The Deck, The Glen Hotel, Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane

The Glen Hotel is only 15minutes drive from the Brisbane CBD and also having free parking on site is always handy. What you may not know is that this is kind of your typical tavern but then, there's a hotel which is surprisingly 4.5 star accommodation in which I am unsure why there is such a high rated star hotel over in the Southside.. The Glen Hotel has two main dining areas which is one, The Garden Grille Restaurant and Bar which features their newest signature steak and seafood restaurant with an Executive Chef of Cha Cha Char fame and then there is The Deck which features more of your bar, bistro and pub food, basically more of a casual dining and gaming lounge feel. Oh, and if you're only looking to have a drink? Then there is even a bottleshop drive through available on site. You can always see it being crowded every peak hours especially after work, friday nights and on weekends. So don't be surprised if it takes awhile to get a seat or even eat with loud noises around you.

Silly me... I forgot to take a picture of the Specials of the day which I did end up choosing after browsing through their wide variety of food on their menu. This was the 'Double Kangaroo Burger' served with beer battered fries. I, at first did not realise it would be this big as I wasn't sure of what to get at the start. There were just so many delicious options to choose from.

The beer battered fries were fried to perfection, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

The Kangaroo Burger itself was quite big in a way that it was stacked nicely and presented well on a chopping board. It had double kangaroo patty, double cheese, onion rings, rocket and tomato and also a mayo dressing. The cheese just seemed like your typical cheddar cheese slices you get from your local supermarket. Having the onion rings there gave the burger a crunch as well as having the simple salad. However, the double kangaroo patty was great but they were both just quite thick in size so it can be a bit troublesome when you do want to grab it with two hands and take a big whole bite.

Nicely cut in half showing each of the elements in the Kangaroo burger.

'Chicken Cheese Schnitzel' ($13) was a golden crumbed chicken breast schnitzel topped with melted mozarella cheese served with beer battered fries and salad. If you would like to add a topper then you can do so too. The portion is quite big and the chicken schnitzel was golden crumbed and I have to say that for the price, it was definitely worth it.

The side salad was fresh with a mixture of mixed leaves, red onion, tomato and cucumber with a light salad dressing. The beer battered fries was fried well and fried food is always great with fries/chips. The golden crumb was crumbed well thinly with the right amount of salt as well as the melted mozarella cheese gave the schnitzel the extra punch. It is nice to see that a full chicken breast meat has been used instead of sometimes being more of a thick crumb than the meat itself.

Jimmy's on the Mall, Queen Street Mall, Brisbane CBD

Jimmy's has always been one of the go to places whenever you're unsure of where to go to eat or drink in the city, you just somehow end up here. Remember that the lower deck and the upper deck both have their own menus so they may differ in terms of what dishes are on offer. Some of the dishes however are offered on both decks. There are more seatings downstairs than upstairs but if you would like to have a view of the centre of Queen St Mall, then I'd suggest you sit upstairs. There are both normal and high tables available, as well as tables around the bar area. As it was late afternoon when we arrived, we just wanted somewhere to rest our feet and maybe have a drink and a nibble..

'Bowl of Wedges' (AUD$11) included a little bowl of sweet chilli and sour cream. The wedges were deep fried perfectly, crispy on the outside and moist and hot on the inside. A nice snack or nibble while having a chat. They do also have Salt and Pepper Calamari, Arancini balls and Charcuterie plate etc.

'Cappucino' was made well but when the waiter took it over to our table it seemed that s/he had tipped a bit over making the saucer abit messy and sticky.

'Lemon, Lime and Bitters' is always a nice cool drink that isn't so fizzy or feels as if it's a soft drink in my sense.

Beach House Bar & Grill, Westfield Chermside, Chermside, Brisbane

The Beach House has always been one of the go to places when you're in the CBD and wanting a simple but casual dining place to have a beer or pub food while listening to live music. Although it could get loud at times especially on friday nights, it would always be quite packed. Now that they've opened at Westfield Chermside, it allows people living around the area to try and dine the same or even a better experience.

A new feel, much more modern but still keeping its casual ambience when compared to the city restaurant. Beach House has always been a more of a self service restaurant meaning that there is no table service. You order at the counter, get given a buzzer then when the buzzer vibrates, you would have to pick up your own food at the counter. Usually this can get confusing when there are similar or the same food on the counter meaning that they may be other diners' food and not yours. It is sometimes hard though to get the attention of the waiters because even if they were not as busy, let's say walking around or standing around the bar as they seem to be nowhere near and the person at the counter would be busy taking orders. It is quite hard when you don't get any advice on which were your meals or her or his meals so you would just have to go with your feeling and hope that the food you're taking off the table is yours.

Lunch specials of $9.90 dishes offers a few various choices you may choose. This was their 'Rump & chips and salad' with any sauce of your choice. The fries were beer battered which was crispy and fried well, the salad is just a simple garden salad with a mixture of greens, shredded carrots, tomato and cucumber. The salad looked fresh but was bland due to the lack of sauce.

The steak was cooked well to our liking, the pepper sauce however though was not as strong as I thought it would be, there were bits of peppercorn but they were just very light in terms of texture but overall, it is a pub meal and it wasn't too bad.

'Chicken Parmigiana & chips and salad' seemed to have been done in a rush or so as the plate was kind of all over the place when we were picking it up from the counter. Again, beer battered fries and garden salad was the same as above however there was more sauce on the salad than before.

As for the chicken itself, I was quite dissapointed.. It was very small as you can see in portion, it seemed like the biggest chip would be its size. A slab of cheese and ham on top along with a tomato based sauce or napoli sauce as it may be, did not make it any better. The tomato sauce based didn't seem to have much seasoning whilst some of the chicken breast seemed to have some burnt areas along the edges.

As you can see, the chicken breast was very thin and although the crumb was thin, the whole dish just didn't do it for me overall.

I quite enjoyed the interior of the restaurant, it has been designed well giving it a homey but also beach side feeling with bits of pieces of the things you could find at the side of the beach and also the artificial greens in the pots just gave the whole wall a bright new light and a nice view while eating.

Ribs and Rumps, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

Ribs and Rumps in Fortitude Valley is a place I hardly go to for ribs and I'm unsure why. My usual ribs is always down at the Gold Coast and sometimes I would try ribs in restaurants but none has topped my favourite yet. Coming here for a friend's birthday dinner, it was very packed that night with people bustling on both floors. Located near Emporium, it was convenient if you wanted to go for dessert or coffee afterwards too.

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Getta Burger, Carina, Brisbane

Who is behind Getta Burger? Well, do you know That BBQ Joint food truck? Well, the mastermind of the food truck has finally decided to open their own American serving burgers with weekly specials to the neighbourhood.. Their motto "Just Good Burgers" delivers delicious and mouthwatering burgers even on socmed you may have seen.

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Scuzi Caffe, Westfield Chermside, Brisbane

Scuzi is a cafe situated inside the newer area of Westfield Chermside. This place has been changed numerous times but Scuzi seems to have maybe lasted the longest so far. It offers your traditional brekky, your typical tavern and also bistro-like lunch dishes and they also offer coffee and desserts too if you just want to have a nibble or a drink somewhere nice with a breeze. Since they have both outdoor and indoor seatings, I quite liked the food I've ordered and the environment too.

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Chur Burger's New Menu Tasting, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

It has been a while since I went to Chur Burger in the Valley and whilst I walked past the new Chur Burger Express in the Eagle St Pier food court. When I was recently invited to the new menu tasting, luckily it was a good time too as I was still on my uni winter holidays, I did not second think but confirmed my attendance. I remembered my first time trying Chur and I fell in love with their burgers. 'Nuff said.

Now, before you drool anymore after seeing the photo above, be prepared for more drooling photos of more mouthwatering burgers as you read on..

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Boom Boom Burger, Chevron Island, Gold Coast

The American trend is really hitting in Brisbane and also Gold Coast it seems. Boom Boom Burger is located on Surfer Paradise's Chevron Island. A dozen of burger choices which also includes your salads and sides, oh and good drinks too, burgers and beer is always a match made in heaven. If you're not a burger person, then do try their Hot Dogs. Their curated collection of craft beers, wine and cocktails allows you to drink and enjoy both the food and drinks, all in one place.

I received an Invitation to try the new joint out however, since I was busy with uni, I came in at the end of June. Hearing that it has a diner style but also a French Twist makes me the more excited to try. Oh, and have I mentioned that it also has a touch of gastronomy?

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American Doughnut Kitchen, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne CBD

Now, for your Melbourners, you don't have to worry about this and you guys would probably already know what I'm going to write about. But for those who has never been to Melbourne or Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, then you are missing out big time mates.. Of course, Queen Victoria Markets is filled with goodness, from fresh fruit and veges to fresh baked pastries or deli cheeses and cured meats, even handmade goods or your fresh fishes, you can find it all here, all under one roof. It doesn't open everyday but when it does, it will be good if you could come before lunchtime because it does get packed quite easily. It's always nice walking through the markets on a chilly day in Melbourne. Now, this little ball of goodness above is a Queen Victoria Market visit must-have, oh this is a definite fix you must entice yourself upon whenever you go to Queen Vic, don't ask why, just do it and after you have taken a bite, I'm pretty sure you will fall in love with it as much as I did.
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Alfred & Constance, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

Alfred and Constance, the ongoing buzz of this place along with its sisters and brothers of Alfredo's Pizzeria, Kwan Brothers, Chester St Bakery and now, Doughnut Time, all by the same owner, Damian Griffiths. This was a few months back when I ate here, since then, a slight change on the menu so some of the food in this review may or may not be still available in the restaurant. Conveniently placed due mostly of its parking, in which you can get a $5 parking when you dine at any of the restaurants.

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Chur Burger, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

All the buzz about Chur Burger hyped up as soon as they opened their doors at the bottom of the new Tryp hotel in the Valley. With an anticipation through the social media pics, and also our never-ending burger adventure, we ventured out to Chur one night, to try it. A branch from Sydney, the much acclaimed Chur Burger has finally stepped into Brisbane soil, and maybe make a name for itself here too..

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Nanny's Pavillion, Beachwalk, Kuta, Bali

Nanny's Pavillion is one of the few cafes in Beachwalk, Kuta in Bali. The place do give you somewhat a homey feeling and I have just realised that they do have quite a number of outlets around in Indonesia, each of them named under various rooms that you would typically have in a pavillion, such as Bedroom, Kitchen, Library, Sewing Room, Terrace, Barn, Playground, Laundry room and so on. This one here, in Beachwalk was there 'Barrel Storage', which is presented by their wooden interiors as well, as their counters being surrounded by barrels (see the photos below). Its concept is based on a French American pancake restaurant.

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A World of Yum launch event at Treasury Casino Hotel, Brisbane CBD

From the 6th October to the 16th November, you can indulge in 13 different countries cuisines which includes 30 food and drink available selections held in Treasury Casino. A food event which involves global food, just makes you that little lazier to hop on a flight and fly away, but now, you can gobble down your favourite global dishes right here in Brissie. The food will be featured across 6 restaurants and 4 bars, giving you plenty to choose from and of course, decisions decisions.. 

'A World of Yum' launch event was held the other day in the courtyard of the Treasury Casino Hotel in the CBD.

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PJ's Steaks, West End, Brisbane

Philly cheesesteaks has gone back as far as we can imagine it to, reminds me of those street hotdog vendors in America in which you would see basically everywhere. Since the American feel has been booming here in Brissie, I do have to say, sometimes you don't really need the up-end restaurants to have a decent hearty or that American authenticity taste. Located in West End, PJ's Steaks do serve your freshly baked roll filled with rib eye fillet with assorted ingredients or toppings, and of course, topped up with cheese.

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