Archive for December 2013

Home Archive for December 2013

This festive silly season has made the other travel bunnie and I nothing but lazy (or what I would like to call, extremely chilled). Our days usually involve watching James Bond movies at home, ordering take away food and subsequently eating it at home and whenever I feel up to it, I would use one of my Christmas presents from the other travel bunnie, a KitchenAid platinum stand mixer in the eye-catching colour of Raspberry Ice to make chocolate ganache cake, ice cream and lots and lots of cookies.

On some mornings, when our pantry and fridge are empty, we'd drive out hunting for breakfast.

A few recent places that we visited are Peel Street Kitchen, Little Brew and Buzz Gasworks. Although I don't intend on going into lots of details about these visits, I would still like to give you some of my thoughts.

Peel Street Kitchen

Our early morning visit to this establishment located in South Brisbane scored us a parking spot in their underground parking lot. It was extremely quite. At one stage, we were the only customers. I didn't mind it.

A Breakfast Platter ($25 for 2 people) was shared between the two of us. The platter came with poached free-range eggs, sourdough toast, roasted tomato, mushrooms, smoked bacon & country styled chipolate & potato hash. I asked for scrambled eggs instead and they turned out to be some of the creamiest and yummiest I've had in a long long time!

I think the platter is really good value for money, it has just the right amount of food to provide a satisfactory breakfast.

We were told by the waitress that their dinner service is extremely popular and a reservation is a must. Having seen their dinner menu, I think a return visit is a must.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $35 (or thereabouts)

Little Brew

A while ago when the other travel bunnie and I were on our way to the Paddington Antiques Centre, we spotted Little Brew. Being a long-time fan of Brew, I asked the other travel bunnie to take me there for breakfast.

We found a table towards the back of the Queenslander-turned-cafe and waited for ten minutes before the menu was brought to us and another fifteen before our orders were taken. To be honest, I wasn't that thrilled with the menu, although reasonably priced, none of the items seemed really appealing to me.

We settled on their creamed ricotta and nutella brioche sandwich w' white balsamic strawberries ($12) and halloumi and zucchini fritters, cress, baked field mushrooms, poached egg and tomato relish ($14.50).

Thirty minutes later, our breakfast arrived at our table. The brioche was soggy and the fritters were uncooked in the middle. I'm usually not picky with my breakfast, but left half of my breakfast untouched and I think that says a lot.

At $6.50 each, the freshly squeezed juices were overpriced as half of the glasses were full of ice.

Unfortunately, Little Brew wasn't the right brew for me.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $39.50

Buzz - Gasworks

After a rather uneventful breakfast at Little Brew, I still had cravings for a traditional bacon and eggs breakfast. I scoured the internet for a breakfast spot to satisfy my hunger and Buzz at the Gasworks came to mind.

The place was buzzing with people but we were lucky enough to snatch up the last table inside the cafe.

I like the simple yet sleek design of this joint, but what I like the most about Buzz is the counter ordering system, meaning that you don't have to wait for the waitress to come to you. Simply order and pay at the counter. Voilà!

Breakfast was perfect. My scrambled eggs with truffle tapenade, field mushrooms, buttered toast and rocket ($16) with a side of double smoked chriberg bacon ($5) was simple, traditional and delicious. In fact, it was just what I was after.

According to the other travel bunnie, his Buzz eggs benedict with spinach and house made hollandaise w' bacon ($18) was nothing but exceptional too.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $47

When I first saw the commercial on TV for Domino's newly launched World Class Wagyu Duet pizza, my jaw almost dropped to the floor at the hefty price tag of $50. The other travel bunnie and I have been fans of Domino's for a long time. After all, it's hard to resist their value deals on Mondays and Tuesdays.

So when I was presented with the opportunity to try their new creation, I said yes with no hesitation. I was more than curious to find out what's so special about the Wagyu Duet, so much so that Domino's can charge a price that's not often see at Italian restaurants or pizzerias in Australia.

The Wagyu Duet was promptly delivered to our place at 7.30pm, steaming hot and presented in a specially designed box. Being a massive meat lover, my mouth started watering at the thought of strips of 6+ marble score wagyu.

As the name itself suggests, the Wagyu Duet comes with two premium pizzas. On one side, you've got the Wagyu 3 Ways, which delivers wagyu in the form of sliced wagyu sausage, air-dried wagyu bresaola and strips of wagyu rib fillet, and if you think that's not enough meat for intense meat lovers like myself, the pizza is then topped with smoked rashers of bacon, 100% aussie ground beef and a zesty tomato capsicum sauce that's nothing but delicious.

On the other side, which I'd like to call the 'fancy' side, you've got the Wagyu & Truffle Hollandaise pizza. The distinctive smell of truffle combined with fresh herbs really takes the pizza to a different level. The bright red colour of cherry tomatoes combined with the silky whiteness of truffle infused hollandaise and creamy camembert creates an aromatic sensation with each bite of the wagyu rib fillet.

I personally preferred the Wagyu 3 Ways. I loved the fact that each bite was packed with quality soft and juicy wagyu. I wanted more punch to the pizza and added drops of Tabasco, which only left me craving for more.

I have to be honest, I can't imagine having the Wagyu Duet as regularly as we do other Domino's pizzas, but I do think the Wagyu Duet is something special that pizza lovers or meat loves should try when they want a night in, but still want that touch of gourmet experience. Something like a gathering of friends at home, or even better, a romantic DVD night. Or perhaps just a self-indulging night at home with scented candles and a glass of red.

Disclaimer: the Wagyu Duet was provided to the bunnies free of charge