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.

   

   

Blu Water Grill

Fun mother daughter dinner date x2 somewhere close-ish to home. Haven't been to Hornsby for a while, but it's nice to know they still offer free parking after 6pm (unlike parra who changed to after 7pm, and no free parking at all in December). There are plenty of outdoor and indoor seating, we opted for indoors since it was a hot summer's evening. Quite a lot of people there on a Sunday night.

wine case

hanging lights

Risotto of the day (main): creamy chicken, bacon, mushroom, peas and mozzarella-$25.90

Looks small from this angle, but there was more than enough to share between 4 people. It was super creamy and cheesy, so would be a bit heavy for one person, but perfect to share. Lots of tender chicken with strips of bacon. Would have like more mushroom. It was perfectly seasoned, creamy and cheesy but not overly salty.

Crispy skinned king salmon w/ watercress, rocket, cucumber & preserved lemon salad, spicy water melon salsa-$28.90 

Watermelon made the whole dish so exciting and refreshing! Bit of pepper to spice things up. Heaps of greens with a lovely tangy dressing on top of the salmon. Surprised the skin remained crispy after the salad was placed on top, a million photos, then slitting it into portions. Salmon was fresh, but slightly cooked a bit over but not overcooked like my last encounter...so definitely satisfied.

Tapas Plate: Grilled chorizo w/ honey glazed Spanish onions Kumera chips w/ spicy cumin yoghurt, Twice baked crispy pork belly bits, served w/ pita bread-$22.50

pork belly

sweet potato chips

The tapas plate was value for money, so happy with this decision, and it's perfect for sharing. I chose the pork belly, which was crispy, and not too fatty. There were over 8 pieces in there. The sauce kind of reminded me of an Asian marinade, which is different for Western pork belly style since it's normally just salted. So delicious. Also chose the chorizos, but since sausages are generally quite unhealthy, this wasn't really popular, but I love my chorizo, so ended up having most of it. The extra onions with sauce if perfectly balanced with the bread, since the chorizo itself is quite heavy on flavour. The chips were cooked to amazingly as well, and loved the health-ish yogurt dip. Chips were soft and not oily. Amazed at how all 3 dishes plus our own small dishes and glasses fit onto the table. Two waiters came to place the food and rearrange the table-that skill on point.

Dessert: Lemon & pistachio buttermilk pannacotta w/ Cointreau gelato & toffee 14.5

yummm

Yay-panna cotta served on a dish, and it did indeed have that 'wobble' effect. The panna cotta was really refreshing and not too creamy, maybe because of the buttermilk. There was a lemon jelly-like thing on top, with lemon zest. On the side were cut up strawberries, and pistachio crumb/toffee, which gave the dish a sweetness and texture, and a good nutty flavour. The gelato tasted like the alcohol-kind of like that artificial sweet orange flavour...Melted quite quickly, but homemade is generally like that, still loved the smooth and creamy texture. Presentation was simple and rustic.

Pot of soy-$4.50

On the receipt it said English breakfast tea, but this was just soy milk warmed and served in a teapot. It was enough for almost 4 full cups, so no idea how one person would finish it...We ended up sharing it between 4 people since we were super full.

night

The staff are super lovely, and happy for us to share 3 main dishes, and 1 dessert between the 4 of us. They knew if we needed anything straight away. Decently priced for a place up north, and no extra charged for a Sunday night dinner. Hope to be back to try more!

Haven-Xmas Menu

Really wanted to try the gnocchi we missed out on last time, so made sure to wake up early in time for it (or before they sold out), and to try out the new xmas themed items on the menu.

Marilyn Watermelon Iced Tea Mocktail-$6

Look at that colour-on point. There were watermelon bits in there which wasn't properly blended in which made it really hard to suck through with a short straw, so ended up using a spoon, but the tea is refreshing and not artificially sweet at all.

capp-$4.00

love coffee art, delicious as always

we got this special, not bad for $25

Baked duck breast burger-$14.50

Loving that presentation, especially the 'wow' factor when it came onto the table.

different angle

duckkk

So I wanted to try the soba which is carbonara based soba noodles, but that didn't have duck, so of course I chose the duck option. There were about 3 pieces of duck decently sized, and it was super juicy and moist! Loved the fresh mulberries, along with cranberry sauce and some splashes of vinegar (I think) for acidity. Plenty of greens to balance all those carbs. The cheesiness on the bun also tied the dish nicely, giving it a some creaminess.

Housemade gnocchi and mushroom: poached egg, parmesan cheese, soy seared mushrooms, tomato kasundi-$14.50

Whe I read the description, I thought it was definitely value for money since it was relatively cheap with quite a few different ingredients, and gnocchi isn't easy to make. I guess in order to do that, the portion size needed to be smaller. There wasn't a lot of gnocchi, and was a bit towards the burnt side. It's more doughy and not enough potato or that kind of chewyish/bouncy yet soft texture. There was quite a bit of oil at the bottom of the dish, but the flavour of it was really nice. Loved the cheese crisps to dip into the tomato or egg yolk. It got slightly spicy in the end for me, but luckily I had my iced tea.

foood

 
Tea infused panna cotta-$10.50

Again, love the colour of this! Such a vibrant pink/red, with a burst of fresh minute garnish, and edible rose petals. I think MasterChef would have said it was a 'cheats' panna cotta since it's not flipped onto a plate to see if it 'wobbles' properly, but this is a cafe and not a fine dining restaurant. It was served in a glass with a jelly like topping with a hint of tea. This panna cotta is a tad but runnier and not as creamy as others, but the flavours were still so delicious, and didn't taste sugary. Could stare at this all day, haha.

Haven now shouts your meal every hour until Christmas, and also a chance to win free coffee for the year on the public holidays, too bad I'll be working and can't try my luck to get freebies.