Dined 6/4/09
Aquila, Aquila, Aquila. What you have done to the humble chicken Caesar almost defies description.
Every element of this tangy, delicious salad was destroyed in a serious bout of mediocrity.
At $14.90, I could have had the crispy chicken at McDonald's twice over and received a better meal.
The worst part is, you're normally so good. You scrambled eggs are delightfully fluffy, your bacon so crispy, the lamb pizza resplendent, your coffee spoken of in reverent tones.
But this was a soggy mess of non-descript muck.
For me, the heart of the Caesar salad is the dressing. There wasn't even the faintest resemblance to the traditional tangyness in this salad. There was no Parmesan wafting lazily on top, rather it was swimming around the bottom of the plate in the white muck of the sauce. The bacon appeared to be of the same standard used on $5 take-away pizzas. This horrible mixture was held together by chopped up pieces of boiled egg...this sentence cannot sufficiently describe why boiled egg doesn't belong in Caesar salad; coddled if you must, but not boiled.
The tasteless, if tender strips of chicken where one of the few saving graces. The use of two pieces of grilled sourdough(?) rather than croutons an affront to a purists heart.
I should however put this in the Fussy perspective. My dinning companion thought his was just fine and definitely isn't wallowing in disappointment like I am.
The best part of the salad was the LLB - delicious and comes in a huge glass and at $3.90 a bargain.
Aquila, for me, is becoming one of those places where the trick is to know what to order. For those unaware the results can be very disappointing.
Food excellence 0/5
Ambiance 3.5/5
Cleanliness 4/5
Price 3/5
Showing posts with label Brisbane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brisbane. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Vespa Pizza - New Farm, Brisbane
http://www.vespapizza.com.au/index.html
Dined 23/8/08
Fussy BF and I dropped into Vespa Pizza for a rushed bite on Saturday night. It had been highly recommended by Fussy's brother and even though he had had pizza the night before he and KC manned up and went for the double header.
Fussy BF was on her own as she is from the enemy camp that eats chicken on pizza. Due to the time constrainst we opted out of having starters (and it can be a rookie mistake to fill up on breads) and went straight for the mains.
The waitress was very gracious about our admittedly annoying wishes to change the menu to suit individual tastes. I opted for the Capricciosa: pancetta, salami, olives, mushrooms, anchovies, red peppers 18 but had to get the anchovies taken off. Fussy brother opted for the Salami and mushroom w/ basil, mozzarella and truffle oil 18.5. KC went for Vespa reigns supreme: pancetta, artichoke hearts, buffalo mozzarella, olives, capers, anchovies and vine tomatoes w/ fresh basil and roasted peppers with extra mushrooms and truffle oil. Fussy BF's was too complicated to list (her food specifications are quite specific) but it involved chicken so who cares.
They were all delicious! Pretty close to what I call an authentic Italian pizza - thin base, not too much toping. The salami and mushroom was my pick of the lot.
The were doing a roaring trade on Saturday and we ended up sitting outside. Vespa manages the outside dining well and we were toasty warm under a braisier.
We did have a bit of a wait for the pizza and it seemed that the table next to us got tired of waiting and ended up leaving but waiting for good food doesn't bother me.
It won't make the best ever list but overall pretty damn good pizza.
Dined 23/8/08
Fussy BF and I dropped into Vespa Pizza for a rushed bite on Saturday night. It had been highly recommended by Fussy's brother and even though he had had pizza the night before he and KC manned up and went for the double header.
Fussy BF was on her own as she is from the enemy camp that eats chicken on pizza. Due to the time constrainst we opted out of having starters (and it can be a rookie mistake to fill up on breads) and went straight for the mains.
The waitress was very gracious about our admittedly annoying wishes to change the menu to suit individual tastes. I opted for the Capricciosa: pancetta, salami, olives, mushrooms, anchovies, red peppers 18 but had to get the anchovies taken off. Fussy brother opted for the Salami and mushroom w/ basil, mozzarella and truffle oil 18.5. KC went for Vespa reigns supreme: pancetta, artichoke hearts, buffalo mozzarella, olives, capers, anchovies and vine tomatoes w/ fresh basil and roasted peppers with extra mushrooms and truffle oil. Fussy BF's was too complicated to list (her food specifications are quite specific) but it involved chicken so who cares.
They were all delicious! Pretty close to what I call an authentic Italian pizza - thin base, not too much toping. The salami and mushroom was my pick of the lot.
The were doing a roaring trade on Saturday and we ended up sitting outside. Vespa manages the outside dining well and we were toasty warm under a braisier.
We did have a bit of a wait for the pizza and it seemed that the table next to us got tired of waiting and ended up leaving but waiting for good food doesn't bother me.
It won't make the best ever list but overall pretty damn good pizza.
Food excellence 4/5
Ambiance 4/5
Cleanliness 4/5
Price 3/5
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Zen Bar - City, Brisbane
http://www.zenbar.com.au/ Dined: 12/08/08
For many years Zen Bar, for me, has been the same experience as the Gun Shop - great food, terrible (in fact woeful) service. Many a work lunch had me scurrying back to the office after gulping down my lunch at 5 to 2, sometimes having waited well over an hour for our meals.
Zen has been like that since I first started working in the city about 7 years ago but they seem to have finally turned the corner. The service of Tuesday was excellent and that's not a compliment I hand out lightly! Our servers were friendly without being obsequious, water and wine glasses were continually replenished and food was brought promptly.
The thing that has bought me back to Zen time and time again, even though the service was so appalling was the food. Not enough good things could be said about the chicken and prawn spring rolls, the duck pancakes, and the piece de resistance the chicken, spinach and cashew stir-fry. I think I can honestly say in 5 years I haven't ordered anything else. On Tuesday, it just wasn't up to par. I'll even have to damn it with faint praise and say it was "fine". Historically this dish was spicy, piquant, lush, rich and came with loads of cashews. This time it was just fine. Again, technically you'd be hard pressed to fault the dish but it just didn't have the usual magic that has me ready to lick the plate clean in a crowded restaurant.
Apparently there's an inverse relationship between service and food quality!
On a positive note, I hadn't ever seen the cheese platter before. I had skipped on the starter so decided to lash out with the cheese platter as quite a few of them seemed to be coming out of the kitchen. I do love cheese but am not much of a cheese snob but to my bourgeois taste, this was excellent. The crackers taste fresh and homemade, the dried fruits plump and the cheese a generous wedge (the choices were blue, cheddar or brie - I couldn't resist the brie). It was all beautifully presented and excellent value at $11.
I'm going to forgive Zen for the less than perfect stir-fry as they may have just been having a bad night but it's great to see the service so improved.
P.S. As per usual the pinot grigio delle venezie marano It 39.5 was lovely, 2 bottles lovely (there was 3 of us!).
For many years Zen Bar, for me, has been the same experience as the Gun Shop - great food, terrible (in fact woeful) service. Many a work lunch had me scurrying back to the office after gulping down my lunch at 5 to 2, sometimes having waited well over an hour for our meals.
Zen has been like that since I first started working in the city about 7 years ago but they seem to have finally turned the corner. The service of Tuesday was excellent and that's not a compliment I hand out lightly! Our servers were friendly without being obsequious, water and wine glasses were continually replenished and food was brought promptly.
The thing that has bought me back to Zen time and time again, even though the service was so appalling was the food. Not enough good things could be said about the chicken and prawn spring rolls, the duck pancakes, and the piece de resistance the chicken, spinach and cashew stir-fry. I think I can honestly say in 5 years I haven't ordered anything else. On Tuesday, it just wasn't up to par. I'll even have to damn it with faint praise and say it was "fine". Historically this dish was spicy, piquant, lush, rich and came with loads of cashews. This time it was just fine. Again, technically you'd be hard pressed to fault the dish but it just didn't have the usual magic that has me ready to lick the plate clean in a crowded restaurant.
Apparently there's an inverse relationship between service and food quality!
On a positive note, I hadn't ever seen the cheese platter before. I had skipped on the starter so decided to lash out with the cheese platter as quite a few of them seemed to be coming out of the kitchen. I do love cheese but am not much of a cheese snob but to my bourgeois taste, this was excellent. The crackers taste fresh and homemade, the dried fruits plump and the cheese a generous wedge (the choices were blue, cheddar or brie - I couldn't resist the brie). It was all beautifully presented and excellent value at $11.
I'm going to forgive Zen for the less than perfect stir-fry as they may have just been having a bad night but it's great to see the service so improved.
P.S. As per usual the pinot grigio delle venezie marano It 39.5 was lovely, 2 bottles lovely (there was 3 of us!).
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Era Cafe - South Brisbane, Brisbane
http://www.erabistro.com.au/index.php?MMID=194 Dined: 9/08/08
I'm a bit fond of Era and have had some excellent nights here in the bar having wine and tapas but I hadn't ever been to the cafe.
A late brunch with a couple of other Fussy's was on the cards after a morning with Picasso. I love the feel of the cafe here and it almost seems like a bit of secret cave that you can't see from the street. Even though it was a sunny day they had the braziers out which pleased the cold blooded Fussy's of the group no end.
I do tend to order scrambled eggs or eggs benedict when dining out for breakfast as I can't cook them very well myself. On Saturday there was Tasmanian Smoked Salmon, Swiss Cheese, Scrambled Eggs & Sour Dough Toast ($16) on offer and I couldn't resist.
The service was a bit strange with our waiter not seeming to want to say anything although the it was efficient.
A lovely hot, very strong cappuccino for me, a tea and two soft drinks for the others. The tea was beautifully presented in a plunger with loose leaf tea.
The meals were bought promptly and I have to say I was disappointed. Although the smoked salmon was plentiful it was all clumped together and the eggs had been overcooked and had none of the soft, creamy fluffiness that good scrambled eggs have. The sourdough was fine although I must admit the Swiss Cheese didn't work as well as I thought it would (and I have a fairly passionate relationship with cheese). I didn't finish the meal which is always a very bad sign. Again, I'm sure for most people it would have been fine, but I am Fussy and I was disappointed. I don't like paying for a breakfast I could have cooked better myself.
That being said, the chips were very good although very, very oily and the panini's seemed okay. The other breakfast (Bacon & Eggs… ‘as you like it’ with Toast 9 and a side of mushrooms) looked beautiful although the mushrooms were apparently on the ordinary side (there was also shell in the eggs).
My benchmark for breakfast will is always Cirque and their smoked salmon & scrambled eggs in in another league compared to this (and cheaper!).
As breakfasts go it was pretty forgettable.
I'm a bit fond of Era and have had some excellent nights here in the bar having wine and tapas but I hadn't ever been to the cafe.
A late brunch with a couple of other Fussy's was on the cards after a morning with Picasso. I love the feel of the cafe here and it almost seems like a bit of secret cave that you can't see from the street. Even though it was a sunny day they had the braziers out which pleased the cold blooded Fussy's of the group no end.
I do tend to order scrambled eggs or eggs benedict when dining out for breakfast as I can't cook them very well myself. On Saturday there was Tasmanian Smoked Salmon, Swiss Cheese, Scrambled Eggs & Sour Dough Toast ($16) on offer and I couldn't resist.
The service was a bit strange with our waiter not seeming to want to say anything although the it was efficient.
A lovely hot, very strong cappuccino for me, a tea and two soft drinks for the others. The tea was beautifully presented in a plunger with loose leaf tea.
The meals were bought promptly and I have to say I was disappointed. Although the smoked salmon was plentiful it was all clumped together and the eggs had been overcooked and had none of the soft, creamy fluffiness that good scrambled eggs have. The sourdough was fine although I must admit the Swiss Cheese didn't work as well as I thought it would (and I have a fairly passionate relationship with cheese). I didn't finish the meal which is always a very bad sign. Again, I'm sure for most people it would have been fine, but I am Fussy and I was disappointed. I don't like paying for a breakfast I could have cooked better myself.
That being said, the chips were very good although very, very oily and the panini's seemed okay. The other breakfast (Bacon & Eggs… ‘as you like it’ with Toast 9 and a side of mushrooms) looked beautiful although the mushrooms were apparently on the ordinary side (there was also shell in the eggs).
My benchmark for breakfast will is always Cirque and their smoked salmon & scrambled eggs in in another league compared to this (and cheaper!).
As breakfasts go it was pretty forgettable.
Food excellence 2/5
Ambiance 4/5
Cleanliness 4/5
Price 2/5
Monday, 4 August 2008
The Gun Shop - West End, Brisbane
31/7/08 http://www.thegunshopcafe.com
A breakfast institution in Brisbane, I had mixed feelings about eating at this cafe. The food was generally good but the service had ranged in the past from indifferent to insulting. My heart for breakfast has forever been lost to Cirque (even if you can hardly get in the doors these days) and I hadn't eaten here since the original owner apparently left to go to Tongue and Groove.
On Thursday night things seem to have a done a complete reversal - the service was very good - attentive without being overwhelming, prompt and friendly.
The food was a different story. At around $30 for a main my expectation were reasonably high and my meal was a big disappointment. I had the 300g Hereford Gold Rib Fillet, duck fat roasted baby potatoes, broccolini, pancetta, blue cheese butter, jus. Technically, I guess there wasn't anything wrong with it but it was just dull. The meal was literally a piece of steak on steamed brocolini and 3 potatoes. The blue cheese butter was flavourless and I don't recall the jus nor the pancetta! It sounded so good on the menu and I do love ordering steak when I'm dining but this was stuck in the middle of the road.
My dining companion's Margaret River Lamb with pistachio & lemon crust, kipfler potato, dutch carrots, sugar snaps and jus was significantly better. The lamb was melt in the mouth and the lemon an unusual flavour.
We didn't have starters and I think there is an expectation that you have a starters as the mains were a modest size.
What saved the night for me was the wine as it was sensational , so good in fact I called the next day to see what it was (their website is out of date). Semillon Sauvignon Blanc from Margaret River called Stella Bella. So very tasty.
I will admit at being a bit oblivious to the surrounds as I've eaten their so often.
We did get overcharged for a bottle of wine that we didn't order which unfortunately I didn't pick up at the time so dinner for 2 (2 glasses of wine and 3 beers) came to $90 (the actual bill was $130).
A breakfast institution in Brisbane, I had mixed feelings about eating at this cafe. The food was generally good but the service had ranged in the past from indifferent to insulting. My heart for breakfast has forever been lost to Cirque (even if you can hardly get in the doors these days) and I hadn't eaten here since the original owner apparently left to go to Tongue and Groove.
On Thursday night things seem to have a done a complete reversal - the service was very good - attentive without being overwhelming, prompt and friendly.
The food was a different story. At around $30 for a main my expectation were reasonably high and my meal was a big disappointment. I had the 300g Hereford Gold Rib Fillet, duck fat roasted baby potatoes, broccolini, pancetta, blue cheese butter, jus. Technically, I guess there wasn't anything wrong with it but it was just dull. The meal was literally a piece of steak on steamed brocolini and 3 potatoes. The blue cheese butter was flavourless and I don't recall the jus nor the pancetta! It sounded so good on the menu and I do love ordering steak when I'm dining but this was stuck in the middle of the road.
My dining companion's Margaret River Lamb with pistachio & lemon crust, kipfler potato, dutch carrots, sugar snaps and jus was significantly better. The lamb was melt in the mouth and the lemon an unusual flavour.
We didn't have starters and I think there is an expectation that you have a starters as the mains were a modest size.
What saved the night for me was the wine as it was sensational , so good in fact I called the next day to see what it was (their website is out of date). Semillon Sauvignon Blanc from Margaret River called Stella Bella. So very tasty.
I will admit at being a bit oblivious to the surrounds as I've eaten their so often.
We did get overcharged for a bottle of wine that we didn't order which unfortunately I didn't pick up at the time so dinner for 2 (2 glasses of wine and 3 beers) came to $90 (the actual bill was $130).
Food excellence 2/5
Ambiance 3/5
Cleanliness 4/5
Price 3/5
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Tandoori King - New Farm, Brisbane
http://www.eatout-brisbane.com.au/Tandoori-King.htm Dined: 2/8/08
Fussy's brother recommended Tandoori King and he and I have the same exacting standards and rules (ie chicken not belonging on pizza).
Here's some of what we ordered although I must admit I can't remember everything perhaps due to the amount of wine I had drunk.
Saffron Prawns 13.50
Succulent Tiger Prawns marinated in saffron. special house spices and cooked in the Tandoor
Chicken Tikka 10.50
Tender morsels of boneless chicken in a special tandoori marinade, cooked in a tandoor
Lamb Somosa 10.50
Lamb mince, peas, herbs and spices in pastry parcels
Goat Masala 21.50
Selected pieces of boned goat meat cooked in fried onions, freshly ground spices and
seasoned with fresh coriander
Kashmiri Naan 05.50
Sultanas, coconut and crushed cashew nut
this was all eaten under a bit of a wine haze but it all tasted fantastic and I can't wait to go back again and remember everything!
The food was absolutely divine. Piping hot, freshly cooked and not swimming in grease (one of my biggest dislikes with Indian food).
The reviews on the website listed say it all - best Indian in Brisbane.
I do have one bugbear though - I can't find any Indian restaurants in Australia that offer Prawn Puri? Puri is really common in Indian restaurants in the UK but I've never been able to find it here?
Fussy's brother recommended Tandoori King and he and I have the same exacting standards and rules (ie chicken not belonging on pizza).
Here's some of what we ordered although I must admit I can't remember everything perhaps due to the amount of wine I had drunk.
Saffron Prawns 13.50
Succulent Tiger Prawns marinated in saffron. special house spices and cooked in the Tandoor
Chicken Tikka 10.50
Tender morsels of boneless chicken in a special tandoori marinade, cooked in a tandoor
Lamb Somosa 10.50
Lamb mince, peas, herbs and spices in pastry parcels
Goat Masala 21.50
Selected pieces of boned goat meat cooked in fried onions, freshly ground spices and
seasoned with fresh coriander
Kashmiri Naan 05.50
Sultanas, coconut and crushed cashew nut
this was all eaten under a bit of a wine haze but it all tasted fantastic and I can't wait to go back again and remember everything!
The food was absolutely divine. Piping hot, freshly cooked and not swimming in grease (one of my biggest dislikes with Indian food).
The reviews on the website listed say it all - best Indian in Brisbane.
I do have one bugbear though - I can't find any Indian restaurants in Australia that offer Prawn Puri? Puri is really common in Indian restaurants in the UK but I've never been able to find it here?
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Codpiece - New Farm, Brisbane
http://www.codpiece.com.au/ Dined: 29/07/08
I ended up at Codpiece with a friend as Tuesday Taco's was too busy at Alibi (yes, I know I'm too old).
I have eaten here once before and the 2nd showing was fairly similar to the first.
They do get automatic bonus points for BYO but the service is a little...indifferent. It's not that the staff aren't friendly, because they are. It's the small details such as filling up water glasses that seem to go unoticed (by the 3rd time I'd asked surely you would figure out I'm thirsty...??).
The main menu here doesn't particularly appeal to me but I do love a good entree and as I did the first time I ended up sharing a selection of the entrees as an expensive tapas.
Here's what we had:
Overall not a bad choice for a weeknight and certaining one of the better fish places to chose from without going seriously upmarket.
The total was $80 for 2 not including the wine.
I ended up at Codpiece with a friend as Tuesday Taco's was too busy at Alibi (yes, I know I'm too old).
I have eaten here once before and the 2nd showing was fairly similar to the first.
They do get automatic bonus points for BYO but the service is a little...indifferent. It's not that the staff aren't friendly, because they are. It's the small details such as filling up water glasses that seem to go unoticed (by the 3rd time I'd asked surely you would figure out I'm thirsty...??).
The main menu here doesn't particularly appeal to me but I do love a good entree and as I did the first time I ended up sharing a selection of the entrees as an expensive tapas.
Here's what we had:
- Crabcakes - these are delicious, really light and not at all greasy.
- Oysters Kilpatrick - these took forever to come out but they were delicious and piping hot when they got there
- Moules Mariniere - I will admit to not being a huge fan of Mussles, however my dining companion is a conissuer and as she polished of the bowl assured me they were delicious.
- Salt & Pepper squid with chorizo - theoretically I should love this dish as it combines 2 of my favourite foods however whatever the squid is crumbed in (we couldn't pick it - anise or cinamon perhaps?) become overpowering quickly. The first few pieces were tasty and then I was far more interested in the other offerings.
- Scallops - we had these to start with the oysters and we did wait a good half hour for them but when they did come out they were absolutely beautiful - i think if you're contemplating licking the shell that's a good sign.
- The chef's salad - this was beautiful - simple and flavourful and the capers in it were a magic addition.
Overall not a bad choice for a weeknight and certaining one of the better fish places to chose from without going seriously upmarket.
The total was $80 for 2 not including the wine.
Food excellence 4/5
Ambiance 2/5
Cleanliness 4/5 (The restaurant was fine but the toilets are communal and less than fine)
Price 3/5
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