Azafran - Annerley, Brisbane - French fusion

 

Amongst suburbia in Annerley is Azafran, a small modern little restaurant which is an old QLDer house that has been converted. The menu changes with the seasons and offers dinner most nights and brunch on Saturdays (10.00-2pm).

I have frequented this place for dinner a couple of times and always found the mouth watering, (except for once when the fish of the day was very over salted). My favourite dinner to date was an eye fillet on a bed of fresh gnocci and porccini mushrooms and the dessert was riccotta dumplings which were crumbed and crispy with soft sweet cheesy filling sitting on some stewed ruhbarb and surrounded by coulis. The prices are pretty standard for a restaurant of this quality, although we found the servings are quite large and the service has to be one of the best places in Brisbane.

 If you're looking for some delicious brekkie or brunch too, its quite a bit cheaper way of experiencing Azafran (under $20) and they constantly have new specials, such as the Salt and Pepper Squid (above)  which was the best ive had anywhere!! 

They also offer a tick list for b'fast, so you can choose bread, eggs, holoumi etc and just hand the sheet in and 'walla' your own custom breakfast. Dessert is offered at brnch too I couldn't put down the Turkish Delight Panna Cotta, with Pistachio Icecream yuuuuuuum(above)

lunch and brunch: $10-$20

Entree: $18-$20 

Dinner: $30-$35

9 course set menu: $90, $130 with matching wines

Food: 9/10 Service: 9/10

 97 Ekebin Road, Annerley

07 3892 1776

The Brisbane German Club - Woolloongabba, Brisbane - German

 The Brisbane German Club is home to a large selection of german beers and most importantly schnapps!!The prices arepretty standard, they used to be really cheap but the meals are so hearty.

 Sometimes they are great (portion size, quality) other times the meats can be a little dry while other times its the exact opposite. My favourites the sauerbraten (pictured), I just can't go past the yummy red cabbage and potato dumpling that accompany the marianted beef. I have had the chicken schnitzel before, quite good and crispy but the meal in general was pretty bland and could have used a bit more gravy then what was given in the little jug. My partner has had the duck on two ocassions, the first time it was dry and small but now the prices have gone up a couple of dollars and it was perfect last time.

 Overall the german club is great for for drinks and meaty food to go with, makes y ou feel like it was made at home with love.... sometimes. The Oktoberfest festivities arent too bad either and a lot cheaper than other Oktoberfests, the venue can be a little cramped though. membership is $5 a year and you get a discount on drinks always and $5 off entry for you and a friend at Oktoberfest.

 E: $4-13    M: $12-21

Food: 7/10 Service: na

416 Vulture St., East Brisbane, QLD 4169

Ph: (07) 3391 2434 Fax: (07) 3391 1948

www.brisbanegermanclub.com

Korean Japanese Buffets Brisbane - Jong Ga and Kohya - Fortitude Valley

I wont hesitate to giving Kohya a negative review. I went here with some friends and they have a policy that if 1 person gets the buffet you all have to. It was $50 each, the food was yech and we orded multiple serves of the curry as it was the safest and you had to order your food as you went, as a non raw fish eater too there wasnt much on the menu thats worth $50 of eating. It also says its Japanese but it mostly seemed Korean including soju. I ordered the Bi bim bap on the buffet menu and it came out cold, the girl insisted it was meant to be like that even though its on the alacarte menu in the hot stone bowl. I am Korean and its my favourite dish and i made her heat it up. The meat that you ordered to cook on your bbq came in very small serves as obviously they didnt want to waste it but that meant ordering it, waiting for it to come then find it wasnt enough and ordering and waiting again... then finally cooking it. Service wasn't great either, we asked for water twice and still received none and plate clearing was slow.

After much contemplation we decided to try Jong Ga which is a Korean/Japanese buffet. Its was $26 and it was a self serving buffet. There was sushi, miso, salad, side dishes (kim chi, seawead, beans, sweet potatoes etc), tempura tofu and veggies, dumpling, Jap Chae (noodles), fried rice, fried meat dishes and many other hot dishes. Then of course a range of meats and seafood raw and sliced for the bbq and ice chai tea. The service lacked when it came to ordering drinks but they were really good at making sure the bbq plate was changed and the bbq was cooking hot or cool enough. Definate value for money and way more choices and higher quality tasting food. They also have a la carte and your group does not have to be exclusively buffet eaters.

 Photo to come as Ill definately be back

 Kohya

Tel: 07 3252 3275
Shop 4, 624 Ann St.,
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 Australia

food: 3/10 raw fish eaters: 5.5/10 service: 4/10

Jong Ga

316 St Pauls Tce, Fortitude Valley
Phone 07 3252 3559
food: 7.5/10 service 6.5/10

Chilli Crab

Best using live mudcrabs as used above and served with crusty warm sourdough bread

 2 large mudcrabs

1 large brown diced onion
8 red chillies

2 inches ginger

½ tbsp vinegar
6 tbsp oil
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp sugar
1 cup stock

4 scallions

1 bunch corriander

2 tbsp fish sauce

brown ginger, garlic, chillies, onion 

add vinegar, stock, tomato sauce and paste, sugar and fish sauce.

when simmering add broken uncooked crab pieces

cook for a short amont of time when the shells trn red

thicken with cornflour / water mix

take off the heat then add scallions and chopped corriander

Eggplant Dahl Curry

Something comforting for winter. this can work with adding most left over veggies from the draw or spices and herbs and is a bit of a bubble n squeek of curries

2 cups dry lentils
1 large eggplant
3 tomatoes
4 cups stock

3 cloves garlic

1onion
2 potatoes
chillies (depending on how hot you like it) 
min 1 tablespoon (curry powder, paprika, cumin, cardamon, cinamon, ginger, garam masala, lemon juice, pepper)
salt to taste

brown the eggplant diced, tomatoes diced, onion, garlic and potatoes in some butter and the spices.

put lentils, browned veggies and stock into a saucepan and boil until cooked

once they are cooked, (over cooking is fine for this dish) you can either roughly mash or blend everything. 

add more spices, stock or salt to taste.

** i have done variations with some yoghurt, or random veggies left in the fridge such as celery, pumpkin, parsnips, carrot etc also adding fresh herbs like coriander, parsley or dry spices like coriander or fenuegrek**

This can be served with rice, poured over meat if you don't like vegetarian dishes or for an easy dish serve with toasted turkish  bread.

Chocolate Ripple Cake

   

This is a cheaters cake and requires no baking.

Just get a pack of chocolate ripples, spread whipped cream between them and sandwhich them all together.

Coat with more whipped cream and put in the fridge overnight.

The cookies soak up the cream and it turns into a fudgy cake texture.

 You can use any cream flavours and any biscuits and of course you can turn it into any shape.