Bar food fails to hit the bullseye
Star chefs may be behind the menu at this new Brisbane darts bar, but the food isn’t quite hitting the bullseye yet. Find out why.
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GOING out to a bar with friends is no longer about how many tequila shots you can knock back before breaking out the sprinkler on the dance floor and telling your mates you love them 87,234 times.
A swath of new venues is opening across Australia offering entertainment with drinks and dining.
Think boozy mini golf Holey Moley, tenpin bowling bar Strike, and alcohol-fuelled arcade joints Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq and B. Lucky & Sons.
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The latest to launch is Norwegian concept Oche, picking Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley for its first venture Down Under. Pronounced Ock-key, it is an electronic darts bar and eatery, named after the line you stand behind to throw the dart.
Taking over the site of The Mill on Constance St, the venue retains all the charm and glamour of its heritage surrounds with polished timber floors, exposed brick walls, heavy beams, timber tables, leather dart booths, a central kitchen and two bars.
But don’t expect your regular bar bites here.
Ex-Gerard’s Bistro chef Ben Williamson was brought in as a consultant to conceive the menu, which is now being executed by former Spirit House chef Tom Swapp and his team.
All the dishes are designed to be eaten with one hand – leaving the other free to play darts – resulting in a collection of pub favourites with a spin, ranging from lamb cutlets and pizza to chicken and chips.
School prawns ($16) are an easy starter, fried until crisp and dusted with tom yum powder for a more-ish bite, scoring them dish of the night.
A little dry, however, is the fried whole squid ($24), which comes as a collection of rings threaded along skewers like a seafood Christmas tree – its baubles are dollops of fiery nduja-spiked mayonnaise. With a little more sauce and a little less time in the fryer, these too could be winners.
The wagyu tartare tacos ($20 for four) are, however,
a disappointment, missing the acid balance usually given by cornichons or capers in a classic tartare – especially when you add the extra fatty wagyu into the equation.
Williamson has reinvented his signature bekaa chicken wings from Gerard’s for Oche, turning them into popcorn chicken ($22, pictured), but lacquered in the original nose-running, chilli-fuelled harissa emulsion. It’s a clever and solid revamp, but I just don’t think anything can beat the archetype.
Putting out the fire they’re set to leave in your mouth, though, are the icy cold limoncello gummy bears ($14) – jelly-like gummies infused with booze that are just plain good fun.
And on the subject of booze, this is where Oche shines. There is a rotating list of guest beers on tap – two per month – plus local and overseas faves like Peroni, Asahi, Stone & Wood and Balter available. There’s also a premium selection of gin and tonics using Aussie and international spirits, and an exciting list of signature cocktails, including the well-conceived and made Raspberry Sour and Pornstar Martini.
Oche is a destination built on fun, and after a few drinks, the laid-back, engaging staff will ensure you have just that.
OCHE
Address: 111 Constance St, Fortitude Valley
Phone: 3556 1446
Web: oche.com/fortitude-valley
Open: noon-midnight daily (kitchen closes at 10pm)
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