Asian style hawker food precinct coming to Post Office Square

A revamped Post Office Square in Brisbane’s CBD is looking for more tenants to join Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese eateries already locked in for the new Hawkers Lane precinct

An artist's impression of the redesign of Post Office Square in Brisbane's CBD.

Brisbane’s CBD is about to get its first Asian-style hawker precinct featuring a range of Asian inspired street food tenants, now being established as part of the multi-million dollar refurbishment of Post Office Square.

Post Office Square leasing executive Taylor Macri from JLL, explained that retail food and beverage specialists Titanium Food are helping to guide the strategic food tenancy mix within the precinct to be called Hawker Lane.

“We want to create an authentic Asian street food feel offering the widest possible range of options within the space available so it’s very important we get the tenancy mix right,” Macri explains. “To date we have Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese tenants already signed on for Hawker Lane with two more tenancies still available.”

An artist's impression of the redesign of Post Office Square.

The tenancies are small in size ranging from 20sqm to 33sqm. Simon Juniper, of global investment manager LaSalle that owns Post Office Square, says Hawker Lane was designed by Clui Design, who was given the brief to create “a space which will become a melting pot of diverse Asian cuisine served in a lively atmosphere unique to Brisbane’s CBD”. Seating in the Hawker precinct and the wider centre will be more than double the current capacity and will include fixed seating and loose seating which can be moved into chosen configurations by customers.

Time for tea

Along with an extensive cocktail menu, we hear The Star Entertainment Group’s soon-to-open Queen’s Wharf resort in Brisbane will also serve a pretty good cuppa.

The Star has announced a five-year partnership with global tea producer Dilmah, sending hospitality staff to Sri Lanka for an advanced course in the company’s pioneering international ‘School of Tea.’ The partnership will see an extensive range of single origin teas and herb infusions, including luxury and rare teas, served across The Star’s numerous food and beverage outlets, hotels including in-room amenities, as well as at events and conferences. Training and an intensive educational program at the ‘School of Tea’ in Colombo, Sri Lanka - the first and only World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) certified tea school - is also being served up as part of the arrangement.

With over 1.4 million tea bags dunked at The Star every year, general manager food and beverage and events Jason Alcock says it was important for the company to source a tea supplier that not only provided an exceptional product and a wide variety of teas but aligned with customer service and sustainability values.

Star role for tea: Dilmah Tea chief executive Dilhan C Fernando

“Dilmah’s ethical approach to the processes and production of tea and its focus on sustainability, such as the use of biodegradable tea bags, resonated with our hospitality staff,” says Alcock. “The teachings included everything from tea tastings, food pairings to tea-inspired gastronomy and mixology, which will be skills and knowledge that can be shared across our food and beverage team to ultimately elevate the cuppa to a new and memorable customer experience.” One of the most popular beverages in the country, Australians drink an average of 9.5 cups of tea per person each week. Dilmah chairman Dilhan Fernando, the son of founder Merrill J. Fernando, say the partnership with The Star is a milestone with hospitality inspired by tea, its taste and plant-based wellness.