Rogue District - Brunswick

A few weeks ago, we went to Rogue District for some brunch. I have a habit of just seeing 1 photo on Instagram and then I am set on going to the brunch place. Nothing can deter me.

Nice latte art

Gruyere and Leek Croquette

I got the Gruyere and Leek Croquette ($19). I had literally went to Rogue District just to try this and I was not wowed at all. The croquette was indiscernible in flavour. If I hadn't read the menu, I would've just tasted potato. Its saving grace was its accompaniments of field mushroom, poached egg, capsicum pesto, sweet potato crisps and rocket salad.  The pesto had nice flavour but the whole dish just lacked seasoning.

Reuben

Quynh got the Reuben ($17), which consisted of wagyu pastrami, saukekraut, gruyere, house pickles, aioli and dijon on rye. It wasn't the best reuben she has had but the classic flavours melded well together.

V vibrant colours

Overall, we left Rogue District feeling a little bit dejected. I expected my palate to be pop pop popped with flavour. The vibes were nice since we got to sit outside. Would I return? Yeah probably not.



Taste: 6/10
Presentation: 7/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Service: 7/10

400 Gradi - Brunswick

We recently had a Quynh's Cupcakery team meeting at 400 Gradi. 400 Gradi boasts being the number 1 pizza in the world. V keen.

No wine for us

Dranks

Fiori di Zucca

To start we got the Fiori di Zucca ($19). This was 3 Zucchini flowers stuffed with buffalo ricotta, spanner crab and chilli. This was a tad bland and I would've loved more crab flavour and a dipping sauce. 

Arancini

We also the Arancini ($16) which was crumbed rice balls, bolognese, peas, mozzarella and spicy rose sausage. This was a tad more flavoursome starter and the sauce was good.

Margherita Verace

Pizza time! The Margherita Verace ($22) had San Marzano tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil. It wasn't as beautifully presented as the other pizzas we saw as the basil and mozarella wasn't evenly spread.The dough was lovely and so puffy on the end and I'm not even a crust person! It was a good pizza. Basic, but good. 

Pizzaaaaaaaaaaaa

Romano

We also got the Romano ($25). This was San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, Prosciutto Cotto. This was more flavoursome and the prosciutto paired well with Balsamic. It is a shame that you have to eat the pizza immediately because it loses its puffliness if it sits there too long. 

Spaghettini al Granchio

Next was the Spaghettini al Granchio ($36). This was Spaghettini with spanner crab meat, garlic, chilli, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, white wine and lobster bisque. OOFT this was pure seafood flavour. I really enjoyed this pasta and it had ample chunky pieces of crab. 

Yay parmesan and chilli oil

Pappardelle al Sugo D'agnello

We also tried the Pappardelle al Sugo D'agnello ($32). This was pappardelle with slow cooked lamb ragu. I had expected this to be super rich but it was basic and needed more parmesan and chilli oil to oomph up the flavours.

Tiramisu

For dessert, we got the Tiramisu ($16). It was a traditional serve of savoiardi biscuits soaked in coffee and marsala layered with mascarpone cream, topped with cocoa and icing sugar. I haven't had many traditional tiramisus and boy was this good. Great dessert to end the night!

Layout

Overall, we had an alright night at 400 Gradi. The pizza and pastas were good. While they didn't exceed my expectations, I still ate good flavoursome food. The Spaghettini was definitely the winner of the night! It was relatively busy but service wasn't lacking. If I want to eat some gourmet pizza and pasta, I'll probably try other avenues in the future.




Taste: 6.5/10
Presentation: 7/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Service: 7/10

The B.East - Brunswick

We went to The B.East for dinner after seeing a photo on their Facebook (marketing done right). We arrived at 9:45pm and made it just in time to order burgers before the kitchen closed. It had a bar feel to it and was pretty dim so the photos didn't come out very clear. B ordered the B.East Burger, which had triple beef patties and triple bacon smothered in cheese sauce ($18). My sister ordered the Regulator, which was the slow-cooked shredded beef short rib in Carolina style BBQ sauce with buttermilk slaw on a brioche bun ($14). Both C.N and I ordered the Filthy, which had mustard fried beef, jack cheddar, B.East chilli paste, pickled red onion, tomato, cos and smoked jalapeño aioli ($12). We ordered the Death Star Fries (fried with hot sauce, gravy and chilli cheese sauce) to share ($10).

B.East Burger and Phone + Blurry Hand for Scale

My Filthy Burger

The taste of these burgers were very peculiar. I was expecting a mouthful of Mexican influence due to the description of jalapeño aioli and B.East chilli and instead I had a strong aftertaste of pho. Yes, PHO as in the Vietnamese noodle soup!! We honestly spent the entire meal being so astonished that all the beef patties from our burgers had the same pho taste. There was probably Sriracha in the chilli sauce but that didn't explain the taste in B's B.East Burger.

Foreground: Filthy Burger and Background: Regulator Burger and Death Star Fries

Overall, we had a good feed. Service was decent and as they were closing up it was understandable that we were left to our own devices. I wouldn't exactly rave about this place to my friends but I would tell them about the distinct pho flavour. They do have an extensive menu though, so if I came back, I would probably try the sliders. On the upside, if you love pho, then you're in for a treat!

Service: 7.5/10
Taste: 7/10
Presentation: 8/10
Value for Money: 7/10