Mei Wei Dumplings at Treasury Brisbane (Brisbane, AUSTRALIA) ★★★☆☆

A few days ago, when we met up with Jelloman's friend, she was telling us how horrible the Chinese food scene was in Brisbane. With that still in my head, I was really skeptical of finding some tasty congee for the ailing Jelloman tonight. But I wasn't giving up easily because I still had my last resort at Treasury Brisbane, which is just a stone's throw from our hotel.

When I was doing my research for this trip, I came across the dining options at Treasury Brisbane and I remembered quite well that there were two Chinese restaurants in the premise, Mei Wei Dumplings and Fat Noodles.

With Fat Noodles closed in late afternoon, I was down to my last option – Mei Wei Dumplings, which was situated in the first level of the building.

Bingo! ✌✌✌

I wasn't expecting much from Mei Wei's food menu other than soup and dumplings (Gweilo food) but surprisingly, it was one that covers a lot of ground including dim sum, roast meat and more.

Pork and preserved egg congee (皮蛋瘦肉粥) – Yeah, I got my congee for Jelloman. It smelt pretty good and I thought she enjoyed it tremendously despite the reasonable amount of MSG.

Yangzhou Fried Rice (揚州炒飯) – I got myself some pork and prawn fried rice. I was actually watching the chef work on this while waiting for my take-away orders to be ready. Watching him toss the rice with his wok in high heat, I knew this would come with fairly good "wok hei". I like the crunchiness from the mixed vegetables too. The corn, carrots and green beans. Pretty scrumptious dish.

If someone had told me that I would be having Chinese food on the last day of our trip right before heading back to Hong Kong, I would probably tell that someone to see a doctor. It's funny how things pan out sometimes. 

Food Rating: 5/10

Price: $$$

Address: Top of Queen St Mall Treasury Casino Building (Ground Floor, 1 George Street), Brisbane City QLD 4000, Australia

Website: www.treasurybrisbane.com.au/casino-restaurants/mei-wei

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 10:00pm (Wed - Mon)

Krispy Kreme Albert Street (Brisbane, AUSTRALIA) ★★★☆☆

I have been trying to make one final stop at Krispy Kreme before going back home but every time, something else popped up so I decided to seize my opportunity this time around.

The Christmas Collection at Krispy Kreme is getting all too familiar to me right now. Santa's Belly was the one that really caught my eyes when I paid my visit to their Central Station location back in Sydney but somehow, I ended up getting their Christmas Tree doughnut. Perhaps this time?

Christmas Pudding Doughnut – Not this time. I decided to get something simple and original today and this Christmas Pudding doughnut fits the bills perfectly. A shell doughnut filled with creamy custard, dipped in chocolate and finished with a white chocolate topping and raspberry and spearmint leaf lollies.

This wasn't bad but most definitely not as fluffy and tasty as the Christmas Tree doughnut I had last week. Could it be the fact that the Christmas Tree was my first Krispy Kreme doughnut in nearly three years? Possibly.....

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: 226 Albert Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000, Australia

Tel: +61 7-3051-0663

Website: www.krispykreme.com.au

Opening Hours: 7:00am - 10:00pm (Mon - Thu), 7:00am - 11:00pm (Fri), 9:00am - 11:00pm (Sat - Sun)

Nodo Donuts Elizabeth Street (Brisbane, AUSTRALIA) ★★★☆☆

After taking the ailing Jelloman back to the hotel, I went on an adventure on my own to explore the Brisbane CBD in greater lengths. As there were still a few names on my to-do list that needed to be checked off, I had to hurry a little to maximize my time. 

My first stop was Nodo Donuts, home of the famous gluten-free, baked-not-fried doughnuts.

They have a few locations in Brisbane but it was their city location behind the General Post Office that I decided to visit this afternoon. I knew I had to hurry cuz this location closes at 3pm sharp!

Only a couple of options left a few minutes before closing time.

This one with coconut shavings on top looks kind of interesting.

I was hoping to grab a seat and enjoy this Nodo vovo donut with a cup of coffee but unfortunately, my server brought me the bad news that he could not serve me with just a few minutes on the clock. My only option would be take-away!

"Baked today, Enjoy today"...... Yeah, that's always true when you're having a doughnut.

Nodo vovo – A raspberry coconut cake doughnut with pink marshmallow, raspberry jam and coconut shavings.

I like the texture of this. The bottom part tasted almost like a pillowy muffin.

I thought the acidity from the raspberry jam balanced out the sweetness of the shaved coconut nicely.

One thing I quickly learned from my brief stay in Brisbane is that, there are many early risers in the city and thus restaurants and cafes do open very early in the morning (6am-7am) but on the down side, they close very early (like 3pm). If I decide to retire here one day, I better adapt quickly cuz I am just not a morning person.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$

Address: 300 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000, Australia

Tel: +61 7-3184-4200

Website: www.nododonuts.com

Opening Hours: 7:00am - 3:00pm (Mon - Fri)

Stanton Brasserie, Bar & Pizzeria (Brisbane, AUSTRALIA) ★★★☆☆

This is the least-fun part of our Australian trip. Jelloman has been under the weather a bit in the last two days. She was thinking she had too much junk food at night but her flu got worse this morning. Although her RAT result was still showing one line, both of us feared that she might have finally lost the battle to COVID after three years.

But like I always said, whatever happens, happens...

Jelloman, donning a mask as usual, was trying her best to get around Queen Street. We were going to grab something real quick near our hotel and ended our search rather quickly at Stanton Brasserie, Bar & Pizzeria.

We sat at a quiet corner, not really in the mood of talking…..

Caramel milkshake – There are two things I am very impressed with the Australian dining scene here. Two things I have seen quite regularly in the restaurant and cafe menus, doughnuts and milkshakes. I don’t know why restaurants and cafes in Hong Kong always shy away from offering them in the menus (except burger joints), but they are two of my favorite things in life.

This caramel milkshake, however, was slightly disappointing. Not really thick enough and it could probably use a little more caramel flavor.

Braised duck leg – The duck leg was slow-braised in masala, and served with cauliflower purée, roasted baby carrots and honey grilled stone fruit. The duck meat was a little firm for my teeth and I thought the carrots and stone fruit really stole the show here. 

Chipotle chicken burger – This came with a crispy butter milk battered chicken breast, slaw, coriander and a smoky chipotle sauce. I guess Jelloman wasn't that sick after all when she had the appetite for something like this!

My better half is heading back to the hotel to rest after this meal but since it's our last day in the city (and Australia), I'm going to walk around the city by myself. Maybe, I'll get a few doughnuts under my belt before this trip officially ends tomorrow.

Food Rating: 4.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: Queens Plaza, Shop UL14, 226 Queen Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000, Australia

Tel: +61 416 063-563

Website: www.stantonfood.com.au

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 9:00pm daily

Seascape Restaurant and Bar (Gold Coast, AUSTRALIA) ★★★☆☆

After spending the last two hours chasing the waves on the Surfers Paradise Beach, it was time for our last destination in Gold Coast before driving back to Brisbane. Luckily, we didn’t have to travel very far since this dinner venue of ours was just a stone’s throw from the beach.

Perched on the second floor of the Soul Building overlooking the Surfers Paradise Beach, Seascape Restaurant and Bar is one of the most sought-after dining venues in Gold Coast thanks to its stunning view and seafood centric menu. Unfortunately, we were pressed for time so I decided that it would be better for us to dine at the Seascape Bistro which is just one floor down from the restaurant (so virtually the same view) but with a much earlier opening time (5pm).

The Bistro and its chic bar provide the perfect setting for a casual dinner with its mouth-watering sharing plates and one of the best vantage points Gold Coast has to offer.

And yes, I have already asked for a table by the window when I did my online booking a few days ago.

Garden salad – I can’t remember when was the last time we had such a big bowl of salad. It must be sometime before the trip.

Seafood chowder – This was exactly like the New England chowder I grew up eating in North America.

It was thick, flavorful and full of seafood like clams, prawns and fish (look at the size of this prawn). Too bad I had to share it with Jelloman.

Kilpatrick oysters – I was trying to decide whether to order oyster Kilpatrick or Mornay but before I could pull the trigger, Jelloman already made a swift decision to go for the Kilpatrick. This wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. The smoked bacon and ketchup were rightfully sitting on top of the oysters but the oysters weren’t a bit cooked at all! Last time I checked, they were supposed to be lightly baked with the toppings (I could be wrong!).

Chargrilled lobster – Seascape’s seafood platter with grilled garlic Pacific Lobster is one of the signature dishes here but since we had way too much to eat on this trip, we decided to just have the chargrilled lobster instead.

This was massive! It was charcoal grilled the old-fashioned way with lemon juice, garlic, fresh herbs and butter. I think no cheese was in play.

A very hearty dish to finish off our side trip in Gold Coast.

Following our hour-long drive back to Brisbane CBD, we returned our GoGet rental car where it belonged. As the drop-off location was almost in our backyard, it didn’t take very long for us to make it home. A very convenient way to travel in Australia! I would most definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a short-term rental.

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: 1/4 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia

Tel: +61 7-5527-6655

Website: www.seascape.com.au

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 9:00pm (Wed - Sun), 5:00pm - 9:00pm (Tue)

Scoop Gelati Bar (Gold Coast, AUSTRALIA) ★★★★☆

We had just enough time to stop by James Street in Burleigh Heads before our dinner tonight. There is this single block of real estate in the area that’s absolutely packed with trendy bakery cafes, doughnut shops and gelateria, and I am hoping to get a slice of the action within the limited time that we could afford there.

Turns out most of the shops on my short list were closed on Sundays except for a few gelateria like Scoop Gelati Bar.

The award-winning Scoop Gelati Bar offers a constantly changing selection of 24 gelato flavors. Also available are milkshakes and thick shakes for those looking for a frosty beverage.

Out of the flavors Jelloman and I have tried, these two are our favorites.

Miso maple with sesame brittle – Incredibly creamy texture and they did great to bridge the deep savory (miso) and sweet (maple) flavors with the sesame brittle providing the final piece of the puzzle with some lovely crunch.

Boysenberry – The perfect cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. More importantly, it possesses the best of both worlds, the juicy intensity of a blackberry, and the sweet, floral notes of a raspberry.

This was really refreshing, and coincidentally an excellent match for the miso maple gelato with the fruity and floral notes of the boysenberry complementing the salty-sweet richness of the miso maple nicely.

Food Rating: 7.6/10

Price: $$$

Address: 23 James Street, Burleigh Heads QLD 4220, Australia

Tel: +61 7-5518-3701

Website: www.scoopgelati.com.au

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm daily

Doughnut Boss (Gold Coast, AUSTRALIA) ★★★☆☆

We didn’t do much during our brief stop at The Pacific Fair, a storied shopping centre in the heart of Gold Coast. Storied because it’s been around since 1977. 46 years and counting! In fact, Jelloman remembered visiting this place as a kid some years ago.

One place I’d leave some leg hair inside the mall was Doughnut Boss, a doughnut and gelato shop in the food court section. I honestly don’t see the connection between doughnuts and gelato but they managed to make it work.

Italian vanilla custard doughnut – Can this beat the one I had at Le Bon Choix two days ago? The answer, you bet!

While the choux pastry was slightly less spongy than the one from Le Bon Choix, look at the size of the silky smooth vanilla custard. It’s everywhere inside that dough. That’s just perfect! 👍🏻

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: $$

Address: Level G, Pacific fair shopping centre, Hooker Blvd, Broadbeach QLD 4230, Australia

Website: www.facebook.com/thedoughnutboss/

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 5:30pm (Mon - Wed, Fri - Sat), 9:00am - 7:30pm (Thu), 9:30am - 5:00pm (Sun)

Gods of the Sea (Gold Coast, AUSTRALIA) ★★★★☆

For the past few weeks, Jelloman and I have been going back and forth on whether to embark on a side trip to Gold Coast during our stay in Brisbane. The sticking point was when and where to pick up and drop off our rental car (if we decide to rent one). But once we learnt about GoGet from her cousin, there was no turning back!

By the way, GoGet is truly a brilliant concept. More on that here.

Gold Coast is just a 50-minute drive from the Brisbane CBD if you happen to be a crazy driver like Jelloman. We originally planned a couple of attractions before lunch but thought better of it. Let’s enjoy a relaxing lunch first. That was the final plan.

Gods of the Sea is a hatted restaurant in Gold Coast and one of the few that opens on a Sunday. They made my choice a little easier with their 100% Australian seafood centric menu and the water view across the Gold Coast broadwater certainly didn’t hurt the cause.

Finnish co-owner and executive chef Jon Nurminen started his career as a dishwasher at the age of 16, and following a meteoric rise to sous chef, he eventually took the helm at The Fish House where he made a name for himself. At Gods of the Sea, chef Numinen aims to deliver a menu with emphasis on sustainably caught seafood and native Australian ingredients using his creative cooking techniques.

Beetroot carpaccio – Thin slices of beetroot topped with dabs of smoked tomato emulsion, crunchy pickled carrots and leaf salad.

The beetroot and carrot really surprised me with their different degrees of crunchiness; and I thought the mix of smokiness from the tomato emulsion and acidity from the pickled carrots came through nicely. The dish came with a very distinctive flavor, both salty and fragrant (minty), which Jelloman thought was spearmint leaf (香花菜) but I wasn’t entirely sure. My guess would've been shiso leaf.

But this I know, it’s a very simple but well-designed and executed dish that set the tone the rest of the way.

Grilled tiger prawns – The prawns dusted with coriander, were served with a fermented chili and lime sauce on the side. Pretty happy with the smoky flavors from the prawns and their charred shells. Again simple but pretty delicious.

Charred octopus – Very tender. Thought the salad of confit capsicum, shallots, celery and tomato vinaigrette was pretty Asian.

Not quite the size as the one we had in Santorini but fairly close.

Grilled rainbow trout – At first, I was a little hesitant to order this dish when our server mentioned a “whole trout”. That sounded like a lot of fish and I am not a fan of fish. But as soon as she suggested us sharing this together as a main course, I was content to give it a try. And so glad I did.

Turns out the rainbow trout was much smaller than I thought, and having it deboned, just music to my ears!

This looked like a dish we could do at home. The trout was steamed and later garnished with a fennel and herb salad. A buttery lemon beurre blanc was served up as a dip and it was so good that I ended up finishing the entire bowl (and almost asking for an extra one!).

We have a pretty jam-packed schedule in the afternoon, so there will be no dessert for us just the bill.

The relatively short food menu was one that both of us have enjoyed tremendously here at Gods of the Sea today. The dishes were simple yet beautifully presented. If their objective is to simply let the ingredients (seafood) shine, they were very successful at that this afternoon.

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: $$$

Address: 74 Seaworld Drive, Shop/16 Marina Mirage, Main Beach QLD 4217, Australia

Tel: +61 452 652-215

Website: www.godsofthesea.com.au

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm (Tue - Sun), 5:30pm - 10:00pm (Tue - Sat)