The Buffalo Club - Brisbane

Wow - It is great when a restaurant way exceeds your expectations. The Buffalo Club in Brisbane has been on my wanting to visit list for a long time but when I finally booked to dine there - I read that chef Ryan Squires the man behind it had left and I was disappointed. Ashly Hicks - Ryans sous chef has now taken over the kitchen. However, after the very first course - we were impressed. This is looking good!!! Each course just kept getting better. There were foams and powders and deconstructed ingredients and frozen elements all in one dish. The colours were amazing, variations of textures, mix of flavours and creative plates in which they were served in, made the whole experience fantastic. Totally recommend it and cant wait to go back….

Cauliflower soup in a jar with snapper and cauliflower chips in a test tube

Truffle, chervil, potato, quail egg and borlotti beans.

Glasshouse snails with parsley and garlic. Even the glass plate was warmed. Nice touch.

Southern bluefin with soy, horseradish, ginger and yuzu

Scallop with beetroot and mandarin

Foie Gras with caramelized pineapple, coconut and pain d'epices

Fresh cuttlefish of the day catch with Jerusalem artichoke, salsify and shitake mushrooms

Pork with heirloom carrot, orange and anice

Cheek with celeriac, fennel and onion

Frozen watermelon with gin and tonic

Goats curd with peppers, rice crisps and basil

Fourme d'ambert with apple, walnut and celery

Blood orange, chocolate mousse, coffee jelly ribbon, vanilla

Raspberry candy floss, strawberry and coconut float, lollipop with ginger powder

 

Restaurant II - Brisbane

For the past number of years, this has been my favorite Brisbane restaurant. Not sure what the main reason is. Is it because we have been dining here for years? Have had some great dinners with great company? Enjoyed amazing French wines with great friends? Had great personal service? Have had some of the most divine meals? Or is it mainly because Chef David Pugh imports black truffles from France every February and serves up an amazing 8 course black truffle degustation menu. We fly up to Brisbane every year in Feb especially for this meal and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys good truffles.

Celeriac, Chestnut and white bean soup with Truffle - Ham, Tilsit and black Truffle toasted sandwich

Salad of Lobster and Peach, black Truffle mayonnaise

Scrambled organic egg on brioche with Truffle

Seared Hervey Bay Scallops, angel hair pasta, foie gras cream and Truffles

Grilled Pittsworth Quail, veal sweetbreads, Truffle sausage, wild mushrooms, Truffle sauce

Tournado of beef rossini, sauce perigeaux - foie gras and Truffle

Brique D'affinois (french) and Pecorino Toscano (italian)

Crème brulee with peaches and raspberries

The Euro - Brisbane

The Euro is a new addition to the brisbane dining scene and is the casual sister eatery to the posh Urbane. It is a casual restaurant with a lively bar area as well. If you are a meat lover this would be a perfect place for you as the menu has an entire steak section with some of the highest quality wagyu beef on offer. We decided to try some of the tapas style dishes…

Polenta and gorgonzola croquettes, honey and nut brown butter

Arancini braised white rabbit, olives and lemon, porchini veloute

Ballotine of guail, rosemary honey, pear radish

Mulloway, fennel and dill pastie, petit salad and almond aioli