Torba Restaurant Review

Reviews are somewhat varied, but my husband and I think we stumbled across an Eastern European gem of a restaurant in Brisbane city. If you're tired of eating the same old cuisines (we personally have got into an Indian rut), you'll be delighted at the menu options at Torba on Southbank. Authentic cuisine from all over eastern Europe star at this little restaurant-we were able to enjoy food from Russia, Moldova and Hungary while remaining seated in the one place, in the comfiest chairs. The food was hearty and full of flavour-rustic, traditional and decidedly scrumptious. The food is a sharp contrast from the opulent  and trendy decor and yet somehow the restaurant lounge pulls it off beautifully. We will definitely be returning! (Monday to Wednesday it's 2 for the price of 1 cocktails too...how can you go wrong there?)

Shades of purple opulence and such comfy armchairs. We found it hard to pull ourselves out of those velvet chairs when we were ready to pay the bill.

 Extensive bar and more private curtained seating booths beyond.

 Divine strawberry mocktail for the fat pregnant lady (that'd be me!)

 Romantic ambiance.

 Cinnamon and Apple Pie cocktail (absinthe, cinnamon, Zubrowka, butterscotch liqueur, vanilla sugar syrup and apple juice)

 Russian Pelmini for starters- boiled dumplings filled with pork and beef and served with garlic and herb butter and fried onions.

 Moldavian Lamb Pilaf with pomegranate molasses, grilled eggplant, feta, lemon...so good!

 Hungarian Beef Goulash with tender slow braised beef cooked in red wine and served with mash. Hearty and melt in your mouth goodness.

 My husband got shat upon by an overhead gecko-couldn't help laughing raucously! (they are everywhere in Queensland, probably not Eastern Europe though!)

Dessert to share because we were so full of our yummy filling mains. Russian Blini filled with vanilla ricotta cheese.

Cowch Dessert Bar Review

There's a new kid on the block. A kid that tickles my fancy.
Actually it's a dessert bar. You can see why I've fallen in love with it, because it hits my sweet tooth, and sweets are basically my niche when it comes to baking. Ooh la la!
Cowch has risen to one of my favourite spots in Brisbane city.
The front invitingly opens onto the street, and cushioned milk crates and small comfortable tables spill out onto the path. Glancing inside, you see a cocktail bar tucked over on the left, and a large open fire set in a circular stone pit close by to keep you toasty while you browse the extensive cocktail list. To the far right, across tables and couches, is a large glass cabinet of delightful desserts, a window of pastel ice creams suspended midair, and quirky decor. The ceiling is dotted with cow udder light fittings and glowing glass milk bottles. My eye is drawn to the back wall behind the counter, which shimmers mermaid-style in a silvery pink scaled tile. (What I would do to have that look in my bathroom!)
We are seen to immediately, and have a short wait before being seated, in which time we scoot over to the bar and order from the dessert inspired, cream laden cocktail menu.
I saw why the people piled inside, it was the perfect place to head after dinner or a show for a drink and to finish off with a decadent dessert. My friends and I loved everything about this place.
To top off the night, we even spotted and had a brief chat to the lead dancer (Romeo) from the Romeo and Juliet Ballet sitting on the table next to us. Night made!

 Drawn in off the street by the amazing, glowing dessert cabinet...

 The decor roughly revolves around cows and cream...loving it! There's a large table in the centre of the room for larger groups of people.

A window of at least 15 different ice creams and gelato that is readily available to taste test.  My pick was peanut butter ice cream. To die for!

 Some of the exquisite cocktails you can expect to be served at Cowch.

Birthday girl and her strawberry mocktail.Yum! The bar staff were happy to create cocktails by request, and also made my sister in law a cookies and cream cocktail.

 Those cocktails went down smoothly! Oh and here's the proof of my size, for those who have recently enquired (yes people ask this!) I am not huge from eating all my bloggy stuff! Yet.)

 You can order desserts from the menu or front window at this counter, and go across to the ice cream display to choose your flavour for the side (yes, taste testing available!) Pretty sure this fella is Cowch's owner, he looked as if he ruled the roost and was very accommodating. Staff were friendly, helpful and efficient and happy to pack up a box for take away-with ice cream for the husbands!

I can never, never go past a good looking Bacci Torte. And that is peanut butter ice cream on the side!

Sunday High Tea Buffet at The Stamford Plaza

All the cool kids in the blogosphere have their posts going on about Halloween treats, and oh what to make? And here I am sipping rose tea at a Sunday High Tea Buffet at The Stamford Plaza. Meanwhile less people are visiting the blog at this time of the year because in my world, Halloween is a negative, and I refuse to glorify ghoulishness by cooking up pumpkin heads and the likes. This blog has until now, contained no Halloween goods, zero, zilch!
Ah call me old fashioned, yeah I am! I'm enjoying an elegant high tea by the Brisbane river in my ruffled pink dress with all my the ladies. There's a Sunday High Tea here every week, a glorious chocolate buffet and a yummy savory buffet as well (the smoked salmon quiches are to die for, and I seriously considered bribing the chef for the recipe). They have some really talented and creative chefs working on all the beautiful finger foods we all enjoyed during our visit.
It so happened that the girls and I headed out on the Sunday that the high tea was Halloween themed. So here I am now talking Halloween food. And I'm about to show you what they had on display. It may give some of you ideas for Halloween treats to make if you're into that sort of event--there were white chocolate ghosts, pumpkin head cake pops, and cleverly named desserts such as "Phantom of the Opera Cake" (it was that delightful layered Opera cake that we all want to make but looks too time consuming).
As lovely a time as I had in those glorious surroundings, I was a little zapped out that the high tea was Halloween themed. It certainly took out some of the elegance associated with the tea, cake and scones affair that a high tea usually is. However, the food was still magnificent! The surroundings also absolutely luxurious, and I can say with all certainty, I will be returning to sip many more cups of tea in that river side pavilion surrounded by gorgeous gardens.
Sending a very special thanks out to Marcela for the use of her photos, I was too busy drooling to take any decent ones. And just look at those bright pink finger sandwiches!

Smoked salmon quiches were to die for!

Halloween themed buffet.

Can't have a high tea without scones!

Rose tea (tasted like Turkish delight! Yum!

Macadamia Caramel Slice with a few chocolate ghosts are floating around. (You can make your own by pouring melted white chocolate over the ends of ice cream cones)

This made me not want to eat. I think it's some sort of punch.

Angry little pumpkin head cake pops

True elegance with all the beautiful silverware!

Phantom of the Opera Cake far centre

Oh so fudgy!

Purple and orange macaroons

The Pavilion

Some of the lovely gardens that lead on to Brisbane Botanical Gardens

Yeah that's me biting my lip