Dinner Degustation at Wasabi, Noosa

Wasabi Restaurant and Bar
http://www.wasabisb.com/

Wasabi Restaurant has been in my scope of desire for a long, long time but as someone who doesn't frequent the Sunshine Coast, I never found myself there on a suitable evening. Recently, we had a lovely friend's wedding at Noosa Heads and took that as an opportunity for a long weekend away. I knew immediately this was our chance to finally try Wasabi.

Umeshu (plum wine)

We made a booking for a Saturday night. I didn't plan far in advance so many time slots were taken but there was one available at 8:30pm, which suited us fine because we prefer eating out later at night. The restaurant isn't quite in the main strip along Hastings Street but it was a very short drive away with easy parking. We were seated near a window that looked out onto the water outside. I could see fish in the water but it was too dark to make out much else.

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.

Fen Ku Guilin Rice Noodle

Fen Ku Guilin Rice Noodle
Shop 20D, Market Square, Sunnybank 

Rewind back in time and it surprises me to think that our wedding was now 6 month ago. I'll risk making the ultimate cliche but this year certainly is flying by. I spotted a new restaurant at Market Square, Sunnybank that reminded me of our favourite honeymoon stop. Guilin is one of the most picturesque cities I've been to in my entire life.

While we were there, our wonderful local guide explained to us a few aspects of the local cuisine. He was very passionate about their rice noodles and even gave us historical reasons as to why rice noodles were so popular in that region. Marc and I tried some rice noodles while we were in town and thoroughly enjoyed them. This is why seeing Guilin Rice Noodles offered in Brisbane was very exciting to me.

Dinner at Halims

Halims Indian Taj Restaurant
http://www.halimsindiantaj.com.au/

I'm a bit surprised there isn't already a post about Halims on my blog. If I rewind back a few years, I can recall going to this Rosalie establishment fairly frequently. It left a really solid impression in my mind for tasty and affordable Indian food. Marc and I went for dinner a few weeks ago and so I can now give a recent review.

We arrived on a weeknight and it was quite busy at Halims. We managed to get a table out on the large front deck but later on, we noticed some other diners waiting for a table. The menu is your typical Aussie-Indian affair with special mention of biriyani that we didn't order but I'm curious to try one day.

Willy Wonka Themed Pop up Degustation

Willy Wonka Themed Pop up Degustation by Cody McKavanagh
http://wanderingcooks.com.au/cody-mckavanagh-the-chicken-pen/

Late 2015, I announced an exciting pop up event hosted and created by chef Cody Mckavanagh. This was to be a Willy Wonka themed degustation that sounded so intriguing I convinced both Marc and Jenny to come with me. It happened last Sunday and now,  I can finally give some insight to our experience.

Wandering Cooks in West End hosts many food events at their Fish Lane location. I had been there once for a food truck cook off that was so popular there was no food by the time we got there. Because of that, I knew where it was but hadn't had a taste (excuse the pun) of what it was like to eat there.

I imagine the venue space is very adaptable. For this degustation they transformed it into a lovely fine dining hall with candles, hanging bulbs and long tables for groups to share. We three took up a table with three other ladies but it was spacious enough to still feel like we were at our own table.

Breakfast at Morning After

Morning After Espresso and Eats
http://www.morningafter.com.au/

It's just my luck that seemingly, once I left West End, it becomes the suburb to sprout dozens of new dining establishments. Morning After opened almost immediately after we moved away. I saw mentions of it everywhere online and made a special trip back to the old hood to try it.

Jenny and I met up for breakfast on a Sunday. For whatever reason, I was awake and active super early that morning and when we got there, most other cafes etc were closed and Morning After was buzzing. By the time we had finished, there were queues for tables. I appreciate that this place is relatively new and very busy in the weekend rush but the service felt efficient and organised.

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.

Breakfast at Seven South

Seven South
92 Hyde Road, Yeronga

Nina and I met up for a long overdue catch up last Saturday. We decided to brunch at new cafe in Yeronga, Seven South. As I drove towards it, I realised the surroundings looked very familiar. I had previously been to their neighboring cafe Anesis.

There's ample street parking, even on a weekend. I liked the layout and look of Seven South with its expansive outdoor dining area and bright and open indoor space. We started sitting outside but as the weather got a bit drizzly, we moved on in. It was busy when I first got there but by the time we had finished up it was absolutely packed. There were groups of people waiting for a table.

Dinner and Drinks at Kinn Thai

Kinn Thai, Westfield Garden City
http://kinnrestaurant.com.au/mt-gravatt/

I know most people prefer to do social things on the weekend but I personally love a mid week occasion to break up the monotony. A couple of weeks ago Kat and I arranged to catch up over dinner. We live on opposite ends of Brisbane now so we picked Garden City as a mutually accessible location. That's not a bad thing, considering GC has so many new restaurants that I haven't tried.

Kinn Thai was one of these that I'd walked past several times but never gone into myself. Kat had been there and always raved about her experience so I was keen to give it a go. We got there very early on a weekday night, probably just after they opened so getting a table wasn't an issue. The restaurant is large and there are plenty of dining spaces inside and out.

Gerard's Bistro Revisited for Epic Feast

Gerard's Bistro - Revisit Post
http://gerardsbistro.com.au/

I feel a strong sense of familiarity with Gerard's Bistro. When I'm stuck on the question of "what's your favourite restaurant in Brisbane", it's always a response that presents itself. Imagine my surprise when I looked through my own food blog and realised I had only visited once, back in 2012. Sometimes it only takes a restaurant one go to leave a strong impression. All the same, all my friends and workmates seemed to be constantly talking about their delicious experiences at Gerard's so I knew I was long overdue for a visit.

Luckily friend of mine, Goldilocks, is as into food as I am and she suggested we do a double date dinner at Gerard's Bistro last Friday. What a great idea! We started the night at the bar (across the alleyway from the Bistro) and once we were sufficiently marinated with cocktails and beer, we migrated over to the bistro itself.