Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen - 27 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Feeling quite uninspired, I visited the much admired - Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen.

Famous for their 12-hour-slow cooked Tonkotsu broth and freshly made Japanese ramen, Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen promises an indulgent and delicious meal.

Surprisingly, there were very limited options on the menu - with only 5 types of ramen and a few sides and dessert to choose from. However, you can customise your toppings, noodle texture, amount of oil (and whatever else you can think of) to your liking. I recommend that you choose the hard/extra hard noodle texture as the noodles continue to cook while it is in the broth.

While I was deciding what to order, I was distracted by the traditional Japanese motifs and calligraphy on the walls. Incorporating sleek modern furniture with traditional Japanese sunken tables and mats was certainly interesting - I guess it gives customers a choice between modern vs traditional.

And if you're feeling thirsty, there's also an impressive bar with a wide range of sake, umeshu (plum wine), and other beverages.

After a long internal mental struggle, I decided on the Black Garlic Tonkotsu ($17) with an extra Tamago (egg $2). Mixed with a generous amount of special roast garlic oil, the broth had the perfect garlic intensity. The broth, however, felt a bit lighter than the broth I've had in other ramen places. What I especially liked about this broth was that it doesn't have ample globules of fat glistening on the surface. It turns out that Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen constantly distils the broth and removes the lard from the surface, resulting in a rich, pure broth without the oily layer.

The noodles were also cooked to a perfect consistency - with just the right amount of chewy bounciness and firmness. According to the chef, the noodles are made fresh with flour directly imported from Japan.

Unfortunately, the tamago (egg) was slightly overcooked and wasn't as gooey as it was supposed to be.

Black Garlic Tonkotsu ($17) with extra Tamago ($2)

My Fellow Food Extinguisher chose the Yuzu Tonkotsu ($17). Flavoured with yuzukosyo, a citrusy spice, it was unlike any ramen we've had before. It had a refreshing citrus yuzu punch with a peppery spicy kick. The rich flavours complemented the underlying spinach broth very, very well.

Yuzu Tonkotsu ($17)

The Best Part: Free Kae-dama! In other words, extra noodles are FREE OF CHARGE.

FREE Extra Noodles

Verdict
Although the broth tasted decent, there wasn't enough depth to the flavours and I failed to taste the porkiness expected of a Tonkotsu ramen. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and I would probably stop by when I have the opportunity to go to Melbourne again. I wish it came with more Charsiu though - $2 or $3 for an extra slice seems a little pricey :S.

Surabing Korean Dessert Cafe - Market Square | Sunnybank

When a new shaved ice store opened in early April, I was super excited.

What grabbed my attention, however, was the big red sign seated on the left hand side of Surabing's cabinet.

The sign was also located on various parts of the shop numerous times. See if you can spot all the signs!

How many signs can you spot?

On Easter Sunday, I asked the owner of the store whether the promotion was available on Easter Monday. To which he replied "yes". I went in again on Easter Monday - and was told by the staff that the promotion was not available on public holidays.

My sister had some spare time two weeks afterwards, so she decided to check it out. The signs were still prominently displayed in the shop.

To her dismay, she was advised that the promotion was OVER but they haven't had the time to take the signs down.  I guess it must be extremely difficult to pull off the sticky taped posters and remove the detachable picture frame on the display cabinet at the front of the store.

Anyway, I was guilt tripped into buying a small snack on my first visit during Easter.

The Sweet Potato Latte was delicious - the seamless combination of warm milk with mashed purple sweet potatoes, topped with cinnamon powder, was extremely comforting, and satisfying, on a cold rainy day. The Taro Swiss Roll Cakes tasted exactly like the ones you get from an Asian Grocery store but I enjoyed them anyway.

Taro Cake with Sweet Potato Latte ($7.95)

In terms of décor, I really liked the simplistic design. Furnished with big snowflakes on a shiny flawless wall, it resembles a snow ground, which is perfect for a café which specialises in icy desserts!

Verdict
I really hate the misleading and deceptive promotional tactics employed by some of the stores around here. I note however that Surabing just "hasn't gotten around to removing the promotional advertisements". Anyway, the Sweet Potato Latte was very satisfying - rich, creamy, and infused with authentic sweet potatoes.

Answer to How Many Signs were in the shop:
Five - did you spot them all?

Miss Kay's - 185 George Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

Felt like a burger today, so off we went to Miss Kay's.

Adorned with a cool bookcase, it really is a classy place!

The town's newest burger chiefs specialises in 300 day grain fed Angus beef.

Choose from the MK Special, which consists of a beef patty, crispy maple bacon, onion rings, American cheese, or the Mac Daddy - a quirky combination of Mac 'n' cheese, fries and a beef patty or even the Ludakrisp, a crispy fried chicken burger with house slaw, pickles, doused in sweet bbq sauce and mayo.

Also on the menu are wings, fries, onions, a thing called "salad"??, and ice cream sandwiches :D ~.

Not to mention classic cocktails in jars and jugs!

Food Menu (Sorry I forgot about the cocktails)

I was super tempted by the Big Kay's Challenge ($35), because you get a $30 voucher if you can finish 5 beef patties, 5 slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato with fries on the side within 15 minutes! But I went with a male Fellow Food Extinguisher and he probably wouldn't find me wolfing down a super big burger particularly attractive so I decided against it *sigh*.

Instead I ordered the Mac Daddy ($14.50), which was essentially, just like a glorified cheese burger. Not saying it was bad - because it was a heavenly combination of mac 'n' delicious melty cheese, rich beef pattie, crispy fries, and fresh lettuce with a generous dollop of mayo and sweet BBQ sauce. The angus beef pattie, while juicy and succulent, wasn't cooked to medium pink perfection as claimed but it had rich beef flavours. The brioche bun however tasted just like the buns from Macca's except slightly toasted.

Mac Daddy ($14.50)

My Fellow Food Extinguisher tried the Jerked Chicken ($12). Jerked spiced chicken, with fresh lettuce, tomato, lime, refreshing cucumber yoghurt and mayo sandwiched between slightly toasted brioche bun. The chicken was grilled perfectly, giving it a delicious chargrilled taste. In fact, we couldn't even tell it was chicken when it first arrived because it was grilled so evenly.

Jerked Chicken ($12)

Verdict
Love the American influence (cept it doesn't come with the big portions :'( ), but I still prefer Miel Container, in terms of value and taste.

Roti Place - Shop 2, 96 Albert Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

Have a taste of Roti Place. Try a roti, it's a hottie!

Initially attracted by casual dining ambience, we went in expecting some sort of Asian fusion.

Surprisingly, apart from Roti's, Roti Place specialises in Hainan Chicken with Rice as well. According to the menu, it is "rumoured to be the best in town". If that's not up your alley, there's other Malaysian dishes including Nasi Lemak (an iconic Malaysian platter of fragrant coconut rice, anchovies, peanuts, egg served with curry chicken or rendang beef); Satay Chicken Skewers and Laksa.

Mains

Drinks

We decided to see whether the rumours were true and ordered the Hainanese Chicken with Rice ($10.80). Poached in a ginger and scallion infused broth, the chicken was to die for. Together with the freshly grounded ginger paste and flavourful chicken rice, it was one of the best Hainan Chicken Rice I've ever tasted in Brisbane.

Hainanese Chicken with Rice ($10.80)

Their Roti's were also delicious with its rich, buttery flavours and soft fluffy texture. However, the Rendang Beef Curry was a let down. It was overly watery, coconuty and lacked the spices that a Malaysian Curry should have. While the spices were probably watered down to cater for the Australian palette, it felt a little unauthentic.

Roti Canai with Rendang Beef ($12)

Verdict
The rumours are true - they really do have one of the best Hainanese Chicken with Rice in town. Roti's are also delightful - soft and fluffy, with a crispy coating and a rich buttery taste. The curries were ok but lacked authenticity.

Sushi Edo - 153 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

Every single year, I look forward to Sushi Train's Anniversary (aka $3 sushi day). And I would wait patiently in the queues for over an hour just to get cheap sushi.

Well, I don't have to do that anymore, because of Sushi Edo's brand new store. At only $3.50 a plate, I can go on any date :D!

With classy black tables and a cool touchscreen to order your dishes, it reminded me of Wagaya.

 Featuring an extensive menu which included nigiri, aburi, hand rolls, entrees, sashimi and more, I felt like I was in Sushi Heaven.

But only better, because it came with desserts. Nothing from the dessert menu jumped out at me though.

The entrees were decent, but I was slightly disappointed because of the unrealistically high expectations I had. Both the Chicken Meatballs and Chicken Yakitori were drowned in a pool of thick teriyaki sauce which overpowered the natural flavours and made it a tad too savoury. At least the Chicken Yakitori was moist - the Chicken Meatballs were quite dry inside and had a floury aftertaste. The Takoyaki and Gyoza were pretty standard, but I particularly like the thin crispy base on the Gyoza. The flavoursome pork and cabbage filling was also very tender and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


Takoyaki, Meatballs, Gyoza, Yakitori


All the Fried Snacks were fried right after your order, so it was literally "sizzling hot" and crunchy when it arrived. Special mention goes to the Soft Shell Crab Hand Roll, because it came with HALF A SOFT SHELL CRAB wrapped in fresh crispy seaweed and drizzled in an exciting spicy sauce. Even the rice was good - Sushi Edo uses a special blend of the best varieties of Nishiki and Koshihikari (special short-grain sushi rice) and flavours it with special top quality Mitsukan Japanese Rice Vinegar with Kombu seaweed added to it.

The Kaki Fry (aka fried oysters) was also delicious - creamy oyster coated with a thin crispy batter.

Salmon Skin, Kaki Fry, Octopus Karage, Soft Shell Crab Hand Roll

For a sushi-train-type store, the sashimi was quite fresh. Aburi nigiri's were generally perfectly seared - with the Aburi Salmon and Aburi Wagyu slightly seared giving it a slightly charred flavour yet the inside is still deliciously fresh and rare. I would stay away from the "exotic dishes" though - while the Scampi and Sea Urchin looks spectacular, it should have been fresher. In fact, the Sea Urchin was actually slightly bitter. But overall, the sushi was quite enjoyable and I would definitely come back for that price.

Aburi Spicy Salmon, Aburi Wagyu, Sea Urchin, Aburi Samon, Beef Tataki, Salmon Carpaccio, Hotate

The Desserts seemed alright - the Sesame Ice Cream ($4.90) was sweet and creamy.

Sesame Ice-Cream ($4.90)

Verdict

At $3.50 a plate, it's a bargain. Most of the sashimi are quite fresh but stay away from exotic seafood. The sushi portions are also very generous for that price (but not the entrees). Like most Japanese restaurants, hot green tea cost $1.50.

 

 

List of Free Birthday Tweets (Food)!

It's XXXX's (insert someone of somewhat importance here) birthday and I am on a tight budget - what should I do?

Have no fear, there's loads of cafes here to save the day!

Here's a list of FREE BIRTHDAY TWEETS* you can get in Brisbane.

Restaurant	Freebie	Condition
Ali Baba	Free birthday Kebab	Buy kebab and collect a card in store
Aussie Beef Steakhouse (Stanthorpe)	Free main	Become a member
Bank Bar, The Royal George Hotel, The Samford Valley Hotel, The Woodford Village Hotel	$50 worth of food and drink when you dine with 3 or more guests	Join the birthday club
Baskin Robbins	Free Cone	Sign up to Club 31
Boost Juice	Free Regular Boost	Be a Vibe Club Member - collect card in store.
Brewhouse (Woollongabba)	Free meal when dine with 3 or more guests	Flash Photo ID
Cedar Creek Lodges Restaurant (Mt Tambourine)	Free Meal	Join the Cedar Creek Birthday Club
Cha Time	Free Drink	Drink first, and join Loyalty Club
Cheesecake shop	$5 off	Join the Family 4 weeks before your birthday
Cold Rock	Free kiddies ice-cream with 1 mix in and $10 ice-cream cake voucher	Sign up to be a VIP member
Courthouse Hotel Southport	Complimentary Birthday Voucher	Join VIP Club
East Leagues Club (Coorparro)	$25 worth of birthday vouchers	$2 to join
Esquire’s Coffee	Free Birthday Coffee	Collect eClub card instore
Gilhooley’s Irish Pubs	Free Meal	Become a Gilhooley’s Member
Gloria Jeans	Free Drink	Collect card in store with purchase
Green Tea Restaurant	Free Meal if you bring 8 other guests to eat the Banquet Menu
Hakataya Ramen	Free Ramen	Flash your Driver’s Licence or Passport
Hard Rock Cafe	Free birthday dessert with entrée purchase	Join Hard Rock Rewards
Harvest (Victoria Point)	Free Meal	Subscribe to Harvest Club
Hoolies (Harvey Bay)	Free Meal
Jamaica Blue	Free slice of cake	Join Carribean Crew (collect card in store)
Mackay Northern Beaches Bowl Club	Free Meal	Become an active member (not sure how)
Montezumas	Complimentary Main Meal	Dine first, and join Loyalty Club
Mos Burger	Free Gourmet Wagyu Burger	Sign up to VIP club
Muffin Break	Free Muffin	Collect a Muffin Break Club card in store first.
Nandos	Free regular meal	Collect card in store or download app, must have made transaction within previous 6 months
Noodle Box	$10 loaded onto card	Collect card in store first
North Lakes Gold Club (Lomandra’s Restaurant)	Free wine with any meal purchase.	Join the Club Card Program
Oshin Restaurant	Free Chocolate Parfait if you dined with 6 or more guests
O-Sushi	Free Meal	Subscribe to O-sushi newsletters
Outback Jacks	3 Free Meals	Join Birthday Club
Pickled Cactus (Biggera Waters)	Free Birthday Voucher	Fill out Birthday Registration Form
Ribs and Rumps	$30 gift voucher	Collect card in store first or sign up online
Salsas	Free Burrito	Collect card in store or download app
San Churro	Free Churros for two	Join Free Birthday Churros Club
Sara Lee’s Factory Outlet	15% off all purchases
Springwood Feast	Free Buffet if you bring 5 or more guests
Subway	Free 6 inch Sub	Join Subway Eat Fresh Club
Sumo Salad	Free Regular Sumo Salad	Join Sumo Society – pick up card in store
TC’s Bar and Gaming Lounge (Sofitel Gold Coast)	$10 drink voucher	Join TC’s Member’s Club
Thai Frenzy (Buderim)	Free Birthday Meal	Subscribe to VIP Newsletter
The Royal Gympie	Dine free when dining with one other paying adult	Flash your ID
Tukka Restaurant (West End)	$30 gift voucher	Sign up to Mailing List
Vapiano	Free meal (pasta/pizza/salad)	Become a Fanatico
Viva Italia Restaurant (Hervey Bay)	Free Birthday Meal	Join Members Program
Warner Tavern	Free Birthday Chicken Schnitzel or Pizza	Flash your ID
Wild Lotus Restaurant (Hervey Bay)	Free Birthday Meal if you dine with 4 other guests	Flash your ID
Willow & Spoon Café (Alderley)	Free Meal
Zarrafaas	Free tall hot drink	Buy VIP card in-store for $7.50

* The Food Extinguisher takes no responsibility if the restaurants/cafes stop offering free birthday treats.

Here's how the Food Extinguisher gave her mum a price-LESS Birthday.

A list of Free Birthday Gifts will be available shortly.

Please comment if any of these deals are not valid anymore or if there are any other deals that I should add to the list - thanks!