For Adam Wang, owner of Coffee Anthology and similarly stellar cafe The Maillard Project, the multi-stage rollout of Inter/Section’s anticipated aspects has been a lesson in patience. As the pandemic continues to stymie construction efforts, inflate building costs and slow the delivery of materials across Brisbane, epicurean entrepreneurs like Adam have been forced to wait for pieces to fall into place. Thankfully, Adam’s patience is about to pay off. Next week will mark the completion of stage two and three of Inter/Section’s internal development. The concept, which bridges Mary Street and Charlotte Street via a newly constructed laneway that runs through Midtown Centre, is a 700-sqm hub that Adam hopes will help inject The City with a newfound sense of energy and excitement. In February, Coffee Anthology reopened at Inter/Section’s Charlotte Street entry, where it continues to showcase blends and single origins from Australia’s top coffee roasters. The next step involves the addition of Inter/Section’s own kitchen, as well as the launch of a brand-new patisserie from baked-goods maker Justin Yu, whose Upper Mount Gravatt concept The Whisk is regarded as one of Brisbane’s best sources of sweet and savoury pastries. Those that have walked the length of Inter/Section’s Clui Design-envisioned and Unita-built laneway (boasting timber cladding, rendered concrete, exposed brickwork and black metal) recently may have spied activity inside The Whisk’s glass-encased kiosk or behind the pass over at the kitchen, which now sports the name Fika. This week both elements will officially open to the public.

Up the stairs beyond Coffee Anthology’s coffee counter sits Inter/Section’s dining area, which features cushy curved leather booths and communal rendered-concrete tables. It’s here that guests will be able to devour Fika’s creative cuisine-bending menu of breakfast and lunch eats, as well as sampling a set of signature cocktails, beers, wines and spirits. Helming the kitchen is Eugene Lee, a talented chef who recently helmed the kitchen at sense-enlivening Restaurant Indriya. Here, the chef is imaginatively building upon familiar foundations, creating what might be one of the most unique all-day menus in The City. Early birds can saunter in for not-so baklava granola bowls served with vanilla-bean yoghurt and chrysanthemum ‘honey’ and berries, coronation scrambled eggs (a curry-tinged dish inspired by UK specialty, coronation chicken) on toast with smashed cucumber, and jiajang baked beans with andouille sausage and fried egg. Guests that arrive later in the day may be more inclined to enjoy tender beef cheek bathing in kare kare curry sauce with kailan and Szechuan chilli oil, lamb gnocchi with lamb goulash and xi an chilli, and mushroom fried rice with wood ear fungus and pickled shimeji. Coffee will naturally be on offer too, alongside specialty tea and Hrvst St juices. The venue’s cocktail list encompasses a handful of espresso-infused concoctions, as well as riffs on classics like the Red Light Negroni (Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gun, Grand Marnier, red amaro and sweet vermouth), the Inter/Section Sour (Macchu pisco, Malibu, pear, lime and matcha coconut flakes) and the Conquistador Collins (Cazadores blanco tequila, De Kuyper triple sec, strawberry, falernum and tonic). Beers from Balter, Young Henrys and Stone & Wood also share menu space with a tight wine list featuring Australian drops. The Whisk Fine Patisserie’s kiosk is fully equipped to handle pastry making duties on site, including new laminators, proofing cabinets and baking ovens. The team is using French flour and butter to craft its selection of viennoiserie goods, including its flaky croissants and dreamy danishes. In the coming months, Inter/Section’s final stage – a second coffee bar used for pop-up appearances by a rotating roaster – will launch. Stay tuned for more details.

The Whisk Fine Patisserie and Fika will launch officially this Monday July 25. Head to the Stumble Guide for operation hours and other details.