The Dish: Brisbane food news you might have missed this week
There’s a lot happening in Brisbane these days, almost too much to keep up with. The Dish is a rapid-fire rundown of Brisbane food news – quick taster-sized tidbits to keep you in the know and, perhaps, tickle your taste buds. This week we’ve got word of chef takeovers, bottomless pasta deals and more!
Bottomless pasta nights at VICI
Are you a bottomless pit for bolognese? Can you put away copious amounts of carbonara without a second thought? If so, then you’ll flip when you hear about VICI Italian’s new bottomless pasta nights. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Alemré Hospitality Group’s fun casual South Bank eatery is giving hungry guests the chance to devour limitless amounts of slow-cooked beef bolognese, silky pomodoro and creamy carbonara ai funghi for $25 per person with a drink purchase. Two two-hour sittings are available each night – one at 5:00 pm and one at 7:00 pm, giving carb cravers ample time to feast to their heart’s content. Head to the VICI website to make a booking.
Tequila Tromba Presents: Jonathan Zaragoza x Baja Modern Mexican
On Tuesday March 26, Baja Modern Mexican in Fortitude Valley will welcome acclaimed Chicago-based chef Jonathan Zaragoza into its kitchen for a one-night-only takeover event, sponsored by Tequila Tromba. The chef and founder of Birrieria Zaragoza, who may be familiar to some thanks to his appearance on season three of Netflix’s Taco Chronicles, will be heading to Brisbane (fresh from a sell-out appearance at the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival) to cook a five-course share-style menu that will showcase traditional Mexican flavours with subtle American twists. Tickets to the must-attend event are going for $95 per person and include a Tequila Tromba cocktail or mocktail on arrival. Head to the Baja website to make a booking.
Omu Sydney’s omurice residency at Harajuku Gyoza
If you missed out on omurice master and viral sensation Motokichi (aka Kichi Kichi) Yukimura’s Meet & Eat sitting at Harajuku Gyoza this week (we had front-row seats – take a peek at the action here), then here’s some news that’ll have you salivating. One of Kichi Kichi’s proteges, chef Miki Terasaki of Omu Sydney, is bringing her famed omurice concept to Harajuku Gyoza Albert Lane for an exclusive three-week residency. From March 5–24, Miki – who was taught how to perfect the Japanese comfort dish by Kichi Kichi himself – will be serving up her own Insta-famous take on omurice, which Sydney folk have been known to line up for hours to try. Miki will be on site at Harajuku Gyoza Albert Lane dishing up her iconic omurice for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, and lunch on Fridays and Saturdays. To book your spot, head to the Harajuku Gyoza website.
Nodo’s decadent Easter specials
Purveyor of gluten-free goodness Nodo is helping us all lean mouth-first into treat season with the launch of its delicious Easter specials. The decadent drop includes the return of the iconic sourdough hot cross buns (both chocolate and spiced-fruit varieties) as well as four Easter-themed doughnuts. There’s the vegan mylk-chocolate-dipped Bunny Donut, the Hot Cross Donut (spiced-date base covered in couverture caramel milk and white chocolate) and the spiced Carrot Cake Donut, which is dipped in a silky smooth orange cream cheese. Rounding out the foursome is The Yolk Donut, where the fluffy lemon-poppyseed base is dipped in a citrus marshmallow, covered in desiccated coconut and topped with a lemon-gel ‘yolk’. Yum! You can get your hands and mouths on Nodo’s Easter specials at all locations for the entire month of March. If you’re keen to secure a stash for Easter weekend, pre-orders via the Nodo website are highly recommended.
Yum cha at Stanley
It’s clearly a great time to be a yum cha fan in Brisbane. Riverside Cantonese and Chinese restaurant Stanley recently announced that its popular Sunday yum cha offering is now available at lunchtime seven days a week. Head chef Louis Tikaram has tinkered with the menu (which is now available between 12:00–4:00 pm Monday to Saturday and from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday), revamping its yum cha and dim sum selections. Established faves like Moreton Bay bug spring rolls, duck and mushroom dumplings, and pork-and-prawn wontons are joined by the likes of Hervey Bay scallop siu mai, prawn and chive spring rolls, and wok-tossed black-pepper lobster. Stanley has also added a new $65 classic banquet menu, which is available for groups of four for lunch and dinner, which would match perfectly with Stanley’s two-hour champagne package. Head to the Stanley website to see all of its menu options and to make a booking.
All-you-can-eat yum cha at Goodtime
West Village newcomer Goodtime is certainly living up to its name. The casual pan-Asian nosh spot and craft-beer bar has become the place to go if you’re looking to dine until your belly bulges, especially if you like yum cha. From now until the end of March, Goodtime has dropped the price of its all-you-can-eat yum cha offer, with the feast now available for lunch and dinner Monday to Thursday for just $29. Goodtime’s yum cha menu is extensive, offering everything from pork and shrimp siu mai, vegetarian spring rolls, salt-and-pepper corn ribs, barbecue pork puns, piggy custard buns and even serves of its soy sauce noodles, vegetable laksa noodle soup and Uncle Roger’s special fried rice. If that’s not enough, Goodtime is also offering a $29 lunch special, which includes a main meal and a glass of wine. Head to the Goodtime website to book a table.
Juicy Beer Festival announces its line-up of food vendors
While craft beer deservedly grabs the spotlight at Juicy Beer Festival, every hop head knows that any good froth-filled fest needs to have some sensational eats on hand, too. The team at Range Brewing agrees, which is why the team has assembled has a roster of gourmet food vendors (or, rather, restaurant pop-ups) for Juicy Beer Festival’s 2024 iteration, which is taking place at the Fortitude Music Hall on Saturday March 16. Joining the fun this year is the kitchen crew from Fish Lane stand-out, Southside – expect to see the restaurant’s innovative take on East Asian delights. Teneriffe favourite Zero Fox will also be setting up shop at Juicy, with a menu of Japanese and Korean eats on the cards. Finally, BAJA Modern Mexican will be making a return to the festival this year, with its range of full-flavoured tacos sure to pair perfectly with whatever tipple you’ve got at hand. If you still haven’t secured yourself a ticket, head to the Juicy Beer Festival website and get yours before they are snapped up.
$50 Hooked Banquet at Fosh
Aside from opening venues at a cracking pace, the Tassis Group is known for delivering some incredible value-for-money dining deals. In addition to the incredible $50 Power Banquet at West End’s Rich & Rare and the $50 Pronto Banquet at Massimo Restaurant and Bar in The City, Tassis Group’s Hamilton seafood-centric concept Fosh Bar + Restaurant also lures in lunch hunters with its cracking Hooked Banquet. Fosh head chef Vikash Gurung has just given the offering a seasonal refresh, plating up the likes of whipped taramasalata, natural oysters, scallop crudo, Grandma’s fish curry with buttery roti, a 220-g sirloin with mushroom sauce, crispy fries with rosemary salt, and a special dessert. Fosh’s Hooked Banquet is available for $50 per person every day of the week before 6:00 pm. Head to the restaurant’s website to make a booking.
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