Duck Confit with Duck Jus

Duck confit is one of the classic duck dishes, right up there with peking duck and Chinese roast duck. By confiting the duck, it produces a luscious and soft off the bone meat which is rich in it's own juices. It is prepared by first salt curing the duck meat and then slowly poaching it in it's own fat.  Duck confit may seem like a time consuming process but your actual kitchen time is very minimal. If you plan in advance, it becomes a very quick and easy meal. I accompany my duck confit with a duck jus, crispy duck fat potatoes, a tangy and crispy salad and a glass of pinot noir. By all means it isn't a heart smart meal and not something you would have on a weekly basis but it's a great one to have up your sleeve for special occasions.

Duck Confit
(adapted from Gourmet Traveller)

Note: Begin preparations two days before your meal. Ideally you want to start the curing process on the first night, confit it the next morning and leave it overnight again to sit in the fat and further develop in flavour. This is an age old technique used to preserve food so do not worry about the duck going off by starting it so early. 

After 3 hours in the oven 
 

The Spaghetti House Trattoria

When asked to recommend good Italian food in Brisbane, I'm always struggling to provide worthwhile suggestions. Sure most of the Italian restaurants here have some decent dishes but I still think traditional Italian dining is missing in the Brisbane food scene. 

The Spaghetti House Trattoria has filled that gap. It takes you across the globe to Italy from the moment you step in. From the heavily accented waiters to the rustic decor. It reminded me of the restaurants in Italy that I've seen on SBS food and travel shows; with long wooden tables, covered with bowls of assorted olives, sitting it's oil and tall glasses filled with crispy mini bread sticks. I could easily see a big Italian family coming to sit at this table and sharing a meal together.

Fortune Well Sichuan Restaurant

My experience with Sichuan cuisine is very limited, partially due to the lack of Sichuan restuarants in Brisbane. I've heard good things about this place from friends who grew up eating Sichuan food in China so it sounded promising.

The menu had fairly non-descriptive english translations which made the dishes seem completely boring. Luckily I went with Chinese friends and they took over the ordering. We ordered 3 main dishes - all were spicy dishes and had it accompanied with steamed rice. 

Shui Zhu Yu - Chef's Special fish fillets

ChowHouse

As stated on their menu, Chow House is an "informal share food style restaurant". So really, it's tapas. It is located right in the heart of James St, New Farm and is sure to be busy any time of the day. Most of the seating is outdoors and overlooks the bustling shops surrounding it. It's the perfect casual spot for a weekend catch up.

I went here hoping to have their breakfast menu which looked amazing but was too late for the service and settled for lunch instead. Chow House's lunch menu has strong Asian influences with dishes like rice paper rolls, peking duck, sichuan quail and nasi goreng. Think Asian street food, cooked fancy and served in a casual dining scene.

Mango and Passionfruit Frappe, Pineapple Lime and Coconut Frappe

These were very nice frappes, adequately sweet and very creamy. They reminded me of the smoothies you can get from Boost. Kristine had the lime, coconut and pineapple frappe. She loved it. I'm not a fan of pina colada but this was pretty much a smoothie version of one.

Hanoi pork belly and prawn rice paper roll

Kapsali Taverna

Kapsali Taverna is located in a prime location behind South Bank's iconic pool and beach and also has promises of Brisbane's river views. It's a nice lunch spot for diners not looking for anything too fancy but a nice place to stop and relax in South Bank.

Seared scallop, prawn and mussel salad with garlic and chilli infused vinaigrette