Vintaged Bar + Grill, Hilton Hotel, Brisbane CBD

Within the walls of the Brisbane Hilton Hotel lies Vintaged Bar and Grill, with its wooden features, high ceilings and see through glass wall wine cellar. From an event to a family gathering to your date night, here is just a perfect place to show your sophisticated side. With every season allowing for special menu that welcomes you nicely to the season you're in allows you to be able to dine here without having to order or look at the same menu again and again.

Note that this is a delayed post from the start of this year so some menu items may have changed and the special menu definitely would have changed since the time of this dining.

As soon as we were seated, we were warmly greeted with water and were brought out some complimentary char-grilled sourdough with a capsicum and anchovy spread. The bread was nicely char-grilled and was crispy however I did find it that they sliced it a bit too thin as some of us had big holes in our slices. The capsicum and anchovy spread had a unique taste and it is quite nice being served something else rather than just plain butter. It had a salty taste from the anchovy but did not overpower the spread.

Served with lemon, baby herbs and a choice of one condiment. The steak was not cooked as what we wanted, it was abit overcooked than asked. A bit dissapointed in the fact that a good piece of meat sometimes is better eaten in a certain way and to have the chef overcook it, just isn't a good thought.

'Moreton Bay Bugs' (AUD$32) served with lemon, baby herbs and a choice of condiment (in this case, Creamed Horseradish was chosen). Moreton Bay Bugs always interest me in a way that the meat of these bugs are usually only found in their tails. It definitely looks much prettier than other seafood when plated or in cold seafood platters.

The bugs were grilled well not too much nor too little until you would not be able to see the char-grilled marks. Presented on a rectangle chopping board also served with baby herbs, a lemon wedge and cherry tomatoes. It has a medium flavour in terms of its meat and by dipping it into the sauce gives it a more in depth flavour however sometimes, some seafood is just great and best eaten on its own with a squeeze of lemon, cracked pepper, and that's it. 

The flesh itself was quite filling though you do have to take your time in trying to get the flesh out of the bug itself, just like trying to get crab meat out or lobster though crab is usually the hardest I do find out of the three. There is little moisture in the flesh and had a firm texture. Another wonderful thing I did find was that it seemed to have very little oiliness.

'Beef Tenderloin' (AUD$45) was a special they had that month with the main theme of Mushroom. Served with a chive puree, grilled exotic mushrooms, crispy enoki and jus, it was a perfect combination to appreciate the different aspects and variety of mushrooms. A beautifully presented dish and I was quite excited to dig in as soon as it arrived on the table. Remember to always give it a bit of cracked pepper and you're ready to go!

The beef tenderloin was cooked well and as asked, it was juicy and had a depth of flavour especially when combined with the jus and the chive puree. The baby herbs allowed the dish to have a sense of colour which managed to blend in with the chive puree well. As you can see from the photo above, the grilled marks on some of the mushrooms is great to see as you would never want a menu that actually states it has been grilled and you find it wasn't. It sucks when that happen, really. The beef tenderloin itself was quite generous in size as I had trouble finishing it myself in which I ended up having to offer the others some in which they were too happy to try as well.

The chive puree was very subtle in terms of the chive taste but I appreciated it more than your usual mash potato or mash sweet potato. I quite enjoyed it with the mushrooms as it combined well together with both elements complementing each other.

The various exotic mushrooms created a sense of elegance within the dish, also the fact where you are able to have different textures and flavours in various mushrooms. Each has been grilled aftertaste as well as a buttery feeling. The crispy enoki was a delight, very nicely done, thin but some seemed to just have been or tasted like batter. Overall, having a combination of various exotic mushrooms is something that you don't get often and may bring a smile on your face especially if you're a mushroom person.

'Shoestring fries' (AUD$10) topped with Parmiggiano Reggiano and truffle salt. The Parmiggiano Reggiano was slightly shredded but did not cover all of the fries which was shameful and as for the truffle salt, I was not able to find a distinct taste or even a slight hint of truffle. I just felt as if it was just salt. Of course with truffle salt, sometimes it can be abit hard but I have had truffle fries before where you are able to sense, smell and taste the hint of truffle.

'Coconut Rice Pudding' (AUD$17) served with mango coulis, mango and minted tapioca salsa, toasted coconut snow and salted caramel pearls. Presented on a round wooden board, it was placed beautifully but I did find the Coconut rice pudding and the mango coulis was quite small in terms of size. The fact that it was placed in a small jar made it quite hard to get it out, of course in terms of look, it is delightful to see but once you try to get the small spoon into it and trying to scoop the coconut rice as well as the mango coulis out, it does get abit hard sometimes.

The toasted coconut snow and caramel pearls was placed beside it and made the outlook of the dish more sophisticated and elegant as well as pretty I must say with the colourful baby herbs and flowers amongst them. The toasted coconut snow was quite wonderful I must say however, I did find it overall to be quite bland. It just did not hit it for me, even with the minted tapioca salsa.

The mango coulis had a very strong mango taste but was very sweet even as you try and spoon out the coconut rice underneath it, the mango coulis had overpowered the coconut rice pudding which was ashame as it could not balance both flavours.

Nonna's Italian, Seafood and Steakhouse, Harbour Town Outlet Shopping Centre, Biggera Waters, Gold Coast

If you go down to Harbour Town and you spot a restaurant by the same name covering most of the dining area, that would be Nonna's. Although, now it isn't as big as how it used to be, their menu is still the same serving a wide range of dishes from Italian to Steak and the list goes on.. Generally, their portion for their dishes is quite big so do bear that in mind when you're wanting to order.

'Original Parmigiana' (AUD$25.95) was a hand crumbed Chicken Schnitzel with Napoli sauce, ham and melted mozarella cheese served with fries and a garnish salad. A classic dish that everyone loves to have but some places just don't do it right and some just do. The garnish salad was simply a garden salad with salad green mix, sprouts, slices of red onion and carrot with cherry tomatoes. The fries was crispy on the outside and placed underneath the Chicken Schnitzel. The napoli sauce tasted more of a chunky tomato paste sauce with the mozarella cheese on top melting over it. Sadly, there was only one slice of ham for the whole schnitzel. The schnitzel was thinly crumbed allowing the chicken breast to be the star of the dish. The plus side was that it was big in portion but it was just okay, it wasn't great but it wasn't bad either, reminded me of Pub Parmys..

Nonna's offers 6 different types of salads in which you can choose from and add any choice of meat for extra or just stick with a plain salad. I really felt like a Caesar so I decided to order their 'Chef's Salad w Salt and Pepper Calamari' (AUD$24.95) which consisted of Mesculin lettuce, avocado, egg, mozarella cheese, tomato, cucumber, spanish onion with a strip of bacon and their Caesar dressing with an addition of Salt and Pepper Calamari in which you get about 6 pieces.

Their salad portion is great and that's no doubting it, served on a crispy tortilla shell is definitely something unique but being able to have something freshly made and healthy but at the same time being able to have something fried like a crispy tortilla which is a great accompaniment and a base to the salad. I wonder if more restaurants should serve their salads this way instead of just the norm..

After seeing the salad arrive on the table, I realised that I had forgotten the portion of it and if I had known earlier, maybe I would have omitted the Salt and Pepper Calamari since in the end, I struggled to finish it even with the help of the Mr.. Fresh lettuce with a combination of various elements which made it a great salad to have especially on a warm sunny day.

Genkotsu Ramen, Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane

Sometimes in life, you may want to eat out at fancy restaurants or maybe the newly opened restaurant that everyone is hyped up on. However, there will always be that comfort food whether it may be a good ol' burger or just your mother's cooking or even just a big bowl of fried food. Now, a big bowl of ramen may not suit everyone but trust me, during winter or rainy days, you would definitely want to put your hands around a hot bowl of ramen filled with goodness. Genkotsu reminds me of the Ramen eateries in Japan, petite but cozy serving up good classic comfort food.

'Shio' (AUD$9.5) was a Ramen with a salty base soup which allows those who aren't a big fan of the Soy Sauce based soup but would still like the original Tonkotsu without all the extras. Served with Pork Chashu and shallots, very simple but I do believe that the salty base soup can be too salty for some. There are also chilli powder and sesame if you would like to add or alter the original soup to your liking.

'Black Garlic' (AUD$11) has a Shoyu (Soy sauce) base soup which combines perfectly as it blends together well. Served in a large black bowl with Chashu pork, bamboo shoots, shallots and the main star of the dish, the black garlic oil. The ramen itself was thin and cooked well, it was chewy and not overcooked until it was soggy. The slow cooked egg had its own flavour as it has absorbed all the goodness it has been cooked in. The soft Pork Chashu melts in your mouth and basically is another highlight of the dish however, I have to say that after mixing the black garlic oil with the soup, it definitely will blow your mind and tastebuds and allow you to experience something different than the normal Ramen you usually eat. The soup was very rich and had a strong depth of flavour which was comforting.

Just a note before you do come in, seats are very limited and there are usually a queue at peak hours with people waiting outside the door. It is a very tiny place with probably only fitting about 20 or so people hence the fact that they have bench seats which sometimes you may just need to share with other diners. The good thing is that the service is fast and after ordering and finding a seat, the next thing you know, your Ramen is ready..

Nando's, Carseldine Central, Carseldine, Brisbane

Anyone and everyone who loves chicken would have at least tried Nando's in their life or even eat it every week or every month.. Who doesn't? Well, maybe once every few months.. Now with more variety of flavour base you can choose from, anyone can dine here without having to feel like they will have to order the usual Extra Hot, Hot or Mild with the none spicy flavour being Lemon & Herb, eating that always when you come in can get boring but now with flavours such as Mango & Lime or Churrasco BBQ or even just plain is available, anyone's palates can be satisfied.

Having always ordering their Grilled Chicken every single time I dine at Nando's, I wasn't feeling it at this time and since there was only the two of us, we decided to go for something else. Looking through their salads and burgers, it just didn't feel right in a way going into Nando's and not ordering chicken, you know what I mean.. When I saw 'Thighs & Slaw Pita' (AUD$11.95) was one of Nando's options in their Burgers,Wraps & Pitas section on the menu, I decided to go with that. Something about chicken thighs and slaw just sounded delicious..

When it arrived on the table, to be honest, I was quite surprised by the size of the Pita bread. I thought it would just be some pieces of thighs with slaw stuffed and rolled into a pita bread but instead, it was a medium sized pita pocket. The pita bread was warm and slightly toasted stuffed with BBQ basted chicken thighs, coleslaw and caramelised onion. The pita bread was not too thick nor was it too thin until the sauce or the bottom of the pocket becomes soggy.

The caramelised onion was caramelised just right as you could taste the pan fried smokiness as well as they were fully cooked and abit soggy but by having the fresh coleslaw, the mayo and the caramelised onion made its own sauce along with the BBQ from the chicken. The BBQ basted chicken thigh was subtle and did not give a strong BBQ sticky taste however with the combination of the fresh coleslaw and the caramelised onion, it all worked well and created a simple but delicious meal.

Nest, Hotel Jen, Roma St, Brisbane CBD

Situated conveniently at the second level of the Roma Street Transit Centre as well as Hotel Jen being in the same building, Nest offers an all day dining with a mixture of heavy Asian influences from Chinese to Indonesian to Vietnamese. Having their own organic Sky Garden allows them to pick daily Aromatic herbs allowing guests to enjoy the meals knowing its freshness.

Both lunch and dinner menus offers a range of classic Asian dishes that even maybe we could find them when we go to street stalls in Asia. From their entrees or shared plates to their Wok or Grilled even to their sweet plates, they all are infused with a touch of Asian fusion and creativity involved.

'Twice Cooked Pork Belly' (AUD$16) was an entree we shared which caught our eyes as we have had other twice cooked pork belly before which since then, still topped it for us compared to the others we have tried. Though this was an asian fusion, we knew it would have a unique taste in a way that it had Chilli Caramel, Grapefruit and peanuts. Presented nicely on a black round plate allowed the dish itself to have a bright pop of colour and contrast when it arrived on our table.

It was somewhat sweeter than I'd originally thought it would be, having the chilli caramel at the bottom of the dish with roughly chopped nuts sprinkled on the plate for both texture and look. There were also mint leaves as well as freshly sliced red chillies and thinly sliced long strings of grapefruit giving it all a pop of colour once again. Having the mint leaves allowed us to cleanse our palates after every bite yet it also did add abit of freshness too.

The pork belly had a distinct sweetness and was cooked well having a slightly charred exterior but soft on the inside and surprisingly having the grapefruit acidity balanced it out nicely. I wonder how they made this dish work as I wouldn't have thought of combining grapefruit with chilli caramel. The hint of chilli was there amongst the caramel sauce but was not overly strong. The grapefruit gave the dish a nice punch while the peanuts gave a crunch here and there.

'Crispy Pressed Duck' (AUD$34) was a grilled dish that caught my eye when I read the words, Crispy Pressed. Other than Peking Duck, I don't frequently order duck dishes when out.. Not that I don't like it, I do believe me, but usually something else on the menu do attract me more that makes me not choose it as a dish to have. Crispy pressed duck with caramelised mandarin sauce, ginger and asian soy greens was presented beautifully again with the different elements and colours to shine with a black oval plate as a base.

The asian soy greens were well cooked, not too well done until it becomes soggy and still had their crunch. Four pieces of Mandarin gave it a pop of yellow as well as thinly sliced red chilli skin on top of the duck. The caramelised mandarin sauce was quite strong in terms of the mandarin which is great but I thought that it did overpower the duck itself abit.

The crispy pressed duck had a crispy skin with a slight charred at the top which I appreciated, showing the smokyness of the duck meat being pressed. What was great was that there were no bones attached so you could just eat it as is. The caramelised mandarin sauce had smothered the crispy skin of the duck but did not make the skin any less soggy but instead absorbed it well allowing the duck itself to have the aroma of the caramelisation.

'Pad Thai' ($22) is a classic Thai dish consisting of thin rice noodles, chicken, prawn, tofu, eggs, garlic chive, tamarind sauce and peanuts. Having had a long thought of whether we should be ordering a Pad Thai here took a while but we decided to give it a try anyway.. who knows, it might surprise us. When it arrived on our table, it seemed as if it was the only coloured plated on our table with a bright yellow round plate for the dish.

What got me having the errr moment was the fact that I was fine with having the chopped peanuts, a lemon wedge on the side of the pad thai but having the raw chilli flakes being all placed alongside it made it very hard to scoop out cleanly when I, myself isn't a big chilli eater. Of course, if you like your Pad Thai spicy, then you can go ahead and mix it all up, sure, but if you're not, you would need to use your spoon and try to move the chilli flakes out of the plate which would mean having to ask for another small plate to put the chilli flakes in. What was hard was that no matter how neat or how much you try to get them out of the plate, there would already be chilli flakes sticking onto the noodles which would make you having to eat it as is with the tad of spicyness anyway in the end when you do mix it altogether. So somehow, that was one of the biggest downside of this dish for me. What would be great would be that they could seperate the chilli flakes to a little side bowl or so which allows diners to take as much or as little chilli as they possible would like to suit their own wants.

Overall, the dish lacked the punch of the usual Pad Thai kick, not the chilliness but it may have needed abit more of that tamarind sauce as well as the soya sauce. The combination of tofu, eggs with the chicken and prawn were great together and I would have to say that the meat were in chunk portions too.

Having a proper dining area as well as a lounge area allows everyone to dine and relax with having great views of the city skyline. Don't forget the unique decoration in the restaurant in which when you look to your left or right would be something different and won't bore your eyes while having a chitchat or drinks or even while waiting for your dishes to arrive.