The creative mastermind behind Brisbane venues Alfred & Constance, Alfredo’s Pizzeria, Limes Hotel Rooftop Bar and Cinema and Chester Street Bakery and Bar welcomed a new baby into the family this week – this time taking inspiration from the bold street-food flavours of Asia. Kwan Brothers tips its hat to the hawker markets of Singapore, the izakayas of Tokyo and the roaming food carts of Bangkok, while also twisting a tempting collection of cocktails. Housed in the old Kwan Wo Noodle Factory on Alfred Street, the seven-day late-night venue is both bar and restaurant, with a little dash of nightclub thrown in.

Once again, crowd pleaser Damian Griffiths has tapped into the imaginations of Brisbane designer Alexander Lotersztain, New York mixologist Richard Boccato and group patron chef Jocelyn Hancock, while entrusting the cooking duties to head chef Norm Harvey. Expect tapas-style share dishes straight from the wok and robata grill, including sand crab corn chips with green papaya, avocado and mint; blue-eye cod in banana leaf with spicy miso, ginger, soy and jasmine rice; and deep-fried ginger ice-cream sandwiches with palm sugar.

The dishes are designed to be gnawed while drinking, so it’s no surprise the liquid offerings are equally impressive. Stick a straw into Kwan’s Coco Loco cocktail made with kaffir lime leaf, black peppercorn syrup, fresh pineapple and lime juice, coconut water and fresh cinnamon, and you might find those happy feet etching towards the disco balls. The space has been designed with a cheeky sense of playfulness, marrying Asian pop culture references with the theatre of the open kitchen. Take a little adventure and see if you can spot the secret bar concealed behind a cold-room door at the rear of the venue, where you’ll find stripped-back drink offerings and cosy booth seating.

For contact information and trading hours, check out our Stumble Guide.