French Martini, Little Stanley St, Southbank, Brisbane CBD

French cuisine is known for its complex and rich flavours, its unique way of both presentation and taste as well as their carefully thought out dishes and paying attention to the small details of each. It has since then always been known to be an art. If you have not tried French cuisine before then maybe you may want to think again. By taking yourself to French Martini, you find yourself in a petite restaurant offering various French dishes with an all-French wine menu from Rose to Cidre and more. If you are wandering at night, you may notice this restaurant by its Pink sign and accessories out front of house..

'Escargot' (AUD$14) was a classic dish that is usually eaten as a starter before mains. Consisting of a dozen Escargot in garlic butter served with fresh bread, although it may be quite a simple dish but usually it allows you to settle in nicely while having a chat with your family or friends or even your date. The word Escargot literally means 'edible snails' which may not sound so interesting nor make you want to eat it however do note that not all snails are edible.

My experiences with eating Escargot has allowed me to enjoy eating it when it is actually served in their shells and not out of them. So finding a few French restaurants that serves their Escargot out of their shell and instead put them into a small round bowl and drenched in garlic butter instead. Although not as pretty as if they were in its shells, the taste wasn't too bad however I did find it extremely quite oily. Yes, I do realise that it is garlic butter and that it is the primary flavour however I did feel that the snails itself wasn't juicy as I thought it would be and much chewier than usual. Regarding its taste, it is quite similar to let's say clams or oysters but just not as fishy in terms of taste and smell. Dip the bread into the garlic butter or take a spoonful of a snail and garlic butter and place it on top of one side of the bread and take a bite. Overall, it was not bad, but I've had better.

'Cote de Porc Sauce Olives et Tomates' (AUD$30) was Crispy pork fillets with green olives and tomato sauce served with roasted potatoes and sauteed zucchini. At first instance, you can see that the portion of this dish nearly filled the whole square plate. The crispy pork fillet was quite big in size but I was quite dissapointed to see that it wasn't crispy skin but instead the crispy pork skin was given in a strip separately.

The green olives and tomato sauce was quite acidic as it should be from the tomatoes and had the right amount of green olives and it was really nice to be able to see the chunks of the green olives. If you're not a fan of olives, then do inform the waiter to see if they can do something about it as I do know some people isn't a fan of it. I myself however, do love Olives so it was fine for me.

The roasted potatoes were cut in the shape of your typical wedges and was crispy on the outside but was full of flavour from the seasoning and herbs. The sauteed zucchini were placed underneath the roasted potatoes and crispy pork fillet. The zucchini was sauteed well and didn't have extra seasoning that would clash with the seasoned roasted potatoes as well as the green olives and tomato sauce.

At first I thought that it would be Crispy skin pork fillet but instead, it was a pork fillet alright but the crispy pork skin was instead separated. The crispy pork skin was just a strip with half being easily bitten but half was very hard to bite that actually hurt our teeth abit. It was definitely a big portion dish but in terms of having to eat it again soon, maybe not. I didn't really feel too good after eating that much pork afterwards as well as the next day.

'Filet de Beouf et sa Sauce Au Bleu' (AUD$33) was the only Steak or Beef dish in the menu for Mains and so, he decided to order it. Eye Fillet with blue cheese sauce served with gratin dauphinois, courgette and petit salade. Expecting the blue cheese sauce to be more than what was dolloped on top of the Eye fillet, we weren't sure if there would be enough sauce to cover it all.

Gratin Dauphinois is a traditional French dish based on potatoes and creme fraiche. It is usually made with raw potatoes, thinly sliced and cooked in a buttered dish with garlic and cream. It was quite delicate as you can see with the thinly sliced potato layers however I could not really taste the creme fraiche.

The steak was a bit undercooked than what he had asked, from medium it became a bit medium rare. Although it may not have been a big problem for us, but it would have been better if the steak was cooked well and to our liking. The blue cheese sauce was unique and definitely something you don't get very often in other restaurants when ordering steak. The blue cheese sauce was creamy and light though I think that if there was a stronger punch on the blue cheese itself within the sauce were you can taste it more than just slightly, would be perfect.

Courgette is just another name for Zucchinis to be honest but it is just British English and has a French origin. The courgette were thinly sliced along with carrots which seemed to be baked in a dish and was a great accompaniment for a steak dish however, it was quite petite being very thinly sliced plus they were the only French vegetable dish other than the fresh green salads on the plate which had no sauce.

Bistro Baron, Plaza Indonesia, Thamrin, Jakarta, Indonesia

Bistro Baron in Plaza Indonesia has been serving up classic French bistro dishes in a casual yet cosy setting. With the always so bustling and busy PI Mall, it never cease to amaze me how many of the restaurants gets filled so easily and yet even if you book in advance, you don't know if you may or may not be able to get a seat especially during peak hours or Friday nights and weekends. However, if you do feel like eating homestyle and bistro French dishes, do give here a try. They have a wide variety of dishes on offer on their menu though not too extensive until it will take you a long time to figure out what you would like. Serving from Breakfast to Dinner, they also offer High Tea for those wanting to have a nice afternoon tea.

Having seatings both indoor and outdoor allows diners to choose which area of the restaurant would suit them. We opt for outdoor seating as the weather wasn't too humid nor too hot. The only problem that I would have to point out here in this restaurant is that the lack of waiter's attentiveness to diners as it takes a while to try and get the waiters' attention as well as trying to call a waiter to your table. Some shouting or having to find a waiter yourself may be needed which is dissapointing and plus, it was a quiet evening when we wer there so it should've been easier but instead, it wasn't. I started with 'Lychee Ice Tea' (IDR38k = ~AUD$3.8) which was not too bad though it was a tad too sweet for me however after asking for a few lemon wedges on the side, squeezing them into the drink did make the lychee ice tea much better.

'Pommes Frites Truffee' (IDR75k = ~AUD$7.5) is a side where everyone can simply enjoy. Truffle oil scented french fries with grated parmesan served with a side of aioli sauce. To be honest, I did not really get much of the truffle oil scent and I felt that they were quite stingy with the grated parmesan as usually, there would be more. Crispy fries, yes but overall, it was just okay.

'Aglio Olio' (IDR115k = ~AUD$11.5) is a classic pasta dish where you can get in most Italian restaurants though the main differences would be how they present it, what its ingredients and condiments is included and the combination of each of the elements. In Bistro Baron, they serve their Aglio Olio with a choice of Smoked Duck or Chicken or Tuna in which we chose their Classic, which was the Smoked Duck. Spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, fresh chilli, rocket leaves and shaved parmesan is simple but already, it actually packs many flavours in just one simple dish.

Aglio Olio is always a nice simple pasta dish to have when you're not wanting that heavy creamy flavour nor the strong tomato sauce. What I quite liked about this was that although only olive oil, chilli and garlic was the base of the dish, it had flavour and strength which should not be overpowered in which it wasn't. The rocket leaves and grated parmesan added the crunch and the smoked duck, although it was only four thin slices (which they could've added a bit more to be honest), overall it was a pleasant and fresh dish to have.

'Bistro Baron Burger' (IDR105k = ~AUD$10.5) is Bistro Baron's signature burger in which you realise after reading its name. Usually signature dishes tend to either go two ways, one, it may be considered one of the best dishes from the menu or if it is just meh, meaning it's just a fluke or rather. Bistro Baron's Burger consisted of a homemade Angus beef patty, mesclun, tomato, onion with a seeded mustard sauce and Gratinated Raclette Cheese. The burger also came with a side of french fries though not topped with truffle oil scent or grated parmesan, only a sprinkle of parsley leaves.

What I have to compliment would be the presentation of the neat Bistro Baron burger as well as the grill marks on top of the soft brioche buns. I personally love slightly grilled soft brioche buns for burgers as I am not a big fan of those hard and dry burger buns where it just makes you enjoy only the filling but not the outer side as well. The brioche buns weren't too big nor too small, the grill marks made the brioche buns have that slightly toasted texture as well as crunch. When you slice it in half, you are able to see the burger's inside being carefully stacked which we as eaters can appreciate although in the end, whilst eating it, it may be messy in the end anyway.

The Angus beef patty was made well, full of flavour and juicy. It is hard sometimes finding a nice homemade beef patty which can be juicy and not dry as most homemade patties can easily be. Although a very simple burger as you may just call it a cheeseburger as it didn't have more twitches here and there and any add-ons but just simple. The crispy mesclun and the freshly sliced tomato created your healthy and crispy texture for the burger. The seeded mustard sauce was very light but gave the burger that hint of tangyness as well as creamy taste. Overall, a wonderful yet very simplistic burger well thought out and presented.

Le Bon Choix, Westfield Garden City, Brisbane

It's nice to have Le Bon Choix in Westfield as it saves time for you to go down to the CBD or my usual spot at the Ascot branch. But when you're just in the mall walking and would like to have coffee and cake somewhere, sometimes you just don't feel like the usual cafes available. What I love about Le Bon Choix would definitely be their cakes as well as their breads, as for their coffee, they are okay but it just depends on who is behind the machine making it for you as sometimes it can be good and not so-good. However, this time, wanting to try their Ice Chocolate and it turned out to be the worst decision...

Flat White

Ice Chocolate - definitely won't be ordering again

Having always ordered coffees, I decided to order an Ice Chocolate this time. Unfortunately, it was a bad idea and I should've probably stayed with my usual coffee. Imagining a dollop of ice cream floating on top of a creamy, milky chocolatey drink did not happen. Instead, what came out was a very watery, filled with ice and what seemed to be cocoa powder/chocolate syrup at the bottom of the tumbler and not so milky. It basically looks like someone has just (in order) poured chocolate syrup, abit of milk, lots of water and then top it all off with a big spoonful of ice. To be harshly honest, it was quite gross. It's not like drinking milo with water or milo with milk as they are quite good either way and even if it was better with milk, this was just way off. The taste of the chocolate was just ruined by the amount of water and ice cubes. The amount of milk was just not there.. you couldn't even taste the milk. Imagine drinking milk and water.. and hints of chocolate here and there. An ice chocolate is a real drink, although it's not supposed to be like a milkshake or it may not always have your whipped cream on top or yes, it may have a few ice cubes. But, this was just out of the picture. Although you try and mix the chocolate syrup inside, the ratio of the water and ice cubes basically overpowered the whole drink which makes the drink not creamy or even milky at all. Just ruined it. It was just super duper liquidy and on top of that, it's already full of water, they decided to top it up more with ice cubes. So, what I received was definitely not an Ice Chocolate.

And no, I did not finish the drink.

Apologies for the rant.. It just made me so annoyed as I have always loved eating and having their coffees even if in some of the branches, some people serving you may not always be the friendliest, but this just ruined my experience for me.

Seriously, for Le Bon Choix? I did not expect that at all for quality and presentation. Even the waiter that brought us our drinks spilled some of the flat white onto the saucer and on the table in which we had to be the ones wiping the mess as she just walked off.

'Almond Croissant' ($3.9) has always been one of the best Almond croissants whether it is toasted or not. The almond meal is perfect and having the icing sugar giving it that pretty touch as well as the almond pieces on top. Do grab one or a few when you're here, will not disappoint at all.

'Clio' ($7.8) a rich, smooth and punchy blackforest cheesecake. There is a unique way of layering in this slice having the cheesecake in the middle being sandwiched between two chocolate dense sponge cake. You are also able to see the chocolate thin pieces in the cheesecake as well as cherry. On top of that seems to be a layer of cherry jelly as well as square cuts of white chocolate pieces. An exquisite dish if you are a fan of cherry and chocolate as well as blackforest cakes.

The Hardware Societe, Hardware St, Melbourne CBD

Of course, for those who knows Melbourne and its home to all of the interesting food and European style laneways, you will not be surprised by the amount of Best Breakfast in town that was listed. Of course, don't forget the Melbourne coffees.. I definitely know that Brisbane has topped up their game in the food industry and have presented us with various openings of new creative and unique food culture. Brisbane or Sydney or Melbourne, they all have their food culture, in their own uniqueness and dashing way.

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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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