What a surprise I got to see the transformation of Shangri La Reception Lounge. This has been an…read moreiconic function centre in the bayside area for over five decades, with many a wedding, birthday and school formal celebrated there. I knew the facade had changed and it had undergone a makeover, but imagine my surprise when I discovered the new restaurant there had really good a la carte food, like pale ale battered wild barra and cajun kangaroo steak - right here in Wynnum! So the old function centre is now a gorgeous reception and function area with three huge spaces including a ballroom, and has a 40 room hotel wing as well, but the biggest surprise of all was seeing the tasteful formal garden to the rear, completely hidden by the front sections of the complex, and perfect for weddings, or my friend's daughter's senior formal, as was the case here. I'm booking in for dinner.

From the owner: Shangri La Gardens -- part of the Clem Jones Group -- is located in the Brisbane bayside suburb of…read moreWynnum West. The function and reception centre at Shangri La Gardens has been a Brisbane landmark since the early 1960's and caters for a wide variety of events -- conferences and corporate meetings of all sizes, private parties, family and community celebrations, wedding receptions, and more. The Shangri La Gardens team is made up of loyal, local, and long-serving employees who can assist you in organising your event. Many couples who held their wedding receptions at the venue have returned to mark their silver, golden, and even diamond anniversaries. The children of some of those couples have also celebrated their marriage at Shangri La Gardens. Since 2006 the centre has included a 41-room four-star motel, and Sylvia's Restaurant and Wine Bar, named to honour Sylvia Ada Jones (nee Murphy), the wife of former Brisbane Lord Mayor, Dr Clem Jones (1918-2007).

The Pacific Golf Club was formed in 1937 at Kessels Road, Mt Gravatt, before relocating to its…read morecurrent site on Pine Mountain Road, Carindale, in 1964. The course has a colourful history and an excellent reputation, with an 18 hole championship course and 9 hole par 3 course. There's an active junior golfing program and Pacific has been the venue for the Gary Player Junior Classic for the last 30 years. Not a golfer myself, I have accompanied friends who've played and can say the clubhouse is very nice on a hot day.

From the owner: The course has been rated in the top 50 public access courses in Australia.read more

For a birthday celebration, a group of us made our way to Bitter Suite, a lovely tapas restaurant…read morewith an extensive selection of handcrafted beers, the latter of which seems to be the attraction. The ambience takes on that of a bar, but with romantic touches here and there. The velvet brocade wallpaper was my favorite! When I made a booking here, they asked if I was going to the Powerhouse, so I'm assuming it''s a popular destination for those seeing a show. Between the seven of us, we had several dishes to share, and I won't bother describing each of them, but my favorite was definitely the Crispy Pork Terrine (12). I wasn't sure what to expect, since terrine is usually a pate of some sort, but this was a fried(?) patty of minced pork meat and bits. It was a bit fatty, but really tender and melted in our mouths. It was also the only dish we went for twice! The Roast Pumpkin (12) was also done pretty well - taste-wise and presentation-wise, and I liked the radish tzatziki. The Duck Pancakes (15) are the house special, but it wasn't mind-blowing, as it just tasted mostly like hoi-sin sauce. The meat was tender, and the wrap wasn't overly doughy, so it was decent, even though the presentation was a bit messy. The other dishes were just mediocre, but not terrible. (Pictures below!) Those that had beer seemed to like what they chose, and the mixed drinks were also decent. I liked the classic mojito that Jess ordered, as they were very generous with the mint and I could smell it from across the table. (It wasn't overwhelming though!) My Bitter Suite Sunset was also good - with grapefruit drinks always serving me well! After drinks, we were in search for dessert, as Bitter Suite's choices were a bit limited and weren't particularly appealing to the birthday girl, so we ended up taking a stroll...

Love the location at a leafy street in New Farm close to the Powerhouse…read more Service was a little lacklustre from one particular waitress who didn't pay much attention to us. She just did the usual standard thing; bring glasses, bring water, stand and wait for order. No real warmth. Nonetheless, I thought the food was great. I ordered soft shell crab and it was so pretty on the plate and it was well seasoned. I also ordered sweet potato fries and they were honestly one of the best I've had in Brisbane.

Meals are average but my god it is a great place to bring kids! There is a kids play ground and a…read moregaming room for older kids. There are great kids meal deals as well. I feel like I can relax there without worrying about my kids getting bored. :)