Pablo & Rusty's

Situated in the middle of the CBD, walking in you feel like every table is having a meeting of some sort. It’s quite busy even after lunch time, as people just come here for coffee. 

food spread

 

Capp-$4, Daintree sticky chai-$6

The coffee was average with decent foam. The chai was quite nice served in a pot with heaps of spices. It could be a bit more 'spicier' but it wasn't too sweet.

Grilled halloumi, red quinoa, kale and almond tabouli, beetroot baba ganoush, zucchini flowers and vincotto-$22

I’m not a massive fan of halloumi, but I do like zucchini flowers, so when the waitress recommended that this was one of their more popular dishes, decided to give it a go. I liked how this halloumi had a little bit of sweetness to it from the vincotto sauce, and the kale went really well with the slight sweetness from the beetroot. The quinoa helped make this dish quite filling.

Galbi jjim beef short rib, brown rice salad, daikon kimchi, pickles & gochujang ketchup-$26

The ribs were quite nice and had decent chunks of meat. The marinade had a nice sweet taste without being overly salty. The Korean ketchup was too spicy for me. I did find the kim chi a little bit spicier than usual. There was a good amount of rice which made the dish again quite filling.

Three Blue Ducks-Take 1 and 2

I was planning to go to this cafe and made a booking online (slowly accumulating those Dimmi points), and coincidentally a day later, this place was awarded 1 hat in the Good Food Guide. I think what really differs this cafe from others is the whole sustainability idea of food, and organic food whilst minimising waste. The whole farm to table thing would be amazing in an ideal world, but realistically, food does travel quite a bit before you even buy it in shops. I loved how they also try to plant stuff in their little garden out the back, even in an eastern suburbs area where land/property is expensive, and not many people even have yards (unless you live in those multi million dollar houses with beach front views). Sort of ironic how they don't serve any duck here though.

food spread

 

Dark chocolate, coconut & berry shake (diary free)-$8 

Sticky chai pot-$4.50

The shake tasted really healthy, especially because it was diary free so not creamy or heavy. So it was a bit watery when you drink it but the texture of it wasn't too thin. I liked how it wasn't sweet soyou could taste the subtle blend of the dark choc and berries. Probably the most opposite drink to a milkshake. 

Roast lamb rump: charred herb salsa, kasundi pumpkin, Dutch carrot & coriander-$32

This dish is small considering the price, but then it's really quality over quantity when you're eating 'healthy' food. Lamb was cooked medium rare, and you could really taste the lamb flavour. Even the pumpkin was small, but all the veggies went well with the rest. The flavour mainly came from the salsa, but in comparison to other dishes I've had, this one has flavours coming more from the ingredients rather than adding salt/butter.

Corn fritters: guacamole, fermented cabbage, jalapeno, herb salad, labneh & poached eggs-$22

#yolkporn

Even the yolk looks more organic. I don't know if it's a psychological thing but it also tasted more organic as well. The corn fritter were cooked very well without an oily residue, and tasted really healthy despite being fried. I could actually appreciate the little bit of a spicy kick from the jalapeño, and the labneh was a nice, healthier alternative as a sauce for the fritters. The avo helped bring some creaminess to the dish, and the salad and acidity from the cabbage helped keep this dish light. 

garden-they even have a few fat chickens

reminds me of those 'hipster' melbourne alleyways with a brick wall and graffiti

Came back here for dinner after our research presentations. Only one taking photos, but #noshame.

Bronte Beach

Tumeric and ginger kombucha-$8

I feel like Kombucha is one of those 'clean eats' type of drinks, and super healthy but only if you're more well off can you actually afford this sort of stuff. Decided to get this instead of any alcohol. It had a nice kick of both numeric and ginger without being overly too strong. It's definitely not sweet at all. I don't mind tumeric/ginger flavour drinks, but I think this is definitely an acquired taste.

Sweet potato hummus, charred onions, black sesame & sourdough-$14  

This hummus was so delicious, with a bit of sweetness from the sweet potato, and topped with onions and black sesame. Wish there was more bread to eat the hummus with, although I did end up finishing the plate without any bread.

Burrata, heirloom tomato, grilled veg & preserved lemon-$19 

Burrata is a funny cheese with a bit of a skin, so had to break it first to scoop and eat the cheese. Loved the variety of veggies in this entree and it went well with the fresh cheese.

Roast barramundi, pumpkin, kale & chickpea salad, harissa-$31 

I hardly order fish when I eat out, because there's always a nicer meat option available. Since I tried the lamb for lunch before, had steak for dinner the night before, and the chicken had a Thai sauce with some chilli, decided to go for the fish. The skin had a decent crisp but could be crispier. The seasoning was all on the skin, so best to eat the skin with some fish. The barra was relatively fresh, and paired well with the sauce, and I could actually appreciate the slight chilli kick to it. My pumpkin was the smallest piece compared to the other dishes though, I guess when they use locally sourced produce, stuff won't be the same size...At least it was plated on a white plate so made taking photos a bit easier compared to on a dark plate.

Lemon tart w/ coconut ice cream-$12

The coconut ice cream was really fragrant and went well with the lemon tart. The acidity balance well with the sweetness, and it wasn't overly sweet. The pastry was quite light and not very buttery, definitely healthier than your average pastry. Still haven't figured out how to make tart pastries/short crust bases without using tons of butter or even tasting the butter at all like this one. Something to figure out in my holidays, but I feel like my holidays are already ending with uni starting soon ish...guess baking adventures will have to wait, and in the meantime I'll keep going on more food adventures (even though they probably take the same amount of time...)

Where to Eat in Brisbane

What to eat in Brisbane CBD in a day. There's actually not a lot of selection, we are truly spoilt of choice in Sydney, and also why we go to Melbourne for food as well. Even when I search up fine dining stuff, the stuff that pops up doesn't really sound familiar, unlike Sydney and Melbs where there are more well known fine dining places. Actually, country Victoria actually have some top restaurants as well. Anyways, quick Google search and decided to try these places in a day trip/

Coffee Anthology

food spread

Capp-$4

Iced Latte-$4.50

Food is a bit cheaper in Brisbane, well the food here was all less than $20, but coffee for $4? Pricier than Sydney CBD average of $3.50. Love the coffee art here, especially when the barista puts some effort into latte art, cause I can tell you from experience, even doing a 'free hand pouring' heart isn't easy. The flavour of the coffee was more mild, less milky and could have a bit more froth on top. I guess if you're not a coffee drinker the flavour would suit you, but I think coffee lovers would find the flavour isn't strong at all. The iced latte wasn't every strong in flavour either. I like the colours of their coffee cups, even if Tiffany Blue colour is patented, this is close enough.

Coconut panna cotta w/ housemade granola, pineapple, kiwifruit, mango coulis 

Also had fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and edible flowers

Lots of pretty panna cotta popping up in cafes since it's summer, and I love the colours in this one. This is a lot pretty and taste better than my homemade granola. They spelt panna cotta wrong on the menu though. The panna cotta had a nice wobble, but the texture would have been smoother/creamier. I think they used some coconut milk or cream since it was a bit grainy in texture compared to your normal panna cotta. The mango coulis gave it a nice sweetness and the berries balanced well with some acidity. Edible flowers just make any dish prettier.

Buddha bowl: housemade falafel, pickled carrot, spinach, black rice, avocado, cucumber, mint yoghurt-$14

This bowl is surprisingly filling especially with the black rice. The falafels were a bit dry and crumbly, luckily there was the mint yoghurt to go with it. The avo portion was decent, pickled carrot gave the whole dish some acidity. Definitely a healthier option compared to the eggs benedict.

Truffled eggs benedict w/ two 63 deg eggs, house hollandaise, toasted sourdough, snow pea tendrils, salsa verde w/ pork belly-$16

I thought this was a decent price for eggs benny with 2 pieces of pork belly. The pork could have a crunchier skin, but luckily it wasn't overly seasoned. You could definitely taste the truffle oil in the hollandaise, probably a bit too strong and overpowering the actual hollandaise sauce, but I love truffle flavoured stuff so it still works for me. Salsa verde had a slight minty taste, but this dish worked well together overall. I feel like in Sydney you would pay $20+ for this stuff, then again, house prices are also more in Sydney. 

#yolkporn

 

it's a half indoor and outdoor courtyard style cafe

menu

The Three Monkeys

This place is a nice place to just chill. It looks small from the outside, but as you walk in it has a lot of seating area. It has sort of Turkish theme and really lovely decor inside. Definitely different compared to other cafes I've been to.

Chai Tea-$4.95
Iced coffee-$6.25
Mango and passionfruit cheesecake w/ whipped cream-$7.95
Turkish delight-$1.20

The chai tea was served in a massive. They brew the tea leaves then add milk, so it's not sweet compared to your chai lattes where it's mainly in powder form with sugar included already. There was honey but I prefer it not as sweet. I was expecting a bigger hit of chai, but for people who don't really like their spices, this is probably a decent level of chai tea. The iced coffee had a decent hit of coffee in it. The cheesecake wasn't too heavy or dense. Loved how there were real bits of mango in it. Turkish delight tasted like normal, and the sugar in it was balanced with my chai tea.

cakes

courtyard/outdoor seating

Brew

This place definitely gives off Melbourne vibes, situated in an alleyway, plus basement, and graffiti like outwork. Price wise it is more expensive compared to other places.

Velvet Latte-$3.80

I thought it would be red velvet, but this latte had hints of beetroot in it, but sweet and just a little bit acidic but still milk. It was quite an interesting latte.

Signature Brew Burger: slow cooked beef brisket, double smoked bacon, American cheddar, house relish, dill pickle w/ shoestring fries and kewpie mayo-$17

It is on the small side for a burger, and I didn't really find anything special with this, so not really worth imo. It was a bit saucy and overly seasoned mainly from the bacon. The fries were mostly hollow and didn't have enough potato inside. Not worth the high-ish rating on Zomato tbh.

 

Mos Burger

Sushi burger w/ BBQ beef-$7.50

I didn't have time to have Mos Burger in Japan earlier this year, so I had it in Taiwan Airport and thought it was average. They don't have one in Sydney, well we have Gojima which is also pretty good. This one looks small but is surprisingly filling, mainly due to the condensed/packed in rice patty. Beef wasn't overly flavoured with marinade/sauce. It did take longer than I expected for them to make it.

I'm sure there's heaps more places in eat in Brissy, but these places for a day trip are decent.