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

Cowch, South Bank

 

Cowch is a new dessert cocktail bar located on Grey Street in South Bank. They offer a breakfast menu which includes yoghurt and muesli along with desserts such as churros, naked pops, pizzas and pastries and also cocktails which runs late into the night.

 

 

Decorated with quirky teats and milk bottle lights, the atmosphere at Cowch is warm and relaxed. There are plenty of couches, seats and even a fire pit, which is perfect for those coming cold winter nights. 

 

 

On one section near the counter, there is a wall of naked pops which is eye catching, unique and seemingly a popular item on the Cowch menu.

There are five naked pop flavours which includes chocolate, vanilla, coffee, mint and pomegranate. These naked pops are then dipped in either milk, dark or white chocolate and then topped with three toppings of your choice.

 

This was a chocolate naked pop doused in dark chocolate and topped with almonds, chocolate flakes and chocolate pearls. 

 

 

This pomegranate naked pop was dipped in milk chocolate and topped with pistachio, dried blueberries and chocolate pearls.

Cowch is the perfect bar for any sweet tooth, or those wanting a great place to have a sweet snack, drink and catch up with old and new friends. It is also extremely family friendly with sweet goodies for the kids and drinks for the grown ups.

In love and food,

Vivi

Mighty Mighty, Fortitude Valley

Southern American cuisine, which is more so American comfort food, is up there along with pizza as one of my most desired foods. I could eat it everyday of my life if I was fortunate enough to not have my waistline expand tremendously. Mighty Mighty, a relatively new restaurant that popped up near James Street in the Valley is a perfect example of good comfort food and brew.

Louisiana prawn & clam chowder

Having only been introduced to clam chowder after J’s trip to America two years ago, I can say that it is possibly one of my most favourite starters. It is quite scarce to find in restaurants so when there is clam chowder on the menu, it is definitely going to be in my tummy.  The prawn and clam chowder at Mighty Mighty came out as quite a surprise as I was expecting a creamy based soup not a tomato one. However, the flavours in the chowder was distinct and really got the taste buds going. They did not skimp on the seafood as there was quite a few clams in there as well as a large prawn.

Mighty Mighty hot wings

The hot wings at Mighty Mighty were a bit disappointing. The skin was crispy and the meat was tender, however, it lacked the hotness and flavour a little. It was by all means still delicious but I wish it had a bit more of a tang to it.

Barbecue beef short rib

The smoked and glazed barbecue beef short rib with sweet potato chips, although quite small, was absolutely divine. The meat just fell right off the bones and the smokey flavours was just enchanting to the palate. The sweet potato chips were cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside whilst soft and creamy as you bite down on it. 

Mighty Mighty is the perfect place to hang out with friends, especially to grab a drink as they offer a large selection of brews. The atmosphere is quite energetic, with an upmarket but casual vibe. Although the meals at Mighty Mighty are quite small, it does offer the opportunity to go with a bunch of friends and order a bit of everything on the menu. That way you can have a taste of everything, and make room for more drinks.

In love and food,

Vivi

MIA

There is really no proper reason as to my absences on the blogosphere for the last few months aside from laziness and lack of motivation. I however, decided to come on here tonight to release some stress and to my surprise, there has still been an abundance of views each day. So to those that come back to this site day after day for some food adventures, thank you!

I will include some pictures which will hopefully get your appetite salivating through the night.

In love and food,

Vivi