The Lobster Shack

After selling out in Sydney, Melbourne and Goldcoast, Lobster Shack has FINALLY decided to grace us with its presence. About time!

Using wild caught Clearwater Maine Lobster tails which are slow cooked in a butter bath and served inside a freshly toasted brioche bun with buttermilk slaw, these lobster rolls are absolutely irresistible. Generously cut pieces of sweet-fresh lobster in a crispy yet-so-moist brioche bun really made my day :)

The rolls are served with a side of Parmesan Truffle fries for $35. If you're feeling posh you could also get it to come with a glass of Veuve Clicquote champagne for $50.

Pity this shack is only around for 2 weeks. In fact, today is the very last day :(

Maybe it's a good thing because I'm about to go broke at the rate I'm going. BUT it's totally worth it!

Chinese New Year 101 - A Foreigner's Guide to a wonderful CNY

Xin Nian Hao （新年好）!  Happy Chinese New Year!

It's that time of the year when you wonder where this year has gone. This year has flown by so quickly that before you even realise, it's already 2016, the Year of the Monkey!

Over the past year, my boss has told me numerous times that I'm like a monkey at work - at least I now have a legitimate reason to explain why I'm acting like one.

  
Asians are quite superstitious (at least I am). At the end of every single year, we would spend many days hours collecting things/food which symbolise good luck and prosperity to prepare for the new coming year. But there are some things you can't get in Australia during this time of the year - so what do we do? Well here's an Australian adaptation.

How to have a wonderful new year:
An Australian Adaptation 

To ensure that a wonderful year lies ahead, you will need:

PLANTS/MISCELLANEOUS

1. Red Gladioli (劍蘭)
During CNY, these flowers have another name, 步步高升 - which means rise up slowly, step by step. The reason why it's given this name is because the gladiolus flowers open sequentially, starting from the bottom of the stalk, with the upper buds opening several days later. It is a symbol of slow step-by-step progression and success. I don't know about you but I would much rather super fast progression rather than step-by-step. Guess you don't fall as hard if you rise to the top slowly rather than instantly... 

2.Lucky Bamboo (富貴竹)

Lucky Bamboo symbolises prosperity and it's believed that bamboo attracts auspicious chi energy.

What? I want to be very prosperous..

 

3. Red Packets (利事)

Red packets are traditionally given by married couples or elders to juniors for good luck, a smooth-sailing year and good health.

The envelopes will generally have an image of an auspicious Chinese character or the animal of the year. You could probably tell my parents were being very environmentally friendly and using envelopes from a few years ago.

4.Something red and purple (大红大紫)

In Hong Kong, the figurative meaning of the proverb "大红大紫" is "becoming a very prominent person". The literal translation of that phrase is "big red and big purple". 

Red symbolises good fortune and joy. That is why everything is red during CNY - for example red packets, Chinese couplets, and Fai Chuns.

Hopefully I will become very famous after wearing this.

Though I'm not quite sure if this is considered purple...

 

FRUITS

 

1. Tangerine (橘/桔子)

Tangerine sounds similar to the word "luck" in Chinese and the bright orange colour symbolises gold. This is why you will find tangerines everywhere during CNY in Hong Kong.

Yes I know this is not a tangerine but they're not in season in Australia at the moment. So this was the best I could find. Close enough...

2. Peach Blossom (桃花)

Peach blossoms symbolise growth, prosperity, longevity and romance. Because of this, peach blossoms are especially popular with single people who decorate the house with pink peach blossoms in the hopes of finding love in the coming year.

They're also extremely popular with businessmen as the proverb "大展宏圖 " which means exhibiting your ambitions and success sounds similar to exhibiting "red peaches".

Unfortunately, peach trees bloom in the spring (and it's summer over here) so I had to make do with this instead.

Well exhibiting a big box of red peaches is definitely better, right?
It's big, it's red, and it's juicy!

 

FEAST

 

1. Big Round Table

On Chinese New Years Eve, family members would get together to celebrate and have a "reunion dinner" (團年飯). The Chinese word for reunion is 團圓, which sounds the same as the Chinese word for circle. A circle also symbolises unity, oneness and perfection.

You can tell whether someone is Asian just by looking at their household items - they'll be nicely wrapped in Plastic so that it remains brand new (refer to picture above). Alternatively you can probably tell by looking at the person. Lol.

2. Vegetarian Meal for the First Meal

This has already been covered in detail in my CNY blog last year

3. A big feast with plenty of leftovers (abundance)

Well it's always good to start off the year with plenty of food right? Of course it's better to have an abundance as compared to not having enough for the rest of the year.

4. Fish

In Cantonese, fish (魚) sounds like surplus. Eating fish is believed to bring a surplus of money or good luck in the coming year.

Well my parents decided to get abalone this year instead. I was told that the Chinese word for abalone (鮑魚) sounds like "guaranteed surplus" in Chinese (包有餘). #raisedeyebrows

Abalone

plus

Sea Cucumber 海参 sounds like 生, the Chinese word for "give birth".
This symbolises that a family may be blessed with a new-born in the new year.

=

A delicious seafood platter

5. Chicken

I'm not too sure why but we always eat it whole for CNY.

6. Big Ox Tongue (牛脷)
Ox Tongue 脷 sounds like 利, the Chinese word for lucky. So if you eat a BIG Ox Tongue (大脷), it means you would be extremely lucky for the coming year (大吉大利).

DESSERTS/TREATS 

 

1. New Year Cake (年糕)

Nian Gou, also known as Chinese New Year cake, is a sweet and sticky dessert made from glutinous rice, and is generally eaten during Chinese New Year because it symbolises good luck. The word Nian means year, and the word Gou sounds similar to higher/taller, so the Asians believe that by eating Nian Gou, you would get a "higher year". In other words, by eating this cake, children would grow taller and adults would get promotions.

Kindly given to me from a colleague who recently went to Singapore:
 

The words say "Five Blessings Knock on my door"

2. Ferroro Easter Eggs

No reason at all - I just love them and Mr Cookie got them for me.

3. Take Annual Leave and give yourself a treat

To ensure that I have a perfect start to the year, I took 2 days off to write blogs do what I enjoy. And that is eating and sleeping :).

Time to have a break and have a Kit Kat Ferroro Easter Egg.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

Disclaimer: The Food Extinguisher bears no responsibility if you don't have a smooth sailing year after following these instructions.

How I celebrated CNY - Meeting new "peng you" at Peng You （朋友）

What better way to celebrate the Chinese New Year than by spending it with a big group of "peng you （朋友）" （aka friends in Cantonese)?
 
And that's exactly what I did - I was fortunate enough to be invited to Peng You's CNY Eve Cocktail Lunch and met heaps of new peng you there.
 
What is most striking about Peng You is definitely the ambience - with its oriental red lanterns and grey cobbled walls, it feels as if you've travelled back in time.
 

 
And if that's not enough to make you impressed, Peng You organised lion dancers to ward off evil spirits and welcome the new year of the monkey!
 

 

 

 
The monkey in me couldn't resist the beautiful assortment of canapés served by the waiters. There's fried chicken, fried calamari, spring rolls, satay skewers, fish balls, fish cake, peking duck wraps with a generous dollop of hoisin sauce, gyozas, roast pork, steaming hot pork buns and more. The highlight was definitely the gyozas - there was so much pork broth in it that it exploded as soon as I bit into the beautifully panfried gyoza. Needless to say, I actually wet myself and everyone else around me - hopefully it didn't annoy my new peng you too much.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
And best of all - Peng You features an open kitchen so you can see the chefs in action.
 

 
Disclaimer: The Food Extinguisher was an invited guest of Peng You however this review is honest and unbiased. You can also read my previous experience at Peng You here

Oliver Brown - Westfield Garden City | Upper Mt Gravatt

You may have heard of Oliver Twist, but have you heard of Oliver Brown? 

If you haven't, maybe it's time to check it out. Oliver Brown - one of Sydney's leading Belgian chocolate cafes - has finally arrived to Brisbane!

Since its opening, I've been dying to try it out. Literally - but I just couldn't find the time in between dying recovering from whooping cough and working. 

Imagine my delight when an invite turned up on my doorstep.

Without further ado, I dragged Mr Cookie along with me to be my chauffeur indulge our senses.

That sure sounds like me!

And what a sinful sight it was. 

With waffles, cakes, churros, sundaes, shakes and fondues made from the very best Belgian chocolate - there's bound to be something to tantalise your taste buds!

Oliver Brown is definitely the ultimate dessert destination for anyone with a sweet tooth. There's an extensive range of drinks available - milk, white, dark, coconut, crunchy balls, mint - just to name a few. You can find out the full range by reading the menu.

What is particularly unique about the Garden City Oliver Brown is that it also offers savoury options, including breakfast, burgers and more. Definitely not something you would expect from a chocolate specialty store.

Feeling particularly generous, I told Mr Cookie he can order "A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G" he wanted from the menu.

...and what does he order?

Yes - that's right - he goes and orders something savoury - a REAL Wagyu Burger. Why on earth would anyone want to get something savoury from a chocolate cafe?!

Real Wagyu Burger ($16)

Well - it was actually pretty good. The wagyu patty, despite lacking the pinkish centre that most patties from a gourmet burger joint would have, was surprisingly juicy and tender. Not to mention it left a sweet lingering onion taste in my mouth. A beef-rich flavourful patty, coupled with a thin slice of refreshing tomato, a piece of crispy lettuce, cheese, purple onion, smothered in a sweet tangy BBQ sauce is no doubt the perfect recipe for a good burger. If only it had more tomato and lettuce...

I, on the other hand, decided to indulge in chocolate treats.

Freshly baked, the churros didn't have a crisp exterior coating and the taste reminded me of a crepe. Served with a sprinkle of cinnamon and icing sugar, the soft pancakey pillars were still quite moreish.

Baked Churros for one ($7.50)

The Fondue for Two was an impressive display of fresh strawberries, creamy banana, marshmallows, banana bread and pretzels with two generous portions of milk and dark Belgian chocolate. I particularly loved the dark chocolate dip - the perfect balance of sweet and rich chocolate flavours, with a tinge of bitterness you expect from good quality dark chocolate, is bound to leave your taste buds tingling for more! The milk chocolate, although thick and smooth, was a tad too sweet for me.

Fondue for Two ($17.50)

Oliver Brown offers cold chocolatey drinks, making it a wonderful destination to go to during our hot summer. A rich delicious concoction, blended with premium Belgian chocolate, topped with flakes/crunchy oreo biscuits for a contrasting texture.

Left: Dark Iced Chocolate ($7.50)
Right: Cookies and Cream ($7.80)

Verdict:
Am I now obsessed with Oliver Brown's premium chocolate creations? With its sinfully rich and decadent treats, I'll definitely be back.

Disclaimer: The Food Extinguisher was an invited guest of Oliver Brown, however this review is honest and unbiased.

Midam - Shop 3 | 21 Farne Street, Sunnybank Hills QLD 4109

Not sure where to take your guests? Why not charm them with Midam? Offers a wide range of a-la-carte Korean dishes and all-you-can-eat BBQ buffet for only $28.50.

The moment I stepped inside, I felt I was walking through a peaceful nature sanctuary - the bamboo and wooden décor creates a very calming soothing ambience. Perfect place to chill after a long long week!

Not to mention it even comes with its very own waterfall!

Fortunately, the bathrooms do not involve any trees or waterfalls and I was extremely relieved to see that it was very modern.

PS - Please don't ask me why I have my camera with me in there.

In fact, I was super impressed with how high tech the toilet was - it comes with a really cool washing function. Umm I should probably focus more on the food and stop talking about the toilets, shouldn't I....

Being one of the biggest gluttons on this planet, how can I resist the buffet after seeing this? Pity it's only offered on Monday - Friday nights :(.

True to its word, Midam uses good quality charcoal which really does make a difference to the taste of the meat - gives it a delicious smoky flavour.

The Banchan arrived promptly and we got a fairly standard selection - kimichi, fishcake marinated with soy sauce and sesame oil, and Nokdumuk (mung bean jelly).

There's a very limited vege selection - there's garlic, chilli, shredded cabbage, sweet potato and onion. So if you're vegetarian, I definitely won't recommend this place. Though would anyone go to an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ buffet just to eat vegetables? I certainly wouldn't, so I didn't really mind.

Yes I know octopus isn't considered a vegetable.

In terms of meats, there's Marinated Pork Ribs, Marinated Pork, Fresh Pork Belly, Marinated Chicken, Beef Tongue, Marinated Thin Beef Skirt, Wagyu Beef, and Marinated Beef. Although not all the items on the menu was available, it was still a good variety.

Given that the meats were from Thomas Meats (famous Korean butcher at Sunnybank), I had high expectations. I was definitely not disappointed - the Wagyu was very well marbled and the pork belly was sliced to the perfect thickness (or thinness) such that it crisped up deliciously after it was grilled. Just a word of warning - the pork belly may be a little too fatty for some.

I also loved the subtle sweet and tangy flavours on the marinated meats - the meats were very fresh so the original flavours really came through and you don't need to drench them in sauces.

What I didn't like, however, was that each table was only given one big plate to hold the meats. Probably to ensure there's no wastage. Not necessarily a bad thing -  I guess - because there's a $20 fine for diners with leftover food.

There's also Coffee and Brown Rice Green Tea available.

Verdict
At only $28.50, it's fairly reasonably priced for an all-you-can-eat buffet and no doubt it's one of the better Korean BBQ buffets in town. What struck me the most, however, was the was the wonderful sense of peace and serenity in the restaurant. And of course, I will never forget the toilets either - they are equally fascinating :D.