DolceBunnie

Showing posts with label Lunch. Show all posts

Bucci launches new lunch menu | 11/15 James Street, FORTITUDE VALLEY QLD 4006

My first Bucci experience was an accidental discovery. The other travel bunnie and I had been out for dinner and we happened to walk past Bucci when I became distracted by the Fornasetti-cross-renaissance design of the bar. I quickly checked out the menu and decided to have some dessert. I vividly remember the deliciousness of the cannoli filled with rosemary ricotta, dark chocolate and praline sauce and since that encounter, we had been back with our close friends for a complete dinner affair and it did not disappoint.

Bucci was the talk of the town for a long time and this week, they celebrated their 3rd birthday. Along with the celebration, Bucci has released a new lunch menu which is divided into four digestible sections - pesce (fish), carne (meat), verdure (vegetables) and dolce (desserts). It is designed in a way so that everyone can enjoy a quality, delicious yet speedy lunch in a relaxed environment. Ahead of the birthday celebration, I was invited to the try the new lunch menu. I brought mum as my plus one and minibun George decided to tag along as well.

Mum was the perfect plus one because she’s not, hmm how should I put this, she’s not very adventurous when it comes to food. She thinks homemade Chinese (by her) is the best. So having her there with me was the perfect opportunity to get her raw, honest opinion. First up, we shared a carprese salad ($15) made with sweet ripe heirloom tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil & garlic. Mum didn’t look impressed as she thought that it didn’t involve any “cooking”. For me, looking at the salad made me happy. Seriously. It took me back to Europe, on a sizzling hot summer day when the heat from the sun caressed every part of my skin. I remember being hungry from from all the walking around yet I just couldn't possibly imagine devouring a whole plate of ragu because that would have been too heavy. A nice plate of salad. Simple, yet so refreshingly pleasant. The sweetness from the juicy tomatoes, the aromatic scent from the basil, the creaminess of the buffalo mozzarella with just the right amount of dressing that is as sweet as it is acidic with just a hint of garlic. Oh the pure pleasure.

Mum had the crab linguine ($26) for lunch and she absolutely loved it. If I was eating with the other travel bunnie, I would’ve claimed it as my own and eaten it, but in this case I let mum have it, being the good daughter that I am. The linguine was cooked with local spanner crab, chilli, parsley & lemon. It was a dish that evoked all sense. Upon receiving the dish, you immediately get the scent of the aromatic garlic, which is then replaced with the spiciness of the chilli as you place the al dente pasta into you mouth, but then the heat in your mouth is soon taken over by the sweet flesh of spanner crab. You’ve gotta try the crab linguine when you go to Bucci. Not doing so is the equivalent sin of going to Naples without having any pizza.

If you are a fan of seafood, then you might like to order the Italian fish & chips. What? What’s the difference between traditional fish & chips and the Italian version? That was my question when I saw this dish on the menu. For $29, you will be presented with mixed local seafood fried with patate fritte, lemon & accompaniments. Served on newspaper-like paper, the seafood is placed inside of a cardboard box with Bucci proudly printed on top. Fish fillets, prawns, scallops, mussels, just to name a few; I was spoilt for choices. Not to mention how good the house-made ketchup and tartar sauce is.

Just when I thought that I couldn’t be any happier with my lunch, our waiter, a cheerful guy with an Italian accent, who definitely set the scene given we were dining at an Italian restaurant, brought out the desserts - cannoli filled with lemon curd & toasted Italian meringue ($12) which is available for dinner service but co-owner and executive chef Shaun kindly offered to me at lunch, as well as Bucci’s new take on crème brûlée. Both desserts were as tantalising as they looked. Served in a pot with cameralised sugar sealed on top, I thought the presentation of the crème brûlée was so innovative and fun!

You know what, all these things that I’ve written are just words, they are just blah, blah, blah based on my experience. Go and let Bucci transport you to Italy!

Disclaimer: DolceBunnie was an invited guest of Bucci, however my opinion is as always, my own.

Ole Fuego | 322 Moggill Road, INDOOROOPILLY QLD 4068

The sun was shining, Indooroopilly Shopping Centre was pumping with shoppers and the mini bun gee was sound asleep. The combination was perfect for the other travel bunnie and I to finally try Ole Fuego for a Sunday lunch.

I was immediately taken by the indoor/ outdoor setting of the restaurant and the fact that I could peer straight into the kitchen with my eager eyes, willing the chefs to bring out my food. Having scouted out the other diners’ plates for tasty food, I ordered the Calamares - Fried calamari, alioli, fresh lemonas ($12) from the tapas section of the menu as our shared starter (which our lovely waitress confirmed was a definite house special). Yum. Enough said! The calamari was the perfect balance of tender white flesh and crunchy coating – the ideal appetiser. We decided to try a long time favourite for our shared main, De Pollo - Chicken, chorizo, morcilla, mushrooms, peas, piquillo peppers ($43) paella for 2. Now I have high expectations for paella having first gotten hooked on its addictive comforting flavours in the eateries of Barcelona a few years ago but I can confirm that this meat and mushroom packed version did not disappoint. The chicken was perfectly cooked and a nice contrast to the salty moorish flavours of the generous sausage pieces scattered throughout the dish. Conversely, the sweet piquillo peppers added a lovely highlight to the well rounded dish. And of course, the rice was the ideal texture.

The food and ambience at this cute little eatery is reason enough to venture to Indooroopilly Shopping Centre (as if I really needed another one thanks to Camilla, Koko Black and soon, H&M)!

The verdict is simple, authentic Spanish with a reasonable price tag in a venue that makes you feel far from a shopping centre eatery. Ole!

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $58.00

Lennon's Restaurant & Bar | 72 Queen Street, BRISBANE CBD QLD 4000

As far as transformations go, the newly opened Lennon's Restaurant and Bar at the NEXT Hotel in Brisbane might just be one of the best I've seen in this city. While I love the minimalist yet welcoming interior and open space, that's not the only reason why the other travel bunnie and I had been wanting to visit the restaurant. The most important reason above all, is the fact that the restaurant's executive chef, Todd Adams has worked in a number of the big guns in Brisbane, namely Urban and the Stokehouse, both of which we adore.

And you know what's even better? You can have a 3-course fixed express lunch for $35 and the menu changes daily. I couldn't say no to that and so took up the offer.

To start off the lunch affair, I was presented with a roasted baby beetroot, pear, lentils, goat curd & creamy cashew dressing salad which was plated beautifully with vibrant colours splashed throughout. Both the texture as well as the flavours of the salad were balanced extremely well with the softness and the creaminess of the goat curd mixed with the mild sweetness of the juicy baby beetroot, while the lentils were cooked “al dente” which gave the dish a wonderful nutty texture and flavour.

My main course, the wood fired free range chicken burger, slaw style salad, chipotle aïoli was rather different to the healthy and light entrée that I received. The burger was packed with flavour and very generous in its portion which I certainly didn't mind. To match what I was having, the other travel bunnie opted for the cheese Kransky hot dog ($18) and a side of chips with spiced salt and aïoli ($8) and a Peroni ($8) which was the recommend drink for his meal. Judging by the look on his face, the hot dog was thoroughly enjoyed.

To finish off what turned out to be a lovely lunch (and to my surprise they indeed kept it to just a little over an hour), we were given the deconstructed mascarpone cheesecake and oat biscuit that was garnished with seasonal berries. Albeit creamy, the cheesecake wasn't overly sweet or heavy, and the berries put a fun touch to the dish.

I'm not going to lie, I really enjoyed the lunch at Lennon's Restaurant and Bar. In a way, they are very cheeky with the design of their express lunch menu, because I want to visit every other weekday just so that I can try them all.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $65.50

Bread & Meat Co. | 200 Mary Street, BRISBANE CBD QLD 4000

Late last week the other travel bunnie and I met up with S and X for a casual lunch catch up at Bread & Meat Co in the CBD. We picked the venue due to its convenient location (across the road from our bunnie pad) and its popular gourmet sandwiches. Lunch time at the Bread & Meat Co. in the city is always busy, so in order to avoid the crowds it's not a bad idea to get your lunch delivered to your office with a reasonable minimal spend.

Both the boys decided on having the sliders trio board ($12.50) with porchetta & crackling w' salsa verde on ciabatta, beef brisket w' horseradish aioli and Swiss cheese on a fresh baguette and BBQ pulled pork w fresh coleslaw on a brioche bun. I love this option as I think it's great for first-timers who may not know what to order, or in my case, those that are just too greedy and want a bit of everything. My personal favourite of the sliders is the pulled pork, although the brioche bun for this particular sandwich is quite thin and the bottom half of the bun usually gets rather soggy from the heavily sauced juicy pork.

S and I both really liked the sound of buffalo chicken salad with spinach, coleslaw mix and blue cheese($9.50). In comparison to the boys' dish, we thought that the salad was slightly underwhelming as the chicken wasn't that crispy and the salad tasted a little bland. I guess from now on, I'll stick to what this place does best, gourmet sandwiches.

I just recently found out that Bread & Meat Co. in the city also offers breakfast! I think I might have to check it out sometime next week.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $25

Reserve Restaurant | Cnr Coronation Drive and Park Road, MILTON QLD 4064

We had driven past Reserve Restaurant in Milton countless times, but never seemed to have the right opportunity to dine there until recently. I have to say that I absolutely loved our experience.

Set in a heritage listed terrace house, Reserve Restaurant provides a fine dining experience in a space filled with old world charm and elegance. Think heavy drape curtains, crystal chandeliers, gilded mirrors, timer flooring and Edith Piaf.

We got right down to business with our express lunch affair by ordering from the prix fixe menu. The other travel bunnie couldn't resist the temptation of slow cooked shoulder of lamb with confit onions, seeded mustard crust, pumpkin while I was taken by the sound of crispy skin salmon on creamed lentils du puy, lemon. The mains took a while to come out but once we laid our eyes on the dishes, we knew that we were in for a real treat. The crispy salmon skin against the tender flesh created a wonderful texture contrast. The chef had kept the flavours of this dish simple, a dash of lemon juice over the fatty flesh worked wonders. The other travel bunnie didn't say a thing as he devoured his shoulder of lamb and I knew from the look on his face just how tasty the dish was. The meat joyfully fell apart at the sight of a fork and I could smell the buttery goodness wafting from over from my side of the table as if taunting me.

Just as we thought that things couldn't can't get much better, we laid eyes on our desserts. The Crème brûlée with banana beignet, chocolate sauce and the apple, banana and date crumble with vanilla ice cream were presented in front of us and looked sexy and mouthwatering. I can I tell you, if you think they looked good, they tasted even better.

The service at Reserve Restaurant was very proper. It was efficient but not don't expect too much chit chat from the waiters, which I didn't mind that much. I walked into the restaurant doubting the experience that I was about to have, but I left feeling very satisfied.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $59.80

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