Archive for November 2012

Sardine Tin, Shop 3A Little Stanley Street, SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4101

As we were waiting for our dinner at Beastie Burgers sometime last week, I turned my head around and discovered Sardine Tin, a European tapas and wine bar.

It looked quirky and inviting with its unique French rustic décor. Desserts, I thought!

So we quickly finished our dinner and when the other travel bunnie was fixing up the bill, I had already hopped over to Sardine Tin.

I found a candle-lit table and proceeded to order dessert. The coffee tasted great, smooth and creamy. As for the dessert of the night, strawberry mousse, chocolate and almond biscuit, caramelised white chocolate sauce w' ginger air ($14), I thought there were way too many elements in one dish. The chocolate chai mousse, salted caramelised pear, hazelnut praline ($12) tasted simple and delicious.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $34.

Beastie Burgers, Shop 60d Little Stanley Street, SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4000

Sometimes comfort food is all I need to put a smile on my face and at Beastie Burgers, comfort food has nothing to do with greasy, oil-dripping objects. Their burgers are freshly made, delicious and inexpensive. If you want to be naughty, why not order a side of chips with aioli? They are devilishly good.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $27.

Cove Bar & Dining, Sidon Street, SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4000

The other travel bunnie is a 007 fanatic so last Sunday, we bought tickets to a six o'clock session at a cinema in Southbank.

Before the visual adventure, the other travel bunnie took me to Cove Bar & Dining for a late lunch.

Set on the bank of the Brisbane river, this contemporary restaurant offers amazing views.

I didn't really know what to expect in terms of the food, but when the anise duck spring rolls ($17) arrived at our table, I was hooked.

As for the mains, we had the beer battered NZ king salmon ($23) and skirt steak w' white bean puree, coriander & Spanish onion salad, chimi churri ($23), both were really delicious.

Cove Bar & Dining definitely added a touch of opulence to our soirée without any pretentiousness.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $75.

Ruby Cafe, 233 Given Terrace, PADDINGTON QLD 4064

I bought some sweet mangoes and strawberries on Friday night and on Saturday we were to lazy to head out to breakfast, so the other travel bunnie made cinnamon dusted Greek yoghurt with fresh fruits.

So this morning, the bunnies went out to Ruby Cafe in Paddington for some morning goodness. I actually prefer going out for breakfast on Sundays now, as we can read the Escape section of the Sunday newspaper while waiting for our meals.

Ruby Cafe, like most cafes on Given Terrace in this delightful suburb was buzzing with people when we arrived. The cafe wasn't big, a few tables lined next to each other along a pained wall with a kitchen and breakfast bar on the opposite side.

We found a table at the end of the cafe with a view overlooking the St. Brigid's Church at Red Hill, within minutes, a friendly waitress brought our drinks to the table. The Chai latte tasted so good. I used to drink a lot of Chai when I was at Uni and the taste of cinnamon was so comforting.

The food took a little longer to come out but given the business of the cafe, it was understandable. I had fancied french toast for sometime, so when I saw the Frenched brioche, nutella stuffed w' chewy maple ice cream ($16.50), I was slightly disappointed at the small portion. Sure it tasted nice, but I thought the dish was slightly overpriced for a single scoop of ice cream over one slice of thick toast. In comparison, the other travel bunnie's potato bravas & chorizo pan hash w' crisp fried eggs ($16.90) was much a better value. The dish had some spice to it, but it was nonetheless delicious. Ruby is definitely a good option among many strong contenders for breakfast business in trendy Paddington.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $41.40.

Tinbilly Bar & Grill, 466 George Street, BRISBANE QLD 4000

A group of us went to Tinbilly's for lunch today for a colleague's birthday. Tinbilly Bar & Grill is this pub just around the corner of our office, it's cheap, super casual and loud enough.

They have this awesome 1kg steak challenge which is really popular among the guys at work, but I was just happy to have a sweet potato and chicken salad. It was fresh, flavoursome and affordable at $13.90.

The service is upbeat. We usually place our orders in advance which means the meals always arrive on time.

The food is nothing amazing, but Tinbilly is a great pub for cheap eats.

McMahons Restaurant, 132 Alice Street, BRISBANE QLD 4000

Not long ago, a few friends from work gathered together for hight tea at the McMahons Restaurant at Quay West.

We were seated next to a floor-to-ceiling window and it had a view of the beautiful and lush green botanical garden across the street.

Although the high tea itself was slightly unexciting, the atmosphere of the restaurant was very relaxing. Everyone was happy about the fact that we got so many different delicate sweet treats and considering that we only paid $19 per person, it was a pretty sweet deal.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $19.

A weekend home alone.

What a weekend! My blog experienced some severe technical errors and I've been a busy bee this weekend, trying to fix the problems. It is then that I realised how many places that the other travel bunnie has taken me to in less than two years. So thank you guys for being patient and I hope the blog will be 100% up and running by the end of this coming weekend.

The other travel bunnie had to be away for the weekend and I was left alone. I was going to venture out and have a wholesome breakfast on my own until the weather decided to turn on me.

I ended up getting some sushi from a chain sushi joint and relaxed at the Starbucks located on the ground level of Queens Plaza.

The sushi rolls here are not traditional, but they are filling and very cheap. My current favourite is their California Roll ($2.50), although the Spider Roll is also quite tasty ($2.80).

It is quite sad to have sushi rolls on the weekend as I usually have them for lunch at work as well, but without the other travel bunnie, my taste buds are not interested enough to devour any food...

PS. so I went shopping instead. I love the J.Crew bracelet so much!

Love Roll Sushi can be found at: