Dessert and Drinks at Passion Tree

Passion Tree
103 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane CBD

I was looking through some of my favorite Brisbane food blogs this week, thinking about what I could cram into my last weekend here before the big Eurotrip. My heart jumped into my mouth when I saw DolceBunnie's post for Passion Tree in Brisbane CBD. I've been there twice now over the past weekend so this post will cover the items I've tried.

I had taken note of Passion Tree when it was still under construction with naught but a sign to advise us of its impending arrival. I filed that information away as 'important' because dessert is always important to me but then forgot to check it out when it actually opened. Dessert is one thing but Asian-style honey bread is another thing entirely.

Top Hot Pot

Top Hot Pot
Shop 43, Sunnypark Shopping Centre, Sunnybank

As the weather gets progressively colder, I'm finding it more and more difficult to function. Even getting out of bed seems inconceivable at times and doing chores and other necessities is practically out of the question. To boost motivation to drive myself home to Toowoomba late Friday night, I talked Marc into having hot pot for dinner.

Hot pot is a bit like fro-yo for me. I could have both all throughout the year but the cravings are definitely season dependant. When the weather is hot and sticky, I could live off frozen yoghurt. When the reverse is true, there's nothing more suitable for dinner than a steamy, bubbling hot pot.

Breakfast and Coffee and Cocoawoo

Cocoawoo
69 Charlotte Street, Brisbane CBD

I needed to kill time on Friday before a seminar in Brisbane. Breakfast is always a good place to start and provided you find the right spot, it's easy to linger and pass an hour.

I was wondering around the city looking for a likely spot when I passed Cocoawoo and doubled back. I know that it's mostly known for dessert, or at least that's what it intended when it first opened. The shop front is small and cosy and it pulls off being a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop.

Next Door Kitchen and Bar for Goodbye Dinner and Drinks

Next Door Kitchen and Bar
http://www.nextdoorkitchenbar.com.au

In the past year, West End and South Bank has really become my backyard and local food hunting ground. It's been really exciting for me to see all the new cafes and restaurants pop up, especially in South Bank Parklands as it emerges as one of Brisbane's most concentrated dining hubs.

Next Door Kitchen and Bar opened a while back but like most new 'drinks' venues, I find it harder to generate an excuse to visit. Marc and I like a good drink as much as the next person but when we go out, we prefer places that primarily focus on food. To me, anything that has 'Bar' or 'Lounge' in its name will always seem more appropriate for larger social gatherings.

Breakfast at Reverends espresso

Reverends espresso
372 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

It's not often that I find myself roaming the Fortitude Valley by myself in the morning. I bought a couple of massage coupons on Travelzoo and they were for a place in the valley so twice I ended up there needing to kill time before my appointment. I grabbed a coffee at Riverends on the first occasion and liked it enough to remember to go back for breakfast the second time.

Riverends has a small shop front but it seems to extend towards the back. I didn't go exploring so don't hold me to that. There are a couple of lovely little tables at the front that are just perfect for street watching. I was lucky enough to score a spot both times I went.

Gold Coast - Breakfast at Beach Cafe

The Surfers Paradise Beach Cafe
4 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise

In Brisbane, Marc never wakes up early enough to get breakfast with me. I usually get bored/fed up and head out on my own. When we're away for the weekend though, we can compromise and meet in the middle.

We went for a stroll along Surfers. It was another gorgeous day but it still felt quite cold so I really wanted a spot in the sun. Unfortunately, everyone else seemed to have the same idea because all the spots in direct sunlight were taken up. We ended up at Beach Cafe because it looked nice and not too busy.

Gold Coast - Icecream on the water with Ben and Jerry

Ben and Jerry's Surfers Paradise
Shop 1, Centro, Surfers Paradise

There are two things that for me, are synonymous with the coast. Sun and ice-cream. Without either of those things, I deem a coast trip to be a failure. I have no control over the weather but last weekend, Marc and I were blessed with clear skies and glorious sunshine. I always feel a bit piggish requesting ice-cream in the middle of the day but this time, I didn't have to. We checked into our hotel and Marc was the one who suggested we stroll out for an ice-cream hunt.

I had my mind set on Gelatissimo but as we were walking over to their Cavill Mall store, I spotted a Ben and Jerry sign out of the corner of my eye. I have a slight bit of history with Ben and Jerry. Well... ok, not really. In my early uni days, when I was unemployed and spent my non-study hours being domestic, I bought an ice-cream machine and several ice-cream recipe books. Ben and Jerry's was one of them. I don't think I actually used any of their ice-cream recipes but some of their other recipes for ice-cream 'accessories' e.g. cookies, fudge sauce and brownies are great.

Ben and Jerry ice-cream then started making an appearance in various Australian stores. I tried a tub here and there but I had never seen an actual Ben and Jerry ice-cream store before. Naturally, I had to check it out.

Lunch at Riverbar and Kitchen

Riverbar and Kitchen
http://riverbarandkitchen.com.au/

Whilst I am notorious for having a huge and ever-growing list of restaurants, cafes and bars that I want to visit, it's rare for Marc to bring up somewhere he wants to try. I mentioned Riverbar when it first opened many months ago and he said "Oh yeh! Where Broadwalk used to be" and sounded very keen to check it out. We tried to go on several occasions but fate intervened. Once we were literally on our way there and got pulled into Hanaichi Sushi Train instead.

Over these past few months, Riverbar and Kitchen has received very average online ratings and reviews so the urgency of trying it waned. Last Friday, we were looking for a suitable lunch spot and I was thinking about Taro Ramen but the weather was so stunning that it seemed like a waste not to be by the river.

Banquet at ROUJ Restaurant

ROUJ Modern Lebanese Restaurant
http://www.rouj.com.au/ 

It was Marc's birthday last Friday and being the bad girlfriend that I am, I had nothing planned. As a last minute whim, I offered dinner out to any place of his choice on Thursday night. Being put on the spot, Marc got majorly confused about what he was in the mood for and nothing that I suggested seemed 'right'. With mounting desperation, I tossed up my last ideas of Turkish or Lebanese and they struck home. He decided that he definitely wanted something ethnic.

A quick search on Urbanspoon brought up Rouj Modern Lebanese as a likely candidate. It was located just a short drive away from us in Rosalie. We parked a fair distance away from the main strip of restaurants and walked over. Rouj is located in the same complex as Tomato Brothers, opposite Cold Rock.

Breakfast at Bitter Suite

Bitter Suite
http://www.bittersuite.com.au/

It was time for my last catch up with Nina before she relocates far, far away. For this special occasion, we selected Bitter Suite, a venue we had both been hearing great things about. Bitter Suite is a casual beer lounge at night and a cafe by day. We went for breakfast on Saturday morning.