It might have been a slow start for food and beverage at Queen’s Wharf after the much-anticipated precinct was unveiled to the public in early August, but three months on, the openings are coming thick and fast. The precinct includes casual eateries and bars, such as Babblers and Cicada Blu, both on the Sky Deck, while old favourites, such as Luke Nguyen’s Fat Noodle, have made the two-block move over from The Treasury. But there’s also a stack of fresh (or refreshed) concepts and high-quality restaurants from new (to The Star, anyway) operators.
Here are five to check out. Sokyo Sokyo Brisbane presents as a different beast to its dark, moody and celebrated sister venue in Sydney. Design firm Hassell has given the 160-seat restaurant a lighter and brighter treatment that makes the most of its floor-to-ceiling windows looking across the expressway to the river and South Bank.
It’s all light-timber screens and detailing, the two signature elements – a swank circular private dining room and a lengthy sushi bar backed by black tiling. In the kitchen is gun sushi chef Alex Yu, who spent eight years at the Sydney restaurant before going on to Yugen in Melbourne, which he helped earn two chef’s hats. The Star has a new contender for Brisbane’s best Japanese restaurant Yu’s menu is split into starters, tempura and items cooked on the robata grill on the one hand, and traditional sushi items on the other, including nigiri, sashimi, and signature nigiri and sushi rolls.
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