Saké Restaurant Brisbane

Ever since I heard of Saké opening in Brisbane, I have always wanted to give it a try.  The opportunity came when Dan asked me where I would like to go for my birthday.  Well, Sake is on my wish list and I get to choose where to go for my birthday, so it was an easy decision. 

The hostess who showed us to our table was very cheerful and friendly.  As she walked past the kitchen, she shouted a Japanese term and all the staff in the kitchen shouted back ‘Hai’ (we think?).  I am not sure if this is a common culture in Japan, but it was certainly an interesting experience.

Deciding what to eat was not an easy task.  The menu had so many things that we would like to eat and even though we ordered more than enough to feed the two of us, there are a few other dishes that we would like to try.  It sounds like a good reason to make another trip to this restaurant in the future. J

The kingfish, barramundi and salmon from the Sashimi Appetiser were very fresh.  A little bit of wasabi and a tinge of soy sauce was what if needed to fill the palate. 

The Coffin Bay Oyster topped with a bonito dashi jelly & golden flying fish roe was a new experience for us.   The bonito dashi jelly compliments the oysters very well.

One of our favourites was the Popcorn Shrimp.  The balance of flavour was amazing: sweet, sour and spicy.  I just couldn’t stop eating it!

The grilled skewers (Kushiyaki) were very tender and delicious.  We had the Chicken with Classic Teriyaki sauce and Pork Belly with Spicy Anticucho sauce.

The grilled eggplant, Nasu Miso however was the least favourite of the night.  The sauce was tasty, but the eggplant was a tad undercooked. 

For dessert, we had Chocolate Fondant with white sesame ice cream and Green-apple mille feuille. 

It was a great way to finish the meal, leaving us full, happy and looking forward to our next visit to Sake.

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The Olive Cafe

by D

Today we went for a drive to Mount Tamborine, a popular tourist spot known for its’ relaxing Gallery Walk; a street lined with small stores selling homewares, knick-knacks and a variety of home-made sweets.

Also populating the roadside are a number of cafes and restaurants, generally over-priced but still very busy given that there is no alternative once you’ve ascended the mountain.

As we took in the sights, we studied our options and based on the fact that large numbers of people were eating there - we ended up choosing ‘The Olive Cafe’. This is where it all started going wrong (note to self: don’t trust busyness as a sign of good food).

We found a table and ordered our meals, a (safe-bet) chicken parma with vegetables and a ‘medium’ steak served with salsa and potato bake. And then we waited... and waited... and waited.

It would have taken the food a good 50 minutes to find its’ way out to the table. When it finally arrived, it came without cutlery (we’re not barbarians) so we waited some more until finally a waitress noticed us trying to get her attention and wandered across. Shortly after we received some cutlery (no steak knives for the steak though) and got started on our meals.

We had barely made a start when another waitress arrived enquiring “How is the steak cooked, the chef would like to know?”

Now we’re not normally ones to complain about poorly cooked food (there are starving kids in Africa) but the way that question was asked gave us the distinct impression the Chef had just cooked his first steak and we were the test subjects.

Karen answered very politely with “it’s a little bit overcooked” but, not letting an opportunity go to waste, I also let the waitress know that my side serve of potatoes were still RAW. Now, I’m not a chef but I’m not sure how you manage to overcook a (very thick) steak until there is no colour to it, and still serve thinly cut potatoes raw?

The waitress apologised briefly before disappearing back into the kitchen. I was half expecting she might return with an offer of a discount, free drinks or a dessert but as we sat and continued to eat our (somewhat bland and flavourless) meals - there was no sign of any peace offerings.

As we finished our meals we piled up our raw potatoes and dry steak and made our way to checkout, paid our bill and made a swift exit. The food was terrible but not a complete waste, we learnt a valuable lesson, never eat at ‘The Olive Cafe’.

Location: Gallery Walk, 137 Long Road, Mt Tamborine
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Il Vagabondo

We were introduced to the existence of this restaurant by Dan’s parents. After hearing many good comments about the food, we decided to give it a try.

It is located behind The Village Upper Mt Gravatt Shopping Centre. The ambience looks a bit plain and ordinary from outside. As we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted by their friendly host, Giovani (John). The plain ambience gradually transformed into a homely feel.

When the food reached our table, we were surprised by the size of our pasta dishes. It definitely represented the generosity of Sicilian (Italian) cuisine. Our initial doubt of not being able to finish the dish diminished when we had our first bite. We love the beautiful flavour combination on the dish: texture of al dente pasta, sweetness of tomatoes, spiciness of chilli, freshness of parsley and perfectly cooked crustaceans. It’s definitely the best pasta I’ve had. (Mind you, the chilli flakes and pepper can be quite spicy!)

Linguini with Moreton Bay Bugs

Spaghetti Gamberi

Their Cannoli is a must try.  I couldn’t decide between vanilla or chocolate filling, so I ended up getting half and half.

Cannoli with Vanilla and Chocolate filling

The only thing I wasn't impressed with is their tortes.  The liqueur taste was too strong for my liking.

Torte al Italiana

Torte al gelato

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Wedding Cupcakes - Part 2

The day has finally arrived for the big cupcake bake. Ingredients, checked. Baking trays, checked. Containers, checked.

Cupcake Courier for transporting cupcakes

Milestone #1: Cupcakes are ready

Milestone #2: First batch with pink icing

Milestone #3: Pink cupcakes are done

Milestone #4: Purple cupcakes are ready

Dan came home with the display stand just as I was finishing the purple batch. We did a trial setup to check the alternate colour display.

We were happy with the results, so cupcakes were transferred back in the containers. 

Thanks to my wonderful cupcake courier, everything arrived intact and were soon set up for display.

Cupcake mission successful!
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Wedding Cupcakes - Part 1

I was overjoyed when WH & J announced their engagement. I have known them for many years and have witnessed how they have grown as a couple. However, the engagement news was not the only surprise from them. First, WH asked Dan to be his best man. Then, they approached me to make their wedding cake.

Honestly, I have never really thought of venturing outside of simple home-baking. I love baking simply because I love to eat the produce. However, a wedding cake is out of an amateur baker’s league.

With great reluctance, I did a few practice bake just to see if it is good enough to be presented to the couple. I found the perfect White Chocolate Mud Cake recipe from my favourite Exclusively Food site.

My confidence started to build up after several practise run. Special thanks to those who became my guinea pig in the process of perfecting the wedding cupcake: in-laws, cell members, colleagues and friends.

Decorating is another challenge for the cupcake. Not only it has to taste good, it has to look good too. After all, it’s a wedding! After several sessions of YouTube cake decorating tutorials, the rose swirl became the chosen style.

The rose paper doilies were used to add a touch of vintage look.

The bride-to-be was happy, so decision has been made.

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