River Quay turns 10
South Bank’s River Quay dining precinct has a lot going for it. In addition to its terrific views of the inner-city skyline, the riverside strip is also home to some of Brisbane’s best eateries, including OTTO Brisbane, Aquitaine Brasserie, Popolo Italian Kitchen, The Jetty and River Quay Fish. Oh, and its green space might be one of the most picturesque picnic spots in town. Later this month eatSouthBank will celebrate ten years of long lunches and indulgent dinners at the storied precinct with some incredible tenth birthday festivities. On Saturday November 27 and Sunday November 28, River Quay will host a weekend-long celebration marking a decade of decadence, featuring a host of must-try dining offers. Those keen for an unforgettable picnic outing can sign up to snag a communal long-table picnic experience (with an option curated by each restaurant), boasting oysters, ample seafood and plenty of effervescent prosecco. If you prefer a more dressed-down outing, an assortment of takeaway picnic hampers – featuring Moreton Bay bao buns, fish tacos, charcuterie, freshly baked bread and seafood morsels from River Quay’s eateries – are also available to pre-order from each restaurant’s website. River Quay’s restaurants will also each boast its own special birthday offers, from Aquitaine’s bottomless lunch and The Jetty’s Grey Goose cocktail board with bug sliders to OTTO’s negroni and arancini duo offer and Popolo’s six-course Italian feast. Tenth birthday parties have never been this exciting.

1st Edition Bar
If you’ve had a look at the box-office numbers from, say, the early 2000s, you’ll see that superhero movies have been popular for quite a while now. Comic-book history itself extends back even further, with the likes of Batman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Hellboy and Dr. Manhattan remaining beloved fixtures of pop culture for almost a century. Later this month Fortitude Valley will score a hospitality venture looking to bring comic-book characters to life in a different way. California Lane will soon welcome 1st Edition Bar, a neon-lit drinkery that takes inspirational cues from the vivid world of comics and graphic novels. The bar occupies the space formerly home to Kill Bill-inspired speakeasy Kiddo, this time swapping decor inspired by Tarantino’s blood-soaked epic for the colourful characters that grace the pages of DC, Marvel and independent illustrated publications. Cocktails will be a big focus of the offering here, with a sense of theatricality applied to proceedings. Details are being kept close to the chest, but we’ve been told to expect libations named after Harley Quinn, Dr. Strange (served via an anti-gravity fountain) and a Ninja Turtles-themed negroni. A punchy food offering will also be available, with a menu of pan-Asian eats accented by American touches resulting in the likes of cheeseburger gyoza, popcorn cauliflower bites and beef tartare. 1st Edition’s interior will be suitably vivid, too, with the venue’s resin-encased bar top showing off hundreds of comic book pages and wall murals displaying iconic characters. We’ll be taking a peek inside this newcomer when it opens soon!

James St Christmas Lunch
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. How can we tell? Well, first is the sudden spike of Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ blaring over shopping centre speakers. The second is the announcement of some exciting festive feasting events – much like the one taking place at James St, which will be hosting a very-special Christmas Lunch on Sunday December 12. Feasters can expect a bounty of festive joy including merry meals, bangin’ beats, complimentary merchandise for diners (hint – you can wear it), and roaming opportunities for family photos. A treasure chest of beloved James St venues will be joining in the fun including Bianca, ESSA, Gemelli, The Green, Harveys Bistro, Lobby Bar, Mosconi, sAme sAme and At Sixes And Sevens. Even those normally closed on Sundays like Gerard’s Bistro and SK Steak & Oyster will open especially for the revelry with one-off festive menus. Those looking for an excuse to have a sneaky staycay can max out the weekend vibes with a discounted stay at The Calile Hotel. Stay on Sunday December 12 and get 20-percent off accomodation by using code JSLL21. So, come hungry and dress to the nines as this is one Sunday sesh you don’t want to miss out on!

Sippy Tom
Things have been a little bit quiet at popular Teneriffe coffee spot Sippy Tom for the past few weeks, but it’s all for a good reason. The crew behind the Vernon Terrace cafe has been hard at work adding some new elements to the venue’s interior and food offering, and before the month is out the caffeinery (with assistance from hospitality consultant Freja Dunnell) will relaunch with a fresh look and a new menu. With its coffee trade already booming (the team estimates it moves 60 kg of coffee a week), the Sippy Tom team is now looking to elevate its nosh offering to match, recruiting UK/Iranian chef Mitra Abbasipour (ex-Nodo) to oversee the culinary overhaul. The resulting summer menu, which will debut in late-November, has been crafted with a farm-to-table approach in mind, utilising the best of Southeast Queensland’s produce (from suppliers including Loop Growers, Suncoast Fresh, Scenic Rim Dairy, Bee One Third, Wholly Crumpets and Brasserie Bread) to create something truly special. Expect the likes of Urban Valley mushrooms on sweet-potato rosti with red miso aioli and poached eggs, buttermilk waffles with blueberry gelato, pickled blueberries and lemon myrtle caramel, Ora King salmon on zucchini fritters, preserved lemon, creme fraiche and salmon caviar, and a brekkie burger with pork ‘head sausage’, black-garlic aioli, relish, smoked potato hash and fried egg. As for the space, we’ve been told a cosmetic zhuzh has resulted in a new aesthetic scheme comprised of wood features, greens and white. Stay tuned, folks – we’ll be checking out the new dishes once Sippy Tom reopens later this month.

New Shanghai
Baskets of steaming xiao long bao, mouth-watering pan-fried pork buns and plates of potsticker dumplings – just the thought of gorging on New Shanghai’s menu of authentic Shanghainese eats is enough to kickstart our appetites. If you, too, get worked up thinking about piles of dumplings, then you’ll be excited to know that New Shanghai has added another Brisbane location to its portfolio, opening a new eatery on Level 2 of Westfield Garden City yesterday Monday November 15. The new location will boast similarities to its sibling location at Queens Plaza, but will also introduce some exciting new elements. A live dumpling-making theatre has been charged with crafting New Shanghai’s iconic dumplings, which will be available alongside seafood and stir-fry dishes. Noteworthy additions include a new cocktail offering (bolstering a beverage list that already includes domestic and international beers and wines) and a chargrilled skewers-style menu boasting morsels like cumin lamb, Sichuan pepper pork belly and wagyu asparagus rolls. Keen to check it out? You can find more details in the Stumble Guide.

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