If you are my personal trainer, please look away now.

It’s been a delicious week. Working backwards; today I legitimately ate fish and chips for lunch- something I would never consider on a weekday normally. It’s for a special for this weekend’s Courier Mail and so far, I’ve been excited to try a couple of places I haven’t before.

Today’s (MONDAY) was particularly good. I can’t yet tell you where, but here’s a pic.

SATURDAY I went to Sunnybank. Pho is the Asian ’chicken soup for the soul’, curer of all ills from flu to self inflicted morning-after head.

This time, in the name of research, I deviated from my normal Pho place. (Pho Pasteur- introduced to me by the lovely Sally Lynch when I took one of her treks a couple of years ago).

I wasn’t wildly fussed on my new pho, whose masterstock seemed a little too sprightly for my liking. I then went across the road and checked out ‘Sunny Park’ which I hadn’t been to; apart from the Landmark for years. (The line was as long as ever). Loved the Korean shop there, but really feel like I need someone in the know to explain to me what all the exotic looking stuff was.

Friday night was dinner at Alchemy. The BF and I had superb course after course- everything as always just so. Fabulous wine matching too. There are no pics as it was too romantically lit for that (appropriately it was the scene of our first real date).

Thursday lunch was at Taro Ramen in Adelaide Street. I’ve been hearing a lot about Taro’s lately and it’s all true- the food is fantastic, the owner is, you can tell from his scribblings, highly passionate and very talented. The waitstaff maybe slightly less so-I ended up with someone else’s dish, and have no idea what it actually was, but it was delicious. He uses sweet Bangalow Pork in all his cooking as well as obviously other high quality ingredients.

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday, I finally inspected a place I’d wanted to for ages- The True Value Hardware Store on Enoggera Rd at Newmarket. It was part of a story on three unsual places to eat. I’d driven past for years, always intrigued by the signs boasting, ‘coffee, cake, cuban cigars.’

Owner Bengu, who is Turkish, married to a Croatian/Italian/Australian insisted I try their tiramisu. For breakfast no less. It was a revelation- light as air, it actually seemed like something we should ALL eat for breakfast. Even the guy who servess on the front counter gets into the spirit- he bakes muffins daily for the tradies who come in. Turns out he was a third generation pastry chef.

I also checked out the gorgeous Room 60 at Kelvin Grove- a ‘cultural space’ /bar/cafe which felt just like I’d want my living room to, if it had a bar! So cute.

 

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday, in my search for the city’s best sandwich, I came across this steak sanger. Jeepers, it was good. I can’t tell you where it is yet; until it comes out online on Friday; but I strongly urge you to try it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I swear, I’m turning into my mother. I can’t bear having left-overs. So with four egg whites left over from a custard the night before, I made, these which I like to think are in the mould of the Italian ‘brutti ma buoni” (ugly but delicious). I beat egg white with icing sugar (as I didn’t have any caster sugar) and coconut, then added a drop of pink colouring and using a clipseal plastic bag, with the corner cut off, piped them onto baking and baked like meringues. I made an icing using the juice from frozen cherries, icing sugar and butter, then put a couple of cherries in the middle with the icing and squished two together. Sort of like cherry ripe without the chocolate. yum.

So that’s been my week, foodwise. In between there have been some healthy meals, I swear.

So what have y’all been eating?