Brisbane Archives - Page 6 of 10 - Wander Wonder Wonton

Kiss The Berry – Picnic Açaí Goodness

October 18, 2017October 14, 2017

Set in the South Bank Parklands, Kiss the Berry had been on my list for some time after developing a tiny açaí bowl obsession.

Walking in the open cafe, there are soooo many açaí bowls to choose from! It was so hard to decide. My poor brain was in overload and I had narrowed it down to two. I made my decision and headed to the counter. When I got there I blurted out I couldn’t decide between tow of the bowls and could the lovely assistant help me chose which was best?! Yeah she could! And she chose the bowl I wasn’t going to go for – the Snykers Delight.

What is the Snykers Delight açaí bowl you ask?
Blend: organic açaí, banana, raw cacao, powder, peanut butter, almond mylk, coconut water.
Toppings: handmade granola, banana, coconut yogurt, strawberries, coconut flakes, raw cacao nibs.

While ordering I saw there was a container full of blankets beside the counter and thought to myself that it was a little odd, Brisbane was fairly warm again already. I looked around outside in the parklands only to see everyone having little açaí bowl picnics! They weren’t blankets to keep you warm (I think I should explain here that I was hungover, hence my inability to make decisions or process the blankets), they were blankets for picnic-ing on! Perfect. We grabbed a blanket and headed out into the sunshine.

Grab a blanket and relax, it’s Sunday 🌿

A post shared by Kiss The Berry (@kisstheberry) on Apr 1, 2017 at 7:54pm PDT

Our bowls arrived and I was thankful I had taken the advice of the lovely lady inside! The Snykers Delight bowl still had all the delicious and fresh qualities of an original acai bowl but with an extra peanutty, chocolatey kick – nommmm!

We enjoyed our açaí bowls in the park and chilled out for a while – it’s a great way to start the day.

Oh! And I love that they have Bee One Third’s pollen and honey as an add on for the bowls – we recently got hives on our work rooftop and I love the Bee One Third Team’s work in creating neighborhood honey!

Cirque du Soleil’s TORUK The First Flight – Brisbane

October 18, 2017October 8, 2017

Cirque du Soleil’s TORUK The First Flight is showing now at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall and last night I went along to check it out. Ticketek describes it as ‘narrated by a “Na’vi Storyteller” and populated by unforgettable characters, TORUK The First Flight is a mythical tale set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film AVATAR, and before any humans ever set foot on Pandora.’

This is my sixth (or seventh?) Cirque Du Soleil experience – I love that they’re full immersion and beyond your wildest dreams. Being a long time fan, it was strange however to find that the stage was not set in the big top tent as per usual. Even though I knew it was at the Entertainment Centre, I had still presumed there would be a tent. It takes away a little from the experience and the drama of it.

While the tent was MIA, the stage design could not be faltered. Absolutely incredible backdrop design and integration of props. The setting was so versatile. It changed from a raging ocean to a field to a jungle and many more scenes throughout the show, all with the same base. They utilised projectors and light in a remarkable way to bring the entire set to life. They are masters at drawing your attention away from the changing spaces and without you even noticing, there’s suddenly a whole new scene in front of you and you hadn’t even noticed the plants moving.

The theatre and drama in this show is much stronger than in others I have seen. There isn’t as much focus on the musicians and while the acrobats are still out-of-this-world-ridiculously-amazing there is not as emphasis on them either. It’s hard to pick a favorite scene but any with the Tree of Souls in it is visually spectacular and also the dancing flowers – wow! And the costumes!! Meticulous and creative designs, they’re works of art.

Top Tips For The Show:

Try get seats that are higher up, you can definitely see more and have a better visual experience.
Eat before you arrive, food is crap at the venue.
Bring $15 cash for parking otherwise you have to go use the ATM before the show to pay the parking people.
Your bag MUST be under A4 size otherwise you HAVE to check it into the cloakroom – annoying but at least it is free!
Bring a jumper and wear long pants – it is damn near freezing in there with the aircon on!! Great place to take a date for a little snuggle action..
Don’t try too hard with the app – I could barely get it to work.

Interestingly (and I would add impressively), instead of trying to get the audience to put their phones away, there is a huge push to integrate them into the show with an interactive app. During set times throughout the event, a notification pops up encouraging you to enter the app and interact with the scene. I couldn’t get majority of the interactive sets to work however I did get a few. It’s an awesome way to bring the lighting from the stage out into the arena – the app lights up the audience’s phones to the music!

My only fault for the show? Sometimes there was just too much to watch and I was unsure where to turn my attention to. If that’s the worst I can do, then it’s not hard to tell that it’s fantastic and definitely worth grabbing a seat to if you get a chance!

Nest Restaurant – Asian Fusion Happiness in Brisbane CBD

October 18, 2017October 6, 2017

Seren and I visited Nest Restaurant and Bar in Brisbane at Hotel Jen last week. Little did we know what was in store for us! An Asian fusion feast that has me drooling just thinking about it again.

Arriving at Nest Restaurant, you walk in through an intimate bar with gorgeous luxuriously styled booths with an Asian twist. Olive green velvet and wood sets the scene with contrast splashes of bright red. There’s funky, modern artwork on the walls of gorgeous Japanese women. It sets the scene and as I was about to find out, it really matched the food too.

Anyway, onto the feast. It really was a feast! We shared a banquet of three entrees, two mains plus a side and two desserts – full to the brim didn’t even cut it, we practically rolled out like happy little dumplings.

As soon as the entrees arrived I knew I was in a happy place. We devoured the mouth-wateringly good twice cooked lamb ribs cooked in sweet and sour, chilli, lime and mint. Then the prawn toast which was well paired with yuzu mayo and fresh coriander and mint. The herbs bought a fresh and vibrant taste to a plate that could have felt heavy on its own. Next out, the sticky beef wontons – the pulled beef was full of flavour and the crispy wonton shell added an awesome texture.

Exploring the cocktail menu @nestbrisbane 🙌🏽🍾🍹

A post shared by Wander Wonder Wonton (@wanderwonderwonton) on Sep 29, 2017 at 4:03am PDT

Then came the mains. We shared the beef cheek penang curry with kaffir lime leaves, green beans and peanuts. The curry had very generous proportions of the brisket and the crispy green beans were a great contrast. Texture is well considered here obviously as well as taste. My fave main came out next, the tea smoked crispy half duck paired with a caramelised mandarin sauce. Yasss – the duck was juicy and smoky and tender. The citrus perfectly elevated the flavour and went really well with our side of morning glory, which even on its own was wonderfully flavoursome!

Andddd of course we had to finish with something sweet. Deep fried peanut butter ice cream with salted caramel sauce – yeah you read that right! And my favourite, the coconut tapioca pudding with palm sugar caramel, passionfruit sorbet and puffed rice.

Our banquet was well paired with the McWilliams Markview NV Brut Cuvee. Sparkling and not too sweet. Went down a little too well, if you know what I mean..

Speaking of which, I’d love to go back and try some of the cocktails I saw coming out of the bar with some friends – they looked superb.

The wait staff were knowledgeable and lovely, answering my (hundreds) of questions and taking a few snaps for us too.

**This dining experience was complimentary from Nest Restaurant, however is completely true and authentic. I cannot wait to dine there again!

Brisbane Gets Whitney! The Bodyguard Opening & After Party

October 18, 2017July 23, 2017

It started with a bang! Literally. There was a massive, deafening bang. The theatre blacked out and the crowd received a huge fright! Definitely a way to get the attention of the audience quickly. I briefly considered there may have been a terrible accident behind the scenes and we were all going to have to find our way to the exits in the pitch dark theatre.

From the lighting to the staging, projections, choreography and the exceptional singing talent, The Bodyguard was masterfully and dramatically put together. At times you’re not sure whether it’s cringe worthy or brilliant but regardless, the entire audience bought in. The crowd was definitely into the show, with gasps and oooh’s, boo’s and ahh’s at every turn.

Thankfully, it felt less like a musical (not that I’m not a fan) and more like a concert. Rachel (Paulini) rocked it! As did the rest of the cast. Apart from Frank, that man cannot sing to save himself.

The cast received a standing ovation and then the entire crowd rocked out to Whitney’s ‘I wanna dance with somebody’, up and dancing in the seats. I was ready to party after that!

Luckily, we checked in our envelopes at the end and found inside passes to the official after party. There was the traditional red carpet and media banners with stars mingling with the guests. Drinks and hors d’oeuvre every which way you looked. We had a photo with the Stalker. That guy is seriously good at being creepy. I didn’t event want to stand with him. Gave me the heebie jeebie’s.

I went in with no expectations. Sure, I know a few Whitney songs but I didn’t even know there was a movie and I hadn’t done any research so was going in blind. The show surpassed our expectations, we were all loving it! I definitely recommend getting along, it’s great entertainment.

Oh, and they have daiquiri’s and Moet just to sweeten the deal.

CHANEL, luxury pampering in Brisbane CBD

October 18, 2017July 21, 2017

Did you know that CHANEL offers facials?! AND, that there is a CHANEL beauty room at Myer in Brisbane? I didn’t. And damn I was excited when I found out and was invited to visit!

I had the absolute pleasure of being pampered by a CHANEL specialist, Mellissa. She welcomed me and led me into a private room behind the makeup counters labelled Espace Beaute. She had a charisma and charm that immediately made me feel relaxed and comfortable with her.

Mellissa analysed my skin and talked me through how I could improve some issues I had found of late. She was helpful and considerate. We discussed the different CHANEL skin products and chose what I would have during my treatment. Hydration and exfoliation come at me!

What happened next, I can barely remember. I was completely and utterly relaxed with the dim lighting, soft music, wrapped up and pampered by Mellissa. There was cleansing, serums and toning, masks and exfoliation.

I even had a hand massage while the mask was on. It was absolute bliss. In fact I was so blissed out, Mellissa practically had to wake me at the end of the treatment.

If you spend $100 on products at CHANEL, they are redeemable for a facial treatment or makeup application. There are only six CHANEL specialists in QLD and they are often en route to Sydney to Chanel’s Australian HQ for training on new products, techniques and innovations in the skincare industry so you’ll need to book in advance. Believe me though, it’s worth the wait!

Taste Gallery, Sunnybank, Brisbane

October 18, 2017July 14, 2017

Every* Friday at work we have started trying a new place for dumplings.

That’s right, the dumpling craze has spread from myself to my wonderful colleagues! Moahahahaa.

Anyway, this fateful Friday we headed down the highway to Sunnybank to try out Taste Gallery.

The dumplings were great, particularly the xiao long bao. Really juicy and the wrapper wasn’t too thick. We had the fluffy pan fried pork buns, pan fried beef dumplings (interesting they don’t do pork?) and the Wonton in spicy sauce.

The stand outs were the stir fried green beans chilli sauce (also with pork mince) and the combination stir fried noodle. Both of which disappeared in about two seconds flat.

The lazy susan and round table made it easier for us all to chat instead of the long tables we are used to. And you can watch them make the dumplings!

Good choice.

*Most. No, sometimes.

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