Pawpaw Cafe, Woolloongabba [#2]

You already know Pawpaw is a Brissy favourite - just sharing more foodporn pictures!

WHERE // Pawpaw Cafe, Cnr Potts + Stanley St, Woollongabba

Giorgina, the lovely manager of the Venzin Group restaurants, invited a group of foodies around for a taster of all the breakfast options. 

WHAT // We got to try a variety of the meals - have a look below!

Banoffee french toast - Banana, caramel, chocolate & cream served on French toasted brioche. Surprisingly, not too sweet! I found this tasty but probably a bit too much for your everyday breakfast.

Californian breakfast burrito - Toasted tortilla filled with black beans, scrambled egg and cheddar topped with chipotle sour cream and tomato salsa. This behemoth was a sight to behold, and reportedly very tasty.



Corn fritters with chipotle sour cream, avocado and tomato relish.

Oven roasted mushrooms marinated in thyme and garlic, with blistered cherry tomatoes, kale and pepitas on goats' cheese toast.

Son in law eggs. Boiled then deep fried, coated with a sweet and sticky sauce. I actually loved this! (Sorry, blurry pic).

Barley bowl - for the health conscious!

 

Avo on toast with haloumi.

 

VERDICT // Great coffee and solid breakfast options makes this a place you can always rely on.

  INFO // Open for all-day brekky and lunch, 7 days a week.

links // pawpaw website facebook instagram

Hoo Ha Bar, South Brisbane

This bar has all you'll ever need.

WHERE // Hoo Ha Bar, South Brisbane, 41 Tribune St  

I'd been meaning to check out Hoo Ha Bar since I realised it was so conveniently located - right underneath the South Bank Bus Station. The low key launch of their new spring menu, along with a late start on placement, gave me the perfect opportunity. By day, the bar is an open, laid-back setting with a very chilled atmosphere, perfect for early morning business meetings or a quiet spot to read the paper. At night it transforms into a bar serving up a range of craft beers and ciders, as well as tasty grazing plates and meals.

WHAT // The new weekday breakfast menu is an abbreviated version of the weekend version, offering up four simple dishes with a twist.

Slow cooked pork hock, fried free-range egg, greens, Swiss cheese & chilli salsa on a poppy seed bagel. I've been craving a good bagel for a while, and this was it. Great chewy texture from the bagel, amazing flavour from the pork and deliciously melty Swiss cheese. The chilli salsa smeared on the inside really pulled everything together.

VERDICT // Will be back to try EVERYTHING else.

  INFO // Open Tue-Fri 7am til late, Sat 8am til late, Sun 3pm til late.

links // hooha bar facebook

Pawpaw Cafe, Woolloongabba

A brief trip to perennial favourite Pawpaw left us eagerly awaiting the next visit.

WHERE // Pawpaw Cafe, Cnr Potts + Stanley St, Woollongabba

If you don't know about Pawpaw, you're not a true Brisbanite. This giant of the brunch scene has been a Brisbane favourite for a long time, having a huge and loyal following. We couldn't resist popping back into the 'Gabba cafe after seeing so many drool-worthy instagram posts.

WHAT // The whole table ordered the same meal - so there's only the one thing to show you! Fortunately, it was incredible.

Oven roasted mushrooms marinated in thyme and garlic, with blistered cherry tomatoes, kale and pepitas on goats' cheese toast. So simple, yet so tasty. The mushroom juices (for lack of a better term) soaked nicely through the toast, making it easy to cut into bite-sized pieces. The goats' cheese also provided a good savoury kick to the dish.

VERDICT // Pawpaw never fails to impress! If you've never been, that's a travesty. Get yourself there pronto.

  INFO // Open for all-day brekky and lunch, 7 days a week.

links // pawpaw website facebook instagram

Little Brew, Paddington

PSA: After four months away from this blog, I've re-evaluated my previously misguided decision to veto capital letters and shall endeavour to utilise appropriate grammar in the future. 

Welcome to another year of gastronomical delights!

WHERE // Little Brew, 131 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington

Paddington is definitely one of the big boys when it comes to cafè hotspots in Brisbane, so you've got to deliver to survive. Little Brew sits just past the supermarket complex on Latrobe Terrace, occupying a small but airy space at the end of a few shops. There's still seating to suit everyone: out the front to watch people and cars pass by, inside in the cozy bar area, or my personal favourite - the back room, with faux grass flooring and a view over the leafy suburbs. We popped by for a spot of lunch, but Little Brew also transforms into a tapas bar Thursday through Sunday nights.

WHAT // time for the food!

Toasted brioche w peaches / jamon /ricotta/ almonds /honey vanilla reduction. Incredibly pretty and dainty. The brioche was a little dry, but overall the flavours worked really well together - the ricotta tied everything together nicely.

Mexican corn fritters with chorizo, goat's cheese, rocket and a poached egg. With fritters, it can be a bit hit and miss, often coming with too much batter and being very stodgy. These, however, were amazing - full of corny deliciousness. The chorizo was also tasty and generous.

VERDICT // This is the second time I've been to Little Brew, and it has delivered on both occasions. It doesn't just serve up the standard, everyday cafè options - everything on the menu has a unique spin. It's very affordable as well, with options around the $15 mark.
INFO // Open every day for brekky and lunch, with the tapas bar open on Thursday to Sunday nights. 

links // facebook

Two Wheels and a Handlebar, Milton

top quality food for ridiculously low prices.

 

where // two wheels and a handlebar, 33 railway terrace, milton

who would have thought railway terrace would be the new hotspot for foodies? this new café joins the likes of mrs luu's and bunker coffee in the business area of milton, catering mainly to office workers at lunch though. don't be fooled by the target market - two wheels is definitely worth making the trip for. it has a very small setup with two tables and a bar style row of seats in addition to the kitchen area. get there before peak lunch hour otherwise the place will be full of hungry workers lining up for takeaway! the decorations are very cute, especially the handlebar adornments on tables.
 

 when // 11.30am lunch - beating the rush which came shortly after 12!

what // on weekdays, they have 3-4 changing specials everyday. here's what we had:

beef cheek with sweet potato and onion salad (10) how have i been missing out on the delights of beef cheek for this long?! succulent and absolutely melt-in-the-mouth. the sweet potato was a delicious accompaniment - give me a bowl of that and a spoon and i'd be one very happy little vegemite.

sweet potato, spinach, feta salad with shaved almonds (9) exactly as it sounds, this salad was a generous portion. we were even offered a free side of bread to bulk it up a bit more. the sweet potato was the same as that accompanying the beef - again, delicious.

thai fruit shake (7) i forget exactly what was in this, but it definitely had pineapple and mint - very tropical. it was absolutely enormous and not too sweet, which i often find is a problem with shakes. great drink for a hot day.

verdict // i still can't believe they can produce this kind of food for those prices. following them on social media means being able to see their daily changing offerings - i've seen pork belly, salmon, pork hock and other gourmet dishes - and i will definitely be heading back.

info // open mon-fri 6am-3.30pm for a light breakfast/coffee and lunch. they're also open on saturday 7-11.30am for a more extensive breakfast menu which also looks delightful. again, parking can be tricky around that area. follow them on facebook to check out their ever changing menu options!

links // twowheelscafe.com.au
facebook.com/twowheelscafe 

Craft Restaurant & Bar, Milton

a casual, surprisingly quiet spot for an easy breakfast.

where // craft restaurant & bar, 1/12 park road, milton

right in the heart of the very popular park road area. craft restaurant and bar focuses on dinners and late night drinks, as do its many neighbours. their addition of a weekend breakfast menu sets it somewhat apart, and it was pretty much the only place open when we arrived. seating is verandah style, overlooking park road - very pleasant for a quiet weekend brekky.

 when // early sunday morning

what // menu features your standard breakfast items with a few nice touches.

ham hock & aged cheddar baked omelette, tomato jam, toast (13.5) simple and tasty - nothing more really to say!

breakfast pot – sautéed pork, chorizo, mushroom, potato, beans, tomato w/ baked eggs, toast (17.5) this dish was a bit disappointing for me - probably half the dish was just beans (great if you're a bean lover, i suppose!) and the sauce was quite a plain tomato sauce with no real spices or depth. 

3 way strawberry pancake, fresh, syrup & crisps w/ crème chantilly (11.5) the pick of the lot! now i will admit i am a sucker for sweet breakfasts, and this was right up my alley. they weren't so much regular pancakes as big pillowy pieces of goodness. completed with a delicious strawberry syrup and dried strawberry pieces, they were absolutely lovely.

verdict // the breakfast pot fell a little bit short of my expectations after their fantastic lunch and dinner reviews. one thing i will say is that i thought the service was absolutely great. our host was very welcoming and catered to our very specific coffee needs without hassle. he brought out plates without prompting when he saw we would be sharing, and even offered more syrup for the pancakes when we'd miscalculated how to eat the syrup and pancake in balance (how silly). i don't think i'll be returning for breakfast as it's not a convenient location for me, but their other menus do look fantastic.

info // during the week craft is open for lunch and dinner from 11.30am to late. on weekends, they are open sat 8am to late, and sun 8am-4pm. parking can be tricky around the park road area. the entertainment book has a 25% off deal on the gold card as well!

links // craftrestaurantbar.com.au
 

The Pepper Lounge, Jindalee

lovely brekky at a nice little café in the 'burbs.

where // the pepper lounge, 19/62 looranah st, jindalee

it's easy to miss this café in the complex of shops on looranah st. it's a quiet area with a few neighbouring restaurants, homewares stores and a small supermarket. seating is inside or outside - not unpleasant, but i did find even outside quite dim on a sunny morning as well as feeling like you were sitting in the carpark. nonetheless, it was a nice spot for a catch-up with friends.

 when // early breakfast

what // the pepper lounge does breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks - rare and impressive for a suburban café. on this occasion we stopped by at about 8am for breakfast.

blueberry pancakes with strawberries, maple syrup and ice cream (16) i love my sweet breakfasts. these pancakes were fantastic - absolutely packed with blueberries. as far as pancakes go, these were pretty top-notch.

the pope's benedict (13) all of their eggs benedict variations have inventive names, with this one featuring ham as written on the menu. however, when it arrived bacon was served in its place - not that we don't all love bacon, but you expect to get what you order. it was still tasty with well-poached eggs.

coffees were pretty standard. the piccolo wasn't a piccolo as requested, but we let it slide.

verdict // the pancakes were stunning visually and delicious as well, while the rest of the meals were demolished without complaint. a few mistakes in service but nothing to write home about. the biggest fault i can find is the ambience, as it just doesn't have the pleasant feel of the nearby bare bones society or the nook. table was wobbly as well. all in all, not a bad option if you're looking for somewhere new for breakfast in the centenary suburbs.

info // open tues-fri 9-8.30pm, sat 8.30am-9.30pm and sun 8-2.30pm. plenty of parking. it's in the entertainment book with a 25% off voucher which makes for a well-priced meal. i think some of the iffy review on urbanspoon are for their lunches/dinners which i can't comment on, but breakfast wasn't bad!

links // www.thepepperlounge.com.au