Joy Restaurant
Bakery Lane will soon be the recipient of a brand-new culinary hideaway. Joy Restaurant is the brainchild of Tim and Sarah Scott, two adventurous hospitality vets who have spent a considerable amount of time working in top-notch Sydney venues, including Sepia, Automata and Sixpenny. After taking some time out, the couple are returning to Brisbane (where they did their apprenticeships) to open a spot of their own in The Valley. When conjuring up their own restaurant, the couple fell in love with the idea of removing the line between front and back of house. As soon as customers enter Joy Restaurant they will be in the middle of the action, almost as if they’ve wandered into the kitchen by accident. At Joy Restaurant, the key word is intimacy – only ten diners will be served at a time, with Tim and Sarah doing everything themselves. The food on offer will have a distinct Japanese influence, made with local Australian ingredients and Scandinavian techniques. Joy Restaurant is slated to open in February or March. Stay tuned for more details in the new year.

Bird’s Nest Yakitori & Bar Toowong
Sizzling news from one of Brisbane’s finest purveyors of Japanese eats – Bird’s Nest Yakitori & Bar is on the cusp of unveiling its third location, opening in mid-December at Toowong Village. With two locations already under their belts in West End and Fortitude Valley, owners Marie Yokoyama and Emi Kamada looked to expand with a concept that foregrounded the set-meal lunch trade, which has proved increasingly popular at their other locations. Bird’s Nest at Toowong will be a 35-seat outpost (designed by acclaimed Japanese designer Katsuya Iwamoto) offering a casual lunchtime service upon opening. A selection of rice bowls topped with the likes of karaage chicken, pork belly or grilled vegetables will be available with sides, alongside a collection of Japanese beers, sake and plum wine. Keep your eyes peeled for a closer look in a couple of weeks.

SoBa Social
Here’s a bit of news sure to perk West End locals up – a brand-new coffee and brunch spot is opening this week! SoBa Social is the new concept from Ash Daniec, the owner and operator of pilates and yoga studio SoBa. Residing in a 1940s Queenslander on Montague Road, SoBa Social is shaping up to be a carefree backyard oasis, filled with succulents, cacti and picnic tables. Visitors can expect a curated selection of wholesome brunch classics (think avocado toast and dippy eggs) and plenty of coffee to get you in fighting form.

Doughnut Time
Lovers of ring-shaped sweet treats, it’s time to rejoice – Doughnut Time is back, baby! After the dessert empire’s Icarus-style hiccup earlier this year, the brand has relaunched with the opening of four new stores across Brisbane (South Bank and The Myer Centre) and the Gold Coast as of last weekend. New owner Pete Andros has taken his time to revive the beloved chain, keeping the original retro branding and bringing back a host of crowd-favourite menu items like The OG, Slim Shady, Love at First Bite and Veruca Salt. There are also a few new flavours to sample such as the Ya-Ya Baklava, My Little Doughny and banoffee-inspired Hollaback Girl. Expansion will be more slow and steady this time around, with more stores to be announced in 2019.

Seoul Bistro
Fans of finger-lickin’ fried chicken go clucking mad for the eats at Sunnybank’s Seoul Bistro, so much so that the Korean- and Japanese-inspired joint has had to expand. To celebrate the restaurant’s five-year anniversary, owners Paul and Rob McMullen have doubled the size of the venue with a new 100-seat indoor and outdoor dining area. The birthday celebrations don’t stop there – between 5:00–10:00 pm on Saturday December 8, Seoul Bistro is offering its all-you-can-eat chicken-wing buffet for half price. For $10.95 per person you can gorge on unlimited chicken wings (in seven flavours), thin-cut fries, garlic bread and lemon iced tea.

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