The details
Between owning cafes and restaurants in Sydney and working across storied Brisbane hotspots Esquire, Urbane and OTTO Brisbane, Sam Pask has enjoyed a varied and accomplished career in hospitality. Sam’s latest project Motorwagen might be his most unconventional yet – working alongside Mercedes-Benz Brisbane to build an eatery that complements the brand’s forthcoming Adelaide Street boutique and vehicle display. The opportunity arose to work with dealer principal Shane Parkins to install a food and beverage offering at the boutique’s customer contact point. The end product harkens back to the brand’s genesis and draws influence from Mercedes-Benz’s pairing of technical innovation and lifestyle.

The space
The Motorwagen team worked with KP Architects and UNITA to craft a light-filled modern-industrial space, with a slick European flair contributing to the venue’s rich aesthetic. With interior and exterior dining spaces catering to 140 diners, including a 32-seat private-dining space at Motorwagen’s rear, the venue is amply suited to large groups and intimate pairings. Motorwagen is the first location in Brisbane to feature a state-of-the-art Modbar espresso and pour-over system, putting the coffee preparation front and centre across a gleaming array of bench-top apparatus.

The food and drink
After wrapping up operations at his esteemed Palm Beach restaurant The Blue Door on 5th, Dylan Cashman met with Sam to discuss coming on board at Motorwagen. Sam’s vision of a considered hospitality offering and Dylan’s love of sustainable, organic and locally sourced produce gelled, and soon the duo put in place a menu that extended from breakfast through to dinner. The all-day breakfast menu features out-of-the box dishes such as chicken dumplings with fried egg and dashi broth, Ballina pippies with house-made chorizo, egg ‘benzy’ with house-smoked white fish, and coconut-milk pancakes with slow-roasted pumpkin and burnt red-gum honey. Lunch introduces a selection of protein-based mains, including free-range Glasshouse Mountains chicken with leek ash, swede puree and hay and chive sauce, and organic mighty Clarence Kurobuta pork cutlets. The mains continue into dinner, but are joined by a selection of snacks and small plates ranging from bone marrow and nori-fried yellowfin tuna to crispy chicken skin and smoked-beef tartare. Blackstar Coffee is on deck as the caffeine of choice, while a selection of local beers on tap, craft cocktails and Australian wines make for fine evening sips.

For more information on Motorwagen, check out our entry in the Stumble Guide.