With a legendary chef behind the grill and a fresh fit-out to boot, Annerley’s new epicurean oasis Billykart Kitchen is already luring in the locals thick and fast. It’s been an exhausting few months of renovations for TV chef and author Ben O’Donoghue and his wife Dee, who took over the weathered 1950s building in June. The tired old Eric Crescent beauty certainly had her weaknesses – rotting stumps and power problems, to name a few – but the Annerley couple persisted along with Brisbane architect Angus Munro, finally revealing the revamped grand dame last week. Splashes of lime green complement a polished wooden floor, moody charcoal roof and the original Clifton Hill Store sign.

Paying homage to the billy karts that hurtled through the suburb in the building’s heyday, Billy Kart Kitchen has retained a corner store feel with fresh Banneton bread, milk and newspapers on offer. Open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, the cafe pumps out divine dishes like Ben’s cookbook classic Aussie Asian eggs with king prawns, bacon and chilli, while for lunch 24-hour pulled Berkshire pork shoulder makes mates out of sugarloaf slaw, Baja sauce and chips. Meanwhile, Danish pastries and gluten-free goodies sit inside wooden crates, patiently awaiting their Campos Coffee partners in crime for the morning and afternoon tea crowd. The menu will change regularly, with the Billy Kart crew also hosting fortnightly Friday night dinners and drinks from November 1.

Billy Kart Kitchen
1 Eric Crescent, Annerley
Ph: 07 3392 9275
Open: Monday to Friday 6:30 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday to Sunday 7:00 am to 2:30 pm, every second Friday open til late