138 Boundary Street

Jamjar 
138 Boundary Street
West End
+61 7 3844 3395

The Jamjar is a place that you'd go once, fall heads over heels in love with that place, and keep going back. The first time I went to the Jamjar was about a month ago, and I was promised of a great breakfast (and experience). Boy, was that right- The first thing that hit you, when you walk to the back of the cafe was the Walls. The walls were so colourful, and every inch of wall space was sprayed with graffiti.  A quick look around the Jamjar and you can see that the backyard/shed was so quirkily done up, it seems like random furniture were bought and put together. It certainly doesn't seem like your average breakfast place, but the Jamiar, isn't by any means, average. Good looking food, sells, and the Jamjar knows that- Each time the waiter brought plates of food into the shed, people would be looking at the different dishes and you could see that everyone was enthralled. This is what eating out, what good food, is about. Looks good at first glance, creates a conversation topic, and when it is tasted, creates a flurry of excitement around the table. 

Looking at my cup of coffee; you know that your day would be instantly better, and the Jam Jar has one of the best coffees around; This time round, I had the-

jamjar potted free range duck (think spreadable), apple & rhubarb chutney, orange & cherry jelly, cornichons, toasted ciabatta, micro herb salad

I just had, to copy and paste that description to this post. Doesn't it just sound amazing? (Go on to the Jam Jar's website on an empty stomach, do try, I dare you;p) To be honest, it wasn't like anything that I've imagined; but this was even better. It was after lunch, and this was so delicious, so savoury, I just wished I had more sourdough to go with.

I was brought to the Jamjar by a friend (thanks Jen!), and this time round, bringing Junki & Mayu to the Jamjar was just so, satisfying, for a lack of better word. To see their faces when they stepped into the backyard, and to see their faces and they saw their food, was one of those, warm feeling in the pit of your stomach moments. You, there, reading this post; and if you're in Brisbane, you definitely, have to bring a friend or friends, to this place.

Definitely one of the must dos, while you're at West End.

Shop 12/13, Little Stanley Street

Olé
Shop 12/13, Little Stanley Street
South Bank
+61 7 3846 1201

Located along a busy stretch of restaurants and café in South Bank, it was not that easy to pick a restaurant to go to, but it was the modern and sleek decor and exteriors, that drew us to Ole. At half past six on a Wednesday evening, the alfresco area of the restaurant was already brimming with people. Nevertheless, the ambience was lively, and the stylish and warm furnishing makes Ole a great place to catch up with friends for a nice meal and to have a couple of drinks. 

Gazpacho

Chilled Tomato Soup

Perhaps, due to our poor knowledge of how tomato soup can be done- or perhaps, of Spanish food in general, all four of us were stunned when the gazpacho was served. Not only was it served in a pretty little jar, it turned out to be green in colour- definitely not the colour that comes to mind when you think of tomatoes. Well, keeping to the spirit of having an open mind, we all took a few tentative sip of the green concoction, and I wished that I had recorded that moment. There were mixed reactions of, “bleugh” to “it’s so spicy” around the table. The soup was spicy and really sour- and to top it off, we suspected that the chef was pretty generous with his/her use of herbs. Still, the soup isn’t too bad, (we took a few more sips eventually) but it is definitely an acquired taste.

Calamares Y Chanquetes

Crisp calamari and whitebait with aioli

A bowl heaped with big serving of calamari and whitebait, this crispy and crunchy tapas made us wish that it were not a school day the next day, as we would have definitely ordered some beers to go with. Someone said that you could never go wrong with greasy, fried food- and it is true in this case. Though, our only qualm is that, at that price, we all wished there were more calamari (than whitebait) in the serving.

Pulpo Con Chorizo

Grilled octopus, chorizo, fresh lime, parsley and tomato

Visually appetizing, this dish certainly did not disappoint when it comes to taste. The octopus was grilled perfectly, and it was still crunchy and succulent when served. Infused with the flavours of the lime, parsley and tomato, it goes perfectly with the sweetness of the octopus. The chorizo was a nice complement to the dish, in all its salty goodness.

Sobrasada Y Vieras

Soft cured pork and paprika sausage, Queensland scallops and pork crackling

A personal favourite of the night, I can still remember taste of this dish as I am writing this a couple of days later. The pork crackling is really what it says- crackling- not for the faint hearted, the smell of the lard is really that aromatic; and when eaten with the seared scallops, the combination of flavours and texture is really, amazing. Not forgetting the soft cured pork and paprika sausage, the spicy and salty flavor really goes perfectly with the succulent scallops.

Paella

Prawns, squid, mussels, clams, chorizo and saffron rice

When we ordered, the waitress told us that it would take about half an hour for the paella to be served- though eventually, it certainly took less than that, which was a plus. For those that have had paella, you know, how much of a visual treat this dish is. Served piping hot on a pan, the prawns, squid, mussels and clams look so good, with the yellowish tinged rice.

The rice was cooked just right, neither soft nor hard- the right texture. The taste of saffron was subtle and it was so good, infused with the flavor of the mint and parsley. Unfortunately, the rice was the best part of the dish, as the seafood was not up to par. I am allergic to prawns, so I can’t comment on that part, but the squid and shellfish were definitely overdone, and you cannot taste the freshness, or the succulent texture of it. It was definitely a disappointment, and this dish, could definitely be better.


*Another one of my food posts/reviews; I'm still trying to figure out if this works for me! Definitely had fun experimenting with new ideas for the blog- so I apologize for these looong food posts! xx

51 Fairways Drive

Riders Cafe
51 Fairways Drive
+61 6466 9819

Tucked away in a little corner of Singapore, Riders Cafe is a restaurant that I've often heard many laud about; but I've never actually been before. As H & I rarely meet in Singapore, Riders Cafe was actually a good idea, a good (and new!) place to have lunch, and to while away a lazy, Friday afternoon.

Located at the Bukit Timah Saddle Club, Riders Cafe exudes a certain, old colonial Singapore charm. Overlooking the saddles and shrouded by the greenery, the classic, quaint decor caught my eye as I was being shown to our table, and I remembered that I was gushing to H about how I want my future home to be done up in black, white and teak. There weren't many guests around at that time of the day, and it definitely added extra cookie points to the ambience of the place.

The soup du jour, Cream of Fennel is a completely new idea, and one which will make some wrinkle their nose. However, one have to keep an open mind- to find that the veggie soup was actually delicious; although it would be better if I could taste more of the fennel. The Soft Shell Crab Salad which I had, was completely misleading- as one would naturally assume that the word, "salad", connotes some sort of garden salad mix. However, it was just a huge platter of crispy soft shell crab- which would have been a pleasant surprise, have I not had the creamy soup earlier. Although I got to say, the soft shell crab was nicely done, and really flavourful.

Harrison had much more luck with his dish, his order was Saffron Risotto & Seared Hokkaido Scallops with Saffron and Baby Broccoli was absolutely divine. The risotto was cooked perfectly and the scallops  were cooked just right; the smell, and taste of the saffron, as you can imagine, was heavenly. 

As for desserts, the staff recommended us to try their signature, Death by Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. It may not be evident from the polaroids (actually, nothing is, except for our faces!) but when we both saw the cake, we were absolutely gobsmacked. It is not a good idea to have this sinful delight after a heavy main, and it is also highly recommended that you share it with not two, but three or four other friends. The cake was so chocolately, that you have to concentrate on moving your jaw slowly, to swallow a bite- but when paired with the vanilla ice cream, it is a chocolate lover's dream. It is so rich, so delicious, that although H stopped after three mouthfuls, I continued to go down the path of "death", by chocolate. Cliched as it sounds, it was absolutely worth it.