Friday nights at Blackbird are hectic, with both the restaurant and bar usually filled up in seconds especially later at night at the bar. Bookings are recommended especially for those peak hours. We decided to try the restaurant as we've been to the bar for drinks and so on but we were quite interested how the restaurant and food were. We were seated right in front of the open kitchen but there were also a more romantic and intimate seating by the window overlooking the Story Bridge in which we would've rather preferred than awkwardly in the middle of the pathway of people entering and exiting and being next to a big loud group of people on a platformed table. We did try and ask for a more intimate and quieter setting but the waiter just said they had none left (in which, they actually had a few empty tables even just for two).
Pine and Bamboo, a restaurant located East of the CBD known most for their famous Peking Duck and yes, I would have to agree that so far, that this is one of the best I have eaten in Brisbane. They don't only serve Peking Duck of course, they also serve other Chinese dishes like other Chinese restaurants would. Their space is quite big so whether it may be a family gathering or a birthday party, it can cater for any.
Maru in Elizabeth St has just recently became the largest Korean restaurant in Brisbane, having now not only the upper floor but also ground floor. Having went there before renovations began, we wanted a simple light lunch that wasn't too heavy for the both of us and I thought it's been awhile since I visited Maru..
Habitat Restaurant and Bar was one restaurant I've wanted to try for quite some time now but didn't have the chance, well, we finally did. The third venture of rugby legend Scott Higginbotham and his business partner, Malcolm Watts after Moose and Gibson in Woolloongabba and Leaf Espresso Bar in Tarraggindi. A much classier venue and relaxing than the other two I may say, maybe my most liked in regards to its design, what you may call it as to be sophisticated.
Chocolateria San Churro is the perfect place to go if you love chocolate, rich cakes, bite sized chocolates and yes, churros. Although their coffee may not be the greatest, it does seem to be inconsistent during every of my revisits. It was quite empty when we came in but it soon became quite busy as people started to walk by and stop, trying to find seats would seem more of a wait than usual. I think South Bank really need to open up more desserts and coffee places for people to dine at and have more choices in going where despite the wait and all, but at least, choices are always good.
An unusual spot to open up a restaurant in Newstead, but I guess, those unusual spots might be the thing that a restaurant needs to be able to bring in the diners. Rogue Bar and Bistro offers a wide range of dishes and is open for all three meals in a day. With its high top house exterior, minimal design, open kitchen, casual sofa dining, a bar area, a restaurant seating area, a mixture of what I may say caters for everyone.
Sometimes it may take them for a while to get you seats when it starts getting busy. Service has gone down and has became worse and worse from the previous experiences. I find it quite shocking when you ask for "Ocha" at a Japanese eatery and the waiters replies "What?... What?.. Och what?.... Oh, Green tea?". 'Ocha' is a very common word used and in Japanese restaurants, even if the waiters are not Japanese, I would expect them to know basic Japanese food words.. Just disappointing..
Now, on a chilly afternoon, who would say no to a nice warm coffee and cake? No one right? Exactly, that's how we felt too.. Well, maybe I had a change of mind half way when reading the menu. Scuzi Caffe in the new area of Westfield Chermside do offer a wide variety of meals from breakfast up to dinner, but since we've already eaten, and we were quite tired of walking around, this was where we ended up..
It's not that I fancy this restaurant so much until I keep revisiting it, but sometimes, it is rather quite a convenient place to dine, the environment and the ambience as well. It wasn't that busy during lunch time so it was rather nice to dine at a more peaceful and not so noisy environment. If you like your Asian hawker style food, then give here a try since you may just find what you're missing on from back home or from your previous travels. The food ranges from Vietnamese cuisine to chinese, Indonesian to Thai and so on. The place is quite spacious with seatings available inside and out, bar seatings as well, oh and did I mention private function rooms too? It's nice to see restaurants that can cater for various needs and likes.
