[Gold Coast] Pancakes on the Rocks

holla peeps! how are you doing? it's a long weekend so I have plenty of time to write in this blogs.. too many photo and review waiting to be posted so I think I have to finish my homework.. anyway, this is the last Gold Coast post, so here we go..

eating in Gold Coast can be very tricky.. remembering that most shopping malls are closed at 5.00 p.m.. you have to prepare your research well and ensure the opening hours of your target restaurants.. actually Pancakes on the Rocks was on our Sydney's must visit list.. but since we only have three days in Sydney, the must-visit list was packed already.. lucky for us (oh, thank God!), Pancakes on the Rocks has just opened a new branch in Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast in 2012.. so after a long and tiring day at the Dream World and the urge to have some good food, we drove along the Mermaid Beach to find the historic restaurant..

Pancakes on the Rocks has been selling pancakes since 1975 in Sydney! such a long history for a pancake shop.. but only after 1994, this restaurant started to sell menus other than pancakes, including pizza, salads, crepes and ribs.. the menu offered today is very extensive.. lots of choices to confuse you as each one looked very appetizing.. we arrived around 8.30 p.m for a late dinner and the restaurant was quite empty since it's not common for native Australians to have dinner at such time haha.. 

so we decided to share the whole thing.. monte cristo savory crepes (AUD14.95), chicken and bacon pizza (AUD17.95) and devil's delight pancake (AUD13.95).. with tap water and a glass of hot marshmallow cocoa (AUD2.95).. here comes the foodporn..

it's my choice actually.. the monte cristo was a savory crepes filled with chicken, smoked ham and cheese served on a bed of mixed lettuce then topped with house chili sour cream and shallots.. it looked rather colorless but it was really amazing! the pancake itself was very thin, soft and nice.. creamy fillings poured as you cut the pancakes, and it tasted great! I love this dish so much, really..

the chicken and bacon pizza came in a "unique" look.. I was really thinking that they burn the pizza crust as it was really dark.. let me describe first, chicken breast pieces (you can see the chicken chunks there), bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated mushrooms and tomato salsa on a guacamole and mozzarella cheese base, then topped with sour cream, guacamole and shallots.. that's what the menu said.. it tasted quite good, despite some bitterness due to the burned crust.. I think it has a Mexican twist as you have the guacamole and sour cream.. I somehow love it.. the crust was actually very crispy and the fillings was very tasty..

last, but of course not least, the dessert! devil's delight pancake, chocolate pancakes with strawberries, cream, chocolate ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce.. yumyum.. it was so good.. I mean look at the combination.. what can be wrong with all of those? I love the pancakes texture as it was soft and fluffy.. it was one hearty and chocolaty dessert!

lastly, it was our hot marshmallow cocoa.. for a cold nights at Gold Coast.. this is a perfect treat for sweet tooth like me.. hot choco with melted marshmallow.. I love it since it was pure chocolate and unsweetened, so I can manage the sweetness level.. life's good with a cup of chocolate and girls talk :)

Pancakes on the Rocks

2488 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach (Next to Putt Putt)

Trading Hours: Sunday to Thursday 7.30am-9.00pm | Friday/Saturday 7.30am-10.00pm

Ph.: +61 7 5526 6274

Fax: +61 7 5526 6361

www.pancakesontherocks.com.au

[Gold Coast] Three Beans

image taken from here

I am living the quote here.. a good way to start your morning, especially in Australia, is to try their coffee.. it was quite famous and I am more than excited.. it was a 24-hour little cafe, located in Broadbeach, right next to Boon Chu Thai.. I have to emphasize the 24-hour thing since almost every mall closes at 5.00 to 6.00 p.m and every eatery around 10.00 p.m.. in the black board in front of the cafe, they also emphasize the 24-hour thing by saying "yes, we really, really are open 24 hours.. always.." cute!

back to business.. of course, we ordered their coffee.. here, the coffee offered is Merlo Coffee.. as mentioned in their website, Merlo Coffee was named Australia's favorite coffee in Lifestyle FOOD's I Love FOOD Awards in 2012.. it's a premium fresh espresso which comes with high expectation from all of us.. so we made our orders, a cup of regular hot cappuccino (AUD3.90) and three cups of regular hot latte (AUD3.90).. mine was hot latte as cappuccino sometimes offered too much foam.. anyway, it tasted great.. I can taste that the coffee was quite strong, with silky milk.. I added a sachet of brown sugar to make it less bitter and I was content.. as easy as that.. it was a hearty cup of coffee to start the day.. a time well spent shared with best friends..

hot cappuccino

hot latte

as for breakfast, I decided to have their quiche lorraine (AUD6.00).. I once heard that you have to try Australia's quiches and pies.. so there I went.. when it was served on my table, I was quite pleased with the way it looked.. a golden brown pie crust was simply great for breakfast.. appetizing and (I hope) healthy as well.. it was served with a small plate of caramelized onions.. yes, those red, bolognese sauce look a like, was the caramelized onions mixed with some tomato.. 

I love my quiche!! crunchy pie crust with smooth, yummy fillings.. I think it was a mixture of cheese and bacon.. I finished the whole portion all by myself, only let the others taste a bite each haha.. that's just how much I love my quiche.. the caramelized onions was also very tasty.. too tasty, perhaps.. there's a lot of thing going on in your mouth all at once.. I didn't finish my caramelized onions and this one friend willingly finished it up for me.. she used it like a jam to her toast and simply said that it was so good.. 

well, there you go.. a decent Australian style breakfast.. a good cup of coffee, delicious quiche shared  with great friends and lots of laughter and you're on holiday.. life is good, you know :)

Three Beans
Phoenician Building, Shop 13, 90 Surf Parade
Broadbeach, QLD 4218
Ph.: +61 7 5538 8744

http://www.merlo.com.au/

[Gold Coast] Max Brenner

"I invite you to watch, smell, taste and feel my love story" -Max

that's the huge tag line welcoming us to the world of Max Brenner, chocolate by the bald man.. this brand was quite famous and it's on our must-visit list in Gold Coast.. why? because all of my travelling mates are sweet addicts.. we went to Max Brenner right after our lovely dinner at Peter's.. since we stayed in Robina area, we visited their branch in Robina Town Center.. it was very windy and cold at night in Gold Coast, especially for us, who had expected the warm and sunny weather..

the expectations were very high.. we have heard about all the good things in Max Brenner.. looking at their menu, we were quite overwhelmed by the amount of sweet treats offered.. after looking at the menu for quite some time, we finally made our decisions.. dark chocolat (AUD5.50), italian thick chocolate (AUD6.00) and hot cappuccino (AUD3.60).. of course, that's not all.. we added chocolate souffle (AUD10.00) and chocolate lick (AUD2.50) for share..

dark chocolat served in hug mug

Italian thick chocolate served in hug mug

dark chocolat and Italian thick chocolate were really recommended for you, chocoholics out there! dark chocolat was one of the signature drinks by the Bald Man.. it was really good! not bitter at all, if you're worried.. the Italian thick chocolate, as implied by its name, was a lot more thicker than the usual chocolat.. not too sweet but definitely too thick for my liking.. all of the hot chocolate drinks were served in a hug mug.. it was a specially designed mug for the chocolate drinking ceremony.. it was shaped specially for hugging in both hands, creating the coziness, warmth and fragrance while drinking.. this hug mug was very useful to warm our freezing hands.. 

hot cappuccino was my order since I was curious about their coffee section.. it was served in kangaroo mug with kangaroo chocolate bar which was meant to be left until melted on its own.. it was not a wise decision, ordering coffee in the chocolate-specialized cafe.. turned out that the coffee was a little bit bland.. the chocolate sauce was very helpful to make me finish the drink.. definitely not the best coffee for me.. however, the drinking experience was very unique.. served in a kangaroo mug, which was specially designed for adults on the outside but child at heart.. on the plate, it was written 'drink your coffee in a decent way (don't forget you are an adult) then lick the chocolate leftovers to keep the child in you forever'.. how cute is that? I was so in love with the cup that I nearly bought one home.. too bad, the AUD-IDR exchange rates was blocking my way..

the chocolate souffle was simply the best! it was served warm with oozing center of dark and white chocolate.. it was heavenly.. sweetness overload! the cake was very moist and was perfectly matched with the oozing melted chocolate in the center.. it was simply irresistible and I can't help it ruining my diet.. the chocolate lick was last but definitely not the least.. it was a pot of melted pure chocolate.. so how to eat it? well, the thoughtful Max has the solution.. a stick with a wider edge, similar to stirrer, was perfectly designed to eat this thing.. basically, you can lick the pure chocolate sticking on it.. it was a very pleasant experience.. like returning to your childhood with lots of cute tools to play with.. 

chocolate souffle

chocolate lick

overall, I was more than satisfied going to Max Brenner.. other than the quality of the products served or service given, the eating experience was definitely one of a kind.. it has successfully making me addictive.. wondering when they will open an eatery here in Jakarta.. I bet I will be a regular haha..

Max Brenner

Shop 1006 Robina Town Centre

Robina Town Centre Drive (off Robina Parkway)

Robina QLD 4230

Ph.: +61 7 5578 8571
www.maxbrenner.com.au

[Gold Coast] Peter's Fish Market

in substance, the picture above has nothing to do with the Peter's Fish Market post.. it's just I love that pic, no further reasons..

but let me tell you a bit.. just a tiny bit.. the pic was taken at Movie World, where we spent our second day at Gold Coast.. it was a huge theme park which has been on our must-visit list.. I am quite proud to say that I have managed to conquer their thriller rides, including Superman Escape, Arkham Asylum, Green Lantern and Scooby Doo Spooky Roller Coaster.. it was an achievement for me, really.. for a complete information of Movie World at Gold Coast, please make a visit to their website..

after a long and tiring day around the Movie World, we have planned to have seafood for our dinner.. and again, it was based on our friend's recommendation.. local's secret, she said.. it was Peter's Fish Market.. it was located in Main Beach right behind the luxury Versace hotel.. it was quite confusing for us since the area is quite high-class.. but between the luxurious buildings, there, the simple and humble stall of Peter's Fish Market..

basically, it is really a fish market.. you'll find lots of fresh seafood just like you'll find in the supermarket.. the choice is yours.. you can pick whatever seafood you like at any weight then take it to the cashier, make your choice of cooking, pay and you will get a number.. once your dishes are ready, the cashier will call you by your number and you have to pick your orders.. or, if you're amateurs like us, just go to the cashier, choose from the available menu, make your payment and get your number.. 

I think I don't have to re-emphasize that we, the young ladies, have no clue at all on how to choose fish or shrimps or any other seafood.. so, we're taking the short cuts and made our orders based on what's written on the black board.. our choices went to their specials, fish of the day, small calamari, 2 prawn cutlets, seafood stick and small chips (AUD16.00).. other than that, we had prawn skewer (around AUD3.00) and grilled snapper in lemongrass sauce (around AUD13.00).. one important thing is there will be no free sauce given, instead, we have to buy it.. a small container of sweet chili and tartar sauce each cost us AUD2.00.. that is almost equivalent to Rp20,000 each! since the place was quite packed, we waited quite a while.. until finally we heard our number being called.. dinner is served!

Peter's Special with the two-dollar-each sweet chili and tartar sauce

Prawn Skewer and grilled Snapper in lemongrass sauce

my first good impression about the dish was how fresh the ingredients used.. each and every seafood served was very fresh and just rightly cooked.. I love the crunchy batter of those fried seafood in the Peter's Specials.. I remembered that we were eating like in a race or something.. the french fries were fat and crunchy as well.. thinking about how much the sauce had cost us, we were so determined to finish them until the last drop and it was so good.. the prawn skewer was also great.. it was really fresh prawns and cooked nicely with a some spicy sauce.. the prawn was really delicious.. for the grilled snapper, I was not a fan.. I personally think the lemongrass sauce was too overpowering the whole dish.. the fish was very smooth and silky, though.. I wished I had prefer some other cooking style..

overall, it was a great meal we had in Peter's.. nothing is better than fresh seafood in the good cook hand.. this has made my recommendation list for those asking where to eat at Gold Coast.. cheers to good seafood and good friends :)

Peter's Fish Market

120 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach 

Queensland 4217

Ph.: +61 7 55917747

www.petersfish.com.au

[Gold Coast] Boon Chu Thai

one of the main reasons I love holiday, despite the refreshment of course, is the culinary journey.. I believe that every place offers unique and different taste.. that's why I always do a little research before going to ensure that I have put the best restaurants in my must-visit list.. but Gold Coast is a different case.. it's really hard to find references for good food there.. I come up with basically nothing.. this was actually a trip I shared with another three girls, who I have known since high school.. a long and happy friendship.. arriving at Gold Coast on Sep 21, 2012.. we went directly to Robina area where we have rented our other friend's house and car.. on the way, we met a new friend there who has been really kind and tell us where to get the best food in the coast.. the first she ever mentioned is Boon Chu Thai.. 

quite amusing for me.. since I don't think I will be having Thai food while I'm in the land of kangaroos.. but that's the surprises of life.. so on our first night at the Coast, we went to Broadbeach and got ourselves a table at Boon Chu Thai.. soon after we were seated, we were greeted by an old Thai man, who I suspected was the owner, asking whether we knew how to make an order there.. of course, it was like a huge 'TOURISTS' sign were shown in our faces.. he then explained that every order should be made in the cashier, where other than the a la carte menu, you can also choose from the ready-served dishes.. 

the place was very humble.. a small eatery located in the busy street of Broadbeach.. neighboring to what seemed to be a high-class eatery.. no decoration at all.. only food display, cashier and eating spots, consisted of white tables and chairs.. however, the place was full and packed with people.. we didn't get any seats inside the restaurant that we have to eat on the outdoor area, which was basically tables and chairs arranged at the side of the road.. it was a windy night and sitting at the outdoor area definitely had made us freezing..

anyway, our orders that night were tom yum noodle soup with seafood combination (AUD15.50) and pad thai seafood (AUD17.50).. I did say that there were four of us.. but we saw the portion on our next table and it was huge.. we didn't eat that much since *cough* we intended to maintain our weight haha.. logically, don't let yourself suffer obesity after holiday.. four glasses of tap water and a shared Thai iced tea (AUD3.50) completed our dinner that night.. 

I had never expected to find the best pad thai so far right there, in Gold Coast.. but in fact, I did.. it was delicious.. top notch.. maknyuuuss, quoting Pak Bondan.. it was really that good.. add a little lime juice and stir it with the dried chili.. I had the best meal ever.. did I sound exaggerating? but that's exactly how I felt.. the dish there, was flawless.. and even though I wasn't that hungry, I can't help myself from taking more of the pad thai.. the portion was huge with generous seafood.. quite pricey for our Indonesian standard, but it was worth every dollar spent..

the tom yum noodle was also above our expectation.. a warm soup during a cold, windy night was a great way to warm our body.. the soup was very tasty.. I can taste each taste boldly, without having to add anything to improve the taste.. a bit too overpowering for my liking, but my friends enjoyed it very much.. the fillings were generous, the portion was huge and I can tell we had a great first dinner..

we were so amazed by Boon Chu Thai that we came back for our last dinner in Gold Coast.. basically, our journey in Gold Coast was opened and closed by Boon Chu Thai.. this time, we decided to have another portion of pad thai seafood (AUD17.50).. it was addictive, really.. to accompany the pad thai, we decided to pick from the ready-served food.. it was the appetizing Boon Chu chicken with rice (AUD14.50) and spring rolls (sorry, I forgot the price) with Thai iced tea (AUD3.50).. 

a portion of spring rolls consisted of two pieces.. it was just okay.. I didn't find anything quite special about it.. on the other hand, I found the Bangkok chili very good.. unlike the ones sold in Jakarta, this one was very tasty with a nice level of spiciness and sourness.. 

although it's a ready meal, this dish was delicious.. it looked appetizing, right? Boon Chu chicken is one of the best selling dish here.. sweet and tasty chicken, onion and pepper with a portion of hot rice.. I love Asian food.. I love the balance of the dish with no single taste overwhelming the others.. it was a perfect cooked chicken and I just love it.. I wasn't quite sure whether it should be categorized as Thai food or Chinese food.. but anyway, the bottom line is it was good :)

on our second dinner, we ordered three glasses of Thai iced tea.. that's just how much we fancied it.. however, after we made our orders and payment, they told us that they run out of Thai iced tea and only able to serve two glasses.. we didn't want to substitute it with Thai iced coffee and got our money returned instead.. after we almost finished our meal, the same uncle who greeted us on our first visit came and deliver a glass of Thai iced tea.. he told us that he was gone to pick up some ingredients earlier and was not able to serve us our third glass of Thai iced tea and for that inconvenience, he gave us the third glass for free and even offered to refill our first two glasses.. talking about flawless service.. he was so nice and he surely has given us a good memory about this place..

Boon Chu Thai

Shop 15 & 16 Phoenician Surfer Parade

Broadbeach QLD 4218, Australia

Ph.: +61 7 5592 3466