The real Chinatown (i.e. Market Square) has got to have a few surprises up its sleeve each time. Okay, this is not quite Market Square but it is within that vicinity. Not only of its specific area, but maybe even in the whole country, it has got to be one of the most unusual, unique and characteristic places that you can eat at. If not, at least for Brisbane this is close to as experimental as it gets. Everyone can come here and enjoy some food, with the accessibility and openness it has - just come along here one day with some friends and see for yourself.
For the longest time this had been on my dining buddy/house mate's hit list, and it had also been on mine as well. There were few places that were as unusual as it, and with all the hype that it had been getting, it was only a matter of time before getting there. That had mulled for a while until on weekend it was time to just go for it, and get this one over with. In the end, every single bit of food was memorable in some way. If rumours are right, then knowing who is behind this, chef Terry Leung of the former Food and Soul, then you know fully well that you are in for a treat. If it is someone else, then they must be taking a big influence from Mr. Leung.
What also helps is the service. While it did not have Mr. Leung's presence, which is something special I can tell you that much, it still had the right elements of casual and professional mixed together. The girls here were quick, and attentive, getting orders at the right times, knowing when to take the plates away, but also did it at a relaxed and leisurely place. It is not necessarily where a quick lunch between business would take place, though not out of the realm quite yet.
To go with the nature of the restaurant, the decor is pretty apt. At Sunnybank, or in this particular part, the decor that stands out is usually rowdy or a bit crappy, nothing that would be written home about with some exceptions (usually yum chas). It is a bit different here, having somewhat of a minimalism to it. There are some cute decorations around the place, it is got some Japanese influences and there is that cuteness to it with the diminutive area that they have. The most notable part of it all is that small al fresco area they have that goes into the carpark. It is under shade, surrounded, and has some of the same charms as inside. In fact, we were suggested to go out here when walking in - good reason (i.e. lots of food).
Look, let's put it this way with the menu. It is one that has to be seen to be believed, particularly in the case of where experiments are done with unusual items going together. If you are going with a friend here soon, just don't tell them what is on the menu and look at their face - it might either be amazement or bemusement.
There is a good range of items right here. It is mostly a tapas place, with all kinds of finger foods on display. Some of them are full meals, there is a few of the old classics, and there are some more adventurous kinds within the mix. Like any good tapas place, the challenge is which ones to get without looking greedy and/or breaking the bank. This is where it is apparent that it is best in a big group.
For more of a solo meal, there are burgers (done with the bao) and hoagies. Or there is also several light dishes, perfect as a brunch or quick lunch which are only available at between certain times of the day. Finishing it all off is a good range of desserts, some of which are available as a special at certain times with particular drinks. Don't miss some real Asian inspiration in the dessert, where it meets the Western staples.
Getting onto the drinks, don't feel that they have short-changed you with them. Oh, no-sir-ree Bob! As per usual, coffees and teas are there - the general varieties. In the form of coffee, a couple of specialty drinks are also there. Going beyond that, you have cold press coffee, cold press juice, different sorts of hot chocolate, a good range of milkshake flavours, herbal and iced teas, smoothies and different types of lemonade. Something tells me the kid inside is having a sugar high just reading the range. Plus, for the adults there are beers, wines, and ciders.
With another scour of the menu before writing the review, what could go wrong with it? ..... Absolutely, nothing! This could well be perfection personified.
Getting off to the first point of business, the drinks. That day I must have been feeling in a different mode, as even though I did ponder it, I went past the coffee and straight into something else. Milkshakes were a decent pop, and milkshakes are one inexplicably expensive thing nowadays. So why the hell not, for old times sake? Coffee flavour it was. This was served in the classic milk bottle, which is getting a bit common nowadays. It was nothing super-duper, but just what an old-school milkshake needs to be. Cold, creamy, a good base of ice cream, hopefully done with whole milk and with the flavour was unmistakeable. Whether they used coffee syrup or real espresso, what mattered was that it was good. The finishing touch was a bit of whipped cream on top. This is perfection, something not to muck with - take note, peoples.
Starting off, it was time to get a few different tapas. Between the two of us, we order three varieties. There was some meatballs, snails, and chicken goujons. If only there was more money, and more room in the stomach, you can bet that a wider range of them was wanted on being tried. It is good enough, that a next time seems pretty likely - so there is that.
Starting off with the most simple, and one of the most reliable of all time - the meatballs. These were made of a fine quality mince, slowed cooked to perfection and crumbling like a cookie. The flavour of the meat was rich and deep, which lent itself well to a thick, and sweet tomato sauce. The dusty parmesan cheese fused in well, and all the herbs they sprinkled on top added even more flavour to an already good dish. With these being available on a hoagie, I can imagine just how delicious that would be. Call it simple, but this is one tapa that is worthwhile ordering.
Next was escargots - yes, as in snails, the thing associated with French cuisine. Upon ordering them, when they came out they looked quite a bit like mushrooms. That was, until one of them was eaten, and the soft, moreish texture could not be any different from a mushroom. These suckers were cooked in a creamy butter sauce and rested on a bed of mash. The mash was so delicate and smooth that I could barely distinguish it from the sauce. That says a lot, and they were the stand out thus far.
Both of aforementioned tapas were served with two bits of garlic bread each. This just as good, and worked well mopping up the sauces. It was fresh, crusty and hot, plus the garlic butter sauce on top was oozing out which is always a good sign. It is merely a side aspect, but it was good none the less.
Before moving on to the next part, there is one last tapa to go. That was the chicken goujons. These were battered, and mixed with chickpeas creating a tender and slightly savoury flavour, which all went down a treat. These had a green leaf salad - it was salad, okay - served on the side, and a spicy piri piri sauce as well, which was tangy and had a tomato base to it. Goodness knows how many of them there were, all that matters is that this was some good quality chicken.
Next it was onto the main meals. Both of these were substantial enough, and a normal person would suffice from one of them. Neither of us qualify as normal though, if it were not already apparent. I tried a bit of my dining buddy's Spanish potato tortilla. It was good, with the potato perfectly cooked, a small bit of bacon which I had that was cooked to a crisp, some creamy guacamole, and a slight bit of spice to boot.
Mine was the Mexican slow cooked steak. This was some tender rib eye, cooked at a low temperature for a period of time, complete with a poached egg (asked to be runny of course), some sour cream and a peanut-mole sauce, all on a tortilla. This was done like an open-faced tostada, and pretty damn delicious. The meat was tender, really well cooked and the strong beef flavours came out well. The egg was plump, well-cooked and that yolk bled everywhere which is what it needs to be. That peanut-mole sauce was a gamble and worked out well in the end, having a thickness with flavours of roasted peanuts and something akin to Nutella is the midst. The tortilla just could not handle it all, and sopped up all that sauce. It really was one memorable eat.
For one last try at how good this place was, it was time to get desserts. With how different they sounded, it was a case of why would I not? Much like every other section on the menu, just deciding what was a little tricky. However, I had a fair idea before going along. It was none other than that deep-fried matcha ice cream bao. It had a berry coulis and condensed milk base with it. The berries were tart, and added freshness to it. My dining buddy was swearing off sweets for the time being, but still could not help succumb to trying a bit - and for a good reason, since it is absolutely delicious, like little else. The bao part of it was hard to describe, it was a little like a pastry, a bit like some kind of dumpling shell, but the inside had green tea ice cream - nothing else has to be said there, the soothing, slightly tart flavour mixed with cream says it all.
Why this place is so good is because there is very little like this, most certainly when it comes to how the fusion of food works. But that is not the only reason why it works so much. With the flair that they give to each menu item, and with such care to involve unusual tastes, they could charge you more than your paycheck - but they didn't. It comes from one of Brisbane's most loved, and most talented chefs so that could immediately mean costing a fair bit more than before, but they chose not to. Getting this off the list was going to happen, since it was a unique find. This is stuff you would expect when it comes to Michelin stars, and they could well charge you those prices for this experience. But. They. Didn't. In saying all of that, it was needed since this was one of highest value locations for some time, and it costs very cheap money to get a few people around a table for here to sample a good range of what is on offer. And in the end, that is the epitome of a good dining experience - well done, Terry. You have earned the highest praise that I can give.
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