I come here all the time it's amazing. People are nice and service is great. The food here is also…read moregreat highly recommended.

Amazing flavors. I want all of them. I wish I could eat there every day. Super delicious.read more

In keeping with the froyo trend, we now have a dedicated froyo place in Southbank! Yay! Brand…read morespanking new and in a handy location right near the cinemas (and my office). Here's what I super love about this place: SELF SERVE You can serve yourself from a really good range of frozen yoghurt flavours, including a couple of dairy-free options. From what I saw the flavours are mostly fruit-based with a couple of chocolate versions - I'd like to see some green tea in there at some point, and hopefully there will be different flavours available on a regular basis. THEN, once you've made whatever combination of yoghurts that you like, and as much or little as you like, then you head on over to the toppings bar and finish that sweet creation with a flourish. You can choose from all sorts of fresh fruits, or you can go super decadent and add chocolate or candy. Or both! Again, as much or as little as you want. The cost of the end result is calculated by weight, and while I'm not sure exactly what the weight:cost ratio is, I got myself a decent amount of delicious lychee froyo with fresh strawberries for under $4. Pretty sure I'll be having froyo for lunch on a regular basis this summer.

This place has the most delicious dairy free chocolate frozen yogurt, ever. There are several…read morelocations around Australia so enjoy, my lactose intolerant comrades!

"Everything natural is good" opines the proprietor of this happening smoothie bar in the heart of…read moreWest End. As someone with some scientific expertise in what is natural and what is good, I find this is overly simplistic and misleading. Nonetheless, if you drop in, I suspect you'll find that it holds true for everything they have here. I have tried a few local smoothie places, and while this isn't the cheapest one, it seems clearly the best. Of course, anyone can throw some stuff in a blender; I suspect juice bars persist largely because it's difficult for most of us to manage the logistics of keeping fresh fruit at home. But here, they're not just doing the grunt work for you, they're bringing some serious skill to the table. Could I use dragonfruit and coconut and get something that looks and tastes like bubblegum? I'm guessing not. Could I duplicate their wondrous "whipped fruit", a sort of fresh coconut ice cream made right in front of me? Not a chance. Their creations are both delicious and innovative, and I've not found an average one yet (and I've tried quite a few). The proprietor says he's from Brazil, which would explain why he is so good with topical fruits. It's a neighborhood vibe kind of place, and there's a decent chance of free samples. If something is on special, I suggest trying it. Most of what they use is fresh fruit and nut milks and coconut water and they are mostly vegan (save for a few clearly labeled pastries), making this establishment friendly to most customers. Besides their smoothies and bowls, a mouthwatering assortment of salads and baked desserts beckons. I still haven't tried any of those for fear of getting addicted, and if it instead turns out that they're terribly underwhelming in some way, I suppose I'll go back and revise this place's rating down again. Doesn't seem likely.

This is a small açaí bar in the heart of West End. The açaí bowls are delicious and high quality…read more(yet, not cheap). The service is friendly.

There are so many franchised bingsu places offering the same flavours but with different…read morepresentations. However, Nominom stands out just a bit more with its attention to detail. With 8 flavours and counting, you can choose your authentic korean bingsu flavours like injeolmi (soybean), misugaru (mixed grain), matcha and black sesame or your western flare of Nutella brownie, Oreo & chocolate. Each bingsu is crafted behind the scenes and looks magnificent when it is carried out! The portions are very generous and to devour a bingsu bowl, you need at least 2 to 3 people. Also, I love how the owners have great attention to detail. They freeze the bowls before piling the shaved ice and toppings on it. The shaved ice remains cold and powdery during the consumption duration and not a melted mess like other bingsu shops. The average price of the bingsu ranges from 14 to 15.5 AUD. My favourites are ranked from top to bottom: 1) misugaru with red bean, almond flakes and mochi 2) black sesame with red bean, mochi and a blanket of grinded black sesame powder on top of the shaved ice 3) matcha: scoop of tangy matcha froyo, red bean and a generous blanket of matcha powder on top of the fluffy shaved ice A side of milk is served to drizzle into the bingsu. Don't forget to eat your toppings or create a well in the bingsu because the milk will not absorb into the bingsu! Seating is limited! So for large groups, prefer to wait or walk a couple of circles to active your tummy for some delicious bingsu

NEWS FLASH: BRISBANE IN FROYO EXPLOSION…read more It seems January 2013 marks the month Brisbane opened its arms and embraced the FroYo trend that's been so prolific abroad. Similarly, it seems just as some of my fiercely dedicated froyo friends have overdosed to a point of no return, I'm launching into an all-consuming rose-coloured-glasses love for FroYo. Yep, I'm *that* late to the band wagon. Nominom (pink branding) is the second froyo chain to swing their doors open and share their self-serve frozen yoghurt goodness with Brisbane punters. Unlike it's friend up the road, Noggi (green branding), Nominom is DIY service. It was a rather non-conventional late lunch but who was I to argue with their twee bubblegum pink branding? Your path to FroYo enlightenment at Nominom is the standard self-service routine: + Pick your cup (one size - large), fill it with as many flavoured frozen yoghurts that you think you can handle (they'll be rotating their flavours and when I stopped by there was original, chocolate, blueberry, taro, green tea and a few others) + Shuffle along to the toppings station. They've set their toppings out into good (fruit), treats (candy, jelly bubbles and biscuits) and cereals. + Your final destination: weigh-in and cash register. The moment of truth to see just how well you've decked out your FroYo cup. I had put chocolate and green tea with watermelon and blueberries and it came to $6.38 for what I'd guess was about 300grams. They're running a 50% offer for the opening week so for $3.15 I was ready to take my cup of froyo home. The flavours of the yoghurt didn't pack as much punch as I'd want. The yoghurt could have been a little more tart and the flavours more pronounced. This is 100% personal preference, but I like the idea of being able to select the size of cup I'd like rather than a one size fits all and maybe this is something they'll introduce as they find their groove. It's great to see Brisbane embracing a new "food trend" and I hope people love it for a long time, not just a good time.

This Cold Rock is in a great location. Everywhere Southbank is I guess…read more I'm going to say it. Their ice cream isn't amazing. It's okay. It's ice cream. New Zealand Ice Creamery up the way a bit is far better; but for the vegetarians, apparently Cold Rock doesn't have gelatin. There's not a lot of choice in flavours here either, but then Cold Rock isn't about the mix ins. If you've never been to Cold Rock, here's the deal. You pick your ice cream flavour. And yes, you can get multiple flavours. Then choose from a myriad of different options to be smashed up and mixed into the ice cream. I went with chocolate and ice cream banana, mixed together, with strawberries mixed in, then hot choc fudge on top. Standard ice creams come in a cup, and there's various sizes from kiddy up to a take home tub. You can get a waffle cone with one or two scoops, but you have to ask. Me? I prefer the cup, easier to eat.

This gelato place put a crimp in the celebratory mood I brought to it by not offering any mint…read moreflavors among their rotating menu. Heck, they didn't have anything that was really in my wheelhouse. However, the ones I did end up with (caramel and cookies & cream) were good enough that I would be happy to go back. The price was not bad, though the cone was pretty tasteless (and like most ice cream places, an upgrade to a waffle cone was available). For the non-dairy crowd, they had quite a nice variety of sorbets as well, and their menu as a whole was a good size.

Gelateria Cremona where the hell have you been my whole life?…read more Being a dairytard is hard enough at the best of times, but it is the WORST in the summer when people casually ask you "hey, do you wanna get an ice-cream?" and you secretly see them spontaneously combust in your mind because there is so LITTLE choice for people that are allergic to dairy that it makes you want to cry. Then you discover Gelateria Cremona and all of their AMAZING sorbet flavours and a whole new world of awesomeness opens up before you. Suddenly you can choose from Peach, Lychee, Watermelon, Mango, Strawberry, Lemon (BORING) and so much more. Thank you Gelateria Cremona, just thank you.

Who said FroYo was over?…read more TuttiFrutti is conveniently located in the food court area of the Myer Centre and the set up is not unlike many other frozen yoghurt stores. If you're familiar with the concept you'll take to this one like a duck to water. It's a pay by weight (around the $2.80/100g mark) and this particular group claim to have some 80 rotating flavours. With the humid days hanging around Brisbane, I've been fast coming to enjoy a combination of salted caramel, coconut and red velvet topped with strawberries and shredded coconut. The average cup will set you back $5-$7 with a few froyo flavours and 2-3 toppings.

Expensive, limited toppings, really an overall disappointing experience. Can buy better froyo for…read morethe same price at another store...

For one reason or another, Vinyl is missing out on a lot of the credit it deserves as a stellar…read moreplace to dine. This is probably because it's tacked onto the front of the soulless Hi-Fi music venue. Well, listen right now - change your view of Vinyl and give it a whirl, because you won't be disappointed. Vinyl's menu currently has a fairly strong Mexican influence, with cheap and tasty soft shell tacos featuring fillings like haloumi, pork belly, and chipotle mushroom. Hello, Happy Place. There's also crazy tasty corn resembling that of Mamasita in Melbourne. You mean I don't need to hang out for my once-yearly Melbourne visit to eat crazy delicious corn? SHUT UP. Desserts change with the times, and I fear with all the delicious things on the main menu, sometimes it can be a struggle saving room for your sweet tooth. Maybe if you pass enough time while playing one of the many board games on offer for patrons, you'll be able to digest enough? Good luck to you. (Meanwhile - anyone for Scrabble?) Vinyl is way more than just a pre-gig drinking spot. Give it a try.

Ok here's the deal before I'm dragged over the coals: Vinyl was good, but not amazing. A great nook…read morefor pre-gig nosh or a cheap eat throughout the week. The company kept during the evening at Vinyl definitely made it better so when you dine at Vinyl it is best done so in the company of others who'll provide great laughs, conversation and cross checking of which taco you've ordered. What must be kept in mind is that for $5 per taco (soft shell) you can, as Rory D rightly points out, eat a lot but feel like you've not spent a fortune. And for this reason, if you go home hungry from Vinyl it is really your own fault. You don't have to eat tacos (there's pulled pork sandwiches, a beef brisket sandwich and a selection of sides) but how could you resist the call of fillings like haloumi, apple and fig jam; pork belly with charred corn salsa and hot sauce; fried fish with chipolte sour cream and coriander salsa verde or chipotle mushrooms with parmesan, truffle salsa. Still despite these flavour combinations (I went with the haloumi and chiptle mushroom tacos) I couldn't help but think, "I could make this at home." But with that I also quickly reminded myself, "$5 Tacos." Lastly, and this may be a special of the day, the stand out was the dessert: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Toasted Brioche, Strawberry Jam. BAM - Party for one in your mouth.

We visited a nearby bar who told us Nitrogenie was a must visit and they were right! Friendly, fast…read moreand delicious! We don't have experience with nitrogen ice cream and the employee was more than happy to explain the process as well as recommend other activities in the area! Great visit all around!

Like a science expriment going on - One corner of the room was filled with a fog machine type myst…read moreand bit of mystery. What's that? It's liquid nitrogen cooling down the best Ice Cream I've ever had. I tried the Salted Caramel Popcorn, a bit strange as no movie watching was involved here, just excitement of trying an interesting flavor on a hot summer day.