Tonight my mother and I met with my florist at a lovely new cafe on the Sunshine Coast called Habits. Located on the Esplanade at Cotton Tree, this cute little cafe was just the ticket on this miserable winters night.
The menu features what I would typically call modern Australian cuisine, featuring many seafood dishes (as to be expected by a seaside cafe), and of course MSA grade steaks. Another feature on the Habits menu is their 12" open pizzas, inspired by not only Italian flavours, but also Indian, Greek, and of course, the tastes of the sea. Here you will also find a very extensive wine list, as well as a great selection of classic and signature cocktails - unfortunately being the designated driver I didn't get the chance to sample them, but I will most definitely give a few a try next time(Taxi!).
Being in the mood for a nice hearty dish, I chose the Mooloolabah Prawn Rissotto, served with saffron, oyster mushrooms, fresh green peas, and a crispy parmesan tulle. The risotto was cooked to perfection, as were the prawns and peas within it. The prawns were also of a decent size and there was no shortage of them on my plate which is something I love to see. The peas were cooked but still crisp and fresh, finding that illusive compromise between cooked and raw. I would have liked to have tasted the mushrooms a bit more in the dish as a whole, but perhaps this comes down to the type of mushroom used. When combined with the smoothness of the risotto, the crispy tulle made for an amazing collaboration of textures that I have not before seen in a risotto and was pleasantly surprising. Also to my surprise, the portion size was bang on, and it was not as heavy as your run of the mill risotto. All too often I hesitate when ordering risottos because the serving size is always way too much for me when combined with the richness, but this was just perfect.
My mother, ever the fish fan, chose the fish of the day, which was coral perch, grilled and served with home made chips and a spinach and green bean salad. Of course I stole some - it looked too good not to try, and I was right. The beans could not have been cooked any more perfectly, crisp and juicy, yet warm on the palette, absolutely stellar! The fish itself was cooked just as well as the beans and flaked away to melt in my mouth, plus it was so fresh I could still taste the sea in it. The crunchiness of the fresh spinach, and warmth of the large round chips made this meal an absolute cracker.
Something I don't normally do is grab a coffee after my meal, but the weather was so miserable and cold and wet I just couldn't resist, and to the credit of the young barista, it was a fantastic coffee - now if only I remembered to ask for decaf! The prices were also very reasonable, and breakfast, lunch, and tappas menus are also available. Overall, a lovely experience from which I left with a fully belly and a happy smile, 4/5 hearts!
To find out more about Habits, visit their website at http://www.thegoodhabit.com.au/
Have you been to Habits lately? Lets hear it!
Keep Smiling,
Jo
xoxo
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