Menya Mappen Noodle Bar

Earlier this year, Mexican taquerias hit the city with eateries like Guzman Y Gomez and the Burrito Bar. Now, the latest craze is on Japanese noodle shops.

There are 2 noodle shops located just outside Sunnybank Plaza: Hakataya Noodle Shop and Menya Mappen Noodle Bar. They are almost impossible to miss if you are in the area - just look out for a big group of people queuing up and it will lead you to one of these noodle shops.

It took us a while to study the menu at Mappen on our first visit. Most of the dishes looked very similar with only slight variations. It is basically a choice between Udon or Soba noodles, soup or dry, hot or cold noodles and extras such as half-boiled egg, curry or sukiyaki beef. There is a Japanese curry with rice dish too, for those who are not interested in noodles.

Once you have ordered the noodles, you can proceed to the self-serve tempura section. All items are individually priced, so you can get as much or as little as you want. Bear in mind that some of the items might be sitting on the counter for a while, so might be cold. I am not too worried about this as they provide hot tempura dipping sauce for free.

The noodles are very tasty and I enjoyed the freedom granted by the self service tempura station. We ordered a relatively basic noodle dishes, complemented by tempura sweet potato, seafood stick fish cake and chicken- Yum.

Ontama Mentaiko Bukkake Soba (Hot noodle with Tsukedashi soup with Mentaiko Butter and creamy half-boiled egg)
Tempura fish cake, seafood stick and sweet potato

Ontama Bukkake Soba (Hot noodle with Tsukedashi soup and a wedge of lemon)
Tempura sweet potato and chicken

The dining experience is very casual with signs asking that you return the tray to the counter once you’re done. It’s like going to a private food court with quick and cheap meals - with noodles priced at around $5.90 and tempura starting at about 80c per piece.

Overall, it was a fun dining experience and I will definitely be back.


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Shabuhouse

Shabuhouse is a relatively new Japanese restaurant at Mary Street, Brisbane. While the main focus is shabu shabu (Japanese style hotpot), they do offer other Japanese dishes such as sushi and sashimi.

The restaurant itself is new and shiny with individual electric hotplates for each diner.

Whilst the rest of the menu looked tasty we had to see if the restaurant was true to its’ namesake and we decided to have shabu shabu. For those note familiar with shabu shabu, you may feel like you’re just paying for ‘mise en place’ and not getting a very good deal - you have to cook the food yourself. But that’s actually half the fun of shabu shabu and when they serve it with a precooked tasty broth and some dipping sauces, it makes for a wonderful meal.

There are 4 types of soup bases to choose from: TomYum (spicy/sour beef bone soup), Chicken, Katsobushi (Japanese dry fish soup) and Konbu (Radish and seaweed soup). As for the shabu, the choices are beef, seafood, pork and vegetables. It is reasonably priced at $14-$20.

I had the Shabu Beef with Katsobushi soup. The soup was not very strong in flavour but complimented the other ingredients and sauces well - I really enjoyed it. The beef was thinly sliced and cooked within seconds once dipped into the boiling soup.

My friend, J, tried the Shabu Mushroom, Konjac and Tofu with Konbu soup. Both dishes comes with fish tofu, beansprouts, cabbage, tofu, bok choy and a small portion of rice sticks. This dish was also enjoyed.

The only thing to note is that rice is not included in your meal so if rice is a staple in your diet, I would suggest adding that to your order.

Overall, the food at Shabuhouse is good value for money and served us well as a healthy, guilt-free dining experience. I will definitely make a return visit to hang out with friends.

Website: http://www.shabuhouse.com.au/index.html


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Little Greek Taverna

by D

Coming in at no. 8 on the Urban Spoon-ometer, we had high hopes for the Little Greek Taverna in West End, Brisbane.

Not unsurprising for West End eateries, we arrived to find the Little Greek Taverna bustling with full tables both inside and out (you must reserve ahead). Even though our reservation had us out near the road, it was quiet and relaxed - continental dining at its' best.

Our dining experience commenced with an assortment of dips accompanied by pita bread. The roasted eggplant dip was a taste sensation and was enjoyed by even those without a penchant for eggplant. Whilst I was a little wary of the spicy feta cheese and pepper dip, any concerns were soon replaced with pure joy as the creamy delight danced on the palette, leaving you wanting more. Thankfully, a sign of things to come.

Both individual and shared meals are available (mostly around $15-$20). We opted for the best of both worlds, ordering our own meals and a couple of sides to share.

Between the table we ordered:

Chicken Souvlaki (with salad) - moist and juicy chicken with flavour-bombs of oregano and lemon.

Lamb Yiros (with salad) - mouth watering and full flavoured, a generous serving of lamb off the spit (nothing like a kebab shop!)

Village Sausages (with salad) - home made sausages greek-style. Tasty, but we're still not sure what was in them...

Grilled Octopus - a real treat for seafood aficionados, cooked to perfection with a subtle charred flavour.

Chips - a staple in any Greek diet, what's not to like?

Served with the mains, the greek salad could stand alone in many a cafe or restaurant. The quality, taste and consistency of the feta were perfect for this type of salad and the balance of flavours were 'just right'.

We finished the evening with baklava, revani (baked cake in sweet citrus syrup) and Greek coffee - not the best we've had but still a pleasant end to the meal.

All in all, Little Greek Taverna has won our hearts and it is with much salivation and anticipation that we plan our next trip. We recommend you do the same.


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Malaysia Makanan

by D

A hidden gem in Calamvale, Malaysia Makanan has become a regular of ours when we’re hankering for some authentic Malaysian fare.

The servings are generous and reasonably priced (below $15 per dish) and include an array of Malaysian and Singaporean dishes such as Char Kuey Teow(CKT), Mee Goreng and Nasi Lemak.

Chicken CKT

Despite the fact that they serve our favourite Char Kuey Teow in Brisbane, our staple is Hainan Chicken Rice which they do extremely well, perfectly balancing the amount of ginger and chilli sauce. The rice is full flavoured and the chicken abundant - what’s not to love? (don’t forget to ask for the soup though!)

Hainan Chicken Rice

Their curry laksa is tasty and comparable with most others around town. This can easily be shared between two with no-one going home hungry.

Chicken Curry Laksa

For something a little bit different, we’ve also tried their tofu goreng a few times. Picture deep fried tofu, covered in peanut sauce, on a bed of bean sprouts and cucumber - moderately healthy!

Tofu Goreng

For something a little more fancy, we suggest you give their butter herb dishes a try (available with chicken or prawns). Based on our experience it can be a bit hit and miss but always buttery, yum!

Butter Herbed Chicken

We strongly suggest you give it a try, but be prepared to come back a few times as you may get addicted!


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Guzman Y Gomez

Guzman Y Gomez (GYG) is a casual eatery located in the reputably ‘prestigious’ Emporium precinct.  With a layout of long tables and benches, large groups and communal dining (with strangers) is definitely on the menu.  There are also a few small tables with stools around for those who prefer more privacy.

Their 2-step menu is simple and self explanatory.

Step 1: Pick a Style of Burritos & Bowls, Soft or Hard Shell Tacos, Quesadillas or Nachos.

Step 2: Choose the Filling of Mild or Spicy Chicken Guerrero, Mild Beef Guerrero, Spicy Steak Chipotle, Spicy Pork Chipotle, Mild Barramundi or Veggie.

The sauce station is set up for those who want to add a bit more heat to their food. This is Dan’s review of the sauce:

Habanero Sauce - Exactly what you expect, a hit of habanero (hot)
Green Pepper Sauce - A tangy chilli sensation (medium)
Smoked Chipotle Sauce - Smoked to perfection (milder)

As for the food, the meat is well-seasoned and tender. However, we find the ratio of rice is higher than our liking in the Burrito wrap. Overall, the spicy meat gave the food a good kick, but we thought the salsa could be a bit more refreshing.

Steak Chipotle Burrito

Pork Chipotle Burrito

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

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