Archive for July 2012

Home Archive for July 2012

Penguin loves Chocolate, Bangkok THAILAND

It's no secret that us travel bunnies love chocolate, but apparently penguins do too! When I found out that there was a new chocolate cafe that had just opened in Bangkok, I made the other travel bunnie venture out with me to an unknown area (which in reality was probably very close to where we were staying, but I promise you that it felt like we took forever to find this place) to eat, eat, eat!

Penguin loves Chocolate is such a cute shop. It's amazing how creative decorations can make a confined space look inviting. I have to say that the shop itself left a better impression than the actual food. We ordered a crème brulee, a self saucing chocolate putting, a hot chocolate and the other travel bunnie also had a traditional blue lemonade. Let's just say that penguins have a lot to learn about keeping chocolate eating bunnies happy.

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Sirocco Rooftop Restaurant, Lebua State Tower, Bangkok THAILAND

Having dinner at the famous and the most spectacular restaurant in Bangkok - Sirocco was something that we had to do to tick off our travel bucket list.

A nice table for two with a grand view was booked well in advance. I have to admit Sirocco is without a doubt the restaurant that I've been to with the best view. Located on level 64 of the the Dome at Lebua State Tower, not only does it provide a panorama view of the Bangkok city, this restaurant is also famous for it cuisine.

Our night started with a Sky Cosmo (a very appropriate name for a great cocktail made well above the ground) and a Tiger beer. Unfortunately, everything seemed peaceful and relaxing one minute and the next all of the sudden the wind picked up and glasses were tipped over and table cloths were flying everywhere. We were quickly asked to move into the Dome due to the unforeseen weather. We must've been very close to the sky as it felt like the rain started pouring down so quickly.

Our entree didn't arrive until a long time after we ordered as the wait staff had to figure out where everyone was now sitting.

As for the food, we ordered dishes that sounded extremely delicious, e.g. king crab, pork belly, scallops and duck breast. But I was left very disappointed. Yes the dishes were presented nicely, very fancy and pretty, but it was not all that. I rarely leave a restaurant without having any dessert and I did that at Sirocco. I guess that says a lot.

If you are thinking about going to Sirocco only because of its view, I suggest that you head to the Sky Bar located in the middle of the restaurant only and spent your dough somewhere else.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: ฿7,500 Thai baht.

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The Baray Spa, Phuket THAILAND

We had some spare time to spend after we checked out of our villa in Phuket, before heading home via Bangkok. While the other travel bunnie was finalising our account, I made a booking at the Baray Spa for a couple retreat in appreciation for him taking me on our memorable holiday.

The couple's retreat room was colourfully decorated and not only does it come with a sauna and a couple's bathtub, it's also equipped with two-foot spas and an outdoor rain shower.

We enjoyed a one-hour full body traditional Thai massage and it was so good that I fell asleep (quite a standard for me really).

Fresh tropical fruits and tea were provided to us after the treatment. What a great way to finish our trip!

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: ฿2,800.

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Food Bowl @ Delectable Festival

I was lucky to have won two tickets today's Food Bowl event as part of Brisbane's Delectable Festival (with thanks to Eat, Drink + be Kerry) and boy what a movable feast we had.

I loved the concept of the Food Bowl where a handful of well-known Brisbane restaurants including Aria, Ristorante Tartufo and Sake open up food stalls and serve up a few dishes from their current menu's that represent their own food concepts. While the serves were modestly sized – the dish prices were equally discounted.

I suppose the only disappointment about this event was the confusion experienced by some many with the 'delectable dollars' which were supposed to be the official currency at the event. At one stage, all dollar booths had ran out of the dollar booklets and queues of people waiting to get their hands on the dollars were at a stand still. Cash quickly became accepted that the many stalls and sensibility was restored but I suspect that this part of the festival will be rethought in years to come.

We enjoyed six dishes between us and we both agreed that the best dish was the Sand crab lasagne by Il Centro. There were definitely other dishes that we wanted to try but due to popular demand, a lot of dishes were sold out half way into the event.

We enjoyed the following (while laying on in the sun on the complimentary bean-bag lounges) :

Crisp fried Toowoomba range pork cheek, caramelised onions & apple puree – Seasalt at Armstrong's

Crispy confit duck with Eureka lemon and liquorice - Brents

Sand crab lasagne – Il Centro Restaurant & Bar

Porchetta - Ristorante Tartufo

Meringue with mascarpone cream, Barbinda banana and salted butterscotch sauce – Boucher French Bistro

Custard tart with fresh local “Red Hill” raspberries – Confit Bistro

Oh, and we may have nom nom nomed on a couple of scoops of ice cream from Lick Icecream.

and I look forward to trying those restaurants that I am yet to experience!

Stokehouse Brisbane, Sidon Street, SOUTH BANK QLD 4101

My parents paid us a surprise visit today and the other travel bunnie thought Stokehouse would be a perfect spot to take them to dinner. So we jumped onto a ferry from downstairs and took a very picturesque twilight trip to the restaurant.

We were the first table to be seated upstairs, a much quieter place than downstairs, where there the Stoke Bar occupied a section. I must admit that Stock House is situated at a beautiful spot of the River Quay and it's hard to find a table without a view. However, the interior seems simple and lacked creativity. The chairs reminded us of school chairs and the ceiling reminded us of lecture rooms.

The service was impeccable. We had high expectations for their food given the great professional reviews the restaurant had received and in addition, it's a one chef-hatted restaurant. Mooloolaba spanner crab salad, apple jelly, avocado, crème fraiche ($26.00) and Quail saltimbocca, cracked wheat, organic cranberries & freekah, goat curd ($25.00) were had for entrées, both of which we thought were nothing too spectacular. We could barely taste any crab in the salad. For mains, we had free range duck breast, almonds, caramelised quince, duck liver parfait ($41.00), pork cutlets ($41.00), salmon and Daintree barramundi (both $39.00 each). Surprisingly, the pork cutlets were the best dish out of the four.

The desserts were the best part. Both of the Chocolate nemesis ($19.00) and Pear frangipane ($18.00) were delicious. I especially loved the richness of the chocolate.

Stokehouse is a beautiful spot to enjoy a an evening out. It's something that you've gotta do once, but perhaps not twice for us.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $294.00