Andrew McCrea isn’t afraid to push boundaries. Perspective Dining – Andrew’s Fortitude Valley-based 12-seat degustation-only restaurant – is all about nudging taste buds in new and interesting directions. But even Andrew, a chef who prides himself on subverting expectations, was surprised at the dishes his guests most frequently gushed over (and returned for).

“Guests were coming back and they were saying that the desserts were a standout,” says Andrew, who takes the feedback as a point of pride. “Dessert has always been a big passion of mine – pastry has always been a big passion of mine.”

In a few months’ time, Andrew will be indulging his passion in greater detail at The Eucalyptus Room, a dessert-centric addition to Perspective’s Duncan Street abode. Expanding his premises into the vacant tenancy behind his intimate restaurant, Andrew is in the process of building a connected-yet-separate dining space where his imaginative take on the sweeter things in life will be showcased via a seven-course degustation menu.

Soon, Andrew and his team will knock a hole Perspective’s far wall, extending part of the kitchen next door and also installing a new bar (which will dispense a small list of cocktails made with native ingredients) in the corner of Eucalyptus’ cosy confines. The Eucalyptus space will mirror Perspective’s industrial-inspired aesthetic to some extent, with copper elements being utilised on both sides. A large ten-seat table (illuminated by a hanging chandelier) will sit in the heart of The Eucalyptus Room’s interior, with guests accessing the space via a code-locked door found inside the TC Beirne & Co building’s foyer.

Much like at Perspective next door, Andrew will be using classical culinary techniques and a hearty dose of creative flair to create a procession of dishes that the chef hopes will ‘mess with your brain’.

“It’s not going to be all sweet, there will be some savoury components in there and there’ll be some sour courses,” reveals Andrew. “We take a technique that’s classically driven and we just enhance it and enhance it to a point where we can’t take it any further

“We tell guests where each thing comes from and the techniques, and they will walk out feeling like they have had an experience. You can mess with people’s minds as much as you possibly can to the point where they’re feeling sort of giddy.”

While the menu will be fluid, dishes like a bread and butter course – boasting translucent bread and a butter sorbet – and chocolate aerated until it looks like pumice are just two examples of the texture-bending items that could feature.

“It had to have a point of difference,” says Andrew of the project. “For us, doing a seven-course menu and wording it in a way that made it sound like a savoury menu but in a sweet form – and having a real playful outlook – was the main driver.”

As The Valley continues to evolve, with fine-dining restaurants and multidimensional eateries slotting in between the precinct’s pulsing nightclubs and cocktail bars, Andrew sees a greater demand for specialty – especially when it comes to sweets.

“There’s a bit of a niche for desserts, and I like niches,” says Andrew, with a chuckle.

The Eucalyptus Room has launched bookings beginning Friday October 4, with evening services available from Wednesday to Saturday, and lunch sittings on Fridays and Saturdays. Head to the Perspective Dining website to secure a spot.