Philip Johnson’s e’cco bistro has long been at the pinnacle of Brisbane’s fine dining scene, and has long remained an ardent supporter of using Queensland produce. The kitchen, under the supervision of head chef Simon Palmer, continually plates up impressive looking (and tasting) fare, and no dish best encapsulates both aspects than the venison tartare, which can be found on e’cco’s tasting menu. The tartare sits atop a visually striking beetroot crisp, which has been made from fermented rice that has been cooked in beetroot juice before being dehydrated, aerated and puffed. The tartare is coated in egg yolk gel and also features harissa and a drizzle of preserved lime.

As far and Queensland produce is concerned, e’cco bistro has done a bang-up job of creating nearly the entire dish from locally sourced ingredients. The venison is sourced from a family farm near Stanthorpe that boasts its own butchery setup. The wild venison is harvested then hung for a few days before being delivered fresh to e’cco’s kitchen. The egg yolk is sourced from free range eggs harvested on an organic chicken farm in the Scenic Rim. The farm herds nomadic chickens across 100,000 kilometres to help replenish and fertilise cattle-trodden areas. Finally, locally sourced curly cucumbers are harvested and pickled, and preserved Tahitian lime is squeezed to provide a great floral taste.