Asana Coffee - Brisbane

The great coffee hunt continues. This afternoon brought me to Asana, where the coffee is strong and the service is friendly. Coffee was really strong without being overpowering which was the perfect afternoon pick me up I needed. Definitely worth a shot if you're in the area.

Sensory Lab - Brisbane CBD. Part of the newly opened hotel on the corners of Albert and Mary, this new bar is one of the features that can be seen and observed from passers by. It does a good business being double sided, having a bar to the atrium inside for visitors and people staying in the hotel, and right to the outside serves the other drinks that are good to go. This is none other than the new kid on the block, certainly in terms of the coffee blends available in Brisbane, Sensory Lab. For the special opening of the hotel, Capri, the drinks bar was charging all coffees a mere $2. What this is is essentially a drinks bar, on the inside side they serve cocktails and wine, plus to the outside it is a place to get your coffees to go plus teas from T2. More or less, this is a case of pick your poison, and mine without any doubt has to be coffee. So, for that bargain price of $2 I ordered a doppio to go before heading off to work. It had a welcoming atmosphere to it. Living in the city since I was 3, it is impossible to see it from the eyes of a tourist. From the looks of it, the hotel is fancy and this is a nice touch that I haven't seen much of from staying around at other cities (in and around Australia, plus abroad). The service was quick, and the people here were not just nice, but the sort of professionals that hotels dream of hiring. This was not a bad little coffee. It was strong, delicious and did its job. That is about as much that can be said. These baristas seem to know what they are doing, and with quite a few people awaiting an order there is certainly a draw already. As a blend, Sensory Lab could be good in some really talented baristas hands. This place is not so bad in itself, and really works for the busy commute cutting down time by serving it onto the footpath. I have no doubt that over time, people will swarm here to try and compare it to their favourites especially from within the city centre confines. In the meantime, keep an eye on this space to see how it evolves and manages.

Sensory Lab - Brisbane CBD. Part of the newly opened hotel on the corners of Albert and Mary, this new bar is one of the features that can be seen and observed from passers by. It does a good business being double sided, having a bar to the atrium inside for visitors and people staying in the hotel, and right to the outside serves the other drinks that are good to go. This is none other than the new kid on the block, certainly in terms of the coffee blends available in Brisbane, Sensory Lab. For the special opening of the hotel, Capri, the drinks bar was charging all coffees a mere $2. What this is is essentially a drinks bar, on the inside side they serve cocktails and wine, plus to the outside it is a place to get your coffees to go plus teas from T2. More or less, this is a case of pick your poison, and mine without any doubt has to be coffee. So, for that bargain price of $2 I ordered a doppio to go before heading off to work. It had a welcoming... read more

Tried the beef cheek, chicken schnitzel and their signature pho. Soup was definitely a standout, the best broth I ever had - very rich and comforting. Schnitty was juicy, perfectly accompanied with fresh salad and aioli. The crumb was great too - they use nut mix, which gives it a very distinct flavor. Beef cheek was nothing special. It's really hard to get it wrong, right? When it comes to beef cheeks there's one simple rule - slow cook the hell out of them. What they basically did and it was absolutely tender, melt-in-your-mouth piece (very small by the way) of meat. Overall, would recommend if you are keen to try something new and if you like the paleo diet - you will not find any refined carbs on the menu, everything is prepared with veggies - think zucchini and bean sprouts instead of your traditional noodles. Word of caution though - be prepared to pay big bucks for tiny serving sizes, like at most of the fine dining places.

Chicken Schnitzel with raw slaw was really enjoyable considering I don't like veggies especially cabbages but the way the raw slaw was prepared was great. Also the golden gaytime ice cream was amazing, tasted just like the ones I remember having as a kid ;)