Fish-finger sandwiches, caviar bumps and prawn cocktails – it’s seafood from top to tail at Portside newcomer Fosh
The Tassis Group continues its hot streak of high-profile openings. Last week the team cut the ribbon on its gleaming new seafood restaurant Fosh at Portside Wharf, a palace dedicated to freshly caught fish, molluscs, crustaceans and bivalves. Make a booking for Southern rock lobster swimming in garlic-herb butter or swing through and grab some fish and chips for the family – if it’s from the sea, Fosh has got it.
If there’s one thing Michael Tassis knows, it’s seafood. While hospitality is the family business, seafood might be the lifeblood that pumps through the Tassis restaurant empire, which includes the likes of inner-city eateries Opa Bar + Mezze, Massimo Restaurant & Bar and Yamas Greek + Drink in West End. “I’ve been around seafood all my life,” says Michael, who spent much of his youth around food at his father’s seafood-centric institution, George’s Paragon. “From my seafood experience with my old man to what I’ve done at all the other restaurants, I’ve got 25 years of experience in seafood.” It tracks, then, that Poseidon’s bounty would form the foundation of the menu at Michael’s new riverside restaurant, Fosh. The newest member of the Tassis Group portfolio opened last week at Hamilton’s retail and hospitality hub Portside Wharf, forming a key component of the precinct’s $20-million makeover. Michael has caught himself a whopper of a site to transform – a 700-sqm space perched right on the boardwalk, so close to the Brisbane River’s edge that you can hear the water gently lapping against the banks. “It’s a magic spot, especially in the afternoons,” says Michael. “When it hits almost 5:00 pm there, when the sun’s going down, it’s amazing.”
Fosh’s aesthetically pleasing digs, envisioned by Clui Design, built by Kyson Commercial and with branding by Allo Creative, is a light-filled oasis of cream-coloured cushions, pale almond-hued tiles and pale timber, all of which is offset by pops of vivid royal blue, potted greenery and some eye-catching, fish-related artwork. A leafy semi-alfresco space runs along the boardwalk axis, while the open-plan interior – which houses an island bar, dry ageing fridge and fresh seafood display – angles diner’s perspectives out towards the water. On the venue’s western side sits Fosh Tails, a casual fish-and-chipper (boasting an AstroTurfed outdoor dining area complete with rows of umbrella-covered picnic tables) geared more towards casual family outings and takeaway custom. “It’s all about the guest experience,” says Michael of Fosh’s versatility. “You can have a few snacks or a few drinks, or have a pre- or post-dinner drink. You can bring your dog down and have more of a social family outing or just grab-and-go.”
Although a seasoned seafood specialist, Michael is looking to go above and beyond with Fosh’s offering, elevating it a few notches above what he’s delivered previously. “I want to bring another element to Brisbane, something we haven’t seen before,” Michael reveals. “I wanted to go against the grain a little bit – I didn’t want to do your normal standard seafood restaurant.” Drawing upon established connections and surrounding himself with a hot-shot team of hospo professionals (including head chef Vikash Gurung, previously of Greca, ESSA alumni Daniel Hernandez as senior sous chef, front-of-house star Daniel Burton and Erik Di Luca as operations manager) to deliver a premium experience. Fosh’s restaurant menu is a pescatarian’s dream – fish-finger sandwiches, scallop crudo bathing in lemon oil, kombu butter-drenched Hokkaido scallops, Mooloolaba king prawns roasted in XO butter and fresh seafood platters are just the starters. Southern rock lobster and Queensland mud crab are plucked from the live seafood tank, while market fish – whole sole, coral trout and toothfish, to name a few – are also available alongside an ever-changing selection of dry-aged fish. All seafood is sustainably sourced and is as fresh as can be – it’s on a guest’s plate within 24 hours of being caught. Yes, you will find a few meaty morsels on the menu as well, but seafood is undoubtedly the star of the show. FOSH Tails is where you’ll find your classic fish and chips – grilled, beer-battered, crumbed or coconut-crusted cuts of cod, snapper and barramundi are available alongside burgers, calamari and fresh prawn buckets. Finally, on the drinks front, FOSH’s beverage menu is loaded with an array of signature cocktails, wine of all kinds and plenty of tap and bottled beer.
Fosh and Fosh Tails are now open to the public. Head to the Stumble Guide for operating hours, menu details and booking links.
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