Pullman Reef Hotel and Casino Cairns

Do you ever get that feeling that you’ve just screwed something up? Big time. And it’s too late to fix it?


As I walked the long hallway of the Pullman Reef Hotel  in Cairns, enroute to my room – I was having a minor (and hopefully inconspicuous) panic attack.

Being on a strict budget for my work trips, Cairns is always a bit of a lottery on where I can afford to stay - that is still nice.

So when I saw that the Pullman was advertising room rates for just $169 I jumped on it! But now, my shoes sinking into the plush carpet, my car happily parked by the Valet and a personalised welcome card clutched in my sweaty palm – I started to second guess myself.

Maybe I had a dyslexic moment? Maybe it wasn’t $169. Maybe it was $269 or even $369??? Being mortgaged to the eyeballs – the last thing our monthly finances needed was a blonde moment.

Daring Bakers Challenge - Orange Tian... Deconstructed

Vanilla Pannacotta, Pate Sablee stack and Marmalade Jelly

I have had my fair share of cooking disasters over the years. And through all of them - my mother has been an unwaivering pillar of support and good advice. At the top of her list of "fix-alls" is cream.

There has rarely been a disaster that hasn't prompted the answer: "Can you fix it with cream?"

The absolute best example of this is "Father-in-Law's Thrice Dropped Birthday Cake".

What began as a 3 layered Gateaux of Chocolate Mudcake, Baileys Cream and Chocolate Ganache was actually eaten as Chocolate Tiramisu / Chocolate Mess.

Explain, you say?

Running late as always (my husband has a genetic inability to be anywhere on time, and as his wife - I suffer the same fate) - I gave the (at the time) gorgeous cake to my husband to hold while I picked up all the essentials. Keys, Phone, Wallet... check. As I opened the door for him so we could leave, he spun around to pick up his sunglasses but the sudden movement did not agree with my beautiful cake.

*Splat*
I'm not sure what was more heartbreaking - my cake upended on the floor, or the look of sheer terror on hubby's face. Holding back tears, we picked it up - mostly intact - and as I set about righting as much as possible - hubby was dispatched to the 7-11 to buy a tub of cream and a Flake for the repair job.

15 minutes later and with everyone walking on eggshells - we made it to the car. In its new form - the cake wouldn't fit in my Tupperware dish so it needed a quick stop to Sister-in-Law's house to borrow hers. With everyone barely game to breathe, I had the cake sitting securely on my lap for the quick 200m trip up the road. Until, in all his nervousness, hubby missed a gear and the car lurched - the cake then ended up plastered all over the front of my top.

I am not ashamed to say that by this point I was in tears. We skipped SIL's house and drove straight to the party - still with the cake half in my lap, half in my underwear - and on arrival, I tripped out of the car and dropped it again.

On the verge of hysterics, and with tubs of cream, grated chocolate and valium awaiting my arrival - we went about resurrecting what was left of this poor cake. In the end - it was a strange hybrid of Cake, freeform Tiramisu and Eton Mess... it was ugly but it was still delicious.

Anyway... when I saw that this month's Daring Baker Challenge involved being built upside down - I already knew I was in for trouble. And I was, not that anything weird and wonderful happened - it was just really unattractive and I obviously needed a few practice go's to get it right.

So I decided to keep the elements but deconstruct the presentation... To see what the completed challenge should have looked like... please visit Jamie, Deeba or Y ...

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.

Era Bistro Brisbane - King of the Menu

King of the Menu. Do you play that game? Where the winner has the power of knowing that they have ordered the best items on the menu, and as such everyone else at the table has Food Envy?

I do. I am generally pretty quiet about it – I don’t like to let on that not only am I feeding my stomach, but also my ego. When I get to sit there smugly, happily taking in everyone’s jealous faces when they realize that I have ordered the star dishes. It really only ever comes unstuck when I eat out with people equally as competitive as me. Like my Sisters-in-Law.

On our visit to Era Bistro, I scoured the menu, seeking out the star ingredients and I was fairly sure that I had chosen well. It is a gorgeous Restaurant, dark and moody with efficient Waiters flitting around, dancing from table to table. The service is better than you would expect, with all the creases starched into place, cutlery gleaming and every whim attended to.

Being unable to pass them by – I ordered Scallops on a Cauliflower puree and was quietly ecstatic with my choice. Plump, perfectly cooked scallops that were still pink in the middle, sitting atop a velvet cream of cauliflower and dressed with the prettiest micro herbs they could find. My taste buds were doing the Macarena and smugness was setting in nicely.

Until I looked around the table and saw that SIL #1 was chewing with her eyes closed. Suspiciously I kicked her under the table and asked her how her entrée was. She couldn’t even speak. Just silently pushed her plate across the table to offer me a bite.

The Plough Inn South Brisbane - The Slow Burn of Love

“You know I brought a pretty girl here for a date once?” Says my husband, blue eyes twinkling.


Now you would think that I would get cranky, stomp off or maybe even throw my drink at him. But no. Cheeky bugger that he is – he’s talking about our first date.

There was no love at first sight for us. We actually knew each other for 5 years before even the first flicker of romance appeared. So I guess you could say that it was more of a slow burn… rather than a nuclear reaction.

After a brief flirtation while I was home visiting from London – we kept in contact and literally, on arrival back to Brisbane, he met me at the airport for our first date. After a 24 hour flight, me with bed head, questionable breath and enough luggage to floor an elephant – I’m honestly surprised he stuck around – I didn’t offer much by the way of a good first impression!

Our lunch at the Plough Inn all those years ago was good. Nothing phenomenal – just good, uncomplicated pub food. Which to be honest – that’s what it is. A pub. Maybe the food would have been better if it wasn’t competing for space with the 5 million butterflies that had also taken up residence in there, but it was fine.

The actual highlight of our lunch here was our waiter. Now the Plough Inn  doesn’t have Waiters as such. Mainly just staff that clear tables and make sure there’s no glass lying around. But at this time they had the most gorgeous Waiter who had Downs Syndrome; and he was so blissfully happy going about his duties – collecting glasses, clearing plates and making sure everyone enjoyed their meals.

He sat down with us while we were eating and regaled us with stories of working in the kitchen, how he was so good at helping the Chef because he did exactly what he was told to, and how he was secretly all the pretty Barmaid’s favorite because he picked them flowers for their hair. Never in my life have I been so charmed by such a sweet individual.

Even to this day, every time we pass South Bank, we remember him and how much he impacted our first date and the beginning of our relationship.

On this visit, it was a sentimental one – we sat at the same table, ordered the same drinks and reminisced over the years that have passed. Hubby ordered the Teys 250g Eye Fillet while I was content with a smaller meal of Salt and Lemon Pepper Squid.

While hubby is a tough customer when it comes to steak – he was pretty happy with his lunch. Given that it is a Pub, not a steakhouse or even a “proper” Restaurant – it was pretty good. The steak was well handled, cooked as requested and came with a generous serve of Steak Fries and Vegetables. I pinched the Coleslaw which was (surprisingly) homemade.

My squid was super-thinly sliced which just added to the appeal, both tender and crisp all at once and nicely seasoned. It came with a small side salad – and shock horror! – no chips! But that was okay – my expanding waistline really didn’t need any – and I just helped myself to hubby’s when he wasn’t looking. He’s not yet fully trained in this “sharing” thing… he still calls it stealing.

So tell me dear Reader, have you ever had a meal where the service completely surpassed the actual meal?

The Verdict: A great hangout if ever you’re around the South Bank area. Casual, easy going and unpretentious – it doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. It’s a good decent watering hole with a broad menu that appeals to families, young party goers and backpackers alike.

Recommendations: There is nothing earth shattering here – but you don’t come here for the food alone. The atmosphere is great, the food decent and the drinks aplenty. If you go on a busy day or weekend – make sure to arrive early to grab a spot on the deck to make the most of the views and cool breezes.

Contact: Plough Inn  

The Rhino Bar Townsville -

There are two things about me that drive my poor husband absolutely bonkers.

#1. That I will drag him across a busy road just to read a Restaurant menu.
#2. That I have started photographing everything we eat.

Although he is yet to stage a coup - I honestly don't think it's that far off.

I think - even as a foodie - you know that you have reached a pretty bad place, when you check into a Hotel and you already know their Room Service Menu off by heart.

And know what you will order.

And know how long you have to shower and be in PJ's before they knock on the door...

It was this shameful admission that forced me to venture outside the Hotel, and to actually eat dinner like a normal person. Sans pajamas, bad TV and minibar within reach.

So although I didn't venture very far - let's be honest - it was less than 100m, I did leave the comfort of my room and actually go out for dinner.
Or Tapas. Whatever, it was a meal and I was dressed. I deserve a medal just for that!

The Watermark - Townsville's Best Restaurant?

It has always been a family joke that I have inherited my unattractive qualities from my Dad.

While he stubbornly refuses to take ownership for my big head, ugly feet and Maori thighs – there is one thing that he openly concedes is from him. My love of solitude. I don’t mean that I am a hermit or that I hate being around people (or even that my Dad is unattractive - he's quite the cutie!). Quite the opposite in fact – but I do love the chance, every now and then, to just chill out in my own company.


This has been quite a revelation to my husband who would always ask quite tentatively if he could have a boys night, go away for the weekend or even just spend the day with his mates – always to be met with me shoving him out the door with a change of clothes while mumbling about bubble baths and ice cream for dinner.

But while I really do enjoy these rare moments of alone time – there is one thing that I absolutely hate to do on my own. And it’s become such an issue that when I travel – I almost always have Room Service.

I hate eating dinner alone. Especially in a Restaurant.

I always feel like some desperado who has no friends or someone on a blind date that got stood up. I can feel the (probably imaginary) pity eyes staring across at me – but even more that that – I hate the awkward sidestep you have to go through with the Waiter.

“Could I get a table for one please?”
“Yes, just for one”
“No, I’m not waiting for anyone”
“Yes – it’s just me… yes I’m sure…”

For me – great customer service is all about the little things. It’s the little extra’s – like asking what kind of Vodka I prefer, did I have an objection to Chef cooking my pork to Medium and having Pink Murray River Salt on the table.

This isn’t the first time I’ve been to The Watermark  – this is actually my 5th visit and I’m happy to say that all four previous ones were consistently brilliant.

I’m also ashamed to say – that on each of the four previous visits – I ordered exactly the same thing. Every time.