REVIEW: LONgTIME

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Love you, LONgTIME? Maybe...

There are so many places in Brisbane I want to eat. I have lists in my mind and lists in my diary of places I'm going. I wait for an opportunity to steer groups to one of these restaurants so I can tick them off my list. Then, other times, it's 9:30 on a Saturday night and we haven't eaten since lunch and shiz just got real. And our visit to LONgTIME was one such occasion.

LONgTIME is tucked between Birdies and the Peter Pan travel agency on Ann St, down an alley way lit with festoon lights and vines, the space outside had an almost Italian feel. I can't say I gave it much notice as I almost ran in and asked for a table. Even at 9:30pm, the host told us we were in for up to an hour wait! Well, my heart was already set so we settled in for the long time wait at the bar.

The busy kitchen.

I don't think it was in my mind that there was an air of fierce competiveness for a table: every time the host came near, all hungry eyes bored into him. Thankfully, the bar staff were very attentive and we were never without a drink in our hands. After literally 127 hours (not literally, it was 40 minutes), I had gnawed my arm off a la James Franco and was starting on the second when the host became the most beautiful person I'd ever met and took us to our table. Given that we didn't have a booking and were just 3 drunk souls who wandered in, a 40 minute wait on a Saturday night really wasn't that bad.

The interior with big communal tables.

LONgTIME is all about share plates and I must confess, I have a secret fear of share plates. I get panicked that I won't be full. Which is the worst thing when you've gone out to eat, in my opinion. But this fear is most assuredly unfounded, especially in company who know me well, as I'm not shy about taking the last spring roll. Even so, it wasn't without a little trepidation on my behalf, that we ordered.



Trust me, there were 2 more of these. We were ravenous!



 First to arrive was Bangkok Taco with Crispy Prawn Laab ($4.50 each). The tacos had the most wonderful crisp, deep fried shell. I could have eaten a bowl full of them on their own. However, I'm glad I had the prawn filling. The prawn taste was very strong but it was a good thing. They were bigger than I anticipated and at 10:30pm on a boozy belly, this was also a good thing.



There were 4 of these...don't worry, we gave them all a good home.


The tacos were devoured in almost an instant and quickly to follow them were the Longtime Pulled Pork Hock Bao with Fried Egg & Pickled Greens ($4 each). Four of these came out for some reason, even though we'd asked for one each. I thought maybe it was a freebie but it did turn up on the bill. Never mind. The dough of the bao was amazing, with just a touch of salty and soft as a marshmallow. The pork was well done and it's sweetness went perfectly with the dough. It was pretty special.

Nachos? Sort of?

The final of our starters was the Smoked Rice Noodle Nachos with Coconut Cheese Sauce ($8). Now this was something different and even days later, I'm not sure if it was good different. Instead of your usual corn chips or some sort of crispness, LONgTIME have used little sausage-like pieces of rice noodles. It was most unexpected, however it can't be that unexpected as it's right there in the name of the dish. The sauce had a strong coriander flavour and also that of a BBQ sauce. I felt a bit undecided about this dish but Mr. Cakes and company quite liked them.  

Penang curry, which is my favouritest curry.

For the first of our substantial plates, we ordered the Penang Curry of Grilled Pork Loin, Pickled Ginger and Peanuts ($29). Now my heart did fall a little when this dish came out. For $29, it was a bit small. And since it's a share dish, that's extremely upsetting. Also, the meat wasn't amazing, the pork just a touch tough. I think I would have preferred chicken. However, the curry sauce itself was delightful. The nuttiness and sweetness was perfectly balanced.



Crying tiger. Maybe he was crying about the price.



Next up was the Crying Tiger 12 Hours Slow Cooked Chargrilled Rib Fillet, With Roasted Rice and Lime Dressing. The price on the menu was $36,  but the waiter advised us that it would be $42 because of the serving size that night. The meat in this dish was amazing. It absolutely melted in my mouth. Everything about this was amazing. Again, the price to size ratio might have been a little off, but when you consider what a steak costs in most restaurants, it wasn't the worst value in the world.

Uhhhh there may have been more of this. Obviously still learning in the restaurant reviewing department.

Leaving the best til last, we had the Salted Crispy Pork Belly Pad See Uw, Chow Sum and Pickled Chilli. At $18, this was by far the best value and I think the best tasting. We saw a return of the sausage-like noodles and while I still was not the biggest fan, they suited the sauce of the pad see uw much better. It was the crispy pork that was the stand out star in this dish, and each mouthful of pork and chow sum (which is maybe the correct was of spelling chow sum?) with the wok flamed flavour was so tasty.


The lovely laneway.

The service at LONgTIME deserves a shout out too, as our glasses were never empty and the staff were excellent at making wine and cocktail recommendations as well as being wonderfully well humoured. LONgTIME's staff are a credit to the restaurant.

LONgTIME offers a great option for late night dining and some really unique menu items. Both the space and the staff are fantastic. I'm not sure I'm in love just yet, but I'm keen to go again to see where things go.

Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Price: 2.5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5

SYDNEY REVIEW: Dunbar House

The charming Dunbar House.

I had two amazing culinary experiences while visiting with my lovely sister in Sydney at An Restaurant and the amazing Rockpool. When I then went to stay with my lovely best friend, she wasn't about to let the food adventure end. We caught an exciting ferry out to the absolutely stunning Watson's Bay and I got my first look at the historic Dunbar House, resting prettily on a undulating rise near the bay.


Such a pretty building, with picture perfect blue skies.

The house was built in the 1830's  for the Colonial Treasurer before becoming various hotels until 1924, when it then became the Vaucluse Council Chambers. Finally, Dunbar House underwent it's final transformation into the charming venue it is today. It's been lovingly restored with a modern take on a period dining room, with embossed wallpaper and impressive fireplace. Since we visited on a sunny early spring day, we decided to sit on the patio and take in the sparkling water views.


The beautiful dining room with modern touches.

The menu at Dunbar House was extensive, with many different options from venison to duck, burgers and pastas. My friend chose the Slow Cooked Berkshire Pork Belly, Celeriac, Apple & Radish with Spiced Crackling ($27) with a glass of 2014 Botolobar Shiraz ($11). I went with one of the many seafood options, the Macadamia Crusted Barramundi Fillet with Fennel, Asparagus & Zucchini, Dill Pesto ($29) and a glass of 2013 Charlotte Sounds Sauvignon Blanc ($11).

The pork belly soon to be in a belly.

The pork looked really tempting when it came out and it was a good size. The salad that went with it cut through the fattiness of the meat and the celeriac, apple and radish were classic accompaniments to the pork. The pork was slightly overdone on the outside and as a result the layer of fat under the top was not very rendered very well. It didn't ruin the meal but it might have benefitted from being cooked longer on a lower heat.


The barramundi soon to be in a mundi? Doesn't work as well as the pork belly one.

My barramundi was very good with a nice crispy skin underneath the macadamia crust. The portion was well-sized and the salad was fresh. There was not a lot of fennel, but for me, this is a good thing as I find it can be very strong and sometimes overpower a dish. The fish was cooked well, still a little fleshy and soft in the centre like it should be. It was a very nice dish, perhaps ever so slightly bland but I do have quite a strong taste for salt.


I see you, Moon! You think you're so clever being out in the day but I see you! Go home, Moon, it's not time for youyet!

After we went to a bar across the way in Watson's Bay Boutique Hotel called The Beach Club where we had a few drinks then had a hilariously difficult ferry ride home but that's another story.


Ahh what a beautiful day!

In summary, lunch at Dunbar house was lovely with one of the best views I've ever had the pleasure of eating in front of. It was so peaceful and relaxing to look at the bay. The menu is not particularly inventive but there's nothing wrong with sticking to the classics.

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

REVIEW: London Porterhouse

London Porterhouse!

I'm dying to try the duck ragu at Beccofino. Just dying to. So when my sister came up to visit, after some initial negotiations, we decided to go to Beccofino at Teneriffe. Now I know you can read and the title of this post is London Porterhouse, not Beccofino so you know something is up. Beccofino in their great wisdom do not take bookings. I'm sure this benefits them and ensures they are able to keep the restaurant turning over but it does not benefit my intense, burning desire to eat their duck ragu! Why won't you take my money, Beccofino?

Since we couldn't stand around for an hour while a table freed up, I remembered there was another restaurant I had been wanting to try close by so I called them up and they could seat us straight away. London Porterhouse is an Argentinean inspired meat-centric restaurant, which I think is slightly misleading given the English sounding name. It is a pleasant deception though as it is not soggy pub fare but rather robust steaks and smoky ribs so I knew as a group of keen carnivore's, we'd be well fed.

We arrived and were seated at a nice large table in the outside seating area which was perfect in the cool evening breezes. Noel, the owner and manager was very helpful in assisting us to order drinks and they arrived quickly. With our thirsts slated, it was on to the ordering. For entrees, we ordered from the tapas menu.

I don't see any mint on this plate but it was not missed.

First up there was an order of Pan Fried Haloumi with Fresh Lemon, Mint and Balsamic ($9). It came out with a crumbed coating which was unexpected but was very useful in soaking up the lemon juice. I've never been that crazy about haloumi and didn't find this mind blowing but perhaps if you're a bigger fan of the Cypriot cheese, you'll be more excited. I did like the crumbing which lends itself to my fondness of crispy fried things.


Oysters Kil-bolognese



A half dozen Oysters Kilpatrick ($20) was next for an oyster connoisseur and a very tough critic. These were reportedly very good, not amazing, though they were all devoured quickly. I did think the presentation could have been improved as the Kilpatrick sauce reminded me of Bolognese.



Perfect 'C' shaped bites of prawny flesh.



For the next entrée, Mr. Cakes got the Porterhouse Chilli King Prawns ($18) and the presentation of this dish was much more impressive! The spices were visible and it was a generous portion, they did not skimp on the prawns. The flavours were well balanced and the chilli did not overwhelm the prawns. Mr. Cakes said that some of the prawns had a over-soft texture which might be an indication of them being frozen.


Pork belly with delicious caramelised apple on top.



Two of the happy diners were less indulgent than the rest of us and shared the Crispy Pork Belly with Caramelised Apple, Red Slaw and Seeded Mustard ($15). The presentation of this was also well done and the portion size was generous for the price. The coleslaw cut well through the fat of the pork belly and the seeded mustard was a classic pairing. The caramelised apple appeared to be poached with a nice firmness. The fat could have been a little more rendered but overall, it was crispy and delicious.



My ill-chosen mussels. 



The final entrée was mine and I selected the Beer, Chilli Jam and Coconut Mussels ($16). I had been hankering for mussels for a few weeks and couldn't pass up the opportunity, even though I was slightly concerned about the beer as I'm not a beer drinker. Unfortunately I was right. The chilli and coconut flavours were amazing and again the portion size was generous. The Turkish bread pieces were great for mopping up the juices but with each mouthful I could taste some sort of bicarb-y flavour which I can only contribute to beer. I really think this was a poor choice on my behalf more than the dish though.


The first Rib Eye...the other one looked just like this but with potatoes. Imagine it in your mind tank.



With the entrees being a little hit and miss, we moved on to the mains. Steak proved to be the most popular with four out of six diners choosing some sort of steak. Two 300g Pasture Fed Rib Eyes ($33), one with steamed veg and roast potatoes and the other with steamed veg and fries were ordered. The South American influence came through with chimichuri sauce on the side. Both rib eyes were juicy, cooked as requested and the chips were amazing.


The ever so lady like eye fillet.



The 200g Grain Fed Eye Fillet ($31.50) with veg and roast potatoes was a plump medallion of tender juiciness. The platter of plate that the steaks were served on dwarfed petite serving but anyone who orders an eye fillet knows it's quality over quantity with this cut. Seasoned well and cooked well, steak was proving to be a good choice.

The Porterhouse of London Porterhouse. That would have been my choice had I not already won the ordering game.

The last steak was the 400g Pasture Fed Porterhouse ($36) with chips and veg also. The namesake steak proved that good red meat was the star of London Porterhouse. The porterhouse was also nice and juicy, cooked perfectly.

Ahh what lovely presentation!

One of the only two non-steak meals ordered was the Oven Roasted Barramundi with Baked Potato, Steamed Asparagus and Lemon Butter Sauce ($27). Here the finesse of the kitchen really shone through, with the presentation being more fine dining than steak house. The skin of the barramundi was crispy and the asparagus spears were steamed to perfection. The fish itself was moist and not overcooked like fish can so easily be. The lemon butter sauce was delicate and was delightful with the asparagus. Highly recommended.


Yabba dabba do!

Now for my dish which if I do say so myself, was the absolute winner. I ordered the Beef Ribs in Red Wine, Tomato and Sweet Chilli Glaze, in an entrée size ($17) and because I'm a genius, I ordered the Chilli Maple Onion Rings ($8.50). This single Flinstone sized rib with chips was served to me and I was in heaven. The bone pulled out cleanly and the meat fell apart in the most delectable way. It was sticky and unctuous. And if this was the entrée sized, heaven help the person who orders the main sized. And the onion rings. Oh me oh my. Huge circles of sweet onion fried in the crispiest light batter with a maple chilli creamy goodness. I was very sorry to have to share with the silly people who did not order their own. If I was a dog, I would have growled. The takeaway message here is get the onion rings!


Mmmmmmm hmmmmmm....

And just for you, here's another shot...I could stare at this all day.

 I'm not usually one for dessert as I'd rather stuff more savoury in but in the face of incessant pressure, the House-made Doughnuts with Chocolate and Caramel sauces ($9.50) were ordered. They were wonderfully warm, freshly cooked and sweet. Everyone at the table thoroughly savoured their nibble and the sauces were lovely, with the caramel being especially nice.

London Porterhouse was a little shaky to start with some of the entrées being underwhelming but they finished strong with all the mains wonderfully cooked and all the servings were generously sized. Service was wonderful and the staff served were happy, helpful and accommodating. And I would go back for those heavenly, sassy onion rings.

Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Price: 4/5
Atmosphere: 3/5