We’ve gathered the best morsels and tidbits of food news so satiate your appetite this month. This month, Australia’s hottest burger comes to Brisbane, as well as two iconic Brissy institutions reopening.
Montrachet reopens with new chef and owner
Brisbane, the iconic French fine dining gem, Montrachet, has officially reopened its doors on King St in Bowen Hills. Ushering in a new era of French fine dining under the expert guidance of chef Clément Chauvin. With experience in some of the world’s finest Michelin-starred kitchens, Clément brings a fresh perspective to modern French cuisine, offering an elevated dining experience in the elegant yet welcoming ambience Montrachet is known for.
Hailing from Paris, Clément began his culinary career at the age of 15.Over the years, he has honed his skills in restaurants, and his impressive trajectory includes being named Best Chef of the Year by the Australian Hospitality Awards, and twice has earned the coveted Best Restaurant of the Year title from the Restaurant and Catering awards. More recently, Clément has operated as the sole owner and Executive Chef of Canberra’s acclaimed, multi-award-winning restaurant, Les Bistronomes. Now, he’s embarking on an exciting new chapter, bringing his expertise to Montrachet.
Diners can expect an exciting evolution of Montrachet’s menu, with fresh creations joining beloved classics. This milestone in Montrachet’s journey promises an exceptional dining experience in Brisbane. The iconic double crab soufflé and traditional French escargot remain, alongside staples like bouillabaisse and steak frites—each with a modern twist.
Enjoy cocktails, mezze and DJ beats at Bar Kazba
Fans of Fortitude Valley’s buzzing cocktail bar, Bar Kazba get excited because the mezze mavens are introducing a a new weekly event set to spice up your Friday and Saturday afternoons.
Introducing Bazzar Beats, a perfect fusion of music, mezze, and cocktails! DJs will spin a fusion of Middle Eastern-inspired beats and Ibiza house music from 4:30pm Fridays and 5:30 Saturdays while you indulge in a tipple or two and mezze to match.
Byblós Brisbane, reimagined and redesigned, reopens in October
Brisbane icon Byblós will celebrate a full building renovation and new menu when it reopens at Portside Wharf in October 2024, as it recommits to a new era of Lebanese dining after 18 years at the premier riverside location.
Byblós launched onto the Brisbane dining scene in August 2006 as the first restaurant of Lebanese brothers Adonis and Nehme Ghanem, who went on to establish the award-winning Ghanem Group. The Group now includes ten restaurants in Brisbane and Melbourne, including Lúc Lắc which is coming to The Star Brisbane.
The Brisbane family pioneered Lebanese dining in the city when patriarch Antoine Ghanem and his wife Adrienne opened Café Violette in Brisbane’s West End in 1978 and Chez Laila at South Bank in 1992.
The family is now bringing contemporary Lebanese food to Brisbane following a research trip in 2023 to their home country, where they were inspired by the vibrant, modern Lebanese cuisine. Research trip participants included Adonis and Nehme, their cousin and Ghanem Group CEO Vianna Joseph and Ghanem Group Executive Chef Jake Nicolson.
Vianna explains there is much family sentimentality around their treasured Byblós. “We could not be more excited for the next ten years at Portside Wharf as we introduce a more modern Lebanese concept to Brisbane diners,” Ms Joseph says. “We were blown away by the contemporary cuisine back home, and have been inspired to add more complex layers, introducing further depth to the cuisine at Byblós, which we know Australian diners are ready for.”
Settimo welcomes a new chef, and a fave is returning
Brisbane’s award-winning Settimo is delighted to welcome its new Chef de Cuisine, David Ruggiero, an internationally regarded kitchen maestro whose vibrant dishes capture the essence of Italy’s culinary heritage.
The Italian-born chef joined Settimo on 1 October, bringing with him decades of global experience, including at London’s iconic Baglioni Hotel and Rome’s Sheraton Golf Hotel. David’s deep love for his home country’s authentic flavours, his passion for fresh and seasonal produce and his culinary creativity perfectly complement Settimo’s exquisite Amalfi Coast-inspired cuisine.
Another thing to get excited about: David is joined by Settimo founder and leading Australian chef Guy Grossi for a pasta masterclass with Guy.
Discover the secrets of creating perfect pasta at an exclusive masterclass led by Guy Grossi and David Ruggiero. Savour a refreshing Spritz as the leading chefs reveal how to select authentic ingredients then dive into the rich, heartfelt traditions of preparing this quintessential Italian cuisine. The afternoon event concludes with a delightful lunch where diners can indulge in the dishes prepared during the masterclass, paired with Italian wine.
WHEN: Saturday 19 October 2024, 12pm arrival, masterclass from 12.30pm
PRICE: $99 per person
WHERE: Settimo Level One, The Westin Brisbane 111 Mary Street, Brisbane City
RecipeTin Eats is coming to Brisbane!
Home cooks unite! Westfield has announced a celebration to launch RecipeTin Eats’ latest cookbook, TONIGHT, hosting Australian cooking sensation, Nagi Maehashi for a book tour and meet and greet with fans at select Westfield destinations
Throughout October and November, customers, food enthusiasts and the next generation of culinary extraordinaires will have the exclusive opportunity to meet Nagi at selected Westfield destinations across New South Wales, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland. TONIGHT will also be available to purchase from selected Westfield retailers including Big W, Dymocks, Kmart and QBD Books from October 15.
Nagi Maehashi, speaking about her upcoming new cookbook and national tour across Westfield destinations, said, “I’m absolutely thrilled to be going on tour with Westfield! Meeting my readers is one of my favourite parts of my work, and I’m so excited to discuss all things Tonight in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra soon.”
WHAT: RecipeTin Eats Book Tour and Meet & Greet with Nagi at select Westfield destinations
WHERE and WHEN: Westfield Chermside near Big W on 2 November at 10am, Westfield Mt Gravatt near QBD Books on 3 November at 12pm
PRICE: Free
Sink your claws into House of Lobster at One Fish Two Fish this October
Forget International Lobster Day, Kangaroo Point’s favourite seafood haven, One Fish Two Fish is hosting a whole month of shell-ebrations this October with House of Lobster.
Back by popular demand for its third year, House of Lobster is One Fish’s ode to the sea’s bounty with four courses of crustaceans, a flavourful dessert, and a refreshing pineapple and lime granita, available for $125pp.
Lobster lovers are invited to curate the menu to their liking with two options for their entrée, main and dessert – of course, there’s no reason you can’t dine again and complete the full feast. With dishes like lobster bisque, saffron and chilli ravioli, baked half lobster drenched in garam masala, and the team’s ever-so-popular deep-fried ice cream, you’ll be hooked in no time.
The House of Lobster menu is available throughout October, with seating times open for dinner Wednesdays and Thursdays and lunch Fridays to Sundays. Bookings are essential and can be made via the One Fish Two Fish website.
WHAT: House of Lobster
WHERE: One Fish Two Fish
WHEN: For the month of October
PRICE: $125pp
Sucking pig feast time this October
On Saturday 19 October from midday Bos Brisbane is hosting their Suckling Pig Feast with Chef Adrian Richardson. The event will see Chef Adrian Richardson bringing his legendary Suckling Pig Feast to Brisbane—perfect for food lovers looking to extend their culinary horizons. To make this experience even more exceptional, guests can enjoy matched wines carefully selected to complement each course, enhancing every bite with a perfect sip. Enjoy dishes such as artisan-cured meats, handmade sausages, crispy pig’s ears, bacon croquettes with bacon mayonnaise, and the showstopper, a whole suckling pig, paired with pork fat potatoes and seasonal greens.
WHAT: Whole Suckling Pig Feast
WHERE: Bos Brisbane
WHEN: October 19
PRICE: $180 per ticket. Bookings can be made here.
Get ready for the hottest burger in Australia
YOMG is bringing back its infamous Reaper Burger, packed with one of the world’s hottest chillis, The Carolina Reaper. This spicy behemoth is fried for intensified heat and finished with a powerful reaper chilli injection.
The Reaper Burger is definitely one for the thrill seekers. The burger is made up of a black bun dyed with squid ink, two beef patties, cheese, maple glazed bacon, and onion jalapeno jam. It’s finished with a powerful reaper chilli injection – a sauce so spicy, it comes with its own warning label.
“We couldn’t find a super hot and spicy chilli beef burger out there, so we gave our chefs the task of sourcing one of the world’s hottest chillis, creating from scratch a reaper chilli sauce and onion jalapeno jam, to create the famous Reaper, which has become so iconic to the #YOMGlimited menu, bringing people from all over to take on the challenge,” said Co-Founder, Justin Wilson.
The Reaper Burger will be available for one month only from Thursday October 3 at 5pm online and in store, at all YOMG locations Australia-wide.
It’s laneway party time, with Allonda spritz nights
We recently announced the succulent steak nights at Allonda every Thursday (see our full review here), but now the laneway kitchen has announced a new reason to celebrate.
Allonda is kicking off the end-of-year festivities with weekly Spritz sessions every Friday afternoon from October 11 in their vibrant laneway. The perfect end-of-week celebration, featuring beats from a live DJ and pouring their signature Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin and Four Pillars Yuzu Peach Spritzes.
WHAT: Allonda Spritz Nights
WHERE: Allonda, Newstead
WHEN: Friday afternoons from October 11.
Grab an express two course meal in the CBD for just $39
Your lunchtime just got a decadent upgrade.Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Goldfinch in Brisbane’s CBD is now offering a $39 express lunch. That’s TWO COURSES for just $39 between 12pm and 2:30pm daily. .
Guests will receive an entree varying from a soup of the day to stone-baked pita bread with a trio of dips, alongside a selection of mains including an indulgent gnocchi with creamy gorgonzola cheese and pangrattato, as well as a hearty pork schnitzel with pickled potato and a fresh cucumber salad, and more. Still hungry or fancy something sweet? There’s also an option to enjoy a sticky date pudding to finish. See full menu here. Get a bit more info here.
WHAT: Express lunch
WHERE: Goldfinch, Brisbane CBD
WHEN: Daily, 12pm to 2:30pm.
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.
