hbhau.net

A Good Barista Makes All The Difference

2012-07-04T03:15:08Z

Brisbane has quite a few boutique coffee roasting companies and one of these, “The Coffee Roaster”, is next door to our office in West End.

When it first started to serve coffee last year I tried them. To be honest, it wasn’t great, and so I returned to my regular cafe for my daily caffeine hit. This year however I was enticed back when a couple of people from the office indicated that the coffee was vastly improved.

What I found was a smoother more enjoyable coffee served up with a generous dollop of humour.

So what changed?

The secret lies in the skilled baristas now working there. Liz, Marianna and Jake turn out a consistently well brewed coffee. This coupled with their knowledge of what people normally order has made all the difference.

As the trainer on the baristas course I did said, “A good barista makes or breaks a cafe”. So if you want a good coffee, roasted locally and are around West End then drop in.

Used Ferraris and Gold Bullion Accepted

2012-05-17T02:50:25Z

We recently promised a friend of ours the best lasagne in the world. When we finally took her to Elio’s Osteria their lasagne had alot to live up to. It didn’t disappoint.

We were first introduced to Elios by our good friends Adrian and Janet, both of whom are big fans of the lasagne. Even after living in England for a few years, they say they have not had a better lasagne.

It took a couple of trips to Elios before we tried it ourselves. Not because we didn’t believe it was that good but because there were so many other great dishes to tempt us. When we did try it, we agreed it’s brilliant. The lasagne has a rich bolognese sauce with beautiful fresh pasta layers topped in melted cheese.

When it comes time for desert, the standout for us is their bread and butter pudding. Nothing like the bread and butter puddings of old, theirs has a wonderful blend of caramel and apple with pieces of bread that are more akin to donuts than your morning toast. It’s to die for.

To top off the wonderful food the services is fun and friendly, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. They seem to take pride in being a bit quirky. You just have to look at the sign at the counter – “Used Ferraris and Gold Bullion Accepted” – to see this.

If all this sounds tempting, book yourself a table. Just remember to leave room for desert.

Sushi & Yum Cha. What a combination.

2012-04-26T04:46:08Z

Many, many years ago I was first introduced to Sushi. This didn't go as well as my friends had hoped, as while the sushi was probably very nice, being presented with rather large thick pieces of raw fish wasn't that easy to get my head around as a novice.

While in Victoria, I figured I should give it a second chance when we found a local sushi restaurant that had recently opened. Fujisan became a regular Friday evening meal option and to this day is the standard by which I measure all sushi.

When we returned to Brisbane, the hunt was on to locate a replacement. By now, the "train" style sushi restaurants were popular and while some were good, they were never brilliant.

The other Asian food experience I enjoy is Yum Cha. The disadvantage of this however is that you end up waiting for your favourite steamed dim-sims or pork buns to come past on a cart.

So, it was with delight that I walked out of my first experience at Ginga at The Emporium in the Valley. While it maintains the "sushi train" style of delivery for it's sushi, it also provides an à la carte menu for many of my favourite options at Yum Cha. Add to this that the sushi is extremely fresh and I believe they've created a great mix.

Love your coffe? Reduce your environmental impact.

2012-03-30T02:51:05Z

For many years I've been interested in environmental concerns and the impact our "throw away" culture has.

I've previously talked about going out for coffee and so I felt it was high time I started bringing my own cup and hence reduce the amount of rubbish I was contributing with takeaway cups. I wanted to ensure whatever I bought would be accepted by my favourite barista so I raised it with Gemma at Stove. She immediately pointed me at Keep Cup.

The important thing about these cups is that they come in the standard coffee sizes that will fit under the group head of an expresso machine. This makes it so much easier for the barista and hence reduces the objection some may have to trying to make coffee into any old cup you bring in.

So, if like me, you buy a few coffees a week, consider getting something like the Keep Cup. Oh, and you can customise all the colours on it to make it your own.