Brisbane Powerhouse is once again full of delectable smells, festooned with wondrous installations and aglow with the tall neon gates that spell out NIGHT FEAST. Because it’s time for… well, Night Feast, a month-long sensory celebration of all things food and art.
Set among the walkways around the Powerhouse, a little town of shop fronts has sprung up, featuring cuisine from some of the city’s top restaurants. Covered in cantonese lacquer and luminous neon, each different shop front is serving up signature dishes from top Brisbane chefs.
Think pork belly from Allonda, scallop and prawn wontons from Donna Chang, or manoush with lamb, red pepper and toum from Gerard’s.
The menu seems like it goes forever, which superstar restaurant names such as Byblos, Lek’s Thai, Central, Mary Mae’s, Calida, Cartel Del Taco, La Mano, Southside, Bugsters, Hoy Pinoy and many more. There are also plenty of sweet treats on offer on the individual menus, with Gelato Messina leading the charge of seriously impressive dessert options.
On opening night we took FAR too long to decide on what we wanted because we were tempted by so many offerings. I ended up choosing salt and pepper pork belly with signature coleslaw, and four-cheese croquettes, both from Newstead institution Allonda. My lovely guest went with a paw paw bug salad with raspberry vinaigrette from Bugster’s.
Then it was time for dessert and we couldn’t resist Gelato Messina’s menu. We chose two dishes to share: Cherry on top (a choc brownie with peanut crumble, milk choc peanut fudge gelato, vanilla chantilly with shaved chocolate and a cherry on top) and a mango cheesecake (lemon cheesecake mouse, cheesecake crumble, mango sorbet swirled with baked cheesecake gelato, italian meringue kisses and mango salsa).
The mains were amazing but these desserts really were something special, and super insta-worthy as well.
The culinary feat is paired with immersive art exhibits, luminous installations and performance art. The art really shines when the sun goes down, so we recommend waiting til dark to go around and marvel at the wonders.
The Pleasuredome is being used in case of rain, so people can still find a pleasant spot to sit with their scrummy food in case of rain. And if you’re one of the lucky few Amex cardholders, you can take a seat in the Amex Garden Lounge with reserved seating, and your own private bar.
After trying only a handful of dishes on offer, I definitely plan on coming back a few times over the next few weeks to try a whole lot more.
Night Feast will run Wednesday to Friday 4:30pm to 9pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 3pm to 9pm, until November 10.
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
