New Brisbane

It was Thursday afternoon, I was feeling a bit exhausted from work and I knew there wasn’t a scrap of food in the house. Then, as sometimes happens to me, I get a call from a friend and the first words out of his mouth are “I feel like steak. You in?”. Well, of course I am - and that’s how we ended up at Fiasco Steakhouse at the Morrison Hotel in Woolloongabba, one of Brisbane’s best steakhouses.

Fiasco Steakhouse
640 Stanley St
Woolloongabba
Hours: 7 days, 12pm-2pm, 6pm-10pm

There are several steakhouses in Brisbane that seem to vie for the title of Brisbane’s best steakhouse - among them are Cha Cha Char in Eagle Street, The Norman in Woolloongabba and Fiasco, also in Woolloongabba. Not willing to outlay the money required by Cha Cha Char for a Thursday night meal with the boys, it’s either The Norman or Fiasco. And while one of my friends had a not-so-great experience there, he is like me in that he’s always willing to try a place twice, and so we trundled on down there to check it out. I’m quite glad we did.

With another friend in tow whose normal schedule sees him working somewhere in the oil fields to the north, we rock up around about 7:30 and are promptly shown to our table - it gets busy there from time to time, even on a Thursday night, and so my forward thinking friend had even booked us a great table.

Sitting down outside, our drink orders were promptly taken and delivered with blinding speed, while we purused the incredible menu set before us. I must admit, though we had come down for a steak that night, there were a few things I was very tempted to try out that were not on the grill menu. In any case, I ordered the wagyu rump and my friends each got the 360g special bacon-wrapped rib fillet and the lamb roast.

Again, it wasn’t long before our meal came out and it’s pretty safe to say we were all pretty happy with what we got. My Wagyu was topped with herb butter and came with my choice of salad and chips or potato, and I was particularly impressed by my ability to order the caesar salad as a side, which is rare to find in a restaurant in Australia. Garnished with a piece of garlic bread, the meal set down before me was exactly what I was after - filling, delicious and a “just right” sized serving.

I was a bit surprised to find that my friend’s 360g size serving of the house special rib fillet came out as two 180g steaks, but as my friend pointed out, that just meant more bacon to go with his steak. The steamed side of steamed vegetables that were ordered was huge and turned out being enough for everyone at the table.

All up, Fiasco delivers a high class meal in what is still very much a casual environment and for that I applaud them. The only possible fault I could find is that we were never asked if we wanted a second round of drinks, but if I’d really wanted another drink, I’m sure I could have easily got one. Next time I want a great steak and a good night catching up with friends, I’m definitely heading back to Woolloongabba for a feed at Fiasco.

– Ross

With all the hype surrounding the launch of Cloudland, which has only been enhanced by the cloak of mystery that club management has thrown around the venue, I, like most people, was quite keen to check the place out following its Friday launch last week. Sadly, I had to work all day & night last weekend and with the Miss Hawaiian Tropic National Final coming up this past weekend, I knew I wouldn’t have a chance to check it out. Fortunately, Cloudland is open 7 days a week and so a friend and I went down last Thursday to check it out.

Cloudland
641 Ann St, Fortitude Valley
T: +61 7 3872 6600
F: +61 7 3872 6699
E: management@cloudland.tv
W: www.cloudland.tv

Operating Hours:
Monday - Friday: 11am til late
Friday & Saturday: 11am til 5am
Sunday: 11am til late

Showing up around 8pm, we approached the rainbow-like interplay of lighting that forms the facade to Cloudland and entered through its grand doorway. Once inside, the humidity pleasantly dropped, as the closed roof and climate control worked together to prevent the wet and sticky atmosphere of outside from pervading the air inside. And like everybody else that walked through the door that night, we stopped about two steps in, to take it all in.

When Cloudland is fully completed, it will feature a total of 5 floors - the main courtyard overlooked by two interior levels, as well as a rooftop garden and a basement wine cellar. For the moment, only the main courtyard floor and the floor above it are open for business, but this is certainly enough to get a good taste of what the future venue will have to offer.

The main floor is dominated by a large, open courtyard with a retractable roof, a water feature, wire frame statues (including one we nicknamed “Jesus with a penis”) and lots of lush greenery. The main floor also features the restaurant and, having decided last minute that we would like to eat dinner as well as try out their cocktails, we went to the bar to see about getting a seat. Sadly, even on a Thursday, eating at the restaurant during opening week required a booking and so we had to watch on jealously as a couple were led to the booth overooking the water feature that we’d had our eye on.

However, I’d seen from the menus on their website that Cloudland had quite a good selection of tapas and other share platters, so we asked if we could see the menu for those. Unfortunately, we were told that all the menus had been stolen over the opening weekend, due to their opulent decoration. Not to be put off, we pointed at a passing platter and said “order us what they’re having and give us a look at your cocktail menu” - the cocktails were the real reason we had come to check the place out, after all.

Sadly, the cocktails were on the same menus that had been stolen and so we couldn’t choose from the glorious range that I’d seen advertised on their website and I was quite disappointed about that. You see, it’s forgivable that their menus got stolen - that’s something that’s beyond their control and I’m honestly not surprised it happened, but what is unforgivable is that by Thursday the following week, they had not printed and laminated some temporary replacements. I know they’re going for a classy look and so it may take a while to reprint their ornate menus, but even A4 laminated pages have got to be better than not having menus at all.

Determined to try the cocktails I’d read about, I wrangled one of the recipe sheets away from the staff and we managed to kick off the night with a couple of the drinks we’d been looking forward to trying, a Peach & Passion Bellini (a satisfying twist on the Harry’s Bar classic) and a Bubblelicious Martini (Bubblegum-infused Vodka, Chambord, lemon juice & “champagne”). All the drinks we tried throughout the night were great - either subtle enhancements on classic cocktails, or the venue’s own creative, delectable concoctions.

One thing we weren’t overly impressed by though, and which has been mentioned to me by a few different people now, is the wait at the bar. With a range of complicated cocktails and too few staff, expect to wait around 20 minutes for each round you order - and that’s not even on a weekend. The staff also don’t seem very experienced mixing cocktails - when ordering a Brazillian Flaming Punch, the girl behind the bar didn’t strain the ice and passionfruit seeds out of my drink after shaking, and then couldn’t get the sugar to light, even after dousing it in Bacardi 151. But, the overall taste and price of cocktails more than made up for this, and I’m sure they’ll get it right in time - there are always going to be teething problems in any new venue that opens.

The downstairs area was pretty well appointed, with some cool tear-drop seats, dining tables overlooking the water feature and enough stools and tables to suit the Thursday night crowd, however we found that the jazz band which routinely struck up a tune made any sort of conversation impossible. After what was no doubt a big launch weekend, the club was already showing a few signs of wear, with some broken decorations on the tree wall, some missing balustrade mountings and a few other minor issues, but again I’m willing to put these down to teething problems

When you walk up the stairs to the first floor, you’re greeted by a lounge area that looks like something out of Cirque du Soleil, with a hodge podge of colours and themes. There’s obviously been lots of money spent on the lighting, as this area is lit up like the inside of a lighthouse. Immediately to the right of that is the famed glass bar, constructed out of thousands of glass balls, and beyond that, another lounge with slightly more seductive, darker lighting. In the other direction is the outdoor smoker’s lounge, which lacks any kind of cover from the rain. Now while I normally have no problem with smokers getting drenched, my companion for the night was a smoker and she thought that the smoking area could use some cover from the rain, particularly as we are going into winter, which is traditionally more rainy.

All up, I think that Cloudland has what it takes to be one of Brisbane’s premiere venues. From what I’ve heard, it’s already getting great numbers through the door, as well as some great reviews, and if they manage to get past some of the teething problems mentioned in this article, they’re sure to firmly establish themselves as a Brisbane icon.

– Ross

It’s been a hectic two weeks at work for me, as I’ve been working evenings and weekends to get a project finished. So on Wednesday this week, after only 2-3 hours of sleep the night before, as I stared vacantly at the wall behind my computer monitor, my co-workers looked at me and decided they needed to take me out to lunch. But, in my sleep-deprived state there was no way I could handle a trip down to the pub, so we decided to go for something a little different. And that’s how we ended up at Krishna’s cafe in the West End.

Krishna’s Cafe
82 Vulture Street
West End QLD 4101
Tel : +61 7 3844 2316
Hours: 11:30am-2pm weekdays

If you know where to look, you can find a Hare Krishna restaurant in most cities in Australia. Famous for serving up cheap and generous portions of their wholesome vegetarian fare, Krishna’s Cafe in its upstairs West End location is no exception, with an all-you-can-eat buffet option available for $9 (or $8 for students and $7 on Tuesdays).

As some of my workmates were a bit timid about trying something a little different, I was ceremoniously pushed through the door to the cafe first, where I was greeted by a friendly smile behind the corner. After asking for a meal, I watched as a metal platter was heaped with generous servings of rice, dahl, salad, koftas and a vegetable curry, then topped off with pappadums and a side-bowl of halva (semolina & custard pudding) for dessert.

Featuring an entirely vegetarian & vegan menu, you also won’t find any garlic or onion in the food served at Krishna’s, as these are believed to inflame the passions. And though I’m generally a ravenous meat eater, I found the Indian-style food to be extremely filling and satisfying, to the point where I couldn’t even finish what was on my first plate (leading my co-workers to the incorrect conclusion that I didn’t enjoy my meal).

You also won’t find any beverages on the menu at Krishna’s, but they do offer a free chilled lemon, ginger and mint drink, which not only refreshes but also aids in the digestion of the meal. Everything at Krishna’s is truly designed to be good for the body, mind and soul, and this drink is no exception.

After a wonderful dining experience, I can honestly say that I felt a lot better when I left Krishna’s. I’d ingested some delicious, wholesome food and I could already feel it working to undo the damage that recent stresses had taken on my body. So, if you’re looking for something a little different next lunchtime, make sure to check out Krishna’s cafe in the West End. It may not be a religious experience, but it’s definitely a spiritual one.

If you’ve talked to anyone who’s anyone over the last six months, you’ll have heard of Cloudland. Expected to be Fortitude Valley’s next big thing, unavoidable delays in the club’s construction have only served to increase the hype over this upcoming bar and finally, this Thursday night, the club opens with what is expected to be an explosive, invite-only gala event.

Cloudland
641 Ann Street
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Open 7 Days a week. Tapas from 11am-11pm.
A La Carte Lunch & Dinner menu available.

Nestled between Mustang Bar and Empire Hotel on Ann Street, Cloudland is hardly in an ideal location, but if The Met has shown us anything, location is irrelevant when you’ve got a high quality venue that people will line up around the block for. And with a $10 million make-over to complement the powerful vision of club owner Raphael Bickle, success promises to be the only option for this new landmark venue.

Boasting to have an atmosphere expected to appeal to slightly older punters, Cloudland finally creates a destination in the valley for the over 25 socialite. And unlike the cramped and musty Bowery, who previously seemed to cater to this demographic, Cloudland appears to be all about open courtyards and high ceilings, which certainly seems to be a trend that the more popular up-and-coming venues are moving towards. And it’s about time, too - the Valley has too-long been defined by shoebox sized clubs, it’s time to go bigger.

With March 26th being the date of the super-elite, invite-only official launch party (even I couldn’t score an invite), the public itself can visit Cloudland as of Friday the 27th, when the first two levels are reported to open. And with a rooftop bar, basement cellar bar and another level due to open later in 2009, it’s unlikely Cloudland is going to be a place you want to miss.

We’re about to see the dawn of a new era in the Brisbane night life scene.

So with management doing a great job of maintaining a cloud of mystery around Cloudland’s launch, the anticipation has been astronomic, though it still remains to be seen how successful the venue will be. But, from what this humble reviewer has seen so far, we’re about to see the dawn of a new era in the Brisbane night life scene. So make sure you get on down there and check it out for yourself - I know I will be.

– Ross

Following a great night at Love and Rockets checking out the club for the last review, we were invited back to the club for a VIP party to celebrate the anniversary of the first walk in space, which was taken on March 18, 1965 by Russian Cosmonaut, Aleksei Leonov. Although this fits in with the overall theme of the club, it was obviously just an excuse to have a party - and since none of us seemed to mind, we once again made our way towards the glowing rocket on Anne Street in Fortitude Valley.

Love and Rockets

693 Ann St, Fortitude Valley
phone: +61 7 3252 2608
fax: +61 7 3252 4348
e-mail: valley@loveandrockets.tv
web: www.loveandrockets.tv

Meeting my friends at the designated location my usual 15 minutes later than planned (honestly guys, it’s not on purpose), my friends and I made our way to the club, where we were lovingly let inside (yes, you CAN be lovingly let inside somewhere) and almost before our feet touched the ground inside the doorway, a buxom waitress in her space-age outfit was proffering drinks to us from her tray.

My entourage for the night consisted of my photographer and his model friend as ‘+1′, a friend of mine and his model girlfriend as his ‘+1′ and my buddy Ben as MY ‘+1′. Despite Ben’s assurances that he’s a handsome devil, I couldn’t help but feel as if I got the raw end of this deal. Anyway, in we went and promptly found ourselves a spot to enjoy the action, which at this early stage of the night primarily consisted of the girls walking around in their evening wear while the party guests lounged anywhere they wanted.

Being a VIP night, we really did have full run of the club, and so once we’d checked out the evening wear of the girls, had a few champagnes and tasted a few canapés, we ran upstairs to the super-duper VIP area where we took the opportunity to snap some fancy photos while we lounged around on the private dance couches. I once again admired the hand railings above the chairs and then we went back downstairs to grab a booth in the VIP lounge.

With two of us being non-drinkers, the club manager suggested we try out this new drink that’s about to hit Australia, and which they were promo’ing for the night. Named “Nexcite”, the drink was touted to us as a “mood enhancer” - sort of like an energy drink, but more to stimulate your mood than to get you energised. My friends raised dubious eyebrows, but gave it a try anyway.

Turns out, Nexcite used to be called “Niagara” in the US, named for the waterfall, and was being sold as the “female equivalent to Viagra”. By the time we found this out, my friend’s girlfriend had already drunk about 5 of them and after she whispered something in his ear, he announced that they had to go. I guess it works.

Having gotten there early, the real fun of the night began at 9pm when the special guest came on stage. Armed with an angle grinder, she danced around the poles on stage, occasionally stopping to shoot sparks off of her belt - it was a truly electrifying show (hehe). Afterwards, the normal girls came back on stage and the night progressed as usual, with that level of class and elegance that I’m coming to expect from Love and Rockets.

Now, in case you’re thinking “Well, a VIP party sounds great and all, but how am I meant to get invited to soemthing like that?”, then you need to check out the Love and Rockets website. Signing up as a member is the only way to keep informed of special upcoming events like this one and, from time to time, offers will be extended to the people on their mailing list to join in the fun.

– Ross

At 10pm on a Monday evening in the Brisbane CBD, there’s not too many places serving food and so we found ourselves in quite the predicament when catching up with a friend from out of town late one Monday evening. Fortunately, we knew there was somewhere we could go 24 hours a day that was guaranteed to give us a good feed. And while I’d never been there, I’d heard good things, so off to Pancake Manor we went.

18 Charlotte St,
Brisbane 4001
Ph: 3221 6433
Web: www.pancakemanor.com.au
Open 24 hours

Located inside what was previously St Luke’s Cathedral, the Pancake Manor is a Brisbane icon, serving up thousands of delcious pancakes every week, 24 hours a day. Whether it’s to late night drunks, early morning families or late morning hangovers, everyone knows that you can get a cheap, reliable feed at Pancake Manor, regardless of the time of day.

So after wandering from closed restaurant to closed restaurant, we finally decided upon Pancake Manor, where we were promptly shown to a booth. However, deciding that the booth was far too cramped for 4 medium-large sized males, we moved to a table and began leafing through the menus.

Despite the beauty of the architectural wonder that is the former church come pancake house, I was once again assaulted by the cloying sickliness of fake maple syrup as I sat choosing my meal. I won’t make a big deal out of it, but once you’ve been inside a wooden shack where for decades 100% real maple syrup has been created by boiling down the tree sap, and the wood itself is imbued with real maple essence, it’s hard to adjust to the scent of the fake stuff. I challenge anyone to show me a Brisbane restaurant that uses real maple syrup.

The menu itself was rather pleasing, with pictures of all the different options deliciously presented. The hardest part at this point became which one to choose, as there were several that looked good. All the more reason to come back I suppose. I went for the Bananarama (Two buttermilk pancakes with grilled bananas, butterscotch sauce, cream and vanilla ice cream), while those around me went for the short stack (2 pancakes + syrup/ice cream), the long stack (4 pancakes + syrup/ice cream) and the chocolate jewels (Two chocolate pancakes with chocolate ice cream, cream and our homemade chocolate sauce).

The meals came out without too much of a delay and we were soon hoe’ing into our flapjacks as the conversation floated around the table. The pancakes I can gladly say were just right - not too fluffy and not too flat (a benefit of using real buttermilk!) - and it wasn’t long before we’d all wolfed down our meals.

Now, for those that are thinking “But I don’t want to get pancakes at 4am”, then you need to know that the Pancake Manor doesn’t just do pancakes. You can get an entire range of food, including snacks & breads, items from their grill, salads, savoury crepes and a whole range of breakfast items. They also do individual billing, so that if you’re there with friends, you only have to worry about having a good time and not how the bill is going to be split at the end.

So despite the fact that this is my second review in two months featuring me eating pancakes, I don’t get to eat pancakes very often. It’s good to know however, that when I do have that pancake craving, there’s somewhere in the city that I can go any time of the day to get my fix, Pancake Manor.

Following a disappointing experience at B Confidential, our thoughts turned towards finding a gentleman’s club in Brisbane that we could say nice things about. Newly opened, with two venues in Fortitude Valley and Petrie Terrace, Love and Rockets was soon brought to our attention and with its website proudly touting that they are “Brisbane’s BEST stripclubs”, we decided to put that claim to the test. Thus began another Friday night adventure in the Valley.

Love and Rockets
www.loveandrockets.tv

693 Ann St, Fortitude Valley
phone: +61 7 3252 2608
fax: +61 7 3252 4348
e-mail: valley@loveandrockets.tv

also

130 Petrie Tce, Brisbane
phone: +61 7 3367 0782
fax: +61 7 3252 4348
e-mail: petrietce@loveandrockets.tv

For anyone who’s driven down Ann St at night lately, you’ll no doubt have seen the big red rocket proudly proclaiming Love and Rocket’s presence to the world. Like a beacon of salvation, my hand-picked group of chums and I honed in on the rocket, for what promised to be a great night of drinking and adult entertainment.

At the front door, we were greeted in an extravagantly appointed foyer by a bubbly young lass, who promptly took scans of our ID (required) and called a waiter to show us to our booth. As we ascended the stairs into the interior of the club, I was delighted to see that the foyer’s elegance was not just a facade and that the entire club has been adorned in a tasteful and opulent decor - with its marble bar, seductive lighting and vibrant atmosphere, Love and Rockets is a place that makes you feel richer just for being there. Then my attention was immediately and completely diverted by the sheer number of beautiful, smiling girls and things got even better.

With its marble bar, seductive lighting and vibrant atmosphere, Love and Rockets is a place that makes you feel richer just for being there

For anyone who’s ever been to a gentleman’s club, you are probably aware that it’s not unusual for there to be a high ratio of guys to girls, or that the girls who are there are not overly appealing. Fortunately, Love and Rockets not only had beautiful girls, but they also had an ample supply of them and as we took a seat in our booth we were afforded a commanding view of the action going on in the club.

The centre of the club is taken over by the main stage, a raised platform featuring poles at either end with tipping chairs around its edges. A few oddities here caught my eye - the first of these is that the poles have handlebars at the top which, while it may be considered cheating by some, afforded the opportunity for an increased range of acrobatic feats that can be performed by the girls. Not only that, but because the poles also rotate (something else I’d never seen before), the girls are capable of reaching incredible speeds. I did overhear the DJ say that the girls wouldn’t remove their clothing without tips, which is contrary to what I’ve experienced elsewhere (where the girls use their time on stage to show off what they have so guys will buy private dances), but with tips apparently starting from $20 the girls are obviously using their stage time as a primary source of income.

I was also impressed to see Love and Rockets offering bottle service - something I’ve seen in very few clubs outside of North America, so I was especially pleased to finally see it in a Brisbane club. Starting from $330, bottle service includes complimentary express entry for 4 people, VIP seating, a personal waitress, your own bar and VIP treatment all night long. Having experienced this treatment personally, I can say it’s well worth the cost - the staff were highly attentive, the view of the stage was fantastic and the bottle service was inebriating.

Since we had asked for a quick tour of the establishment, the next place we were shown was the private dance area. Situated away from the main stage, the lap dance area was both elegant and secluded and with its own bar and TV screens one could imagine there would never be a reason to leave. Much to my delight, there was also something else in this room that I hadn’t seen before - noticing a railing that ran around the entire perimeter of the room, I innocently asked if it was for curtaining off for privacy. I was wrong. Instead, the railing is designed for the girls to lift themselves up so that they can perform better moves and to provide a better view while they’re dancing for your pleasure. Quite innovative, if you ask me.

Upstairs from the private dance area is a private VIP function area. Similar to the downstairs area, minus the private bar, the upstairs area is where you can come if you’ve got bottle servive in addition to buying a dance from a girl. Sort of like the Champagne room concept that North American clubs have, the upstairs VIP room is where you want to go if you’re looking to get treated like a prince (provided you’re willing to lay down some dollars for the privilege, of course).

By about now you’re probably wanting to hear a little more about the girls. Well, I can definitely say that the girls there are not only good looking, but are also friendly and welcoming, with most of the ones we spoke to coming from outside of Australia (Sweden, France, etc). Experts of their craft, the girls at Love and Rockets left you feeling important, as if you were a king rather than just a wallet with legs. When you visit a strip club, you know the girls are there to earn money, but it’s always nice to see the girls do it in a way that doesn’t leave you feeling used. Some of the pole work was also quite impressive and being a new club I imagine this will only get better over time.

So whether you’re looking for the perfect place to throw your buck’s party, or are just looking for a great night out with the boys, Love and Rockets should definitely be at the top of your list. Instilled with an incredible elegance and glamour that’s reinforced by an attention to customer service second to none, Love and Rockets have definitely earnt their self-proclaimed title and I will readily agree that they are the best strip club in Brisbane. Make sure you check it out - and don’t forget to become a member of their website, for exclusive access to events and promotions.

- Ross

A group of friends and I all had different plans this past Saturday night, but we decided to catch up for a quick feed and a drink before going our seperate ways. As we were walking towards The Caxton on Caxton Street, we passed Kitty O’Shea’s and, seeing that the Miss Hawaiian Tropic competition was holding an event, we decided to duck in and check it out. An Australia-wide competition that’s had about 30 heats over the last few months, we were fortunate enough to land upon the last heat of the competition, the “Wild Card” heat, with the winner going straight through to the national finals in April.

Kitty O’Shea’s
23/25 Caxton Street
Petrie Terrace, 4000

Tel: [07] 3368 1932
Fax: [07] 3368 1920
Web: http://www.myspace.com/kittyosheascaxtonst

When we first rocked up at the bar, things were looking a bit quiet and we were somewhat concerned that our group of 5 would be the only gentleman in the audience. Nonetheless, we grabbed our drinks, ordered some food and took a seat out on the patio while we waited for the event to start. Fortunately, shortly before starting, a large group of guys showed up - some of which were fall-over drunk, but at least they filled up the venue. Side note - my Kitty Burger was delicious, despite the name.

As the event prepared to commence, we relocated inside and found ourselves some primo seating along the side of the bar, with a great view of the stage. After a slight delay, Supa Tony, the MC for the night, exploded onto stage, setting an awesome energy for what proved to be a great evening. Supa Tony, who runs several of the major modelling events in Queensland, did an amazing job of psyching up the crowd and by the time the girls were ready to come out, we were all ready to see some models.

The first category, the fantasy wear section, had the girls strutting their stuff on stage in outfits and props that I normally only see at Halloween parties. And while all the girls were absolutely gorgeous, the real stand out here was Jade the Naughty Nurse, who kicked off the show (and the cheering) with her sultry strut and glowing smile. Needless to say, if all nurses looked like this, there’d be a lot more heart attack patients around the ward.

It was around about midway through the first category that a few of the more enebriated guys from the large group began getting closer to the stage - not something you particularly want to do when the girls are swinging around wakeboards, spears and yes, even a sword. Fortunately, Kitty’s security were well on top of things and kept the situation completely under control, only having to have a few stern words with a couple of the guys.

The second category, the bikini section, had the girls back on stage showing off their bikini wear and, being the Miss Hawaiian Tropic, you have to imagine that looking good in a bikini must fit into the job requirements somehow. The girls certainly did not disappoint, dropping jaws and raising cheers as each one did her turn on the catwalk before stopping to jam with Supa Tony for a while and to tell us a little about themselves. Myself and my friends each had our own favourite and we were all cheering her on as the models gave us one last view up on stage before the judges tallied their scores.

Special congratulations should go to the girls in this week’s heat who were up on the stage for the first time, of which I understand there was several. I’ve been to a few of these sort of competitions before and while I don’t consider myself an expert, I believe all the girls acquitted themselves remarkably well. Not a hint of shakey nerves and they were walking that catwalk like they were born to it. It can’t be easy getting up there to start with, but it must be even harder when you know you’re up against girls who’ve already won several competitions and who are all quite gorgeous.

Now, if you want to lend your support to a Brisbane local and help the well-deserved winner of this heat, Chelsea, take out the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Australia crown, then make sure you get down to the finals at Billy’s Beach House in Surfer’s Paradise on the Gold Coast on April 4, 2009. She’ll be competing against girls from all around Australia in what promises to be a huge event. Tickets are only $10 and you can buy them in advance from Billy’s Beach House.

Miss Hawaiian Tropic Australian Finals
Saturday 4th April 2009
Billy’s Beach House
Cnr Hanlan Street & The Esplanade
Surfers Paradise 4217

Tel: +61 7553 15666
Web: www.billysbeachhouse.com.au

As for Saturday night’s event, I can honestly say we had a fantastic time. We were set to have some quiet warm up drinks, but instead ended up kicking our night off on a massive high and we all ended up staying in Caxton St longer than we originally intended. The venue was perfectly suited for the event and the staff were all friendly and helpful, even the bouncers who had to put up with a few annoying drunkards (for once it wasn’t my friends). I definitely plan on making it back to Kitty O’Shea’s the next time we feel like some warm-up drinks, particularly if there’s models there! Thanks go out to Optical Note Photography for the photos.

- Ross

When I first moved to Brisbane and was waiting for my downtown apartment to be ready, I stayed for about a month at Bunk Hostel in Fortitude Valley. Little did I know that the bar attached to the hostel which I spent my evenings drinking in was an iconic Brisbane nightlife spot. That bar is Birdee Num Num.

Birdee Num Num
Cnr of Ann St and Gipps St
Fortitude Valley, Brisbane City
Ph: 1800 65 22 34

At heart, Birdee Num Num is a backpacker bar and on any given night of the week you will always find a large number of funnily-accented people in there drinking beer and having fun. Unlike some backpacker bars however, Birdee Num Num lets in people that aren’t backpackers too, and the masses regularly line up almost around the block in order to join in on the fun times that Birdees has to offer.

The inside of the club is pretty chill, with a long main bar and plenty of lounges that you can spread out and hang with friends on while you sip your drinks. Inside also features a dancefloor, complete with podiums, which is guaranteed to get packed when their nightly DJ starts cranking out the dance tunes.

I recommend the Long Island Iced Tea, or an Absinthe Redbull if you’re feeling brave.

Outside is by far one of the best beer gardens in Brisbane and is a great place to chat with mates over a well-priced jug, while you play pool or lean on one of the many benches. The outside beer garden also plays host to a rather large cocktail bar, featuring an impressive menu - I recommend the Long Island Iced Tea, or an Absinthe Redbull if you’re feeling brave. The outside bar also does a strange twist on ’shots’, by far having the biggest shotglasses I have ever seen used in a bar. The smoking area at Birdees is also worth commenting on - although small, it is extremely sociable in there and you’ll often see people doubling up on eachother’s laps just so that they can stay and join in the party that goes on back there.

But Birdees isn’t just good on the weekends. Throughout the week, Birdees offer a range of backpacker/student priced meals, which are not only tasty but also have pretty good variety. And as if that wasn’t enough to draw you down earlier in the evening, there’s a 2 hour happy hour every night, as well as regular nightly drinks specials.

And if you’re looking for a place to host a function, Birdees caters to that too. With both outdoor and indoor areas able to be roped off, there’s plenty of room for all your guests. If you prefer, you can also exclusively book the club for your function, to ensure your guests aren’t disturbed by any riffraff from the outside world. More details available from the number listed above.

So whether you’re looking for a place to kick off your night, or a place to keep it pumping, Birdees is the place to be. I’ve been there past many a 3am lockout and imagine I will see many more. Don’t forget to say hi to Dion behind the bar.

- Ross

Back when I was a struggling student in Perth, somebody gave me a VIP card that got me express entry and drink discounts at Mustang Bar in Northbridge - Perth’s equivalent of the valley. Upon moving to Brisbane, I was pleasantly surprised to find a Mustang Bar in Fortitude Valley and so being the scammy schemer that I am, I thought I’d see if I could use my VIP Card in Brisbane. I couldn’t, but when they offered me a $50 bar card instead to welcome me to Brisbane, I decided I’d head on down with 25 of my closest friends.

Mustang Bar Brisbane
633 Ann St
Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006
Tel: (07) 3257-4439
Fax: (07) 3257-4493
Mobile: 0403430463
Email: sam@mustangbar.com.au

Hours: Friday 4.00pm - 5.00am
Saturday 2.00pm - 5.00am
Plus Open for Bookings and Special Events.

For those who haven’t been to Mustang Bar before, it’s created in the style of a North American Sports Bar, with wood panelling, big screen TV’s for all your sports events, pool tables upstairs & down, and the entire right hand side of the club given over to a long bar. It plays generally pop-rock music (the type you’d hear on your average commercial radio station), with your odd classic thrown in, which makes a nice change from the doof-doof dance music that the valley is known for.

Now, if you can judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing to them or for them, then the staff at Mustang Bar deserve a medal. Having only mentioned that I was a cardholder in WA (which I became by simply signing up on their website back in 2003), and having NOT mentioned that I’m a writer for a prominent Brisbane night life site, the team at Mustang literally rolled out the carpet for me. And while I normally leave my judgement until the end, I’ll say right away that Mustang Bar is definitely the place you want to hold your next function.

What I had hoped when I decided to hold a function there was that we would be able to book a roped-off section of the upstairs function room off on a Saturday night, as I was quite keen to check out their retractable roof. Unfortunately, we couldn’t book a Saturday for a few weeks and, due to our smaller numbers, it was recommended we use their downstairs function area on a Friday night.

Mustang Bar is definitely the place you want to hold your next function.

However, I’m quite glad things worked out the way they did. Friday is a bit quieter on the valley and while Mustang was busier than most places would’ve been, with lots of people dancing and drinking, it wasn’t packed. I personally hate any venue where the line for a drink is four people deep, or where I can’t dance without getting bumped every two seconds.

Fortunately, the drink service at Mustang Bar was speedy and reasonably priced and, even after we lost our two hours of drinks discounts and private bartender, everyone in my entourage had ample opportunity to get their drink on. The crowd also picked up around 11 o’clock and by 12 Mustang Bar was going off - despite the fact that nobody seemed to come dressed in school uniform (apparently there was a theme that night!).

Overall, I was extremely impressed by my Mustang Bar experience. The venue was warm and welcoming, the music was good, the drinks were speedy and cheap, and everyone you spoke to was having a great time. What more do you want in a venue? I still wouldn’t call it an every-day place, but I’ll definitely be dropping by Mustang Bar more often when I’m in Fortitude Vallely.

- Ross