Monthly Archives: November 2015

Nov 29 2015

Buzz Bistro – The Emporium

  
Candy cane cup & saucer was most definitely a point of difference at this busy city fringe cafe.  Cleverly matched to the awnings outside the cafe and above the bar, the bold red and white stripes caught everyone’s eye.

 Even though the cafe was busy, we were immediately greeted and seated upon entering.    Here you peruse the menu before heading to the counter  where you place and pay your order upfront.   After this, table service resumes with  your choices delivered to the table.  Surprisingly, for a busy cafe,  drinks and meals arrived quickly.     Delicious olive bread was toasted, partnered with bacon, haloumi, egg and rocket, on the breakfast board meal.  A popular choice judging by the number we saw delivered to various tables.  My choice was a simple avocado on toasted seeded bread.   Nicely presented as well as quite tasty.  Bacon & egg roll in a wonderfully soft roll, with a side of lambs fry & bacon, was hubbys choice.  Judging by the clean plates once he had finished, one could only assume he enjoyed very morsel.

There are a few dining choices in the Emprium, not many for breakfast though,  so check this one out, even if its only for a take away coffee.

Nov 22 2015

Lanna Thai Cafe & Restaurant

  This Thai restaurant has been in the area many years.  Now situated in the Clock Tower group of shops, next to the Carseldine Train station, the popularity of this place appears to have increased.

Bring you own bottle of wine to plonk on the table,and staff will bring you wine glasses, even an ice bucket if required. A bottle of chilled water was also delivered to the table by the friendly attentive staff. 

With a big floor area to cover both inside and out, there were plenty of staff to attend to all the customers.  After the dinner order was taken,  a plate of complimentary prawn crackers arrived at the table. Certainly a nice light start to the meal as compared to the usual bread or rolls at other venues.  

 From the very reasonably priced menu, we chose chicken satay kebabs, plus coconut King prawns as an entree.  At $8 per entree, there could be no complaints about the price!  

 King prawns were huge, the coconut coating made the exterior crunchy however the prawns inside were very juicy.  On the side was a sweet chilli sauce, which was neither hot or overpowering.   Actually quite pleasant.  Soft skewered chicken pieces, coated in a tasty satay sauce, were also a hit.

 
Entrees were filling in themselves, but with mains ordered, one feels obliged to continue the meal😄.   This was the sweet n sour chicken dish. Easy to eat, tasty and not overdone.  Quite a large serving too. 

 Continuing the fish theme, it was on to the calamari.  Very large pieces which even though they were so big, were bursting with seafood juices.   
Luckily we only ordered one bowl of steamed rice, and to be fair, we barely made a dent in it, the meals were so filling!

However at $5.50 per dessert, are you really going to say no?  I thought not! 

 Deep fried ice cream with chocolate sauce and an absolutely Devine Creme caramel.  Perfect way to finish!

One evening, grab your bottle of wine, designate a driver and check this one out.  Even the soft drinks were less than $3 so you’re sure to find something on the menu to suit your budget.

Nov 15 2015

Obsession Restaurant & Bar- Southbank, Brisbane

  Southbank.  One of the delightful areas in the heart of Brisbane with so much to see and do.  Including many which are totally free. Swim at the man made beach, enjoy a picnic and Sunday concert, stroll the extensive walkways, admire the many photo opportunities contained in this area or  partake in a fitness class.  All for free.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, then realise you forgot to pack a picnic basket, (oops!),  now it’s time to choose  from one of the many restaurants in the area.

This trip, we chose Obsession Restaurant & Bar.  On a wet, dreary day, their menu looked to include dishes to satisfy the tastes of all our group.  Asian style with the specials menu above providing choice enough without the main menu.

Service was prompt, polite and very helpful. Now we had chosen our lunch venue, it was nice to sit in a comfortable area, whilst watching others battle the rain.  My choice today was the Hong Kong fried jasmine rice.   Fresh ingredients made this dish, which was light, non spicy as well as very filling.   I have to admit it was a struggle to the finish line, but the dish beat me today.  I just couldn’t finish it all.  Good value for the price.  Hubby loved his Mongolian beef, which he had no trouble devouring.  Still enough satisfy his hunger though, which is always a good thing!  These beautifully fresh, lightly egg white  battered king prawns tossed through Obsessions own aioli batter from the main menu, were a  hit. Resting on a bed of coleslaw, and coated with a most palatable,non spicy, slightly sweet aioli sauce.   A lot bigger than it looks in the photo, there were enough pawns for everyone to have a taste.  Most enjoyable.  Lastly this chicken curry chosen from the specials menu, was apprently mild, and easy to eat. Very tasty. 

Another restaurant for you to try in the Southbank Precinct!

Nov 8 2015

Wheel of Brisbane

  
Take a wander along Southbank before taking your ride on the Wheel of Brisbane.  Book online for some good deals prior, including the VIP cabin for four people. Enjoy the luxury of more comfortable seating nd tinted windows, whilst you wheel your way above Brisbane.

Unfortunately on thus occasion, the opportunity to enjoy a Bubbly in your VIP cabin was not possible as we were informed there were not enough staff to deliver the bubbles today.  Not deterred, we boarded our VIP cabin to take a view of Brisbane.   

    
    
    
    
   
Even on a dull day with a storm rolling in, the view remained impressive. If you are seeking that little extra comfort, book the VIP cabin, very comfortable seating in this one. 

You may only do this once, it was our first time and only because this was on a mates bucket list. 

We would however, love to return at night, hopefully with bubbles!  Check this out, it’s definitely worth a look.

Nov 7 2015

The Crepe Cafe – Aspley

 Not on the menu as fish of the day, lucky for this chap, however this large fish cruising effortlessly through his tank,certainly makes an interesting focal point in the cafe.    Located in the middle of the Aspkey Homemaker Centre, this cafe was an unexpected surprise.  

Big solid tables surround the outside , mainly undercover with few completely alfresco, plus  some inside.  Menu choice is fairly extensive sporting a wide variety of crepes as their signature dishes, amongst other meal choices.  Prices were extremely reasonable, particularly for the big size of the meals.  Another lovely surprise here was the huge smile on the face of the young chap setting up the outside tables on this particular weekend morning.   I would hazard a guess to say he was part of the owners family in which case, it was awesome to see everyone involved in the business.  He was obviously very pleased with himself for having been given such an important job.  Made our day!  Hubby chose the breakfast crepe, which was packed full of brekky goodies, oozing cheese and won him over as being very tasty.Partnering his crepe with a thick shake  the usual latte.  The thick shake he felt was more like a milkshake however,  he did also comment on his large caramel latte which surprised him immensely as being one of the best he has tasted.   For a little known, out of the way cafe, hubby did note this as being worthy of a mention.     My choice of the vegetarian omelette was not disappointing.  The omelette was filled inside with a variety of fresh tasting veges, giving juicy pops of flavour throughout the meal.   Quite a large meal and definitely worth trying.   Very good value, particularly considering our meal for two was barely over $30 including drinks.    This cafe is definitely worth a visit in between furniture and homeware shopping or just to dine at the cafe.   Menus were on the counter where you return to order and pay before receiving your table number. 

Friendly staff will deliver your meals & drinks as well as clear the tables.  Well done to this cafe, a nice surprise !