Ajisen Ramen

Ajisen Ramen

2/414 George St Brisbane

2/5

I was going to a friend’s gig down at tribal theatre on a Friday night and needed to eat something, I have been past this place several times before and thought that I would test it out sometime soon and this particular Friday night happened to be the night I had time and money. This was the second ramen place I had been in recent weeks with my first visit to taros only being a few weeks earlier so the memory of taros brilliant ramen hovered fresh in my memory.

Firstly Ajisen’s appearance is a lot better than taros cafe but then that wouldn’t be hard the only positive aesthetic about taros is the view from the deck eating area with everything else being quite practical and uninteresting. Ajisen ramen’s appearance on the other hand is quite detailed (nowhere near as well as Sono but better than most) the service was nice but because of my presence on the wall and the fact that I was eating by myself, meant that the wait for attention would usually be excessive.

The food was good; however in comparison to taros it was average but then again taros has exceptional ramen. Big differences between the two were that at taros the broth had a strong sweet flavour throughout even when only eating the noodle from chopsticks where at Ajisen the broth was barely present except when drinking it by itself. The noodles at Ajisen were soft and were more like instant noodles than ramen noodles elsewhere, which greatly disappointed me; the only recovering factor of the meal was the fact that I had an imported Kiran can next to my bowl. I wouldn’t return unless I was walking past the place and didn’t have the effort to cross town for taros.

Ajisen Ramen is open from 11:30am to 9pm most days

My meal cost $11.30 and my can of Kiran (500ml) cost $10

Their Website is http://ajisenramen.com.au/ 

Fiascos Steakhouse

 Fiascos Steakhouse

640 Stanley St Woolloongabba

2/5

I have always heard good things about the Morrison and their steaks. Pronouncements such as the best steak in Brisbane aren’t uncommon so I thought that it warranted a look. Using a couple hours I had free on a Tuesday, I went for lunch around 12 and naturally ordered the steak from the laminated one sheet menu.

The feel of the place is very similar to many pubs that had their restaurants renovated in the 2000s, making the place feel dreadfully commercial in nature instead of feeling like a pub. In fact, sitting in the dining area made me feel like I was in for another mediocre overcooked steak. The Morrison is also unfortunate in being surrounded by freeways and main roads, making a decent outdoor eating area nigh impossible. The service was alright, however, the staff felt more put out then enthusiastic and therefore as a lone diner my presence felt like a burden rather than a customer.

After what I believe was actually a relatively short wait, my steak came out (I was eating by myself and was not drinking therefore a minute felt like an eternity) a rib eye with far too many details to be a good steak (10 month aged, 30 month grain, etc.) with chips, salad and mushroom sauce. The steak was a decent piece of meat, however it was unfortunately cooked like I would end up doing it, over-cooked, especially on one side with the red centre being south of the equator. The chips copped the curse of peri-peri (why is peri-peri a big deal now? Chips with steak don’t need peri-peri seasoning.) but otherwise were fine and tasted like chips should. The salad tasted like a pub salad: 2 wedges of tomato, some purple onion, and a bag salad with vinegar drenching. Overall it was a pleasant lunch but I would not be singing its praises: it was almost exactly the same as any pub steak and therefore not worth going out of my or your way for.

Fiascos Steakhouse is open 12pm-10pm every day.

Their mains range from $20-$40 and average around $30.

Their drinks prices are about par for pubs which are on the cheaper end of the dining scale.

Their website is at http://www.morrisonhotel.com.au

El Torito

El Torito

146 Boundary St West End

3/5

El Torito has to have the honour of being the only Mexican place in town that isn’t fast food or rubbish; it does well in this regard and is all round a very good place to eat it’s also BYO including beer which is always a fantastic thing. It being the first Thursday in a while that I’ve had money to afford dinner meant that I had to go to dinner, so I called on some reliable friends for a meet at west end. It has been a few years since I last sat down at El Torito, last time I ate there the food was quite nice, but lacked a particular intangible that I can’t quite remember or determine. This time the stars lined up and the meal was fantastic.

The decor of El Torito is bright and energetic, it uses the long narrow space it has for a dining room effectively, it’s not a romantic dim private place it is an exciting, fun place with plenty of noise. The bright warm coloured walls covered in sombreros and pictures of Amerindians gives the place an electric feeling, that the food is bound to be exciting and generous. The service in El Torito is pretty regular, with the only way to be served being essentially demanding it; however they do get kudos from me for letting us stay for almost an hour after everyone else left.

Onto the most important of things, El Torito makes fantastic food; this place isn’t a suburban Tex-Mex place with 14 year olds in the kitchen, it’s a place that makes what tastes, feels and smells like genuine Mexican food (not being entirely melted cheese and oil). Our table had a few entrees and then a main each, the entrees all featured beans, which in hindsight was a genius decision considering they were all fantastic, the Beans Tostada has particularly stuck in my memory due to its great balance. Of the mains I only had the opportunity to try my own, which was a chorizo burrito and a friend’s which was the Tinga Poblana. Both of these dishes displayed an amazing level of balance and a great texture; however the lack of overwhelming defining flavours can make the meal feel boring to those uninterested in the combination of flavours.

 I would recommend El Torito to anyone especially to those who have negative views of Mexican restaurants due to the suburban monsters that ruin an entire cuisine for people.

El Torito is open for dinner most nights

Our entree’s cost $5-$10 and our mains cost ~$20 each.

El Torito is fully BYO with Corkage costing $2 per head

El Torito is Vegetarian Friendly.

Sono

Sono

Level 1 Tattersall’s building Cnr Queen & Edward

4/5

Tuna Sashimi

Sono is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Brisbane, which is also why it is one of the most expensive. With the triple threat of great food, exceptional service and amazing atmosphere, this restaurant almost gets the penultimate rating, and pretty much the only thing preventing that is personal preference. Much of my praise for Sakura on the south side of Brisbane has been equalled or bettered by Sono, which should be expected considering the price. Irrespective of the price Sono is one of the better places in town to have Japanese food with many benefits over the other restaurants Brisbane has to offer.

Two things Sono has in spades, Atmosphere and service. The atmosphere of the place is incredible, with a dining setup similar to many a place in Japan. Low set tables, cushions and the obligatory removal of shoes, grant the place an incredibly Japanese feel, if it weren’t for the loud words of English speakers you wouldn't think you were in Brisbane. The pine presence and predominance of square shapes gives the place a serene tranquil feeling. The perfection of presentation just adds miles to this pleasant dining experience. This is followed with the exceptional service with girls in kimonos hovering around at a sufficient distance for it not to be awkward and at the table at every moment you needed or wanted something; a dirty plate had never seen such an enemy.

Wagyu Tataki

The most important of all things is food though, and Sono excelled at it too, with all the dishes I consumed being of a very high quality. Beginning with the Wagyu Tataki that already had the exceptional qualities of Tataki. Even without the red bean sauce that added much to the flavour and created a truly fantastic experience. The Wagyu had a crisp outside with the soft and meaty inside with the mix of ever so slightly citrus giving life to the palate that recently had been continuously bored with basic food. Following this and a flask of fantastic sake was the tuna sashimi, which while fantastic was equal to the sashimi I had consumed at Sakura all that time ago, the only difference being the cuts of sashimi at Sono were thicker creating a different feeling. Lastly the main of the evening, being the Shabu-Shabu a dish I have eaten at several restaurants now and fantastic at all the restaurants I have eaten it the only disappointment being the lack of flavour held by the broth, however the quality and pleasantness of the dish continued to make my dining experience by far a very enjoyable one.

Shabu Shabu Ingredients

I would return to Sono if only for the atmosphere, let alone the fantastic food and drink, the only real complaint I could have is the price makes things add up quickly with a dinner for three with drinks costing 250 dollars on this night. However regardless of the expense I would recommend Sono in Brisbane city to anyone with deep pockets and a desire to feel like they are in Japan.

The price of our Shabu-shabu was $43 pp with the tuna sashimi costing $20 and the Wagyu Tataki being $18

Many drinks are available with draft Sapporo being $9.5 a mug, Shochu being $8 and upwards and sake being approx $20 and up for a 180 ml half flask

There are vegetarian options at Sono

Sono has a Website at http://www.sonorestaurant.com.au

06/06/2011 Update

Hey sorry guys I haven’t been posting much for a few months my international trip took it out of me (“It” being money). So I haven’t been to dinner much and not to new places. But I have been eating fast food and stuff so I’ll take a moment to fill in some of the places I’ve been eating lately.

MOS Burger

Sunnybank Plaza

This new store in a new country for the Japanese burger chain, is actually quite good, I ate MOS burger while in Japan and thought it was disgusting. However the two MOS burgers I have eaten over at Sunnybank have been great messy pleasure, the glassware for dine-ins is a great touch and the whole thing feels bright and enjoyable, just a warning though do not take the burger out of the wrapper or you will need a new shirt. I’ve made the pilgrimage to Sunnybank twice; it’s actually not that far.

AJ’s Noodle House

Charlotte St Cbd

I’ve known about this one for a while but haven’t been there before recently due to the fact that both Kadoya and Madtongsan are about 5 metres away. The main problem this place has is that everyone else has caught on and knows they make a cheap Pho meaning if you want to eat there you have to be first or at an unusual time of day, the food is good for about $8, but you’ll probably still see me round the corner at Kadoya or Madtongsan.

Flying Fish

Indooroopilly

My local fish and chip shop of recently, this place became a favourite when I decided I was sick of tipplers and the rush to get there before it closed. While I haven’t eaten any fish in the dozen or so times I’ve been there I have eaten a lot of hamburgers which for a fish and chip shop have been good, the prices are really quite good too with a hamburger meal (a serve of chips and a can of coke) being $8.50. The fact that they are open till 8-9 each night is great as is the obvious family run vibe of the place. Feels like a classic Australian fish and chip shop.

I’ll be going to dinner either later this week or at some point next week, if you would like to come email me at coolbrisbannia@gmail.com or rsvp to the facebook event

Pho Vietnamese

Pho Vietnamese

12 Black Lion St, The Lanes Brighton

1/5

After a few days in Brighton I was taken to lunch by my brother who lives here, this particular time to a place called “Pho” who's main dish is the quintessential Vietnamese dish Pho. Now I know most of my Australian friends have eaten a great Pho purely because I’ve been there with them when we got it and naturally Australia is one of the best places to get Vietnamese in the world. So I headed into this restaurant with probably the expectation that would be impossible to meet, simply due to the fact that a massive population of Vietnamese people and access to warm tropical ingredients do not exist

The dining environmental was slightly disappointing having a bland boring feel lacking any energy and feeling like the kind of restaurant catering to people who don't want to eat Asian food. However the issue with this is the fact that Pho serves the most south east Asian dish possible as its main option, the Pho which with its combination of minty and lemongrass freshness combined with the spiciness of Thai chilli's doesn't suit the palette of those not looking for the south east Asian flavour profile. The only attempts at creating an environment conjusive to authenticity were negative, with the inclusion of wicker seats being nothing more than an uncomfortable inconvenience. The service in the restaurant was quite good, however it was surprising in the fact that everyone involved in the front area staff was European, this I believe has no bearing on the reality of dining its just contrary to all of my experience of eating at Asian restaurants in Australia.

Onto the most disappointing part and the most satisfying part of lunch, the food. Quite simply the problem with the food at Pho was that it lacked the potency that exists in so many Vietnamese dishes i've had in Oz. For starters we had summer rolls that lacked both the massive mintiness that every summer roll ive ever had has had or the underlying meat/seafood or vegetable flavours that make summer rolls more than just mint wrapped in rice paper, this was upsetting for me considering that I had never eaten summer rolls that tasted so bland in comparison. For a main I ordered the steak and brisket Pho which came out with rather nice meat in it but lacked the crazy freshness that every pho I have ever eaten before has, everyone who has ever eaten a pho knows that pho's are meant to taste like that first breath of fresh air after leaving the sauna. A relieving cooling dinner that fills you up without feeling the gluttonous bloating of eating a heavier meal. The Pho I had at Pho lacked that fragrance or feeling and the mint and chilli came out separately from the soup meaning I had to mix them in myself resulting in the unfortunate lack of mintiness absolutely required to make a Pho the achiever of its potential.

However judging a Vietnamese dish in Britain against its counterpart in Australia is a tad unfair as again the UK lacks a large Vietnamese population that Australia has, and while I would say to steer clear of a place that had this level of blandness in their Pho's in Australia I think the lack of competition in Brighton Vietnamese places works to their advantage and the fact that their Pho is passable creates a situation where the simple fact that it is Pho makes me want to go there again.

Pho have a website for their chain at http://www.phocafe.co.uk our starter cost approx 4 pounds and our mains cost around 8 pounds, there are vietnamese beers available for around 3.50.

Iydea (Brighton)

Hey everyone, I figured i should make use of the fact that im in the UK for a month by posting about all the meals i eat, so the next few posts will be dizzy's brisbane on the road! At anytime i use the $ sign i mean pounds but i can't find the pound key on my keyboard.
So here's the first post from the first day.
Iydea
North Laine, Brighton UK
1.5/5
So my first day in Brighton, it seems fairly great, lots of great looking bars, good food and more hipsters than you can shake a stick at. So while looking for a street press i asked a guy in a record shop where is a good place to get lunch, he recommended this place... that's enough for me to just go, screw it, it can't be that bad. It turns out thats exactly what it is, not that bad. So with the only expectation being that it would be better than burger king, i checked it out. Couple of quick realizations when i arrived, the most alarming of which was the fact that it was vegetarian cafe (yes vegetarian places are usually fronts for cults or places where the tastiest thing you can get is some mush mixed with other mush)

I don't remember exactly what my order was called, but it was some sort of spicy filling in a filo pastry with a side of beetroot puree and shredded potato, unfortunately my inability to think logically while ordering led to my order of a cider with the meal...  cider and spicy things don't mix well. However i must say that i was plesantly suprised by both the cider and the food. Service is unmentionable considering it has a deli style setup with a bain marie and a cafeteria tray, but thats not a big deal considering thats what it claims to be and the staff were incredibly helpful in my ordering. The decor is very similar to alot of vegetarian cafes throughout the world with a bright and natural feeling, the fact that the heating was turned all the way up helped alot in that sense.

The food was alright with both the puree and shredded potato being quite nice and balancing to the spicy pastry, the main problems with the dish was quite simply the inconsistancy of the pastry filling, with half of the filling being quite enjoyable if a little bland and the other half tasting like one of the my brothers stews made out of 90% pepper, but it succeeded in hiding that fact that many vegetarian foods suffer from, that vegetarian food is made up of mixture of flavours that blend out to zero instead the pastry tasted like there was a feature ingredient that was present that unfortunately i was unable to identify. i gave this place an average rating due to the fact that the pepper overpowered half of the dish, and while they managed to accentuate the flavours rather well, it still fell short of many of the meat based dishes that i have eaten in my life.

Iydea has a website at http://www.iydea.co.uk/ that while it lacks a full menu has a sample menu and some other stuff.
My meal cost $5.35 with an organic cider that cost $3.7
sorry if its a bit short but i can't think of much to write