Lock 'n' Load | 142 Boundary Street, WEST END QLD 4101
Recognised
as one of the Brisbane’s finest bistros, Lock ‘n’ Load (“LnL”) has
been one of my favourite spots for breakfast for a while now. I always
find the bamboo trees and wooden sitting benches at the back of this bistro to
be extremely relaxing. I like the unpretentiousness and the decent,
wholesome food that the chefs at LnL make available to its patrons.
Last Tuesday night,
the other travel bunnie and I had the great pleasure of tasting their new
Spring/Summer menu, which was launched earlier this month.
LnL is conveniently
located in the inner suburb of West End, which means that the other travel
bunnie and I could take a nice stroll there after work from the CBD
and effortlessly make it to dinner in less than twenty minutes.
Upon our arrival, the
bistro had already started pumping with people. We were led by our
waitress to the back of the bistro, to the courtyard. It’s my favourite
spot. As we sipped on our drinks while waiting for our entrée
to arrive, we listened to the rustling sound of bamboo leaves and let the
gentle breeze brush past us, the feeling was so tranquil.
The new menu is
fantastic, in that it has something for everyone one. I like the idea of
the selection of Tasty Morsels as share dishes. There were many dishes
that we wanted to try, but the other travel bunnie and I settled on the Confit
fried chicken drumettes with special herbs & spices ($12) to share
as a starter. The drumettes were so well seasoned that long before they
arrived at our table, we could smell the mixed herbs and spices lingering
in the air.
As for mains, we enjoyed
the Blackened Atlantic Salmon with almond skordalia, fennel &
carrot slaw, orange pernod reduction ($30) and the Five Spice
Roasted Duck Leg with chestnut purée, black cherry relish & balsamic jus ($28).
I’m a big salmon lover but that’s not to say I’m not picky when it comes
to my favourite fish. Before I even started digging into the dish, I was
enticed by its appealing presentation and the large portion of the
salmon. I thought that the zesty yet sweet orange pernod reduction worked
perfectly with the salmon and created so many layers of flavours. And don’t
even get me started on the salmon skin… LOVED IT.
The other travel bunnie
and I had different opinions on the mains. He described the duck legs as
soft and juicy and thought that his dish was the better of the two. I,
on the other hand, insisted that the salmon tasted so good that it can easily
beat one of those expensive riverside restaurants closer to home.
If it wasn’t for the
generous portions, we would’ve had two desserts. But by the time we finished
our mains, we were already feeling full and ready to nuzzle up in bed. We
ended up sharing an Icecream Sandwich: with mango parfait, coconut
wafers, lychee salad & lime sherbet ($12) which was light and
refreshing. In contrast to the traditional thick cookies, the coconut
wafers were thin and crispy and the structure of the icecream sandwich was
anything but the usual frozen confection composed of a layer of icecream
sandwiched between two cookies.
I loved the food and
honestly think that the new menu is a success. The bottom line is, the
services are always great and the portions are generous, delicious
yet affordable. What are you waiting for?
Total Bunnie Dollars
Spent: $100.50
Disclaimer: the bunnies
received a complimentary $50 voucher from LnL
