Fish Depot Toowoomba UPDATE

If you go to my previous review of the Fish Depot Toowoomba you'll see that I said some good things about the place, although I really gave the calamari a bagging.  I couldn't help myself.  My disappointment of discovering the best calamari in town had be defiled and abused was almost too much for me.

Well it's nearly the end of the year and a friend convinced me to give it another try.  And I did.  Twice.  The first time I couldn't believe that the calamari was so good.  It must have been a fluke, so I waited a couple of weeks and purchased another serve for lunch.  This was no fluke.  The good people at Fish Depot had turned the whole calamari business around and were now serving perfectly cooked golden brown delicious portions of calamari.  Thank (insert deity of choice). 

I am so happy.  I have to add that while I waited for my beloved calamari to cook, I checked out the rest of the shop.  The fish on display couldn't look any fresher with beautiful clear eyes and a smile on their faces.  The place smell fresh.  The shop is immaculately clean and the staff are so friendly I wanted to take one home.

I can't take any credit for the calamari turn around, but it does go to show the power of public demand.  I'm not the only person who noticed the calamari crisis and spoke up.

So, just because you are a couple of hours drive from the ocean, it doesn't mean you can't get fantastic seafood in Toowoomba.  The prices are comparable with shops on the coast and so is the quality and service.  The Fish Depot at the Red Edge on James Street Toowoomba is my favourite Darling Downs fish monger, so give it a try and it might become yours too.  Congratulations Fish Depot, you've made a lot of people very happy.  Keep up the good work.

Karl

Sofra Turkish Cuisine Restaurant

164 Margaret Street, Toowoomba, Queensland.

Ph. 07 - 4638 0044

We get a lot of recommendations from friends to review restaurants and it’s always difficult to get to them all.  Recently a friend did a wonderful job of convincing me to book a table at Sofra.  She explained that one of her favourite places on earth to eat was Istanbul Turkey.  She has a family connection with Turkey and has spent a lot of time there enjoying the food.  My friend guaranteed me that the food at Sofra was absolutely authentic and delicious and the décor was something straight out of an Istanbul bazaar.  Well, I was sold.  Sounded like a Food Trek to me.

We arrived early to have a look around before the crowds.

Upstairs tent style dining area. Very cool.

An opportunity came up for us to visit Toowoomba on a Tuesday night so I phoned in our booking thinking that it’ll be nice and quiet on a Tuesday.  Wrong.  By 6.30 pm the place was packed and buzzing with happy foodies.  I asked our waitress if it was this busy every Tuesday and she said it was this busy every night of the week.  And I know why.

It's hard to take pictures when there is a lot of customers.  We usually arrive early to avoid offending people with the flash going off as I snap away with the old Nikon.

The food is absolutely amazing.  It’s one taste sensation after another.  Wood smoked Babaganush (smoked egg plant and garlic dip) with Turkish bread for starters.  Followed by strips of pan fried Haloumi cheese, and then a mixed kebab tasting plate with Adana lamb (char grilled on flat skewers), chicken and beef kebab meat (heavenly spiced) melting in your mouth.  Washing it all down with Turkish sour cherry nectar that was so good I had to have two. 

The main dining area is wonderfully decorated, including woven table cloths.  

The restaurant is spotlessly clean. 

Of course we had to save room for dessert and that meant we had to try everything.  We each ordered a tasting plate of five fantastic Turkish desserts.  A rose flavoured baked rice pudding, smooth semolina helva, a cream filled Turkish pastry (Its name escapes me), the most spectacular Baklava, and of course seductive Turkish delight. Every dessert is a master piece.

The service is exceptionally friendly, the atmosphere fun and exotic, the food was superb, and the prices were breathtakingly realistic.  For all of our food and drinks, the night cost me $88.  How good is that?  Kelly and I will be back soon because there is so much on the menu we want to try. No, we NEED to try.  It’s that good.  If you can get to Toowoomba and you want a fair dinkum great food experience, you have to go to Sofra.  But book first.  This place is so popular you probably won’t get a table if you just walk in.

Karl 

Grossi Florentino

80 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria

Cue the theme music to The God Father.

Chef Guy Grossi’s Florentino Restaurant has such a good reputation in Melbourne and right across the rest of Australia, and well deserving it is too.  The main restaurant is upstairs from the Florentino Grill and Spaghetti Cellar Bar on the ground floor.  The décor in the Grill is classic dark wood and mirrors with lighting that creates a wonderfully warm Italian mood.  Yes I said Italian because on the walls, the old photos of the 1930’s Florentino café and staff in Italy, along with the liveried waiters wearing aprons and the smell of garlic and herbs transports you there.  Mama Mia!  Looking around Florentino Grill, I almost expected to see the cast of Wise Guys or the God Father 1, 2 & 3.  And believe me, there were a few people enjoying the food who looked like they could have auditioned for a part in a mob movie.  (I mean no disrespect.)

 

We ate in the Grill and not up stairs for several reasons.  For a start, the place looks expensive, the Rolls Royce and Mercedes Sports parked in front is a bit intimidating.  Not only that, but it was only lunch time and we didn’t want to blow our budget just yet. 

We felt a bit out of place when we walked in but the staff was really friendly and did every thing they could to make us feel at home.  The table was immaculately set with linen so starched I was scared I might cut myself on the serviette.  No sooner had we sat down when an oil, salt and bread board appeared, along with fresh baked bread sticks.  A big bottle of ice cold Italian mineral water soon followed, and then we were ready to order.  Man that bread and bread sticks dipped in oil and salt, washed down with the sparkling mineral water was so good, I would have been happy with that for lunch, but I think that would have been bad form and might have gotten me rubbed out.

It was a hard choice to make, but we settled on the whole fish and scallops.  It was everything you would expect from such a classy restaurant.  The seafood was perfectly cooked and subtly seasoned.  To tell the truth, I was expecting heavy on the garlic and herbs to push the Italian theme, but the fish was the hero flavour.  The chef displayed total respect for the produce.  And oh boy it was good.  Badda boom badda bing.

The place was a buzz of conversations and the tables all go quiet when their food arrives.  I watched as other patrons slurped up their pasta and cut into their scaloppini with a look of total ecstasy on their faces.  There was laughter and joy in the room.  This is what eating out is about.  Eating great food cooked just right, fellowship of good friends and loved ones, and having fun.  We were having a great time.  That’s what this place does, it makes people happy and it was infectious.  We both had smiles ear to ear.

Unfortunately we didn’t get to meet Chef Guy Grossi this time around, maybe next time.  He has created something special with his Florentino restaurant and we’re looking forward to discovering other amazing dishes and being carried away by the charming atmosphere when we hit Melbourne for another fantastic Food Trek.  What a great experience.
Bon Appetito
Karl

My Favourite Chef

My wife is into cooking.  Not the same way that Julia Child was but she still has a pretty fair love of the art.  She watches many of the popular cooking shows, has a nice collection of cook books, and even collects recipes that she tears out from magazines (from doctors waiting rooms).
She’s not one of those cooks who use a pinch of this and a handful of that.  She’s a lot more scientific about it.  Specific measuring devices are used for every ingredient, thermometers, scales and timers to ensure exact precision.

And to her credit, she has created and re-created many fabulous dishes.  Like most successful house wives these days, she also holds down a job.  Yes, it’s in one of those fancy schmancy kitchen supply stores you see in nice shopping centres around the country.  So, she is also an expert on the latest and greatest pots, pans, appliances and gadgets that will make your cooking life more efficient, delicious and fashionable.

She loves it and I am one lucky son of a gun because of her devotion to food.  But that doesn’t mean I have a live-in chef who caters to my every whim.  On the contrary, she’s only human and the pressures of life get to us all from time to time.  That’s when we hear the immortal words “slack tea” shouted as she staggers in the door from a hard day of peddling Faberge egg timers and diamond coated frying pans.

Slack Tea means every man for himself at dinner time and it’s very rare for us to buy take away food because we would rather spend our money at a good restaurant than at Maca’s or World of pizza.  Slack tea is fine for my son and me as we both enjoy cooking occasionally.  Something elegant and simple like microwave meat pies or baked beans on toast.

Of course there are those days when she isn’t feeling well but still feels the responsibility and need to put something on the dinner plate for us.  Last time this happened she had a cold and felt miserable.  On her way out of the shopping centre after work she stopped at the fresh chicken shop and bought dinner in a bag.  It was a sealed foil bag containing Spanish style chicken and rice.  Just throw it in the oven and in 40 minutes or so voila, gourmet cuisine for the whole family.

She was exhausted and sick but wouldn’t leave the kitchen until the bloody thing was finished.  She tore open the bag and there were some raw chunks of chicken surrounded by savoury rice floating in under-cooked chicken juice.  Oh the devastation.  I shuffled her off before the tears started to flow, to have a nice hot shower and get into her PJ’s and to relax on the lay-z-boy until I came up with something.  Out came the frying pans.  One pan was for the chicken, and one pan for the rice.  I got both sizzling along nicely and then I hit the chicken with a liberal shake of Kentucky fried chicken seasoning, my secret weapon.  It had been sitting in a can in the pantry for months.  I stopped stirring the rice once I thought it was cooked through and just left it there to get a bit of a crust on the bottom.
 
The old fry up never fails and we all enjoyed my rescued fried chicken and rice.  It doesn’t really matter how well I come to the rescue, it’s always a delight when my talented wife puts the apron back on and serves up something fabulous for dinner from her Jamie Oliver cook book, or something from Margaret Fulton, Julie Goodwyn, Gordon Ramsay, George Colombaris, Heston, or any other of her beloved food idols.

When it comes to cooking technique, I think she is a celebrity chef impersonator.  And that’s probably the best compliment any of them can ever get.  Maybe I should send them all the good news and let them know how lucky I am that their recipes are being cooked by Kelly, my very own celebrity chef.
Karl

Dracula's Theatre Restaurant

100 Victoria Street, Melbourne.

Sorry, no photography inside.

 I’ve got to tell you that I had my doubts about a theatre restaurant with a horror theme but I got the surprise of my life.  This was a really excellent night out.  The entertainment was an amazing mix of musical comedy, cabaret, burlesque, rock and roll, rhythm and blues and music hall all rolled into a non stop hand clapping toe tapping sing along good time. 

3 million customers and counting. 

 The theatre is run like a well oiled machine as guests are greeted and led through a house of horrors décor to the bar, complete with glass floor with a body in a coffin under your feet.  You are then invited to ride the in house ghost train.  The atmosphere is Halloween fun with shrieks and screams from party loving patrons.  As we were ushered into the main theatre towards our table by Elvira Queen of Darkness, a rhythm and blues band of vampires blew everyone away from the stage. 

The makeup and costumes is first class, equalled only by the amazing musical talent of the performers.  The vampires teeth are so well done, I started to wonder if they really were vampires treading the boards for their next pint of the red stuff.

Now, let’s talk about the food.  It was ok.  That’s it.  That’s all I can say about it.  It was just ok.  These guys put out three courses to hundreds of people with military precision.  Everyone gets each course within the same couple of minutes, which is pretty impressive.  The desert is a mass produced chocolate coffin filled with cream.  Cute, but ho hum.  The other dishes were fairly pedestrian but at least they arrived hot.

Even the street hawkers outside are entertaining.



This is where you have to think about what constitutes a good time.  Is it great food above atmosphere, or the other way around?  The way I look at our night at Dracula's is this.  We were treated to a world class show of dancing singing and amazing special effects, something that would sit well in Vegas, Broadway or London.  We didn’t go hungry or thirsty, and we totally enjoyed ourselves for about 80 bucks each.  Thats a bargain.

So I can honesty say to all of our wonderful readers that a night out at Dracula’s in Melbourne is worth every cent and a wonderful way to spend an evening.   
Karl (Count Karl the un-dead foodie)

The Smoke. Smokehouse Restaurant.

New Farm, Brisbane, Queensland.

Formally Blue Smoke, this restaurant has been featured on a few TV shows and that’s where I first heard about it.  The idea that an authentic American smoked BBQ rib joint was operating in Brisbane was music to my ears.  The TV informed us about the ex-pat American rib expert who mopped the slow cooked hickory smoked ribs with his secret BBQ sauce while on the grill until they were glazed to perfection.  Drool was running down my chin.

Having enjoyed the pleasures of smokehouses in the USA and being bitterly disappointed in what passes for BBQ ribs here in Australia, it became a priority for us to trek on out to New Farm and give the Blue Smoke a go.  Of course life gets the better of you, as it does sometimes, and it took over a year before we found the time to drive the two and a half hours to rendezvous with the pork of our dreams.

It was a lovely spring Saturday lunch time when we arrived in Brisbane and drove around to find the restaurant.  We couldn’t find it, so we parked close and walked around where we thought it was until finally I asked a security guard if he knew.  He surely did and pointed us in the right direction.  We kept missing it because it’s not only tucked away amongst a bunch of other shops, but it’s changed its name to “The Smoke.” The place had obviously changed hands while I wasn’t looking.



Now this is where my dream of a great big rib eating frenzy started to turn into a sad day for the salivating pork lover.  We stepped inside of what looked like a café and were less than warmly greeted by a waiter asking if we wanted a table.  I wasn’t quick enough to think of something witty to say other than yes please.  We had to wait while they cleared the debris off the nearest table / half booth to be seated. 

The menu had one of my favourite southern style comfort foods, BBQ chicken wings with blue cheese sauce.  And of course we had to have the ribs.  Something wasn’t right about the place.  The best I can figure is that rib joints are all about feeling comfortable, tying on a big old bib and burying your face in unbelievably delicious meat.  This place was stuck up and cold.  They confuse themselves between a second rate rib joint and a fine dining venue.  The extraordinarily high prices and lousy atmosphere, service and decor attest to this.

Ok, so we wait nearly half an hour for our order and when it comes I don’t recognise anything.  The chicken wings weren’t big Buffalo wings but little wing dings with some sauce.  They really weren’t anything to write home about, and the blue cheese sauce was watery and bland.  The ribs looked like dinosaur ribs.  Some thing Fred Flintstone would eat.  If memory serves me right, properly slow cooked BBQ ribs are hard to pick up because the bone slides out of the meat, that’s how tender they are.  I had to take a knife to these things and carve the meat off.  It reminded me of a slab of pork belly with some beef rib bones inserted.  Nothing could be further than the real American rib experience.

Honestly folks, if you want to experience the real deal, save your money up and fly to Decatur county Alabama and visit Big Bobs famous BBQ rib joint, or any one of a thousand genuine smokehouses in the southern states of American.  You’ll be hooked.  You’ll never forget the amazing flavour and you’ll never lower your standards and eat at a dive like The Smoke at New Farm in Brisbane.  Tell your friends.  Like you, they deserve to be warned.
Karl

Settlers Inn Hotel, Toowoomba, Queensland.

If you stand too long on the corner of James and Ruthven Streets in Toowoomba in the middle of winter, you’re in danger of hypothermia and being struck deaf by the traffic noise.  I was invited to lunch at the Settlers Inn by some work colleagues and jumped at the chance of some good and hot pub grub to warm my soul.

The building is 140 years old and the outside has had a nice paint job to give it a cared for look, unlike a lot of these old pubs that are allowed to decompose over the years.  It was a pleasant surprise to discover that the inside has been totally renovated in a modern colonial style befitting this grand old structure. 

New carpet, comfortable chairs, leafy green indoor plants, large sandstone blocks and a corrugated iron ceiling all add to the modern charm that captures its colonial roots.  Another obvious surprise besides how warm and cosy it is, was how quiet it is in the dining room.  I couldn’t say for sure but I bet they’ve installed double glazing.

The menu is typical pub fair and the service is friendly and fast.  Our order of fish and chips and salad, chicken parmagan, and a mixed grill were all fresh, well cooked and delicious. 

 

 

 









Three of us had lunch and a beer for only $56.00.  There isn’t the distraction of noisy poker machines either.  What else could you ask for, clean warm, comfortable and great food at a good price.  We all agreed that the Settlers Inn is worth coming back to again. 
The Settlers advertise many great meal deals during the week and a 200g rump steak for only $2.00 on Sundays.  This is a very family friendly restaurant so why not put the Settlers Inn Hotel on your list of places to visit in Toowoomba.
Karl

Chef Grant Calvert

One of the most exciting rising stars of the culinary scene in Queensland this year is 24 year old Grant Calvert.   The young Executive Chef of McNevin’s Gunyah Restaurant in Warwick is fast making a name for himself for his delicious interpretation of contemporary Australian dishes and dedication to local Darling Downs produce.

Inspired to cook as a child by his adored Nan, Grant has always enjoyed cooking and baking for his family and friends at home and at school.  Fate took one of those unexpected twists when Grant took on a fitter and turner apprenticeship, but he never lost his passion for food.  It was after he qualified as a fitter that a chance opportunity came Grant’s way that would change his life forever.
 
The chance to apprentice under the celebrated Chef Beverly Ruskey at the Spring Creek Mountain Café and Resort opened the door for Grant to a world that he was meant to be part of.   His passion grew into a love of the food arts and sciences.  The development of essential techniques, and the design and creation of flavours and textures under the guidance of Beverly Ruskey has given Grant the experience to expand his knowledge well beyond his years.

His education continued when he finished his apprenticeship and became the Commis Chef at the luxury Spicers Peak Lodge on the beautiful scenic rim of South East Queensland.  It was here that Grant honed his five star skills and after only six months was approached to to become Sous Chef at Rupert’s Restaurant in Warwick. 
Good news travels fast in the food world and before his first year at Rupert’s was out, Grant was made an offer he couldn’t refuse by the McNevin’s Motel Group.  They wanted him to come on board as the Executive Chef of the one hundred seat Gunyah Restaurant, with complete creative control of the menu.

Following the seasons and presenting the best produce the region has to offer, with delicious honest cooking has locals talking up the chance of Warwick getting its first “Chef’s Hat” restaurant.  The reviews are very positive indeed and the popularity of the restaurant is at an all-time high.  The Gunyah is fast becoming the most fashionable dining destination in the region due to the wonderful food, live music and excellent service.

“I’m really happy here at the Gunyah, and I’m very proud of my team” says a quietly spoken Grant as he preps for that night's service.  “It’s an amazing feeling to see happy customers who love eating my food as much as I love cooking it.”

McNevin's Gunyah Restaurant.
Warwick, Queensland.
Ph. 07-4661 5588

Asian House Restaurant & Enjoy Inn Restaurant

Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland

There’s just so much I enjoy about visiting China town.  Any China town in fact.  I’ve wandered all over China town in San Francisco and in New York City, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and when we eventually take off on our European Food Trek we’ll visit China town where ever we end up.  And one day we’ll even visit China.  In China Town I just love the vibe and the buzz that surrounds the market places and vendors stores that have an exotic atmosphere no matter what time of day it is.
Being a Queensland resident, China town in Fortitude Valley Brisbane is some where we love to visit for our fix of wonderful Asian food.  The Brisbane China town is probably the smallest of the three major cities Chinese precincts but it has a lot to offer.  There are a number of Asian grocery stores that are great fun to wander around and browse the many imported exotic goods that you don’t see in main stream supermarkets, from bottled coconut juice, canned abalone, and salted plum confection to medicinal teas and heaps of chilli products.  The list goes on and on and the prices are surprisingly reasonable as well.  Most weekends you will find a street market offering fashion items as well as interesting art and many unusual items.  They have live music and entertainment and the atmosphere is a lot of fun and you can grab a bargain

Our favourite place to have lunch in Brisbane’s China town is called Asian House and it’s always full of happy diners.  Asian House is a very humble little restaurant with very modest furnishings and simple décor, but that’s half the charm of the place.  The menus are in both Chinese and English and most of the customers are Asian which tells us this is where the locals eat.  The service is very friendly and very fast.  Our favourite dishes are the salt and pepper soft shell crab which is just delicious and crunchy and only about $20 for a huge serving.  Another of my favourites is the deep fried whole flounder with chilli and fresh herbs.  My mouth is watering while I write this.  The sweet white flesh of the fish is perfectly cooked and the crunchy herb and chilli crusted skin is so yummy I end up sucking on the bones and the waitress just about has to wrestle the empty plate from me.  Yet another bargain, it’s only $20 for the whole fish.  The meal is finished off with a complimentary plate of freshly cut fruit that appears at your table as if by magic.  We always totally enjoy our experience at Asian House and we will definitely be back, very soon.

You wouldn’t believe it but right next door to Asian House is the Enjoy Inn Restaurant. This place is a bit more flash with fancier décor and live fish on display in large tanks.  Enjoy Inn boasts being a multi award winning restaurant and the awards are on display through out the dining area. 

Unlike next door at Asian House, the waiters wear uniforms but they’re not as warm and friendly.  The food was comparable in price to Asian House but I wasn’t too sure of the quality.  The atmosphere didn’t feel welcoming.  It was as if they wanted us to hurry up and eat and leave.  Where as Asian House makes us feel like we can stay for as long as we like. 
There are heaps of good places to eat at China town and it’s a great place to just explore and discover for yourself.  So next time you visit Brisbane, don’t forget to drop into the “Valley” and check out the wonders of China town. 
Karl 

Anna’s Restaurant

Corner Wallangarra Road & O’Mara Terrace, Stanthorpe, Queensland
07 – 4681 1265

Before I could write a word about Anna’s restaurant I had to go back again and make sure I wasn’t dreaming.  The first time Kelly and I dined at Anna’s I was stunned by the amazing quality of every dish in the Italian buffet and the wonderful atmosphere of the venue.  Perfect pasta’s, stuffed mushroom, veal scaloppini that melts in the mouth, poached muscles in tomato sauce, silky tortellini, tender and soft gnocchi, an array of antipasto, just to mention a few and of course the Italian cakes and Cannoli are to die for. 

The Friday and Saturday Italian buffet nights are so popular that the beautifully appointed Queenslander is packed with visitors and locals who are seduced by the fabulous smells as soon as they come through the doors.  I lost count of the number of awards this restaurant has been honoured with, but I did take notice of their high standard, including a number of Queensland Restaurant and Catering Excellence Awards     
The head chef of this family run business is Mrs Domenica Pompetti who with her husband Don has created this welcoming Italian family atmosphere since 1981.  I believe the reason Anna’s is such a booming success is because Mr and Mrs Pompetti offer genuine home made authentic Italian recipes, that are prepared with the love and experience that only an Italian Mamma can possess.

  
I’m not embarrassed to admit that as I sat spellbound tasting each dish, I became quite emotional and was nearly overcome with the moment.  This is what all Italian chefs aspire to.  This is the result of decades of practice and generations of cooking heritage passed down from Mother to Daughter. 
Anyone with a shred of feeling who visits Anna’s is in very real danger of becoming nostalgic and home sick because of the warm even loving hospitality shown to every patron.  It’s as if you’ve been invited to a real Italian family’s home for dinner as a special honoured guest.  Nothing is too much trouble and you never feel rushed.
The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sundays with the menus being updated frequently.  The Friday and Saturday Gourmet Italian Buffet is on from 6pm and only cost $38 per person which is such a great bargain.  Anna’s has a huge wine list and a very nice selection of beers. 

I’ll be back again and again (probably until I’m as big as Pavarotti).  So, if you want to indulge in some authentic Italian cuisine and be treated like a King, make plans for a food trek to Stanthorpe and enjoy an unforgettable evening that you’ll be telling all of your friends about for a long time to come.    
Karl