Lili's Cuisine - Logan City

TL;DR: Better than expected noodle bar. Maybe somewhat displaced in a food court when it should be in the ruthlessly aggressive competition over the road, there is a care and quality that goes into each soup that is presented. It is done quick and fresh, and this pocket acts like an oasis between two worlds getting what works and making it do solidly. For those on the run who don't want to default to greasy fast food, this is for you. And it is not half bad either. Right on the outskirts of the Sunny Park food court, right outside the cinema, Lili's Cuisine sits in a bizarre position. It is tucked away in a corner, and acts a bit like the wallflower. It is not got the spryness of many of the fast food options which are there - inevitably a choice for many imminent moviegoers - nor does it really have that kind of edge which would have it be able to rub shoulders with the big boys in Market Square, and it has the fast food aesthetic as well ... so here it is with its unique character. It is like the Chinatown noodle bar that happened to come into the fast-paced food court. Suffice to say though, in spite of all that was just said the points all do work in its favour, having it be quick enough to grab a snack on the go (movie or otherwise), authentic enough to appease more discerning diners, and it is away from the hustle and bustle of its neighbours - particularly Market Square. And with this outing, boy was that the case. Well, often I would have been at work on a Tuesday but it happened to fall on a public holiday. After a bit of thought and not that much happening at home, I thought I might hit up Market Square on whim to check it out for lunch. As always, it and its surrounding blocks always have quite a few outlets open on any day of the year; and because of that, it is an understatement to say that I was far from the only one who might have had that idea float around in my head. Market Square is Ground Zero for some chaos and business at any top time of the day, and in acting like the Chinatown of Brisbane its surrounding neighbours also want to get in on the action. Since I found it a little overwhelming over that side of the street, a suss over into Sunnybank Plaza was where I ultimately ended up. Not wanting to spend too much, and having a particular idea in mind for the place LiLi's Cuisine was open for business ... and yeah, here I am. It was in the food court, so that is about the crux of what is needed to be known with interior and all that. Just a walk up counter with a bain marie and a big beckoning cat to the side are the features to note. The colour of the place has bright blue sign to distinguish, and it has the same sort of unsuspecting aesthetic most of the low-key Asian places have within the food court. Most of the time it is a little grungy, this one was actually pretty clean, and regardless of that fact any tromp through a Chinatown will see that the crappier places sometimes get some of the best foods - just go over to the aforementioned Market Square if you don't believe me. With two lots of three tables side-by-side, and a walk-up counter that is what is here. For service, you go up to the counter and place the order - that is it. The food is either quick, or immediate if you go for the bain marie. But for the love of Mike just go for the noodle soups. Fresher is always better. As much as the service can be critiqued here, for more or less what it was it will do well. Essentially, it is walk up and place the order. While there might have been a bit of an English problem, or a weird way I have of ordering, it went more or less without too much of a fuss. Clearing the tables was done pretty quickly, though that may be more the case of the janitor but regardless with the relatively small spread of tables and such to be cleaned it gave of a pretty good look then. After a few minutes of waiting, my order was there and freshly hot. Also for it being a food court options, kudos must go to them using a crockery bowl and plate as opposed to the disposable kind. Little touches like that add quality. I guess this would either be Chinese or Taiwanese with the cuisine it offers. The menu is a really simple one, offering various kinds of noodle soups along with a bain marie housing various ready-made meals. The former is by a letter system displayed with the pictures to show. With the latter, like a lot of food court-style Asian eateries, they are available via a plate lunch - for a set price, a few options on board give some combinations such as "two meat, one vegetarian" along with being served with rice and soup. Possibly because of the day, the options were a bit reduced at the time, but I can hazard a guess there is a range of some sides like spring rolls and such during the regular hours on non-holiday days. Either way, that didn't stop them advertising their steamed dumplings on the day. All that time that day, the idea I had in mind was some kind of noodle soup. This was the perfect option, open but not chaotic and serving that kind of food. So I went up and got a spicy beef noodle soup. Since they were advertising their dumplings, I went and got one - and with some communication which I am not sure what happened - two of the suckers were on the bill. Nevertheless, it was all good from there. The portion size, like everything in this pocket of the woods (that wants to last, that is), is generous. For having it be such a modest price as well, it is value for money right in the flesh. That is the first plus to be noted. As for how the soup was, I quite enjoyed it. The texture is slightly thicker and more oily than ramen, and the broth was a decent level of spice. It obviously had a good marsala mixed in, and was flavoursome to say the least. The flavours in the broth were also complex, and the cuts of beef - while maybe a bit scarce - did add to the overall balance of its palate. Also, with two kinds of noodles - thick and thin - that were both well-cooked and tender, it made for a pretty satisfying soup just a bit after the lunch rush. It is definitely worth getting the steamed pork buns as well. These are done fresh, and are like little soup buns. The dough was soft as a cloud, the pork mince inside was delicious and tender, with the subtle flavours that are characteristic to a well-done pork dumpling, and I really could have had a lot more. They were the right size, not really bite-sized (for me anyway) but manageable as a snack. Like I have said before with the 4.0 score, on its own it does appear to be all-over-the-place but I used it to present the big picture about a place wholly rates to me. This was never going to be one of those places that wowed me but credit will always be where credit is due. For being a small pocket right in the middle of a small mall, to produce some meals that are both fresh and cheap in such a time frame is worthy of recognition. It has an authentic edge to it, the atmosphere is somewhat on the chaotic side (outside of a few places, this is to be expected here) and does what it needs to do. With all of the factors considered, it balances out nicely and the 4.0 score merely indicates that it is a cut better than what else could be gotten. So basically, I am saying here that you have another solid entry among the endless stream of eateries which is worth your time trying out. When I talk about Market Square really being Brisbane's Chinatown, I also include Sunny Park and Sunnybank Plaza and mean it more than that it has the best selection of Chinese in town; part of the charm is finding the dingiest looking place which might harbour one of the best finds yet. While it is not here that will be that, it is still unsuspecting and usually glanced over but if the few clients who also visited while I am here is any indication, something is being done right.

TL;DR: Better than expected noodle bar. Maybe somewhat displaced in a food court when it should be in the ruthlessly aggressive competition over the road, there is a care and quality that goes into each soup that is presented. It is done quick and fresh, and this pocket acts like an oasis between two worlds getting what works and making it do solidly. For those on the run who don't want to default to greasy fast food, this is for you. And it is not half bad either. Right on the outskirts of the Sunny Park food court, right outside the cinema, Lili's Cuisine sits in a bizarre position. It is tucked away in a corner, and acts a bit like the wallflower. It is not got the spryness of many of the fast food options which are there - inevitably a choice for many imminent moviegoers - nor does it really have that kind of edge which would have it be able to rub shoulders with the big boys in Market Square, and it has the fast food aesthetic as well ... so here it is... read more

Cheap, authentic relatively decent food. Nothing particularly special but good portion sizes. You're probably better off getting the noodle soups rather than stuff in the bain marine as it's made fresh. Nice to pick up a couple of .90c pork buns for lunch for my toddler instagram.com

Since Aunt Lili has sold her business to the current young generation - Miss Lili, this food outlet becomes more energetic. Dined in for lunch and ordered the Hot Spicy Rice Noodle Soup With Beef. Soup base is alright but there were only two to three pieces of sliced beef that maybe due to the cheap price of $8.50 charged. Indeed, average of $10.00 for noodle soup at Sunnybank Plaza should be below average so I suggest that you can charge $9.90 with more beef. However, congratulation to your success and please remember to keep your the consistency of your productions. Cheers!

I worked at The Edgemont World Health for around two years, within that I learned the dirty, disgusting secrets of this restaurant.