Stokehouse Q

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A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a conference with a few other colleagues in Brisbane. A dinner was booked at Stokehouse Q in Brisbane’s Southbank precinct for the 8 of us on our first night. Being the foodie I am, I instantly looked up the restaurant and could see quite a few positive reviews so I was excited to check it out!

Now before I get into it, I have to apologise in advance if the photos aren’t up to our usual standards as I didn’t think to pack my proper camera. So all these photos were taken from my trusty ol’ iPhone. I didn’t want to use flash for obvious reasons but mainly so that my colleagues didn’t think I was ‘that crazy photo taking colleague whom we’ll never invite again’. So these were quick snaps without holding everyone up from eating!

Stokehouse Q is located in a great location, right along the river and was no casual affair. It had very classy decor with the white table cloths, dim lights and gorgeous views. Staff there were very friendly, attentive and accommodating. We started off with some bubbly to celebrate and then perused the menu which looked absolutely amazing. One of the staff also brought out a whiteboard and talked us through the specials for the night.

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For entree I ordered the Moreton Bay bug, mussel and clam chowder with Jerusalem artichoke, guanciale and paprika. This was so delicious! I really had to resist from eating it too quickly because it was so good. The flavour combinations of the seafood mixed with the saltiness of the guanciale was perfect.

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For mains I ordered the charred wagyu intercostal with cipollini onions, salt bush, shaved squid and mustard seeds. This was cooked sous-vide style and oh my gosh, the wagyu was so soft! I have to say it was one of the softest cooked beef I’ve had! I also loved the generous green sauce that came with it. That with all the other elements on the plate made it a beautiful and enjoyable dish.

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By the time dessert came around I was so full so we all agreed to order just a few to share. I picked the The Bombe – frozen white chocolate parfait, strawberries, toasted meringue. From memory we also ordered the chocolate and hazelnut cremeux, tonka bean cream, mixed nut ice-cream, crumble and the vanilla cheesecake mousse, poached rosella, mandarin sorbet. All desserts were scrumptious!

Overall, it was hard to fault this place. Amazing food, great service and perfect ambience. What more could you ask for? I highly recommend Stokehouse Q if you’re ever in Brisbane, whether you’re looking for a venue for a work function or a romantic, intimate dinner for two.

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Stokehouse Q
Approx $90 AUD per person
Website: stokehousebrisbane.com.au
Address: Sidon St, South Bank QLD 4101
Phone: +61 7 3020 0600

Stokehouse Q Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cafe Amba

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We were recently invited by Cafe Amba to come and dine at their newish cafe, opened in January this year and located literally opposite the Jam Factory in South Yarra. We loved the decor as soon as we entered. A lot of cafes these days are going for that hipster feel with the brick walls and wooden furnishings however Cafe Amba had that plus the additional touch of glamour with modern hanging lights against a mirror backdrop making it quite the feature when you walk through. It was very pretty. There is also a back room and a little courtyard however on this occasion we were seated indoors. This was fine by us as it has been pretty chilly lately in Melbourne!

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We were provided with the menus with included all day breakfast (yay!) and a separate menu outlining their specials for the day. We ended up ordering most of the items on the specials which included the Open Face Chef Omelette. This had bacon, kipfler potato, chilli and chives served open with toasted Roma tomatoes. I loved that the omelette had chunky bits of the different ingredients. It was also a very generous portion. We shared the cauliflower soup served with a dash of basil pesto and toast. The soup was delicious and again the bowl was huge! I could have had it on its own as a meal.

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Davin ordered the salmon and prawn linguine which also had broccoli, onion, tomato, spinach and garlic in Napoli sauce. Now this was the highlight dish for us because the linguine was cooked to perfection, the salmon and prawns were fresh and the flavour of the sauce complimented the dish so well because it was not overly seasoned but just light and delicious. It was gobbled up pretty quickly!

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We also finished up with some seasonal fruit salad with natural yoghurt and honey. I got my usual latte which was good and served with the right temperature. We also ordered some fresh juices with our meals. After being served the first couple of dishes, staff asked us if we wanted to move to a larger table to fit all our dishes which was fine by us. This normally happens with most places after they realise we’ve ordered food for more than the average couple! So we moved to the back room which had a lovely feature wall of flowers and plants painted directly onto the wall to finish our meal. It was very pretty.


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Overall the food was really good, the staff were very friendly and accommodating and I loved the decor of the cafe. We will definitely be back!

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Cafe Amba
Approx $25 AUD per person
Website: cafeamba.com.au
Address: 497 Chapel St, South Yarra VIC 3141
Phone: +61 3 9827 6747

AMBA Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato