• Mighty Mighty cue & brew sits in prime M&A lane real estate with plenty of on-street visibility on McLachlan St. They offer a meaty menu with a Southern American flavour, so think hickory chip smoked flavours and cornbread them Southerners worship their mamas for. Overall on this visit, we came away disappointed and wondering if we had simply ordered the wrong dishes. 1March 7, 2014

    Mighty Mighty

    Mighty Mighty cue & brew sits in prime M&A lane real estate with plenty of on-street visibility on McLachlan St. They offer a meaty menu with a Southern American flavour, so think hickory chip smoked flavours and cornbread them Southerners worship their mamas for. Overall on this visit, we came away disappointed and wondering if we had simply ordered the wrong dishes.

  • Chai Thai is a tiny hole-in-the-wall eatery that's tucked at the very end of a shop row, which is also home to Vespa Pizza and Tandoori King. Yet, despite its little size, it always has a bustling trade and so after one of the SO's physio sessions, we dropped in for dinner.3February 28, 2014

    Chai Thai

    Chai Thai is a tiny hole-in-the-wall eatery that’s tucked at the very end of a shop row, which is also home to Vespa Pizza and Tandoori King. Yet, despite its little size, it always has a bustling trade and so after one of the SO’s physio sessions, we dropped in for dinner.

  • Hey, I’m not suggesting that I have an ounce of street cred to my name, but for the sake of research (and my ever expanding tummy rolls), let’s just say I strutted down with my ace (the SO) to break it down for you readers and check if DA'Burger deserves some props.2February 24, 2014

    You down with DA’Burger?

    Hey, I’m not suggesting that I have an ounce of street cred to my name, but for the sake of research (and my ever expanding tummy rolls), let’s just say I strutted down with my ace (the SO) to break it down for you readers and check if DA’Burger deserves some props.

  • When I was invited to visit Queensland's Sirromet Winery, I was hesitant. What can a non-wino (and definitely no wine expect) say about their award winning wines? I laid out my concerns to their marketing manager and she very kindly invited me to visit one of their 3 dining venues, Tuscan Terrace. So of course I said yes.2February 21, 2014

    Sirromet Winery’s Tuscan Terrace

    When I was invited to visit Queensland’s Sirromet Winery, I was hesitant. What can a non-wino (and definitely no wine expect) say about their award winning wines? I laid out my concerns to their marketing manager and she very kindly invited me to visit one of their 3 dining venues, Tuscan Terrace. So of course I said yes.

  • While the SO enjoyed the fresh selection of seafood in the chirashi don set at Reef Seafood and Sushi, he lamented that it still didn’t match up to our favourite chirashi don on the Gold Coast by way of variety or aesthetic arrangement. On those fronts, we weren't wowed.1February 16, 2014

    Reef Seafood and Sushi

    While the SO enjoyed the fresh selection of seafood in the chirashi don set at Reef Seafood and Sushi, he lamented that it still didn’t match up to our favourite chirashi don on the Gold Coast by way of variety or aesthetic arrangement. On those fronts, we weren’t wowed.

  • Domino's have launched a new Peri Peri Pizza Range, which sounds very much up our alley. Peri peri (or as we say around the house - pear-EH pear -EH) is a flavour I love. It packs heat, makes you sweat and turns anything bland into a very tasty meal. And I know I’m not the only one out there. Raise your hands, peri peri lovers!1February 14, 2014

    Domino’s new Peri Peri Pizza Range

    Domino’s have launched a new Peri Peri Pizza Range, which sounds very much up our alley. Peri peri (or as we say around the house – pear-EH pear -EH) is a flavour I love. It packs heat, makes you sweat and turns anything bland into a very tasty meal. And I know I’m not the only one out there. Raise your hands, peri peri lovers!

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Mighty Mighty

By
Melissa Loh
– March 7, 2014Posted in: In the Kitchen, Reviews

Mighty Mighty cue & brew opened their doors on Friday November 29 last year and since then, I’ve been monitoring the reviews to get a feel for what Brisbane thinks of the dining options at the brand spanking new M&A lane in Fortitude Valley. Overall, Brisbanites seem to have mixed opinions – some have been raving about it and others haven’t been so impressed. So the SO and I decided to walk over and see for ourselves by first checking out Mighty Mighty cue & brew.

Mighty Mighty cue & brew sits in prime M&A lane real estate with plenty of on-street visibility on McLachlan St. They offer a meaty menu with a Southern American flavour, so think hickory chip smoked flavours and cornbread them Southerners worship their mamas for.

Mighty Mighty Cue and Brew

I wasn’t particular hungry that day, so the SO went with a main and I decided to nibble on some hot wings with a side to share.

Mighty Mighty Cue and Brew

Cute Mighty Mighty logo glass etching

Mighty Mighty Cue and Brew

Mighty Mighty Cue and Brew

Black-eyed bean stew. AUD$8

I was disappointed the black eyed bean stew didn’t my expectation of bursting flavours. The beans were firm and not cooked to the point of mush (plus), but of the other ingredients, they didn’t even hum, so I was left with a bit of a flat line.

Mighty Mighty Cue and Brew

Mighty Mighty hot wings with pickled celery & ranch. AUD$14

The Mighty Mighty hot wings were a better choice. These wings were moist and coated in a thick sauce that had some time to soak through. Dipped with a little ranch dressing, these were great – just not better than some of the other hot wings and buffalo wings I’ve tried elsewhere. Not so sure about the slices of pickled celery though.

Mighty Mighty Cue and Brew

Blackened Cajun king reef barramundi. AUD$32

The SO’s blackened Cajun king reef barramundi was absolutely amazing – the fish was cooked perfectly and had a beautiful fresh flavour, but given the size of the portion and the fact we weren’t wowed by the bed of black bean stew, I personally think it wasn’t worth the price tag.

Overall on this visit, we came away disappointed and wondering if we had simply ordered the wrong dishes.

 

Mighty Mighty on Urbanspoon

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10

Love Beets? You’ll love these beets

By
Melissa Loh
– March 5, 2014Posted in: In the Kitchen

Disclaimer: I was invited to review the Love Beets and was supplied with the product to try.

Beets were never really a thing when I was growing up in tropical Singapore. Our sandwiches and burgers were MacDonald’s and British tuna.egg mayo concoctions, which looking back on what’s actually out there today, might seem really tragic.

My first experience with beetroot was a home prepared dinner at the SO’s parents place during our early dating years. His mum had made rissoles (another new experience for me at the time) and pulled out a tin of sliced beetroot to add to the fresh lettuce that would constitute the veg portion of that evening’s dinner rolls.

Now I didn’t know better and thought these tinned beetroots were the bomb! These sweet floppy discs of drippy red dye were almost a non-vegetable – they could’ve been dessert! And they’re healthy for you too? Bring’em on!

It’s been a number of years and I’ve now cooked and eaten fresh beetroots, so I know the difference. Nonetheless it can be a bit of a pain to scrub, cook and then peel/roast fresh beetroots, so when I’m busy, I still pull out a tin of beetroot every now and again.

There is a new beetroot product on the market and I was invited to try them.

Love Beets

Love Beets are 100% beetroot; no sugar, salt or additives – just naturally sweet baby beetroot that have been peeled, cooked fresh and packed, so they are ready to eat. They are sourced from a farm in Cowra, NSW, so they’re local too. These Australian baby beetroots come in new vacuum-packed, so they remain shelf stable at room temperature.

Love Beets

Love Beets

Love Beets

Right, so that’s the marketing spiel and you’re probably rolling your eyes, going ‘yah yah yah, but does it taste any good?’.

Well, I thought ahead. As a comparison, I got 4 regular fresh beets.

Regular beets

I boiled them, removed their skins, cut them up in quarters and mixed them in with the Love Beets. Using this deliciously simple Moroccan beetroot & herb salad with natural yogurt dressing recipe (sans spinach), I mixed them up and took them to a friend’s place for their potluck barbecue.

Oh, and I didn’t tell them anything.

Love Beets

The results were:

  1. The recipe was really simple to whip up in the kitchen and beets taste so good with cumin and yoghurt.
  2. Our friends could tell the difference and preferred the Love Beets baby beets, even though the regular full-sized beets were slightly more brightly coloured and arguably fresher. They were picking out to baby beets from the salad bowl, preferring the softer texture.

Love Beets can be found in the grocery section at major and independent supermarkets or at greengrocers, but I have 10 250gm packs of Love Beets to give away. Read on for details!

 

WIN IT! Love Beets Giveaway

Ten (10) lucky readers will win a voucher for a Love Beets 250gm packet of Australian baby beets…

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

To Enter and How to Win

The approximate value of each voucher is AUD$3. There are no cash or other substitutes of vouchers by winners. The winners’ email addresses will be provided to Love Beets for the team at Love Beets to arrange the delivery of the prize.

Ten (10) winners will be selected through a random drawing from all eligible entries after contest closes to win. All entries must be received on or before March 12th, 2014 at 12:00AM (GMT +10). The winners will be notified via e-mail or message (as applicable). Winner will have 24 hours to claim the giveaway after initial notification. If winner fails to claim within 24 hours, an alternative winner may be selected.

No purchase necessary to enter or win. This contest runs from March 5th, 2014 through March 12th, 2014 at 12:00AM (GMT +10).

Eligibility

This contest is only open to Australian residents. Prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parent or legal guardian on their behalf. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

Disclaimer: I was invited to review the Love Beets and was supplied with the product to try.

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3

101 things in 1001 days: February 2014 update

By
Melissa Loh
– March 3, 2014Posted in: Everyday

Banner_101thingstodoin1001days

I haven’t been as productive this month with my 101 things to do in 1001 days project and only have managed to finish 2 items. I’m never going to finish this list! Urrrrgh!

#54  Identify 100 things that make me happy

And in no particular order…

  1. Having parents who care about their family more than themselves (even in their own twisted way)
  2. Knowing my family is alive, healthy and relatively happy
  3. Having a chat with the siblings over Skype or Google Hangout
  4. Knowing that the siblings and I can get along better now than we did in childhood
  5. Being married to a man who loves me
  6. Remembering our wedding
  7. Seeing the SO after a long day at work
  8. Cuddling with the SO
  9. Saying goodnight to the SO before falling asleep
  10. Going for a drive with the SO
  11. Having tea with friends
  12. Chatting with girlfriends at cafes/restaurants
  13. Puppies
  14. Kittens
  15. Love
  16. Finishing a project
  17. Being in a sauna after being outside in snow
  18. Getting handwritten letters from friends
  19. Harvesting my own produce from the balcony garden
  20. Reading a good novel
  21. Being right
  22. Walking through the Lourve
  23. Cooking at home
  24. Having a kitchen project go well (mmmm… tasty rewards)
  25. Learning how to ferment food at home (mostly sourdough and vegetables)
  26. Testing a new recipe and getting it right the first time
  27. Rediscovering a well-loved childhood food
  28. Enjoying an amazing meal
  29. The smell of freshly baked bread
  30. Breaking a freshly baked loaf of bread or croissant and hearing the crunch
  31. Smelling and eating a ripe sweet mango
  32. Harvesting fresh food from the balcony garden
  33. Being presented with a gift of food
  34. Receiving an online order
  35. Receiving an online order and everything in it is exactly as I ordered
  36. Planning a holiday
  37. Going on that holiday
  38. Travelling to a new city
  39. Tasting food from a culture I’ve never tried before
  40. Discovering a new restaurant which serves amazing food and provides great service
  41. Watching the numbers in the savings account increase
  42. Realising it is jacarandas season
  43. Watching a fire
  44. Planning a picnic
  45. Going on a picnic
  46. Wrapping presents
  47. Getting paid
  48. Getting through a day as planned
  49. Discovering a tip/trick to save me time in the kitchen (like these)
  50. Being complimented for my outfit
  51. Warming my cold feet near a roaring wood fire
  52. Being politically incorrect/sarcastic and still be understood
  53. Soaking in a warm bubblebath with lots of bubbles
  54. The crisp smell of sun dried laundry
  55. The smell of fresh cut grass
  56. Getting my paws on a new Terry Pratchett novel
  57. Meowing to a cat, who meows back
  58. Petting a friendly dog
  59. Looking out into breathtaking scenery
  60. Looking at the night sky far away from the city’s light pollution
  61. Spending a day at the beach
  62. Swimming in blue/green jellyfish-free ocean water
  63. Smelling the scent of oncoming rain in the air
  64. Watching rain
  65. Trying on a garment that not only fits me well, but looks good as well
  66. Checking out CuteOverload
  67. Checking out Daily Coyote
  68. Having my own quiet time
  69. Listening to music that suits my mood at the time
  70. Being rewarded for hard work
  71. Handwriting letters to friends
  72. Giving myself a manicure and pedicure
  73. Taking a warm bubble bath
  74. A cold shower on a hot day
  75. A hot shower on a cold day
  76. Watching a childhood move (Neverending Story, Last Unicorn, Flight of Dragons, Dark Crystal)
  77. People watching and imaging their life story
  78. Waking up in the morning and it isn’t a work day
  79. Having fresh flowers in the apartment
  80. Finding something I love on sale
  81. Having a nap
  82. Finding a good book
  83. Warm towels
  84. Payday
  85. The smell of fresh air after having been in the office all day
  86. Going out to dinner
  87. Getting picked up at the airport
  88. Finishing a blogpost
  89. Drinking a really good wine
  90. Exploring Pinterest for new ideas and inspiration
  91. A clean kitchen (which is very rare)
  92. Reading a great article (recently these have been from New York Times and HBR)
  93. Buying brand new sheets and sleeping in them for the first time
  94. Cooking the first pancake perfectly
  95. Picking out fresh produce at the markets
  96. Chirashi sushi from Amimoto
  97. Peanut butter gelato from Schlix
  98. Waking up early and getting a shitload done before breakfast
  99. Tasting my fermenting food for the first time
  100. Discovering a great app

 

#71 Comment on 50 different blogs

This was a lot harder than I thought it would be. While I read plenty of blogs, I’m not much of a commenter, cuz I am shit with chit-chat - I don’t know what to say. And secondly, where am I going to find 50 different blogs??? But that’s the whole point of my 101 things to do in 1001 days - to push me out of my comfort zone and just get out there to visit other blogs.

1. Taste Hong Kong .2. From My Sweetheart .3. Fork Knife Swoon .4. Cake Whiz .5. The Culinary Library .6. Angie Lives To Eat .7. Sea Salt With Food .8. The Personal Chef Approach .9. Food Rehab .10. Red Star To Lone Star .11. Veggies And Me .12. A Sweet Simple Life .13. Stresscake .14. Bubble and Sweet .15. You Grow Girl .16. The Cafe Crawler .17. Morsels .18. perthmunchkin .19. Jugernauts .20. Morsels .21. Veggies and Me .22. Emiko .23. Erika Rax .24. Tea for Six .25. Cook Republic .26. Crackling .27. Dinewhitme .28. Think Big, Live Simple .29. Jeanie in Paradise .30. Greenhaven .31. three little halves .32. eat cook code .33. Create with Mom .34. The Kitchen Alchemist .35. Galaxerie .36. High Heel Gourmet .37. The Adventures of MJ and the Hungryman .38. A Farm Girl’s Dabbles .39. Steamy Kitchen .40. Baker Bettie .41. Bean Town Baker .42. Foodmanna .43. Messy Witchen .44. Closet Cooking .45. box of spice .46. China Sichuan Food .47. Cafe Patita .48. My Bare Cupboard .49. The Sticky and Sweet .50. Farmhouse Home

 

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3

Chai Thai

By
Melissa Loh
– February 28, 2014Posted in: In the Kitchen, Reviews

We regularly walk to and from the SO’s physio appointment, and pass this little Thai place enroute - Chai Thai.

Chai Thai

It is a tiny hole-in-the-wall eatery that’s tucked at the very end of a shop row, which is also home to Vespa Pizza and Tandoori King. Yet, despite its little size, it always has a bustling trade and so after one of the SO’s sessions, we dropped in for dinner.

The night we dropped in, Chai Thai wasn’t at its busiest – there were a couple of other customers and takeway orders during our visit. The decor was simple – sort of Asian happy street food meets Ikea yuppiness. Lighting was bright, so diners would have no trouble seeing what’s on the dinner plate, but it does not necessarily impart a sexy romantic vibe. Think casual relaxed dining.
Chai Thai

Chai Thai - Table setting

Chai Thai - Plate motif

I haven’t seen this rooster brush painting motif since my childhood. It was extremely popular back in the early 80s and my grandmothers had several dishes with that print.

There aren’t any weird surprises with Chai Thai‘s menu. It’s broken down into entrees (spring rolls, fish cake, papaya salad, etc), soup (tom yum or tom kha), curries (green, red, yellow, penang and massaman), dishes which are not curries (veg, beef, chicken, pork, duck and seafood), noodles and rice.

Chai Thai - Crispy squid with sweet and sour sauce. AUD$8

Crispy squid with sweet and sour sauce. AUD$8

Chai Thai - Tamarind prawns - lightly battered prawns with a seasonal tamarind sauce. AUD$18.90

Tamarind prawns – lightly battered prawns with a seasonal tamarind sauce. AUD$18.90

Chai Thai - Southern Style Chicken - crispy fried boneless chicken marinated in turmeric based secret recipe, served with sweet chilli sauce. AUD$14.90. Coconut rice. AUD$5.50

Southern Style Chicken – crispy fried boneless chicken marinated in turmeric based secret recipe, served with sweet chilli sauce. AUD$14.90. Coconut rice. AUD$5.50

Both the Tamarind prawns and Southern Style Chicken were amazing! The batters were light, crisp and crunchy, and served on beds of fresh salad greens – the ‘healthy’ green element to each dish.

Our two main disappointments were the sweet and sour sauce from the crispy squid. The sauce was much too thick and sweet, overpowering how beautifully cooked the calamari was.

The second was the coconut rice – it had been overcooked in far too much liquid, resulting in a mushy but fragrant white paste. I think that’s an almost unforgiveable sin for a Thai restaurant.

Would we go back again? Sure! The service girls were bright and chirpy, and I’d like to try their curries. Hopefully they have their regular Thai rice cooked right. Wouldn’t be much of a Thai place if they didn’t.

 

Chai Thai on Urbanspoon

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2

You down with DA’Burger?

By
Melissa Loh
– February 24, 2014Posted in: In the Kitchen, Reviews

Is DA’Burger tapping into an alternative inner-city Oregon subculture by inferring an association by incorporating a not-so-subtle ghetto talk into its name? Or perhaps hint that what it got iz what you needs – not just any burgers, dawgs, but DA burgers, you feel me?

Hey, I’m not suggesting that I have an ounce of street cred to my name, but for the sake of research (and my ever expanding tummy rolls), let’s just say I strutted down with my ace (the SO) to break it down for you readers and check if DA’Burger deserves some props.

DA'Burger

If you’re coming down Brunswick Street towards New Farm past sundown, DA’Burger has made it near impossible for you to miss their Vegas style bright blue and black shield signage. It’s loud, bold and will not be denied. Unfortunately, this is at a traffic junction, so you might need to do a couple of circles to find a park. I recommend taking a right on the junction away from Merthyr Village and finding an on-street parking spot. For the rest of you strutters, walk this way.

The DA’Burger menu is up on the board overhead the order counter, but if you’re dining in, you can sit up front overlooking Brunswick Street or head back past the montage of framed photographs to a slightly more intimate casual dining area. There are menus on each table, so if it looks like it might be busy, try and grab a seat first and peruse the menu at your leisure until you’re ready to order.

DA'Burger - wall of photos

DA'Burger - interior graffitti

DA'Burger

Pricewise, DA’Burger’s offerings are comparable to other burger joints in the area, such as Grill’d and Burger Urge. If you’re a regular of either establishment (and why wouldn’t you be if you’re a local), you may see some menu similarities, but the differences are enough to keep things interesting.

DA'Burger

DA’Burger

I went with their namesake burger – Da Burger, the cheapest burger option they have at AUD$11.90. It comes with flamed grilled black angus beef pattie, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo and DA’Burger’s own tomato relish. It’s similar to Burger Urge’s Cheese Louise, which is AUD$8.90 and Grill’d’s Simply Grill’d burger which is $10.90 (which doesn’t have the cheese or tomato).

DA'Burger

I like that they grill the burger buns as well. Nothing is worse than a soggy bun and a grilled bun does a better job of soaking up all the juices.

DA'Burger - The Bus Stop and a side of chips

The Bus Stop and a side of chips

For AUD$14.90, the Bus Stop combo has the flame grilled black angus beef pattie, grilled streaky bacon, pickled gherkin, tomato, red onion and mayo, DA’Burger‘s own tomato relish. Burger Urge has a similar product, the New Yorker at AUD$12.60 (has cheese and BBQ sauce, instead of mayo) and the closest Grill’d has is their Crispy Bacon and Cheese (AUD$11.50), which has tasty cheese, but no pickle. I reckon the Bus Stop was the better burger than Da Burger, and it was partially to do with it having less strings of onion.

To complete our meal, we also ordered a side of DA’Burger’s beer battered chips. These came piping hot out of the fryer and very liberally salted with their herbed salt (pretty sure it’s got rosemary). I loved the crispy crunchy coating with the fluffy white potato center, but we found ourselves knocking each chip against the plate to kick off as much salt as possible to make it more palatable.

Since I’ve compared DA’Burger‘s two burgers to their equivilant from Grill’d and Burger Urge, let’s talk about the quality and flavour. The buns at DA’Burger were as large as both, though a touch flatter than Grill’d. The ingredients tasted just as fresh, but their mayo and relish lashings were not as generous as Grill’d. The beef patties were juicy without being dribbly and not terribly thick – and well-cooked through. Having a conversation at DA’Burger was relaxed and easy – no shouting over loud music or the banter from the kitchen.

DA’Burger has a liquor licence, so you can have a beer or two with your meal. But I liked that they had a glass water dispenser flavoured with lemon and lime, and fresh glasses up at the counter that is free-for-all.

 

DA'Burger on Urbanspoon

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