The recap: the best new Brisbane restaurants, bars and cafes this month
Central, Brisbane City: Though it was three years in the making, Central took everyone by surprise. Just about everyone – except for those involved behind the scenes – were caught off guard by the subterranean Hong Kong-inspired dumpling bar when it opened earlier this month. Central’s brutalist interiors, envisioned and built by Jared Webb of J.AR OFFICE and Lowry Group, masterfully melds the building’s 150-year-old heritage elements with an austere palette of materials and colours, with the open-plan kitchen serving as the restaurant’s buzzing nexus. Though it might not feel like it immediately, the kitchen – ringed on three sides by counter seating – is reminiscent of a dai pai dong, Hong Kong’s famous open-air food stalls. Here, executive chef and co-owner Benny Lam is putting forth a menu inspired by the high-octane dining scene of Hong Kong’s Central district in the 90s – a time when the city began infusing Western-style cooking with its own signature flavour. Central is framed as a part dumpling bar and part restaurant, so dim sum is a major focus of Benny’s menu. Classic prawn har gow can be enjoyed alongside Peking duck potstickers, crispy golden wu gok and a savoury take on the traditionally sweet pineapple bun, before share plates of Cantonese chu hou-style wagyu tartare and youtiao (deep-fried dough strips) topped with smoked foie gras fill the table. In addition to being one of the most striking new restaurants to open this year, Central is also in the running to be one of the year’s best.
Baker D. Chirico, Newstead: Finally, after a few years of anticipation, Baker D. Chirico has opened its Brisbane flagship. The renowned Melbourne-born bakery lifted the cloche on its new location at Long Island in early October, drawing in crowds eager to get a fix of its French, German and Italian-inspired goodies. Baker D. Chirico’s Newstead home is a stunner – an architecturally designed space (envisioned by Rodney Eggleston of March Studio) that feels more like a modern art gallery than a bakery. The bakery’s glass-encased pastry display is filled with a kaleidoscopic range of sweet and savoury items. You’ll spy custard-filled bombolone and cream-filled maritozzi, pina colada danishes, slow-cooked beef ragu pies, rosemary croissants filled with manchego and prosciutto cotto, and rosetta bread rolls filled with porchetta. A range of Daniel Chirico’s famous breads – think light rye with caraway seeds, olive and rosemary breads, and braided loaves of challah – are also available. While Daniel is appreciative of the patience Brisbanites have shown Baker D. Chirico through its protracted gestation period, he believes that his approach – the unyielding desire to absolutely nail his products every time – is what will establish Baker D. Chirico as a new pillar of the local baking landscape in the long term.
Stan’s Lounge, Brisbane City: As a dining destination, Howard Smith Wharves covers a lot of bases. But what about drinks? The casual cheer of Felons Brewing Co. has long been a massive drawcard but, if you can’t stand crowds, there aren’t a lot of places to go. Well, until now, that is. Stan’s Lounge, the new vinyl bar and cocktail lounge from the team behind HSW favourite Stanley, has filled that gap with panache. The team has given the restaurant’s second-floor space a significant refurbishment, applying a detailed interior scheme inspired by old-world Hong Kong boasting a rich palette of red velvet, jewel tones, mirrored walls, hand-painted murals, and dark emerald curtains. The centrepiece of the venue, however, is the DJ booth, which is manned by a rotating roster of selectors spinning a hand-picked playlist of vinyl records through a top-end JBL sound system. As tunes fill the room, guests can kick back and enjoy executive chef Louis Tikaram’s snack-heavy menu, which features the likes golden-fried prawn toast, steamed lobster and truffle dumplings with aged black vinegar, XO Queensland sand crab cigars and rolled Peking duck pancakes. Matching this mouth-watering spread in quality is Stan’s cocktail list, which showcases modern interpretations of several timeless classics, while a trove of vintage spirits (many dating back to the 60s and 70s) are funnelled into a range of ultra-premium cocktails.
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Ray’s by Range, Camp Hill: When the Range Brewing crew opened Patio in Rosalie Village last June, it was an immediate success. A character-filled pub-style venue serving suds from one of Brisbane’s best breweries and a menu of Italian-inspired eats – with that recipe, how could it not be? With a winning formula in hand, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Range Brewing’s co-founders Matt McIver and Gerard Martin might be tempted to replicate the same concept in other parts of Brisbane. But, as evidenced by the team’s brand-new Camp Hill bar Rays, the crew clearly wasn’t content with a simple cut-and-paste job. Rays sits in the site formerly home to Ze Pickle on Martha Street. Gone is the grungy look of the burger bar – in its place is a vibrant, European-inspired aesthetic boasting warm timbers, bright yellow table tops and electric blue tiling (a disco ball also hangs from the ceiling).Though there is still some crossover between Rays and Patio via the menu (both venues serve Range’s famed Roman-style sourdough pizzas and exceptional craft beers), Rays stands out with venue-exclusive dishes like the panko-crumbed chicken schnitzel with cabbage slaw, mayo and tonkatsu sauce, and a fish sando featuring panko-crumbed fish cakes with dill creme fraiche and lemon on white bread. Though it has already earned a reputation as one of Brisbane’s most innovative beer makers, soon Range Brewing might be regarded as the city’s top pub group.
The Officers Mess, New Farm: It’s not often that a World War 2-era gem gets transformed into a community-friendly dining hub, but that’s exactly that has happened to the former US Navy base on Oxlade Drive in New Farm. The Officers Mess is part cafe, part bar, part bakery, part events space and, if long-term plans shake out, part restaurant. Leading the venue’s culinary offering is husband-and-wife duo Andrew and Amelie Gunn, a pair of top-flight chefs that have built The Officers Mess’ all-day menu and baked goods range using premium ingredients. Snag a table in the morning for French toast-style fruit loaf, crepes with Nutella and strawberry coulis, croque monsieurs amd confit duck cassoulet, or hit up the pastry counter at Miche (The Officers Mess’ in-house bakery) for croissants, hazelnut and blueberry financiers, canneles, lemon cakes, baguettes and focaccia to go. From 11:00 am until late, the kitchen starts dispensing snacks like prawn rolls with lemon butter, fish tacos, baked camembert, chicken karaage with gochujang aioli, burgers and cheese plates. Meanwhile, the bar is dispensing coffee, tap and bottled beers, a tight list of wine and classic cocktails. With buildings like this a rare commodity in Brisbane, The Officers Mess is a brilliant use of a one-of-a-kind heritage-listed space.
Many more restaurants, cafes and bars opened this month. You can have a browse through the latest foodie happenings by clicking here.