Good Friends at The Chelsea

My lovely friend Ruen is in town for one last tour around before he relocates back to Singapore for a while.  We went out to The Chelsea at the Barracks for dinner.  The food was so fresh and flavoursome. It was so great to catch up and laugh about lots of silly things together!  I'm going to miss Ruen a lot...

Insalata Di Granseola

This week we celebrated Angela's birthday with an impromptu mid week lunch at Il Centro Eagle Street Pier.  Helen and Angela slipped away from work meanwhile I was lucky enough to arrive back in time having been on the Sunshine Coast that morning.  The food was excellent just as it has been the past few times we have dined there.  Helen ordered the Insalata Di Granseola (fresh crab and avocado salad with tomato gaspacho) which was certainly well presented.  The other dishes were just as scrumptious.

The Sardine Tin

A couple of weeks ago we met up with friends for a quick bite before seeing Herbie Hancock at QPAC. The Sardine Tin is a small tapas and wine bar just a few minutes walk from the theatre.  The food was fantastic and so moreish, too yummy to stop for photographs!  We ordered all the day's specials and a few more, everything came out at lightning speed.  I loved the way they wrote reservations out in chalk on their metal tables.  We're looking forward to going back to try a few more off their tapas menu.

Image source:
http://6lumens.com/blog/2011/01/sardine-tin/

Currumbin

Having enjoyed our fair share of sun yesterday we decided to push on in search of food.  A short drive up to Currumbin Surf Club for dinner at sunset.  The club was bursting with life but we still managed to find ourselves a table on the balcony overlooking the rocks, Currumbin Beach and sea towards Surfers Paradise.  Fresh whole barramundi with kipfler potatos and salad, just what we were after.

Lady Marmalade

We are yet to be allowed back in to our flood damaged apartment building for the second week running.  Hence this weekend we decided to distract ourselves from feeling displaced by seeking out new places.  We visited this cafe for breakfast on Saturday called Lady Marmalade.  I had recently read a review in some local street press and decided to check it out.  We were not disappointed as it had some of the tastiest, most unpretentious food not to mention the cafe's own coffee blend which was perfection and such great value!  I also loved the quirky mismatched vintage furniture, cutlery and crockery decking the place out including this fun use of an old timber ladder wall mounted as a magazine rack.  Can't wait to go back next weekend!

Sunday Lunch

It's been a mad busy week with a busier one ahead.  We decided to take some time out for lunch today and took the opportunity to pay the recently opened South Bank Surf Club a visit.  South Bank was packed with weekend revellers.  We were able to grab a table on the river side deck and enjoyed a relaxed lunch overlooking the Sunday markets and riverside pool areas. We picked up some chocolate from Max Brenner afterwards which also opened recently. There was certainly an endless queue for tables.  Churros from the market was a much shorter wait and very delicious!

Image source:
http://www.loveisaroundtheworld.com/
http://local.my247.com.au/

Happy Birthday Anton!

Yesterday we celebrated Anton's birthday with an indulgent dinner at the Crosstown Eating House. We ordered starters to share followed by mains and dessert with plenty of wine. The food was delicious! The restaurant is across the river in Woolloongabba along Logan Road. This area has recently been revived with an inviting mix of restaurants and retail while maintaining the charm of the older style buildings.  A while back we had dinner at Enoteca 1889 and we're looking forwards to visiting Pearl Cafe again soon.

http://www.thecrosstown.com.au/

Kuan Yin Tea House

Kuan Yin Tea House has been in Fortitude Valley for about ten years and is one of the few vegetarian restaurants around town.  I used to grab lunch there quite often with Tammy when we were at QCA together.  I stopped going for a while until recently when James and I rediscovered the restaurant and started going there for dinner.  The place really does not have much of a fitout and the entrance is a little quirky and adhoc but the food is very tasty, fresh and excellent value.  Service is also prompt and friendly.  My favourites tend to be the rice dishes which come in bento style boxes with various condiments.  James had a wonton noodle soup on Friday night and we also ordered a side of dumplings and a savoury pancake to share.  If anyone is considering opting out of meat even if it's just for a brief change and want to try the food, Kuan Yin is directly across from the entrance to Chinatown on Wickam Street.

Moray Street Brunch

It has been a while since our last catchup with Ange.  Rather than indulging in the usual chocolate rich morning tea we decided to have brunch at Moray Cafe in New Farm with Jo also joining our little party. I love sitting along the bench in behind its glazed facade with the daylight pouring in from above.  Were there room for plants inside it could be a fantastic little conservatory.

Lunch by the Beach

Popped into Noosa on the way home yesterday for lunch and a stroll.  I hadn't been since Hastings Street had been redeveloped so for me this was a treat.  Noosa is so green and lush.  At first I was a little annoyed by the fact that development could occur directly on the beachfront however I do like the fact that the traffic is separated from the beach.  The restaurants and cafes dotted along the beach don't have to compete with the bustle of the main retail strip.  The boardwalk makes them quite accessible and the view so inviting.  We enjoyed fresh mahi mahi with Pimms No.1.

Birthday Dinner

Every time James asks me what I would like to have for dinner on any occasion be it anniversary or birthday or whenever really, I always say Japanese!  I really should leave off the sashimi for a while as I just love to have it and should try to be a bit more adventurous and have something other than Japanese cuisine.  It's just that it's so amazingly good! This was dinner at Sono in the city tonight, chawan mushi and a large platter of sashimi.  James gave me a pair of the cutest Marc Jacobs ballet flats, I can't wait to wear them! I bought myself a gift too, a Canon S90 camera. I'm so looking forwards to taking lots of photos on our trip up the north coast this weekend. Here's hoping for unseasonably warm June weather!

Dinner on Onslow Road

During my trip over to Perth last week I visited Galileo Buona Cucina for dinner one evening with work colleagues from our Perth office.  This is a great little Italian restaurant situated on Onslow Road in Shenton Park.  It has a simple warm decor and serves great food.  I'm also keen to try the much lauded restaurant Star Anise next door when I'm over there again.

Anniversary Dinner

Last night we celebrated three years of being together.  James planned the evening starting with a trip on the ferry along the Brisbane River.  We stopped off at Portside Wharf to have dinner at a Japanese restaurant I've been wanting to try for a long time.  Sono Portside was absolutely lovely and served a delicious menu.  Platters of sake tasters, sashimi, ponzu oysters and chawan mushi were devoured with enthusiasm.  Japanese is of course is my favourite cuisine!  We finished off with refreshing Japanese desserts then made our way leisurely home.

Flower Drum | Red Door

We want this to be our front door!  We had the opportunity to dine at Flower Drum on Saturday.  A restaurant renowned for its Cantonese cuisine.  The food and service was immaculate of course.  The glossy red door with a Chinese lattice motif caught our eye from the start. 

At The Lark

Earlier this week my Dad put the call out for a family catchup.  Stuart, Lachlan, Bec and Dad (Ron) met up at the local golf club for an afternoon drink before connecting up with Helen and I for dinner at The Lark; a little hangout/watering hole/casual restaurant in Paddington.  Dad had picked the restaurant.  The service was great and our waiter was decked out in an impressive vintage style.  The beauty of this outing was that we were able to give Dad a hard time about one of his previous (and very unfortunate) restaurant selections while acknowledging that he had redeemed himself tonight.  Our get togethers always seem to be a hoot one way or the other.


Image source:
http://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/Travel/Products/ProductView.aspx?id=16410

Lavender Milk

A quick catch up dinner with Ruen before he heads home tomorrow morning. Tammy suggested a quirky Taiwanese restaurant on the Southside. It had a crimson wall covered in photo frames and "Lavender Milk Soup Set" on the menu. We had to try of course. It was interesting and quite tasty really. They had amazing tea blends too!