Sono at Portside is one of the best places to visit in Brisbane to get your sashimi fix. My partner and I have been there quite a few times and tried lots of little meals with the gyoza, karaage, sushi and sashimi always being fabulous and never a let down.

One highlight from our recent visit was the Buta Kakuni which is the slow cooked pork belly. This morsel of pork in a divine sauce was amazing. The pork fell away at the fork and was truly very beautiful. The chefs at Sono Restaurant have been very lovely and provided me with the recipe, which has been slightly amended so you can try it to at home. I hope you enjoy.

Buta Kakuni

Ingredients (serves 2):

400g pork belly (cut into 3-4cm pieces)

 2 sprigs of shallots (extra sprig for garnish)

 30-40 grams whole fresh ginger

 20cm piece of white radish (cut into 3-4cm pieces)

 450ml water (plus extra water for second cooking stage)

 70ml dark Japanese soy sauce (Kikkoman sauce suitable for this dish)

 100ml cooking sake

 20ml mirin (sweet rice wine)

 3tblsp brown sugar

 1tblsp honey

Method:

Stage One: pan-fry and seal pork pieces in a hot frying pan

Stage Two: place sealed pork pieces in sauce pan with ginger, shallots and extra water – enough to cover pork by 2cm. Bring to boil, then turn heat back to a low setting and simmer for 1 hour. After 1 hour, drain off water mixture (you do not need to keep this). Clean out sauce pan.

Stage Three: place pork back in sauce pan with white radish pieces. Add the 450ml water, sake, sugar and mirin. Bring this up to the boil, then return to a low hear and simmer for approximately 30 mins. After 30 mins add soy sauce and honey, continue to simmer for an additional 30-40 mins (To check tenderness place a skewer through the pork and if the skewer goes through easily  pork is ready). Garnish with finely chopped shallots.

*Thank you to Sono Restaurant for providing this recipe to be shared.

Sono Restaurant

http://www.sonorestaurant.com.au/#/sono-portside/home

Portside Wharf

07 3268 6655

Do you love sushi? If you do and want to see a beautiful true story about Jiro Ono who is considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef then this movie is a definite must see. The movie has been hailed as “a work of art” and “mouthwatering” and I am very excited to be able to offer 5 double passes to see the film thanks to Curious Distribution. Jiro Dreams of Sushi opens around Australia* on May 10.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is the story of 85 year-old Jiro Ono who is considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. His Sushi bar – Sukiyabashi Jiro is a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant located in a Tokyo subway station. It is the first restaurant of its kind to be awarded a prestigious 3 star Michelin review, and sushi lovers from around the globe make repeated pilgrimage, calling months in advance and shelling out top dollar for a coveted seat at Jiro’s sushi restaurant.

To win 1 of 5 double passes to see the film all you have to do is comment on this post and tell us what your favourite type of sushi is. It’s that simple! Competition closes on May 12th 2012 at 5pm. One comment (entry) per person.

Please note the movie will be playing at the following locations – Palace Centro Brisbane, Chauvel Cinema Sydney, Palace Nova Eastend Adelaide, Cinema Paradiso Perth. *Not in Melbourne as it has already screened.

Good luck!

Mezze Bar is a tiny hole in the wall at the little Sunshine Coast village of Seaside, Marcoola. We went there early on a Saturday night and it was nice and quiet with no traffic yet I had been told by my Sunshine Coast friends that they had ate the most well cooked and delicious octopus they had tried only a few weeks earlier and so I was excited about the rest of the menu.

The setting is simple, bar stools, no wine glasses and no knives and forks. You share the meals and the waiter who serves you is also the cook. We had the $30 per person deal which is a mixture of meat, seafood and vegetarian tapas dishes. The amount of food we got was insane – it was such good value and each meal came out well timed and was absolutely delicious.

If you are looking for somewhere to eat that isn’t packed with noise or difficult to find a park then come here for something different – I’m certain you will enjoy.

 Mixed Mediterranean dips ( $12 on its own)

Haloumi prosciutto  with mango and paw paw chutney($10 on its own)

Keftethes and sieftali with tzatziki ($12 on its own)

Kalamaraki – Pan fried salt and pepper cuttlefish with garlic aioli ($12 on its own)

We also had -

Harissa Prawns ($12) – pan fried salt and pepper prawns with spicy harissa sauce

Garlic Mushrooms ($10) –  with creamy Greek fetta and Turkish bread

Chicken souvlaki ($12) marinated chicken with houmous

Where

Mezze Bar

Shop 12,25   Seaside Boulevard, Town of Seaside, Marcoola

 http://www.mezzebar.com.au/

For those of you in Brisbane this blog on Cloudland is a little late as most of you have wandered through the doors and into the perfectly detailed club on many occasions. For those from out of town however, this post may be of service if you’re in town for the weekend and want a place where you can sit and drink in crazy decadence whilst grazing on a light meal that won’t make you feel greasy and gross or make you want to power chuck at the end of the night once you’ve had a few too many drinks and too many pizza slices.

 
Cloudland makes me happy as they serve Rockfords Alicante by the bottle – and they don’t even try to mark it up too much like some restaurants (even some audacious ones down South where everyone knows the real price)!

The Butterfly Garden tasting menu has a fabulous selection of starters ranging from Bruschetta, Oysters, pan seared Chorizo, Piri Piri Prawns, roasted Kiplfer potatoes, salads as well as Arancini balls and olives. The starters range from $8-$18.00 with oysters  being $36 for a dozen.

Cloudland also has a small mains menu that is quite reasonably priced. I had one sit down meal here about one year ago and was a little put off by two people at our table receiving two completely different sizes of fish for the same meal… we left wishing there was as much detail in the food side of the business as there was in the walls. That was a one off some time ago however, so for now all I will say is – go there for pre drinks and a small bite to eat, it is worth it. Cloudland isn’t over priced like you may assume it to be and you probably won’t have to wait in line to sit down and get a bite to eat before you get your drinking on.

Where?

Cloudland

http://www.cloudland.tv/

641 Ann Street  Fortitude Valley QLD 4006

I’ve lived in West End for some time now but have clearly been hiding under a rock or so blinded by my love for Lefkas on Hardgrave Road that I failed to realise that Cyprus House down the far, river end of Vulture St is just as exciting with its deck and the massive skewers of meat being cooked up out the front on the BBQ. From the front, the only clues that it is in fact a restaurant is the small chalk board sign plus the excessive blue painted on the blue and white house is a small giveaway also – but we are in West End so seeing a house decked out in all things Greek is not that surprising.

Inside, it felt like we had been invited into a Greek family home. Although large and very simply furnished the place was homely, with the TV on in the corner and Greek locals sitting at tables reading the paper. Our friendly host helped us pick our food – offering suggestions and making us feel at home.

To begin we had, my favourite, the Tarama (pink caviar) dip with pita. Tarama at Cyprus House was for me,  just as good as at Lefkas - possibly a bit more salty but still fantastic. Knowing we were about to have a good ‘ol meat fest we decided to order the Greek salad to balance out our meal. The salad was not surprising large and fresh.

The Haloumi Saganaki was some of the most melt in the mouth Haloumi I have tried. We were trying hard not to moan as we fell into a happy cheese haze.

Next we had the Sheftalies which are Cypriot pork sausages with onion and wrapped in pork belly. These were delicious little treats and nicely balanced with onion.

A visit to a Greek restaurant is never complete without filling up on a massive serve of lemon potatoes – these oven baked, golden wedges were delightful and nearly ruined our final serve of meat as they filled us up so much.

The finale was the Kontosouvli – marinated lamb and/or chicken pieces spit roasted on the coals. Per serve was two massive chunks of meat straight off the mega skewer and they were insane. There is nothing like meat cooked over coals and served up in big fat chunks. The meat didn’t need anything fancy -  a simple marinade and charcoal flavour and it was some of the best meat I’ve had off a BBQ.

Cyprus House is a must for Greek food lovers – it is up there with my beloved Lefkas as being one of the best Greek eateries  in West End. It is open 7 days for lunch and dinner and is dine in or take away.

Where?

Cyprus House

8 Vulture St

07 3844 5643

Harajuku Gyoza is quite literally crazy happy town! We visited on opening night and the place was rocking –  with people even lining up outside wanting to be a part of the action.  The crazy happy bandanna wearing waitresses were always on the run – yelling out a greeting for everyone that entered and then yelling even louder when an order of Sake was made. If you’re not up for a noisy, fun time then this place is not for you however, if you have had a rough day at work then Harajuku Gyoza will transform your day and make you walk away smiling - not just because of the infectious happiness but also because the meal was so damn cheap.

We tried all the grilled gyoza on the menu except the Veg one, shared perfect bite sized Chicken Karage and a few beers and we spent just over $60.

All serves of gyoza are $8.00 for 5 pieces and you can choose between poached or grilled.

Chicken Karage $8.00

Kirin $8.00

Harajuku Gyoza is a refreshing change from sushi bars or even dining with too many options! People who just want a casual meal of  gyoza and beer now have a awesome new hang out and it is such a simple but fabulous concept it’s almost surprising it has not been mastered until now.

Where?

394 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

http://www.harajukugyoza.com/

Green Papaya restaurant at Woolloongabba is mix of Balinese and Thai cuisine with two clearly defined menu’s to choose from. The restaurant also seems to be a mix of fine dining and casual with a rather romantic atmosphere inside with candles and white table cloths yet it still manages to be casual and comfortable.

The slight confusion in who they are aside, Green Papaya is a pleasant place to dine and on my two visits in recent weeks have found the staff both times highly attentive and super friendly.

For entrees we tried the spring rolls (12.90). There’s not much more to say really – spring rolls are generally pretty good in my book if they have the right balance of ingredients and these were no different although I think a bit pricey.

Som Tum ($15.90), Green Papaya salad with chilli, lime & palm sugar sauce was a large serve and a very refreshing and light way to start the meal although again I think $15.90 is a little excessive for a salad entree.

The Mixed Thai Entree ($18.90) consisted of chicken skewers, spring rolls, curry puffs, and fish cakes and I think this is the best way to go if you’re getting an entree as you get more variety for your money with the chicken skewers being the stand out favourite.

The Island Curry ($28.90), roast duck curry with pineapple, lychee and tomato was simply delicious on my first visit. The presentation of the curry – coming out in half a pineapple was quite impressive although I think either the pineapple or the air conditioning made the duck go cold a little quick! The duck meat was in abundance and the meal was very fresh and summery. On the second visit, the duck meat was not as impressive and seemed to be a bit more chewy and less quality pieces  of meat, which was a bit disappointing after the first experience.

The Gaeng, (23.60/$26.90) is a choice of red, green or Penang style curry with a choice of chicken, lamb, beef, tofu, prawns or snapper. Friend had the Penang style with prawns and this serve was quite large with big juicy prawns.

On the Balinese side of the menu I tried the Rendang Sapi ($22.90) which is a beef curry with coconut and Sumatran spices. The beef came with a serve of roti which was perfect to dunk into the bowl and soak up all the sauce. The only issue with the deep bowl was the sauce sank down quite low and so there were a few dry pieces of beef however, when you got passed the top
part the beef fell away from the fork with exciting ease - it really was so tender and scrumptious.

Green Papaya is a pleasant place to go if you are on the South side and looking for somewhere a bit quieter and romantic to visit. The food and service were overall quite nice and I could easily return for another serve of the Rendang Sapi however, I can’t help but feel the pricing is a little confused especially for the entrees.

Where?

Green Papaya Restaurant

http://www.greenpapaya.com.au/index.php

Corner Potts & 898 Stanley St East, Woolloongabba

(07) 3891 5000

The last leg of my latest tour of Adelaide was to McLaren Vale – where the vines meet the sea and life for those that live there seems blissful and amazing. We arrived late on a Sunday afternoon, and whilst walking to the main street to find some cheese, it dawned on me that I had a tough decision to make. If I ever get to return home where would I live? Whilst I dream of a cottage in the Barossa with a couple of acres I also contemplate life in McLaran Vale - being so close to the sea and wonderful little towns like Willunga, it is a stunning part of the world and not a place you can miss if your in Adelaide for a visit.

We stayed at ‘The Marlene’ one of the two 3 Diva’s holiday accommodation choices – very relaxing and cute, The Marlene is perfect for a weekend escape.

 ’The Marlene’ 3 Diva’s

Enjoying our cheese from the wonderful store Blessed Cheese and drinking our complimentary wine – bliss!

The Marlene (3Diva’s) has two bedrooms, one of which is loft style and there is a gas fire as well as a lovely little kitchen. Breakfast provisions included local yogurt, cereal, fruit and crusty white bread plus there is also complimentary wine and port for you to consume as the sun goes down over the vines.

d’Arenberg winery

Unfortunately for us, d’Arenberg’s restaurant, d’Arry’s Verandah, was closed on this occasion but it is known for being one of the best restaurants to dine in the Vale so it is a must try for next time. Some wines we tried here and loved were -  The Derelict Vineyard & The Cadenzia.

Coriole Winery

Coriole Winery has been a favourite of mine for a long time. I love the gorgeous cellar door, the wines and their olive oil! On my first day back in Brisbane after this trip, I was having Adelaide withdrawals and sat in my old recliner dumping crusty bread into my Coriole extra virgin olive oil, sipping wine and watching a re run of McLeod’s Daughters on tv and feeling mighty sorry for myself and homesick. Wines I liked – Fiano & The Dancing Fig.

MV Beer @ The Salopian Inn

Duck fat potato wedges

Vale Dark braised beef cheek open pie, seeded mustard mash and pea puree - very delicious on a cold day and perfect with a glass of MV dark ale of course!

Hugh Hamilton Winery

The ‘black sheep of the family’ Hugh Hamilton winery is very picturesque with a stunning cellar door. As well as the wines, they have lots of black sheep merchandise to match their wine names. Favourite – The Floozie .

McLaren Vale

The Morrison Hotel at Woolloongabba is quite a lovely pub. Go inside and have a walk around in the middle of the day and it is a well maintained, dark wooded gem. The Morrison is one of those pubs that is known for having pretty good steaks. I have eaten steak at The Morrison a few times and yeah – they go OK but I wouldn’t say the best I have had.

If you are a steak eater who likes to eat vegetables once in a while or has a partner or friend that is vegetarian then The Morrison is a great place to visit. Their menu is extensive and they have a  nice range of food on there that is a wee bit nicer than your usual pub grub.

The caramelised onion, Blue Castello, oregano, pepper and olive oil pizza bread ($9.90) sounded way too good to bypass. Unfortunately, it was a little underwhelming and almost too cheesy – I would have liked to have a bit more onion and oregano coming through. It was however, quite large so be warned in case you have ordered a big meal.

I had the Spicy Prawn Salad ($21.50) which included, garlic prawns, capsicum, shallots, beans, cucumber, white radish, carrots, peanuts, mixed lettuce and a lemon chilli dressing. This was a big serve with lots of juicy prawns – and although spicy was quite the refreshing, filling salad and that is saying something from a notorious  hater of eating salad as a main meal eater.

The beer battered  barramundi ($22.50) was a huge serving with lots of chunky chips, garlic bread, salad and golden crispy fillets of barramundi – your standard pub meal really.

Verdict. Nicer than normal pub food with more variety and fresh ingredients.  Good place to drop in if you have been driving around in your car screaming out your window at South Brisbane because you can’t find a car park anywhere to stop and eat.

Where?

The Morrison Hotel

640 Stanley St, Woolloongabba, Queensland, 4102

http://www.morrisonhotel.com.au/index.html