Oh hi! Or maybe O Mai!

I know, I know, things have been very quiet here on the content-front. It's not strictly a planned thing, but I find that although I have lots of time to scroll through other people's content, it's really hard to keep up with my own.

I've been busy, and real life just gets in the way of online life sometimes. Of course, there has still been lots of eating, and baking, and interacting with my small people going on. I just haven't felt the need to blog in detail about it so much.

However, recently (as in, a few months ago now), I dragged Mr Fork and the smalls to a new-to-us pho (pronounced 'fur') place for lunch while we were out and about. We liked it so much, that we took his parents to eat there the next day and they were impressed. I may not have mentioned it before, but Mr Fork's parents are Vietnamese, so for them to give this place a tick of approval means it's pretty darn tasty. So I thought I needed to tell everyone about it, because good pho deserves to be shared!

O Mai!

Cafe O Mai and Pho Queue (love those pun names) are located side by side and are owned by the same family. We like them both and they serve pretty much the same pho - O Mai is a little bit rustic and casual and opens earlier so you can indulge in pho for breakfast if you choose (it's delicious!). Pho Queue is a bit fancier, opens from lunch through to dinner time, has a glorious open dessert kitchen to sticky beak into and produces some wonderful French desserts. Mr Fork has a preference for Pho Queue because they offer normal washable chopsticks instead of wooden disposable ones, and he prefers to eat with those so we probably frequent Pho Queue slightly more because of that. They also offer baby pho at reasonable prices, which are smaller sized bowls specially for the kids, so my children love that they can order their own bowl and not be overwhelmed by adult sizes.

Another feature that I love is that both stores practice sustainability where possible. Straws are reusable metal ones and in an effort to reduce wastage, bean sprouts, basil, chilli and fresh lemon are all available (free) pho additions, but won't be served unless they are asked for. I'm all for being eco friendly and reducing single use plastic so I'm fully supportive of this practice but you better believe I'm piling those additions into my pho! Now if only O-Mai would get rid of the disposable chopsticks...

I should also mention that both stores serve a delicious Bahn Mi, the Vietnamese crusty bread roll. There is a dedicated bahn mi station where they bake the baguettes onsite between the two restaurants and it's always busy. I get the lemongrass tofu option (minus the mayo and pate), but Mr Fork raves about the traditional pork one. I have no pictures of those because they get devoured far too quickly but take my word that they're amazing.

Pho Queue branded bowl

From my perspective, I'm impressed because they also have a completely vegan pho option made on a super tasty mushroom broth. You can choose to have it with tofu and vegetables (regular), or with a medley of gourmet mushrooms and crispy soy pieces (deluxe).

Regular vegan pho

I'm hard pressed to choose my favourite but maybe I'm leaning ever so slightly to the deluxe mushroom medley because a) I love oyster and enoki mushrooms and b) the crispy soy tastes amazing after absorbing the broth and it gets that wonderful texture where the inside is soggy and delicious but the outside is crackly and perfect.

Deluxe vegan pho

If you're ever in the area, I 'pho sure' recommend stopping in for a delicious bowl of pho, vegan or not.

Dining at 5 Boroughs Stones Corner

Stones Corner is going through a bit of a revamp at the moment. Previously full of brand outlets, it had a period of being quiet and a bit rundown and now it's starting to become a delicious foodie hangout. Which makes 5 Boroughs (9/401-405 Logan Road, Stones Corner) a perfect fit - casual, friendly, good value American street style food.

Double beef burger

Dining with the family for Saturday lunch, the fitout won us over with the mix of large and small tables, all undercover and just perfect for sitting and watching the street view.

Diners place their orderat the counter for a selection of burgers, hotdogs, sides and drinks. There are also vegan options. Say what? There is a vegan burger and a vegan hotdog, so this little eatery is perfect for catering to all tastes. Our order included a double beef burger (the meat patties are preservative free and served medium so slightly red in the middle) ($15), a 5B vegan burger ($12.50)  with a housemade quinoa and black bean patty and a childrens beef slider ($10) with a serve of chips and a juice included (not shown).

5B vegan burger with cute quinoa tails

The buns were fresh and soft, the filling tasty and very moreish. We also indulged in a side of ale battered onion rings ($8) and at Mr Fork's insistence, a plate of ginger pepper caramel chicken wings ($15).

The standout for the table was definitely the onion rings, which were crunchy, golden and one vegetable that Mr Fork was certainly happy to eat more of!

5 Buroughs is unpretentious and a hit with diners, so I'm glad we got there early. I'll be back to try the vegan hotdog because I have a thing about supporting restaurants that offer vegan options.

The Jam Pantry - Bean Scene #4

I was going through the photos on my phone and noticed a little bit of a trend.

1. When I go out to breakfast, I like to order avocado on toast. Whether this is because it's the only menu item without meat, or whether I just love avocado on good crusty bread, I can't say.
2. I frequent cafes with lovely wallpaper.

So, here is another example of a cafe that has gorgeous wallpaper, a delicious avocado dish and enough pizazz and variety to make me want to go back and eat there all over again! 

The Jam Pantry, located at 2/575 Logan Road at Greenslopes is the latest offering from Nims and Gideon (formerly of Comfort at my Table). It took me a little while to find the place, but it was worth it. Parking is all on the surrounding streets, but after the meal, I was pleased I had a little bit of a walk to let my food digest!

An obvious neighbourhood favourite, I was very glad our little group had booked when I saw the crowd waiting at the front, and I was definitely glad when I saw that we were located in the little semi private room with the most gorgeous wallpaper. Apparently it's one of the most photographed parts of the cafe!

There's an all day seasonal menu with lots of good, non pretentious food. Each dish generally has some sort of house made condiment included, hence the name of the cafe! Condiments, preserves, sweet treats and loaves of bread can all be purchased to take home as well if you can't get enough of them while you're there!

There are seasonal blackboards for special items which change regularly according to the creative whims of the chef, as well as the type of foods that are in season. So many delicious things on there, that blackboard is sure to keep diners coming back to see what the menu has flipped over to!

Of course, I couldn't go past a plate of avocado on toast ($14), and this was a lovely homely serving. Big, generous chunks of perfectly ripe avocado atop crusty filling bread with some lemon, salt and pepper. Good, honest, filling food!

Special mention needs to go to the drinks. Our table fell madly in love with the hot chocolates, which were declared creamy, decadent and oh-so-moreish! The chai lattes were also a hit, and my small soy flat white really hit the spot. Cappuccinos were served with chunks of real chocolate sprinkled on top. So good!

So good in fact, that I dragged the family back there for breakfast because I couldn't stop talking about it. The toddler was a big fan, and why wouldn't she be when they serve such gourmet babycinos ($3)?!

I'll definitely be back to see what Nims will cook up next... whatever it is, it's sure to be a winner. Also, I want a jar of that gorgeous fig jam I saw while it's still available!

Do you have a favourite local cafe?

 

The Rabbit Hole Cafe - Bean Scene #3

When Mr Fork sends Ellie in to ask me what I want for breakfast, what he generally means is "do you want to go out somewhere to get {him} a big meaty meal?" However, often I'll have been up late feeding Jimmy, so I give him the hairy eyeball and try to close my eyes for 5 more minutes of peace. That idea goes out the window when a certain toddler starts jumping next to me in bed chanting something about babycinos.

At that point I give in and get dressed, leaving the decision of where to go up to Mr Fork and his pint sized babycino-guzzling partner in crime. One of the places that we know has something to suit everyone in our family is The Rabbit Hole Cafe.

Located at 5 The Corso, Seven Hills, parking is easy, and the Campos coffee is always speedily delivered and unfailingly good to drink. They're open from 7am every day - just pick a table and order at the counter when ready. I  like to sit inside so I can look at the pretty wallpaper.

The all day breakfast menu has never failed to disappoint (Ellie is a big fan of the children sized pancakes with strawberries ($10), while Mr Fork loves the big breaky ($22), not pictured as he started gobbling before I could get to it).

Of special note, this is a dog friendly cafe, and there are always diners there with well behaved hounds in tow, which is a trend I fully support. It also helps to amuse Ellie and Jimmy as they like to point (and squawk in Jimmy's case) at the doggies outside while we wait for our meals to come out.

The smashed avo ($14) is a bit fancy here, served with fresh sliced tomato, lemon, sprinkled feta and some rocket.

It's the perfect meal to start the day, and keeps me going nicely without snacking, until lunchtime and beyond. I love a cafe that's equally lovely for adults, children and hounds, which is one of the reasons we keep coming back. And I have it on genuine toddler authority they do a great babycino!

Do you have a favourite local cafe?

 

The Chocolate Room - Bean Scene #2

Wandering around Westfield Garden City with a sleeping Jimmy wrapped on me, I was loathe to go home and therefore have to unwrap him, put him in the car and wake him up. How fortuitous then, that I came across The Chocolate Room just as I was thinking about food (that happens often, the food thoughts).

Located at shop 1370, within Garden City on the corner of Logan and Kessels Roads in Upper Mount Gravatt, I couldn't go past a place that so blatantly screamed out 'chocolate indulgence'! Especially when I saw that they had a special deal for a coffee and cake at $6.50. Just take my money already!!!

The server was lovely enough to let me change the coffee to a hot chocolate, because if I'd had another coffee, Jimmy would certainly have been up all night as payback. I was even more chuffed when I realised that they have over 20 flavours of hot chocolate drinks!! I'll say it again for emphasis. TWENTY FLAVOURS!!! They even had no problems with me changing to soy milk (an extra $0.50).

Much deliberation saw me choosing a coconut hot chocolate, with a side of apple and raspberry crumble. The things I do for Jimmy!! My hot chocolate came out in one of those nifty little mugs which unfortunately remind me of a bedpan. Not that I'd let that stop me from enjoying this frothy cup of deliciousness! The coconut flavour was mixed into the drink, and there were also some little pieces of desiccated coconut on top. It was delicious and definitely not overwhelmingly chocolate/coconutty at all. Jimmy is too little for marshmallows, and I don't eat them so I definitely appreciated that they were left on the side instead of added into the drink.

The crumble came out presented as a piece of art in itself. There was a big dollop of cream (again, I don't eat it but it's very generous) a swirl of chocolate sauce and a sprinkling of more chocolate, and the crumble, which was more like a little tartlet was heated just enough so that it was warm but not so hot to burn the roof of your mouth off. It was also delicious, which is important as no amount of presentation can make up for bad food in my books!

The staff were lovely, and were obviously dedicated and devoted chocolate lovers themselves. Service was fairly prompt, but even if you have to wait awhile, there is plenty of chocolate deliciousness to appreciate  and tempt you in the display cabinets and on the walls.

With such a delicious range of chocolate and sweets, I didn't look at the savoury menu in detail, but I know that there are some lunch and sandwich options available. Since there are 20 flavours of hot chocolate alone, I'm fairly certain I will be making this one of my regular cafes when I need a chocolate hit!

Do you have a favourite local cafe?

Hallowed Grounds Espresso - Bean Scene #1

While I was cleaning out the photos I had on my phone, I realised that there were quite a few of coffees and edibles from various places I frequent. Instead of deleting them all, I thought I'd write posts about some of my favourite places to share. Some of the pictures were taken just because so they may not be the best quality but I'm sure the deliciousness will show through!

As a mother, there are few things I appreciate better than a really great coffee. Well... maybe a really great coffee home delivered to my hand while steaming, perhaps with a side of warm scone with jam... I digress. If I can't have my coffee delivered, the next best thing is having a great cafe close by. Enter Hallowed Grounds Espresso. Located at Shop 2, 1417 Logan Rd, Mount Gravatt, there is plenty of street parking around.

Seating is either on the footpath or in the cosy interior on an eclectic mix of tables, benches and chairs.

You order at the counter inside, which is beside a display cabinet full of cakes and sandwiches. If you're eating in, you get a painted spoon to take back to your table. Coffee is freshly roasted Elixir coffee, which has not yet failed to disappoint. If the cakes and sandwiches on display in the cabinet aren't to your taste, there is an all day breakfast and lunch menu options as well. Many of the items are vegetarian and can also be easily adapted to be vegan friendly as well.

Smashed avocado on sourdough, with feta $11.50

It is through Hallowed Grounds Espresso that I discovered these locally made awesome vegan cupcakes. The one pictured below is peanut butter and jam and it tasted amazing! Obligatory shot, with a fork (see what I did there?!)

Vegan cupcake, peanut butter and jam, $5.50

Staff are friendly and chatty, and happy to make suggestions if you need help. They have managed to crate a little community driven cafe - regulars are recognised and greeted with glee. Dogs are welcomed outside, and treated with fresh water and doggy treats. The cafe is chock full of interesting posters, collectables and even things for the kids to play with (thank you!!). It's the little things (like thank you notes with your coffee) that make a cafe worth going back to again and again. Hallowed Grounds Espresso have that.

Do you have a favourite local cafe?