My main reasons for our Brisbane adventure was to do something cool for my birthday, to spend some quality time with Ben and to go to Eat Street, a place I’d heard wild foodie stories about but not yet seen. A place that had piled desserts, things on sticks, things in rolls, fried things, carb loaded things, live entertainment, drinks and cuisines from around the world, all in one place. To me, it was not somewhere that could be ignored for people like us. In the weeks leading up to going to Eat Street following their Facebook page was so fun and made the wait so exciting.
Eat Street is basically a collection of restaurants in a carnival setting with stages and nooks where other acts can be found. Entry is cheap and food choice is plentiful. The hardest part is choosing what you are going to try. One can only eat so much and you know this when you enter. You want to choose wisely but knowing the wise choice isn’t easy, when so much is at your fingertips.
The entertainment was big and grand, especially on the main stage and absolutely worth the entry fee. There was bands and dancing and even a singer / DJ / one man band.
Our favorite dishes of Eat Street were the Japanese pancakes that were ‘out of this world’ fluffy and something I’d never had before. Ben liked the pork belly and got some good beef jerky.
Alright, I think I’ve kept you waiting long enough. I’ve stringed you along and kept our favorite place for the end. I did it on purpose because this place, our shiny gem and our number one experience of the whole trip, deserves its very own piece.
Ruby (My Dear) – Newstead
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby… the name is fitting. A deep red precious stone that had somehow morphed into a vinyl bar-restaurant. We’d found it by accident. Henry at Milky Lane had given us a few places to find a drink at and Ruby, My Dear was one of them. After burgers at Milky Lane, we walked there, went in, saw it was busy and got given some seats at the bar. The bar, no matter where you are, is always an interesting place to sit. We find that it lets you interact with staff and watch their interactions with each other and their customers. At Ruby’s, the energy between staff is vibrant and friendly and they extend it to their guests with open arms. They put this same love into what they do. What they do is Japanese inspired food and fabulous drinks. The place isn’t large but there are a lot of tables. There is a DJ, who plays vinyl tunes adding to the relaxed but happening atmosphere and allowing you to sink into the ambience.
As we sipped on a whiskey and a cocktail, it gave us the opportunity to watch front of house staff. The semi open kitchen, let us to see one of the chef’s work, who was doing all of the plating up. He worked with precision and passion and it wasn’t long before Ben started enquiring about the delicious looking plates he was so eloquently working on. When a chef is truly passionate about what they are doing and is genuinely striving to produce their best and you happen to be foodies, like us, you simply can not ignore what they are putting on their plates. Problem, our bellies were full of delicious burgers from Milky Lane. We had ourselves pegged to Eat Street the night after. Solution, we still had Saturday night, our last night in Brisbane. We booked in, requesting the seats that had very quickly become ‘our seats’ at the bar, when we returned. From the moment we walked out, we couldn’t wait to walk back in on Saturday night.
It made us both smile when we eventually did walk back in, ready to eat, ‘our seats’ at the bar ready for us. This was going to be good. When you know, you just know. The menu was, after all, a Japanese inspired menu, so the only right thing to do was continue the sake journey we’d started at Sono (see Eat in Brisbane – Part One). Red rice sake and red rice beer for Ben. For me, a different craft beer and some sake too. The staff advice on drinks and their service was as good as the chefs passion for the food.
First, the kingfish with the crisp bowl, wow! Fresh, clean flavors with the interest of the crispy shell. The chicken was to die for, spicy and salty, then came wagyu rump with a delicious topping. Anyone who knows me, knows I am not really one for steak, but this was the best beef dish of the trip, the best steak I have had and Ben, who has had many steaks, also absolutely loved it. So this, my friends, was the beef dish that beat the beef dish from Sono, hands down. Cucumber salad, if you see it written on a menu, doesn’t scream amazing, but Ruby’s was so delicious and so memorable. It was zesty and fresh and the perfect side and I would eat again and again. The fries were also good but were last on our list to eat so we couldn’t fit them all in. If I could have tried another thing here (aka, if I had of had unlimited room in my stomach) it would have been the chef’s own macha white chocolate cake. Not really because it looked amazing plated up but because of how proud the chef seemed of it. There will be a next time Ruby, My Dear, we make sure of it.
If you’re like us and appreciate great food experiences and happen to be searching Brisbane for something special, please do not overlook this place. It won’t disappoint. @rubyvinlybar www.rubymydear.com.au
Credit: Ben Eichner for all of the wonderful photos and for being my partner in the pursuit of fine food and life in general.
Food & Fiction 