The Pepper Lounge (Looranah Street Jindalee)

There a few places in Brisbane (especially in Suburbia) that I can actually say do a good breakfast.

The Pepper Lounge at Jindalee is certainly one of them. The breakfast menu has the usual items on the menu like eggs benedict, a big breakfast, pancakes etc but it also has food choices for breakfast that I've never seen in other cafes which is refreshing. For example, they serve the most delicious variation of eggs benedict. The dish comes with crisp bacon and poached eggs served up on a a very thick potato rosti and hollandaise sauce.

They also do a breakfast pizza with bacon and eggs and for those that are not extremely hungry, I recommend their fruit toast. It has pieces of figs, raisin and apricots through the bread. Simply delicious. The coffee is also well made which just adds to the breakfast.

The restaurant also does a 2-4-1 pasta and pizza night on Tuesdays. I haven't tried their lunch or dinner menu so I can't vouch for the food but if their breakfast is anything to go by, you won't be dissappointed. The prices are very reasonable and for those that live on the Western suburbs, you should give it a go.

Enjoy!

Ps. If you got to http://www.hotdockets.com.au/ and type in postcode 4075, you'll find a 2-4-1 voucher to use for breakfast/lunch/dinner 7 days a week.

Jun Japanese- Shp10/ 196 Wishart Rd Wishart QLD

Jun Japanese serves Japanese, Malaysian and Singaporean cruisines to the highest standard. The chef and owner Don and his lovely wife, run the swift operation.

They have local Malaysian and Singaporean delights such as Char Kway Teow, Hor Fun, Assam Fish, Nasi Goreng as well as Japanese favourites.

The prices are reasonable and for the authenticity of the meals, any Malaysian or Singaporean would pay anything to get the familiar flavours mingling through their taste buds.

Don mainly does catering during the week so the restaurant now only operates nights from Thursday to Sunday but be sure to book in advance as he's popular. Don can cook pretty much anything so if you have a local favourite, be sure to ask (in advance) if he can do it for you. My favourite has to be his chilli crab.

Don also does catering for businesses, weddings or functions and does a variety of dishes that are not usually on his nightly menu, such as satay skewers with the traditional peanut sauce.

You can make your reservations on this number (07) 3219 3669.

Flavours Cafe Restaurant- Boonah

Flavours Cafe Restaurant is situated in the scenic town of Boonah, Queensland. The cafe was converted some time ago from a butter factory and ever since then has been central to the life of Boonah and to bikers all over Brisbane. It is so popular among the Bikers that the cafe has devoted a menu item called the "Bikers Breakfast" to them.

I first discovered Boonah when I visited the country town with a brunch of crazy rock climbers who I won't name. It is a beautiful drive from Brisbane to Boonah and it take about an hour from the city. The address of the cafe is 8 Railway Street, Boonah.

The meals at Flavours are generous in serving and reasonably priced. They have an all day breakfast menu and their bacon and sausages are produced locally. I have not tried their bangers and mash but I have friends who will drive all the way from Brisbane to order just that.

On Wednesdays, they have two blackboard main meal specials and a bottle of wine for $35. So if you are ever in the area mid week or on the weekend, be sure to pop in and give Flavours a go. You won't be disappointed.

Breakie at the Sofitel vs Stamford Plaza- Brisbane

Sofitel

I recently stayed at the Sofitel in Brisbane and part of our accomodation deal included an interactive buffet breakfast for two in their Thyme2 Restaurant. I have to admit that I was somewhat intrigued by what exactly an interactive breakfast was as opposed to a normal buffet breakfast in any other hotel.


The buffet at the Thyme2 Restaurant certainly had a wide array of food and drinks to choose from. There was a whole french pastry and bread section. There was your standard buffet type foods such as bacon, sausages, eggs,fruits, bircher muesli etc as well alternative breakfast options such as pre-made waffles and pancakes. There was also Asian delights such as pork buns, dhal, fried rice and sushi.


The Sofitel also had an chef cooking an omelette of your choice which I suppose made up the interactive part of the buffet. However, for $49 a person on the weekend, I thought it was slightly over priced for breakfast.



Stamford Plaza

The breakfast at the Stamford is slightly cheaper but not by much. It costs $42 a head for breakfast on the weekend.


However, the buffet breakfast in their restaurant, Brasserie on the River, is set against the beautiful backdrop of the Brisbane River. It is simply a beautiful way to start the morning. The variety at the Stamford is probably not as wide as the Sofitel however there is more than enough to choose from.


The Stamford had all the standard buffet choices that the Sofitel had apart from the Asian menu and the extended pastry selection. The Stamford also had an chef cooking omelettes which provided that interactivity that perhaps one desires.


If I was to choose between the Sofitel and the Stamford Plaza, I would pick the Stamford without a doubt.

Amber Bar and Restaurant- Indooroopilly Hotel

I had dinner here last night with a lovely friend.

The restaurant was very busy for a Thursday night but nevertheless the service was good.

We ordered the chicken risotto and the graziers pie.

The risotto was cooked al dente but was slightly too creamy and rich. The sun dried tomatoes in the risotto added a nice zest to the dish.

The beef grazier pie was served not just with mash potato but also came with mushy peas which was quite different. The pie meal also included a small side salad all for the very reasonable price of $14.

So if you are after a night out on a moderate budget, this is the place for you. I have included a shopper docket that you can print out and get your second main meal for $5 if you are dining with someone else.

http://www.hotdockets.com.au/view_coupon.asp?id=191609

Enjoy!

Fundies Whole Foods Cafe - Paddington

Fundies is a cafe in Paddington that specialises in organic vegetarian food. They are located at 219 Given Terrace Paddington.

Everything they serve from the fruit juice to the eggs is organic.

Now, I am not a vegetarian but I am a huge fan of their big breakfast which consists on sour dough bread, free range eggs cooked the way you like it, beans or sauteed tofu, avocado and mushrooms! All for a moderate price of $15.95.

They also have pre-made deli delights dished up with their creative organic salads. For those that are coffee drinkers, even the coffee beans are organic! The coffee is a nice nutty flavoured and not at all bitter.

It is a must try for those that enjoy vegetarian food done at it's best!

Entertainment Book Vouchers can be used.

Pane E Vino- cnr Albert & Charlotte Streets, Brisbane

I have eaten quite a few times at Pane E Vino.

I would have to say that my favourite bite there would have to be SPAGHETTI CON FRUTTI DI MARE which consists of a generous serve of prawns, scallops, mussels, baby octopus & calamari tossed in a garlic & tomato sugo.

If you don't like seafood, I would also recommend the LINGUINE PESTO E POLLO which is linguine tossed with chicken, sun-dried tomato pesto, onion, baby spinach & cracked pepper in a creamy sugo.

The meals are very rich so I would not recommend ordering any starters. The prices of main meals are between $18 - $28. To check out their menu, go to:

http://www.paneevino.com.au/menus


Entertainment Card Holders: It's a buy one get one free main meal deal if you bring your Gold Card with you.