All you can eat sushi at Zuri

One of the things that I love so much about my pals Maria & Josh is that they're constantly doing new, fun, adventurous things.  Case in point; the drive-in.  On a slightly chilly night in July, we found ourselves well-prepared for a triple flick (although I was having quite the issue trying to stay awake by movie #3).  It may not have been the best idea since M & I were both super sick with colds, but we wrapped ourselves in a woolen blanket and hunkered down for the night.  

Of course, no movie is ever complete without snacks, and M & I do like our snacks, so we came armed with some Stilton, sliced apple, veggies & dip, and...a sleeve of chocolate chip cookie dough...  Since I consider popcorn a food group, we got some of that as well.

The next night, M & I hit up Zuri Bar & Dining on Brunswick for their Wednesday night special of 'All-you-can -eat sushi'.  For $19 and the purchase of a drink, the staff will bring you endless platters (from a limited menu) on which to snack.  This was my first experience with sushi in Oz, and I was surprised that so much of it contained cooked meat and seafood.  

We got various plates, which contained:  Cooked tuna roll in soy and ginger w/ mayo and green onion; Chicken and Avocado roll (self explanatory); Chicken Karage - crispy Japanese chicken w/ chili mayo;  and a salmon nigiri w/ red onion. 

We also chose a btl. of Rolf Binder 2011 Riesling from the Eden Valley since Riesling is an iconic pairing for the spicy red chilies so often found in Asian cuisine.

This was a great night out since the company and the wine were fantastic. Since I generally go for sashimi - which wasn't an option - I was lukewarm on the sushi.  Still though, this would be a great venue to take someone just getting used to sushi and raw fish since it was mostly of the cooked variety. 

A cold night warms up at Cru Bar

On a Friday night in Brisbane after my pal Maria got off work, I met her at a cute little bar called Super Whatnot in the heart of Brisbane CBD.  It was pretty packed with a 9-5 kind of crew; colleagues heading out for a Friday night drink to cap off the week.  We had a couple drinks there before heading back to M's hood in New Farm for some dinner at Cru Bar; a swanky wine bar/cellar that I'd had my eye on since arriving in Brissie.

When we got to Cru, it was so packed that we had to be strategic about seats - both of us were subtly eyeing the crowd, willing someone to leave!  The rain had started to pour on the way over from the CBD and we were both frigid and soaked to the bone. In the meantime though, we ordered a bottle of wine and got to work on the menus.  Since M is a Barossa Shiraz-lover, we ordered a btl. of the Maximus Shiraz, one of those 'cheap n/ cheerful' wines with just a bit of bite. 

Digby Scallops in a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce ($14ish?)

We had already decided on our order when I spied the Specials board and we had to re-jig.  The menu actually featured Digby scallops!  From Nova Scotia!  Not to mention the fact that they were served on the shell in a silky Gorgonzola cream sauce.  The sauce was so luscious, that I later ended up dipping my fries in the remaining sauce as opposed to the aioli they were served with.  The scallops were not all that amazing; though the meat was slightly sweet and succulent, the bi-valves themselves were sliced in two, so the portion size ended up being pretty meagre.

Thick Cut Fries w/ Fennel Salt & Aioli...obviously ($8)

Witches Chase Triple Cream Brie ($12)

A cheese from Mt. Tambourine, QLD 

What a lovely little platter!  The Brie was creamy and robust.  Served with crispy lavosh, an Armenian unleavened flat bread; Pide, a Turkish flat bread, Iranian figs and a tender quince paste, the cheese's smooth texture was a great contrast to the crisp cracker and marmalade-like fruit paste.  It was quite the multinational plate.

Since we were both suffering from a nasty cold/cough, I picked up a btl. of spiced rum and proceeded to make Maria and I hot buttered rums when got went home.  I had a headache the next day - more likely from the rum than the cold - and was quite concerned about the amount of butter consumed the night before, but it was well worth it.  If I do venture back to Brissie again, Cru Bar will, once again, be on my list of eateries to visit.

Treats from The Little Pantry

Everyone has food weaknesses - most of us have more than one.  I love a lot of random things; popcorn, eggs, grapefruit, chunky peanut butter, broccoli and vanilla milkshakes.  Not that exciting, right?  Well, here's another: I love muffins. Most of the time, I'd rather eat a freshly baked muffin than a bacon-wrapped beef fillet. In Canada, my favourite is a Morning Glory; raisins, carrots, pineapple and sunflower seeds.

But here in Oz, I've rekindled my love of the savoury muffin. Combining the savoury palate with a warm, buttery baked good, the savoury muffin is perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack or...maybe a really, really good hangover cure. :) 

My absolute favourite flavour combo thus far is from the coffee shop around the corner of James and Kent Streets - The Little Pantry.  M and I had one of these the morning after our meal at Pintxo and subsequent drunken pub crawl.  The coffee is Di Bella and is a reliable blend, while the pumpkin and bacon muffin is incredible!  With salty bacon, sweet pumpkin and a buttery base, it fulfills both the sweet and salty tooth, and provides a filling little snack for those days when you simply can't contemplate making something yourself.

These delights ain't cheap in Oz though; 

this snack cost me $8 for a muffin ($4.50) and a long black ($3.50)

Tempranillo & Tapas at Pintxo!

On my first real Friday night out in Brisbane -  that is, when I wasn't falling asleep at the table from the trip's resulting jet lag - myself and M&J went to dinner at Pintxo, a little Spanish tapas place around the corner from the apt. It was an exciting day for me -  that morning, I had attended the Queensland Wine Show, and had the opportunity to meet some cool people and taste dozens of Aussie wines that I never even knew existed - selection in Nova Scotia is limited, after all...

                           

Due to a late reso, we were unable to get a table inside, so we braved the cold on the patio and warmed ourselves with a little Tempranillo.  Viva Espagna...!

We started with a bottle of Calo Tempranillo from Rioja for $44. True to the Temp. style, this bevy was full of cherries, leather and spice with light acid and grippy tannin.  We ended up having two bottles!  For the tapas, we had to get some meat - there was a man involved, after all.  We chose a nice nibbly of cold Aussie and Spanish olives to start, which were the perfect salty snacks to salivate our palates for the plates to come. 

Aceitunas Mezclados

Selection of cold Spanish & Australian Olives ($9)

These button mushrooms cooked in garlic and olive oil were fantastic - I would have been happy with a bowl of these to myself.  The plump, meaty 'shrooms were succulent and cooked perfectly; not oil sogged, but deftly caressed.

Setas al Ajillo

Fresh button mushrooms cooked in 

garlic & olive oil ($14)

Not gonna lie - there was a funny taste to this dish.  The scallops were tender and well cooked and the cauliflower was nicely al dente...but something in the cream sauce made me move on to the next dish.

Vieiras en Cava

Scallops | cream & Cava sauce | roasted cauliflower ($24)   

Ah, the lamb and chickpeas!  I could eat chickpeas everyday...especially when paired with tomatoes a nice rare piece of lamb.  This was a really nice dish with the meat being both slightly sweet and savoury and with a hint of smokey BBQ - a great pairing for our Tempranillo. The cassoulet-style of the chickpea/tomato mix was a nice addition creamy peas and sweet tomatoes, complimented by some olives in the dish as well, which added another layer of flavour.

 Cordero con Garbanzos

Grilled lamb cutlets | tomato & chickpeas ($28) 

Who doesn't love Serrano-wrapped prawns?  These are pretty self explanatory.  The dish was fab and being the veggemite that I am, I also consumed the nice little bed of greenery beneath.

Pintxo's Gambas

Prawns wrapped in Jamon Serrano ($24)

And from here, a night of club-hopping began, from which I thought I would never recover. Maria and I left Josh behind and explored the bar scene in New Farm...which may have ended with some greasy pizza...

Sun & Sangria at The Cove

On the Saturday afternoon following my arrival, Maria and I took a walk down to Queen Street mall to do my 'life admin'; open a bank account, get a new SIM card, etc.  We decided to eat at one of the lovely open-ended restos on the South Bank, so we walked over the bridge and along the riverbank while Maria pointed out the various city attractions/landmarks.  We ended up at Cove Bar + Dining, one of several lovely 3-walled restos whose front side is open to the Brisbane river.  Maria chose this spot as the climatic conditions, i.e: sunny and hot, were perfect for a nice pitcher of refreshing sangria.

The list of Sangria was impressive; there were only 3 selections for both white and red, but the ingredient list alluded to some completely different flavour profiles.  We chose the Latin Kings; a blend of Hennessey V.S, Tuaca (a vanilla-citrus liqueur), lemon juice, cloves, cardamon, cinnamon, star anise, OJ and red wine.   I couldn't help but think of the similarities to mulled wine and how good a glass of that would be on a cold night in Canada!

Latin Kings Sangria ($45/carafe)

Of course, what's a good drink without some bar snacks?  We ordered the classic; fries and aioli.  I LOVE the fries in Oz!  They remind me of the incredible fries at Durty Nelly's! They're beautiful fat chips with a crispy exterior and soft within.  They're the right mix of slightly greasy, deep-fried goodness, but they won't leave those guilt inducing oil blobs on the basket paper.  These ones had the added bonus of truffle salt, and a tangy Parmesan aioli on the side.

 Fries w/ Truffle & Parmesan Aioli ($9)

As the sun set, we had another lovely walk along the riverbank back to New Farm.  In the late-afternoon sun, the water sparkled and I couldn't help but feel perfectly content at the decision that I had made to move to another continent on the opposite side of the planet.  

We had mustered up an appetite on the walk home and as we climed the steps to M&J's apt., I could smell the earthy aroma of Josh's slow cooker lamb curry wafting down the staircase.  He had also made some homemade Naan bread, and when he ladled the curry into bowls, we all sat back for a comfoting home-cooked meal in the place I now call "home".

1st Dinner in Australia at James Street Bistro

After 32ish straight hours of travelling, I finally arrived in Australia on Friday, June 29th.  I actually left Nova Scotia on the 27th, but after crossing both the equator and the International Date Line, I arrived two days later!  

While my flight landed at 8 am, my pals Maria and Josh still had to go to work, so I was left to my own devices for the day.  I meandered around for the rest of the morning and afternoon, ordered my first coffee (there's no drip in Oz), explored the shops, read the paper and had a bowl of soup in an outdoor cafe. I was very pleased with myself - I managed to stay up until 6 pm to meet them for dinner.  For my first dinner out in Australia, we went to the James Street Bistro, a spot just a few minutes away.

We started with a bottle of Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir, a well-known wine in these parts, originating from Oz's sister wine region, New Zealand.  Being ever a fan of calamari - and being starving - I ordered a serving right off the bat for us to share.  It was the best calamari I've ever tasted.  The rings were large and ever so plump.  The batter, light and crispy, had a lovely salty bite and the sweet pear and fennel provided a great flavour contrast.  Drizzled beneath the mound of squid was a rich, yet zesty aioli of pepper and lime.

Salt & Vinegar Calamari w/ Shaved Fennel, 

Bosc Pear & Black Pepper-Lime Aioli ($16)

           250g Grilled Rib Eye 
w/ cracked pepper & feta mashed potato 
| red wine reduction | sauteed broccolini ($35)

M&J both had the steak, and swore by it always being "incredible".  It was served with some lovely mashed potatoes and a nice portion of steamed brocollini on the side.  I knew that I had to order the soup of the day as soon as our server described it - the soup contained some of my favourite things.  Chorizo, chickpea and sweet potatoes were all blended up in a slightly sweet tomato broth.  On the side, were two slices of crusty sourdough toast - just look at that luscious puddle of butter melting on the top! Mmmm...

Soup of the Day: Chorizo, Chickpea & 

Sweet Potato (approx. $9)

As we toddled on home, I was incredibly happy -  to have finally arrived in Oz; to have  belly full of delicious food; and to finally, finally be going to bed!