Southeast Asian cuisine shines at Lúc Lắc, The Star Brisbane’s new restaurant from Ghanem Group
A kaleidoscope of colour and texture, Lúc Lắc’s aesthetic has been devised by a tag-team partnership between Sophia Klemenz Ghanem of Klemenza Interior Design and Space Cubed Design Studio. Drawing inspiration from the region of Mainland Southeast Asia, which encompasses Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, the team has infused the interiors with a vivid mix of floral fabrics, animal prints, textural rendered walls and sub-tropical accents, accented by warm timbers and rattan.
The layout can be loosely divided into two spaces. First is a casual area near Lúc Lắc’s bar, a striking mirrored anchor point surrounded by yellow-hued furnishings and ample greenery. Just beyond a laser-cut golden dragon artwork sits the main dining room – a richly appointed space with plush carpets, artworks and eye-catching wallpaper.
“The result is a maximalist interior aesthetic, a glamorous fusion of eras, where layers of both contemporary and traditional elements mingle with contrasting patterns and bold styling, combined to create a lavish, sub-tropical-inspired interior,” says Jill Chilton, Space Cubed Design Studio’s associate interior designer. “Much like the five flavour elements of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami when mixed in the right proportions, somehow, they just work.”
Much like its sibling restaurants (such as the plush modern Chinese gem Donna Chang or its elegant French brasserie Bisou Bisou), Lúc Lắc’s menu has been carefully devised over an extensive research and development period. Ghanem Group’s owners Adonis and Nehme Ghanem recently travelled across Southeast Asia with group executive chef Jake Nicolson, picking up inspiration for Lúc Lắc’s eventual menu. While Jake has taken the lead on crafting the bones of the restaurant’s menu, it wasn’t until the team hired Dann Rowell has head chef that the flavour-packed Indochine-inspired recipes were fully actualised.
“Jake had already taken some big steps – [the group] had done a food tour of Asia and they had already established a template menu,” says Dann, who joins the team after a stint as head chef at Asian-inspired Balfour Kitchen & Bar. “They wanted me to come in and put my own stamp on it and my own twist on things.”
Though Lúc Lắc draws upon the bubbling melting pot that is Indochine cuisine, Dann is hesitant to label the offering as Asian fusion.
“I prefer to say we’re more inspired by the flavours and flavour profiles of Southeast Asian cuisine,” says Dann. “Yes, we might take a dish and use that as a jumping off point, but more often than not we’re just taking the flavours that are prominent in those dishes and just pulling in some really elegant protein and some high-end products, before twisting it to give a Modern Australian vibe.”
The menu is divided into easy-to-navigate sections. The fun starts with snacks and shares (featuring ora king salmon ceviche with betel leaf, kaffir lime and caviar, crispy escargot and pork spring rolls, and pan-fried banh bao pork buns with smoked soy) and small and light plates (showcasing 2GR 9MBS wagyu beef skewers with chilli lime butter, scallop and prawn wontons in pho broth, and classic green papaya salad with fermented fish sauce).
Mains are divided into two sub categories. A selection of shaken and stirred dishes encompasses tiger prawns with hot-and-sour dressing, Singapore-style noodles with oyster mushrooms, and the bò lúc lắc – Lúc Lắc’s signature dish and namesake, a wok-tossed dish of Kampot-peppered wagyu beef, cherry tomato and capsicum. “It’s this really beautiful, kind of subtle but punchy, dish,” says Dann. “You can’t really look past it.”
The other category is dedicated to big and saucy dishes – Peking-style duck red curry with lychee, Meredith Dairy young goat curry with sweet potato, whole crispy speckled grouper with Thai-style tamarind three-taste sauce, and lemongrass-braised pork belly with baby tiger abalone. Big flavours and fragrant aromas is the overarching story of the menu – a characteristic built upon the back of the sauces, stocks and herbs, as much as the proteins.
“There’s lots of fresh herbs – some herbs people have never heard of,” says Dann. “We’ve got perilla going through and plenty of sawtooth coriander and paddy herbs, as well. Just things that you do see quite often in Asia, but maybe don’t clock it often here.”
Ghanem Group’s beverage director Aaron Clark is overseeing Lúc Lắc’s extensive drinks offering, which leads with a number of high-concept signature cocktails like the Hanoi Vice (strawberry daiquiri, pineapple and coconut condensed cream and makrut lime), A Good Time Not Oolong Time (mezcal, strawberry Lillet, strawberry gum and milk oolong cordial, and plum bitters), and the Lemon, Manao & Bitters (Bermutto sake vermouth, lemongrass, makrut lime, Amaro Nonino and Strangelove yuzu soda).
The by the bottle wine list is extensive and neatly categorised between variety, region and old world versus new world. Of special mention is the No.888 ‘Triple Fortune’ riesling, a drop crafted exclusively for the venue by Clare Valley wine maker Rieslingfreak that is inspired by 888 – an auspicious number in Chinese numerology said to represent great fortune, wealth and spiritual enlightenment. Not a bad drop for those eager to try their luck at The Star’s gaming floor after dinner.
Lúc Lắc is officially open to the public. Head to the Stumble Guide for operating hours and booking info.