Habits on Cotton Tree: Humble and Happy

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

Tibetan Kitchen: Simple and Tasty

The Tibetan Kitchen specialises in traditional Nepalese food, and is located on Hardgrave Road, in Brisbane's West End. I have dined there a couple of times now and have loved it every single time.

My most recent visit was for my friend's birthday, where a group of 25 of us partook in the banquet menu. At $25/head, it was awesome value for money, and the dishes most certainly did not disappoint. There is something on the banquet menu even for the least adventurous diner, however my personal favourites were the Paneer Sang, the Jinghe Maccha, the Pakhora Onion Baje, and the Aloo Chop.

The Aloo Chop and Pakhora Onion Baje can be found on the entree menu and are a great introduction to Nepalese food. Aloo chop are potato patties deep fried in a chick pea batter and traditional spices. They're great for kids as well as adults, not too spicy either, and great to dip in yoghurt based sauces. The Pakhora are deep friend onion patties served with a yoghurt and cucumber sauce. If onions aren't your bag, then probably best to steer clear, but if not you will not be disappointed by this most humble of entrees. The crunchy texture and combination of the onion flavour and sensational spices makes this one an absolute cracker of a dish and a great start to what will be a fantastic meal.

Jinghe Maccha is a prawn dish with an amazing creamy sauce with a distinct lime tang. The only downside to this dish is that you may cop a big hit of lime on the prawns which will leave rather bitter and sour taste in your mouth. The star of the banquet and my personal favourite dish at this restaurant is the Paneer Sang. While it may not look the most appealing, this dish is packed with flavour. The spinach, ginger, garlic, and coriander sauce is simply incredible, and the cottage cheese is so smooth and silky it takes on all the flavour of the sauce and just melts in your mouth.

The only downside to the experience was that the restaurant is quite small which made it rather cramped and it seemed to me that there were not enough wait staff to cope with the demands. However, a very minor downside to what will surely be a fantastic meal.

So next time you feel like something different in West End, definitely give Tibetan Kitchen a try! I give this one a 4/5 hearts.

Check out Tibetan Kitchen at http://www.tibetankitchen.info/

Have you been to Tibetan Kitchen? Lets hear about it!

Keep Smiling,

Jo

xoxo

The Toff in Town: A Melbourne Treasure

A good restaurant is precious. While in Melbourne on the weekend visiting my partner, we went out to celebrate our anniversary at Toff in Town in the Melbourne CBD.

Located on Swanston Street, this stage and carriage room captures the essence of the Victorian capital with style and class. The bar overlooks the street and from the 2nd floor, one can see the length of the street while being removed from the hustle and bustle. The booths are all designed with closeable doors and shades, and rather than constantly pestering you, the staff wait for you to press a button before disturbing your privacy - perfect for a date or business meeting. It really has that New York feel, down under.

The menu is designed as a shareable affair, featuring a range of entrees, salads, skewers, and mains, along with two amazing desserts. We sampled the Betal leaf with salmon and crab meat for our first choice. The Betal leaf gives a strangely complimentary bitterness to the citrusy marinade of the salmon and crab which also give their own distinct flavours to make this an absolute flavour sensation. A real party in your mouth!

We also sampled the chicken skewers which were not for the faint hearted - the thai style chili and coriander dipping sauce was hot hot hot and all in a good way. For mains, we had the porterhouse steak strips and the banana leaf snapper. The steak was perfectly cooked and had a distinct Mongolian type flavour, with the heat of the chillies gradually building up, making it the perfect dish for my not so adventurous hubby. The Banana leaf snapper was just like eating fish that had been marinated in a green curry sauce, fantastic but beware of the chillies!

Dessert is a favourite of my beloved, and so we had to try both amazing options. The first was a chocolate mousse with cherries and brandy snap, and the second a coconut creme brulee. Unfortunately I cannot eat coccoa so I wasn't able to sample the mousse, however, I have been assured that it was to die for. As for the brulee, the hardened toffee layer on top provided an amazing texture contrast to the smooth custard below, which with the addition of coconut put a lovely spin on a classic dessert.

Of course, dining like this doesn't come without a price, and the prices are expensive for the amount of food you get. That being said, for a special occasion it is well worth the splurge! I give this one 4.5/5 hearts.

To find out more about The Toff, visit their website at http://www.thetoffintown.com/

Have you been to The Toff in Town? Lets hear about it!

Keep Smiling,

Jo

xoxo