I've eaten at over 50 Brisbane restaurants this year. These are my top dishes
From unctuous beef noodles to a cult favourite cafe pretzel, this year was full of surprises, new classics and glorious food.
This year, I’ve eaten a lot. By a lot, I mean that my camera roll has increased by 10,000 pictures and I can guarantee that at least 75% of those pictures are of food and at least half of those pictures are of food I didn’t cook.
This year, I went to Adelaide, Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, Sydney, Melbourne, Yamba, Burleigh, Byron and Taiwan to eat. Apart from these travels, I’ve also eaten at over fifty venues in Brisbane. And somehow, much of the food in Brisbane is better, fresher and made with more heart than much of the food elsewhere.
I am endlessly grateful and indebted to the passionate and hardworking hospitality community, farmers and producers of Brisbane — good food does not exist without them. Tip your waiter, thank the chef on the way out, write a good review if you had a good meal — it’s a difficult industry, especially currently, and we often forget that how you act as a customer reflects who you are as a person.
The 2025 highlight reel is full of soup, rice, steak, noodles and some bread. (No desserts — sorry to any sweet tooths, this wasn’t a particularly good dessert year.) Thank you for reading this far, if you have.
Quail with mushrooms, Gum Bistro
Vale Gum Bistro — I will miss your balmy dusk dinners overlooking the city skyline. I will miss, even more, your pan-seared quail and mushrooms, the one with the intensely savoury pan sauce, and dipping crispy potatoes into it — the treat to end all treats. Always a perfect medium rare (I ate this dish thrice this year) and presented so chicly medieval with the claws still intact. This dish will live forever in my heart.
Clam and saffron risotto — Marlowe
Risotto, risotto, risotto. How I hate and love you all the same. Sometimes, it’s hate — not for the dish but for my own naivete, unexpected fallible nature as a human being and desire to eat rice even while at a mid-point Italian restaurant. Other times it’s love in the form of a velvety spoon of rice, acidic sauce and tiny clams. It’s a risky move but when it’s good, it’s great, and at Marlowe, it’s f*cking excellent. If it’s not on the menu the next time I visit, I will be going down to Julius for a fix and the inevitable sorrow of that will be only Marlowe’s fault.
Garlic rump cap — O Brasileiro
I’ll say it once and I won’t say it again: this meal is as good as any French bistro/wine bar steak frites. Nicely seasoned, very garlic-y steak, shoestring fries, beans, cassava for dipping, rice, salad and free cepera garlic sauce — and all for $28. The king of the big lunch, make sure you’re starving, have at least 25 minutes to spare and no important work after (I almost fell asleep at my office desk after this meal).
Pork and offal soup — Bori
This is My Soup of The Year. The broth is so clean and rich it feels almost medicinal, as if it knows exactly how to fix you. It is the bowl you order once and then spend the rest of the year telling people they are missing out — and boy, have I been doing that. I don’t think I have to mention that any place that serves complimentary, home-made banchan deserves to be on some sort of wall of fame forever.
Moreton bay bug, sea herbs, bay leaf butter — ESSA
Crustaceans taste their best when dressed in a carcinogenic amount of hot butter. It’s simple but if the accompaniments are nailed and bonus points, if it’s grilled over woodfire or charcoal, it can be magical. Here, a woody bay leaf butter was spread heavy-handedly on a fresh (and quite large) Moreton bay bug. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to eat a succulent, these sea herbs come close. They’re a little crunchy, soft and lightly salty. An insane way to start a meal.
Original ramen — Ramen Kann
Decidedly the best ramen in Brisbane is one made on chicken broth. Frothy, rich and savoury — this broth can fix most ailments. The owner pays wholehearted attention the quality and you should as well, to the ramen that is (preferably with your money). Read more about it here.
Trotter a la Koffmann (with truffles) — Milquetoast
This dish is a true classic. Trotter a la Koffmann (invented by Pierre Koffmann) involves deboning a pig’s trotter, butterflying it and stuffing it with chicken mousse and mushrooms. The stuffed trotter is then rolled, wrapped in foil, chilled to set then warmed for serving. Buttery potato purée and a jus are traditional accompaniments. This was my first Koffmann trotter (and hopefully not my last — it’s hard to come by these days). It was a perfect fate that I got to eat this during winter because I couldn’t imagine a better time to experience a dish. And with a layer of freshly shaved truffles during peak truffle season? Stop that, I’m blushing.
Pretzel with cream cheese — Snug
Every time I visit Snug I have to get this pretzel. It’s fresh, it’s hot and it’s gorgeous lathered in cream cheese, flaky salt and chives. I am obsessed with how different (in a good way) the pretzel tastes as you eat — my favourite part is the knot bit at the middle, so crunchy.
Tuna belly tostada — Birria Boy
Raw fish + creamy sauce + acid + crunchy vessel = I’ll have 14. Tuna belly is also hugely underrated — it’s tender and fattier than regular tuna. And they’ve nailed the tostada. Start with this and then have a duck carnita and a goat birria taco. Thank me next year.
Beef and offal boat noodles, So What Stereo
I am pretty sure this dish is on the list of everyone who’s visited So What Stereo. By far the most flavourful boat noodle broth I’ve had, I couldn’t believe a small restaurant down a random Valley side street could be hiding such treasures. This dish will guarantee you productivity, prosperity and joy if you have it for breakfast. This, and the excellent caffeinated beverage list they’ve got going.
Italian sandwich — Good Things Grocer
Is it a Brisbane list if we don’t include a sandwich? The first time I came upon the most unexpected sandwich spot was when I had their Italian sandwich (forgive me, I don’t remember the actual name), not when I went to review it for my very first Hullo Brisbane piece. This has to be the best sandwich of my year: fresh focaccia, prosciutto and salami, giardiniera (pickled veg relish), marinated peppers, lots of rocket and provolone. Zingy and fresh from the relish and the marinated peppers, salty and fatty from the meats, creamy from the cheese and potential mayo moment — sometimes it’s just a sandwich, other times it’s a religion.
Becca Wang is a freelance writer and food and drink columnist. She has by-lines in Broadsheet, Boothby, Gourmet Traveller, RUSSH and others. She is also the founding editor of Hawker Magazine, a food and culture publication. You can keep up with her at @supper.partying.