Krispy Kreme - Brisbane CBD

After a disappointing dinner, we were keen on having dessert that could guarantee our satisfaction. With this in mind we wandered over to get some doughnuts take away from their new branch along Albert Street.

WIth its glorious doughnut display it was definitely hard for me to make up my mind on which ones I wanted to order. 

It was however, easy for Dr L to just pick four different varieties of chocolate, so that's what we got.

We shared the chocolate cheesecake, chocolate iced, cookies and cream and chocolate brownie batter. Despite the fact that they were pushing on the boundaries of what I consider to be excessive sweetness, these were crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Paired with some hot green tea, it was comforting and immeasurably enjoyable, especially after a disappointing dinner.

Price Range:

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: N/A

Charmy - Brisbane CBD

Friday night after work and I was keen to get some Korean Food. Having tried almost all the places in the city, Charmy was one of the last on my list. Being fairly obscure and not having read that many reviews, I had left it on my list for some time now. Finally time to check it out.

 

I was initially a little confused by what they meant as a food and bottle shop, but this became apparent right after entry. The front half of the store was a casual sit down restaurant, whereas the back was a fully stocked bottle shop. We got two soju from the back to go with our food. Having seen the menu online, I was surprised to see that it had been heavily condensed to just bar snacks. The most substantial of our meal was the snack sized korean fried chicken which was pre cooked and served barely warmed and with no dipping sauces. At least it was fairly moist and lightly crunchy.

Other snacks we ordered included a grilled hotdog with mustard and ketchup. This was fairly standard, thought we were going to get the battered Korean style sausage but it obviously wasn't. It was literally a boiled sausage on a stick. There was though, an abundance of sauce on the sausage which would have gone well with a bun.

Of the remaining things on the condensed menu, we also got a ham and cheese toastie to share. Again there was nothing special about this at all, and I could have made exactly the same toastie at home for a fraction of the cost. Was fairly disappointed at the limited menu and quality of food, would be sticking to other Korean restaurants in the future.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 5/10

Value: 4/10

Service: 5/10

Environment: 6/10

Hikari - Teneriffe

Being a huge fan of Japanese food, Hikari at Teneriffe has been on my list for some time now. Being somewhat out of my usual sphere of existence, we made some plans to check it out with some other foodies a couple weeks ago to try it out. Being in a fairly large group, we made a booking well ahead of time and were seated outside, luckily the weather was pleasant.

 

The menu wasn't traditional and covered a few modern fusion options such as baos in addition to your standard bento boxes, sushi, sashimi and other sides. Always up for sushi, we chose some rolls to share.

First to arrive was the Tiger Roll. With seared tuna, shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber and spicy ponzu, it was very intensely flavoured. The roll itself was also quite small compared to our usual go to at Oishii, the tuna was thinly sliced, as was the avocado. I did enjoy the prawn tempura though.

Our next roll was the Ultimate Tuna. With spicy tuna tartare, cucumber, tuna sashimi and spicy ponzu, it was also extremely strong flavoured with a sweet and spicy flavour that I couldn't really appreciate the freshness of the tuna. Again, the tuna on top of the roll was very thinly sliced and each piece was quite small. 

Our favourite dish of the night was the very original and creative Salmon on Crispy Rice. Again with strong flavours of sweet sticky sauce covering the salmon, we were unable to appreciate the more subtle flavours. What I did really enjoy though was the deep fried crispy rice parcel underneath which was very crunchy.

There were two desserts on the menu, a Matcha Cheesecake and a Ginger Creme Brulee. We were lucky enough to be able to try both. The cheesecake was thick and rich, with a generous amount of lightly bitter matcha powder sprinkled on top. It would have been very decadent to eat alone so I was glad it was shared. Not being a fan of ginger, I was surprised how much I liked the creme brulee. With a slight warmth and spice, it was smooth and light, making for a dessert I would definitely come back for.

Price Range: $30 - $50pp

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

Penny Coffee - Dutton Park

Further on in my exploration of nearby areas, we walked over to Penny Coffee a couple of weekends ago to grab some brunch. It was really busy and we were lucky to have gotten a table. I definitely recommend booking to ensure getting a seat. 

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With both indoor and outdoor seating, we were seated out the back under the shade. I understand that the menu we were provided was a condensed one, but there were more than enough options for us to pick what we wanted. 

 

Our drinks came fairly quickly. Between the three of us, we had a filter coffee, a dirty chai and an extra strong cappuccino. For someone who has been long deprived of barista made coffee, this was smooth, rich and strong. It definitely hit the spot.

Food took a lot longer than our drinks but they were definitely worth the wait.

My first friend had the shakshouka. Trying some myself, it had a rather undercooked egg with a very raw yolk and moderately cooked whites. The tomato sauce was very strongly flavoured with sharp hints of capsicum as well. If I wasn't able to make it at home, I probably would have ordered this myself. 

Another friend ordered the reuben, This was well toasted and fillings were generous. My companion really enjoyed it.

I had the eggs on toast with a side of mushrooms. The dish was quite small and there were only four halves of mushroom even though the price for the side was quite expensive. The bread was wholesome and I enjoyed it, but it definitely needed more by way of condiments such as butter or relish given the lack of sides. The eggs were done really well though with a perfectly runny centre which was lightly salted and delicious.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

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

Blue Reef Fish and Chips - Annerley

Have been unable to explore as much as I would have liked to whilst restrictions have still been in place, as a result of this, we have taken the opportunity to check out our local take away restaurants and cafes a lot more. Seeing as we had some friends over for board games the other weekend, and being too lazy to cook for once, we phoned up our local fish and chip shop to get some take out.

Having their menu online was a great help, meaning that I didn't have to wait too long after arriving for me to get my food.

For the record, a seafood basket for three is less value for money when you factor in the fact that you get less drink (one 1.25L drink) when baskets for two or one provide 600mL per diner. Having said that, it wasn't a huge concern for us, so I still got it for the sake of convenience. 

Other than the drink, the meal comprised of cod fillets, calamari rings, chips and a garden salad. Portions were definitely generous and we struggled to finish it all.

The highlight of our meal was without a doubt the super crispy fish fillet and calamari with a light and crisp batter than came straight out of the fryer. There was so many chips and that really filled us up, but compared to the fish, they were no where near as crisp, and only lightly salted. Luckily we had the tartare sauce to go with the chips. The salad was also fresh and crisp but devoid of any sauce at all, which would have made it a lot more enjoyable. All in all, it wasn't bad for a suburban fish and chip shop, but it doesn't compare at all to the specialists.

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

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

Italian Street Kitchen - Newstead

Having gone to eat at Newstead quite a few times lately, I couldn't help but be attracted to the fragrance of garlic and napoli sauce as it wafts through the air. Having been open for at least several years, it was interesting, I hadn't heard too much about it. But last weekend we decided it was time to check it out.

Making a reservation early, we were seated and the restaurant filled up fairly quickly. The menu had a vast assortment of starters, mains, pizzas, pastas and desserts. Prices were very affordable. 

Without being prompted, we were provided both still and sparkling water, which meant that both Dr L and myself were satisfied. 

We ordered fairly quickly given seating times were limtited. First to arrive was the Mac and Cheese Croquettes. These were deep fried to a crisp with extremely hot and stringy centres, I found the batter to err on the side of being a bit thick, but it was decadent and rich. Dipping sauces would have improved the taste a lot.

Our pizza for the night was of course the Carne Amore, meat lovers. The base was deliciously thin, with a doughy texture and crisp burnt edges. The meat was abundant, with strong bbq smokey bbq flavours which I enjoyed a lot. This was definitely a highlight of the meal.

From the main dishes, we had a serve of slow cooked lamb shoulder. This was fragrant and tender but a bit on the oily side and the portion was a little small to constitute a main size.

Of the pastas, the first we tried was the carbonara. With its creamy white sauce and al dente mezze maniche, we were grateful for the salty guanciale to cut through the decadence with its salty taste and crispy texture. Portions were extremely generous and I really enjoyed this dish.

Our other pasta was the classic beef lasagne. Like the carbonara, the portion was very generous. It was a little on the burnt side but flavours were intense and there were layers of stringy cheese between each sheet of pasta. Definitely a dish to come back for.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8/10

Sushia - Brisbane CBD

Workday lunch and I decided to try out another sushi bar rather than sticking to my usual at either the very convenient Sushi Kim or the very delicious Sushi D'Lite. Making my way from Myer, the bright yellow signage of Sushia, making a good opportunity that I took advantage of.

Compared to the usual places I go to, there was a far greater variety of sushi rolls, nigiri as well as pre made donburi. In a hurry, I opted for the sushi rolls to go. Rather than being given a box, they were placed in a paper bag, which was a fairly unstable method of carrying more than a couple rolls.

Despite there being no box, there was no lack of abundance in plastic as each roll was wrapped in plastic. Ordering four to go, two salmon avocado, one chicken schnitzel and one prawn cutlet. Fillings were sufficient but not overly generous. They were fresh, but neither the chicken nor the prawn were particularly crispy. What was particularly disappointing was that the rice was quite firm and cold from refrigeration. I would definitely have preferred room temperature rice, if not fresh rice. Guess I'll be going back to my usuals next time.

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

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