New Brisbane

Fortitude Valley is rife with options for Asian dining. Despite the Chinatown monicker, you can find Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and more, with a ton of options for getting your Japanese sushi fix. But, after eating at Zuri’s all you can eat Sushi night once a week for two months straight, I was ready for a change. So, the arrival of the Hirameki Sushi Buffet was greeted with much enthusiasm.

Hirameki Sushi Buffet
1st Floor,
183 Wickham street,
Fortitude Valley

T: 07 3252 2646

Lunch 12:00 – 14:30 (except Sundays)
Dinner 17:30 – 21:30 (Sun – Thursday)
17:30 – 22:00 (Friday, Saturday)

Previously housing a Korean/Japanese restaurant, it was the huge new sign out front that first caught my attention and made me want to finally give this restaurant a try and when I saw they were doing an all you can eat Sushi buffet I was totally sold. The prices were a little pricier than my standard Zuri outing ($22 dinner / $19 lunch), but I figured that just meant the quality would be higher. Besides, because it was BYO we could take a whole bottle in with us for 1/3rd of what we would pay at Zuri - so really it’s just as cheap.

As we reached the top of the staircase entrance, we were greeted by one of the friendliest elderly asian men I’ve ever had the fortune to be served by. He showed us to our seats and despite his really strong accent, he surprised us with his perfect grasp of English. My lady friend wanted to dine from the a la carte menu as she wasn’t very hungry and he had no issue explaining the options to her or answering her incessant questions (definitely more patient than I am!). Not only that, but they let her make some subtitutions for things without charging her extra, or making a fuss. It was all no big deal and that’s a great way to do business.

Opting for the buffet, I immediately hated myself for not liking seafood. From what I could tell, everything on there looked delicious and fresh… by far one of the most impressive seafood sushi spreads I’ve ever come across. Of course you’ll have to try it yourself, but there certainly wasn’t any canned tuna on offer here (actually the only fish I will eat!).

In terms of sushi, the non-seafood meat options were somewhat limited (there was only one chicken teriyaki roll being offered), but there was a whole heap of vegetarian options. Spicy tofu, egg, avacado, etc. Not to mention free inari (unlike some places that make you pay extra!). In addition to that, I was also pleasantly surprised to see that there was a hot buffet offering miso soup, karage chicken, tempura vegetables (and prawns when I was there), as well as a host of other random odds and ends, with all the various condiments you could imagine.

The atmosphere at Hirameki was very tranquil, bordering on sparse, with only 2-3 other tables dining on the Wednesday night we were in there. However, I could easily see how this place would pack out on a busy night - though I think that even if it did, the place is so open that it would be a great place to have a catch up with friends, or perhaps even to bring young kids (let’s face it, sushi is fun!). Looking for a little extra privacy for your meal? Enquire about the their separate VIP lounge.

Overall the meal was quite enjoyable. My date quite enjoyed her a la carte sushi, and I’d be keen to go back to try some of their other Japanese delicacies on offer - particularly, I want to see how good their chicken katsu is, as all the other Japanese Restaurants in Fortitude Valley are sorely lacking! And if you’re looking for a place to catch up with some friends over some great value sushi, with BYO to boot, then Hirameki is your place to go.

- Ross

Like most people, I love a lazy Sunday breakfast. And if you’re anything like me, then chances are you’re not up before noon most Sundays. Fortunately, Symposium Cafe in Fortitude Valley does breakfast all day, so this past Sunday we stopped by to check it out.

Symposium Cafe
Shop 2
2 Commercial Rd
Fortitude Valley
P: 07 3852 3836
W: www.symposiumcafe.com.au

Monday to Friday 6am - 5pm
Saturday & Sunday 7am - 3pm

Symposium is truly located in a strange spot for a Sunday breakfast cafe - as the name suggests, Commercial Road is just that, a busy commercial road, down at the far end of Fortitude Valley, with Symposium located right next to a service station. Despite this location, however, Symposium has a relatively nice atmosphere - well shaded tables in a nice, open environment that truly let you soak in the laziness that is Sunday.

Quickly seated upon our arrival, I was soon presented with my menu and sadly informed that Symposium’s signature waffles would not be available for me to try… unless I wanted to wait 30 minutes. I did not. And, of course, once I was told that, it was the only thing on the menu that I wanted. So, I settled for the truffled eggs benedict with bacon (salmon and ham also available), hoping it would fill that empty spot in my heart left behind by the waffles. I went for an extra hash brown, and my breakfast date chose the eggs benny with ham, with a side of mushrooms instead of the normal spinach.

Prices at Symposium are pretty reasonable, with your breakfast total coming in at around $20 once you include juice or coffee. Just be aware that any variations on their menu are strictly forbidden and they’re a bit steep on charging for the extras (2 hashbrowns and a side of mushrooms = $11)… nothing too expensive, just expensive enough to seem pretentious to me, particularly given their location.

The drinks came out fairly quickly and the food was quick to follow (I barely had time to read the Sunday comics in the provided newspapers), which was great because I was famished. As it arrived, I noted that Symposium was another one of those restaurants that favoured presentation over practicality - with two pieces of vienna toast, all of my eggs benedict was stacked on top of a single slice, meaning I had to re-architect my breakfast before I could eat it. I was a bit disappointed about that, as if you go on the web and look at the stock photos around, the food was presented completely differently. They know how to do it right for the marketing, just not for the actual customers.

Overall, the food was quite good. All the ingredients were fresh, the food was cooked perfectly and the flavours sang in harmonic balance. The over-priced side mushrooms were almost worth the money and the bacon itself was rather tasty.

So, if you’re looking for a nice relaxing breakfast in a relatively calm surrounding, Symposium Cafe in Fortitude Valley might be for you. Personally, I probably won’t come back for a while - the food was good, but there are so many other places in Brisbane left to explore and it wasn’t amazing, or good value, enough for me to rush back. But definitely worth trying out if you’re looking for some variety in your life - it won’t disappoint.

-Ross

A few years ago, I didn’t even know what a Laksa was - in fact, I’d pretty much written off Thai cuisine altogether until a girlfriend introduced me to green curry chicken. Since then, I’ve decided that Thai food is quite delicious and it often makes an appearance in my week’s meal selections. So of course, all the better that the best Thai restaurant in Brisbane is right around the corner. Yep, it’s gotta be the Silver Charm Thai Cafe in Fortitude Valley

Silver Charm Thai Cafe
Yellow Gold Arcade
Shop 2, 175 Wickham Street
Fortitude Valley

P: 07 3216 0516
Tues-Sun: 11am - 10pm

It actually took me quit a while before I worked up the courage to sample the food at Silver Charm, because the restaurant really doesn’t look that appealing from the street. Absolutely tiny, it seats probably 20 people max, but there is almost always a group of people filling the seats there, which is quite the achievement given that there are 3 other Thai restaurants within a 2 minute walk. But, I was finally lured in by their lunch specials one day and have been going back ever since.

When I first started eating here, it was totally the green curry chicken that got me in the door, and so I ate that pretty exclusively until it got to the point that the staff could predict my order. But as I traveled, friends introduced me to other great Thai dishes and I was always keen to see how Silver Charm fared. And, my discovery was that there’s not a single Thai dish I’ve tried anywhere else that Silver Charm can’t beat - most notably, I was told that a certain noodle house in Canberra makes the best Laksa in the world… wrong, it’s Silver Charm.

And they really do a great job across the spectrum. Their curries are sensational, with the Penang and Green Curry chicken topping my favourites list. For noodle dishes, the chicken Pad Thai is always a winner, but don’t forget to try their Tuk-Tuk noodles. And of course, the Laksa is sensational - try the combination of chicken, beef and pork for an extra few dollars.

So I generally frequent this place by myself, grabbing take-away so I can scuttle back to my apartment and selfishly enjoy it solo. But, from time to time I’ll take a girl here on a date - it’s a light, casual environment that’s good for chatting and getting to know someone that you’ve just met. The place is a bit on the small side, but they do have tables that seat some larger groups (6-12 people) and because they’re small, they’re pretty accomodating about it.

Most meals here will set you back about $10-12, which is a great price for the quality of the food - and the lunch specials are a particularly good deal. Portions are good too, though I recently ordered a take-away curry and found the container of curry to be a bit on the small side. Everything else I’ve ever had has been more than adequate - and usually gives me enough food for a meal and a half.

Anyway, not much else to say about this, except that you should go to the Silver Charm Thai Cafe and give them a try. Since Silver Charm is shut on Mondays, I’ve had to try some of the other Thai restaurants in Fortitude Valley and they’re nowhere near as good as Silver Charm.

- Ross

Balti has been on my list to write about for quite a while and now that I’m back writing after a break, it was an obvious choice for one of my first reviews. Originally started by a pleasant English couple, Balti has had good food since the start, but it really took off once it was taken over by the current owners, an amazingly friendly Indian family who seem to be smiling every time I walk past. And with a few Indian restaurants to choose from in the Valley, it’s been at the top of my list for over a year.

Balti Biryani & Coffee
Shop 214, McWhirters Retail Centre,
Fortitude Valley, Qld 4006

T: +617 3122 4332
E: balti@ebalti.com.au
W: www.ebalti.com.au

Monday to Sunday: 10.30am - 6.00pm

Located next to McDonalds in the McWhirters building on Brunswick St, Balti essentially works like your typical Biryani cafe. The food is all cooked fresh in the store, and kept warm in serving trays until you come along to order it. But there’s a number of ways that Balti stands out, and I’m gonna tell you what those are.

The first one you’ll notice is price per serving. The Valley has some amazing food options if you’re into asian cuisine, but there’s not too many of them where you can get a whole meal, including rice, for under $10. And Balti does better than that - their cheapest chicken curry + rice meal starts at $5.90 and even their more expensive Lamb Rogan Josh or Vindaloo + rice meals are only $7.90. My favourite is the butter chicken ($6.90), to which I generally add some pappadums (3 for $1).

And not only do you get a really large serving for that price (you can almost get two meals out of it, or one if you want to stuff yourself!), but it’s probably one of the best Indian take-away meals I’ve had in Brisbane - easily replacing Miss India, which was my previous favourite. And for those from the sub-continent, Balti’s goat curry is apparently also worth a trip - I have a friend who drives up from the Gold Coast just so he can get his goat on (He says it’s to visit me, but I know better!). Even the rice at Balti stands out, lightly spiced with saffron and turmeric to add that extra special touch.

My only real complaint with Balti is that they shut at 6pm, as there’s been probably half a dozen times in the last year where I’ve come home from work late, craving a curry, only to find them shut. For some reason I can never remember that they close early!

While there are definitely some good options for Indian food in Fortitude Valley (Sitar in New Farm, for example, is a great sit-down restaurant only a few blocks away), but 9 times out of 10 I’m going to get my curry fix at Balti. Good food, good price and great service.

- Ross

On a recent trip to Canada, I picked up a copy of the Four Hour Body (4HB) by Tim Ferriss, whose book the Four Hour Workweek is a ‘must read’ for any blogger. In his new book, Ferriss describes what he calls a ’slow carb diet’, and advocates that eating at a burrito bar can be a great way to stick to it. Fortunately, upon my return to Brisbane I noticed that Mad Mex had opened up in the Brunswick St mall, right downstairs from my Fortitude Valley pad - how serendipitous! And, when my flatmates brought some of that delicious smelling Mexican food up to the apartment one night, I knew I just had to try it out.

Mad Mex
332 Brunswick Street
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
P: (07) 3172 2234
W: www.madmex.com.au
Sun- Thurs 10am-10pm
Fri-Sat 11am-11pm

With a few stores already scattered around the eastern states, Mad Mex has grown rapidly since its first store opened in December 2007, with the Fortitude Valley store as its first incursion into Queensland. Compared to the traditional Mexican food you find in Brisbane, it’s no wonder they’ve grown so quickly. Their food is packed with fresh, healthy, delicious ingredients that leave you feeling full (not stuffed!) without the massive amounts of cheese and grease that you typically see in a Mexican restaurant.

At the heart of it, Mad Mex is a burrito bar, and in case you don’t know what that is: think Subway but with beans. It’s your choice of bread (Taco, burrito, quesadilla, nachos), your choice of meat (chicken, pork, beef or steak) with beans, rice, your choice of toppings (jalapenos, cheese, corn, lettuce, tomatos, etc.) and your choice of sauce (salsa, sour cream, guacamole), all prepared right in front of you.

Not being a huge burrito fan, I wasn’t sure how I’d go. I’d previously tried a burrito at Tuckeria up the road, but was confused by the two different types of beans, and wasn’t overly happy with the end product. But, after eating at Mad Mex once, I was hooked, and have been back at least half a dozen times since. Sure, they gave me a couple of free vouchers to try them out and write this article, but I keep going back. In fact, they’re my new lazy Friday night meal option and I almost have enough stamps on my loyalty card for another free meal!

The two main things I’ve been eating there are the naked burrito (4HB friendly!) and the nachos (binge day friendly!), which doesn’t sound like a lot of variety, but I mix it up each time by trying different meats and topping combos (my favourite so far is the shredded beef). The naked burrito (burrito in a bowl, no tortilla) is amazingly tasty and they even had a great introductory special going for the first few weeks too - I did think $2 extra for guacamole was a bit steep, but it seems to be pretty reasonable when I look at pricing for other burrito joints. The nachos were pretty good too, though I would’ve preferred melted cheese to cheese sauce. No real complaints though!

My flatmates have also assured me that the tacos (of which you get 3!) and the burritos themselves are also delicious - and I see each of them destroying a Mad Mex meal at least once a week. In fact, I think one of my flatmates has been eating there at least once a day for the last 3 weeks. He doesn’t like to cook.

As a responsible journalist, I’ve done my research and was pleasantly surprised when I logged into the Mad Mex website. Not only do they have all kinds of information that gave me huge confidence in the healthiness of their food (the descriptions are actually a little bit mouth watering!), but they also have a calorie calculator for anyone looking to maximise their nutritional intake… or you can just go nuts, safe in the knowledge that you’re eating healthy.

Word on the street is that Mad Mex will shortly be opening a bar upstairs and I’m hoping it’s a tequila bar, with cheap shots, jugs of margaritas and salsa music. If it’s not, I’ll feel really betrayed, but I’ll still probably go there, because I like the place just that much. I also can’t wait til they start opening late on weekends, because if they do it surely won’t be long until the 2am kebab is replaced by the 2am burrito!

Go there now. Try it out. Or you clearly have no taste.

Hasta luego!

- Ross

Birdee Num Nums.. a place I’ve been coming to since I first moved to Brisbane. A bar I thought was a nice place to meet people and to catch up with friends. A place I didn’t realise was the scummiest place in Brisbane - though really, the signs were there. Located in the heart of Fortitude Valley and run by the Katarzyna group, you really can’t have high expectations.

Birdee Num Nums
608 Ann Street
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
P: (07) 3257 3644
W: www.birdeenumnum.com.au

Recently, following a friend’s party at Cloudland, I stopped by Birdee Num Num’s to catch up with a friend of mine who was upstairs in the new weird ass lounge room. As I walked in, a girl who I’d met at Cloudland grabbed me and asked where my friends were. Pointing at them, I walked over (followed by the random bar skank) and started dancing with my guy friend.. a little pretend bump-n-grind. Because we’re comfortable in our straightness.

Moments later, a security guard comes over and taps me on the shoulder. Apparently, I’d been touching girls inappropriately… a bit odd, since the only person I’d been even been dancing with was a guy friend… and there was certainly no touching.

Turns out, the girl who’d grabbed me (apparently Steph/Stef) seemed to not like that I had friends.. and apparently didn’t like that I chose to dance with one of them instead of her… and so she went back to one of her guy friends (Ben, apparently Katarzyna Senior Management), who she apparently seemed to be using for free drinks that night, who motioned a security guard over and next thing I know I’ve been told I’m inappropriately touching girls. Wtf?

I queried the bouncer on this and was told that “The manager” had told him to kick me out. When they brought down the Manager, “Big Will” (who declined to provide his last name), Will told me he had no idea what it was about, that he had ordered no such eviction, but that he’d find out. A short while later, Will returned to inform me that the girl who made the complaint was a staff member and indicated that while staff members didn’t normally drink at Birdees, an exception had been made in this case (presumably because of her relationship with Ben from Katarzyna). Clearly the girl had been allowed to drink a little too much. But still, her word apparently counts for more than mine - even though I asked Big Will to review the security footage.

So… moral of the story is - when you’re at Birdees and a female staff member is making advances towards you, don’t spurn her for the comapny of your friends. Or else you will be thrown out. Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn at Birdee Num Nums in Fortitude Valley.

- Dex

Prior to moving to Brisbane, I lived in Venice, Italy for 6 months, where I became absolutely spoilt on genuine Italian cuisine, with daily specials made fresh by a crazy chef named Gianni. At the end of my travels, I moved to Brisbane where I was dismayed to discover an absolute lack of Italian restaurants in the Brisbane CBD. For almost 2 years I have languished without a decent Italian fix, until one of my favourite new restaurants launched in December, Vapiano.

Vapiano
Albert Lane (just off Queen St mall)
Brisbane CBD
P: 07 3221 4933
E: will.cooke@vapiano.com.au
W: www.vapiano.com.au
Open every day, 11am - 11pm

Based on the premise of chi va piano, va sano e va lontano (taking things a bit slower to get it right), Vapiano offers a “fresh casual” dining experience that is anything but slow. Originating in Hamburg, Germany, the group now boasts 65 locations worldwide with their Brisbane restaurant leading the charge into the Australian market, with another Brisbane restaurant as well as Gold Coast and Sydney restaurants planned for 2010.

Despite their rapid growth, Vapiano prides itself on fresh, locally-sourced cuisine - with most of the food served-up being brought in from less than 150km away (a welcome treat for locavores!). In fact, the pasta they serve up is made in store daily, in their own manifattura. And the restaurant itself is superb, with tons of additional seating upstairs (as well as a bar, herb garden and olive tree) - not to mention the condiment tray at every table that includes a plant so you can add fresh herbs to your meal.

Now, the first time I went down to Vapiano, it was at the invitation of the restaurant itself. And of course they plied us with delicious food to get a good review (our reviews can be very influential you know). But, I wanted to see if the amazing quality held up when I was paying for it myself (my journalistic integrity is not so easily bought!), so i went down there again a few weeks later with a friend of mine, for a casual bite. Both times I had a bellisimo meal that completely slayed my 2 year pasta craving.

With the option to mix different pastas and sauces, as well as a heap of pizza options, there’s something in the order of 50 different meals you can choose from. So, it can be a bit hard to choose, but I found this just made me want to come back again. The first time around I opted for penne with a pollo e spinaci (chicken and spinach) sauce, which not only tasted great, but was also a very filling portion. Side note, when you’re in Italy, remember to ask for penne and not pene, as they have completely different meanings. My offsider on this occasion enjoyed a meat-loaded carne pizza, a nice light base that balanced nicely with the toppings and which took me back to late night pizza from the pizzeria in Venice.

On my second trip back to Vapiano, I had a bit more of a chance to see the Vapiano concept in action. As we entered the store, we grabbed our individual swipe cards that we would record all our meal purchases on (so we could pay at the end without worrying about splitting a bill) and then proceeded over to the cooking stations. This time around, we ignored the pizza and pasta stations and made straight for one off the four pasta stations. Opting for something light, I went for a campanelle con funghi (mushroom sauce) while my friend grabbed an arrabbiata (tomato, garlic & chilli). Now, even though mixing certain pastas with certain sauces is not traditionally done in Italy (Gianni would shake his head at fusilli carbonara!), the ability to pick the pasta to go with your sauce is something that I really like - I prefer short pasta and hate always having to make a special request when a menu explicitly says fettucine or tagliatelle.

Vapiano is like fast food pasta, only much healthier for you. Because the pasta is made fresh, and by using Vapiano’s unique cooking system, our pasta was ready in just 3 minutes, then topped with a sauce cooked on a wok in front of us while we waited. I really enjoyed my con funghi and my friend, who knows very little about pasta in general, couldn’t stop raving about his arrabbiata- or about how great an idea the restaurant was. It’s this kind of dining experience, incorporating healthy, reasonably-priced food and a casual atmosphere, that has made restaurant chains like Wagamama so popular and Vapiano has adapted the concept perfectly to serving up great Italian-Australian tucker.

So am I going to go back? Well, I already have. And with its convenient location to the cinemas at Myer centre, its great food at great prices, and the fact that it’s probably the only real Italian restaurant in the CBD (isn’t Il Centro more modern-Australian now?), you can rest assured that I’ll be there on a monthly basis, if not weekly.

- Ross

Living in Brisbane, with its proximity to both the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, it’s very easy for us to forget that Queensland has a tropical paradise, and one of the world’s natural wonders, mere hours away in our own backyard. And with both Virgin and Jetstar regularly running discount flights as low as $39 to Hamilton Island and the Whitsundays, there’s no reason your escape to paradise needs to cost a fortune.

Since moving to Queensland just over a year ago, I must admit that I’ve explored very little of the state - in fact, it’s a bit of a joke with my friends that I’ve only left the Brisbane CBD a handful of times. With my second year in Brisbane about to start, I made a resolution that I would endeavour to see more of what the “Sunshine State” has to offer and so when I saw the cheap flights up to Hamilton Island, I jumped at the chance to go.

Having lived on 3 different continents in my life and having traveled extensively overseas to visit family, it’s not often that I find myself getting excited about a plane trip. But, as the plane got closer to our destination, and we began to fly over islands and reefs in the Whitsunday island chain, I felt a spark of excitement flicker inside of me. And when the plane touched down at the seaside airport on Hamilton Island and I could see ocean and tropical islands out of my window, I couldn’t stop the big cheesey grin that leapt to my face - I knew this was going to be a great long weekend!

Though I flew to Hamilton Island airport, my four nights in Queensland’s tropical north would be spent staying on the mainland, as some free accomodation I’d organised with a friend’s friend who works on the island fell through. So the backpacker town of Airlie Beach was the next best budget option and after a quick ferry trip through the islands (with a brief stop at Daydream Island), I made my way to Beaches Hostel on the main street of Airlie Beach, where I’d managed to grab a bed for just $25 a night.

Beaches Whitsundays/Airlie Beach

356 Shute Harbour Road,
Airlie Beach Qld 4802

Phone: 1800 636 630
International: +61 7 4946 6244
Fax: +61 7 4946 7764
Email: airliebeach@beaches.com.au

Perfectly located across the street from the infamous Airlie Beach Lagoon and only a 10 minute walk to the Cruise Whitsundays ferry port at Abel Point Marina, Beaches also runs one of the more popular backpacker bars in Airlie Beach and you can find something going on down there 7 nights a week, even if it’s just a bunch of drunk backpackers.

One thing I especially loved about Beaches was their tours desk. Friendly beyond belief, the staff behind the desk will spend as long as you want planning out your time in the Whitsundays and were excellent in helping me save literally hundreds of dollars while helping me take best advantage of my time in the Whitsundays. For example, what most of the commercial tour desks in Airlie Beach won’t tell you is that backpackers and students can get a 2-for-1 reef & sail deal with Cruise Whitsundays, one of the local tour operators. And while I haven’t been able to claim the luxury of being a student for a few years, Beaches were able to sell me a Nomad’s backpacker card fairly cheaply, which let me take advantage of the deal.

Cruise Whitsundays - Queensland Australia

Phone: +61 7 4946 4662 (Tollfree: 1 800 426 403)
Email: info@cruisewhitsundays.com

Sales Office:
263 Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach

The first trip I took on my 2-for-1 pass was to Cruise Whitsunday’s Knuckle Reef Pontoon, for my first ever opportunity to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. A relatively new establishment, Cruise Whitsundays have specific zones in which you are permitted to snorkel, which ensures that the reef and its wildlife are protected from harm, while still allowing you to get an excellent look at the magnificent world below the surface. Needless to say I had lots of fun chasing fish around while humming the Jaws theme song. Throw in a fantastic lunchtime feast with plenty of fresh seafood, a bar where you can stay hydrated for the day, glass bottom and semi-submersible boat tours, as well as paid helicopter tours to Heart Reef (the world’s most photographed reef) and you’re looking at one fantastic day out on the Great Barrier Reef. It was truly an experience that you have to do at least once in your life and my only regret was that I only had the time (and funds) to spend one day doing it.

The second trip on my pass was Cruise Whitsunday’s Camira Sailing Adventure, which basically involves taking out a big purple catamaran for a day spent sailing through the majestic Whitsunday Islands, complete with morning & afternoon tea, a mouth-watering barbeque lunch and all the beer and wine I could drink in the afternoon, all while laying in the sun on the canvas at the front of the boat and watching the islands go past. A truly fantastic day, the Camira adventure also stops in at the world-famous Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. With powdery soft sand caused by the extremely high silica content and its aqua clear water, Whitehaven Beach consistently wins international awards and is a must do if you’re in the Whitsundays, even if you choose not to go on Camira (though in my opinion, Camira is the best way to do it).

For my last day in the Whitsundays, I decided to check out Hamilton Island, which has made headlines recently with its “Best Job In The World” marketing campaign. The day trip option run by Fantasea Cruises includes return ferry and bus shuttle, lunch in the Hamilton Island resort and access to all of the island’s resort facilities. As a much cheaper alternative to actually staying on the island itself, a daytrip lets you get a taste of what it’s like to live the luxuruous life without paying the luxurious pricetag. I spent the day chilling out in their pools, drinking in their bars, sometimes doing both (they have a swim-up bar), cuddling a koala (Hamilton Island wildlife centre is one of the few places you can still legally cuddle a koala), soaking up the sun and generally exploring the island. It was another day well spent and is definitely a place that I look forward to coming back to sometime soon.

The day that I had to leave the tropical north to go back to Brisbane was a sad day for me, but I know I’ll be back. The beauty and the tranquility that the north of our state has to offer is something that people spend thousands of dollars and travel thousands of kilometres to see - and it exists right in our backyard. Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef and swimming at Whitehaven beach are two truly “must do in a lifetime” activities and I can now happily tick them off my bucket list - though I’ll gladly add them back on just so I can do it again!

– Ross

For about two years after moving to Brisbane, I whinged to anyone and everyone that would listen that there were no decent Italian restaurants in central Brisbane. And it wasn’t until after Vapiano opened, and I was saying how nice it was to finally have an Italian restaurant close by, that somebody pointed out to me that there was Mellino’s Cafe Bar & Restaurant in the Brunswick St mall, serving up delicious Italian cuisine in what is literally a two minute walk from my Fortitude Valley apartment.

Mellino’s Cafe Bar & Restaurant
330 Brunswick Street
(Brunswick St Mall)
Fortitude Valley
P: (07) 3252 3551

Situated amongst the hustle and bustle of the Valley mall and with the potential to be witness to all manner of Valley culture, Mellino’s is perfect for those who like to people-watch while they dine. A casual atmosphere that boasts extremely friendly and personable staff, this restaurant has quickly become my new favourite date venue - it’s definitely a lot less intimidating than the curtained alcoves of Garuva around the corner!

So I’ve been here a few times now and have sampled pretty much all the food they have on offer. The garlic bread is delicious and always comes out before we’ve even had a chance to decide what mains to order. The pastas are all absolutely mouth-watering, medium-sized serves (that you won’t be able to finish) of your choice in pasta smothered in rich, delicious sauces that leave you nibbling at your plate long after your belly is full. And while I’m not a seafood eater, even I have to admit that I’ve been tempted by some of the delicious seafood pastas that I’ve seen go to other tables.

I’ve tried the pizza here a couple of times and while it was quite good, I wasn’t blown away by it. The selections are a little boring and old-fashioned and I generally find myself abandoning the pizza option in favour of a great pasta. That said, the times I have had pizza from here I’ve found it nice to have a pizza that was relatively non-greasy compared to those served up by other local restaurants - the base had a nice, floury texture that made the toppings more of an accent to the underlying pizza dough.

The mains here are also very good - though again, I’d say they are probably a little old fashioned. They’re certainly serving authentic Italian cuisine - don’t expect to get served chips with your parmagiana! - and are certainly very delicious, but I feel as if Italian food has evolved past what is on offer at Mellino’s. Then again, there are certain foods that never go out of fashion and when it tastes as good as what’s been served to me here, I’m not going to complain.

Mellino’s is one of those restaurants that keeps you coming back because there’s too many delicious sounding things to order in one meal. I’m only halfway through the pastas and I haven’t even had a chance to try one of the risottos yet. And with a specials board that seems to change quite regularly, I’m not sure I’m ever going to get bored of the food that’s on offer here. In fact, it’s lunch time… all this talk of pasta is making me hungry, I think I’ll go grab some right now, to go.

- Ross

One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Brisbane was the sheer amount of strip clubs that this city has to offer - with at least 10 between the Valley, the city and Caxton street that I can easily think of. Not that I frequent any of them often, but being a young single male in a city that is known for its high single male:female ratio, I have been known from time to time to swing by one with a few of my friends. And with all this choice, how is a fella to know where the best place to go is? Well, we think we’ve found it and you might be surprised to know that the best stripclub in Brisbane has turned out to be the Cabaret Club in Fortitude Valley.

The Cabaret Club
217 Brunswick Street
Fortitude Valley
p: (07) 3852 2023

The first couple of times that I got taken to Cabaret, I actually found the place really sketchy - a little dark and dingy. I’d generally been dragged there at 2am on a Thursday night, taken downstairs into this guy-filled room with really tired topless girls staggering around trying to make their rent money. I wasn’t overly impressed and refused to go back there for a while.

Then, one of my friend’s girlfriends started working there and she insisted that the place had really been cleaned up. After winding up there at the end of another mate’s buck’s party, I had to agree. The quality of girls working at Cabaret has shot through the roof (rivalling and even surpassing the glamorous Love and Rockets down the street) and the atmosphere has evolved into a much friendlier, cleaner, more fantastical environment - all the fun and heady naughtiness you’d expect, with none of the sketchiness you avoid.

For those who haven’t been to Cabaret before, it’s a completely different style of club than you might be used to. Yes, as you pass through the main door they have the private dance area off to the side. Yes, as you descend the stairs you enter a square room with a stage surrounded by tipping chairs. But what’s different is that the main dance room has cushioned bench seating all around the outside, and that the stage shows are really secondary to the rest of what’s going on.

Cabaret is infamous in Brisbane for its $5 lapdances and this is the main reason why people come here. Grab yourself a seat on the outside and as the girls work around the outside of the room, you’ll have the chance to enjoy a full contact lapdance for less than the cost of a drink. They don’t last long, but the idea is variety and quantity and this seems to be what the men of Brisbane really want - even in the early hours of a recent Wednesday evening visit, there were punters enjoying the company of Cabaret’s beauties.

Of course, if you want to sit at the stage and tip the dancers, or arrange for a private full contact dance, you’re more than welcome to do that - and you can certainly find rave reviews from those who have enjoyed the latter. The selection at the bar will also provide liquid refreshment of all varieties for those seeking it. But all of this is really secondary to the $5 lapdances. Get in there, find yourself a seat and enjoy.

So while the quest will surely not end, for now NewBrisbane is happy to crown The Cabaret Club as Brisbane’s BEST stripclub. If you’re out on the town and you and your mates are looking for some female company, then make your way down to Brunswick St in Fortitude Valley and check out Cabaret.