Table for One #002
A Middle Eastern version of Southside, unlimited banchan and boat noodles for brekkie
Brisbane “summer” has been in full swing this week. With temperatures in the high 20s comes a biological reluctance to cook — do not ask me to grill, fry or *god forbid* roast anything. Luckily, end of year (crazy, btw) produce is abundant and stunning always (particularly zucchini flowers and red-orange mangoes) and even more so when you don’t have to labour over the hob to prepare it.
In the next few weeks, the venues included in Table for One will be notably excellent for summer eating. Whether you need a place for a work party or a girls’ debrief (Tommy’s Margaritas compulsory) or just somewhere to get some aircon and a snack — I’ve got you.
This week, I visited three vastly different spots: a Thai eatery that doubles as a listening bar, a bustling Korean barbecue restaurant and a multi-level Middle Eastern restaurant. All summer certified, all visit-worthy.
Bornga
I used to walk past Bornga and their life-sized picture of Paik Jong-won (judge on Culinary Class Wars and prolific restauranteur) every week on the way to work. In the picture, he’s smiling like he knows what’s best for you — and in a way, he does know what’s best for me. At least when it comes to Korean barbecue.
Bornga is perfect for social eating affairs. Because of the condensed menu (there’s not as many meat options as I’d expected — a blessing in disguise), it’s not a mission to decide what to get. It’s pretty much high quality pork or beef in various cuts; soup or japchae; and a few fried pancakes. As usual, everything is cooked over charcoal and for the uninitiated, there are plenty of staff around to help (though, they are hard to flag down when it’s busy). While you’re waiting, order a few lemon highballs — they are strong and sweet and go perfectly with the fatty meat and punchy kimchi.
The stand-out aspect of Bornga is by far the self-serve banchan station. (Banchan are Korean side dishes — usually cold and pickled, fermented or marinated.) There’s endless cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi, garlic shoot kimchi, Korean potato salad (sweet, carrot-y mashed potato and egg), julienned scallions, pickled onions and sesame-dressed leaves. There’s even a fridge filled with sliced raw garlic and trays of lettuce and perilla leaves for wrapping your grilled meat, condiments and banchan in. I will be requesting the closest table next time.
Level 1/153 Elizabeth St, Brisbane City
Golden Avenue
The palatial scale and eco-brutalism of Golden Avenue is a spectacle in itself. The Anyday group describes it as a “lush Middle Eastern oasis in the Brisbane CBD,” which is fairly accurate for passersby. (And to some, will remind them of Southside in Fish Lane.) As a diner, however, it feels similar to eating in a museum or gallery environment — grand, sleek, hard-surfaced — which is quite a contrast to a name that implies warmth, kitsch or old-world elegance.
Contemporary Middle Eastern food in Brisbane seems to have a minimalistic approach when it comes to dishes and variety of flavour. Anyday group are playing to their demographics (of which they evidently understand very well) but it leaves something to be desired. Whether it was the obscurely quiet music, sterile service or the underdressed tabouli, there were overlooked details that made the visit just another dinner.
Alas, there were a few saving graces: a shaving-cream-light toum (very good on the lamb cutlets); a zingy mint salad on the side of said lamb with hits of sweet onion; and a well-seasoned laham nayyeh (beef tartare) with nodules of goat’s cheese. I wish I could comment on dessert but my dining partner and I overestimated our ability to eat six lamb cutlets (which were $76, a steal!?).
The cocktails were textbook crowd-pleasers, aka easy-drinking and fruitier than a Liza Minelli concert — strawberry, watermelon, mango, you know the drill. A watermelon vodka highball at the GA bar is ideal in the hotter months.
67 Edward St, Brisbane City
So What Stereo
So What Stereo ticks so many boxes. The retro colours, mismatched Marketplace furniture, exceptional vinyl collection and diner counter seating is so effortlessly cool and eclectic — something that’s hard to come by in this city full of curated steakhouses and beige marble fitouts. The front of the restaurant shelves a collection of jazz, art rock and metal records and it doubles as a host desk. It’s like walking into a listening bar.
Their specialty drinks are trendy and not too serious — iced coffee with orange juice (don’t knock it til you’ve tried it), pandan lattes and iced coconut juice matcha with soft coconut meat.
I only had the beef and offal boat noodles when I visited but my food critic friends have all reported that the other dishes are just as good. Offal is so underrated and I will have it anytime, anywhere I see it. There was super soft tripe and bouncy tendon in a rich, slightly acidic broth, as well as generous hunks of tender brisket and bite-sized pieces of crisp crackling — textural heaven.
I’ve heard excellent things about the kao soi (soft and crispy egg noodles in a curry broth) and the kao kai kon (omelette on rice with your choice of protein). They also have congee for something light and nourishing.
4/15 Little St, Fortitude Valley