REVIEW: Pearl Cafe

The breakfast café scene in Brisbane has exploded in the last few year, perhaps even as far back as a decade ago.  In this world of revolving door restaurants, opening and closing with the wind, 8 years is literally a lifetime. Pearl Café is a Brisbane landmark, open since 2008. Tucked in the chic café district of Woolloongabba, the café is an anchor establishment. We visited on an overcast Saturday with hopes of some sunny eggs to brighten up our day.

The café was busy but not so crowded that a table couldn't be snagged quickly. We sat inside the café, which has exposed brick interiors and the atmosphere of a French bistro. Although perhaps because of the exposed brick, the noise of conversation and the din of café business bounced around with nothing to dampen it. It is a noisy space, but the ambiance is warm and so it's easy to rise above the cacophony.

I'd heard things about the Pearl Café butterscotch milkshake. It's legendary around the Brisbane milkshake scene...what do you mean you've never heard of the Brisbane milkshake scene? It's a thing, I'm telling you. And Pearls milkshakes are reputedly a pearler. Ha. Classic. The legend was true. The shake was thick, which is already half the battle won. The butterscotch flavour wasn't the strongest, but the shake wasn't cloying or overly sweet.

For meals, we stuck to what Pearl is famous for, the classics. We each chose Two Eggs Your Way with Toast for $11. I choose scrambled eggs with a side of mushrooms ($5). The eggs were scrambled perfectly, they were creamy and buttery. The mushrooms were not amazing, they were a touch bland and the serving size left something to be desired. More mushrooms. Boom!

My friend chose her eggs poached with a side of bacon ($6). The poached eggs were overcooked, which I confess I prefer. Runny egg whites turn my stomach. My dining partner though prefers her eggs in the conventionally poached way. Each to their own. The side of bacon though was something to behold. It was thick and caramelised, with lovely crunchy bits.

Pearl deserves its landmark status and it's clear to see why it's the anchor café of the Woolloongabba dining district. While some things weren't perfect, it's nice to have a place to go for those pared back, home cooked flavours. Others may buffet about on the winds of food trends, Pearl sticks to simple food, done well.

Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Price: 3/5
Atmosphere: 4/5

REVIEW: Morning After

So cool.

Morning After is the relative new comer to the West End dining scene and a darling amongst bloggers. It's easy to see why with it's chic interiors, precast concrete furnishings and hanging plants, it's crying out to be snapped and uploaded with a Valencia filter. However, even though Morning After has all the trappings of an ultra cool café, it's still welcoming with a down to earth vibe and friendly staff. The first thing I thought when I entered was what a great place to bring friends to show off your knowledge of the hippest Brisbane cafes. 

So Instagramable.

We choose a table along the wall, with a bench seat covered in AstroTurf coloured upholstery. The open and breezy interior was the perfect location for our midweek brunch and heightened my anticipation for our meals. 

So vanilla.

We started with some drinks or as Morning After calls them, Elixirs. The chai was served in a very pretty vintage style cup with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon on top. The chai was a little underwhelming with the traditional spices tasting under-brewed and muted. Although there wasn't a traditional milkshake on the menu, there was a blend called simply Vanilla, made up of vanilla bean, spiced syrup, ice cream and milk ($8).  Don't order this drink expecting a milkshake, but it was a nice vanilla milk drink.

So pretty.

Having seen Morning After pop up in my Instagram frequently, I knew the croquettes and the pakora were the signature dishes. Firstly, the Sweet Potato and Poppy Seed Croquettes with Mixed Mushrooms, Manchego and a 63 degree egg ($18). The crust of the croquettes was delicious and gave way to the soft, flavoursome spiced sweet potato mash. In the centre of the plate was a small pile of chorizo and mushrooms with the 63 degree egg balanced on top, with it's yolk ready to spill forth.

So hashbrown no filter.

Our second choice was the Sweet Corn Pakora, Fried Egg, Haloumi, Avocado, Smoked Corn and Watercress ($16) with an . The pakora themselves had a great flavour punctuated by the pieces of sweet corn. However the batter of the pakora were a bit dense and thick. Everything else on the plate was delightful, especially the cobs of corn. Obviously avocado goes with everything and hashbrowns are always a good idea.

So chic.

Morning After is not perfect, the drinks were lacking and the pakora were little floury however the staff were attentive and all other food on the plates worked wonderfully. And with interiors and presentation worthy of your Insta followers, it's also worthy of your custom.

Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Price: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5

REVIEW: La Quinta

La coo ca raa cha! La coo ca raa cha! La quinta la la la!

It's been a while since we visited La Quinta so it was high time we got back. La Quinta is the older sister of the American restaurant directly next door, Southern Attitude, which I reviewed early last year. And while usually older sisters are just the warm-up for the smarter, prettier, better at cooking and shut up Tegan for the younger sister, in this case, the original really is the best.

La Quinta is always pretty busy of an evening, so lunch time is the best time to go without making a reservation. Although one time we made a reservation and they didn't have a table for us but for this review, that's neither here nor there.

We went to a restaurant "to celebrate the jobs they hadn't actually performed, with money they hadn't actually earned"

La Quinta have a fantastic ordering system. When you wish to have the attention of the waiter, you place a little flag atop a wooden cactus. The staff are really quick at noticing the flags and the whole system is very efficient. Drinks arrive very quickly. We kicked things off with some ice cold Coronas ($7.50 each) and a frozen margarita ($12) which went down an absolute treat on a steamy hot Saturday afternoon. To see exactly how it went down, check out my flip book on Instagram.

Pro dip combo right there.

We ordered a few starters to go with our icy cold beverages. We choose the Trio of Dips ($16) with Corn Chips and Tortillas, and since we're flipping pros by now at La Quinta, we choose the creamy Guacamole, the cheesy Queso and the LQ Fire Roasted Corn Jalapeños. Can you see how that combination works? Amazingly.

Dang, yo. Mexican food does not photograph well.

Our next starter to share was Smoked Chorizo with Sofrito Paste ($10.50). Sofrito paste sounds pretty unappealing but don't think so hard about it cos it's delicious. It's a tomato based sauce and pro tip: get a bit of the chorizo, with a scoop of the sofrito and pop it in a bit of tortilla and a dollop of the queso. Your mouth is now in party town.

I'm gonna have to do this..."If you like pina coladas..."

A piña colada was now in order to take the heat down and La Quinta's Original Puerto Rican Piña Colada ($12) was simply too good. I smashed it in about 30 seconds. So then we followed it up with more coronas! This was turning into a most enjoyable fiesta!

Those beans look like mice poops.

The first main was two tacos for $15, one taco with Hickory Smoked Chicken, Avocado, Pineapple, Chipotle Mayo and one with Refried Black Beans, Pico De Gallo, Cheese taco. The chicken taco was tasty and full of Mexican flavour however the refried bean taco left a little to be desired, with no cheese or pico de gallo to be seen. So a bit of a miss on the tacos.

They're not the prettiest, but ugly is tasty.

Next up, a serve of Beef Enchiladas, topped with Ranchero Sauce and Jack Cheese ($22.50). Though not the prettiest of dishes, the enchiladas were saucy goodness, wrapped in La Quintas chewy, fresh tortillas. The accompaniments were huge, and went some way to improving the lacking tacos.

Look at those bubbles of crispy goodness. This is by far my favourite dish.

Finally, although my eyes scanned the menu and my mind turned over many options, I returned to my old favourite: The Tostada El Grande ($24.50). It sounds suitably grand, doesn't it. The tostada el grande is a moreish and crispy fried flour tortilla bowl, filled with pulled chicken, lettuce, tomato salsa, cheese, refried beans, rice, guacamole and sour cream. I don't think there's been one occasion that I haven't ordered this, and trust me, if you are at a table with friends, and you don't order this, you'll be very jealous. Luckily, it's so huge, you'll probably end up getting to try some as even I can't finish it.

La Quinta is a great, casual restaurant with a fun vibe and unique ordering system which is a novelty. It's been around for years and it's easy to see why. The food is fresh and generous, I always recommend La Quinta for a casual meal out.

Food: 3.5/4
Service: 4/5
Price: 3.5/4
Atmosphere: 3.5/5

REVIEW: Harveys Bar + Bistro



Lovely Harveys is a great place for people watching.

Can I just ask why, if they're going to serve breakfast at an establishment, why do they not serve it all day? Do they not know that I drank one and a half bottles of the second cheapest wine from a inner city pub last night and had to sleep til 9 then lay around in my pants for an hour watching reruns of The Love Boat? And therefore cannot possibly be expected to present for breakfast before 11 am? Do they not know!? Outrageous. And this is why we did not have breakfast at Gerards Bistro but instead made the perilous journey across the carpark driveway to Harveys Bar + Bistro. And you think I'm joking when I say it was perilous, but I'm not. Range Rover drivers think James Street is their personal Grand Theft Auto game and we're nothing but dispensable street walkers scurrying out of the way.

I'm not a fan of Dave Hughes, his voice annoys me but the women who sat down after he left were more annoying.

In any case, we made it across the driveway like frogs in a Frogger game, in the rain no less. We were seated with a slightly peevish attitude which was offset by the plum table in the corner of the outdoor patio area. We ordered drinks, two Bellini's to get the morning started in true New Farm style. While we supped our breakfast cocktails like two extras from Ab Fab, we did happen to spy a well known comedian (who I won't name, lets just call him Dave Hughes) seated at the table next to us.


I want all the liquids!

After we'd sated both our a.m. alcohol and celebrity spotting needs, we got down to the need of food. I was pleased to see a caramel milkshake on the menu and did my honourable duty of ordering one. And I was pleasantly surprised, I had not picked Harveys for the makers of a fine milkshake but they proved me wrong. The texture was silky and thickened with good quality ice cream. And though I could taste ice cream, I could taste milk. Which sounds strange, but with ice cream and caramel flavour, it's rare to actually taste the milk. The caramel flavour was a little weak but overall a very good milkshake. Check it's ranking on the Cassie Cakes Milk Bar.

I took all those chilli flakes and it was awesome.

Our breakfasts were delivered soon after. First was the Confit Potato, Ricotta and Spinach Omelette, with Tomato Chutney and Chilli Flakes with Serrano Jamon for $19.90. The omelette was packed with flavour, the egg was soft but also cooked through. The omelette is often a skill test for chefs, a simple dish but when done well, it's light, yet rich in flavour. And the omelette cooker at Harveys had it down. The jamon was perfect, salty and tasty. Had we not gone with the optional ham though, the dish might have been lacking a little.


Oh I wish I had this now. I'm jealous of past myself.

The second dish we ordered was the Potato and Feta Roesti, Creamed Sweet Corn, Poached Egg and Herb Salsa for $17.90, with bacon for $5.50 extra. The rost, or roesti as it was written, was really squat and fat, which usually means the insides would be stodgy and dense. But this roesti was really transcendent! The outside was crisp and the inside was light, fluffy potato, like it had been whipped by the wings of angels. The bacon was salty, thin and crispy and there was a dollop of sour cream that paired perfectly with everything. Also, creamed corn is amazing and I love it and I want to marry it. I was hugely impress with the poached egg, also perfectly cooked, no translucent white bits that can turn me off my breakfast. That's a lie, nothing turns me off food.


Yolk porn.

It is obvious to me why Harveys is a New Farm institution. Everything on the menu was simple but it was done so well. For this approach, I would really love to visit Harveys for dinner. And besides a slightly unhappy greeting, all the other staff were lovely and helpful. And hey, maybe that one member of staff was hungover too.

Food: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Price: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5 

REVIEW: Sassafras Canteen



Will you look at that sky!

On a fresh spring day, what better thing to do than brunch. And on a leisurely weekend, there's no reason to stay local so off we traveled to the other side of the city to try a café that's been on my must-try list forever and a day. Sassafras, the pronunciation of which I found inordinately difficult, sits on a bend on Latrobe Terrace right in the middle of Paddington. Parking was a little sparse and as such, we parked at the bottom of a basically 90 degree incline and used mountain goats to scale the sheer cliff face of suburban Paddington.

Lovely courtyard.

Once we'd thanked the Sherpa's, we made our way to the café. A cute shop with a awning and some stools at the front, the outside appearance belies the size of the building, with rooms leading on to rooms and back into a spacious, leafy courtyard. We took a couple of menus and sat down at a well-worn wooden table, complete with knee rugs. In the crisp morning air, with dappled sunlight over our table, we really felt like we had found a suburban oasis.

Hey table. Hey bench. Meet my butt.

After perusing the abundant breakfast menu and making some very challenging decisions, we went up to the counter to order. The staff behind the counter were very helpful and were able to help us narrow down our choices. We returned to our table and soon after, drinks arrived, with the waitress who dropped them off curiously apologising for the totally appropriate wait.


You might as well leave, juice. Ain't no one looking at cho.

Sassafras have so many cold drink options with smoothies, shakes, iced drinks and juices. For drinks, we ordered a Freshly Squeezed Beetroot, Orange, Carrot and Ginger juice for $7, which is lovely if you like beetroot in your juice and a Caramel Thickshake for $8. And here's the bit I've really been excited about telling you about. I am going to try to refrain from too many capitals and exclamation marks...BUT I'M NOT PROMISING ANYTHING! This shake was so flipping good! It was thick! It was flavourful! It was cold! It. Was. HUGE! I couldn't finish it. Seriously, can you remember a time when that happened? Because I can't. And I've known me all my life. Delicious. Creamy. Perfection. Do I need to tell you where this shake rates on the Cassie Cakes Milk Bar?

This is my porn.

Getting a shake that right put them at peak position for me. Sassafras had no where to go now but down. Our food arrived soon after and it looked as though Sassafras were not scare of lofty heights. We ordered two dishes, sharing both and they were both presented wonderfully. We started with savory, Potato, Feta & Mint Rostis with Poached Egg, Onion Relish, Mushroom, Tomato and Rocket Salad for $19. The rostis were delicious with what I think was semolina on the outside to make them extra crisp. There were flecks of mint which gave a fresh burst in the mouth. The relish and mushrooms were good too, I could have used some more mushrooms but since they weren't the hero of the dish anyway, what can you expect. The egg was also well poached with not yucky clear bits. It was a solid dish.

If I can eat fried potato at breakfast, I'm happy.

Because life is all about balance, we had the Belgian Waffles, Lemon Curd, Vanilla Ricotta and Fresh Passionfruit for $16. Plus, a side of ice cream for $2 cos this ain't my first time at the rodeo, son! The waffles were light and airy, not doughy and overly dense as some waffles can be. I wouldn't have minded if there were a touch more cooked, as the outside was a bit soft but as my friend pointed out, we did eat them second so they may have softened.The ricotta was lovely but I think I would have missed the ice cream if we hadn't ordered it. The lemon curd was tart and a perfect accompaniment. Again, it was a lovely breakfast treat.

And in the morning, I'm making WAFFLES!

I have to say, Sassafras has got to be one of the best breakfast places I've been to. It was comfortable, welcoming, the food was great and the shake was the best thing that's happened to me since Sam chose Snez on this years season of The Bachelor. #SamandSnez4eva. I thoroughly recommend making a visit to see for yourself. 

#CasseieandThickshake4eva... how cute are the ice cream rings!

Food: 4.5/5
Service: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 4.5/5

REVIEW: The Vietnamese



This place has been here since before I was born and is still doing a busy trade...that's got to be legendary in the restaurant scene.

Long before there was banh mi and rice paper rolls in every food court, there was The Vietnamese, a Valley icon serving up Vietnamese 7 days a week. With criminally cheap prices and one of the ever dwindling number of BYO restaurants, The Vietnamese has established itself as the perfect place to line your belly before a night out. We called in late on a Thursday night and even after 9 on a school night, the restaurant was still busy.


I took this as we were leaving after 10:30, so it's uncharacteristically empty.  

We were seated without much fanfare, no one's coming to The Vietnamese for the service - while the staff aren't rude, they're not going to walk you through the menu or be sparkling conversationalists. My feelings weren't hurt though, I'm though like that. After a few minutes, we signalled to the waiter that we were ready to order. For entrée, we ordered a serve of Vegetarian Spring rolls, $7.50 for 4. The spring rolls arrived as soon as they were ready and at the same time as the mains. Ain't no fancy fine dining course timing here!


Some nice hand modelling there.

The spring rolls were fine, each spring roll was quite large, hot and fresh. They didn't taste like the best spring rolls out but they also aren't out of the freezer and for less than $2 each, you can't complain.


FUN ROLLS! They are fun! You even get to open your own plastic bag!

My lovely lady friend ordered the Fun Rolls ($13.00), in Stir Fried Satay Chicken. The fun rolls are make your own rice paper rolls. I've never seen them called fun rolls anywhere else but I adore the name. And rolling your own really is a lot of fun! The dish comes with cooked rice noodles, crispy lettuce, mint and an insane amount of satay chicken as well as rice paper and a bowl of water to soften them in. It's messy and fun. The chicken was a little bit fatty though, but still delicious.


Before I customised it...

As has been documented on this blog here and here, I have a deep love for pho. Wikipedia has just told me that it originated in Northern Vietnam and spread through the entire country during the partition of Vietnam in 1954. So there you go. When you come to Cassie Cakes, it's not just about the food but the history as well. I should get that trademarked.

...and after! Love me some bean sprouts.

Anyway, so I ordered a bowl of Pho, on The Vietnamese's menu as Sliced Beef Noodle Soup. I ordered a large bowl for $10, the regular bowl is $9 and I thought, for only $1 more, why not go large? Because it's obscenely large, that's why. And I know this. Every time I go, I think, 'I'll get a regular' because I know I can't eat it all but then I see it's only $1 more for the large and here I am, drowning in pho. But what a happy death. The pho comes with the usual accompaniments and as usual, I add the chilli in by the tablespoon. The pho here is not the best, I won't lie, but it is good and decent, with all the desired flavours of coriander and star anise. And the price can not be beat.

And my feelings about the pho at The Vietnamese really sums up my feelings about the whole place. It's good, not amazing, but well priced, hot and fresh. And once you factor in how much you save with BYO, it's a great pre-gaming venue before a night out. Plus it makes me think of my friends and good times and that's nothing to be sniffed at.

Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Price: 4/5
Atmosphere: 2/5

REVIEW: Ananas

Just off Argyle street is this little gem.

First off, I will apologise for the quality of these photos. It was lovely and romantically lit inside the restaurant which made photography a bit challenging. Plus, it was my birthday and we were drinking which also made photography challenging. Had we not had such a wonderful time which I want to tell you about, I wouldn't be posting these terrible photos. If something doesn't look amazing, it's me and the camera, not the restaurant.


Oui, indeed,

Those mitigating circumstances aside, let me tell you about Ananas. If you've been following me closely, you'll know about my obsession with all things French and being my birthday, I wanted to have a sophisticated French dinner with my best girls, who both live in Sydney. So I went on a hunt for French restaurants in Sydney! And found Ananas. Which means pineapple in French, and pretty much every other language.

Pretty table flowers.

We walked down the cobble stone alley way and up the stairs for our 8pm sitting. We were greeted quickly and walked through the busy cocktail and bar dining area to a large, plush booth at the back. The restaurant was low lit with candles and rustic chandeliers, it really felt like a wonderful date venue. But dates can include lady dates! The atmosphere was great, and even a not-so-keen eye could spot the namesake fruit dotted everywhere.


Lets get turnt!

We ordered cocktails, one Ananas Bellini ($19) which was vanilla, honey, pineapple and champagne,  two PBE Martini's ($20). The bellini was fruity and bubbly, but for $19, I'd want more than just some champagne. Which is why I got a PBE Martini. I don't know what possessed me to get a coffee based cocktail as I don't drink coffee. I drank it though as I figured the coffee would give me a boost in addition to the alcohol.

Creamy butter soup. Butter soup...I bet I could make that with 500g of butter and a hot day.

The waitress was so patient with us and we ordered each course one at a time, talking too much and drinking a lot. Generally being merry. But she kept coming back and helping us out with menu details and topping up our drinks. Eventually we got around to ordering. To start, we were given a complimentary veloute - a French soup, thickened with butter - made from apple, fennel and black garlic. The soup was creamy and smooth, but I couldn't pick up any of the garlic.


Big shoutout to all the body parts of friends and family who appear in my photos.

We got things started in earnest with our starters...wait, I see what I did there. First, we had 6 oysters, at $4.50 each. We choose the Merimbula oysters which were Sydney rock oysters. They were plump little oysters, served with 3 sauces of which the cocktail sauce was the nicest with the oysters. They were plump and flavourful.

Can I be really uncultured and say this pate tasted like Strasburg ham? But I mean that in the best way possible. I love Strasburg ham!

The second of our starters was Le Pate de Campagne - country style duck terrine with cherry gastrique and brioche ($23). This dish was delicious! The duck and the cherry sauce along with the brioche struck a balance with sweety and salty. It was snaffled up in no time.

That's some shadow over that risotto. I'm sorry, risotto. You deserve better.

For our first entrée, we ordered Le Risotto a Notre Facon - Ananas style risotto for $24. The risotto changes depending on available produce. When we visited, the risotto of the day was beetroot, asparagus and speck. Other than colour, the beetroot didn't lend anything to the dish but the asparagus was firm and the little bits of speck were little chewy treasures in the risotto.

Shadow strikes again. I even know how to get rid of those shadows but my mind was pretty addled by this point,

Our second entrée was Les Langoustine - crispy scampi papillotes with sweet basil, extra virgin olive oil and sauce rouille. Sauce rouille is basically a fancy mayonnaise. I really liked this, it was one of my favourite but I don't know how French it was. The crisp pastry and plump prawn were cooked really well, but the sauces were little more than decoration. A bit more of them would have been nice.


Snails. You may use your fancy name but I know you're snails. And that's what I couldn't get over.

Now since we were in a French restaurant, how could we not get the snails! Les Escargots ($22), Burgundy Snails, parsley, garlic butter and hazelnuts. And it was my first time. They came out in a dish specifically made for escargot, which I thought was pretty cool. There were little discs of pastry atop the snail in parsley. I can't say that I would order them again. They tasted fine but for me, I couldn't get over the texture. My dining companions who had more experience in the snail eating arena both agreed they were very good and for my first escargot consumption, it was a good introduction.

Lamb shanks are da bomb.,



We had chips too! Cos where there is Cassie, there are chips.

After some more drinks, we ordered our mains. Because not everyone is as awesome as me, two of the mains were entrees. For my main, I ordered the L'agneau ($44), lamb, charred eggplant puree, couscous, yoghurt and capsicum. This dish is usually lamb rack but on the night we visited, they ran out of lamb rack so it was a lamb shank instead. This was very pleasing to me. The lamb was unctuous and tender. I would have liked some more eggplant but this is fine dining. There was a good serve of couscous and the meal itself was well portioned. I enjoyed it very much.

Pretty, but small. Just like the lady who ate it!

For the next main, we ordered Le Saumon ($27), citrus and cognac cured ocean trout, petits potato galettes, cucumber, dill and radish. This dish was quite small but the waitress advised us of such. It was beautifully presented and the fish absolutely melted in the mouth.

How can raw meat taste so damn good?

The final main was so wonderfully French, Le Filet en Tartare ($24), steak tartar, capers, quail egg and toasted brioche. Ordering steak tartare is said to be the biggest compliment to the chef, as you trust the quality of their meat. And the chef didn't let us down. The steak didn't even need chewing and with the quail egg mixed through, was so delightfully creamy. The amount of steak was also really generous. It appeared to be a whole steak, which is good for a high quality steak.

I wish you could hear the crack of that chocolate. Amazing.

We were stuffed to the gills with fine French food but it was my birthday so the girls got me a dessert, with a candle and everything. We ordered the Snickers Revolution ($19). There was no description on the menu, what was presented was a chocolate cylinder of mousse atop candied peanuts with a quenelle of peanut and chocolate ice cream. What it was bliss. A dish of pure transcendence. As full as we were, I think we all could have had a hundred more. It was the perfect way to end the night...or the dinner part of the night anyway.


Also this. Source: here.

The atmosphere was dark and romantic, the staff were helpful and the food was lovely. Ananas was an absolute pleasure and my only complaint about the restaurant is that they're so far away.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Price: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4.5/5