Siana satisfies

I have been incredibly slack / sick / Christmassing / juggling a new job so they are going to be my excuses for why I haven't posted in quite some time! That's not to say I haven't been doing a hell of a lot of eating out lately- I have! It has just been harder than I anticipated to actually put pen to paper...or should I say fingers to keyboard...or whatever...you get the point. ANYWAY, I'm back with a gigantic backlog of gluttonous adventures to spill, so get your forks out!

Siana Long Island Green Iced Tea

Almost a month ago now, I had the enjoyment of a whirlwind trip to Brisbane for the weekend. My good friend Miss D's partner had planned a surprise birthday dinner at the iconic riverside dining spot, Siana. I had read mixed reviews about it so was quite apprehensive about what to expect from my dining experience. The stately staircase leading upstairs to Siana's entrance made a dramatic first impression and to add to that drama, we realized Miss D and her other half were an arm's length behind us - leading to a brief frenzied panic among those of us whom were supposed to be surprise guests at the dinner! Fortunately we escaped being spotted and scurried into the bustling bar area before any unwanted case of premature surprises.

Not ones to mess around, four of us girls went straight for the hardest, strongest thing we could find on the exquisite menu of cocktaily deliciousness: the Siana Long Island Green Iced Tea: a lethal yet mouthwatering combo of Tanqueray Gin, Belvedere Vodka, Bacardi Rum, Sho Chiku Bai Sake, Herredura Silver, Ginger Liqueur, lime & lemon juice, ginger, lemongrass, topped with ginger beer and piled into a chilled glass almost ginormous enough to swim in. Boozey heaven. Thinking it wise to perhaps line our stomachs with something a little more substantial than spirits, we picked a bunch of scrummy looking items to share for dinner. First up, six delicate bite sized rice paper rolls ($13) crammed full of yummy fresh herbs, pickled vegetables and served with a little dipping pot of chilli & vinegar. Delish.

Rice paper rolls

Next up was the Gyoza ($15) five lightly fried dumplings filled with chicken, water chestnut, coriander & spices - definitely my absolute favourite dish of the night. Miss D & I demolished four Peking Duck Wraps (Traditionally Rolled Chinese Pancake w/ Cucumber, Shallots & Hoisin Sauce $19) between the two of us in a matter of seconds! Miss C ordered the Chicken & Prawn Pad Thai (Rice Noodles stir fried with Chinese Chives,  Tamarind Sauce, Roasted Cashew Nuts, Chicken & Prawns - $27) however was left a little underwhelmed with the dish. Fortunately most of the dishes exceeded expectations, which I suppose perhaps compensated for the one dish we didn't enjoy so much.

Peking duck wraps

Whether it be for a cheeky cocktail by the river, or a full blown Asian-fusion feast, Siana is certainly worth checking out on your next trip to Brisvegas. Whatever you do, just don't do what I did and go suss out their website beforehand. I'm sorry to say but it is cringe-worthy, daggy-central! Now I know the first thing you want to do is Google that shizz and see what I'm on about.

Siana - City
Upper Plaza Level
Riparian Plaza
71 Eagle Street Brisbane, Qld.
ph: 07 3221 3887

Bosisto's the best on Bridge

One recent Sunday afternoon, my friend K and I had a hankering for something special and something breakfast-ish. Bridge Road in Richmond is predominantly known for its shopping and has never wowed me with its trail of food joints. While there is an abundance of very mediocre and over-priced breakfast fare, there is a noticeable lack of quality dining choices along the popular retail precinct. This to me is disappointing, because I like nothing better than an occasional cheeky Sunday morning 'shop til you drop' - by which point I am absolutely famished and in need of a decent feed. With this in mind, I was delighted when we stumbled across Bosisto's - an inviting, cosy little timber-furnished bar nestled in among a sea of average. Their lunch menu looked simple yet scrumptious, but it was really breakfast grub that we were craving.

We entered Bosisto's, sceptical about whether we could get away with ordering breakfast, despite it being past lunch time, however a friendly waiter greeted us and joked that it would be just cruel of him not to let  us to order from the breaky menu. Delighted at this news, we hurried in out of the cold and were seated at one of the cosy leather booths along the wall. I must emphasise how comfortable these booths were - I wanted to stretch out and put my feet up! The atmosphere was so laid-back, I probably could have got away with it! Despite the lack of other patrons, there was still a pleasant, buzzing vibe that made me instantly content. 

I was most impressed by the bold move to put "A Glass of Goon" as one of the menu options. No kidding. Sure, many restaurants cleverly promote cheap cask wine as their "house wine", but to just cut the crap and simply put "goon" on the menu got me downright respecting Mr Bosisto, whoever he is, before I had even tasted anything. I won't lie, it is probably the greatest thing I have ever seen on a menu. 

Flashbacks to uni days aside, this daring little eccentricity was by no means any indication of things to come. The standard of food was far superior to what one might expect from a menu that included goon. K decided to channel her inner-sweet tooth and ordered the scrummy French toast with  a generous drizzling of honey and toasted walnuts ($16), while I couldn't go past the "il Classico" - gooey poached eggs, melt-in-your-mouth buffalo mozzarella, garlic-infused  oven roasted tomato and perfectly paper-thin slices of prosciutto ($16). Drool! It was so, sooo good.

Satisfied with our meal choices and incredibly comfortable nestled inside our booth, we decided to make an afternoon of it. As the late afternoon August rain set in, we sat chilling out with deliciously naughty Bloody Mary's for another hour or so, soaking up the ambiance inside our warm little Bosisto's haven. I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Unless we'd ordered the goon, then perhaps our Sunday afternoon really would have got better! Hmmm... anyone for a layback?

Bosisto's Liquor Bar

318 Bridge Road

Richmond

Ph: 9428 6888