Habitat Restaurant and Bar, West End [Spring Menu Tasting]

A creative menu driven by unique Australian produce.

WHERE // Habitat Restaurant and Bar, 187 Melbourne St, West End

 

Nestled on a street corner in West End, Habitat is one of the many new restaurants that have popped up this year. The atmosphere is very trendy, with the restaurant floor sitting under street level. The fitout is finished with mood lighting and wooden tones to all the furnishings. We were invited along to try out the new Habitat Breakfast and Lunch menus.

WHAT // We had a good look at a large portion of the menu, so instead of posting individual thoughts on everything, I will summarise. My overall opinion was that each dish was well thought out, with various interesting flavour combinations that I hadn't seen before. Some options were more daring and probably too advanced for my palate (see: anchovy salad), but most of the dishes were presented very nicely. The prices were very good for the dining experience you have at Habitat (most around $15).

BREAKFAST

 Smashed avocado, sliced kumato, fresh basil (13.5) + haloumi (4)

Coconut soaked Quinoa, spiced rhubarb dukkah, toasted almonds (13.9)

 Habitat feast plate, free range eggs, baby chorizo, free range bacon, white bean casoulet, fried mushroom and tomato, sourdough bread (22)

Savoury mince burrito special.

Free range Eggs Benedict, smoked leg ham, spinach,  sourdough toast, hollandaise sauce (16)

 Vegemite and cheddar loaf, smoked bacon, free range poached eggs, rocket macerated tomatoes (13.5)

Twice baked pumpkin and honey soufflé, rocket parmesan feta (14) Sounded a lot more interesting than it looked - didn't get the chance to taste it though.

LUNCH/DINNER

 Salted brown anchovies, white bean, baby kale, saffron aioli, garden flowers (16)

 

 Crocodile dumpling with an Asian inspired consomme (14), which was very flavoursome.

 Pickled watermelon radish, tatsoi avocado, chervil, pumpkin mousse, beach bananas (14).

 Pulled pork and rice burrito, pineapple coriander salsa, bean, baby kale salad (13)

 Battered fish of the Week, beer battered fries, salad, lemon, tartare sauce (15)

DESSERT

 Eggplant and espresso tart, crème frache, candied beetroot (14) - The tart was delightfully rich.

 Milk chocolate mousse, almond tuile, fresh berries, mint (13.5)

 Deconstructed vanilla, honeycomb cheesecake, coconut jelly, chocolate (12.5) - beautiful and delicious!

 VERDICT // A good price point for this trendy establishment, with a very inventive menu. It can be a little hit and miss as we found some of the flavours weren't altogether cohesive, with some dishes lacking seasoning. However, it is worth a visit - I can imagine it as a great place for after work drinks with the ambience perfect for a group gathering.

INFO // 7 days, 6.30am til late.

LINKS // Habitat
Facebook

Street Cafe, Indooroopilly

A cosy surprise by the train station.

WHERE // Street Cafe, 10 Lambert Road, Indooroopilly

 

Having spent much of my life in school just up the road, I was very interested in visiting this cafe open only on weekdays at the station end of Lambert Road. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and devote a lunchtime to studying at Street Cafe. Run by the same people that operate Street St Market (found at Eat Street and various other markets around Brisbane), I knew that they specialised in roti and was eager to try it out. Inside, it was pleasantly inviting, with flowers adorning each table and plenty of vintage décor - not at all what you'd expect from a place serving Malaysian curry.

WHAT // There were heaps of all-day brekky and lunch options, but I couldn't go past the roti - and some dessert, of course.

Signature roti - onion, cheese, mushrooms and spinach wrapped in roti canai. Love a good roti, and this was certainly fresh and tasty. Pretty decent serving size - I was quite satisfied. The salad seemed a bit of an afterthought, but helped break through the oiliness of the roti.

 

Also tried a banana smoothie ($6) and a cupcake ($3). The baked goods aren't made in house but are supplied locally. I do appreciate it when the slices and cakes come in smaller sized (with smaller prices to match), as I often don't need a whole giant brownie after a full meal. The smoothie jar was massive as well. Neither of these were particularly special, being standard cafe fare.

 

 And a look at the menus.

 VERDICT // Good place for a roti fix, and a very pleasant atmosphere to while away the day. I've tried the coffee before (Genovese) which was pretty good, and it's in the ideal spot for local commuters. Drop by if you're in the vicinity. I'll probably go back and try some of the more regular breakfast offerings.

INFO // Monday 7-11am, Tues-Fri 7-2pm. Very limited opening hours!

LINKS // Facebook

Miel Container, CBD

A tiny corner of the CBD made delicious.

WHERE // Miel Container, 96 Albert St, CBD

This bright, red container nestled at the corner of Mary and Albert St in the city has been attracting burger fans from far and wide. I'd heard a lot of great things about their DIY burgers, so visited on a chilly Friday night. It was freezing - definitely bring a coat in winter, as all of the seating is outside! They are licensed and have a range of beers and ciders, being a great place to eat before heading out. It's also frequented by office workers during the day.

WHAT // We all elected to have DIY burgers after some onion rings. They (pictured above) were very crispy and well received.

I won't trouble you with all the details of which ingredients we picked - here's their DIY menu (from their facebook). Each burger comes with 5 or so chips, so order extra if you need!

 Blue cheese, beef, bacon.

 Beef, pumpkin, brie, caramelised onion.

Beef, lettuce, tomato.

A special - artichoke lamb.

VERDICT // Great burgers and great prices - I think the beer was about $7 so decently priced as well. Will return for some other combos and to try the set burgers!

INFO // Mon - Thu: 11:00 - 22:00 Fri - Sat: 11:00 - 00:00

LINKS // facebook

Beccofino, Teneriffe

Renowned for its beautiful and authentic pastas and pizzas in the trendy Teneriffe.

WHERE // Beccofino, 10 Vernon Terrace, Teneriffe

 

I'd been hoping for a chance to check out Beccofino forever, especially since their Duck Ragu was listed as #1 on Urbanlist's 50 meals to eat in Brisbane. It's a very well known Teneriffe joint and is always buzzing, even midweek! We heard the wait can be pretty long on weekends - as they don't take bookings - so popped by for a midweek, early Father's Day dinner.

WHAT // None of us were big pizza people, so pastas it was! It was very dim in the restaurant - great atmosphere, bad photos.

Calamari fritti con rucola - Fried baby calamari with rocket and lemon. We grabbed the bigger size, and it was enormous. I was pretty full after eating more than my fair share of this - it was so fresh, juicy, crispy and I was sad to finish it. Give me a plate of this on the beach any day.

Risotto del giorno - Risotto of the day (22). Leek, smoked mozzarella. A huge serving of delicious, well cooked risotto. It was perhaps bordering on the side of too cheesy (blasphemy!). But I'd eat it again.

Trecce con calamari - Short twisted pasta with calamari, 
cherry tomatoes, zucchini, mint and chilli (24.5). Beccofino certainly knows how to cook pasta - al dente it was, and my dad said it was the best texture he'd ever encountered (and we have been to Italy). A good kick of spice, but the portion size was more mum than dad sized.

Pappardelle al Ragu d’Anatra - Flat ribbon pasta with a duck and tomato ragu (23.5). Again, the pasta was gorgeous - but that sauce! Rich, hearty, and packed full of flavour. We could see how it's come to be Brisbane's favourite dish. 

Frittelle di Brioche - Fried brioche dumplings with nutella 
and vanilla icecream (10.5). Holy mother of god. I was so full after our meal, but the trusty dessert stomach kicked in and I managed to stuff this down as well. Hot and crispy, on a bed of nutella. You must eat this.

 VERDICT // Definitely will come back and try the pizzas, and more dessert. The service was great, we had a lovely waitress who was very attentive even though all the tables were full.

INFO // Mon – closed Tuesday, Wednesday from 5:30 till 9:30pm. Thursday 5:30 till 10pm. Friday & Saturday from 12 noon till late. Sunday 12 noon to 9pm.
Parking can be tricky around Teneriffe. No bookings.

LINKS // Beccofino

The Roastery Cafe, South Brisbane

A new chef and a new image for this roastery cafe.

WHERE // The Roastery Cafe, 25 Glenelg St, South Brisbane

 

Tucked away on Glenelg St away from the South Bank crowds, The Roastery Cafe is the accompaniment to Rouge Coffee Roasters. But with a new French head chef, it has definitely come into its own as an eatery. I was invited along to sample some of the goods on offer, having visited of my own volition a few weeks prior (inconveniently forgetting my camera that time). It's surprisingly large, with a lovely herb garden out the back to bask in and enjoy the morning sun.

WHAT // We tried out a few of the yummiest meals on offer.

Kale Salad w roasted sweet potato & avocado topped with roasted almonds, a citrus balsamic dressing & two poached eggs. I personally hate kale, but...if it floats your boat!

Lemony Feta & Avocado whipped feta infused with lemon olive oil over smashed avo w house dukkah & rocket on toasted sourdough. This looked incredible!

 Classic baked eggs chorizo & tomato sugo topped with goat’s cheese & rocket w toasted sourdough. My choice - clearly the best choice. With added haloumi, this was easily the heartiest breakfast on offer, and filled me up until dinnertime.

the roastery breakfast house beans w chorizo, bacon, tomato, avocado and two poached eggs on sourdough w house relish. This unfortunately came out missing a few items.

Breakfast Roll w crispy bacon, free range egg, cheddar & house relish 

We were also treated to some dessert!

 VERDICT // Beautifully presented food, great coffee, great atmosphere, and a Bitcoin machine. I'll be baaaack.

INFO // Open seven days | Breakfast and Lunch
Mon - Fri 6:30- 4:00
Sat 7:00 - 2:00
Sun 7:00 - 2:00

LINKS // the roastery cafe facebook