Cult Brisbane fried chicken restaurant to expand
KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL: Its chicken took seven years to perfect and attracts queues of diners, now this hugely popular eatery is expanding with a new sister restaurant.
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His Korean fried chicken took seven years to perfect, now customers queue into the night for a bite, but chef Yongun Jeon is not stopping there, with he and wife Isabel Yao planning to bring the fun, flavours and frivolity of the Asian nation to Brisbane with a bang.
The couple is behind tiny Fortitude Valley cult eatery Jeon’s Kitchen, tucked into Bakery Lane off Ann St, which has been serving up pored-over poultry since March last year to hoards of applauding diners.
With not enough space to accommodate all the fowl fanatics at the venue’s few outdoor tables, the husband-and-wife team has decided to take over the tenancy next door recently vacated by Italian restaurant Uh Oh Spaghetti-O.
The neighbouring venue will give Jeon’s Kitchen much-needed additional outdoor seating, as well as be home to the couple’s new second restaurant Mi Raak.
With Mi meaning taste and Raak translating to fun, the Asian fusion venue hopes to offer a Korean-style dining experience where drinking and dancing are just as important as the food.
“We want it to be a place where people can come for good food and fun,” Yao said.
While the vibe may be Korean, the food will be a fun and cheeky fusion of Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Italian, harnessing Jeon’s years spent working in Japanese and Chinese restaurants, as well as the restaurant’s existing pizza oven.
“We want it to be Asian fusion so there’s food for everybody and that doesn’t limit our imagination and creativity,” Yao said. “We’ll always use the freshest ingredients to create what’s best for that season.”
And that could mean anything from sashimi to boiled Korean beef ribs finished on the grill, to a citrus chicken dish, which has become a star at Jeon’s Kitchen combining fresh orange and onions with thinly battered fried chicken.
Fusion pizzas are also predicted to get diners talking, with the plan to roll out up to six varieties, including a soy chicken version, spiced pork invention and a bulgogi beef number. The menu will be matched to a hefty and diverse drinks list with affordable, Asian-inspired cocktails and classics; a global wine list with strong nods to Italy; local craft beer, brews from Korea and Japan, Japanese whiskeys, Korean soju and sake; plus a clever array of mocktails.
The couple is currently renovating the two-storey tenancy, with dining downstairs as well as outside in a shared space with Jeon’s Kitchen; and an upstairs function space, which will double as a lounge area late at night.
The couple is also considering bringing in a DJ on weekends and turning the downstairs dining area into a dance floor.
Mi Raak is pushing to open at the beginning of April.
GELATO FAVOURITE HEADS WEST
It has won fans across Brisbane’s Teneriffe, West End, Coorparoo and Bowen Hills, now adored local gelato business La Macelleria is set to take over the city’s west.
The authentic Italian dessert operation will launch a pop-up shop at Toowong Village for four weeks from this Thursday, with the plan to open a permanent store in the suburb if it’s a success.
“We are looking at the Toowong area as we notice that it is growing and also that there is no gelato in the entire area, including nearby suburbs such as Taringa, St Lucia, Indooroopilly,” owner Matteo Zini said.
The pop-up will be run out of the brand’s traditional ape car – a cute three-wheeler cart usually found across the south of Italy.
The cart will take prime position in the ground floor food court and will serve up six flavours: five of its bestsellers, including the beloved chocolate and pistachio, plus one rotating special, which for this week will be a high-grade matcha version.
The venue will also be doing happy hour deals to mark its opening, with a 500ml tub for $12, 9.30am-11.30am and 3pm-5pm.
PADDINGTON INSTITUTION’S NEW TWIST
As it prepares to celebrate its 26th birthday, Brisbane cafe stalwart Sassafras in Paddington is set to expand its offering.
The institution will introduce new barbecue nights on Fridays and Saturdays, slinging a plethora of smoked meats cooked in the venue’s backyard, in addition to their famous day-time line-up.
Owner and former chef Chris Zirbel has been experimenting with American-style barbecue for years and wants to share his love of it with diners.
The evening affairs will serve up the likes of beef brisket, pulled pork, and hot link sausages; alongside corn, ribs, slaw, chips and corn tortillas. The meat platters will also come with a variety of sauces made in house, including their hugely popular bourbon sauce and a ghost chilli kicker that the cafe is bottling for retail. There will be options for vegans too, while Zirbel is also working towards a gluten-free menu.
The fare will be complemented by local and overseas gins and whiskies, local craft beer, and a global wine list, which Zirbel describes as “small but mighty”. The barbecue nights hope to kick off just after Easter.
BOONAH READY TO BE BOWLED OVER
The Scenic Rim’s anticipated new eatery The Bowl in Boonah is finally set to open its doors this Friday.
Acclaimed Blume chef Jack Stuart and Boonah local Emily Lochran have spent the past few months renovating the rundown former bowls club, an hour southwest of Brisbane, to turn it into a casual diner and event space built around showcasing the best of local produce.
On the menu will be an elevated take on classic sports club fare such as steak sandwiches, burgers and sliders all using local beef, plus the likes of flat breads with dips, mussels cooked in red wine, and popcorn cauliflower bites. While on the bar, guests can expect classic cocktails and those with a twist, such as a signature punch to share; plus local and mainstream beers, and Australian and Italian wines.
There will be an indoor dining area boasting spectacular mountain views, lounge space and private dining room for 14, as well as outdoor dining overlooking the two bowling greens, with one green open for social bowls and croquet and the other for functions, parties and events.
THE WICKHAM TO REOPEN AFTER MASSIVE RENO
After a $3.1m, seven-month reno, Fortitude Valley’s darling of the LGBTQIA+ community The Wickham is finally ready to show off her slick new look.
The historic pub has been given a major facelift with an upgraded beer garden complete with weatherproof stage; new kitchen, and two fresh indoor spaces: the vintage-themed Peacock Room and the Garland Room, built for showcasing DJs and performers, and for functions and the venue’s resident parties.
There’s also a new menu, including pizzas, vegan and share-style plates such as cauliflower hot bites, fried quail with truffle mash, deep fried Golden Gay Times and fairy bread. It will be matched with a disco era-inspired cocktail list.
The Wickham reopens March 27
BAKERY BOOM FIRES UP
Queensland’s bakery boom is continuing, with yet another dough den opening – this time in the Gold Coast’s Tamborine Mountain.
Franquette is the new carb-lovers’ dream from talented flour aficionado Jerome Favier, who has spent the past eight years as “master baker” at the GC’s acclaimed Burleigh Baker, after honing his craft in Europe.
Unsurprisingly given Favier’s resume, bread is the signature of the cosy boulangerie and bakery, with a wealth of loaves flying out of the oven daily from fruit and olive numbers to ciabatta, country-style options, and large rustic delights known as miche.
Customers can buy the bread on its own, or in the form of one of the venue’s gourmet, European-influenced fresh and toasted sandwiches, filled with the likes of deli meats and cheeses.
There is also an array of scrolls, rolls, pastries and croissants available, alongside coffee using local Blackboard beans. Guests can choose to take away, or dine in under the bakery’s pitched roof outside.
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