Ikea Food Restaurant/Cafe, Logan City

I love Ikea and the store I go to is the one in Logan City!  I love Ikea for their Swedish furniture - so modern and stylish yet cheap.  After hours and hours of walking around admiring their show rooms  I start to get real hungry and all I want to do is sit down for a good meal.   The food there is cheap for the price (under $15) and it tastes alright but I think the desserts there are pretty sweet!    I like having coffee there since I get it for free since I am a 'Ikea family member' which  allows me to have discounts on weekly items and deals on meals!

I only been to the Ikea Restaurant/Cafe for lunch.  I have yet to eat anything from the breakfast or dinner menu.  I have yet to try Bistro or purchase their items at the food market.

This is what I had a few weeks ago.  Fish and chips with a daim cake and a free coffee!   I think I paid about $10 altogether for this plus the free coffee.

Daim,  Almond tart with Daim - brittle butter almond centres with a milk chocolate coating.  It's nice and crunchy but way to sweet for my tooth!  I remember it was about $2.95 under the family member discount(?)  Normally its $3.95

Salt and pepper squid (under $6 i think>) and chips (extra $) on the side.  It looks dry but it was pretty okay.

What I had earlier this week:

Chicken breast with vegetable pasta.  I like this and it costs me $7.95.  The chicken was somewhat dry but oh well I get what I pay for :P.

Stuffed salmon fillet with chive and dill sauce with vegetable medallions with chive & dill sauce. $11.95!  This was so yummy!!!!  The medallions were delicious and the salmon was cooked right.  Fresh too.

I am at Ikea to only shop and if I am hungry I will get something to eat here.  It looks like hospital food but for the price you can't really complain!   The service is quick - you wait in line like a canteen and out you go with the food.  Finding a spot to eat is kind of hard if you eat around lunch time.  You have to clear your utensils and dishes yourself since they do not hire cleaners.  

I will recommend it if you are okay with cheap food :P.

Agave Mexican Bar and Grill, Fortitude Valley

Last night we celebrated a friend's birthday at Agave Mexican Bar and Grill at Fortitude Valley.  It's one of a few Mexican restaurants in Brisbane and I think this one is great for the food and for the price (cheap $$) but the service wasn't great.  It was so hard finding the place - we were doing laps and laps around Fortitude Valley but it was worth it when we finally found the place.   My partner and I were invited to join in a Mexican birthday celebration.

Atmosphere:   This place is huge!   High ceilings and concrete walls.  Strong bold colours, nice brown floors and warm lighting.   Now because we had reservations for a group we were seated down very quickly in the bench seats.  The bench seating can be convenient for the restaurant (squash as many people in) but when you are wearing a mini skirt + heels and seated in the middle of the seat it can be quite hard and awkward to get out! I tried 3 times to get out of my seat but failed :P.  So I had to get all the people to slide out so I could get out.  If you are booking for a group reservation wear pants!

Menu, dj area and singer

The highlight of the restaurant is the singing amigos in his outfits (he at least changed 2 times when I was there) and singing familiar Mexican songs.  He got the ladies going and I really enjoyed watching.  Such different culture.  I enjoyed the live music.  It can be really noisy that you can't really hear the person next to you but it's okay because this is what I expect from a restaurant like this and especially from latin culture - they know how to party, dance hard and love their music!  They love music!

I really recommend to book because this place can be really packed especially on a Friday night.   If you don't I think you would be waiting a long time for your seat and probably your food.  Or maybe have to divert to the outside seats!

Benching seating inside

Service:  Okay the service.  The service varies a lot between restaurants and it depends on the nights and how busy or quiet it is.  I really don't want to give negative feedback but I am just giving my opinion.  The service wasn't the best because we were missing 3 orders from what we ordered initially (huge group) and the host that was hosting the celebration had to pay for the orders that were missing!  We were informed from another waitress that 'someone else might of ate it' and he really insisted on this excuse!  I really thought this wasn't good enough at all!  It could be miscommunication between the chefs/cooks and waitresses but wasn't happy that people in our table were still waiting and waiting for the orders while everyone else was enjoying their food.

Food:  The food was great!  It was so cheap from other Mexican restaurants I have tried and it tasted as nearly as good as 'my latin mother's' cooking!   So it must be authentic!    I think the food was packed with a lot of meat (so full after eating a chicken enchiladas $18.90) and all the food was plated up really nice and neat and came out quick! (besides the orders that were missing).

Some of my foods my neighours were having for the night.

I think this is the beef burritos my friend had for 14.90. This is a SNACK not a meal.

Okay this is really a snack because my friend ate this down in 5 minutes!  She said it was nice, crunchy and hot!  Could be bigger :).

This is my chicken enchiladas for 18.90

This is my main meal for the night - chicken enchiladas.   It was okay and what I expected.  Not a punch but bland and cheesy.   Just add taco sauce?   The cheese was good,  the chicken was way too much and loved how they packed a lot of fresh crispy lettuce.  I finished half.  I think two people can finish this together.

My partner had: King Prawn Diablo – grilled king prawns with smoky chipotle sauce and served with mexican rice $23

I was so envious when the waiter came along with the King Prawn Diablo my partner ordered.   He said he was in 'heaven'.  It was nicely grilled (you can taste the smokiness of it), the sauce was creamy and the side of Mexican rice was perfect!  Nice smokey flavours and a bit spicy.  He said for the price it's very worth it and very cheap!  He would come back for the same dish again.

Mocktails - $7.  Fresh and sweet!

Overall:  Overall I had a great night out with my Mexican 'family' and Agave made it nice with food and the live music.  Though, the service was quick and efficient the missing orders put them down.  It was horrible which the host had to end up forking out more money!   I really hope this is a one off thing because I really like the place.

Don't think Mexican food is like Oldepaso (from the box).  I read a lot of bad reviews about this place and other Mexican places that 'there is no flavour' or 'no punch' or 'kick' because I think these people eat from the box :).  Add taco sauce?  I don't know why these people that give such bad reviews when they have not yet tasted a REAL MEXICAN's COOKING?   I have a lot of times and this what you would expect!  Like seriously?  It's mild to hot and it depends what you guys order really!   


Parking:  Hard to find the place and parking it's packed!
Family friend:  No.

Atmosphere:  8/10 Noisy, busy and live entertainment.
Food:  8/10 Quick, packed and hot!!!!!!!!!!!!
Price:  9/10 Cheap for the food.
Communication and service:  5/10 'Missing food' and loss of communication. Host had to pay over $50 of more food to cover the missing food.  Horrible.  Hope this is one off.


Though there were mishaps I would come back and order their other seafood dishes.  However, I am really let down, very let down that the host had to fork out so much money to replace the orders

I don't know.  Tell me when you go there in a big big group.....if there are missing orders and you had to pay extra to replace them.....

Good food but the service not very good.  

Vietnam Corner BBQ Restaurant Sunnybank Plaza

Vietnam Corner BBQ is one of the main restaurants I end up going to at Sunnybank to pick up a nice hot cheap meal (I know I love cheap and filling).   I have been to this place several times even though the restaurant does not really serve most Vietnamese food that even really taste like it but I digress.  I only come here for one dish!

Vietnam Corner BBQ Restaurant

(07) 3344 2233

Shop 140 Sunnybank Plaza Shopping Centre
Brisbane, 4109

Atmosphere:  I would say the atmosphere is pretty nice.  It's well lit and has not cheap feel like a Vietnamese restaurant.   With Vietnamese restaurant you would be pretty much sitting on flimsy chairs that feel like they are about to break but with this restaurant they have nice sturdy chairs and tables.  The menus are right at the front door (and specials hanging on the walls) with the condiments that you would have to serve yourself.  This place is pretty busy around lunch and dinner time filled with mainly families.  It's a family friendly restaurant - there is lots of space to move around.

Service:  Service is okay.    The main thing is that I get my meal on time because I don't like waiting for food.   Food comes out efficiently and it has been consistent.

Food:  Okay to the food.  The food could be better...I mean they should live up to being a Vietnamese restaurant but if I wanted authentic real Vietnamese food I would just walk over to Market Square to Pho Hien Vuong Restaurant but I really come here for the "Roast Duck Wonton Noodle Soup" which is just a egg noodle soup with roast duck and really really good wontons. 

Look how heapful this bowl looks for just $13?  Okay this was the first duck dish I tried here and one of the cooks made a mistake by putting a bit too much duck in the bowl!   I had a hard time trying to finish it but it was a good value meal.  After going there again and ordering the same dish....it wasn't as plentiful with the duck!  Oh well it was good though :).

The wontons at Chinese restaurants I found is that they have nice prawns inside it and really chewy but with the Vietnamese style wontons they are usually filled with a peppery mince flavour and no seafood.  This is why I come back here to Vietnam Corner because of their wontons cause the restaurant is pretty much run by Chinese.

I ordered a "Vietnamese Coffee" which was a major let down and it cost under $5.  Too much of a powder taste.

Other dishes I had here:

 

Combination Broken Rice - not bad!

Wonton Noodle Soup - Love the wontons

Overall Rating:  Good and reasonable price!  The food has been consistent here besides the duck wonton noodle soup.  Love the atmosphere, very modern and inviting.  A nice place for families with children since they have big space to move around.  Parking is not a problem really around the place.  The quality of the food is good and the price corresponds to it. 

A 7.5 out of 10 for me! :)

My Tho Vietnamese Noodle Bar, Shop 49 Inala Town Centre

My Tho Vietnamese Noodle Bar, Shop 49 Inala Town Centre 
Open 7 Days
Monday - Friday: 8.30am to 8pm
Saturday: 8.30am to 4pm
Sunday: 9.30am to 5pm
Phone: (07) 3162 7979

I have been holding back writing a little review on this little dine in and take away restaurant tucked away back in the food court inside Inala Plaza.  I have been to My Tho Noodle Bar at least 10 times since it opened last year.   Business has been so well for this little place and during lunch time its packed and customers don't even mind eating out in the food court.  I have been to nearly every restaurant in Inala and in my opinion offers the best Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) and hu tieu mi tho thap cam (combination egg noodle soup) here. 

Atmosphere:  

Decor

It's a small place with a few tables and has a pretty mediocre environment like most Vietnamese restaurants.   White tiled walls with a hint of blue.   There is a lack of space but I don't really mind going around tables and seats.  Above you will see the main dishes that they serve from their Vietnamese noodle soups to combination rice dishes.  It's pretty busy around lunch time so you will have to wait for a seat or you can eat out in the food court.   I was there on Sunday in the late afternoon and of course there were only about 6 people there.


Service:  Service is efficient and the ladies that serve are very polite and can get whatever you need.  Most importantly they smile! :).   They didn't rush me in ordering but I knew what I wanted.  It took 10 minutes and the food was piping hot.  There is always condiments on the table and fresh chilli.  Also the ladies will serve you some complimentary tea.


Food:  Okay down to the food.  The food is great and I had no problems.   The food and the service is what keeps me going back to eat a cheap filling meal.  I have only ordered the special Vietnamese beef noodle soups and the combination noodle soups.  I found that the soups were not too salty or sweet.  I have yet to try the other dishes on the menu.  I just love the egg noodle soup and Vietnamese beef noodle soups too much!

On the Menu above:  My Tho Style Combination Noodle Soup, Steamed rice with crispy chicken, egg noodle with seafood (dry or soup), egg noodle soup with steamed duck,

The dine in / takeaway serve mainly the  hu tieu my tho hoac mi (clear rice noodle or egg soup), pho bo (beef rice noodle soup), banh canh (starch noodle soup), rice vermicelli dishes and the broken rice dishes. Prices range from $8.00 to $10.00 a dish.  They did have a price hike in some of their main dishes. The prices do correspond to their quality and quantity to the dishes so I don't mind paying more.

Hu tieu my tho thap cam nuoc (my tho style combination rice noodle soup)

The photo above is the combination rice noodle soup and is my favourite (next to the pho).  I think at this place it offers more pieces of meats and seafood in the dish.  They even have a few juicy scallops put in, quail eggs, fish cake, thinly sliced liver, peppery minced meat, BBQ pork, squid over your choice of thin egg noodles or fresh rice noodle soup.  You can have this dish dry but I always go for the soup variety.  Soup dishes are always served with garnish of bean sprouts, green herbs and a wedge of lemon or lime.  I just love the Chinese chives in the dish.  At some places the noodles can be a bit mushy but I found here the noodles has been consistent and the same - fresh and not slimy.

Overall Rating:  Overall this place is pretty cheap for what they offer.  The menu is solid and the food has been consistent, service is quick but the decor is mediocre which I don't mind.  After all I am there to eat a cheap meal after a long day busy shopping for groceries.   I know it is a small place but families can come here and eat and always can eat in the food court.  I am going here again next week for another bowl of their soups!

I forget to mention that parking is sure not a problem but very busy during the lunch hour.   They do serve drinks and they haven't said anything about me taking a McDonalds coffee into the joint :).


I rate the place 8/10 because its cheap, the service is fantastic and the quality of the food is fantastic.

Burlington BBQ Restaurant, Sunnybank

Burlington BBQ Restaurant Shop 42, Market Square
341 Mains Rd
Sunnybank QLD 4109

I just had the most satisfying and most homey meal tonight at Burlington BBQ Restaurant at Market Square in Sunnybank.   I come here occasionally because it offers a variety of authentic Hong Kong style meat dishes such as BBQ roast pork, roast duck, soy sauce chicken, cha sui pork to name a few.   Each meal comes with a full sized plate of the meat, rice and green vegetables which I quite like.  Also as a side dish they offer a small nice hot bowl of pork bone soup with carrots and potatoes while you wait for the main meal.  The thing that I like about this place is that they offer huge servings (you can easily share between two people), it's very inexpensive and very filling.

Inside Burlington BBQ Restaurant

The atmosphere of the restaurant is pretty average when you walk in but I can say that the waft of BBQ roast duck in the air really balances out the decor they have currently in the room.   The tables and chairs are quite sturdy - not like the typical Asian ones that feel like they are about to break.   On each table of course there are spoons, forks and chopsticks already available and only a jar of ginger chilli - not typical Asian condiments that you would find at other Asian restaurants.   The reason why is that they have soy sauce poured on your main dish already for you.

The people that work there don't really smile at all but I guess it's because of the hard work they put in every day to make pretty darn good roast duck and meats.   The service is always efficient and our meals came out in about 10 minutes since the meats are already available at the window.  Sometimes the atmosphere is buzzing with lots of noise and sometimes it is very quiet like tonight -  I could watch and listen to the wide screen tv the owners have on the back wall.   The television is usually playing lots of Chinese programs especially drama.

The menu offers a wide range of roast, pork and chicken dishes that you can either have one range with rice and sides or a combination with rice and sides.  You can also order 1/4 or 1/2 or whole duck or chicken as take away.  And if you can't finish your meal just ask for a take away box and they will gladly give you one (without a smile lol).

Roast duck, bbq pork and soy chicken with sides

My friend and I picked the combination roasted duck, pork and soy chicken.  The chicken was a bit tough and dry but on the other hand the roasted duck and the pork was very delicious.   The meats were very tender, juicy and the skin was shining with fatty goodness.  The fat just melted straight in my mouth.  And then having a nice sip of the hot soup just finishes the meal off quite well.  It was very very satisfying.   It was so big I couldn't finish it all so I got a take away box.

Overall the food is big and tasty and the service is efficient, most of the staff can speak English so no communication barrier and pretty good value for money.   I spent about $35 on a two big satisfying main meals with sides and half a roast duck to take home.  It's pretty cheap and very tasty so if you like to spend less on eating out I do recommend this place even though the servers don't smile.  I make this exception since I just love their BBQ meat dishes!

Overall rating:

Affordability: CHEAP!
Eftpos/Credit card: tba

Food: 8
Ambience: 6
Service: 6
Value: 9

Open: Everyday
Menu costs:  Main meals with sides under $20 (contact the restaurant for their whole roasts/chicken/pork etc)
Takeaway: Yes

Contact: Burlington BBQ Sunnybank
Phone: (07) 3219 6128






View Larger Map

Sunny Breeze Japanese Restaurant, Sunnybank

Photo Credit:  Sunny Breeze

I usually head to a typical Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant on a Friday night.  Well not this time because last night my sister Miss. Y took Mr. V and I to Sunny Breeze, a nice little Japanease restaurant in Sunnybank - formerly known as Oshin Japanese Restaurant.

When we walked inside it felt very warm and cosy and I just loved the way the restaurant was laid out.  I think it was warm lighting effect and the warm yellow tones of their classic Japanese decor and fittings.  It felt very welcoming and relaxing.  A friendly male waiter seated us down in the corner and given us a menu each.  So the menu was quite different from one another.  I was pretty confused by this........and  I was taking my sweet time because I am so foreign to this type of food (besides the sushi rolls and tempura).

I was flipping and flipping back and forth the menu to see what's offered.  Hmm..so they have appetizers, bento, sashami, sushi rolls, set meals and the teppanyaki sets, vegetarian meals and the main meals.  There was so much to choose from....I felt quite overwhelmed.  I was having a little panic moment (I panic easily if people rush me) because a female waiter kept on insisting that we should order (maybe to hurry up)...she returned to our table 3 times within a 6 minute interval lol.   It wasn't like the restaurant was busy.   So she insisted for the second time to get our drinks.  We ordered the lychee drinks and it funny cause Mr. V did not get a straw in his glass?  Was it a man thing to not have a straw? lol.

Miss Y liked this restaurant so I asked her what she would recommend.   She recommended me one of the main meals which is all served with rice and miso soup.  I ordered the Wafu Steak which is quality beef cooked in red wine served with teriyaki sauce and salad and Mr. V ordered the Salmon Steak which is a salmon fillet cooked in teriyaki sauce served with salad.  Miss Y had the Wafu steak too.  The meals cost $25.50 which is reasonably priced.

Wafu Steak served with rice and miso soup $25.50

The Wafu Steak tasted pretty good although it was already served and cut up into portions like this.  I actually like to enjoy my steak by cutting it myself and enjoying it that way.   It was suppose to be done medium rare but it looked rare but that's okay - the meat was so tender and moist.   However,  I found it very hard to maneuver my rice bowl around next to the steak.......do I have to put my rice bowl in front of the long plate or on the side or just uncomfortably holding it up to my mouth that way? lol  I feel so traditional :P.  Well maybe I was too accustomed by eating everything on one plate - I mean it's so much easier that way.  Not to worry the food tasted good and the salad was very refreshing.  I quite liked it.

Salmon Steak served with rice and miso soup $25.50

The Salmon Steak that Mr. V had smelt so good when it arrived to the table.  Maybe I should of ordered that one.  I had a quick bite of this and it was not over cooked.  Mr. V had no problem with this meal.  No complaints about this meal at all. He just said "it's good".

The overall experience of this place I say it was pretty fair to be honest.   However, I felt that we were rushed into ordering our food and when cleaning up I was still sipping on my miso soup *sigh*.    If I did come back here one day (or to any new restaurant),  I am going to make an effort and actually looking at the restaurant's website online first and see what I want to order instead of having panic sessions every time a waiter says "Order now? Now?" a million times.

So would I come back?  Yes I would since I am looking at their site menu now, I feel like a SHABU SHABU on a Sunday night.


Overall rating:

Affordability: $$ Moderate
Eftpos/Credit card: Mastercard, Eftpos, Cash, Visa

Food: 8
Ambience: 8
Service: 7
Value: 8

Open: 7 Days Lunch and Dinner
Menu costs:  Look at Sunny Breeze's Menu

Address: Shop 24, Sunny Park Shopping CentreCnr Mains Road & McCullough Street Sunnybank QLD 4109
Parking: If you want to come here the parking is free and it's easily accessible at Sunny Park. 

 





View Larger Map


.

Pho Hien Vuong, Sunnybank

Pho Hien Vuong, Sunnybank

Who doesn't love a piping hot bowl of Pho or Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup?!  And since the weather is getting cooler grabbing one of these will fill you up and maybe even warm you up a bit!

Medium bowl of Pho at Pho Hien Vuong

Shop 21h Cnr Mains Rd & McCullough St

Sunnybank, 4109

The best pho in Sunnybank has got to be at Pho Hien Vuong in Market Square.  I think because it's of the balance of flavours and the pho bowls come in small, medium or large.   It's not too salty or too bland which I quite like.  Go for medium because large is humongous!  I think it's enough for 2 people to share between themselves. 

When you walk inside you will (well sometimes) be greeted by a Vietnamese waiter (yes Vietnamese not a Chinese lol) and be seated in those typical cheap tables and chairs.  Okay so the decor is very medicore but the food balances that out.   On the table you will see typical condiments such as chilli, chilli sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce to name a few and a complimentary flask of tea :).   But I like to have a coconut juice with my pho - always....it's a tradition!

The menu is the same like every other Vietnamese restaurant but I don't look at it because I know what I want - special beef noodle soup!  So ordering is quick.  I don't have time to really check myself out on their mirror walls lol.  It takes about 10minutes for our order to come out and it's piping hot!

Large bowl of pho

Of course there is fresh thai basil and bean sprouts on the side.  Put as much in and add as much condiments that you like and then devour into the rich meaty tasty broth itself.  It's so good and it satisfies the hungry tummy.

I always go to Pho Hien Vuong and I am never ever was disappointed with the food.  The food on the menu is inexpensive, the food is packed and it's normally busy.  However the downside of getting to this restaurant is the parking.  Parking is always busy at Market Square.  I usually park at Sunnybank Plaza and walk over instead -  lose those calories and then put it on again:).

Overall rating:

Affordability: CHEAP!
Eftpos/Credit card: Cash

Food: 8.5
Ambience: 4
Service: 7
Value: 9





View Larger Map

Cheese Baked Rice with Pork (and the days of Lil Taipei)

Cheese Baked Rice with Pork

I had a Hong Kong style "Cheese Baked Rice with Pork" about 2 to 3 years ago at Little Taipei food court at Sunnybank. I think it was the Hong Kong food house was right next to exit to the bigger food court outside opposite of the bubble tea house. Now it's not there anymore. It's all shut off. I really have no idea what happened to the food court now. Maybe it breached health and safety regulations? Who knows.

Photo courtesy of http://commericalrealestate.com.au
Lil Taipei (top floor): you have to climb 2 flight of stairs. Right hand door entrance.

The court used to be noisy and so so busy. People eating, drinking, laughing and waiting to be seated. Waiters being off their feet the whole time serving hot orders. Cleaners working non stop. And you had so many choices of what to eat from Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, and these little bubble tea shops. And now you only have David's Sizzling Steaks and the Korean food house in the corner surrounded empty food houses, a creepy stair case and not to mention the creepy toilets lol. Oh and now there is one cleaner waiting for you to leave so the tables be cleaned lol. Very dead. Not much competition there. I remember the Koreans packed up and left at cause no one lined up to their food house and there were so many people lining up at David's Sizzling Steaks. It was really sad.....I can imagine tumble weed floating across the food court ....:P


Anyway back to this Cheese Baked Rice with Pork I had. I remember it being quite weird.....cheese and rice? Eww I thought. I remember the cook recommended me this dish cause he said it was "nice". Yes I listen to anyone's recommendation lol. It was pretty new to me. Cheese and rice I thought. Some Asian-Western fusion food? The waiter served me with the dish and I dunked my fork in and inside was melting cheese, lightly fried rice and pork chops! and this nice rich tangy tomato sauce. Even though it was a weird combination it was good for I think $7 with a free can of coke. Pretty good deal. The flavour just exploded in my mouth! Cheesy, tomatoey and salty. YUM!!

I have to make it myself sometime...

Kim Lan Vietnamese & Chinese Restaurant @ the Valley, Brisbane

Kim Lan Vietnamese & Chinese Restaurant @ the Valley Brisbane is one of the best Vietnamese / Chinese Restaurants I have ever been to. My first step into this cosy little restaurant was back in the old days while I was still a student attending QUT. Every single Friday my friend and I would treat ourselves to cheap and tasty meals here. We made it a permanent ritual. It's not far away from the City (5-8 minute bus ride) and within student budget, we could order a main meal and a dessert! I think costing me about under $13 at the time. They always keep their prices low to suit everyone! The restaurant is only about a 5 min walk from Brunswick Station too! So it is pretty convenient.

The restaurant is tucked away in the inner street.
photo courtesy of truelocal.com.au

When you walk inside, you will feel a nice relaxed atmosphere, turquoise walls, traditional paintings and onto the side a big mirrored wall so you can check yourself out (lol) while waiting to be served and your order to arrive. You can either buy your drinks but often they will give a complimentary black tea or cold water. Which is great! Music played in the background would be typically Chinese music (I have never heard any Vietnamese) like Jay Chou, Twins, and Andy Lau. The service is efficient and friendly. Ever since dining in this restaurant there is no problem of service. Well except one waitress that worked there who was pretty impatient and never smiled but the good thing is that she is not there no more!

I usually order the barbeque duck or pork with steamed green vegetables on the side with soy however, the pho and the deep fried ice cream always gets me!

Best Pho in the Valley!

This is the best pho in the valley! It's pretty almost like the Thanh Phu's Pho. This one is a lot deeper in flavour and darker in colour and it's usually loaded with more broth. Served with the meal is the usual - fresh garnishes like thai basil, mint and lime. Sauces include fresh chili, hoi sin and chili sauce. I would be so full after this meal but.....I always have room for this delicious fried ice cream with my favourite topping - Caramel! When served it's hot, buiscuit-y, coconut-y and crunchy. One bit into it you will find yourself indulging into the caramel saunce, into the warm sweet top layers with the rough crunch and then slowly devouring into the cold vanilla ice cream. Oh I am in heaven!

Best deep fried ice cream

I am thinking going back here again. I haven't been since finishing university! I know a long time ago. The food is cheap, the service is quick, the music sounds good to my ears and they have the best fried ice cream and pho here!

If you want to get here I recommend to catch public transport because if you are thinking of just going to dine don't drive the car cause there is no free parking unless finding off street parking which will take ages to find! Park is I .. think $10 to park at the parking lot since I last been there.



Overall rating:

Affordability: CHEAP!
Eftpos/Credit card: Mastercard, Eftpos, Cash, Visa

Food: 8
Ambience: 6
Service: 8.5
Value: 9

Open: 7 Days Lunch and Dinner
Menu costs: Mains under $20
Takeaway: Yes

Address:
Shop 5, 12 Duncan St, FORTITUDE VALLEY, QLD, 4006
Phone (07) 3852 1878




View Larger Map

Thanh Phu Restaurant @ Darra, Brisbane

Thanh Phu Restaurant at Darra, Brisbane has got to be one of my favourite family owned restaurants for Vietnamese cuisine! It's pretty convenient since its just about a 2 minute walk from Darra Station and right next to an ATM. It's placed next to the local Vietnamese dvd store and the cheap hairdresser. You can't miss it. Car park can vary sometimes. It's pretty small because people come in and out from the laundromat. There is parking available across the street and off side car parking is available.










View Larger Map
Thanh Phu Restaurant, Darra


The thing I like about Thanh Phu is the friendly service they offer. The food is good for value, the waiters are friendly and most importantly the food comes out efficiently. While you are waiting the owner would come out and have a bit of chat. And after being a loyal customer he will talk to you more and maybe take off $1 off the order lol. Not much but at least it keeps people happy!






The entrance (main area) and the room next door

There are two parts of the restaurant. One is the main dining area around 15 tables (? I don't remember) for customers and there is one next door which consists a small room usually seated with old Vietnamese men prying out on attractive girls that walk towards the restaurant. Who knows? lol. I think it's a special booking room if you want to have dinner away from other customers. However, I always see old Vietnamese men drinking iced coffee and playing cards and they all look out of their area to see who is the next customer lol. What can I say? It's a pretty sociable restaurant!

When you walk inside you will notice the reception immediately with the golden cat greeting you on the way in. The interior and decor is reasonable with traditional paintings of Vietnam girls and the back wall backed with a huge mirror giving the illusion that the restaurant is big. The one thing that stands out is the large carved map of Vietnam hanging adjacent to the reception showing the Northern, Central and Southern Vietnam. Of course there will be music playing in the background and what is it you ask? Typically Paris by Night (vietnamese music variety shows on dvd).

The place can be busy and sometimes quiet. I noticed that the place has an eye for Westerners that come in and enjoy food that I can make at home easily like the famous rice paper rolls. I don't know but Westerners really do enjoy wrapping up rice paper rolls hehe. I remember seeing this large tradie man eat a full course meal and the waiter said "moite don't you think you have enough to eat" worried that the customer might of over eaten lol. This customer I will see all the time in this restaurant. A loyal customer I suppose.

The food that my partner and I usually order is :

• Phở (Beef Noodle Soup),
• Hieu Tieu Thap Cam (combination noodle soup) and
• Cơm tấm (combination rice).

The photos below are taken from the restaurant itself! Looks good doesn't it?

I have got to say this is the best Beef Noodle Soup. It's not too too salty like the others I have tried from other places. The one in the photo is just a normal beef noodle soup that only has the beef slices and balls in it. You can order Special Beef Noodle Soup (Phở đặc biệt') that consists of chewy tendons, meat balls, brisket and tripe. Usually pho is served with garnishes such as fresh bean sprouts, Thai basil, chili and lime. You can also add some hoi sin sauce into it as well. Yummy.

The photo below is called Cơm tấm is basically broken rice which has a weird texture....grainy and chewy and not sticky like normal rice. However when served on a big platter with fried pork, egg, vegetables, shredded pork fat and tofu fish cake or pork meat loaf you will be in heaven! Sweet chili dipping sauce is on the side so you can pour over the grilled pork, egg and rice. Eat in combination with the vegetables and the grilled pork. Very tasty! Notice that there is a fork in a photo and not a chopstick? Well you don't eat this food with chopsticks only the fork and the spoon :).

Lastly and not least is my favourite noodle dish of all time (well next to pho lol). This is called Hieu Tieu Thap Cam or Combination Noodle Soup which is a clearer soup than pho and much lighter. I unfortunately tried to make once but turned out to be a noodle soup disaster! So I rather go out and pay under $10 for this dish to satisfy my craving. You can either have the soup with hieu tieu noodles (thin noodles they are not vermicelli noodles or the cellophane noodles), with thin egg noodles or you can have a combination. I like mine combination!

The soup tastes a bit sweet and savoury at the same time. The photo below is combination noodle soup (seafood and meat). It's surrounded by herbs, loaded with noodles, floating crunchy pork fat (the flavour pops open in your mouth), fish cake slices, bbq pork slices, 2-3 prawns and fried minced pork. Mmmmm. This is the best combination noodle soup in Darra. The one at Kim Thanh (which I will review next time) wasn't as nice as these noodles....

I like to finish all my dishes here with their infamous Vietnamese Iced Coffee or young coconut juice.

I have always been going to Thanh Phu not because of it's food but importantly it's service and smile. That what gets me back! I am thinking of going there again soon!!! I haven't been there for months~!

Overall rating:

Affordability: CHEAP! Anyone can afford this kind of food. Good for value, traditional and delicious!

Food: 8
Ambience: 7
Service: 8.5
Value: 9

Open: Lunch to Dinner
Menu costs: Mains under $30
Takeaway: Yes

Address:
136 Darra Station Rd,
Darra, QLD 4076

Contact:
Phone: (07) 3375 9999







View Larger Map