Eating in Brisbane

I was in Brisbane to attend a convention, so did not have much opportunity to sample the culinary delights of Brisbane. Most meals were had at the convention venue - lunch was mostly salad and sandwiches, dinners were a bit better. 

One thing I must always have when I visit Australia is the roast pork. The roast pork at Melbourne's Myers Food Hall used to be a favourite. Sadly Myers has decided to do away with the food hall. I was wondering around the foodcourts in Brisbane looking to satisfy my roast pork craving. Luckily I didn't have to wonder for long. I found a stall selling what I was looking for. And it was good ! The meat was tender and flavourful, and the crackling was crunchy and satisfying. You can see they are a bit stingy with the crackling though. I already had the bigger piece before taking the photo. Couldn't resist !

This was the foodcourt where I found the roast pork. They also had some nice pastry stalls.

Another good meal I had was a lobster fried noodle. Australian lobster is always great, and this was no exception. The lobster so fresh and tasty, the chef didn't really have to do much except make sure it's not overcooked.

The Gala Dinner at the convention was the highlight of the entire event. The food was quite good. Appetizer was a Tian of Roasted Vegetables.

The Main Course was Poached Chicken with a Chili Coulis. Though simple, the chicken was cooked to perfection. The chili coulis gave it a bit of Asian touch.

Dessert was a White Chocolate Mouse with Strawberry Coulis.

The table decor was quite nice. Makes you want to get rid of the suit and tie and party on the beach ! Thankfully the dinner was over quite fast and I could remove the suit and get back to normal.

Brisbane - Here and There

When I travel, I like to wonder around on foot. This way you get to see the places which are not in normally in the travel brochures. 

Brisbane is a great city for the wonderer. Using the CBD to keep your bearing, it is easy to move around without getting lost. Here are some pictures from my Brisbane walkabout.

Houses in the inner suburbs. There are some very well preserved heritage houses.

Some interesting apartment buildings.

Brisbane has a nice collection of heritage buildings. 

This building is now the Brisbane casino.

The freeway which cuts off the CBD from the river.

More pictures of the waterfront.

Brisbane - Roma Street Parklands

The Roma Street Parklands is a public park right next to the Brisbane CBD,  beside the Roma Street Train Station. It covers an area of over 16 hectares. Billed as "the largest sub-tropical garden in the World", it is certainly large and impressive. Beautifully landscaped with many themed gardens and water features, this is one of the "must-see" places in Brisbane. If you ever visit Brisbane, don't miss this wonderful marvel.

Brisbane - Southbank

Brisbane's Southbank is on the South-Western side of the CBD, across the Brisbane River. The main traffic connection is through Victoria Bridge, and there is also a pedestrian bridge - the Goodwill Bridge near the Queensland University end of the CBD. 

Southbank is the cultural, recreational and entertainment hub of Brisbane. It has a huge parkland along the riverbank, and most of the cultural establishments are here - Queensland Museum and Art Gallery, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and the most recent addition - Gallery of Modern Art or GOMA in short. You will need at least a full day to explore all the attractions.

View of the Southbank.

The Goodwill Bridge.

The Southbank Parklands.

An attractive F&B area along the riverbank.

View of the CBD from Southbank.

Brisbane - Waterfront

As the Brisbane River runs through the city, Brisbane is blessed with a very long and attractive waterfront. With careful planning over the years, this natural asset has been developed into a series of beautiful public spaces which are easily accessible by all, including the disabled.

The Brisbane Riverwalk is a series of waterfront walkways which connects over 20 km of parks, bridges and scenic lookouts along the river. This is probably the best part about the city. There are ferry services which connect various points along the river, making it easy to explore the vast areas along the riverbanks.

A section of the Riverwalk near the Riverlife Adventure Centre. Here you can hire bikes, kayaks, rollerblades and also take up other adventurous sports activities. There are a number of interesting pavillions dotted along this section of the walk. All have been designed with great attention to detail - some with fantasy elements, and others with fragments of Australian vernacular architecture. As the city is just accross the river, you also get nice views of the city skyline from here.