Taste Gallery, Market Square

As one of the grander restaurants in Market Square, Taste Gallery caters to families and big groups of friends who want a variety of delicious options whilst dining out. Learning to cook when he first arrived in Australia, the head chef Evan, has 39 years of experience under his belt. From his first job in China Town, his career has expanded to Toowong and Sunnybank, working at Kingsfood for 12 years before bringing his culinary skills to Taste Gallery.

We started off our 10 course meal with the ever popular minced chicken in corn soup. A sweet corn soup with a good balance of chicken was the perfect dish to awaken the taste buds.

Next up, we had the two course peking duck which includes duck rolls and san choy bao. The dish was uniquely presented with well sliced duck – a thin layer of meat with crispy duck skin. The duck is then wrapped with the cucumber, shallot and an option of hoi sin sauce or sweet chilli sauce.

The san choy bao was refreshing with duck meat, peas, corn and carrot presented in a lettuce cup.

The next dish that we devoured was the deep fried shrimp balls with mayo which was one of my top favourites. Even though it was deep fried, the shrimp balls were not oily. The batter was a good consistency giving it a soft crunch and the shrimp inside was filling. This dish was accompanied with pineapple which gave the overall flavour a zesty tang which became quite additive.

Fried Rice

The szechuan pepper chicken which came out next is one of my all time favourites. This is a staple dish that makes your taste buds tingle and you start drooling as soon as you take the first bite. It is the perfect dish if you’re dining by yourself with a big bowl of steaming hot rice.

The green mussels in XO sauce which is made from dried seafood and chilli was juicy and flavoursome. Each mussel itself was quite large and soft to bite into. If XO sauce isn’t to your fancy, it comes with the option of szechuan sauce.

After making our way through a few meat dishes, it was nice to mix it up with some stir fried veggies in garlic sauce. Although the veggies were lightly seasoned, it was quite flavoursome and crunchy.

The deep fried ribs was so moist and flavoursome. Each bite of the ribs made your taste buds crave for more. The ribs were glazed with a special sauce which was so succulent, soaking into the meat itself.

The tantalising smell when the sizzling beef fillet in black pepper sauce came out was absolutely mouth watering. The meat was tender with an earthy aroma of the black pepper.

Trying to fit the dessert in after such a delectable ten course meal was quite hard. The pumpkin rice cake was so picturesque that it was almost hard to take a bite out of it. When you finally take a bite though, you’re welcomed with a soft red bean paste inside which compliments the rice cake. This was the perfect dish to end the meal as it wasn’t overly sweet but sweet enough to keep your taste buds satisfied.

Overall, the food at Taste Gallery was absolutely amazing. There is such a wide variety of dishes to choose from that it won’t leave anyone that dines here disappointed. If you can fight the parking traffic around Market Square, I would definitely recommend giving this restaurant a try.

In love and food,

Vivi

xx

Ku-O, Market Square

Ku-O, one of the best Japanese in restaurants in Brisbane, has released a brand new menu with the introduction of their new Chef, Mr Takashi Nami. From Sapporo, Hokkaido, Mr Nami brings with him over 35 years of experience, specialising in sushi and sashimi.

The fish is selected by the Chef and purchased locally every morning to ensure their freshness. The nigiri set contains a variety of fishes such as sweet lip, swordfish, pollock fish, cod, big white tuna and salmon. This however can change depending on the season. A favourite in this nigiri set however, has to be the eel incased in tamago egg – soft, texturised and full of flavour.

The tempura set contained prawns and a selection of vegetables such as zucchini and capsicum. The prawn was so light and fluffy on the outside with the meat being tender on the inside. This dish is so perfect for those that want seafood but aren’t adventurous enough to try raw fish.

The yakisoba, a classic Japanese stir fry noodle dish with meat and vegetables was surprisingly refreshing. The sweet and savoury sauce mixed well with the noodles and the the bonito flakes added on the top enhanced the flavours of the dish.

The highlight of the night though was the curry. The dish was plated well and with the meat being skewered, made it a lot easier to eat. The curry itself wasn’t overly thick which made it feel lighter on the stomach and it was seasoned to perfection. This will definitely pull you into a happy food coma at the end.

This new menu has by far the best dishes that Ku-O has offered over the years and is definitely worth checking out the next time you find yourself in Sunnybank.

In food and love,

Vivi

Genkotsu Ramen, Eight Mile Plains

Ramen is almost synonymous with rain, cold weather and comfort. There is nothing more satisfying than a hot bowl of ramen on a cold winter’s day, or in this case, a breezy and slightly chilly summer afternoon.

Excitement was building as the construction for Genkotsu Ramen was underway and as soon as it was open, we quickly ventured over and lined up with the quickly growing crowd of diners. The restaurant itself was a lot smaller thank anticipated, seating about 20 people at once. Despite that, the table was still quite spacious to fit all the food (which of course is the most important thing). The menu offered a large range of ramen, making the decision quite hard as everything sounded absolutely delicious.

The first thing we decided on was the spicy gyoza which was delicious. A little moist on the inside and slightly charred and crispy on the outside. The gyoza itself wasn’t overly spicy, but had enough of a hint to give it an extra zing on the taste buds.

The kaarage was flavoursome and succulent, with a slight crisp which melted in the mouth. The sauce worked beautifully with the kaarage, adding just the perfect tang and creaminess.

With nine different types of ramen, it was hard trying to decide what we would order first (although we knew we would be back again). The Gyokai Tonkotsu, a seafood flavoured soup was the first pick. The ramen was topped with charshu, boiled egg, bamboo shoots, dried seaweed and shallot. The first mouthful of the soup ended up tasting quite fishy, which was a let down. After mixing everything together, the fishy taste was still there. However, a friend had ordered the same ramen but that fishy taste was barely present. This however could be due to being newly open and not having everything to perfection just yet.

As a caution to those that don’t fare to well with spicy meals, avoid the Karamen. The extremely spicy chilli flavoured broth definitely got the sweat dripping. Topped with pork chashu, shallots and a boiled egg, the ramen was definitely delicious and flavoursome if you could brave through the spices.

With our second visit to Genkotsu Ramen, we decided to try out more simpler flavours. The Black Garlic ramen with soy sauce was mouth watering and tantalising on the taste buds. The garlic oil, pork chat, boiled eggs, bamboo shoots and dried seaweed worked so well together without any particular ingredient being overpowering. A definite must try if you can’t decide on what to order and don’t mind trying something a little different.

With a slightly salted pork broth and pork chashu, the Shio Tonkotsu is the perfect ramen for those who are looking for a simple ramen with all the flavours but without the frills. With this ramen, you can add your own chilli powder and sesame to taste without altering the original flavours.

With such a flavoursome broth, Genkotsu Ramen is the perfect restaurant to taste authentic ramen. The only fault would be that the pork chashu was cut quite thick and didn’t tie in as seamlessly with the noodles, but that however is a personal preference. The broth however is spot on, making sure you have slurped up every last drop before leaving with an extremely full belly.

In love and food,

Vivi

Tokyo Express, Toowong

Nestled behind Woolworths near Toowong Village is Tokyo Express, a small family owned business that creates some of the most mouthwatering sushi on the west side of Brisbane. Although there is an abundance of sushi chains around Brisbane, it can often be quite a challenge to find fresh sushi that is light and full of flavour.

Salmon aburi

Chef’s special

SAO (salmon, avocado, onion) 

Salmon handroll

As an avid fan of both salmon and avocado, any sushi combination with the two ingredients are utterly delicious and very welcomed. The salmon at Tokyo Express is always fresh, and the avocados ripe to perfection (I swear restaurants must source their avocados from an Avocado God as it is never the same when you buy them to bring home).

Being at Tokyo Express is reminiscent to my recent trip to Japan – fresh fresh fresh! By using more salmon than rice, the rice simply sits on the side as a filler and lets the combination of the fresh salmon, smooth avocado and sharp onion creates a tantalising affect on your taste buds.

My favourite dish would have to be their salmon hand rolls (they also have other meat fillings in their hand rolls but I’m a sworn addict to salmon). The crisp crunch of the seaweed paired with the softness of the salmon and avocado is just a mouth orgasm that’ll want you having more.

If you find that sushi still leaves you feeling quite peckish, they also offers set meals and other snacks on the menu that’ll leave your tummy feeling happy and full. With seatings around the sushi train as well as booth, Tokyo Express is extremely family friendly.

In love and food,

Vivi

8 Street, Westfield Garden City

Westfield Garden City keeps getting better with the near completion of their renovations. The biggest highlight of the new centre is the Asian food precinct & beer garden, known as 8 Street, located on the ground floor towards Coles.

Stepping into 8 Street, you are transported into an atmospheric realm that replicates that of an Asian marketplace. The busy flow of people along the lane way, the delicious scent of food and the beautiful wooden fixtures sets up a scene that can be found in many places around Asia. A feature that enhances the dining experience is the clear glass panels that are situated at each of the 13 stalls which shows off the chef’s cooking skills.

Teppanyaki Lovers specialises in Japanese cuisine. The chefs at this stall are quite the performers with their little fire tricks while cooking and can be quite mesmerising to watch as they cook the food on the large hot plate. A dish that they’ve mastered to perfection is the teriyaki chicken dish which is served in a bento box with rice, gyoza, tamagoyaki (a Japanese rolled omelette). The teriyaki chicken is succulent as well as slightly charred which gives off a tasty smokey flavour.

Steamed juicy mini dumplings ($7.00/6 pieces)

Dim Sum by Taste Gallery offers a range of mini dumplings, savoury pancakes and soup. The most popular dish on their menu would be the steamed juicy mini dumplings. These mini dumplings have a delicious pork filling as well as a hot broth inside (so be cautious when biting into them). They make a great entree for enticing your taste buds before you feast on some more food at 8 Street.

Special Singaporean fried rice noodle ($10.90)

Noodle 8 is a Malaysian and Singaporean stall that specialises in noodles and laksa. They also serve satay chicken sticks, pork wraps as well as beef hand rolls. A signature dish at this stall would be their special Singaporean fried rice noodle. As the thin noodles are fried, it is quite dry however the seasoning and flavours make up for it.

Hiroshima Seafood ($14.00)

Okonomi House serves up Japanese styled pizzas. There are two different styles which include the Osaka Style where you can choose from bacon, cheese, pork or beef or the Hiroshima Style where it comes with noodles and is available with seafood, beef or vegetarian. A personal favourite would have to be the bacon deluxe which comes with bacon, corn, potato and mozzarella cheese. You can never go wrong with bacon and in this case, it becomes a delectable cheesy bacon heaven as the cheese oozes out with every forkful.

Combination wonton ($10.90)

Won Ton Ton have a variety of wonton soups, dumplings, buns as well as snacks including crispy chicken and salt & pepper calamari. The combination wonton dish had fish balls, fish tofu, veggies and a decent amount of wontons. The wonton itself had a porportional amount of meat and prawns which was quite flavoursome. As well as that, the broth was subtle and complimented the flavours of the wonton.

Braise pork belly with rice ($10.80)

Signature braised beef ($8.80 – $10.80)

Rice town offers a variety of popular rice dishes that suits every taste bud from curry chicken to braised pork belly, as well as mackerel  and prawns. The signature braised beef is a safe option for those who are wary of intense foreign flavours but want to experience an authentic Asian meal. With a copious amount of beef, it is sure to keep the belly full. The braised pork belly dish was the standout from the menu as it was soft and tender, balanced with the right combination of soy sauce. With the added steam veggies, it makes scoffing the dish down less of a guilty pleasure.

Minced pork & preserved duck egg ($8.80) // Combo deal – Congee + Marinade + Side ($15.80)

Congee Master serves up the most delicious variety of congee with marinades and sides available. With marinades such as chicken wings, pork belly, steamed chicken, sliced beef and calamari, it becomes quite a difficult task to choose just one. However if you aren’t big on the extras, the congee itself has enough ingredients to excite the taste buds. The minced pork and preserved duck egg congee was extremely tasty and surprisingly came with quite a substantial amount of preserved duck egg. This is the perfect meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner as it is light but very filling.

Dol sot bi bim bap ($11.00)

Seafood udon noodles ($10.00)

Madtongsan is a stall at 8 Street that serves up an amazing array of korean food that ranges from snacks, noodles, rice and soups. With a few restaurants around Brisbane, this stall offers a condensed menu of the most popular dishes. A favourite dish here would definitely have to be the dol sot bi bim bap which is in a hot stone pot. This dish has rice, seasoned vegetables, and either beef or chicken which is then topped with a raw egg and their signature spicy sauce. It is then all mixed in together, creating an explosion of flavour as well a chilli hit, depending on your chilli tolerance.

Roast duck pancake – half chicken ($16), pancake ($3.50/10 pieces), hoisin sauce ($1.50)

Roast pork ($10.90), BBQ pork ($9.90) with steamed rice or noodles and seasonal salad

BBQ by Burlington has by far the most flavoursome peking duck and barbecue meats at 8 Street. They offer roast duck, roast pork, BBQ pork, BBQ chicken, wings, ribs as well as peking duck (roast duck pancake). The roast duck pancake is reminiscent of an asian kebab as the ones found at this stall is a big version of the original size. This is quite exciting as with the original small ones, there is usually never enough to go around. The roast pork had the perfect fat and meat ratio as well as a crispy top. The bbq pork on the other hand was tender and soft making you want to continuously snack on it.

Crazy prawn ($6/3 pieces)

Teriyaki beef & onion ($6.50/3 pieces), Crazy lamb ($4/3 pieces, $8/half dozen, $15/dozen)

Chicken fillets ($6/4 pieces), Crazy wings ($2.50/1 piece) – original, fresh garlic, asian curry, chilli pepper, honey soy, black pepper

Crazy Wings offers a large variety of meat on skewers including their famous crazy wings which comes in six different flavours. The most interesting skewers would have to be the ox tongue, the chicken fillet with soft bones as well as the enokitake mushroom. The teriyaki beef was succulent and spot on. The chicken fillet however was quite spicy, so if you find that you do work up quite a sweat when tackling chilli food, you can ask them to tone down on the chilli seasoning. The skewers make a great snack, or even an accompaniment to another meal.

Crunchy hot n spicy chicken steak ($7.90)

Grilled pork belly ($8.90)

Tonkotsu (pork flavoured) ramen with slow cooked pork belly ($10.90) 

At the end of the winding lane way stands Grill n Bao. This stall offers a variety of gua bao burgers as well as ramen soups. Their gua bao burgers include chicken, beef, tofu and possibly the tastiest one, grilled pork belly. The grilled pork belly meat was extremely succulent and with the salad and jap mayo, it left a meaty but fresh tangy taste tingling on the taste buds. The buns are steamed and then placed on the grill, which gives the buns a bit of texture instead of being overly soft. The most notable thing about the gua bao at Grill n Bao is that the buns aren’t oily and greasy which sometimes is the case at other places offering gua bao.

 

Oolong milk tea ($4.20), Lychee oolong with aloe ($5.00)

Gong Cha is a Taiwanese style drink shop that has franchises world wide. They offer brewed tea, healthy tea, milk tea, yoghurt drinks as well as smoothies. Two of the most popular drinks on the menu would have to be the milk tea with pearls as well as the lychee oolong tea with aloe vera. Both teas were refreshing and not overly sweet. However, if you’re a bit of a sweet tooth, the sweetness level can be customised.

If you’re stuck for lunch or dinner ideas or are dining with a large group of people, 8 Street is the ideal location as it has so many different food stalls which would cater to even the pickiest eater. The best part is, there is a licensed bar in the corner selling Asian beers so you can sneak in a drink whilst harbouring your food baby.

8 Street is open from 10am – 9pm from Monday – Saturday and from 10am-6pm on Sundays.

In love and food,

Vivi