

Kicking off we had a bonito onigiri and some matcha chocolate to share from Shunsai.

The chocolate was unbelievably rich and creamy without being too bitter nor too sweet. I wish I could have gotten a box to take home.

Sharing half a bonito onigir, this was served up warm, which I always love. The rice had a perfect texture, the nori was fresh and crisp, whilst the bonito was salted to just the right amount. Definitely reminded me of Japan.

Never one to walk past some fresh takoyaki and not order, we got a serve to go from Rollipolli Takoyaki. Made fresh to order, they were served steaming hot and scalded our mouth on the first attempt to try them. Having said this, the octopus content was high and we loved the crisp batter.

 

Also trying a matcha latte from Matcha cafe, I found this to be rich but also quite sweet. Next time I'll have to ask for a sugar reduction.

In conclusion, great day out, can't wait to try again next year!

Amai Kawaii - Brisbane CBD

Has been a while since my last post on the openings at Fudo Dori, the ever popular revamped Elizabeth Arcade, now built in with a brand new student accommodation upstairs ensuring a constant flow of foot traffic. Planning for the laneway was obviously meticulously thought out with the curated offerings that complimented each other without overlapping. 

This time, Brisvegustation and I checked out Amai Kawaii (literally sweet and cute) on the day of opening. Having been waiting for quite some time for it to finally open, I was super keen to check it out.  

A display at the front of the store showcased the variety of crepes they had on offer. Despite the fact that it was a dessert store by nature, it was nice to see that there were a considerable amount of savoury crepe options.

Whilst the menu also covered non crepe options such as shaved ice and parfait. 

Ordering up front, I was pleased that they were set up to take card on the first day of operations. Behind the glass, we were able to get a first hand view of our desserts in the making. Despite the fact that there wasn't much of a lineup before our order, my crepe took around 10mins to make, whilst Brisvegustation's took in excess of 20mins to make. 

 

The end result was quite interesting. I ordered the Choco Strawberry Crepe and he had the Premium Creme Brulee Crepe. Both were freshly made and the crepes were nice and hot. We did find that both our desserts were heavy with cream and custard. The creme brulee crepe wasn't as caramelised as we had expected, although it was a bit singed at the top and the paper cone almost caught fire. I did however really enjoy my fresh strawberries and wish that there was more chocolate sauce on my crepe. 

Ended up going back a couple weeks later with a couple friends. Decided on the Premium Creme Brulee Crepe just to see if it had improved. Compared to our first try, there was definitely a marked improvement. Served with two crepes, copious amounts of custard, strawberry and chocolate, it was very decadent. The crepes were a little thicker than usual but I did enjoy the caramelised sugar on top. 

Price Range: $5 - $15pp

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

Jessie's Girl - Petrie Terrace

Another weekend calls for another brunch. This time we went to Jessie's Girl, which had been on Adam's list of places to try for a while. Situated up on Petrie Terrace, we opted to take a quick bus ride up rather than walking from the CBD. 

With inside and outside seating, we opted for inside but at a window so we could still watch the cute puppies that walked by during our meal. Staff were friendly and enthusiastic which was great.

There weren't too many options for food but we were able to find something we each liked respectively. I noted the absence of sweet breakfasts that Adam always gravitates towards such as waffles or pancakes. We were curious about the juice on the drinks menu, but the prices were a bit confronting, so we just stuck with our usual coffees.

He had a cold drip and I a cappuccino. Beans were from Coffee Supreme and I really enjoyed the well balanced flavours, low acidity and hints of chocolate in the blend. 

Food came soon after, served with a smile.

He had the Big Girl Brekky, which came with scrambled eggs (alteration from standard fried eggs), bacon, sausage, garlic mushrooms, house pickles, potato scallop and aioli on house sourdough. Without context, this could be easily mistaken for my usual go to type of breakfast. The eggs were fluffy, sausages well seasoned as were the mushrooms. Normally I'd be disappointed when there is only one slice of sourdough, but there was definitely enough other elements to compensate for it. Having said that, the price was a little steep for a big brekky.

I opted for the weekend special of savoury garlic french toast with mushrooms and a poached egg. To this, I added a side of bacon. The two wedges of brioche were deliciously fluffy and infused with a good amount of garlic. I didn't have too much by way of mushrooms, and when you consider that it without adding bacon there would only have been one egg to accompany the dish, it was definitely small and not great value for money. As for the bacon, it was well fried but also very oily and I had to cut off considerable amounts of fat before consuming.

All in all, a novel experience but not one that I'll be in a rush to return to.

Price Range: $25 - $30pp

Taste: 7/10
Value: 4/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 7/10

Morning After - West End

Have wanted to try the brunch offerings at MorningAfter in West End for quite some time since seeing the amazing photos online. Last weekend we finally decided to go and check it out. Despite the rain, we walked the 20 minutes from Southbank to work up our appetite.

It was lucky we made a reservation earlier as the restaurant filled up extremely quickly after we were seated. For those who enjoy communal tables, this was an option, but we decided to have the individual tables at the back. With the rain, outside seating was definitely out of the question.

Normally its fairly easy for me to choose a dish for breakfast as only one or two dishes stand out as it contains elements I favour. In this instance, there were quite a few things I wanted and it proved very difficult for me to make a decision. 

Cold winter's days always call for batch brews. This morning we were so cold that even Adam went for the hot alternative. Hot and fruity, but not overly strong, it did the job for us.

As I was saying previously, we had a hard time deciding what to get, so instead of one each, we had three meals between two.

There was little doubt in my mind that Adam would order the peanut butter waffle, banana ice cream, seasonal berries, strawberry dust, meringue and maple. This was definitely a decadent dessert. Trying a bite myself, there was an abundance of peanut butter, both inside the waffle and outside of it. Coupled with fruity sides, it offered some lightness to balance the indulgence.

To share, we had the signature MaMuffin, sausage, egg, american cheese, spiced pickled chutney and hash brown. I had been craving this muffin for years since I first saw the photo online and it was just as good as it looks. The sausage was seasoned well and quite spicy, I like the crumbly texture which melted in my mouth and mixed well with the strong cheese. Spicy chutney added a kick to the mix but hash brown was definitely on the oily side.

My pick for breakfast was their signature Carbonara with papardelle, 63 degree hens eggs, field mushrooms, smoked pancetta and manchego. Basically, this was glorious messy goodness on a plate. The papardelle was cooked al dente, mixed in with the creamy egg sauce it was so comforting. Both the panchetta and mushrooms were fairly salty and balanced out the dish.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

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