MISS BRISBANE

gah…prestart meetings are not my forte.

that is all.

Ahh the hen’s night ritual.  Last night..and afternoon I enjoyed a lazy lunch and partied hard with one of my great friends who is getting married next weekend.  Despite her insistence that she just wanted a classy lunch and to enjoy good food/wine with her friends to celebrate her fleeting moments of singledom, within a few hours a ‘bride to be’ sash was whipped out along with a bright silver plastic crown and promptly placed on Nik (the bride to be). 

Let me just say that lunch was great - awesome food and good company (albeit I knew noone at the table other than the bride).  Nikki’s bridesmaid Carlea had brought along a polariod camera to capture the moment - this was a fantastic idea!  I think I will buy one for myself for future celebrations because there were some great instant memories from the night.  The most expensive bit is the film - about $20 per 10 shots.

 Back to the descent into tacky!  Well once the sash and crown was on, there was no stopping Nikki.  Dare cards and minty peckers materialised and we were plotting who would be completing what dares, from kissing the first man that spoke to them to who would be downing a glass of wine in one swig. We moved from the original venue (Titanium Bar) on to Melbas where the barman informed us it was happy hour ($5 spirits!!), however the bar was EMPTY so after a quick drink, we headed onto the nearest irish bar - surely there would be amicable people there up for a chat.  Unfortunately there was a group of construction workers drinking straight vodka with a shot of o.j. and that was it!  We did a lap of cavill then headed back to Titanium where Nik completed many of her dares.  From my observations, the sash seems to attract weird men, who are keen to prey on the bride to be!  But who am I to judge, heck I was just happy not to have been approached for a dance with these guys.  It was a fun night and I look forward to her wedding next weekend!

There’s just something about hotel dinners that has stopped me from eating them over the past couple of weeks.  My work has kindly offfered to pay for any breakys or dinners I’ve wanted to eat here, but I just can’t bring myself to eat them.  I don’t know what it is - perhaps the dingyness of the restaurant downstairs or the disinterest of the chef in the kitchen behind the serverey but I have had no interest in sampling this hotel’s food.  Tonight however will be my first experience eating the food.  Will I enjoy the food? I’m not sure.  Will I enjoy the experience? I’ll try..

On a separate note, when friends of yours become ‘famous’ and appear on the front of gossip magazines, your reaction may surprise you.  Take it from me, this recently happened to myself, and reading the tag line below their photo drew a giggle, perhaps because I knew how silly the claims were or maybe it was because I knew so many people would still buy the magazine…I afterall used to be one of those people!

I think I am going to try writing in this blog, in a style that is simply a conversational view of my world.  It’s not really going to try to be anything more or anything less. So I guess today is the first try at it! 

Tonight I attended an information evening about the AYAD Program run through AusAID.  Basically its a volunteer program that supports young skilled Australian workers visiting developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region.  I have had my eye on applying to this program for almost a year now, and feel the timing is right for me to apply for the next intake (should any relevant assignments go online that match to my skillset (HR)).

I was quite impressed by the turnout for the information session - over 30 people were in the room, a lot more than I had expected.  The presenter kept commenting that it was getting quite competitive now to apply, and when I quizzed her on how many applications they received for the roles, she quoted a figure of around 600 applications for 180 positions.  Not too bad odds though!  The next round of positions are posted online next Friday so I will be looking on in earnest to see if there are any roles that I could apply for.  Fingers crossed!!

Yesterday morning I woke up at 4am to head down to Byron Bay to do two dives down at Julian Rocks.  The dive site consists of a cluster of rocks, located 5 minutes from the beach in Byron, hosting a diverse array of marine life. 

This would have been the third time I’ve dived this site and each time I always am amazed at all the new stuff I see!  There are a couple of dive operators in Byron but I choose to dive with Sundive.  They are super friendly and always willing to help. 

On our first dive we spent a bit of time in Hugo’s Trench, which was littered with sleeping wobbegongs (20+).  They were clustered about in groups of 3 and 4 on the ocean floor.  A blue spotted ray was moseying about in the sand nearby too. 

Our second dive saw us spend the majority of time around the needles.  I unfortunately missed the leopard shark at the beginning of the dive as I was fascinated by two smallish cuttlefish.  Kingfish, Gropers and all of the usual suspects were about, along with lionfish and turtles. The highlight would have been two beautiful eagle rays my dive buddy (Kristy) and I saw on our safety stop for the second dive of the day.  The two rays unfortunately didn’t stick around, just cruised on by.  Vis was about 15 metres for both dives, unfortunately the sun didn’t come out which would have helped!!

 We headed to Julian’s Cafe for some yummy toasted banana bread, and followed it up with a drink at the pub and some nachos before driving back to Brissy and crashing!

RATING:                                http://www.ilbacaro.com

Fantastic.  Everything about my restaurant experience at Il Bacaro was fantastic.  Over the weekend Miss Brisbane was sent down to Melbourne for work, and the evening we arrived we decided to eat out.  Now whilst my dining partner and myself were feeling quite under the weather, we dragged ourselves out of our serviced apartments (we stayed at Quest Fairfax House) and up Little Collins Street to find this fantastic little restaurant.  Inside the toasty warm restaurant we were invited to the bar for a drink whilst the waiters found a table for us.  It was quite cosy inside, with crisp white tablecloths and numerous couples and groups enjoying dinner. 

The staff all spoke in Italian to one another, heightening the authenticity of the Il Bacaro experience.  We were then ushered to our table and presented with a menu, featuring meals written in both italian and english.  Our waiter gave us time to peruse the menu and returned to recite to us the specials of the day.  We chose to share bruschetta of the day, which was delicious. 

Following this we tucked into our entrees.  I was intrigued by the entree entitled Quail with Pommegranet Salad and Icecream.  Unfortunately I had misread the menu and expected the icecream to be sweet.  It was actually quite tart, and my tastebuds paid for my hasty spoonful that I had placed in my mouth.  The quail was nice, however the real pleasure was in my main course.  I chose the handmade pasta with wagyu beef and red wine sauce which was beautiful.  Unfortunately I couldn’t finish the meal as I was full and did not end up getting to sample the dessert menu.  Overall a fantastic experience and I will definitely be going back next time I head to Melbs!  

Miss Brisbane  

RATING:                            http://www.storybridgehotel.com.au

I joined my work colleagues for a long lunch on Friday in the Shelter Bar at the Story Bridge Hotel.  Arriving at 12pmish, I surveyed the scene.  The bar was brimming with office professional types here for a decent meal and a cold drink.  Set under the Story Bridge, around its very foundations, the hotel has a great deal of ambience with light and shade a theme which is further accentuated by the red and cream hues throughout.

We walked outside and had a drink on the streetside balcony before making our way to our table to order.  As I was quite hungry we decided not to waste time in ordering and I skimmed the menu for something that would catch my eye.  There were so many options which, depending on which way you look at it,  could be a little frustrating to have to pick from.  However, I bit the bullet and decided to order the Beef & Guiness Pie ($10).  My workmates ordered a vast assortment of meals, from the Steak Sandwich ($12), to Japanese Crumbed Prawns ($17), to the 300g Herebford Rib Fillet ($27).  As starters we ordered Garlic and Rosemary Flat bread ($6.5), and Salt & Pepper Callamari ($10) to share.  The starters were great, I particularly enjoyed the Garlic & Rosemary Flat bread, however it was just a little too greasy.  The waitress for our table was great and very attentive, however it seemed like we waited a lifetime for our meals.  As a result my pie wasn’t as hot as I had been hoping it would be.  I supplemented this with the garden salad and hot chips that came on the side.  Unable to finish my meal I was thoroughly full by the end.  It tasted great, the pie had meat in it which also impressed me a great deal (you don’t find that too often now a days..).  My boss ordered tiramisu for dessert which I sampled and enjoyed the richness of it all..however not being a great fan of this dish prior, I couldn’t really enjoy it for what it was.

Overall, the SBH had great service (although our food did take a long time to come out) and I will be keen to see the martini bar upstairs when I attend two functions that are going to be held there in the coming weeks!

RATING:                                          www.barang.com.au

 We visited Barang on a Tuesday night just after 6pm and were lucky enough to have the entire place to ourselves for our meal.  Unfortunately this time I forgot my camera so you will have to rely on my descriptive writing ability!  The vibe I got from this place was very much an ‘oxfam’ feel…bookcases and tables laden with free trade chocolate, jewellery and birthday cards for sale.  The tables are quite quirky, covered in a newspaper style collage of information about Barang, reviews, ingredients and dishes.  This provided an assortment of reading material whilst we waited in anticipation for our meals. 

We ordered an entree of Spring Rolls which was brought out to us within 5 minutes of ordering.  They were delicious, fresh and crispy and were also quite large which was well received by both of us as we were quite hungry.  I ordered the Barang Barang Nasi Lemak Meal, an assortment of chicken, beef and egg combined with coconut rice.  This meal was delicious and provided a fusion of different flavours in the one hit.  My dining partner ordered the Nasi Beef Rendang which featured Dried beef curry, vegetables and rice which I was informed was also nice.  Before long we looked down at our plates and they were empty!  We were both quite satisfied with our meals.  One thing that I was a little unhappy about was that when reading over the drinks menu there were no real juices - however in their favour, there was a wide assortment of teas to choose from (unfortunately I am picky and am not a big fan of tea!). 

As we were both quite full by this stage we decided to opt against dessert, however the cakes in the window did look quite yummy.  Overall a bit of a groovy place and great pricing for what you get (our meals ranged between $9-13).

RATING:  

Let me preface this review with the fact that I had never been to Teppanyaki for dinner, however of everyone I had asked about Kabuki their eyes lit up and they begun sprouting comments like “Ohhh it’s fantastic!”, “We went there for my cousin’s birthday and it was so entertaining” and “Watch out for the egg”…Well I wasn’t too sure what they were meaning about the egg, however the general consensus I received from all those I spoke to was that it was an experience not to be missed. 

 As a result of this I now had worked up high hopes for the evening’s dining experience.  I joined my work colleagues on a cab ride to the Stamford and we arrived to be greeted by a warm reception.  Unfortunately if you arrive at the hotel’s main entrance, the location of Kabuki does not appear to you immediately.  Not a problem, as I approached the bus boy and asked him for the location, which he quickly and clearly explained to myself.  Following his directions, we then proceeded to walk through the opulent hotel lobby which kind of reminded me of a setting from the game ‘cluedo’, and stepping into the Pav Bar with its dim lighting and 20s feel reinforced this vibe.  I ordered a Strawberry Cloud cocktail from the menu - at $16 I was hoping I would get what I paid for and they delivered on that!  Served in a massive glass, lined and garnished with strawberries, the creamy cocktail was delicious.  The remainder of our entourage arrived soon after we had finished our drinks and we proceeded to head next door to Kabuki.  Upon entry we were shown to our table.

Now, for those of you who have never been to Teppanyaki, you basically sit around a flat grill whilst the chef cooks your food for you in front of you.  We ordered the BOTAN set menu for dinner.  At a price of $59.50 this included:

•  Appetiser
• Garden Salad
• Tasmanian Salmon
• Teriyaki Chicken
• Ocean Prawn
• Premium Beef Sirloin
• Fresh Fruits
• Fried Rice, Miso Soup & Vegetables

Initially, the chef just cooked the Salmon, followed by the prawns, and then the chicken.  Nothing too special, he didn’t seem too entertaining up until this point.  I was starting to feel a little disappointed. The moment I started thinking this, he pulled out eggs from under the table…my mind wandered back to the words of advice I had received earlier “watch out for the egg”…it all happened so quickly, no sooner had I remembered this that we were given paper bibs to wear over our clothes.  We were going to get messy!  William (our chef)  began throwing eggs at us one by one and we had to catch them in our bowls.  Almost all of us were successful in doing so (except for one) whose egg ended up on the ground.  Not to worry, he just brought out another egg and began cooking our omelette.  Would this be all there was to it?

William now decided to chop up the omelette at a breakneck speed and throw the remaining piece at one of our party.  Amazingly, he managed to catch it!  But this would not be all that he had in store for us, no these were only training sessions.  We continued to eat the remaining meat he cooked (chicken and beef) and then he decided to cook fried rice.  It really did look yummy, however we weren’t allowed to just watch him make it, in true Teppanyaki style, William began filling bowls with rice and throwing the filled bowls at us to catch!  I managed to catch the bowl with most of the rice still in it so I was happy (and entertained).  The remainder of the dinner went along fine and all of the food tasted great.  Overall it was an entertaining night (the saki at the end was not too tasty, but when in Rome, or Japan as it was…) and met my expectations.

For more info about Kabuki click here or to read the current menu click here.

Miss Brisbane here! My Blog is now operational, however I am still in the process of tweaking it to provide as much info in as easy to follow format as possible.  My intention with this Blog is to review and reflect on the many encounters I experience whilst living in Brisbane.  This will range from dining experiences to entertainment to rants and raves.  I would LOVE to read any comments, and look forward to hearing what those of you think who may read the site.  Till tomorrow,

xx Miss Brisbane