Truly Scrumptious

ss1
ss2

Category:

Tagged with:

Saigon Shack, New York, USA

Saigon Shack is a small bustling cafe in Greenwich Village just off Bleecker Street. It is a cash only establishment and regularly has a queue outside.
We popped in for lunch and were lucky enough to be seated pretty quickly.
Our starter was summer rice paper rolls with prawns – they were very nicely filled with veggies, noodles and prawns and served with a tasty sauce.

ss 1

I chose rice with shrimp. The shrimp were a little on the sweet side but nicely char grilled and came with a sweet chilli dipping sauce and plenty of salad.

ss 2

My companion chose the Saigon spicy beef brisket pho. This was full of flavour and nicely spiced with herbs, vegetables and noodles making for a heartwarming meal. Very welcome in the sub zero temperatures of winter.

ss 3
ss 4

Saigon Shack is definitely a neighbourhood gem with a nicely varied menu and good service. The food is good quality authentic vietnamese, just remember to take cash because they do not accept cards.

Visit Date – February 2015

Category:

Tagged with:

Pure Thai Cookhouse, New York, USA

We went to Pure Thai Cookhouse on a Sunday lunch time. It is on 9th Avenue between 51st and 52nd Street, a small cosy establishment. When we walked in we were greeted with a cheery ‘sawasdee’ and secured a table within 5 minutes.
The menu was traditional Thai and between three of us we chose chicken satay and beef dumplings/buns to start.
Both plates were absolutely delicious – the buns packed full of shredded beef and succulent without being too stodgy. The satays were authentic and tasty, accompanied by a dish of cucumber, onion and chilli as well as satay peanut sauce. For main course we chose pad thai with shrimp, curry paste with shrimp, chicken with holy basil and chilli, and steamed brown rice.
Wow every dish was superb, quite spicy, but so tasty that the spiciness was overtaken by the deliciousness of each mouthful.

Pad Thai with shrimp:
ptc 1

Curry paste with shrimp:
ptc 2

Chicken with Thai basil and chilli:
ptc 3

Fresh coconut juice:
ptc 4

The service was polite and efficient and the whole meal was around $60 with soft drinks. This restaurant is a neighbourhood gem and a must-try for anybody in NYC who loves authentic, delicious Thai food.

Visit Date – February 2015

Category:

Tagged with:

Pablo, New Farm, QLD

pab 1

Pablo is a nice trendy little cafe in Brunswick Street, New Farm just by the junction of Merthyr Road. There is a selection of tables inside and out, and the vibe is quirky – it’s a little cramped in places, but that’s all part of the charm. Every dish is cooked fresh to order and the place was packed so we were advised by the waitress that we may have a wait on our hands. She was right, we waited around 20 minutes, but it was okay because our expectations had been met and we could see the quality of plates emerging from the kitchen.
Persuaded by the board outside which said ‘Number one hot cakes in Brisbane’, I chose the ricotta hot cakes with lemon curd ice cream, berry compote, cacao nibs, and coconut crumb.

pab 2

The plate was a work of art, garnished with flowers, and the hot cakes did not disappoint. They were light and fluffy and not overly sweet with enough natural sweetness coming from the fruits. the ice cream was smooth, tangy and creamy – a lovely complement to the dish.

My partner chose the breakfast chilli.

pab 3

The chilli was made from slow cooked beef cheek, speck bacon, red beans and chorizo – it was rich, tasty and nicely spiced. The corn bread had a smear of honey which added a hint of sweetness, the egg was superbly oozy, and the guacamole and salsa a nice smooth contrast to the substance of the chilli.
We also chose some drinks – I had freshly squeezed orange juice and my companion had a large flat white which was nicely smooth and well rounded, the only criticism was that the coffee could have been a bit hotter in temperature.

pab 4
pab 5

Pablo is a real neighbourhood gem, and somewhere that I will come back to. It’s easy to see why the locals love this cafe – it has a menu that makes you want to taste every option and the food definitely delivers. Well worth the wait for delicious, fresh, inspired dishes.

Visit Date – August 2016

Category:

Tagged with:

Lima, Fitzrovia, London, UK

Lima is a Peruvian restaurant run by Virgilio Martinez. It’s not a cuisine that I am really familiar with and always keen to true new adventures, I decided to visit Lima on a Friday night. Nestling between Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road on Rathbone Place, it’s not a restaurant that stands out and I almost walked past it. Inside the decor is modern and clean with mirrors everywhere. The wait staff are very helpful and explained every dish in detail.
I started with a cocktail called a Chilcano. This contained Luna Pisco (a Peruvian brandy), Lime, Sugar, Ginger Ale and Angostura Bitters.Very nice, refreshing and slightly bitter, it felt good on the palate.

lima 1

The delicious bread was made of corn and asparagus and came with a yoghurt, lemon and chilli dip.

We were also served an amuse bouche of quinoa with creme fraiche, which was okay but not overly flavoursome.

lima 4

Starters were scallops with yellow aji pepper, muna mint and corn – a lovely flavoured dish but the scallops were thinly sliced and I would have preferred them to be left a larger size.

lima 5

We also had tuna ceviche with tigers milk (a citrus fish marinade). chilli and red onion – a real treat for the senses – this dish was a favourite.

lima 6

The best dish was main course Beef Pachamanca with Black Quinoa and Cusco Corn. The beef was really flavoursome with a lovely marinade, and the corn croquette topped with queso very tasty.

lima 7

Sea bass chalaca was perfectly cooked and came with olluco tuber root, yellow aji emulsion and avocado oil.

lima 8

Dessert included traditional alfajores (biscuits sandwiched together with dulce de leche), dulce de leche ice cream and chancaca honey.

lima 9

Chocolate Mousse (Cacao porcelana) which was rich and luscious with cinnamon cream and blue potato.

lima 10

What a wonderful introduction to Peruvian food. I can’t wait to return to Lima. It also has a Michelin star I note – well deserved.

Visit date – July 2015

Category:

Tagged with:

Hello Please, South Brisbane, QLD

In a little back street called Fish Lane, hides a gem of a cafe called Hello Please. Specialising in Vietnamese street food, dishes like spring rolls, dumplings, chicken ribs, banh mi, salads, curry, rice paper rolls, pho and bun grace the menu, all ingredients fresh and nourishing, and making for a difficult choice because every dish sounded tempting.
We arrived on a sunny Sunday lunchtime and the friendly waitress gave advice on the menu wile she seated us. We sat on the tables in the courtyard where an impressive mural of Ali fills the opposite wall of the gym/boxing club.

hp 1
hp 2

We chose to drink the house soda which was a lovely refreshing mix of lychee and lemongrass. For our food choices we picked a soup dish each and two plates to share – the chicken ribs and the dumplings.

hp 3

The dumplings were a bit quirky – not wrapped in a traditional rice flour dough, but wrapped in betel leaves and filled with full flavoured beef. Very nice both in flavour and texturally and a lot more filling than originally expected.

hp 4

The chicken ribs were an absolute standout dish, with such a beautifully spicy and very addictive crispy coating, succulent meat and a soy dip. Yum – I could have eaten a whole bucket of the ribs alone.

hp 5

My Bun Bo Hue was spicy with a lemongrass broth, pork belly, beef brisket and fine vermicelli noodles. The broth was intense and satisfying with a liberal sprinkling of herbs, mint, basil and beansprouts.

hp 6

My partner chose the Pho Ga which had thicker noodles, succulent chicken and an equally suitable range of aromats and beansprouts.

hp 7

He also chose kimchi – I am not a great fan of kimchi myself, but I did try this house made version which was a little salty but much more palatable to me than the regular versions, which can be quite intensely flavoured.

hp 8

All in all it was a lovely lunch and gave us a nice Vietnamese food fix. I always find Vietnamese broths very nourishing, especially when I have previously overindulged or am feeling tired – they seem to have magical properties which give me a lift.
Hello Please is friendly and satisfying and puts an emphasis on fresh and bright flavours, expertly put together to make a feast for the eyes and the soul. Give it a try – those chicken ribs are to die for.

Visit Date – September 2016

Category:

Tagged with:

Gusto Riverfront, Noosaville, QLD

We came to Gusto because it had been recommended by a taxi driver earlier in the day. We didn’t book, but secured a table fairly quickly. The menu was nice but not particularly inspiring – not one of those menus where you can’t decide because everything sounds amazing.
I hadn’t eaten oysters for a while so I chose half a dozen and my partner chose a smoked trout and potato pancake with beetroot relish, horseradish and dill butter.

Gusto 1

The oysters were beautifully fresh and came with a nice onion and watermelon salsa – they definitely satisfied my oyster craving.

Gusto 2

The pancake was delicious, with a full trout and potato flavour – a very nice dish where the flavours matched well.

For main I chose the salmon with a date and pistachio couscous, rocket and lemon. The fish was high quality, beautifully cooked, and the couscous was a nice amount and full of delicious complementary flavours.

Gusto 3

My partner chose the spatchcock chicken with crispy prosciutto, a broad bean risotto, watercress and parmesan. He thoroughly enjoyed it – again lots of nice well-matched flavours and a well executed dish.

Gusto 4

We enjoyed Gusto and would return, but I would like to see a much more appealing menu. The chef is clearly very talented, but the menu is lacking and maybe it’s the way that it is written or explained. I would also have liked a special option for the main course – a special starter was offered, but not a main. A very nice meal, but an underplayed menu.

Visit Date – April 2016

Category:

Tagged with:

Rogue Bistro, Newstead, Brisbane, QLD

When we lived in Brisbane, Rogue was our go-to brunch venue. Located on Austin Street in Newstead, it has an indoor and outdoor area, and some very exciting brunch options. Rogue also serve dinner which is romantic and equally inventive.

Of the brunch options, Savoury Mince is a particular favourite. Servde with quality bread and two poached eggs hidden in the tasty mince, it is simple but amazing.

Rogue 1

Omelettes are also good with caramelised onion and aioli, the omelette filled with pork belly.

Rogue 4

Scrambled egg, mushrooms and toast with feta:

Rogue 3

Popcorn chicken and waffles with fried egg:

Rogue 5

It’s good to see that Rogue still goes from strength to strength. Great quality food, pleasant service, excellent coffee, what more could you want.

Last Visit – September 2016.

Category:

Click here to find our more

Tagged with:

Princess Thai, Clayfield, Brisbane, QLD

As soon as you walk into Princess Thai – it feels like you are on holiday in Thailand. Greeted by a delightful wai and sawasdee from the waitresses.
The decor is lavish, intricate, and typically Thai, and the atmosphere is warm and comfortable with families and friends gathering in this neighbourhood gem.

Princess 1

The menu is extensive and contains authentic Thai dishes – a nice welcome change – so many restaurants try to be pan-Asian and I always think it is better to specialize in one cuisine rather than trying to be Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Malaysian all at once. We didn’t want to overeat, so we shared a satay starter. the chicken was succulent and flavoursome and the peanut sauce was a perfect accompaniment.

Princess 2

For mains we chose fish in tamarind sauce which was really nicely cooked, lovely fresh fish in a sauce that wasn’t too sour or too sweet, with lots of nice colourful vegetables on the plate.

princess 3

We also chose a chicken panang curry – authentic, spicy but not too hot, and bursting with all of the typical Thai flavours that we love.

Princess 4

We also chose steamed rice and a glass noodle salad with minced pork and prawns. Again, the salad was a very authentic and tasty dish with all the elements of sweet, sour, and hot and a nice textural crunch of peanuts.

Princess 5

We were perfectly full at the end of the meal, and really pleased to have dined here. We will definitely be back.

Last Visit Date – September 2016

Category:

Tagged with:

Le Bon Choix, Ascot, Brisbane, QLD

Racecourse Road in Ascot, Brisbane is foodie joy with several restaurants on this strip, there is bound to be something for everybody.
It is also the place where I found one of the best patisseries in Brisbane – Le Bon Choix.
With seating inside it is the perfect place to have an afternoon coffee and cake.
Every cake is tempting with both individual and (for most) full cake size versions and it is so hard to choose!

Bon Choix 4
Bon Choix 3
Bon Choix 5

My favourite Bon Choix treat is the salted caramel eclair – smooth and luscious,with a cripsy chocolate top – a very well constructed eclair.

Bon Choix

Another favourite was the gorgeous chocolate caramel pyramid.

Bon Choix 2

Bon Choix also make great pastries, almond croissants, and lovely savouries too.

Last Visit Date – October 2016

Category: