Brisbane Times Good Food Guide 2008
When it opened more than a decade ago, Philip Johnson’s landmark bistro was a culinary oasis. While the rest of the city has caught up, he’s still a pacesetter. This tightly packed pinot red former tea warehouse still hums with the buzz of contented diners, thanks to well-oiled service from the butcher’s apron-clad floor team and colourful, vibrant food from the open kitchen that packs flavours that punch like a prize fighter. He raids Asian and Mediterranean styles with panache, so crisp pork belly with an Asian salad of pawpaw, noodles, cashews, orange and soy is every bit as thrilling as grilled quail with a swirling mix of bittersweet flavours from radicchio, fried goat’s cheese, basil, hazelnuts and Vincotto. Venison spiced with liquorice and chocolate walks a clever line on celeriac puree with confit mushrooms and a hint of sweetness from a maple jus. Lamb rump on garlic mash with roast tomato relish is simply old-fashioned bloody delicious. To finish, the refreshing apple trio – strudel, gelato and panna cotta – is a lesson in conjuring maximum flavour from every last bite.
