Hello Weekend - Sushi Sushi (Chermside)

I have always been a huge, huge fan of sushi and it is definitely a struggle for me to not have easy access to reasonable priced nigiri sushi here in Brisbane.

Until I found Sushi Sushi.

A nation wide chain, Sushi Sushi is one of the few food court stalls that in my opinion do better nigiri sushi than their sushi rolls. Their business at Westfield Chermside is always brisk, with a good crowd during meal times. You can choose to pick the sushi rolls and nigiri sushis you want, or opt to buy a pre-made box set of sushi.

Their fresh salmon nigiri sushi is a delight to have, as the slices of fish are firm and sweet. We also chose some of their aburi sushi from the ala-carte range and were pleased to have tasty unagi and salmon sushi. It would be perfect if the sushi were torched just before serving, to give the warm exterior, but I shall not complain.

The sets are great to have when you want variety and do not mind a little treat. With a few slices of sashimi, some maki rolls and nigiri sushi pieces, you are guaranteed a delicious meal. You can also get some sides such as seaweed or squid included, if you are willing to pay a little more and choose the bigger bento set.

It may not have the class of Sono but Sushi Sushi definitely delivers for a food court stall. The food is always fresh and good though may be pricey if you want to have a good and filling meal there. Did I tell you that they also allow you to order online? I think it is brilliant as you can now order big platters of sushi and/or sashimi for the next party you host!

For the convenience and quality, Sushi Sushi is now one of my go to places for a quick fix of sushi. I cannot wait to try ordering some platters online!

Sushi Sushi (Chermside)
Shop 387
Westfield Chermside Shopping Centre
Cnr Gympie and Hamilton Roads
Chermside, QLD

Phone: +61 (07) 3359 3331

Hello Weekend - South Side Diner

I was really excited when I read about the opening of South Side Diner. A diner style themed restaurant serving up milkshakes and burgers, Mister T and I thought this was what Brisbane needed, adding something more to busy rows of eateries in South Bank.

Mister T and I decided to drop by prior to our evening at the Ben and Jerry's Open Air Cinema, which turned out to be a really big mistake. First up, service.

We arrived a little past half past four in the afternoon on Saturday and were greeted by a staff who told us that the kitchen is currently only serving snack food items like fries and wings as it is between lunch and dinner hours. Fine by us. She then asks us if we would like to sit at the counter or table, outdoor or indoor, and then promptly tells us she would have to check if any of the tables are still available for us. We thought this was a little confusing as you have just asked us where we would like to seat and then tell us you need to check if there is even a seat available in the entire restaurant, that was still 70% empty.

After consulting a fellow staff, we were directed to an outdoor table and instructed that "The table has been reserved for 6:30pm". We were not asked if that would be good for us, we were just brought to a table and then told it was booked for an evening appointment. We understand the need to honour reservations but it would have be appreciated if we were talked to nicely and asked properly.

We tried to brush it all aside as it is after all the first few weeks of operations and staff can still be flustered. Service got a little bit better with Andy, our server for the afternoon. He was prompt and frequently checked in on us, which we appreciated plenty.

We ordered a side of Big Fries with Chicken Salt, and while a little pricey, it definitely hit the spot. The fries were huge and chunky, and we could not stop devouring them with their hot, fluffy potato insides.

As big fans of chicken wings, we were utterly disappointed by the Buffalo Wings. While we applaud South Side Diner for using really huge chicken wings, we think there is plenty to work on with regards to the sauce and batter.

Firstly, the batter was very thick, making it very unpleasant to eat. The chicken was also seemed to not be seasoned at all, so the flavour of the dish relied entirely on the sauce. This failed as well since the wings were not entirely smothered in sauce which also brings us to the other problem - the sauce.

We were expecting something tangy with heat, but all we got was a really thick sticky sauce that was sickly sweet like ketchup with a teeny weeny bit of spice. Overall, we did not enjoy the wings and would have preferred another portion of fries if we could turn back time.

The menu at South Side Diner definitely looks promising, and based on the crowds it is evident that we are not the only people keen to feast on some good old American diner grub. I still have my eye on some dishes like their Fried Duck and Beer Battered Onion Rings. But if our dining experience is any indication of how the food is across the board, I doubt that Mister T and I will be coming back any time soon. Here's hoping that it is all just kinks that need to be worked on and a better meal at South Side Diner!

South Side Diner
Shop B8/B9
Grey Street
South Bank, Brisbane

Phone: +61 (07) 3844 3040

The Opening of Sushi Izu

It's finally opened! Sushi Izu finally opened at our neighbourhood Woolworths!

Sushi Izu has had an agreement with Woolworths nationwide to open up sushi shops within the premise of Woolworths outlets. And I was very excited to see that the plans made its way to Queensland and to Nundah!

A small standalone shop in the supermarket, Sushi Izu sells a variety of sushi to cater to everyone. From sushi rolls to sashimi, and even portions of the edamame and vegetable gyoza! The staff work in a space right behind the display shelf and you can see them quietly, slicing huge fillets of salmon to making the rolls on the spot.

To me, a test of how good a sushi shop or restaurant is, is how good their Salmon Nigiri is. Without any cooking or fancy sauces and garnishes, it allows one to know how well the rice was cooked, and how fresh the salmon is. The ones made by Sushi Izu was nice and fresh, and the price seemed more reasonable compared to the other rolls and sushi available in my opinion.

I could not go pass a perennial favourite, the Tempura Prawn Roll with Avocado. One thing about eating tempura sushi from take away sushi places is that you do not get the crunch and crispness of freshly cooked tempura, and this was no different. The tempura batter was a little soggy but you could still taste the freshness of the prawn and it tasted good with the rice and avocado.

With so much going on in the box, I had to give the Crunchy Tempura Prawn Roll with Brown Rice a shot. The crunchy bits on top looked and tasted more like crisp rice puffs of sorts, which was disappointing as I was expecting bits of tempura batter. Like the Tempura Prawn Roll, the batter and crispy bits were a bit soggy. I also found the brown rice overcooked, resulting in a soft sticky mush.

The range available was good for a shop that just opened. The staff are very friendly and greet shoppers when they can. I think that they need a better way of displaying what is available as some types of sushi are hidden right at the back of the display shelf. I am thrilled to now have the option of salmon sushi a little closer to home when I need my fix.

Bonsai Botanika

To end off J's two day stay in Brisbane, we headed to Bonsai Botanika for some coffee to round up our meal at Taro's Ramen & Cafe. We walked past Bonsai Botanika the night before and loved the pretty interior and thought it would be worth a try.

With decor that is warm and welcoming, Bonsai Botanika is apparently split levels with the ground level being a cafe and the second level serving up meals like ramen. One can peruse the huge menu banner right at the front, or you can choose to squint and look at the menu hanging right above the cashier. The menu offers a range of coffees and can be a little confusing if you don't know what is what.

The cake display is a beauty, filled with an assortment of flourless chocolate cakes. J and I could not resist and ordered a slice to go with our coffees.

Once again, our order was presented beautifully. Our Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake was served with the sauce in a beaker and a garnish of rhubarb. The cake was delicious, though a little on a pricey side. It was perfect accompaniment with our lattes, one with hazelnut syrup and the other with caramel.

The coffees were decent, cake yummy but the service unfortunately needs some tweaking. Staff seemed to be preoccupied with chatting among themselves instead of greeting diners upon arrival and that defeats the purpose of the cosy and warm ambience created by the decor and furniture. I enquired about the food menu with the cafe staff only to be told that there are no menus for us to browse through and would have to go upstairs to enquire about the menu. We found this a tad bit disappointing as it would have been great to have checked out the meals available.

Overall, Bonsai Botanika is aesthetically pleasing but needs to work on the overall dining experience. I may drop by for coffee and cake but it would be hard to go pass a meal at Madtongsan II or Taro's.

Dining at Taro's Ramen & Cafe

With J flying off in the evening, we decided to go have some ramen at Taro's Ramen & Cafe. I have only dined at Taro's once and remembered it to be tasty and filling, good for an afternoon break before heading back to work.

This treasure hidden in Brisbane CBD is located on the ground floor of the Boeing House. Even Mister T who works in the city did not know of its existence till this lunch date with us. J and I headed down early to avoid the lunch crowd and waited for Mister T.

Mister T got the Tonkotsu Ramen with a soup base made from Bangalow Pork bones and boiled over two days. This creates a very rich and flavourful soup that is not overwhelmingly salty.

J and I went for the Red Tonkotsu Ramen, a popular choice at Taro's. This is the same as the Tonkotsu Ramen, except topped with Taro's home made chilli oil. Adding a slight kick to the dish, the chilli oil definitely adds on to the flavour profile of the noodles.

Another component that makes a great bowl of ramen are the toppings and Taro's does not disappoint. The egg was cooked perfectly, with a soft, slightly runny yolk and slices of char siew that had a melt-in-your-mouth consistency.

This was another delightful meal to be had, and a definite must try if you are keen to have something warm and hearty for lunch!

Hanging Out at Madtongsan II

Meeting up with friends is always a good thing but it gets even better when you are actually meeting up with friends from home! I guess that is the nice part of having friends who travel a lot, the chances of catching up are heaps better and makes me miss home that little bit less.

As a regular visitor to Brisbane, it was a no brainer picking our dinner choice as J too loves Madtongsan II. And while dinner was later than usual, it was great to be able to get a table immediately instead of waiting in line.

A night out with friends calls for some drinks and the usual suspects of Makgeolli and beer did the trick. Nothing like gulping something nice and cold to start off the dinner!

A must order for us is a serving of piping hot Soon Dubu Chigae (Spicy Beancurd Stew). Chockful of mussels, prawns and beancurd, this savoury stew is comfort at its best.

Japchae is another favourite and it has never disappointed. Glass noodles cooked with plenty seafood and vegetables, this is a very moreish dish and we could not stop picking at it!

We decided to try something new and the Spicy Chicken and Cheese looked interesting. Arriving on a sizzling hotplate, the dish looked more like a pizza without the base. Smothered in cheese, this dish needed to be eaten while it is hot before the cheese hardens. It was very savoury but the spice level was a little too much for us. It would be good to have by itself with mugs of icy cold beer though, but not entirely sure if we will order it again.

Dinner was as always satisfying, but the company was what made my night. J has always been my Madtongsan II buddy and that makes the restaurant so much more special to us!

Hello Weekend - Wagaya

I like to stay home during the weekends, to have a sleep in and a lazy day with the mister. But there are times I just want to go out and explore the city and this was one of those weekends.

We have been wanting to try Wagaya but never seemed to be able to get a table! So we decided to grab an early reservation this time to avoid the crowd and any possible disappointment. The booth seats are perfect for a night out in the city. It allows for diners to have a cosy feel while eating and also gives a little bit of privacy.

They also have an interactive ordering system, where guests order directly with the screen placed at each table. This takes away the sometimes annoying part of getting the server's attention on a busy night so that was a pleasant part of the night that we loved. It also allowed for the staff to focus on serving the food, which meant less distractions and food coming out faster.

We started the evening with Home Made Gyoza and these were yummy. Cooked to a perfect crisp and the filling had a bite, which is a plus.

The Tonkotsu Ramen was tasty and filling, but I don't know if I will order this again as there is a lot more on offer on the menu that we need to try!

We ordered a whole lot of fried stuff - Ika Fry, Chicken Karaage and Deep Fried Octopus. All of them arrived hot and crisp, and would have made perfect accompaniments to mugs of icy cold beer!

The meal ended with Hamachi Aburi Roll with Miso. That was the highlight of the night for me. The top of the sushi roll was still warm and the touch of miso was the perfect addition to the overall flavour of the sushi roll.

Overall, the meal was not the best Japanese I have had, but one must remember that Wagaya is more of a casual get together and it is perfect for that. I have my eye on the Mentaiko Spaghetti and many other dishes so I think we will be back!

Hello Weekend - Mura Sushi

An afternoon drive led us to Bulimba and Mura Sushi was our choice for dinner as we wanted nothing but a quick, small bite.

Mister T can never say no to Japanese Curry so he had to get the Chicken Curry. It was a HUGE bowl of food and a definite stomach filler. The chicken pieces were crispy and while there was nothing to complain, there was no wow moment either.

I ordered the Dragon Roll. The presentation was impressive, on a nice sushi board. The prawn was in a crispy coating and the slices of eel delicious. My only dislike? The sushi roll drowned in way too much sauce! The whole roll was way too sweet for me to enjoy it properly.

It could be possible that we have ordered the wrong things, or that Mura Sushi was having an off day we were there. But with so much there is on offer in Bulimba, I'm not sure if we will be back any time soon.

Madtongsan II

I always have a problem when picking a place to eat in the city. While we would love to dine at somewhere new, we never like to be disappointed with a bad dining experience. In times like this, we just head to our usual hangout Madtongsan II.

Apart from the Lemon Soju, I love sharing a drink of Makgeolli (an alcohol made from a mixture of rice and wheat).

The food has yet to disappoint and when we are not in the mood to pig out, the individual portions are perfect. This time I had the Spicy Pork with rice and I am salivating just thinking about it now. Apart from the long snaking queues one encounters during the weekends, Madtongsan II is the perfect place to have a casual dinner with awesome food and reasonable prices in the city.

An evening feast at Sono Portside

Japanese food has always been a favourite of mine and Sono has definitely been on my must-eat list. Having received the numerous awards over the years, I really was looking forward to our meal. The Portside location is indeed breathtaking. The interior is spacious with plenty of seating and a beautiful view for the lucky few seated by the windows. The staff were pleasant and polite, adding on to the already bustling atmosphere in the establishment.

We started off with a small Sashimi Combination Platter. Presented beautifully, the slices of fish were very fresh and had a good firm texture.

We also ordered a serving of the Unagi Nigiri an absolutely loved it! The eel was meaty and very flavourful, with a portion thick enough for bite. It was so good that we decided to order the Unagi Kabayaki.

Which was a little disappointing after the nigiri sushi. The plate of eel was not as delicious as that of the nigiri sushi, lacking the bite and thickness of the former and too much sauce for our liking.

The weather had just started to warm up a little and we thought some Tenzaru Soba would be better compared to a hot bowl of noodle soup. The noodles were refreshing and tasty when eaten with the hot and crispy tempura. The prawn and fish tempura were a delight to munch on and a definite must order the next time.

While it may seem silly to order fried chicken at such a high end establishment, we really wanted to try Sono's Chicken Karaage and see if it would wow us.

And wow us it did. The chicken pieces were cooked perfectly, moist and juicy, and had incredible flavour. It is delicious by itself but I was very happy that I did try the dipping sauces provided. The dish is accompanied with three sauces - garlic mayonnaise, chilli tomato and ponzu sauce, and the chilli tomato sauce is the clear winner. A whole combinatiom of sweet, tart and savoury, it complements the chicken wonderfully.

Craving fish, we also placed an order for the Black Cod Saikyo Yaki. It was a beauty to look at, a whole piece of cod cooked beautifully that had a delicate miso flavour. I secretly wished we had ordered nothing but a few portions of this as our whole dinner!

And finally, I could not leave without having the Sono Tonyu Soup. I have been imagining it in my head from the moment I have seen it on their website and am glad to have ordered it. The seafood soup in soy milk was warm and soothing, and certainly comfort food. The price tag is indeed a hefty one (aud$12) for an individual portion, but a good occasional treat.

Did we overeat? We surely did but I was happy we made the trip to Sono. The entire dining experience was great and we will definitely be back!