Bing Boy - Post Office Square | 280 Queen Street Brisbane QLD 4000

Check out the newest Bling in town -

Bing Boy

So what is a Bing? Paper thin crepe with egg, green onions, coriander, sesame seeds, crispy wonton pieces, and a delicious filling of your choice.

There are 8 different options. Choose from Peking Duck, Smoking Salmon, and Prawn King just to name a few.

The Bings come with a nifty perforated wrapping.

Pretty cool huh?

Ka ching - I paid $7.90 for one of the most popular Bings, coincidentally, named Ching Ching ($7.90). Marinated chicken thigh, creamy avocado, fresh bean sprouts and greens with an overly savoury soy sauce. The crispy wonton pieces was excitingly crunchy but I would have preferred it more if it had more chicken.

Ching Ching ($7.9)

My Fellow Food Extinguisher got the Mad Ming ($7.9). He certainly felt mad after trying the Bing as he found the combination of flavours a little weird. Basically, Mad Ming came with four different flavours: sweet, sour, savoury yet spicy at the same time. It was certainly different and unlike anything I've tried before.

Mad Ming - slow cooked beef which fell apart as you bite into it.
Wish the serving was more generous though.

Verdict
Oh boy - Asian infused pancakes wrapped with exciting crispy wonton pieces.

Nest Restaurant - 159 Roma St Brisbane QLD 4000

What happens when East Meets West? Nest Restaurant - nested within Roma Street's Transit Centre, serves classical Asian food with a modern Australian Twist.

With funky stylish nest-like décor and a brilliant view of the red lantern adorned 100-year old fig tree, Nest Restaurant will certainly become a great place to perch.

Nest's hybrid menu offers both cheap Asian meals ($10 - $15) and sophisticated dishes including Honey Pepped Beef, Duck Salad, and Moreton Bay Bugs ($20 - $25).

We ordered 2 classical dishes, which came with an interesting twist.

1) Pad Thai ($12) - generous servings of flat rice noodles with chicken, prawns, fish cake slices, perfectly caramelised onions, sprinkled with crushed peanuts. The sauce was a little too tangy for my liking, but the chilli gave it an extra kick.

Pad Thai ($12)

2) Beef Teriyaki ($12) - massive plate of Hokkien noodles with fresh beans and teriyaki beef. The flavours were a little dull and I was shocked to find the Hokkien noodles al-dente (which was certainly an interestingly strange twist for a traditional Asian dish).

Beef Teriyaki ($12)

Verdict
Loved the stylish ambience - will happily pay $12 just to perch here. There's not too many places in the city which sell Pad Thai and Beef Teriyaki for $12.

Snag Stand - Queens Plaza Food Court | 226 Queen Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

Straight A's - Awesome chips, Average haute dogs, and Awful service, for A gourmet price. As usual, I began my food journey by taking a few photos (without flash) of the menu for my readers - but I was told that I wasn't allowed to take photos (which made me feel very uncomfortable). Of course, this is just my personal experience, and you may have an entirely different one.
 

The faces have been blurred to protect people's identities.

Reluctantly, I put my camera back into my bag and got a take away menu instead.


Burgers

Haute Dogs

 


 
 
 
 



The Wagyu Beef Haute Dog ($10.9), served on a soft rustic roll with butter and garlic mash, herbed gravy and topped with sautéed onions seemed like a pretty good option. While the different elements complemented well with each other, the sautéed onions were undercooked and as a result, had a sharp and pungent taste (and obviously, not sweet, as expected). The butter and garlic mash was delightfully creamy, and I enjoyed the gravy, but there just wasn't enough. The sausage had a delicious beef flavour, but felt a little dry (probably because of the lack of mash and gravy).

Wagyu Beef Haute Dog ($10.9)
Only half my haute dog came with proper mash and gravy.

Despite being told off, I have to admit, the chips ($2.9 or $3.9) were indeed, Awesome. Cooked in Cholesterol Free Oil and lightly seasoned with natural sea salt flakes, these perfectly crispy Tasmanian Russet Potatoes which melted instantly in your mouth were to die for. Together with the Fresh Herb Aioli ($1), it was like a match made in heaven.

Snack Chips ($2.9) with Fresh Herb Aioli ($1)
When they say "snack", they really do mean just a "snack".

Verdict:
Awesome chips but Average dogs.

Chur Burger - 20 Constance Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006

Ran by two-hatted chef Warren Turnbull whose award winning restaurant burnt down, Chur Burger became an instant hit when it first opened in Sydney. This highly acclaimed burger joint has finally decided to grace us with its presence - will it become the next biggest craze in Brisbane? Well, we're about to find out.

Who would have guessed that beside this gangster graffitied alleyway lies one of the most famous burger joints in Sydney?



Featuring funky graffiti and a cool laid back dining area

I never knew you can use Chur in so many different ways



Chur Burger offers a diverse menu: breakfast, mains (mainly burgers), and drinks.

Breakfast

Drinks

Mainly Burgers

You can also get salads and free range chicken with crispy egg noodles, but there's no way I'm going to eat that at one of the most famous burger joints around here.

So, to start off, I ordered their Signature Burger ($13), which (according to the menu) comes with crispy pork belly, chilli caramel, fresh slaw and aioli. Thick, tender slices of pork belly perfectly caramelised with a sweet fishy soy sauce marinade, sandwiched between a glazed croissant-like brioche bun. I loved the scrumptious Asian-inspired flavours, but the massive chunk of fat on the belly turned me off *shudders*.


Signature Burger ($13)
I'm not sure how the belly was crispy because it really wasn't.
It tasted great - but I am concerned about my cholesterol ... *shudders*


My Fellow Food Extinguisher got the My Big Phat Greek Burger ($16) which featured a Lamb Pattie and Deep Fried Goats Cheese. The Lamb Pattie was cooked perfectly medium rare, but it was dry and bland. But for the sharp distinct flavours from the goat cheese, the tangy tomato jam, and the olive mayonnaise, the Pattie would be fairly tasteless. The combination of flavours felt a little strange and I probably wouldn't try it again. But then again, I really hate olives so I might be biased.

My Big Phat Greek Burger ($16)
The Weekly Special (not on menu)

Next, we had the Chipotle Skirt Steak Tacos ($7) with scorched onions, aioli, and salsa picante roja. With the intense spicy flavours, I couldn't taste anything else. But I liked the rich creamy aioli which balanced it out.

Chipotle Skirt Steak Tacos ($7)
The steak was tough and slightly overcooked.

The hot fiery flavours were quite spicy so I had to wash it down with a Salted Caramel Milkshake ($8). Rich and creamy, with a slightly burnt caramel aftertaste - intensified by the delightfully salty flavours.

Heavenly Salted Caramel Milkshake ($8) served in a massive cup

Verdict:
Not enough "chur" for Chur Burger - but I probably chose the wrong burgers.



Motto Motto Japanese Kitchen - Garden City | Upper Mount Gravatt

For the Sono Lovers who find it a tad expensive, here's a cheaper alternative. Bought to you by the guys behind Sono, Motto Motto offers you quality Japanese fast food at a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, cheaper also means slightly smaller servings, but hey, it's all about quality and not quantity, right?

Motto motto means "more more" in Japanese - so what a perfect name!
With the slightly smaller serves, you really do want more and more!

Time for a taste test.


The menu is short, but diverse. Choose from rice bowls, rolls, noodles and sides.


Famous for their 12-hour pork superstock in the Ton-kotsu Ramen ($12.9), I was super keen to try it out. BUT it was already sold out at 5pm on a Saturday night.

Feeling depressed, I chose the next best alternative - Raw Seafood Chirashi ($13.9), which features super fresh Tassie salmon, pacific ocean tuna, sweet Hokkaido scallop, salmon roe, creamy avocado (drizzled with an exquisite yuzu citrus sauce) on a bed of Japanese short-grain rice. Even the rice by itself was quite enjoyable - cooked perfectly with a splendid consistency and texture, and best of all, came with a refreshing citrus flavour (from the yuzu citrus sauce). I must admit, however, I was slightly disappointed by the proportion of rice to sashimi - there was waaay too much rice, and not enough sashimi. Not to mention that the sashimi, including the scallops, were diced into minute pieces.

Raw Seafood Chirashi ($13.9)
The word "chirashi" means scattered, so this is basically a big bowl of rice mixed with raw sashimi.

My Fellow Food Extinguisher ordered the Saikyo Yaki Fish ($13.9) which features traditional saikyo yaki style grilled fish and mixed seafood on deliciously cheesy rice and vegetables. The grilled fish was marinated in a light, sweet saikyo miso sauce - which blended perfectly with the flavour of the fish. I would have preferred the fish to be a little fresher and the sauce a little creamier, but overall, it was still quite pleasant.

Saikyo Yaki Fish ($13.9)

The dishes were a little small so we also got the Potato Salad ($5.5) - creamy mashed potato with fresh green salad. Creamy is an understatement - it was rich, smooth, and instantly melted in your mouth. To top it off, it was infused with distinctive onion flavours and drenched in a fragrant sesame sauce, adding multiple flavours to this insanely addictive dish. I really wanted more though - one tiny scoop just wasn't enough :(.

Potato Salad ($5.5)
Comes with a choice of 2 dressings: soy or sesame

Verdict:
Delicious Japanese fast-ish food at an affordable price, but I wish the portions were bigger. I WANT MORE @@.

Miel Container - Cnr Mary Street and Albert Street Brisbane QLD 4000

Looks like a red garden shed, but The Burgers here are Better than Hungry Mac's (typo intended). Insanely better - and if you don't believe me, check out the long queues waiting outside Miel Container during peak hour.

This doesn't justify what I've just said - but that's because the photo wasn't taken during peak hour.

 

Each table comes with a watering can with mini pitchforks, mini shovels and mini garden knife :P

Well, time for some action (by that, I really mean eating). Classic Burgers include Miel Beef Pattie Burger, Caprese Burger, Tandoori Burger, Korean BBQ Bulgogi Burger, and Miso Smoked Pork Belly. And if none of these take your fancy, you can even Design Your Burger!
 

 

 
Our burgers finally arrived after a long awaited 10 minutes :D - yes I know it's only 10 minutes but it feels super long when your neighbours (who are sitting literally 10cm away from you) are chomping happily on their massive burgers with the delicious aromas wafting towards you.
 

 
First on the list was the Miso Smoked Pork Belly Burger ($12.5). Paper thin slices of pork belly marinated in a delicate miso bean paste, charred perfectly to create an intense smoky barbeque flavour. Stuffed between a lightly toasted brioche bun with delightful aioli, fresh lettuce, tomato, gherkin and red onion. The slices of red onion and gherkin cuts through the creamy garlicky aioli, resulting in one awesome burger with well balanced flavours.
 

Miso Smoked Pork Belly Burger $12.5

Generous slices of pork belly


Another one I recommend is the Miel Beef Pattie Burger ($12). Deliciously Grilled Grass Fed Beef Pattie with fresh lettuce, tomato, onion jam, bacon, tomato, chutney, dill mayo and tasty cheese on a fresh Brioche bun. The Brioche bun was soft and fluffy with a slight buttery scent which complemented the onion jam and chutney perfectly.

Miel Beef Pattie Burger $12


My Fellow Food Extinguisher decided to be adventurous and created her own burger, for a cheap price of $10.5. Try to guess what she got.
 

Can you spot the ingredients?

 

 
Although all burgers come with a small side of thick cut chips and aioli, it just wasn't enough. Perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside - it was so goood we had to order the Miel Fries ($11). Served with freshly chopped baby tomatoes, crispy onion, bacon, sweet chilli sauce and covered with melted mozzarella cheese. Simply divine!

Verdict:
The burgers here are really better than Hungry Mac's. Massive GOURMET Burgers with chips and aioli at an insanely affordable price.