Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Campos Coffee , Gasworks Newstead

Unless you live a boring suburban life and never get out of your outskirts Queenslander haven't been around the city in the last 2 months, you definitely would have heard about all the buzz around the new 1,1 $bn development at Gasworks.

With a brand new Woolies and trendy Market Food Company stocked with gourmet foods, the area is now the 'IT' place to do your grocery shopping - in case you didn't know that groceries shopping can be done in style - trendy mummies with branded prams, 'suited up corporates, and LornaJane clad fitness girls sipping on LornaJane smoothies (yes, I a referring to the new Active Living Room Cafe opened at the Lorna Jane Gasworks store - welcome to the Lorna Jane Cult!) - they all shop at Gasworks.
Source:goodfood.com.au
Gasworks also boasts a selection of casual cafes, restaurants, take-away eateries and coffee shops, speaking of the latter - the new Campos Coffee definitely beats the coffee competition. It is amazing how the Campos brand conquered Australians' hearts - I don't think I have heard anyone so far saying they dislike their coffees. Brisbanites love Campos, and I am one of them.
Source:www.camposcoffee.com

 With my unhealthy addiction to love of coffee I couldn't go past Campos Coffee  once it opened its doors at Gasworks  and I have been back many times since. Regardless of the time and day of the week Campos is always buzzing with people - office workers, mummies, ladies of leisure, retirees and freelancers.

If you are wondering why, the answer is simple - coffee is delicious, staff are friendly and helpful, service is efficient - what more do you need from a coffee shop?

Design:   8/10
Drinks:   10/10
Food: 5/10
Service: 8/10
The highlight: Coffee
Disappointment: Food options are limited - so won't be good for a breaky
Splurge: $

Campos Coffee Gasworks on Urbanspoon
xoxo
The Foreigner

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Bonsai Botanika

Bonsai Botanika is a new Asian edition to Elizabeth Street in the CBD. Offering Japanese-style food as well as organic coffees, loose leaf tea, hot chocolate and 'to-die-for' brownies Bonsai Botanika is a pretty unique place thanks to stylish design in the best traditions of the current trend of the eclectic mix of modernism, earthiness and retro - think wood, grass, organic produce and retro milk jars.
Source:brisbane.concreteplayground.com.au 

A successful combination of a restaurant and a coffee shop - all in one place keeps the place buzzing all day long till late in the evening even on a weeknight.

I have been to the place 3 times, first was during the pre-official launch.  The service was incredibly slow and the staff had no idea what they were doing, but the food was yummy - being a newbie on the block I cut them slack and showed up again to test the waters in about a month after opening.
Source:omggimmenow.blogspot.com

This time the place was packed with a very diverse crowd - students gossiping and posting selfies on Instagram  doing their assignments while overdosing on caffeine and sugar loaded frappuccinos,  ladies sipping on their wine, groups of friends enjoying delicious japanese food and couples sharing desserts, feeding each other from cute tea spoons...

Source:www,visitbrisbane.com.au
We shared a bowl of soup, which was huge enough to feed My Man and myself and if we had a cat we could have brought some for her too! The laksa soup was delicious, so was the flour-less chocolate brownie - in fact I have been craving the dessert since, however the service has still been slow and slightly disorganised, although the staff have been incredibly friendly and polite, which, combined with a heavenly dessert made me come back for more!


Last time I only had a tea and service was superb: friendly, efficient and no fuss.  In fact I was one of those annoying bitches customers who changes the order 3 times and nothing was a problem, my  requests were accommodated with a smile and the Aussie 'no-worries-mate attitude', which means I will be back.... to order 3 chocolate brownies.

Design:   9/10
Drinks:   8/10
Food: 8/10
Service: 6-7/10
The highlight: Design and brownies!
Disappointment: Service is not streamlined
Splurge: $$

Bonsai Botanika on Urbanspoon

xoxo
Foreigner


Monday, November 4, 2013

Shucked Coffee House, Newstead

Shucked Coffee House tucked away on one of the little streets in Newstead is one of the places I keep recommending all the time whenever someone asks me about a 'cool' place to go for breaky.
Source:beanbrewding.wordpress.com 

Source:theweekendedition.com.au
You will understand what I mean by cool, once you visit the place - it's just so different to your average cafe! If you get a a table in the outside area you probably will end up sitting on those terribly uncomfortable but very cool chairs, eating from a tiny but 'oh, so adorable' table admiring the relaxed atmosphere of Shucked - and  it does not matter how uncomfortable the chair is, because the food is amazing, the stuff are friendly and welcoming and the vibe just makes the time stop, forcing you to sit back and relax with your cup of aromatic coffee. 


The menu will not disappoint either - quirky, creative and utterly delicious, food comes out well-presented and very 'seducing'. When I go to places for breaky I like to pick something that I can't be bothered to cook myself at home, in that sense Shucked is perfect hardly anything on the menu would be your average breaky dish, even the staples will have an unexpected twist.
Source:urbanspoon.com.au


Shucked is a place that you need to visit for yourself to really appreciate what is so special about it, so I wont be posting too many photos, all you need is Just Show Up!
Oh, and case you are not a breakfast person, you need to rethink your life philosophy they do lunch and evening cocktails as well!

Design:   9/10
Drinks:   8/10
Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10
The highlight: Atmosphere and food
Disappointment: Outside chairs are not comfy, but not a deal beaker and definitely create a cool vibe!
Splurge: $$
Website: http://shucked.com.au/ 

Shucked Coffee House on Urbanspoon

xoxo
The Foreigner



Foreigner's Come Back

I haven't been blogging for a while.. By a while I mean since I turned into a housewife and started cooking dinners and washing socks  July 2012!

Even though I have fairly enjoyed 'family' life (and no, I am not married and neither do I have kids so I am exaggerating just a bit the dramatic changes in my life trying to explain my long absence) along with its quiet evenings, home-cooked meals, TV shows with a bowl of sweets,  I really missed my scribbles and expressing my thoughts  about Brisbane life in my darling blog.

 I had a few people asking me about the blog and I thought I had no idea someone was actually reading it I should really get back into it and start putting my greatest finds on the pages of the Foreigner's Diary again. 

Since the last post a lot has happened and many new places have opened, and many more are due to appear on Brisbane's arena - as someone said to me recently 'It is exciting times to be living in Brisbane now!'. I could not agree more, for the last couple of years there have been tremendous changes to the New World's City.


I have been living in Newstead for over a year now and since then the area has become incredibly trendy, not that I am implying any connection here .On a serious note, the exciting Gasworks development has really made the area the 'Place to Check Out' and it looks like there is more to come.


This is where I will start my Foreigner's Diary 'come back' and here it comes ...

xoxo
The Foreigner







Search This Blog