Howard Smith Wharves complete with opening of Yoko restaurant

It’s Brisbane’s hottest new dining precinct but it had a missing link. Now the opening of the final restaurant will mark its completion.

AFTER months of anticipation, the final restaurant at Brisbane’s hugely popular dining and lifestyle precinct Howard Smith Wharves will open on Thursday.

Yoko is the casual izakaya-style Japanese from restaurateur Jonathan Barthelmess, and will launch next door to his Greek eatery Greca.

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The 180-seat retro-style venture has been inspired by a bento box, with blonde timbers inside opening on to a covered outdoor dining area with leather banquettes, timber tables, and splashes of sunshine yellow inside and out.

Upstairs will be an intimate bar that can also double as a function space, with a DJ and private chef.

“Greca and this will be separate but you’ll have all the atmosphere – it’s going to be fun and vibey,” Barthelmess says.

There will also be a wall of custom, retro-style fridges holding the restaurant’s impressive 150-bottle wine list, while an alcoholic slushie machine and Japanese whiskies will be the other big drawcards, with some whiskies not available anywhere else in Australia, including the Suntory Hibiki Blender’s Choice, which will sell for about $600 a bottle.

Head chef Kitak Lee and executive chef Ben Russellhave create an appealing izakaya-style sharing menu with small and large plates, including Hiramasa kingfish with sesame and kohlrabi, tempura and karaage dishes, toasted rice with spanner crab, pork katsu steam buns and gyoza, pork kakuni bossam and tonkatsu.

Desserts will also be a specialty including a white sesame frozen mochi, traditional Japanese shaved ice, and matcha and mango soft serve. The restaurant will open on Thursday with the upstairs bar to follow shortly after.

Owner Jonathan Barthelmess and chef Kitak Lee at their new restaurant Yoko at Howard Smith Wharves. Picture: Mark Cranitch

THAI IT ON

ENTERPRISING restaurateur Alyssa Phadungklat is adding another eatery to her portfolio, with plans to open a second Phat Elephant at Toombul Shopping Centre’s new Upstairs dining and entertainment precinct in Brisbane’s north.

Phadungkiat owns Phat Elephant in the CBD, as well as Phat Boy in the nearby Brisbane Quarter, The Hamptons in Hendra, Chapter IV in Paddington and New Farm’s Chat Thai.

The Toombul venture will open in January, with seating for about 50.

“We will be bringing the best of what everyone knows and loves from Phat Elephant,” says Phadungkiat.

“The simplistic focus on the impeccable balance of authentic Thai food, creating a unique space and a comfortable dining experience topped off with our creative cocktails.”

Diners can expect all the favourites such as pineapple fried rice, pad Thai, and beef massaman.

SOMETHING TO SIP ON

After opening a few weeks ago, new Teneriffe coffee shop Sippy Tom is set to transform into a cafe, launching an exciting all-day breakfast offering.

The 107sq m space, which has taken over the Comoditá site on Vernon Tce, will offer classics with a modern and premium twist using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients.

“It will be refined, minimal dishes but done well,” says owner Tom Sharpe, who also owns nearby Loading Dock Coffee.

Expect the likes of pesto eggs with veg and cashew cream on garlic sourdough, as well as a Sri Lankan rice bowl with spiced dahl, beetroot curry, turmeric rice, coconut sambal, carrot and ginger kraut and poached eggs.

The foodie line-up, with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, will be offered in two weeks, alongside Melbourne’s St Ali coffee, with espresso, filter, batch brew and cold brew available.