BITTER SUITE | welsby st, new farm

Located in a busy corner of New Farm, Bitter Suite is a cafe by day and beer bistro by night. When we arrived, service was friendly and immediate. We were shown to a table quickly and given menus on a clipboard (which seems to be the trend these day cf Pearl and Paw Paw). It had an eclectic decor with a fusion of modern and old furnishings. It boasted a high ceiling, gorgeous chandeliers and ample group seating and bar seating. They had a retro wallpaper on one end with paintings that littered the brick walls. The atmosphere was buzzing by mid morning. 

Although the menu isn't as extensive as other breakfast places but it did provide good variety. I ordered the Roasted Mushroom with pumpkin, farro, sweet corn and poached eggs while my friend ordered  Eggs Benedict with poached free range eggs, baby spinach housemade English muffin, house hollaidaise with extra side of bacon. The dishes arrived quickly given how busy it was. My poached eggs were perfect and the mushrooms were perfectly sauteed. Overall, I have a enjoyable dining experience at Bitter Suite and I would definitely go there again for lunch or an afternoon drinks with nibbles.

Total money spent = $20.50

THYME INTERACTIVE RESTURAUNT (SOFITEL BRISBANE) | Turbot St, CBD

To celebrate my sister's birthday, my family went to Thyme Restaurant at Sofitel to try out their buffet. It was just the right amount of fancy for a family dinner but with also the right amount of cuisines/dishes/dessert to suits every kind of taste bud. As part of "La Concina Espanola" happening at Sofitel this month, their food also reflects this recent Spanish inquisition. The menu boasted of paellas, chorizo, Spanish soups and sangria jelly. My mum and dad enjoyed particularly enjoyed the seafood (raw oysters and prawns) while my sister enjoyed the dessert (sorbet!).

VUE LOUNGE | merthyr rd, new farm

My friend and I caught up over brunch on a mutual day off to discuss future travel plans. Vue Lounge was situated just off the main foodies street in New Farm which was good as there was ample street parking. There were two seating areas that were connect via the counter/bar areas. The front of the cafe that had open walls that faces the street was light and airy (resembling Melbourne type cafes where you can sit comfortably reading the newspaper or people watch). The back of the cafe where we were situated was modern chic with wood blocks on the far wall. 

The menu was extensive with a range of modern Australian dishes. I ordered a zucchini fritters, smoke salmon, poached eggs, trus tomatoes, grilled lemon, tomato bearnaise with mixed berry smoothie.  The smoked salmon and poached eggs were beautifully executed and combined well with the bearnaise. I didn't quite enjoy fritters thought. It was much to oily and greasy for my liking and I kept having to take sips of my smoothie to get the aftertaste from my mouth.

Although this does not make it onto my favourite breakfast spots in Brisbane, it is a place I would go to again if i wanted to treat a friend to something a bit more fancy. 

Total money spent = $25.90

EAT STREET MARKETS | macarthur avenue central, hamilton

Eat street markets boast an international variety of market style food ranging from your standard German sausages to delectable paella to funky Japanese pizzas. My friends and I went out one Saturday to check this place out and we were certainly not disappointed. The markets has two big hangers that hosted almost 20+ food stalls with cute litter fairy lights on the roof for ambiance. There was so many food stalls and not enough stomachs to be able to try everything - I really wanted to try the paella and also some of the Asian cuisine. But alas, not enough stomach for so much food!

It's definitely great for grabbing a big group of friends and having a casual Saturday (or Friday) night out.

PAW PAW | corner of Potts St and Stanley St, Woolloongabba

Ever since going to Foxy Bean I spied this cute little cafe across the street and have been wanting to go. My friend and I went one rainy morning and to reminisce about workplace glories/blues. I love the openness of the cafe with the side facing the street as open glass windows that span from roof to floor. It lets in a lot of natural light that adds to the green and golden bamboo wallpaper and the wooden furnishings. We got seated near the window and ordered drinks: Nicole ordered a latter and I ordered a Charlie's White Peach and Passionfruit juice. 

Although brunch hadn't officially finished, we ended up ordering from the lunch menu instead. Lucky for us, we got to try out the new Paw Paw menu which was released only about 1 week ago. I ordered the Paw Paw Burger  (prime beef with roasted field mushroom, avocado, swiss cheese, rocket and smokey BBQ sauce on a toasted bap, served with shoestring fries) and my friend ordered the Grilled Fish (grilled fillet of snapper with a mango salsa and smashed fried potato served with aioli). The dishes came out a bit longer than I expected (or was i just hungry?). 

My burger was great! So big that i had to split it half and eat it like a open grill instead. Prime beef pattie was rather dry and tasteless. The highlight was probably the field mushroom and shoestring fries. The next time I'm going, I'm definitely ordering something from the brunch menu.

COLLE ROSSO RISTORANTE ITALIANO | Musgrave Rd, Red Hill

Nicole and I met up for our fortnightly catch up session. I got an invite for a 50% off discount at this Italian restaurant and decided to try it out since Ive driven past this place every Saturday when I was working at a vet emergency hospital during university.

We went on a weeknight and it was surprisingly full of diners! We ordered a entree to share which was the I Nostri Famosi Calamari Fritti which was presented beautifully in conical bowl and tasted just as amazing. For main, I ordered Gnocchi alle Cicale di Mare e Zucchini which was gnocchi with zucchini and moreton bay bugs. It was pretty good but extremely filling and the moreton bay bugs were a little bit dry. Nicole ordered Linguine ala Marinarai which looked delicious and if I ever go there again, I would definitely order hers. 

The restaurant attempts to emulate an Italian feel with red and white checkered patterns, appropriately accented waiters/waitresses and vintage mirrors/wall decor. I didn't order anything for dessert but Nicole ordered Creme Caramel con Frutti de Boso e Panna. Needless to say, she loved it!

 I wouldn't be in a hurry to come here again but for 50% off, it was well for the mid week dinner treat :)

MOOSE & GIBSON | Jurgens St, Woollongabba

Sunday brunch with a  friend is always the best way to spend the weekend. What a cute little space this was!  With such a wide open doorway coupled and a few suspended light bulbs, it uses natural light to create a really soft and comfortable atmosphere. There are tables for various sizes groups and even bar seating too for those individuals who aren't afraid to squish up or sit in the sun. The waiters and waitresses were all super cheerful and attentive to detail (took our orders on an iPad on less) which made the dining experience even more enjoyable. 

For drinks, I had the coconut/passion fruit/apple frappe and Daniel had a cappuccino. For breakfast, I ordered the Baked Potted Eggs with chorizo, olives, spinach, sea salt butter and ciabatta and Daniel had Waffles with maple syrup. I really liked the potted eggs although it was just a little too big a serving for me (still managed to finish it though!). It reminded me of the potted eggs I had in The Hardware Societe, Melbourne. The menu wasn't extensive but I would definitely come here to try another dish.