Mu’ooz – Moorooka, Brisbane, Qld

Name: Mu’ooz

Location: Shop 21-23/197-201, Beaudesert Road, Moorooka, Brisbane, Qld

Website: http://www.muooz.com.au/

Date visited: 23 August 2008

Cost: Reasonable

Our Rating: 5cracked peppers

Ms OE says: Mr OE’s favourite birthday dish is enjera and wat, a hot North African dish with slightly sour bread.  Personally I think it’s foul with the texture of dirt, but being the loving dining companion that I am, I agreed that we would try out one of Brisbane’s Eritrean or Ethiopian restaurants. Having checked out a few on the internet beforehand we decided that we would go to Mu’ooz.

Mu’ooz is a community-based restaurant run by refugee women from Eritrea. Although tucked away in a small shopping complex in the main street of Moorooka, it has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Inside it is decorated in warm tones with a traditional Eritrean kitchen on display. Information about the project is on the on the tables and article clippings on the walls.

The restaurant provides paid employment for the refugee women, gives them training and experience in the catering and hospitality industry as well as english language practice.

The service was excellent, albeit with a language barrier issue over dessert (we ordered coffee but somehow got cake – which was nice so we ate it anyway), and the atmosphere pleasant with plenty of customers from a variety of backgrounds. We were glad we arrived early - by the time we left it was getting busy and without a booking we may not have got in.

Mr OE enjoyed his hot (restaurant hot, not traditional hot, he tells me) lamb zighni while I had the mild alicha. We ordered a cucumber yoghurt on the side. I still am not enamoured with enjera but the alicha was more than palatable. Most importantly though, Mr OE got his favourite birthday meal and I learnt more about the Eritrean culture.

Mr OE Says: Making this sort of food yourself is time-consuming – 5 days for the injera to ferment for one, so its just great that finally you can go get it at a restaurant in Brisbane. It’s authentic, (Ethiopian with an Italian twist) and the decor is quite well done – really, it should be in South Bank, not hidden away in Moorooka. Its just a shame they don’t also offer the traditional beer (tella), honey mead (Tej) and (ultra-strong) coffee. YUM is all I can say, and we’ll be back.

Manx Restaurant – Portside Warf, Brisbane, Qld

Name: Manx Restaurant

Location: Portside Warf, Brisbane, Qld

Website: http://www.restaurantmanx.com/

Date visited: 11 May 2008 (and previously)

Cost: Worth it!

Our Rating: 5cracked peppers

Ms OE says:

Lunch at Manx yesterday proved to be an excellent choice. Not only were all the other Portside eateries either closed or packed with cruise-departing diners but for a surprisingly reasonable price we were treated to five star cuisine. The lunch menu prices are approximately $20 (some lower) and all three of us enjoyed the food immensely – OEbrother raved about the pizza, I enjoyed the steak and Mr OE had a lentil salad. All very filling despite the five star size serves and our plan to finish off with an icecream from next door were thwarted by our full bellies. For a while we were the only customers but the service was still impeccable and even though it was lunch still of a fine dining standard. Next time rather than saving a few dollars each for a $13-17 ok meal at a crowded and not so excellent restaurant we’ll try some more fine dining lunches.

Of course we should have known that lunch at Manx would be good. This is my third visit to the restaurant, the previous two encounters were for dinner – once with Mr OE and once for my sister’s birthday. Both times the service and food were excellent. A word of advice – the first time we ordered sides – they were completely unecessary as our meals were filling enough. The dinner menu is slightly more expensive than lunch ($34 for the main) but not ridiculous and with some rather good wines, dessert and perhaps an entre, it could add up, but for a special evening (or even just an excuse for some superb cusine), it is well worth it.

Mr OE says:

There is a way to get five-star dining at cut-prices, without having to resort to copying Jamie et al at home. Lunch. Its also good test to see whether a place is truly somewhere Gordon Ramsey won’t be featuring. We pleasantly re-discovered this little snippet of foodie wisdom at Manx recently, where the service, food and presentation for a lazy weekend lunch was as good as their dinners – and yet three people dined for under $70 – plus coffees!

Bamboo @ Santai Resort, Casuarina Beach, NSW.

Name: Bamboo

Location:Santai Resort, Casuarina Beach near Kingscliff, NSW

Website: http://www.domainresorts.com/catering_events/bamboo_restaurant.php 

Date visited: Jan 08

Cost: Two weeks of groceries

Our Rating: 5 cracked peppers

Ms OE says:

Some people say save the best til last but we’re going to review the best first. Bamboo restaurant at the Santai Resort is without a doubt the best restaurant I have ever had the privilege of dining in. We holidayed at Kingscliff over New Years 08 – admittedly unfortunate timing given the several metres of rain dumped on that part of the world in those five days. While we were driving around the new housing developments on the beach front, trying to keep our dampened spirits up, we noticed the Santai resort and restaurant. Having exhausted the considerable options of the Salt Village we perused the menu and decided to try Bamboo for something different.

Bamboo offer an Australian/Asian fusion degustation menu but we decided not to go the whole hog and instead selected three sample size meals each. The meals were delicious – small servings befitting a five star menu – but very filling and beautifully presented. Between courses we were offered small sample tastes. If we were rating this restaurant on food alone it would have received a ‘must go back’ however the service was also superb – staff were attentive and the service polished. The ambiance was also extremely pleasant. The restaurant overlooks the resort pool – Balinese in style and with the rain and candlelight it made a cosy yet stylish setting. To top it off, Bamboo serve Dom Perignon by the glass! Deciding that we would never purchase a $400 bottle of plonk I took the opportunity to try it out – very noice I must say and definitely a cut above your $28 bottle of bubbly.

Mr OE says:

One has certain expectations with a restaurant associated with a good resort – that the food and service will be also be good, (but pricey) but not, perhaps, great. After all, there is always a degree of mass production, or buffet style necessity, that seems to creep in. However, Bamboo is perhaps the exception, and long may it be so. Looking unashamedly to the best of Sydney fine dining for its inspiration (yet with Tweed Coast prices),  it is a true ’experience’, food, drink (hot buttered rum!) ambiance, service. Recommended.