voosh

While I and my partner were staying in cabin of Top on the Hill for two nights, I was thinking how I would rate quality of their accommodation and services.

All started with us leaving Brisbane after business hours (6pm) on Friday. We were expected to arrive by 7pm but we couldn't make it due to heavy traffic and another unexpected reasons. They called us just after 6:30pm to see where we were. Unhappy voice on phone said we would make it difficult to them if we arrive after the usual dinner time. [what difficult could be about heating up dinner?] I guess you can imagine we weren't happy with their attitude...we just finished stressful workweek, were trying to arrive to the destination of our getaway on time. The only thing we hear was difficulty we would cause. So we arrived at 7:30pm. Lady, who hosted us, stated we would have dinner and then could relax. It sounded more like she was talking about us having dinner so she and her husband could finally relax. I found the comment inappropriate. Entree - salad in Italian style - was outstanding. Main meal - chicken or salmon with pasta - was a huge disappointment for both of us though. I hardly had any shreds of salmon in my dish. My partner said salmon or chicken were mentioned on menu but nothing about pasta which we do not eat. It was very pour and cheep dish fixed up with nice dessert (ice-cream with cinnamon-stewed pear).
Once we finished we asked what main meals were planned for dinner the next day, Saturday. They said they had planned a piece of salmon or chicken with vegetables that are dishes for more formal night. [What is the difference in formality of Friday and Saturday dinner?! Shouldn't you be given what you are paying for? They do not charge less for informal Friday dinner than formal Saturday dinner!]

The next day we got up for breakfast that was served between 8:30-9:30am. Surely enough we made it just before 9:30am...We were reminded via phone call at 9:20am that we were expected for breakfast although we were already on our way to main building. You can imagine both of us looked like we just woke up. Once we turned up, we were told they would take a photo of us. I had a comment that the photo wouldn't turn out very well because our very casual appearance. They persisted though. So they took a photo of us that was emailed to us later in the day with an offer to edit the photo and print out for us. All for extra charge of course. [Who the hell would to get such a non-pretty photo framed?!] And again...you have to fit into their regime - you serve yourself cold breakfast first and then the couple will serve you hot breakfast. [Why they cannot have bowls with hot breakfast so you can have whatever and whenever you want?]
For dinner we made sure we turned up on time. All was good...their took their time which was acceptable. If it was other way around, it, acceptable would not be the right word to use.

My partner went for a walk through high grass down the hill next day. Unfortunately, he fell a couple of times and happened to lose a key from our cabin. We had been told before we checked out, "it would be difficult" because it was a matter of security and lock would need to get replaced. So we happily left the place of difficulties behind and will never come back.

In general, provided accommodation was very satisfactory. Cabins look beautiful inside as well as outside. What absolutely shocked me out was bathroom with no doors. Living room of the cabin was simply joint to bathroom area (no doors from toilet area either) which we both found very uncomfortable. I considered breakfasts and dinners to be nearly as good as in a proper restaurant (let's give it 4/5 stars). As mentioned above, pasta dish was even far from average. Yet, all other foods were fabulous. If you are someone who is seeking great getaway place where you can chill out and do not want to follow a schedule, I do not recommend Top on the Hill. There is heaps of other places to kick your feed up nearby Maleny and Montville.

River Quay is a beautiful location for celebrating any special occasion, however not all restaurants there may not be that fabulous as they look on the first sign. There is no complain I could have about Aquitaine Brasserie as I have not bad memory but no great memories either. You can expect a nice introduction into French cuisine from this place, yet nothing spectacular for the price you pay. I personally remember a French restaurant located in Emporium Fortitude Valley in similar price range but excellent in comparison to this one in better location.
My opinion is you would like it, remember but that is most likely it.

I took a friend to Movenpick in South Bank as I purchased a voucher for two desserts. In general Movenpick brand determines considerably high quality ice-cream...so no wonder I classify it 5/5. Ice-cream boutique in South Bank has got very friendly, bubbly and happy-looking staff. If I had to decide what Movenpick boutique (out of three I have visited) to go to, I would recommend this one in South Bank. The second one would be one in Fortitude Valley and Barracks as the last one.

Looking for a special place for special occasion? This is definitely one of them. I was taken here for lunch to celebrate my birthday on Sunday.
When we approached the StokeHouse Bar, I felt a bit disappointed as I hadn't known there was a restaurant section at the back. Very lovely surprise!
We arrived about 10 minutes before 12pm that is their time of opening...so we were seated at the bar to wait by then. We were the first customers. They seated us upstairs with a fabulous view at Goodwill Bridge. I was pleased with the upstairs seating as downstairs could be a bit noisier for kitchen located nearby to customers seating area.

Service was surely excellent. We ordered from set Sunday Menu where entree was Shared Plate for 4 (Lamb pate, Prawn and three-cheese in combination with green vegetables). I personally did not find the prawn very fresh as it had a bit stronger taste and smell than very fresh seafood. Three of us had a piece of salmon accompanied with broccoli sprinkled with roasted almonds. The forth one had a pork in accompanied with mixed salad & pomegranate seeds, spoon of mashed potatoes and a bit of sweet pastry. As desserts we shared cheese plates and 68% chocolate mouse with ice cream. All dishes were amazingly presented, delicious and rich in taste.
Do you know restaurants where they serve that small portions you think you will be still hungry but you are not by surprise? The same you would find in here. When I thought of our lunch, portions did not look big but we all were stuffed.

I definitely recommend to visit Stokehouse Restaurant as I can see myself going back there...for a special occasion.

I, an European customer, have an issue with finding right size of bra of other brands in Australia. I have been a customer of Triumph bras since teen age old.
I visited this shop a couple of times but never bought anything due to lack of time on hand. Trying bras on is matter of few hours for me. However, I always found the shop assistants very willing to help and assist.

This time I wad determined to walk out with at least one bra. I spent a fair bit of time trying on bras in special but also regular price. I did not any accompany to give me feedback for that reason I always asked the shop assistant for her opinion. When I put on a bra that wasn't fitting obviously, she said so. However, any other bras that were sort of fitting right she encouraged me to purchase. Later, my partner came along and helped me to make the right decisions (thanks for him being there).
There was a time when I said I liked a bra (for its style and shape although the size did not fit me perfectly). Shop assistant agreed it was very nice piece and not too bad fitting on me. My partner disagreed but said it did not sit right. Once I shot door from fitting room, the assistant said it had not fitted perfectly...and there are others fitting better. Right at that point, I realised, she would not mind to sell me a bra that was not right fit for me...but supported my belief and encouraged me to purchase it.

I recommend the shop for many reason - great product quality, special pricing of selected products, very friendly and helpful assistance BUT take someone with you...a partner or girl friend who understand bra fitting.

I heard of Campos Coffee as one of the best cafes so I had to check it out. I and my partner went here for Friday breakfast before work. At the front of coffee shop we could not overlook a few people standing aside waiting for their dozes of morning coffee. We were seated where we wanted.

They offer a large variety of sweet and savoury breakfasts. Some of the dishes are healthier as others. I chose a house-smoked salmon that was served on bed of potato & corn & asparagus & fresh spinach. I was happy with my choice although had no idea of the vegetables as they were not listed on menu.
My partner liked his serving of Eggs Benedict's accompanied with bacon, although he would only prefer the bacon being crispy...otherwise he would've ordered salmon instead. It seemed like the bacon lied on pan for only 1-2minutes each side.

When I received my dish, I decided for long black half strength that I assumed they would serve in a mug. Waitress brought a tiny cup though. I asked her if it could be served in a bigger cup and she kindly returned it. I was very impressed. When the perfect cup of coffee arrived, the waitress apologised and asked if I was happy with the other one. I had thought they would've just poured the first coffee into bigger cup, filled up with water and brought it straight away. It seemed like they made me a fresh coffee instead though.

When we finished they asked how we liked our breakfasts. Before we left after paying, my partner purchased two muffins and gave me one. It was macadamia & caramel flavour. I liked it but wouldn't have one muffin by myself again. Caramel (more like caramelised condensed milk) was centralised at the very bottom. Little bit rich and sweet even for my sweet tooth.
Considering it is right next to James Street Markets, their food is also priced accordingly. It is a treat going there...that is for sure.

Since they opened the Chow House, I always wondered what sort of dishes they cook. It is very Asian oriented cuisine with some smack of modern dinning. First time I visited them was with my former colleague for Friday drink. We chose seats because 5:30pm was significantly early for dinner time. We both decided to have some wine although a different kind. I was more for Moscato that they apparently happened to have none of. Plan B was a smoothie that they do not serve past 5pm. Plan C was something I really had to think of hard...In meantime the wine my friend order has not arrived. As I can recall they might have said they ran out of it...or something like it. We basically sat for cca 15-20 minutes waiting for nothing. On that basis we packed up and went somewhere else.

The second time I simply had a cup of coffee...not much that they can ruin on delivery of that order. It was just a regular service and a cup of cappuccino as you would expect. Nothing glamourous.

My colleague happened to receive a voucher in value $20 into this restaurant a couple of weeks ago. Another colleague and I joint him as we had never had meals there. We arrived about 12:30pm as one of the first customers. While me and my friend was waiting for the other to arrive, we chose what dishes to order. Once she joint us, she could not make a quick decision. I must admit it is not easy as their menu is a bit sophisticated. I personally prefer healthy dishes high in protein and low in carbs. Unfortunately, I was not able to pick any dish that would not have either noodles, rice or bread in it. They have three salad dishes but overpriced for what it actually is. At the end I chose stir-friend greens with noodles and tofu for $14. My colleagues had a duck burger with chipies ($18) and chicken sandwich with chipies ($12).

We waiter for our dishes about 20 minutes. I was very conscious of the time as we had only an hour of lunch break. So I was looking around for a waitress to follow up on our meals but could not anyone's attention. Then they said meals were on their way...My dish was missing tofu so then it was another matter of getting their attention and get them to fix it for me. I'd thought she would've grabbed my dish and returned it with tofu portions mixed in. Yet, she rushed to the kitchen and came back with a sauce-bowl where I found only two cubes of tofu about 2cm big. OMG! If we hadn't already rushed for our lunches and the restaurant hadn't been that busy, I would've addressed my disappointment right on spot. Because I was really disappointed - two cubes of tofu, more noodles than greens and all covered in oyester-like sauce. Although it was sweet enough, they topped it up with a spoonful of peanut jam which made it even sicky sweet. My colleagues were quite alright with their dishes but did not find them that great for their prices.

I believe they do have happy customers to but I was in majority of times unsatisfied with service and food on some regards to. Quality of food is good but they would have done better using more of vegetable and add some more healthy options in their menu. I know I will not be coming back there...not worth of money they charge.

I and my partner visited Masala Art when our taste buds called for some Indian food. I believe we would have never found out about the restaurant if I hadn't registered and purchased a voucher. The deal was 3-course meal with a glass of wine for two persons.
The restaurant is set up like a restaurant but also a takeaway shop. I personally would be hardly attracted to walk in because the setup would make me little confused. We walked in and had to look for a waiter who was in the takeaway section. We were seated where we wished as there was no guest at that time - 8:30pm.

We presented the voucher that allowed us to have a starter (mixed platter for 2), two main meals, limited selection of naan breads, two desserts and glasses of wine. Mixed platter was absolutely delightful entree. It did not look any fancy but Samosa, Hari-Hari Bhaji, Chicken Tikka and Seekh Kebab were mild-medium hot, very tasteful and well done. For main we chose Mango Chicken and Lamb Korma with large rice. Although we asked for medium hotness of both dishes, Mango Chicken tasted more likely mild hot. It might have been due to sweeter flavour of the dish...who knows. Both meats and sauces were delicious though. Rice looked impressive for its mixed red, white and yellow artificial colouring (white rice would be healthier option but we still enjoyed the rice being different once). As soon as we finished, a waiter said he would bring us our desserts. We had to wait for them another 10-15 minutes which was good in a way... yet, I started to feel restless what was taking so long. It was Gulab Jamun that they are meant to serve two balls in a serve according to their Menu A La Carte. None of us liked the dessert much. Unfortunately, it was selected as the only a dessert option redeemable for our voucher. I believe it was cooked right way but too rich and sicky sweet.

Interior of the restaurant was nice. Staff was pleasant but quite hard to understand due to very strong accent. We also had impression that the waiter who served us was either new or did not feel confident talking to customer and serving. Our communication felt little awkward.

Food was absolutely fabulous on the other hand!!! On our way out, we noticed a special of $35 for two main meals, naan breads, papadums and some minty sauce which is pretty good too :) I can definitely see myself going back there for beautiful Indian :)

It has been a number of month since I have been as a result I do not remember details but I liked the atmosphere. I was taken here for Saturday lunch. The restaurant was busy but not packed. I also remember their delicious food, however, would not forget green beans that must have been stir-fried on overheated butter for their unusual flavour. They were sprinkled with tiny burnt pieces that reminded me of scrapers from a pan. Wine and main meals were pretty delicious. Service was also remarkable and worth of giving a tip if they were not a bit pricey already. Our waiter was coming and checking that we were alright with meals regularly.

I would go back there but would not have side dish of greens.

Outer Space, a tiny cute cafe, have managed to steal my taste buds for their outstanding breakfast. It is a place I have been passing on my way to work and back home nearly every day. I could not ignore breakfast and lunch specials promoted on noticeboards displayed at the front either.

My partner treated me with Friday breakfast here. At the first sign on noticeboard I was unable to decide what to have as nothing attracted my taste buds. Yet, they have a regular menu that made me to choose one of my favourites - mushrooms & fresh spinach & eggs & pesto sourdough bread. My accompany had traditional Aussie brekkie - bacon & eggs & piece of bread with butter & tomato sauce....and a regular cappuccino in a cup.

Even though we were one of their first customers for breakfast, it took a while to receive our meals. We arrived about 7:15am when we placed an order. We did not get our meals till nearly 7:35am. As I had to be in the office at 8am, I was concerned about the time. Yet, when they finally placed ordered meal in front of us, I nearly forgot all about it. I cannot recall whether I have had better breakfast in cafe like right then.

Scrambled eggs were fluffy, rich in taste and filling. Two big mushrooms were sprinkled with fetta which was just right amount due to strong taste of the cheese...a bed of spinach and fresh piece of bread spread with basil pesto. Yummy! I savoured every single bite to the point when I realised I was running out of time. My partner also loved his breakfast. He was only unhappy with size of cappuccino that was more likely small but was charged price for regular. In general, it was a pretty small cup. As he likes to drink cafe with his breakfast, cappuccino would get cold by the time we were served with breakfast.

I know we will go back...I was also thinking of taking my friend from work on lunch here.