Sono Japanese Restaurant Portside

Sono Japanese Restaurant Portside
http://www.sonorestaurant.com.au/



Last week was a significant milestone for me. I have officially been working full-time for over a year now! What better way to mark this anniversary than to take my family out for food? We decided on Sunday lunch and I booked Sono via Mochi's recommendations. With its flash location next to the water in Hamilton, I figured it'd be a nice day time dining spot.



The restaurant is located upstairs near the cinema. There's an expansive dining space with conventional table, sunken seats (to pretend that you're sitting on the floor) and some private rooms as well.

Carolina Kitchen

Carolina Kitchen
38 Macaulay St, Coorparoo



Last Friday night, I did something that should speak volumes about the dining selection in Toowoomba. We drove all the way to Brisbane to have dinner, before driving all the way back (about 3hr return journey). It's not just that there aren't many restaurants around here to begin with, the quality/price is just not competitive compared with what Brisbane has to offer. Not only that, I just haven't been to anywhere new and exciting in so long (evident by my lack of new posts) that I HAD to.



I chose Carolina Kitchen because I'd heard so much about it. It carries a lot of hype in the food blogging world. I've seen mentions on Twitter and posts on Urbanspoon. Southern American food is something I don't have great exposure to but completely appeals to me (hearty soul food... how could it not?) Mochi went with her friends a while back and claimed it was good.

Pump @ 123

Pump @ 123
123 Russel St, Toowoomba



Yes, it's been a long dry spell of not-blogging. I can't help it! It's a busy time of the year. For some, that might mean plenty of opportunities to dine out at new restaurants. For me, it means I'm running around all over the place organizing with barely any time to eat/cook.



I know that a Toowoomba cafe entry is not exactly the most exciting bounce back into writing posts but in my defense, this cafe is actually quite good. Also, I want to get it out of the way because I have LOTS of exciting restaurants coming up this weekend and over the next few weeks (in a few locations across Australia).

Rosa Mexicano

Rosa Mexicano
http://www.rosamexicano.com.au/



Last weekend, part of my mad dash around Brisbane involved a stop-over at Rosalie for Mexican food. I met up with my buddy Josh after parking in a ridiculous spot on a hill and melting in the walk down to Nash Street (yep, I can feel it's Summer now). I actually convinced him to walk back to my car with me and move it to a better location. Have I mentioned I'm terrible at parking?


We decided to sit indoors for air-conditioning. It was just after 1pm on Sunday and the restaurant was rather quiet. We were both starving and couldn't wait to start eating.

Gillian's Garden Cafe for Breakfast and Lunch

Gillian's Garden Cafe
http://www.gilliansgardencafe.com.au/



I originally found out about Gillian's Garden Cafe through information about her awesomely famous sandcrab lasana. I've actually attempted it myself and to this date, it was one of the best things I've cooked with my two hands. It wasn't without effort though so I was very excited about the idea of trying someone else's.



I dragged mum out with me for lunch one day (before we drove on to have an indulgent 3hr massage... woohoo, life is good). Gillian's is located on Stanley Street near the Gabba. It's strange because bang in the middle of an inner city road, there's a small nursery slash gift shop slash cafe. It's a bit unexpected.

Kitchen Sanitarium for Breakfast

Kitchen Sanitarium
http://www.kitchensanitarium.com.au/



These last couple of weeks my trips to Brisbane increased from once per week to twice per week. It's not (entirely) because I get lonely and bored in Toowoomba but because I've actually had errands to do in Brissie that justified the drive. Because of this, I've managed to squeeze in a few extra eating trips too.



Everything is dandy when your pals are available but what if they're busy with uni/work/other aspects of their life? Why, you eat solo of course.

Pho Sai Gon Noodle Shop

Pho Sai Gon Noodle Shop
Shop 9, 223 Calam Road Rd, Sunnybank Hills



My original Saturday night plans had disintegrated so I traded that in for a simple, early dinner and lots of online shopping during the night instead.



Mochi picked where to go. She's been eating out a fair bit recently, and we all know the feeling of "no more fancy shmancy or anything with big servings please" she chose something light. When I think of 'light' I think of Vietnamese, and evidently she's on the same brainwave as me because we ended up at Pho Sai Gon.

Hometown Cafe

Hometown Cafe
Shop 90d, Sunnybank Plaza, Sunnybank



I've been looking for things to blog and went through one of my photo albums from last month to find this. Mum and dad took me to Hometown Cafe when I was in the mood for 'homely' Asian food. Hometown for homely food. It makes sense, right?



Hometown Cafe is located in Sunnyank Plaza, opposite Welcome Asian grocery store (in that outdoor area). It serves Taiwanese food. My dad thinks the cafe itself resembles a cafeteria because it's so simple (in terms of furnishings) and the food is very cheap.

Sling Lounge for Cocktails and Tapas

Sling Lounge
http://www.slinglounge.com/



I managed to jam pack this past weekend with a delicate balance of bad luck/stupidity and great fun. Friday night was a Toowoomba Christmas party, where I had a blast until I figuratively let my hair down too far and ended up paying a cabbie $50 for a 2min drive home and also lost my camera. To point a): I'm very disappointed that there are cabbies out there who take advantage of floozy drunk girls by not giving them change! To point b): not only was it devastating to lose my ol' faithful camera (that has been servicing this food blog for the past year), I also lost the photos I took that night and have to deal with the idea that some pervert might be hoarding pictures of me and my friends...



Ok then, how many cameras have I been through now just in the time I've been writing posts in Hungry Kittens? 3? Maybe 4?

Grove Juice

Grove Juice
http://www.grovejuice.com.au/



Grove Juice is a fresh juice company that boasts of top standard flavor with the best nutritional properties. The people at Grove Juice were nice enough to send me a few samples of this new product to try.


I'm a bit of a juice maniac. I have a $250 juicer that crushes anything into sippable oblivion, core and skin and all. I love fruit that doesn't require effort. I love interesting mixtures of fruit. I even love juice with my vodka. Needless to say, I was keen on popping open the Grove Juice bottles and giving them all a try.

Wendland Olives for Breakfast and Lunch

Wendland Olives
1/76 Bridge St (corner Mary St) Toowoomba



I remember when Mochi first told me about Wendland Olives. Man, that feels like a long time ago now. How fast has this year flown? Her sister had come up to Toowoomba for a visit so they'd been doing a whirlwind inspection of all of Toowoomba's touristy sites (you can count them on one hand).



Mochi's exact words were that Wendland Olives 'was like a cafe in New Farm'. That, for someone who lives about 130km away from New Farm, and indeed any other suburb in Brisbane that houses fine cafes, was music to my ears.

Jam Jar for Tapas and Cocktails

Jam Jar
http://www.jamjarwestend.com/



Emotionally distraught and in need of a distraction, Mochi nursed me out of my rut of sadness by invoking a girl's night out on Saturday.



We met up in West End without a clear focus on where to go... that is, until we remembered Jam Jar. Once upon a long time ago, we attempted to have dinner at Jam Jar but it was waaay too early (I think we opted for an early dinner because we had a massage appointment to rush off to afterwards) so it wasn't open.

High Tea at Miss D Cafe

Miss D Cafe
http://www.missd.com.au/



Last weekend, my dear mummy and I took a drive to an obscure cafe in Tarrigindi for high tea. I used to have an obsession with high tea. I recall that last year, or was it 2 years ago, I aimed to have high tea at every single establishment that offered it in Brisbane.

Obviously that never happened.

But anyway, I can at least tick Miss D off my insubstantial list of 'been there's.

The Chocolate Cottage

The Chocolate Cottage
10475 New England Highway, Highfields



What happens when you live in Toowoomba and you've run out of new places to eat? Drive further out.

Mochi discovered this cafe called The Chocolate Cottage about 15min out from Toowoomba CBD in an adjacent town called Highfields.



I know that on the scale of Brisbane, 15min is nothing. In fact, it would be considered 'close-by'. In Toowoomba, 15min feels really out of town.

In fact, I believe Byron actually said to me "I can't believe we're driving all this way for breakfast".

That's what happens when you live out rural - your perception of reality gets screwed.

Anyway... despite his grumbly, Byron did drive us 'all the way' to Highfields on a recent Saturday morning.

Domino's New Free Range Chicken Pizzas

Domino's New Free Range Chicken Pizzas
http://www.dominos.com.au/



Ah... Domino's pizza brings me way back. I remember as a kid, mum and dad would take me to Domino's as a little treat. We'd order Meatlovers in Deep Pan. That was our 'usual'. And we'd eat it steaming hot in the back of the car. My parents were of the opinion that pizza was best eaten IMMEDIATELY, not a minute later.



Times have changed. My favorite flavors are now vegetarian. I prefer Thin 'n' Crispy as a base. I NEVER have time to order and eat pizza out - it's gotta be delivered or nothing (those online orders/iPhone Apps help).

Cheesy Corn and Bacon Muffins

Cheesy Corn and Bacon Muffins
Home Cooking



I was doing my 'how do I use up as many existing pantry ingredients in one recipe' scan when I found a recipe for corn muffins in Woman's Weekly Bake. Ok, so it didn't encompass as much as I wanted but it was a good base. I took that recipe and beefed it up with extra meat, extra cheese and extra goodness.

How can a muffin with both bacon and ham possibly be bad?


These muffins were originally going to be a contribution to a party but there weren't enough for everyone to have at least one so I figured it was better etiquette to not bring any.

Ortiga Restaurant

Ortiga Restaurant
http://www.ortiga.com.au/



Last night I had one of those dining experiences that must be shared right away. Most of my posts are written up to a week after the fact but this time, I just can't wait that long. Although I didn't get much sleep last night and I'm tired and I'd rather be online shopping, I've got to document the memory before it fades and I start omitting details.



I know I say this about lots of restaurants but Ortiga has been on my 'must visit' for a long, long time... ever since the day I first saw it when I had dinner nearby at Mint. Mint is long gone but I still remember seeing the legs of cured meat hanging in the restaurant and thinking "I want to go there". At the time I hadn't made the connection that Isis used to be in that exact location but I soon learned that Ortiga was the follow-on.

Wagaya Brisbane

Wagaya Brisbane
315 Brunswick St, Tcb Centre, Fortitude Valley



I was real freakin' excited when I heard that Wagaya had opened up in Brisbane (tidbit of info courtesy of Mochi). The only time I'd experienced Wagaya was at Sydney, when I was young, with a hoard of friends, and the whole touch screen thing blew my mind.

I can't say I've changed much :).



The thing that drew me to try Wagaya Brisbane was still the touch screen menus. This time, it wasn't 'just' the novelty... after all, it wasn't anything I hadn't tried before. Since I'd had a taste of this concept in Sydney, whenever I was at a restaurant being ignored by waitstaff, I'd find myself fantasizing about there being a touch screen menu so I could order without the hassle of human contact.

L'Arte Cafe for Brunch

L'Arte Cafe
Shop 2, 185 Riding Road, Hawthorne



Mochi and I grew tired of gracing popular, in-demand brunch spots. Two weekends ago, we decided to try somewhere a bit more obscure. I don't know how she finds out about these places but L'Arte was suggested and I thought it sounded good.



Due to it being East of the CBD, I somehow got it in my head that Hawthorne was an 'Eastern Suburb' and therefore close to Carindale. Not at all... it's much more inner city than that. My car is still being repaired so I had to get mum and dad to weave their way through unfamiliar territory until we found the cafe.

The Vita-Wheat Lunch Slice Challenge!

The Vita-Wheat Lunch Slice Challenge!
Home Cooking



I was trawling through Twitter recently when I found 'The Cook's notebook' had announced a competition featuring new Vita-Wheat Lunch Slices. This unexpectedly planted a seed in my brain and I found myself craving Vita-Wheats all day. Come grocery time, I couldn't resist popping a packet of the Pumpkin, Sunflower and Canola variety into my trolley.



So whilst I wasn't originally planning to enter, I subconsciously started plotting ideas for toppings. When I came home for lunch today I rummaged through my fridge/pantry for all likely topping candidates and lined them up on my bench: salads, tuna, cheese, spreads... anyhow, this is what I've come up with and this is what I had for lunch today.

Sofra Turkish Cuisine in Toowoomba

Sofra Turkish Cuisine
164 Margaret St, Toowoomba



I've mentioned already that it's getting harder and harder for me to find new restaurants to try in Toowoomba. I'm slowly exhausting everything this town has on offer. This is why the opening of a brand spanking new restaurant will pull me in like a moth to flame.


Byron first mentioned Sofra to me while the space was still being fitted. By the time Mochi and I were planning a catch-up dinner, it was open to the public and ready to roll.

Chocolate Lace Cookies

Chocolate Lace Cookies
Home Cooking



A work mate of mine held a garden party at her property last weekend. The theme was 'Cocktails and nibblies' so I decided to bake something as a contribution. I flipped back and forth through our baking books and finally settled on these chocolate lace cookies from the 'Women's Weekly Bake' cookbook. The original recipe can be found here.

Mappen Menya Ramen

Mappen Menya Ramen
Shop 86, Sunnybank Plaza, Sunnybank



I heard rumours of a new ramen place in Sunnybank. First from Mork, then from Mochi. I thought they were talking about Hakataya but nope, I was behind on the goss as usual and there was actually another one that opened more recently.



After convincing mum and dad to try this place with me, we drove to Sunnybank plaza around lunchtime on a Sunday.

Olive Branch Lounge Bar and Restaurant

Olive Branch Lounge Bar and Restaurant
www.theolivebranch.com.au/



We were SO EXCITED to spy a Toowoomba restaurant we hadn't been to before. Mochi and I were having Thai one day and thought 'hey... what's that?'

Olive Branch looked like a bar slash cafe from the outside but when we decided to eat there one night, we discovered it was more like a fine dining restaurant.

Pourboy Espresso for Breakfast

Pourboy Espresso
http://www.pourboy.com.au/



A car accident on the weekend lead to an emotional breakdown, which lead to good ol' mum rescuing me from Toowoomba. I spend a day recuperating and regaining sanity in Brisbane before feeling sound enough to head home on Tuesday. No way would mum be making another round trip to Toowoomba to take me there, once was tedious enough, so I was sent to the city to catch the coach.


That gave me some time to kill around Brisbane CBD. I felt a bit tortured about what to do... on one hand, I was still too fragile to have much of an appetite. On the other, 2 hours spent doing nothing is a long 2 hours.

Amaretti Cookies

Amaretti Cookies
Home Cooking



This post is really dated but I figured the sooner I put it up, the less 'old' it'll ultimately become. I was going through a baking rampage one week and these cookies are a by-product of that fever. I love almond meal products and happened to have some so I started looking up almond meal recipes.


This recipe for amaretti cookies popped up in Mochi's 'Women's Weekly Bake' book. For those who haven't seen it, it's like a textbook-sized baking bible. There were plenty of recipes contending but I went along with the easiest.