Tuan Nguyen doesn’t play coy when he talks about his business aspirations. Armed with a Rolodex of vibrantly flavoured family recipes, the restaurateur has been working towards the goal of pushing Vietnamese fare to the forefront of the city’s culinary consciousness and breaking into the upper crust of Brisbane’s dining scene. Over the past 18 months, Tuan and his team have been making strides towards this objective thanks to the success of his Paddington eatery Ngon, as well as a recent appearance at Brisbane Powerhouse’s hugely popular art and street-food celebration, Night Feast. Between operating one buzzy restaurant and slinging barbecue-duck spring rolls to thousands of market goers, Tuan’s been busy. That said, he’s still managed to find time to open another venue. On Thursday June 15, Tuan cut the ribbon on Quê Dining, an emerald-coloured beauty located on the gently lapping banks of Newport’s canals. The latest addition to Newport Marketplace (which is also home to pink-hued Sì Baby, a similarly slick late-2022 opening), Quê Dining sees Tuan once again drawing upon his family’s decades-long history in hospitality, delivering a dining experience imbued with the collective experience of generations. “My family have been in the industry for 35-odd years now, collectively,” says Tuan. “The essence of our ancestors is ingrained in us. We want the essence of Vietnamese cuisine – from the northeast to the southwest – to be showcased at Quê here.” Working with Ivan Ling of KO & Co Architecture and ENP Fitouts on the design and build of the venue, the Quê crew has honed in on an aesthetic that juxtaposes the blue waters of Newport’s canals with a forest-inspired colour scheme comprised of green, grey and timber tones spread across banquette seats, spacious group tables and a clutch of plush, velvet-coated bar stools.

Quê Dining’s arrival in Newport comes at a time where Moreton Bay Region’s dining scene has never been busier. “There’s great opportunity to really do something special in this region,” says Tuan, citing Redcliffe’s on-the-rise status and the untapped market of Newport’s neighbouring suburbs like Scarborough, Kippa-Ring, Rothwell and Margate. “We’re ready to explore on a bigger scale the boundaries of Vietnamese cuisine and we really want to have some fun with this venue here.” Fans of Ngon’s homestyle eats will be jazzed to hear that Quê Dining’s menu follows many of the same cues as its sibling, with some Ngon favourites anchoring the menu alongside a bevy of new nosh-worthy items. Small plates like young rice-coated red spot prawns, fried Vietnamese eggplant and pork-mince dumplings sharpen tastebuds ahead of share-style dishes like yellow curry with roast barbecue duck, slabs of wagyu beef swimming in dark soy caramel and twice-cooked pork belly lathered in sticky sauce. Ngon’s famed noodle soup rich with a chef’s selection of beef cuts and thick rice noodles is on the menu, too, which is top news for fans of bone-warming broths. On the drinks front, guests can quaff cocktails, craft beers and wines curated in collaboration with Bacchus Wine Merchant. Soon, Quê Dining will launch a chef’s table service offering a Vietnamese-inspired degustation, while Tuan is toying with the idea of picnic hampers and late-night drinks for the local night owls – anything that will add value to the community. “We love what we do and at the end of day we’re taking [the opportunity] with both hands,” says Tuan. “We’ll do the best that we can to make [Quê Dining] the best that we can. The main thing is to give a platform to good Vietnamese cuisine.”

Quê Dining is now open at Newport Marketplace from Thursday to Sunday. Head to the Stumble Guide for operating hours, menu info and booking details.