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..

The Vietnamese Hut, Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane

Trying to get our Vietnamese fix after weeks of not having our usual, we decided to try The Vietnamese Hut located at Runcorn Plaza, opposite Warrigal Square. It was quite a quiet night so it was just a nice and peaceful dinner for us. As we sat down, we were given hot Jasmine Tea which was great as some restaurants now are charging for tea and opting it now with just tap water.

'Special Combination Steamed Rice' ($10) came into my mind as I didn't feel like ordering Pho nor Bun Thit however what got me confused was that it said Steamed Rice instead of the usual Broken Rice so I was not too sure of what I would get. When the dish finally arrived on our table, it was definitely broken rice but it didn't have that distinct smell nor was it made nicely as it was quite dry.

Since it was a dry dish, it had Grilled Pork Chop, thinly shredded pork mix with cooked and shredded pork skin, prawn paste cake (which may also be pork meatloaf) and fried egg. A dipping sauce is also given which is usually some sort of fermented fish sauce. However, this seemed more like a sweet chilli and vinegar mixture giving it more that acidic flavour and tangyness. Overall, it was a pleasant dish to have with each of the elements being cooked nicely. The fried egg was not too dry but was just right.

'Special Combination Rice Vermicelli' ($12) is always a must-have for the Mr. and this although was smaller than the usual portion, it didn't really matter as much as it was quite filling in the end anyway. The dressing however was just okay, it maybe needed a little bit more tangyness and kick. As for the toppings, some were less than other Vietnamese restaurants such as the spring rolls or the fishcake or such. However, the grilled pork was more choppy here than big chunks or slices.

Momo Chicken & Beer, Runcorn, Brisbane

If you like to eat fried chicken with one hand and have a nice cold beer on the other, then you definitely have to try Momo Chicken and Beer. Although it isn't your typical KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), these are also called KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) and do offer a different way of serving your usual fried chicken. With great variety in terms of flavours as well as other dishes other than chicken if you're not up for a full fried chicken meal or just wanting to have something extra on the side. Whether you want saucy or just original or even marinated in spicy sauce, soy sauce base or even a mixture of half and half, you simply can spice it up here and yes, you do get a side of crispy thin golden potato crisps with every fried chicken ordered.

Continue...

Schnitz, Westfield Garden City, Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane

Schnitz began in 2007 with a single restaurant by Polish born schnitzel expert which featured his signature schnitzel on every menu. However, his sons decided to perfect the art of schnitzel making by making it made to order, pan cooked to bring the best out of their of their special crumb. Although they do state that they want to be able to keep bringing the benchmark in schnitzel making by combining the freshest ingredients and modern methods in every schnitzel they make. But does it really live up to what it says?

Continue...

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.

Ren Japanese Restaurant, Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane

Located in the Runcorn Shopping Plaza on Warrigal Rd, opposite Warrigal Square, a few variety of different restaurants are offered including Korean BBQ, Korean Dessert, Chinese hot pot and 'Ren', a Japanese restaurant amongst it. A few tables were filled but the restaurant weren't fully filled and this was on a weekend. The menu had a good range of different Japanese cuisines with reasonable prices.

Continue...