Amoroso - Yeerongpilly

Although it has been freezing cold lately, this hasn't dampened my passion for Amoroso's matcha gelato. With a recent opening in Yeerongpilly Green, less than 3km from home, I have often considered going out after dinner for a late night gelato run. Finally, I mustered up the motivation to go in spite of the cold.

Arriving after dinner on a Friday night, there was a surprising number of customers there, and we queued up for service. 

The gelato flavours on offer were more or less the same as their other stores although I definitely did not remember seeing that they had protein shakes on offer elsewhere. There was also a reduced selection of basque cheesecakes. 

 

Opting for two scoops each, I settled on the standard matcha hojicha combo where as Dr L had the chocolate and houjicha. If anything, Amoroso is fantastically consistent in their offerings, as usual the flavours were delightfully intense without being overly sweet and the texture was smooth although not as good as Milani at Sunnybank. If anything, I will be back for the convenience it offers me and am definitely keen to try out their cheesecake as the weather stays cool.

Price Range: Less than $10pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 6/10 

 

Skylab Charcoal BBQ - Algester

Given my most recent experience with Chinese BBQ skewers was less than idea, I thought to give it a bit of a break before trying anything new. Unfortunately, my mum had other ideas and on a whim decided that we should go try out Skylab Charcoal BBQ, a stones throw away from home, in the now bustling shopping strip in Algester suburbia. With no apparent english signage, it was definitely likely to be authentic.

The shop was large but fairly quiet for a Monday evening. Other than us, there were only two other tables. There was only one waitress looking after the entire venue.

Menus were promptly provided along with a marker to indicate our choices. There was a fairly large variety of choices including spicy seafood dishes on top of skewers and the usual suspects. 

First to arrive were the lamb skewers. Each serve comprised five skewers. With Chinese BBQ, you can never really tell value until you see the final product because there is often significant variation in portion sizes between restaurants, however this was definitely one of the better value ones I've had lately. The lamb was tender and well seasoned with spices and cumin without being overly hot. My only criticism would have been that it could have been served a little more charred than it was.

Beef and chicken skewers came next. One serve had ten skewers and these were again excellent value. The beef was much like the lamb, tender and flavoursome. I would definitely order this again. The chicken was a little bit odd, being tempura battered chicken breast. The light salt and pepper flavour was definitely contrasted by the intense beef and lamb. This was probably the weaker of the skewer options that night, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Next up we had a serve of grilled oysters. These were very delicious, with a generous amount of garlic, chilli, vermicelli and spring onion, the flavours were again very intense. Portion sizes were also generous, each scallop was fairly large and tender. This would definitely be a must order next time I go back.

Having experienced a fairly depressing fried rice at another BBQ restaurant lately, I was hesitant to order the same prawn and egg fried rice, but upon mum's insistence we did. This was definitely a far better rendition. Each granule of rice was distinct from the rest, making it a fairly good fried rice, it was flavoursome and the portion was generous. I would only have liked it if there was a bit more toppings, but for the price, this was reasonable.

Our final dish was a cold noodle. Again portions were impressive. It contained shredded cucumber, half an egg, braised beef slices and kimchi. The noodles were chewy but not to the point of Korean cold noodles which requires scissors to cut. The soup was also cold but not icy. I didn't mind the mild sweet tangy flavours and although not as good as Korean, I would order this again.

Overall a very pleasant experience at Skylab Charcoal BBQ. Portions were generous and the total spend for four that evening was easily what Dr L and I pay when we are out together alone, making it excellent value for money. I can't wait to come back again and try their other dishes.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 9/10

Service: 6/10

Environment: 6/10

The New Hot Pot - Acacia Ridge

Despite the slew of restaurant closures that you see on the news these days, there is also a considerable amount of new openings. One such opening is The New Hotpot, situated at Acacia Ridge, second store in the chain (the original is in Gold Coast), and probably the only Chaoshan style hot pot in Brisbane right now. Ordinarily, I would have waited to try it out, but a friend was very keen and noted that they have a grand opening special of 12% off in the month of June, so off we went.

One of the main reasons I was also captivated by this place was because it was so unbelievably popular. I had seen a considerable amount of posts on social media and they made it very clear that without a booking, patrons will be turned away. We only managed to snag a table for Tuesday night at 7.30pm, at which point the place was (and remained) entirely full. Decor was very basic and it was evident that they had a much stronger focus on serving good food rather than making the place look nice, which I can definitely agree with.

 

The menu was short, with one page entirely comprising of beef cuts and the other side provided three soup options, veggies and sides. 

Sauces were limited to chilli garlic, satay, soybean and soy sauce, complimentary and readily available on the table.

Our food arrived almost instantly to our table and it was filled up entirely. For those uninitiated to the joys of Chaoshan hot pot, there are a few significant differences that make it stand out from our usual sichuan style hot pot. Firstly, the soup base is extremely light in taste, with delicate flavours from bone broth. Secondly the sauces on option are also light in taste to allow for the original flavours of the ingredients to shine. Thirdly Chaoshan hot pot has a strong focus on hand cut beef. Indeed the menu at The New Hot Pot did not offer any alternatives for protein.  

We ordered the original beef bone soup so that we could better appreciate the broth. We were given the option of adding turnip and corn, which came in the pot. As advertised, the broth was definitely very delicate, reminding me of Korean beef bone soup. It reminds me a lot of hot pot soup from home and didn't have any MSG taste to it.

Other sides we ordered included enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, deep fried tofu skins, fresh tofu and tripe. Portion sizes were adequate for the price in the current economic climate. Ingredients were tasty and undoubtedly fresh given the high turnover.

We also had a serve of beef tendon balls and tong ho. The tendon balls didn't taste particularly different to beef balls, even though they were a little bit more expensive. The tong ho was also fresh and intense in flavour. 

Whilst the sides were good, the main event for us was definitely the beef platter, comprising of 350g each of rump, brisket, shin and oyster blade. None of these came with signage, so the best we could do was make an educated guess as to which cut each was. 

The beef was cooked in the giant strainer in the pot to ensure it wasn't overcooked. Being hand cut meant that it was definitely thicker than machine sliced. The meat itself was tender and fresh, complimenting the garlic and chilli sauce well. Having said that, growing up in a home environment where hot pot is a frequent event, the beef tastes hardly any different from the hand sliced variety my mum often serves. 

Overall it was a good experience for me to check out the new restaurant to see what all the hype is about. Whilst my experience as definitely a positive one, the taste and flavours were light, delicate and homey to the point where it tastes no different than a hot pot I would have at home. In consideration of this, I probably won't be back, simply because I can have the same for free at home on request. For those without a mum to prepare this kind of dinner, I would recommend you try it out!

Price Range: $45 - $55pp

Taste: 7.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 6/10 

Snug - Coorparoo

Of all the suburbs that come to mind for cafes and brunch, Coorparoo probably wouldn't make the top three list in Brisbane. However it has undeniably been growing and developing well. Last week, we made the quick trip out to Snug, the fairly newly opened Korean inspired cafe along Chatsworth Rd for a catch up. We had purposefully timed it earlier in the morning, but it was completely packed by 9AM.

We found ourselves seated on the long wooden bench overlooking the open kitchen. Best seats in the house. I loved the warm cozy environment, however there were a number of flies in the restaurant, despite it being well into autumn. 

 

Menus were obtained at the counter. Both the food and drink menu was fairly short but well curated with a definite Korean twist. I was actually very keen to try the Omu Rice, but it was too early in the day for me to have such a substantial meal.

Given how busy the venue was, it was expected that food and drink would have taken a while. Our drinks took around 25 mins and it was evident by then that my cappuccino had been sitting on the counter for a little while. Having said that, it was still very warm and for a regular, the size was generous and strong. 

Our food came before our drinks. Sitting on the kitchen bench, we were lucky to be able to watch as our meals were prepared.

Queen V had the soup of the day which came with a pretzel. Although the colour of the soup reminded me of mushroom more than anything, it was a miso soup. This was rich and creamy, a lot thicker than miso soups that I am used to, but an interesting rendition nonetheless.

I had an egg drop sandwich being their signature dish. The milk bread was thinner sliced than I had imagined, having seen pictures of very thick cut milk toasts, however the egg was done exceptionally well, scrambled to a perfect consistency. There was also a generous amount of stringy cheese in the sando along with fresh crisp lettuce. For the price, I think it was a very decent sandwich that I wouldn't mind returning for. In summary, we had a good time at Snug, and I wouldn't hesitate to come back which is quite something given the state of the breakfast scene these days.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7/10 

Lulu Ramen - Paddington

 

I wasn't too keen on having ramen as my most recent experience has been quite disappointing. However I was keen to still go to Lulu Ramen whilst they were still in their soft opening period and I had a promo that was expiring soon, so Dr L and I decided to go for a friday night date after work.

I hadn't been to the Nash street hub for a little while but it was extremely packed for a Friday night and we were lucky to find parking. The restaurant is located in the complex with Uncle Don. It was surprisingly large for a ramen restaurant and there were plenty of seats.

 

Paper menus were provided, we had the option of ordering via the QR code on the table or at the counter. I understand that the menu will change once they officially open. Special mention ought to go to their unlimited free extra noodles.

Unlike other ramen restaurants, each table was pre-set with a number of condiments as well as a small box of hair ties, which was a very thoughtful gesture for those with long hair. 

It didn't take long for our gyoza to come out. These were filled with a meaty prawn filling and fairly juicy. The skin was crispy and they had some skirt on them but the skin was a bit thicker than I would have liked. Otherwise, it was a solid gyoza, albeit a little bit expensive at $15 for a serve of five. 

 

Our ramen arrived perfectly timed as we finished off our gyoza. We had two to share so that we could both try and compare.

First up was the Special Chicken and Bonito Chitan Ramen. It comprised of clear chicken and fish broth, dried bamboo shoots, king oyster mushrooms, duck breast char siu, chicken breast char siu, soft boiled egg, black truffle sauce, black pepper, shredded green onions and snow peas. My first impression of the bowl was that it was surprisingly small in portion, being roughly half the volume of our other bowl. Having said that, the bowl was very delicious, I liked the umami but not too salty chicken and fish broth, the duck char siu was melt in mouth buttery whilst the chicken char siu was tender. The egg was also perfectly cooked with a runny yolk, the noodles had a deliciously al dente texture and the truffle sauce elevated the experience to a whole new level. Overall a very satisfying bowl, but considerably steep in retrospect when considering it is only a few dollars off from Taro's annual truffle special.

Our other bowl was the Spicy Chicken Paitan Ramen.  It contained chicken white broth, chilli oil, fried minces garlic, king oyster mushrooms, chicken char siu and shredded green onions. Although the bowl appeared larger, this was not as exciting as the special. The chicken and noodles were again very enjoyable but the soup, although creamy and rich, lacked the depth of the other clear broth and we also found it to be a tad sweet. Having said that, this was still a solid ramen, with Lulu managing to pull off a delicious creamy soup despite being chicken based. I can't wait to come back and try their new menu.

Price Range: $25 - $35pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10 

Ramen Works - West End

Although I haven't played Pokemon Go for years, I have been told by some friends that the community is still alive and thriving. Catching up with some friends who are huge fans of the game after a day of hunting, they ended up in West End and we decided to enjoy some ramen together at the moderately new Ramen Works along Montague Street.

Although they didn't take reservations and the restaurant was fairly small, it didn't take that long for us to get a table for six (luckily), but people who came after us did have to queue outside.

 

The menu was short, as is for most ramen shops. There were less than a dozen ramen options and side dishes. Rice dishes are available during lunch hours. Notably, extra noodle comes at a steep $2.50 per serve. We ordered and paid at the counter.

Although extra noodles came with a charge, they were generous with condiments as well as pickles, ginger and crushed garlic, which was available on a self serve basis.

Our food arrived fairly quickly despite the large order.

We started with a serve of takoyaki to share. This was freshly fried, hot and crispy. It tasted like the the store bought ones I frequently get from Japanese supermarkets and weren't anything special.

Dr L and I both ordered the Works Ramen, being the signature that contained all ingredients.

We opted for the karaage chicken to be served on the side so as not to get wet from the soup. The bowl itself was impressive and very full. It contained charsiu, egg, wood ear mushroom, seaweed, sprouts leek and spring onion. The charsiu was tender but not overly fatty and the egg was a tad overcooked. The chicken was freshly fried, crispy but a little dry. However what stood out to us above all else was how unbelievably salty the broth was. It was so salty that it would have met the threshold for me to have spoken up if asked how our meals were, and if it was any saltier, I probably would have taken active steps to speak with staff to have this addressed. The saltiness definitely overpowered any flavours of pork bone the broth would have had. Other than that, the noodles tended to be a lot firmer than I ordinarily prefer.

For $2.50, this was the serve of extra noodles, it was even firmer than the ones in our bowl and I didn't particularly enjoy it. 

Perhaps this experience was a once off fluke on the part of Ramen Works, but given the abundant variety of choices in the area for ramen, I don't think that I would be inclined for a revisit anytime soon.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 5/10

Value: 4/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7/10