30 April 2013

I've moved



Should have been more on the ball with this one... but I've moved.


Not literally (well actually I have but that's beside the point) but to a new URL. You can now find me at www.rachaelscrazyworld.com

See You Soon Green Road Sign with dramatic clouds and sky. Stock Photo - 6394892

15 April 2013

Yamagen


I love Teppenyaki. Yamagen did not disappoint.

The girls and I headed out for a nice dinner and ended up here, mainly as it was part of the hotel we were staying at and therefore rather convenient.

Our cook was hilarious, and made the evening memorable with silly jokes and great fun on the hot plate!

We chose an $80 set menu and a bottle of Pinot Gris to keep us going until we made it to the bar at Stingray.

Again, I highly recommend this place. The favourite part of my meal would probably have been the scallops and the steak fillet. The food just keeps on coming and you can’t keep up with it! I couldn’t finish my fried rice and was left with a very full belly. Not complaining!

Unfortunately, as I am lactose intolerant I definitely got the worst end of the deal when it came to dessert. While Lauren and Alescha got to enjoy brandy snaps, I was dished up some lemon sorbet with a sprig of mint. Ah the joys of dietary requirements.

Great service, very attentive waiter, a hilarious cook and delicious food makes for a very enjoyable evening. 









13 April 2013

How Bazzarr



This place is just gorgeous. Located upstairs in QT hotel, you must go here for breakfast and I am sure that the other meals will be just as fantastic.

Set out as a market it is amazing just to look at the way the food is presented.

Imagine what you would like for breakfast... It’s there. HUGE variety.
I loved the way their juice section was set out, with daily juice bottles set out for you to choose. Fresh and full of flavour I could have sat there all day nibbling.

I had a few hot options – bacon, scrambled eggs, tomato, hash brown and then headed off for some museli with fresh berries and heaps of strawberries washed down with a daily juice. Was full and happy as can be. Perfect way to start the day! 











12 April 2013

Sake - Eagle Street Pier



The first night Alescha was here we wanted to go somewhere delicious for dinner. Sake was my first choice as I had snacked there but never had a full meal and I found it delicious.

We ordered a few smaller items between us:
-          Popcorn shrimp
-          Sashimi Taco’s (salmon & tuna)
-          Edamame (of course)
-          Prawn dumplings
-          Prawn tempura vegetables

They were all incredible and done to perfection.
We also shared between us a bottle of Umeshu - Choya (cherry wine) that was interesting. Very sweet adn I think would be best shared among three people. We found it a bit much but really enjoyed it. Although it is wine it is served on the rocks. Fun for something new to try!

Sake also have gorgeous private dining options hidden away that I would love to visit sometime.

Definitely a fab place, great atmosphere, great food, great beverages!







10 April 2013

Made my morning


Freaking cutest thing you've seen right?!
But wait.. there's more... HERE

8 April 2013

5 days to go!

What a weekend.

Went out for dinner Friday.. Next thing you know it's 1am and we've had a few Tikki cocktails! Benny came back home to annoy David and they played until Ben fell asleep outside my door on the floor - yep there was the sofa or the mattress but he chose the floor. Boys are weird.

Sat I spent packing and being domesticated cleaning and making pies. Plus a haircut. My good friend and hairdresser Kylie cried when I left. Hate making people cry.

I was going to head to the Lions game but ended up staying home as it was raining as I needed a nap. Next thing I know Lisa had arrived, then Tay & Shan. Got home at 4.30am.
Last night out in Brisbane

Did I mention I had to move Sunday? Yeah so after 4 hours sleep I was up again getting ready. Everyone arrived at 12 and it was time to get cracking! Huge thanks to Pete for pretty much doing it all for me.

4pm it was all done and we were back at Kim's. she was already down a bottle of red wine so we joined her.

Sophie and Kim had arranged an awesome dinner party. Roast for the main but my fave was the entree - roasted garlic with caramelised onions on toasted olive sourdough. Nom. With 6 boys visiting there were lots of bodies to feed!

I snuck off to bed at 9.30 but people kept coming in to wake me up, come 12.30am I was still awake and the girls retired to bed.

Have to cull more clothes this week, I thought I had it all done but I have SO much stuff. Ggrrr

5 days to go...


Lisa stole my phone
Tay & Shan stole my phone

7 April 2013

Team Tango!

When Benny called me and asked if I would do tango with him I actually had no idea what I was getting myself into. After I had to grab my laptop and google it and it wasn't what I expected but I was still up for the challenge!

We had an amazing time with Angelique & Chris learning to dance. They are fantastic teachers and the smaller sized groups meant we had lots of one on one time to figure out the steps we (usually Ben) couldn't get out head around.

I was actually pretty sad on the last day after our performance, as not only would I no longer get to invade Benny's personal space with good reason but it meant that my fave time of the week was over and we had to say goodbye to the rest of the group.

Shame there wasn't another class starting immediately after mine as I would have loved to continue!

If you're in Brisbane and want to learn to dance (not just tango) give Angelique & Chris a call on 0479 170 818 at Evoke Dance and Theater company, or you can view their website here. I promise it will be fun!!

Here are some pics of Benny & I on our last day...




5 April 2013

QT Gold Coast


Spent a lazy Easter Friday at QT Hotel Gold Coast with Alescha.

What a fantastic hotel. It feels almost like a boutique hotel, with all of it's little quirks but it is a decent size, with two restaurants and a bar.

Cute idea - lemonade in the foyer. Refreshing and super cute in different sized jars with paper twisted yellow & white straws. Just help yourself while you wait to check in or lounge in the retro foyer.

I have to say - the beds are AMAZING. Divine even. We checked in and went straight for a nap. You lie on them and it's like they suck you into them. I could have happily just slept the weekend away! We even came home early from the bar as we were so looking forward to hopping into them!

Rooms are huge, funky, unique furnishings and you can purchase anything in there. Great idea by them. Even the bathrobes and lamp are for purchase!

Lucky for me, working at Rydges, I received staff discount and REALLY reasonable rates. HUGE thanks to Natalie who helped us out with an upgrade and complimentary bubbly & macaroons too!

We dined at Yamagen for Teppenyaki, Stingray lounge for drinks and a snack and then at Bazaar for buffet breakfast.

Definitely worth a look to eat, play and stay!















An Easter weekend


Well it wasn't very Eastery really. I didn't even get any eggs! I did buy hot crosses buns for Brekky though.

Anyway I've been slack as writing this and thought I should really eat on it as it is the weekend again already. Thank God for short weeks! Yeww!!

My Godsister* Alescha came to stay with me - we had a full on time!

Thursday dinner at Sakè, which was amazing. Devoured a bottle of Ume cherry plum wine with our meal which was really different. Took us forever to finish it actually and when Benny joined us and tried to order another bottle we were both arguing with him that we couldn't do another!
After that we headed to Limes hotel - was an awesome night. Lots of cocktails and laughing.

Friday saw Ben jump in my bed at 8am with music blaring. Not impressed sunshine. He got us up and out for brekky at Tuppy's then head to the Goldy for our stay at QT Hotel - such a funky place! We ate at all the restaurants there - Yamagen for Teppenyaki dinner, Stingray lounge for cocktails and pizza and Bazaar for buffet breakfast.

Lauren joined us for drinks and due to the annoying rules in place for drinking on Easter Friday we retired back to our rooms at the hotel to lie in the amazing beds an some quiet drinks. Maybe not so quiet for Lauren who awoke at midday with a massive hangover. At the same time we were on our way back to Brisbane. Stopped at the mall for Alescha to have a looksie and go shopping + I bought a new suitcase for my impending trips (YAY.)

When we got home I had a quick nap (a sign of a great weekend is a nap each day) and got ready to go out. Ben, Ru & Lisa joined us but Ben dropped us in town and headed home instead of coming out to play. Pretty sure we killed him the first night.

Town was dead, no one in the Valley really we wondered from place to place before making the longer walk to Alfred & Constance, where of course there was a line. Drinks ensued and we danced away on the Tiki bar. Great venue. Alescha wanted to check out Brizzy Clubs so we ended back at the Met which had by now filled up. Fast forward 3 hours and the girls were well and truly tipsy, while I was ready for bed & Lisa had headed home at midnight.

Maccas was full as per usual but you must understand that it is imperative to a hangover and feeling better in the morning!

Sunday we relaxed and missed our Sunday sesh, I was exhausted and Alescha was hung. Movies and me cleaning out my wardrobe were about as far as we got! Ben came over and I did a platter for dinner with a huge bowl of guacamole mmmm.

Alescha flew out Monday arvo :(
We headed to the city and Valley for a look and my fave place to eat at the moment - Harajuku Gyoza for lunch before spending some time at DFO and time to say goodbye.

*definition of a God sister - my parents are her God parents.







3 April 2013

Stingray Lounge at QT

Very swish little joint hidden away in QT Hotel, Surfers Paradise.

We headed in for a pre-nap snack after we checked in. Decided on a meat lovers pizza. Took quite a while to come out but delicious.

They also let us bring in our lemonade from the foyer which was nice.

We returned again later that night - a DJ was in full swing and lots of well dressed customers sipping on cocktails. We chose a lime pina-colada and I wasn't very impressed at all. It was served in a martini glass and seemed to be almost all foam.

Nice vibe though.


Stingray Lounge on Urbanspoon

Tuppy's for Brekky


Just up the road from my house is a little convenience store that does some fast food. Mainly fish and chips but also breakfast. Thankfully, they were open Easter Friday to cure my hangover!

Obviously I got a bit carried away eating before I managed to take this pic.

They do really cheap breakfast - 2 eggs, nice bacon, thick cut toast, a sausage, tomato and an orange juice for about $12.


Tuppy's on Urbanspoon