La Via, South Bank

With winter more than half way through, it is getting quite chilly in Brisbane. As with most people, the colder weather often equates to a growing appetite, which means indulging in some comfort food. La Via, located in South Bank, is the perfect Italian restaurant to settle with creamy pastas and aromatic pizzas without feeling like your waistline is increasing.

The pasta of the day, was a creamy pappardelle pasta with scallops, spanner crab and asparagus. The spanner crab was surprisingly bursting with flavours and the scallops were plump and meaty. Although infused in delicious creaminess, the pasta was so light and delectable. 

wagyu bresaola, roast garlic, truffle oil, parmesan

One of my most favourite dishes would have to be pizzas, from the fast food version to those that are a little bit more gourmet. La Via offers one of the best pizzas bursting with flavour but filled with simplicity. With only a few key toppings on each pizza, each element is a perfect accompaniment to one another. In the calabrese salami, green olives, basil and mozzarella pizza, the salami and olive give off distinct flavours whereas the basil and mozzarella are more subtle, making it extremely piquant (and tasting extremely light in the stomach). Although the pizzas at La Via are not wood fired, they are oven baked on a stone base which gives off a crispy crust. 

calabrese salami, green olives, buffalo mozzarella, basil

If you're wandering around South Bank during the day, La Via offers their pizza menu for nearly half the price of their dinner menu. Otherwise, La Via is the perfect place to drop by if you are looking for a casual but delectable Italian restaurant for dinner. 

In love and food,

Vivi

Moose and Gibson, Woolloongabba

Moose and Gibson, located down from the Gabba, is a small quirky cafe with an extremely chilled and relaxed atmosphere. It is the perfect place to slowly sip on your cup of coffee whilst browsing through the newspaper, or to go with a group of friends to catch up before the day begins. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, brunch is my favourite meal of the day and there is nothing more exciting than finding a place that does breakfast type lunch dishes with a twist. Moose and Gibson is definitely the perfect hotspot for this.

With no qualms about growing some winter fat, I ordered the Potato & 3 Cheese Croquettes which is crumbed and lightly fried, with tomato chutney and cucumber salad on the side. I tend to find croquettes quite bland after a few bites, but these potato and cheese croquettes were however, absolutely exquisite with the freshness of the cucumber salad. The portioning looks quite small but there is just enough to fill you up and long for more.

The highlight of Moose and Gibson has to be the Potted Eggs. Filled with chorizos, olives, spinach and baked eggs in a tomato like paste, this dish get the palate salivating. The baked eggs are gooey and are so delectable in the tomato like paste. As well as this, the chorizo and olives mix so splendidly together, adding a burst of flavour and texture. Add into the mix, the turkish bread smothered in garlic butter, and you've got yourself a swoon worthy dish.

Moose and Gibson offers an all day breakfast and lunch starting from 11:30pm. With their quirky decor, statement antler chandelier and vertical garden, it is definitely worth checking out. I would definitely recommend coming and trying their Potted Eggs as I can not get enough of it.

In love and food,

Vivi