Kitchen Confidential: First-of-its-kind tea restaurant for Brisbane

An exciting new themed food precinct in Brisbane’s CBD will feature the city’s first-of-its-kind restaurant and bar.

Suellen Lei at her new restaurant Lucha Kitchen and Bar. Picture: Russell Shakespeare

Brisbane’s exciting new CBD foodie precinct dedicated to all things Asian, FudoDori, is set to open next week.

Taking over the old Elizabeth Arcade, running between Elizabeth and Charlotte streets, it will boast a feast of restaurants, eateries and bars highlighting Eastern fare.

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Welcoming diners into the strip will be specialty Chinese tea destination Lucha Kitchen and Bar by restaurateur Suellen Lei (Tea and Noodle Time, Browns Plains, Noodle Time, Brisbane).

Lucha will be an entirely new concept for Lei and Brisbane, making Chinese tea the star with everything from tea cocktails to tea-infused dishes.

“All these people think Chinese food is dumplings and noodles but tea is really, really popular and used a lot,” Lei says.

“We’re trying to bring lots of modern things to Australia and I can’t wait to open and for everyone to try it.”

The 90-seater contemporary, indoor-outdoor space will feature a bar area pouring clever brewed cocktails referred to as “tipple tails”, which will be presented in tea pots or tea cups using anything from jasmine to fruit teas.

There’ll also be a grab-and-go window dedicated to special bubble teas, sparkling teas and their signature fruit tea, which comes with half a cup of fruit salad and a fork, allowing your drink to double as breakfast or lunch.

While in the kitchen jasmine, oolong and black brews will be used in the likes of roasted pork belly and their specialty dish “Lucha roasted chicken” which will come as a quarter, half or whole portion served with two tea sauces - one spicy and the other milder made with jasmine.

Desserts also won’t escape the tea treatment with the likes of green tea mousse cake and a bubble tea cake.

Lucha aims to open May 22, along with the rest of the FudoDori laneway, which will include 10 culinary retailers such as Japanese hot dog stall HotoDogu, Thai street food eatery Na Bangkok, which has a sister venue in Sydney’s Capitol Square; Japanese dessert operator Amai Kawaii Dessert Depot and Japanese cafe Koto Sanpo.

Suellen Lei at her new restaurant Lucha Kitchen and Bar, which will open in the new Elizabeth Arcade Fudodori precinct. Picture: Russell Shakespeare

City newcomer

Brisbane CBD’s QueensPlaza is getting a signature new restaurant with the launch of Stanton Cafe & Bar today.

The 180-seater on level one of the luxury shopping precinct will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, reimagining classics such as crab souffle, steak frites and oysters. Pizza ovens will turn out traditional Napoli-style pies, while an on-site bakery will make all the restaurant’s bread. Chef Daniel Jones (ex-Public) is at the pans.

A curved timber bar will pour both boutique and big-name wines, along with an extensive cocktail offering, which can be enjoyed on the outdoor terrace overlooking Queen St Mall.

The new Stanton Cafe and Bar, QueensPlaza, Brisbane overlooks the Queen Street Mall. Picture: Supplied

French affair

While many people may think of French food as heavy and unhealthy, restaurateur Celine Damour is out to disprove the perception with her new rooftop eatery.

The owner of Woolloongabba’s popular C’est Bon restaurant is expanding upwards, launching a sexy new rooftop bar at the heritage site above her smart bistro on Stanley St.

The space will focus on attracting a younger clientele with lighter, French-inspired, tapas-style bites and drinks available, while leaving the classic, indulgent French fare to the restaurant downstairs.

Renovations are currently underway with the project scheduled to open next month. Stay tuned.

C'est Bon in Woolloongabba will soon reveal an exciting new rooftop bar showcasing lighter, healthier French cuisine. Picture: AAP/Steve Pohlner

Winners are grinners

Best of luck to La Petite Mort’s Andrew Scott as he aims to take out the title in the Young Gun of Wine Awards in Adelaide next month.

Granite Belt winemaker Scott is the first Queenslander to be named as a finalist in the 13 years of the competition’s history, which aims to find the best young and emerging winemakers in the country.

On the judging panel were industry heavyweights including delicious. wine writer Mike Bennie, Gourmet Traveller Wine’s Nick Stock and Queensland’s Ghanem Group sommelier Penny Grant on the judging panel.

Scott will go up against 11 other finalists in the comp, with the winners announced at a special awards ceremony on June 3.

Coast with the most

Ben Devlin’s new contemporary Australian eatery Pipit kicked off over the weekend in Pottsville, just across the NSW border.

The restaurant has been designed around a central charcoal pit, with Devlin (ex-Paper Daisy, Cabarita) cooking everything using fire.

The menu will feature local ingredients, changing seasonally, with around 12 a la carte dishes, plus the option of a four- or seven-course set tasting menu.

The wine list is focused on Australian and international wineries located within 150kms of a coastline where mineral content and saline soils help varieties pair well with the style of food.

Front of house will be restaurant manager Emily Smith (ex-Paper Daisy) and sommelier Matthew Love (ex- Tonka and Cutler & Co, Melbourne).

Ben Devlin has just opened his new Pottsville restaurant Pipit. Picture: Supplied.

Nice drop

It’s the new-release wine connoisseurs are losing their heads over, the Henschke 2015 Mount Edelstone shiraz, and now you can try it without having to pay the $200-plus a bottle.

Made from 107-year-old vines, the red will be available at Arc Dining at Howard Smith Whaves until next month, with the Brisbane riverfront restaurant the only venue in Queensland serving it.

Described as an exceptional vintage, it is the 63rd release of the prestigious Henschke

shiraz and is arguably Australia’s longest consecutively-produced single-vineyard wine.

But for the ultimate Henschke experience, Arc will be hosting the special Centenarian Vines Dinner on June 19, featuring the 2015 Mount Edelstone alongside the iconic Hill of Grace 2014 and 10 other new release wines paired with a multi-course menu. Tickets at henschke.com.au.