Review: Brisbane restaurant Snack Man only serves snacks – and bite-sized fun

Forget main meals or even entrees, this Chinese bar and eatery is all about the art of snacking. But don’t worry, you won’t leave hungry.

WHAT’S NOT to like about a restaurant that gets straight to the point with its name? Snack Man – which serves, not surprisingly, just snacks and has a bloke running the place on his own when we pop in – is the wine bar sidekick and neighbour to buzzing Fortitude Valley Chinese restaurant Happy Boy.

While there’s been a resurgence of top-end Chinese restaurants in Brisbane, with moody Stanley down at Howard Smith Wharves, glamour queen Donna Chang in George St and smart minimalist Little Valley in the heart of Fortitude Valley, these two venues have carved out a niche of their own in pared-back, concrete-loving spaces, with a focus on value-for-money, authentic cuisine and a compelling drinks lists with a minimal intervention wine bent.

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The well-stocked bar at Fortitude Valley eatery Snack Man. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Happy Boy, which opened in Spring Hill in 2015 before decamping to the Valley’s East St two years later, has always been as packed as a bowl of steamed rice, possibly driving the move to expand next door at the end of 2018. Snack Man started life as more of a pre- and post-dinner venue with a tiny menu before gradually emerging as a destination in its own right.

Over time the snacks have burgeoned to five dumpling choices, four buns, a couple of skewered items and three other dishes such as wheat noodles with sesame and ground pork and crispy chicken ribs.

The Chao shou (wontons in chilli oil) at Snack Man. Picture: Mark Cranitch

A steamer of four su chai jiao ($10) are translucent, flavoursome sticky mushroom dumplings, while chao shou ($13) are a batch of delicious, tiny steamed chicken wontons floating in a shallow lake of chilli oil.

Cha siu sou prove to be pastry diamonds with a centre of honey-glazed chicken ($12), which are drink friendly and crisp, while the xianbing, a round pan-fried “pie” stuffed with ground beef and onion ($10 for two), is totally unlike anything you’ll find at Suncorp Stadium, but they too, team well with a beer from the list, such as a perky Dai Dai IPA.

Snack Man’s deep-fried tofu skin rolls with prawn. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Best of all are the deep-fried tofu skin “rolls” with a filling of minced prawn ($10 for two).

Sweet ginger white creme brulee ($5) is a good example of why you wouldn’t save room for dessert but perhaps the custard tart or melted chocolate in a pillowy bun work better.

Snack man is walk-in only but is spacious, with seating at the bar, by the front windows, at communal tables or out the front beneath the fairy-light wrapped trees.

Qweekend - Snackman is next to Happy Boy in East St Fortitude Valley. Dish: Chao shou (wontons in chilli oil) and Fu pei gynn Deep-fried tofu skin rolls with prawn inside. Pic Mark Cranitch.

The barman-cum-waiter is knowledgeable and passionate and is able to talk through the by-the-glass options projected up on the wall at the back of the room, or offer suggestions from another selection, also available in bottles or by the glass. And he’s pretty good at chatting about the food too.