The five-hearted Iron Lady

Every Friday and Saturday morning something absolutely amazing happens in Brisbane. I could hardly believe it when I first heard that this Norwegian guy, Christian, had started the most wonderful business on the other side of the planet: Waffles! Five delicious hearts of perfect, lightly brown goodness covered in sweet brown cheese and raspberry jam. Can you even think of a better way to start the weekend?

The location does change a bit, but usually you'll find The Iron Ladies, as they've named their business, operating out of Two Trees in West End. They do the most delicious coffee that goes oh so well with these yummy waffles! Friendly staff, good atmosphere and just enough quirkiness.

Personally, I stay true to my Norwegian heritage and refuse to have my waffle with anything but brown cheese, jam or sour cream, but they do also serve up some pretty interesting and adventurous toppings. How about spicy pinapple, mango chutney, mint and cucumber raita? Or a waffle dog? Or maybe some peanut butter, banana and chocolate sauce? The menu changes every week and I even heard rumors of anchovies finding their way on top of one of the waffles once - although not with any great success. 

Most importantly though, this wonderful human being - Christian - also made me aware that the Swiss Gourmet in West End actually takes in, and sells, Norwegian brown cheese! :D Hooray!!! :D It cost a small fortune, but is worth every single cent!

If you haven't tried it yourself, I seriously suggest you change that situation asap. Just do it. I know you want to! Simply knowing that there is brown cheese available when and if I get a craving has brought great calmness into my life.

What is your favourite waffle topping?

Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation

So while I'm sitting here in cold and rainy Norway (spring has yet to arrive, although I saw a crocus peeping through some brown leaves the other day!) I can't help but dream of the Brisbane winter, which to me is like a really, really lovely Norwegian summer! ;) I'm soon to finally set foot in this wonderful city again, and since it'll be getting "colder" it will be even more enjoyable to sit down at a café for a nice cup of cappuccino, or a chai latte. Both are favourites of mine!

During the past year I've found a few favourite spots for that strong, but well rounded cappuccino, or spiced chai latte (also simply referred to as chai tea a few places, even though it's mixed with milk), so I thought I'd share them with you guys! :) I also love it when I find somewhere to bring a good book, or where I can do some innocent people-watching while sipping into a cup of goodness. Again, West End is a favourite of mine so most of the places are in that area.

I've already mentioned The Gunshop Café in another post, and I really do love their cappuccino. A big test for me is to see if they can still get that velvety taste even with skim milk, and The Gunshop passed it with flying colours. I've also had their chai latte, which I thought was really nice and served in an original manner (photo). It's always a plus when the chai comes in a small teapot and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I do prefer it just a bit more spiced though. Sitting along the sidewalk in front of the café also makes for a great people-watching spot, and if you just want to relax with a book or magaizne their backyard is perfect.

One of the best cappuccino's I've had was at Cantina in Highgate Hill. My opinion on where to get the best cappuccino does change a bit, but I remember being pleasantly surprised and uttering the words "best cappuccino ever" a couple of times I've been there. It's strong and tasty just the way I like it, but with that velvety, rich touch. They also do a heavenly breakfast served until 2pm, so if you haven't been there yet I strongly recommend it. I've also found the staff very attentive and pleasant, and I love sitting outside in the mornings sun watching life pass by.

Another place that serves a really good cappuccino is Eros in West End. It's not quite as strong as I would like it, but it's relatively cheap and I like sitting inside near the window. There's not a lot of seating, but somehow it still never feels cramped, which is nice. They also make some delicious salads and it's definitely one of THE spots to go for sweet desserts. I always manage to fill up on breakfast/lunch though, so I seldom have enough room for sweets. The owner and staff are very attentive, and I like that the chef himself serves the dishes he makes (this is probably a result of limited space, though). Whatever I've asked for they've always managed to accomodate.

Oh, The Burrow. They do a good cappuccino - it doesn't make my tastebuds explode with delight, but it most certainly does the job. What they do make, however, is an absolutely heavenly iced coffee with ice-cream! We normally don't put ice-cream in our iced coffee in Norway, but this is a treat I most certainly can get used to. The Burrow offers cozy and relaxed seating upstairs, and I've spent quite a few hours up there with my books while trying to make my iced coffee last for as long as possible ;) They also do a really good breakfast, which actually blew me away a bit the first time I was there, as I was not expecting anything out of the ordinary. You can take a sneak peak at their signature dish, The Alice, here. Overall I find it a great place to just sit and relax, they also offer free WiFi and the staff is very pleasant.

The Banana Lounge in West End opened not too long ago and was a great improvement to the previous café, in my opinion. They focus on vegetarian/vegan food, but also serve a really nice chai latte worth a mention! It came in a small glass, but I thought the dried banana piece in on the spoon was a really nice touch. It was tasty too! The chai had just the right amount of spice, tea and milk and is definitely among my top 5. Unique to The Banana Lounge they also give you the option of Soy-, Rice-, Oat- and Almond-milk which is great for anyone struggling with food-allergies. And if you have a sweet-tooth they even serve an amazing chai spiced carrot cake! Yummy.

In my opinion, you can't really say you love chai latte without having set foot at Cafe Wrapture! Apart from serving the most scrumptious wraps on Earth (Seriously! Go eat there! Now!) Wrapture also serves an absolutely devine chai latte, in a seperate teapot, just the way I like it. It's a little pot of spiced heaven, perfectly balanced! And just right for a bit of a chilly day. The café also has a cozy little space in front where you can sit and relax (but be prepared, you'll have to fight for those seats!) and they really do seem to know their tea (I noticed a lot of other exciting varieties I have yet to try)!

There truly is nothing like taking a sip of a really good cappuccino or chai, lean back, relax and just savour the moment. What is your best caffeine moment?

"Only one thing is certain about coffee... Wherever it is grown, sold, brewed, and consumed, there will be lively controversy, strong opinions, and good conversation." - Mark Pendergrast

Devouring Brisbane...

I'm a big fan of good food! <3 And one of the things that really surprised me the first time I moved to Brisbane was all the amazing food being served up at café's and restaurants, especially in the South Bank / West End area. Although we do have some really good restaurants in Norway as well, I find the food there extremely boring and not very adventurous compared to Australia (perhaps with the exception of Svalbard, which I might tell you more about in a later blogpost).

I've had some truly amazing meals in Brisbane and I thought I'd share some of my absolute favourite restaurants with you guys! :D These are all located in West End and South Bank - and I think the restaurants in these suburbs simply have that extra something compared to the rest of Brisbane. 

1. Gunshop Cafe is definitely one of my favourites in Brisbane! This is where I went for my 30th birthday, it's the place I make sure to take anyone who's visiting, and the place where I can be almost certain everyone will have an excellent meal! They have a lovely backyard (my favourite) where you can enjoy your meal in the shade overlooking a cool water feature, pots of herbs and lanterns. It's also very romantic at night.

I really like their menu's as they simply list the ingredients of the dish and then you have to wait until you get it in front of you to see exactly what they've done with them, and what has been given the leading role. I love it! They're open for breakfast, lunch and dinner - and all of them are equally exciting and worth a visit! I also think they serve one of the best cappuccino's in Brisbane - and I'm picky. The only draw-back is that such excellent food sadly does not come cheap, so this is not a place I can afford to go very often, but that just makes it even more special when I do, right? 

2. French Martini - I absolutely LOVE French food! And this restaurant really gives it justice. I went to a fair few French restaurants in Brisbane until I found this gem located in South Bank - with sizable portions (it's still French though) and food to die for! They're not crazy expensive like a lot of other French restaurants I've been to, and they serve the best Lemon Merengue Pie I've ever had. Mmmmmmmm!

The atmosphere and decorations are spot on and feels like taken out of a French movie. It's a small space though, so it might be a good idea to book ahead on weekends. They're open for lunch and dinner, and have an awesome lunch deal at $25 for 2 courses and $30 for 3 courses of mouth-watering French degustation. Excellent value for such good food and a nice treat on a special day!

3. Olé Restaurant in South Bank has the best Gazpacho in Brisbane. My partner had never had it before and now he's absolutely crazy for it. The restaurant has a real Spanish feel to it, with live music on the weekends and a loooong table along the sidewalk where they seat those of us who have not booked ahead. It can feel a bit cramped, but it also contributes to that authentic feeling - munching on delicious tapas and getting to know your neighbouring dining guests. I recommend trying it!

They're open for lunch and dinner all week, and serve breakfast on the weekends. They also throw events such as Salsa Evenings or Sunset Tapas. Olé!

4. Tsuru Sushi Café in West End has the most amazing sushi! They opened about a year ago and quickly became my favourite spot for sushi. Their dumplings (I prefer them fried and my partner steamed) are just heavenly. Their maki pieces are gigantic though, so don't be fooled to think that 6 pieces won't fill you up - I always make that mistake, as there is so much good stuff on the menu - I just want to eat it all! Hehe :) More reviews: 

5. Siam Samrarn is my favourite Thai restaurant, also in West End. I'd gone past it a lot of times and never really thought it would be anything special because of it's location next to Coles. Boy was I wrong! The prices are good, the food is excellent and it's actually a really nice place to sit down and eat too - although I must admit I usually opt for take-away. I'm a big fan of their Massaman Curry, which is the dish I measure most Thai restaurants by (I love it!). More reviews: 

6. Punjabi Palace cooks the most amazing cheese and garlic naan bread! This is the place I take all my Indian food loving friends. Their Butter Chicken is so tender and tasty it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I've tried a lot of different Indian restaurants in both West End and around Brisbane, and none can measure up to Punjabi. If you haven't been there already, be sure to stop by sometime soon! You won't regret it! More reviews: 
 
Mmmmmm. I'm getting hungy just thinking about all these wonderful places to eat - and that's not even including my favourite lunch / coffee spots! I'll have to do a post on that some other time. Meanwhile, I have listed most of them in the column to the right! 

I can't wait to get back to Brisbane and treat myself to one of these awesome restaurants!

What are your favourite foods or places to go? Have I missed our on some amazing meals?