TASTE
BARHOP Tomcat may be one of Brisbane’s
newest bar stops but it looks like a dive joint straight from the ’80s – and that’s deliberate. It’s laidback, low-lit and it’s two bars in one – the graffiti splashed main bar with craft beer, cider, a changing menu of cocktails on tap and supersize pizzas to share, or there’s the secret corner of the Boiler Room which takes the drinks orders up a notch. The highlight: buy a bottle of Remy Martin or Louis Xlll cognac and it will be locked in a copper closet for your personal use on return visits. Open Thursday to Sunday nights from 5pm at Level 1, 210 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley.
Eating out with the family need not be a diet hazard as Kerry Heaney discovered at lunch with dietitian Kate Di Prima
F
ast food isn’t what it used to be. Not only have menu selections changed but some outlets are consulting dietitians to analyse their dishes while others are listing calorie values on the menu. According to dietitian Kate Di Prima (pictured above) proprietors are trying to make it easier for people to find the healthier options they want but there are some simple guidelines everyone can follow. “For someone who is looking after their health a plate should be one-quarter protein such as chicken, seafood, legumes or tofu, onequarter carbohydrate in the form of a wrap, bun, pasta or potato, and half salad or veggies,” Di Prima says. But how easy is that to follow when you’re out shopping with the kids? To find out I joined Di Prima for lunch at the new al fresco Skygate Dining precinct where a number of new cafés and diners have recently opened.
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First stop is Burger Urge where salads have been recently added to the menu. A healthy start. Di Prima liked the chicken, grilled sweet potato and kale slaw salad. “It has more than three serves of fibre in the salad and vegetables. It’s big enough to be shared between two for lunch and has a decent serve of grilled chicken without crumb coating, plus healthy fats and antioxidants with the addition of seeds (505 Cal/2082 kJ),” she says. The salads have been so popular that Burger Urge is already looking to expand the range, and it offers no-bun burgers and wraps as low carb options on the menu. The Portuguese-influenced menu at Zambeekas is based mostly on grilled chicken with light sauces for a flavour burst. “The five chicken tenders with garden salad is great for a light lunch,” says Di Prima. “The fresh grilled chicken has no heavy coating and comes with a fresh garden salad (330 Cal/1360 kJ) that covers at least two vegetable and salad serves for the day.” At Mexican-style Burrito Bar, Di Prima’s choice is the Naked Burrito, an achiote chicken salad with lime rice, black beans, corn salsa, mexislaw and pico de gallo (tomato salsa) topped with guacamole and no tortilla (400-500 Cal/16002000 kJ). “There’s an amazing amount of salad and healthy protein in this option. It’s light on fat, supplied from good fats in the avocado and not weighed down with masses amount of bread.” At Sushi Rail the prawn salad with a teriyaki chicken roll and a tuna salad and cucumber roll (about 450 Cal/1854 kJ) are Di Prima’s pick. “This is a filling lunch and a great way to obtain a variety of protein with tuna, prawn and chicken. Cucumber and nori add the vegetable/salad serve.”
16 Antlers offers a different perspective of the city overlooking City Hall and King George Square from the 16th level of the Pullman Hotel. Tasting plates can be ordered from the in-house Tapastry menu and DJs step in on Friday nights to set an upbeat mood for the weekend ahead. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 3pm until late. The highlight: star-gazing while sipping a mint fresh Bushel Spritz fom the cocktail menu. Pullman Hotel, corner Anne and Roma Streets, city. For information see www.pullmanbrisbanekgs.com.au
Customs House has opened up its riverside courtyard for Sunset Spritz, a summer season pop-up bar open Wednesday to Sunday each week, serving up fresh tasting plates with chilled drinks and a front row seat to a spectacular view of the Story bridge and the riverscape. The highlight: free canapés served 5-6pm on Wednesdays help get over the midweek hump. Customs House, 399 Queen Street, city. See www.customshouse.com.au
Centres in foodie wars Sushi Rail
But what happens if you don’t have a nutritionist along to help with the selection? Caffe Cherry Beans has the answer. It not only lists the calorie/kilojoule value of every dish on the menu it also notes the average adult daily intake (8700kj) at the bottom. Even with the hollandaise sauce, Eggs Benedict with ham (560 Cal/2310 KJ) from the all-day breakfast selection still comes within the healthy choice range. “Poached eggs, rather than fried, and plenty of salad make all the difference,” says Di Prima. While Caffe Cherry Beans has a standard menu that is consistent in all their stores, individual cafés do include special items on their own menu and Skygate will be introducing healthy selections based on super food ingredients for summer.
Find out more about dining options at Skygate, next door to DFO and during Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza playing in the Big Top nearby from 24 November at www.skygate.com.au. Follow foodie blogger Kerry Heaney at www.eatdrinkandbekerry.com.au
Changing flavour of hotel dining Hotel restaurants used to be known more for their convenience than their creativity but that is changing as a wave of inventive chefs take charge in the kitchens – in Brisbane Pete Evans guides the menu at Asana (Capri by Fraser), Cobey Davies is settling in at Lennons (Next Hotel) and more recently Richard Mellor has taken the helm at The Croft House Town Kitchen & Bar attached to the Sebel, also in the CBD. The Croft House is a showcase for local talent – from Wolff Coffee Roasters (owners of Dandelion and Driftwood, Hendra) to craft beer from Newstead Brewing and even plates from ceramic artist Susan Simonini. As its name suggests this is country fare reinvented for the city from its grab-and-go gourmet sandwiches to the Butcher’s Board of cured and smoked meats, farmhouse terrine, pickles and chutney for shared grazing and wine pairing. Open seven days for all-day dining from early (6.30-7am) until late. At the corner of Charlotte and Albert Streets, call 3224 3549 or see www.thecrofthouse.com.au
Eating out at the shops never tasted so good as shopping centres invest millions making over their food courts, and nowhere is the competition keener than on the Gold Coast. Hot on the heels of Pacific Fair raising the bar with the opening of Aquitaine Pacific in its ‘Resort’ precinct, the yakitori and whiskey bar Torii and dessert bars Cowch and Lello Lello Gelati – all open for evening dining even when the shops are closed – Robina Town Centre is fighting back with the opening of The Kitchens – a massive $160 million two-level remodelling of its food marketplace. This is no ordinary food hall – celebrity chef and Masterchef judge George Calombaris has chosen it to be the first location in Queensland for his Jimmy Grants souvlaki bar; Jemma Gawned has brought her Naked Treaties organic, raw, vegan, sugar-free and dairy-free desserts and drinks from Byron Bay; while Melbourne institution Levezzi Gelateria has also moved in. Local Coast stars are also in the spotlight here including hot food truckies Fiery Deli bringing South American street food to the space and William Wu in a new venture, Fish Lab by William Wu; and for anyone who aspires to be more like them there are classes at Icon The Cookery School, which will be open seven days at The Kitchens. See www.robinatowncentre.com.au
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