Food and Drink at The Apo

The APO
http://www.theapo.com.au/

The older I get the more I learn to appreciate any opportunity I have to catch up with good friends. A couple of weekends ago, a group of us met up for share plates and (lots of) drinks at The Apo in Fortitude Valley.

Dinner at LONgTIME

Longtime Restaurant and Bar
http://www.longtime.com.au/

There's no shortage of Asian-themed bars in Brisbane. Just off the top of my head, Kwan Brothers and Madame Wu come to mind and both left fairly positive impressions for me. You would think my mental quota for this genre of venue would be satisfied but for whatever reason, when I heard of Longtime, I was newly intrigued. I'm not sure how long ago Longtime opened; it seems 'newish' but not brand new. When it opened, I did a spot of casual research and found that they were hosting a theme night with guest chef Dan Hong from Ms G's in Sydney. I loved that restaurant so I was super keen to try this special event but alas I was working on the nights it was on.

Fast forward a year or so and I still hadn't been to Longtime. A friend of mine was visiting from Sydney and requested someplace 'cool' to dine. I know there are funky, thematic venues littered throughout Brisbane but my skeptic's voice told me there wasn't going to be anything on par with Sydney or Melbourne. My mind went blank and I panicked momentarily until Longtime presented itself as an option. It's difficult to know whether a restaurant classifies as 'cool' when you haven't been there yourself but the website looks hip and the font is edgy so what the heck, I made the booking.

Tapas and Drinks from Gerard's Bar

Gerard's Bar and Charcuterie
http://gerardsbar.com.au/

Earlier this year I was in a bit of a Gerard's frenzy. After an amazing dinner at Gerard's Bistro, I pulled together another group of friends to try small eats at the bar the following week. I started writing this review post a few weeks ago, closer to when we actually visited but somehow in my recent travels the draft has gone missing. Luckily, the time we had left a strong enough impression that I can still recall details today.

We got there just before 9pm on a Friday night so as expected, the place was busy.  We hadn't made a booking so we hovered around the front of the restaurant unsure if we could even get a table. Surprisingly, the security guard on duty spotted us looking confused and pointed out a spare table. He even went and found extra chairs so that we each had somewhere to sit. Talk about above and beyond service!

As Gerard's Bar is a bar first and foremost, we started the night by tackling the cocktail menu. Throughout the course of the evening we covered several rounds of drinks, which definitely added some pep and liveliness to our group.

Dinner at Full Moon Bar and Restaurant

Full Moon Bar and Restaurant
178 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley

I'm getting to that ripe old age where I almost never leave the house unless there's a social event on that someone else organised. If you're wondering how this blog got so boring all of a sudden, that's why! Luckily I had a party to attend a couple of weekends ago that fulfilled my dose of social activity for this month. Brothers Garthritis and Knobles (often mentioned on this blog) had a joint birthday dinner at Full Moon Bar and Restaurant. Prior to this event, I didn't even know this place existed but it turned out to be quite a fun discovery.

Our group took up a whole row of tables by the left wall of the mezzanine level. By the end of the night we were the only ones up there and it felt like we had private function hire. That was pretty cool.

Claret House Wine Bar for Dinner and Drinks

Claret House Wine Bar
http://clarethouse.com.au/

As I've already mentioned in previous posts, I've spent most of this holiday season working, which results in little time or energy for anything else. I'm now up to my eyeballs in unblogged food reviews. I was under the impression we weren't eating out as much these days, and compared to our time at West End that may be true but if all my food photos are anything to go by, my stomach has still managed to keep busy.

Drinks and Nibblies at Dutch Courage

Dutch Courage Officers' Mess
http://dutchcourage.com.au/

Passing through the silly season, there's bound to be more posts featuring alcoholic beverages with 'some food' verses the usual proper restaurants that mostly focus on food. Dutch Courage Officers' Mess is a place I've wanted to try since it first opened.

Blossom and I are soul sisters when it comes to drinking. I can recall many dreary nights when I felt like my life was a mess and the only beacon of hope came from a glass of comfort at night. Wine is my poison of choice nowadays but back then, we were big on the gin and tonic. Dutch Courage is a specialist gin bar and it made a lot of sense for us to try it together and reminisce.

Dinner and Drinks at London Fields

London Fields
http://londonfields.com.au/

In an effort to stay relevant and not fade away from the Brisbane dining scene, I figured I needed to visit more fresh and newly established venues. London Fields opened up not too long ago, ironically near where I used to live. Well, I no longer live there so it took a bit of a journey to get there but that's something we expect after moving out from the inner city ring. I had heard some positive feedback about London Fields and was curious to make my own assessment.

We visited last Friday night without a booking. There were a few functions going on (birthday? Christmas parties?) but we were able to find a spot to sit without dramas. I don't think there's too much in the way of actual dining tables but we scored a low tabletop with stools surrounding. For finger food this is fine but you would definitely want a proper table if you had something that required knife and fork.

The London Club for a Hen's Group Lunch

The London Club
http://www.thelondonclub.com.au/

I've already mentioned this on the blog but I'm getting married soon... next week in fact! With it comes all the chaos and celebration and last minute stress that you can only expect from a wedding. I had a hen's holiday getaway in Bali but with the active volcano situation, it was touch and go as to whether we could even make it or not. On the night before our departing flight, I thought it might be wise to make a backup plan in case Bali didn't pan out.

Bali Day 3 - Dessert and Wine at Vin + Seminyak

Vin + Seminyak
Jalan Kayu Jati # 1, Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia

We were definitely well-fed after our lovely meal at Bambu Restaurant but because we were forced to vacate after a set time, we were sadly under-watered. With alcohol, that is.

Luckily for us Bali isn't the kind of place where it's hard to find somewhere to kick on into the night. We turned a corner and found Vin +. According to Jenny, I pointed out how interesting the venue looked every time we walked past so it was about time that we actually went in to check the place out.

Vin + is a wine-focused lounge bar. The layout is open and in the more outdoor section, there was a live band performing some mild pop song covers. Our group took up a corner couch and table where it was quite warm at first but improved after the waitstaff turned on the air-conditioning unit near us.

Bali Days 1 and 2 - Drinks and Grazings at Potato Head Beach Club

Potato Head Beach Club
http://www.ptthead.com/

I just got back from an amazing 5 day girly get away in Bali that was put together as a 'hens trip' pre-wedding. Leading up to the trip,  I was more excited about the Bali getaway than the actual wedding itself. Then the volcano situation happened and it was all sort of up in the air as to whether or not we'd even make it there. Thankfully the volcano gods were kind and we had a successful holiday.

I'm not a good flier at the best of times but I managed to top my PB with The Worst Plane ride of my entire life going into Bali. We arrived in the afternoon and used the remaining hours to get to our villa, settle in and melt our aches and stresses away with hours of pampering. After dinner and wine at a local restaurant, we retreated for a good night's sleep.

Weekend at Byron Bay - Treehouse on Belongil for Dinner and Drinks

Treehouse on Belongil
http://www.treehouseonbelongil.com/

I was unsure about writing this review because as you'll soon see, the photos are horrendous. Treehouse is a very atmospheric establishment and typical of what you would expect Byron Bay locals to enjoy in their down time. We went on a Saturday night as part of our Mana Yoga Retreats group farewell dinner. It was busy without being hectic and crowded, I struggle to think of a more appropriate word than 'chilled'. It was dark though. Being as blind as I am, I squinted my way through the menu. Normally I wouldn't think twice about having the flash on to get better quality pictures but I think it's too rude and distracting for a group dinner so I opted without. I decided to publish this review anyway for reasons of completeness (I hate having 'food experiences' that remain unblogged) and because the pizza was worth writing about.

Lychee lasso and mojito

We ordered food as a big group and drinks at the bar. Kat and I got there as part of the earlier group so we made a beeline for the bar. We had cocktails on our mind so cocktails we received. For my first, I ordered a mojito and Kat, a lychee lasso. They were both strong quite fairly well balanced although I found the lychee to be too sweet for me.

Izakaya Goku for Dinner

Izakaya Goku
http://izakayagoku.com.au/

I can't think of an occasion that doesn't suit Japanese bar food and beer. Birthday celebration? Yup. Romantic dinner? Yup. Catchup with friends? Perfect. Weekday lunch? Why not. It's the style of food that anyone anywhere can be in the mood for, any time of the week. Japanese food can be as light or filling as you want it to be and you can match with beer or iced tea if you want to keep the night quiet, or elevate things with some sake or whiskey. It's all so versatile.

Some of my favourite and funnest places to eat in Brisbane include Wagaya and Moga, both of which have 'izakaya' in their title. Coincidence? I think not. In Japanese, izakaya refers to an informal drinking establishment that also serves food, primarily to accompany the drinks. That's basically all I want in a food venue, ever so it makes sense that places I enjoy eating/drinking at are all called izakayas. I was over the moon when I heard one had opened in West End.

Dinner and Drinks at Heya Bar

Heya Bar
http://www.heyabar.com/

Another sign that I'm getting older (not that I need anything to remind me) is that there aren't so many 'drinking' events anymore. Maybe it's just me and the fact that I'm lazy and boring but weekends that used to be spent out on the town are now spent curled up on the sofa bed watching movies. I don't have the energy or motivation to get dolled up for a big night unless there's a good reason for it. Food, however... food is a good enough reason to get me out of the house.

I got wind of a new bar opening in the Valley. That on its own is cool but irrelevant to me but once I read and saw photos of its food menu, it became much more interesting. The premise of Heya Bar is Asian street-stall inspired with themed cocktail menus and lots of pan-Asian bar nibblies. Heya Bar is located downstairs below Zuri, where The Brunswick Social used to be.

Madame Wu

Madame Wu
http://www.madamewu.com.au/

It's that time of the year again, what I like to call 'my birthday week'. My actual birthday was still looming in the semi-distance when I started using it as an excuse for every unnecessary shopping/eating experience for this past month. I'm sure I'm not the only person who does this.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend PDizzle recommended Madame Wu to me and he made it sound so good that I instantly put a plan into motion to get there. This involved sending the website URL to Marc, followed by a not so subtle hint of "it's my birthday soon!" Because we had activities lined up all weekend, we ended up bringing this dinner event forward to last Wednesday night.

Dinner and Drinks at Tomahawk

Tomahawk Bar
http://www.tomahawkbar.com.au/

Last Thursday night Marc and I made a movie date to see American Sniper. No fun outing is complete without food so I started brainstorming dinner options. I had porked out on 2 caramel cookies for 'breakfast' and I insisted we have a light meal. Then I remembered that Tomahawk had opened in Southbank so I told Marc "that's where we're going". He looked at the menu, with its contents of burgers and fries and beer, and questioned the lightness of my choice but didn't actively try and persuade me otherwise.

We were reassured over e-mail that no bookings are necessary and there were indeed plenty of seats available. We took up a table outside to enjoy the mild weather. Because we'd looked at the menu earlier, we knew exactly what we wanted to order.

Dinner at The Charming Squire

The Charming Squire
133 Grey Street, South Brisbane

Trying to find a place to have dinner on a public holiday is a pain. We probably shouldn't have picked Boxing Day to have a date night out but the truth was, there was no food in the fridge, the grocery stores were closed and it was either head out or starve. I wanted to try Jamie's Italy because I feel like everyone in Brisbane has been there except me. The online booking said they were booked out and we didn't want to pay for parking only to be told we couldn't get a table or had to wait over an hr.

After tossing up and declining a few other options, we went for a random drive around West End and became disheartened by how many restaurants weren't open. We ended up in Southbank and to our relief, almost everything was open. We made a beeline for The Charming Squire because that's a venue I've been meaning to try since it first opened.

We had predicted that The Charming Squire would be packed with people drinking up before the weekend. It was busy but it wasn't crazy busy, which was a relief to us. There's a more casual bar area but we decided to try out the restaurant section. We didn't realise at the time but the two sides have different menus.

Tapas and Cocktails at Peasant

Peasant
http://www.peasant.com.au/

One of the girls at work recommended Peasant at The Barracks so I dutifully filed it away in my list of restaurants to visit. I swear, no matter how often I eat out and how many venues I tick off, the list is always growing.

Last weekend was my bestie Kat's birthday and because I have always been and forever will be terrible at choosing birthday presents, I stuck to what I know best and took her out for food and drink. It occurred to me that Peasant would be the ideal location for this as the focus is on share plates and cocktails. This is the perfect combination for a girls night out.

Drinks and Nibblies at The Flying Cock

The Flying Cock
http://theflyingcock.com

New eating establishments in Brisbane always pique my interest but this year, there seems to be endless new brunch cafes and Southern American style diners. Sure, I'm still curious but they have all blended into one vague heap on my radar of places to try. What's much more exciting to me is a new establishment that also supplies top notch booze. Enter the gastrobar, a haven for those who can't pick between spending their weekends eating or drinking. After all, in the age of indulgence, why should we have to choose?

The Flying Cock (TFC for easy typing) first flew under my radar when Jenny mentioned driving past the 'coming soon' sign on Brunswick Street. I later learnt that workmate PDizzle is friends with David Flynn, one of the owners. Not long after the opening night at TFC, we arranged to head there for dinner and drinks.

TFC is located in the old Tempo Hotel building an as such, takes up a lot of space. There are distinct areas within the building that you might find more suitable for different occasions. We took up one of the larger tables in the downstairs 'restaurant' area and later moved upstairs to the proper bar to check out the live music.

Kwan Brothers for Cocktails and Dinner

Kwan Brothers
http://www.kwanbros.com.au/

I'm really loving all the ventures that are part of the Alfred and Constance group due to their fun-never-ends philosophy. Kitchens close late and their bars and restaurants are open on public holidays too. It gives a sense of reliability. When Garthritis told me about their new Asian street food development Kwan Brothers, I was immediately interested.

The online reviews are a bit up and down so I hesitated about going but Hien and I walked past one afternoon and the decor looked so funky, even from the outside, that I decided I had to make up my own mind. We went there as a largeish group last Friday night. Due to my poor organisation skills, I didn't make a booking and I was also the last one to arrive. Garthritis managed to get us all a big table towards the back of the venue that we shared with another some other diners.

Eurotrip 4 - Discovery Wine Tour and Food Pairing Lunch

Terroir Feely, Bordeaux
http://www.feelywines.com/tours.html

Whilst French romance doesn't interest me at all, French wine certainly does. It was a given that in our time in France, Marc and I would be embarking on a wine tour. I did a brief search and concluded that Bordeaux was one of the main wine regions in France and I narrowed down on this particular tour that was highly recommended on Tripadviser.

I drink a fair amount of red wine but I'm just about the most uneducated consumer there is, second only to Marc. If it's in a wine glass, I'll drink it. I'm quite embarrased by this fact because wine and food are supposed to go together and being a n00b at wine does not bode well for my reputation (if any) as a food blogger. I sought to ammend this with a day's worth of wine education.