Andonis - Fortitude Valley

Had read a review on the Courier Mail a while ago and the verdict was that Andonis offered one of the biggest brunches in Brisbane. The photos looked amazing and we made a point to check it out as soon as we could. We went to their Fortitude Valley branch which was opposite to Jacorey, along Robertson Street.

It was lucky we made a reservation beforehand, there was a considerable queue outside. Service was difficult to come by, there was a lot of customers and nowhere near enough staff to sustain the requests. The menu was fairly typical and had an assortment of savoury and sweet options. Coffee was a little expensive though. 

 

Our coffees didn't take too long to arrive. There was a slight mishap in our order, with my friend's piccolo arriving with a flat white which we didn't order. They left it on our table whilst they went to clarify and then took the coffee away after. It seemed a shame to do this when it wasn't really going to be served to another table and we could have enjoyed it without it going to waste. My cappuccino arrived not too long after. Both drinks were fairly strong and although it was a steep price for a medium, the size was fairly decent.

Our food took a really long time to come out, almost 40 minutes to be precise. We would have flagged down a waitress to ask about this but they were way too busy. It was well worth the wait though, when it did get here. Both were huge and it was lucky we decided to have two dishes to share between three.

This was the savoury crepes, they were filled with scrambled eggs, onion and salmon, topped with cherry tomatoes and halloumi. These were absolutely huge and would have been a challenge to eat without sharing. The crepes were a little thick but that would have been required to contain all the fillings. The flavour was light and not overpowering and the hollandaise was very rich. Despite the size it wasn't overly heavy and we really enjoyed it.

Our other dish was also very egg heavy. This was the Spartan Omelette which contained onions, tomatoes, olives, bacon, halloumi, rocket and fetta. It was the size of a small pizza and the toppings were extremely generous. The omelette was well done and quite dense with flour. The flavours were strong and bold. Again portions were extremely generous and made for excellent value. That point alone makes it worthwhile for a return visit soon.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 7.5/10

Value: 9/10

Service: 5/10

Environment: 7/10

Fish Factory - Morningside

Had two weeks off work recently and we decided to catch up with a friend during the break. Wanting not to go too far but still try something interesting, we stopped by the Fish Factory for some fish and chips. As it had been highly recommended by quite a few celebrity chefs. Arriving on a weekday there wasn't too many people and we were lucky to get a seat in the bistro area rather than outside in the heat.

The menu comprised of typical fish and chip fare with burgers as well. I noted that other customers had made other purchases in the actual fish market to supplement their meals with fresh prawns and oysters. We stuck with what we came for and ordered at the counter.

We were provided with a buzzer and the drinks. The food was prepared exceptionally fast which was very pleasing.

We had two value packs to share. This was the mixed grill which contained two bug halves, two grilled prawns, salt and pepper calamari, two sea scallops and chips. Everything was executed to perfection here. The fried elements were lightly battered and not oily whilst the grilled elements were charred without being too dry. I particularly enjoyed the calamari which was extremely tender. The chips were also done well and fresh out of the frier without being greasy.

This was the platter for two. It contained two cod, two prawn cutlets, eight calamari rings, chips and tartare sauce, Again the crumbed cutlets were light and encased some of the most fresh fish I've had lately. The portion of chips were generous as was the tub of tartare sauce. Again the calamari was a highlight for me, being extremely tender and juicy. It's no wonder the Fish Factory is a favourite of so many local chefs, if it wasn't so out of the way, I'd definitely be a regular here.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 9/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10

Motto Mochi Lab - Sunnybank

After the BBQ at Mooink still left us hungry, we wandered over next door to Motto Mochi Lab, the sister store of Botanical Lab for a quick bite of dessert before going home. It had taken up the space that used to hold s52 cafe and the changes have also been fairly minimal.

It was still fairly busy despite being quite late at night and there was only one staff member who was managing everything. He was very friendly. The menu comprised of mainly desserts and drinks. Desserts were largely ice cream based.

 

Having already finished dinner, we didn't dare get a drink and a waffle so between the two of us we had two waffles to share, the boba waffle and strawberry waffle with cheese and matcha soft serve respectively. I liked that the waffles were freshly made and still super hot out of the iron. It came topped with a generous portion of soft serve that was strongly flavoured but not too sweet. The matcha soft serve was especially delicious and fragrant. Other toppings were also generous, there were probably more pearls here than in a standard large size bubble tea. Ordering one between two to share was definitely the way to go and we had to roll out after we were done. I had a good time, Motto Mochi Lab is definitely far better than its sister store in West End and I and would definitely be back soon.

Price Range: $5 - $15pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 6/10
 

Mooink - Sunnybank

Last year was a fairly dismal one for dining out. I was often keen on trying something new but left without much by way of inspiring new options to try. Well that has taken a complete 180 this year and I have seen so many new and interesting places open both in the southside as well as the city. Once such was the newly opened Mooink, which had taken up the site of my much beloved Mapo, which sadly didn't make it. I was glad to see another Korean BBQ take up the spot though, so we made a reservation with a few friends and went after work.

Although the name has changed, the setup was largely the same except for the fact that the BBQs are now embedded in the table rather than being placed on top.

Mooink markets itself as a premium BBQ restaurant, and prices are reflective of the same. Their meat dishes came in sets or as single portions and there were also side dishes, noodles and rice dishes as you would expect in a Korean restaurant. Service was prompt via the bell on the table.

Our table was set very quickly and soon it was toasty and warm.

What makes Mooink stand out above the rest of the Korean BBQ restaurants is their abundance of banchan. We were given eight different ones to try and two refills were complimentary. The banchan was definitely more unique and interesting than the usual pasta and fish cake. Our favourites of the night included the quail egg, potato noodle salad and pickled sweet potato. Garlic shoots and sprouts were interesting and we didn't like the kimchi perilla leaf much.

Other than a bbq set, we also had a kimchi pancake to share. This came freshly fried and cut up with dipping sauce. Compared to other places this wasn't as dry or crispy but it was still flavoursome and delicious.

We ordered the Wagyu Set A which was targeted at 3-4 people. It comprised of wagyu cube roll, wagyu oyster blade, thin skirt, wagyu flank and marinated wagyu karubi. The cuts were well marbled and of good quality but the quantity was a bit small for 3-4 people and we definitely had to add quite a bit of food to be full. I think that next time ordering individual serves may be more value than trying out set meals.

 

The set didn't come with any rice or lettuce so we had to add these. We were charged $9 for wrapping vegetables. This was definitely high compared to other places but the amount we were provided was definitely generous. In fact it was far more than we needed for the meat we were provided. If they had a half serve portion this would have been more appropriate. 

We also ordered one rice as a filler. We probably should have ordered two but we thought that it would have been enough for an addition to a meal designed for 3-4 people. Either way the rice was done well and I could find no faults.

 

Overall I had an alright experience at Mooink. The prices were steeper than you would expect for what you got (I suppose that is how things are these days with inflation) and the meat quality was definitely above the norm. I liked the eight side dishes which were really enjoyable but being not entirely full after the meal was a bit disappointing. Hopefully they pick this up and improve next time.

Price Range: $40 - $60pp

Taste: 7.5/10

Value: 5/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7/10 

Jacorey Dessert - Fortitude Valley

A meal with my foodie friends is never complete without dessert. I really should have kept that in mind before gorging myself on Taiwanese food at the Fish Cafe, but there I was at Jacorey Dessert after a huge lunch, pondering the prospect of dessert. I have previously enjoyed their desserts which have been sold for a while from Hanaro Mart and was quite keen to have them fresh from the store.

Staff were extremely friendly and service was efficient. There was more than the standard assortment of cafe drinks available, with the addition of asian varieties such as matcha latte and sesame latte. Perfect for cold and rainy weather. Prices were on the higher end but I guess that this is to be expected in such a high inflationary environment. 

 

In addition to a very enticing display cabinet, there was also a large selection of breakfast and lunch options available on their menu. I was very interested in their egg sando but will have to come back on another day when I haven't eaten beforehand.

 

Our drinks came out very quickly and they were delicious. My matcha latte was deep and rich with a strong green tea flavour without being too bitter nor too sweet. Dr L's hot chocolate was also rich and decadent with a generous amount of shaved dark chocolate on top. I only wish that the portions could be a big bigger, given we had ordered a large size and this was more akin to medium.

Our food came very quickly after and it was definitely a sight to behold, especially after a large meal. 

 

We had the tiramisu basque cheesecake and sampled some of our friend's souffle cheesecake. Both were absolutely delicious. The basque cheesecake was smooth and decadent without being overly sweet and had a nice strong coffee taste to it and a delicious chocolate truffle on top. The souffle cheesecake was soft and fluffy with a hint of saltiness. I would definitely come back for those two alone. 

Another friend also had several egg tarts. We were way too full to even contemplate trying some but they looked amazing and I would be keen to try some next time.

Still not satisfied with my stomach being considerably smaller than my eyes, I had one of each brownie to go for a late night snack. Flavours from left to right are mugwort, black sesame, matcha, biscoff and chocolate. None of them were overly sweet and were all considerably strong flavoured. My favourite would be the decadent and lightly  bitter dark chocolate, with the fragrant matcha coming second. These were moist, slightly chewy and insanely addictive. I'll definitely be back soon for more goodies.

Price Range: $10 - $20pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 7.5/10

Service: 9/10

Environment: 8.5/10