‘Like a Bintang with that?’: Bali comes to Brisbane in new Valley restaurant
A surprise find in a Valley laneway is a laid-back restaurant and bar with a menu of Indonesia’s greatest hits.
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Fish cakes wrapped in banana leaves? Or perhaps nasi goreng? Would you like a Bintang beer or some lemongrass gin with that?
No we’re not at a restaurant in Bali or Jakarta, we’re on a quiet road off Brookes Street in Fortitude Valley at quirky Indonesian newcomer Warisan. Formerly home to burger joint Ze Pickle, the venue has a grungy industrial vibe, with concrete floors, walls covered with grey-black paint so seriously distressed that you can’t help but feel anxious on its behalf, bare metal tables topped with canisters of cutlery and teamed with brightly coloured retro curved metal chairs. We’re sitting out the front at built-in wooden seating at a heavy, metal table bolted to the decking, with a garland of bare bulbs looping jauntily above, glowing yellow against the inky, early evening sky.
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Warisan’s carefree fitout and casual nature – you order at the bar – attracts a steady stream of couples and groups inside, while out with us, a runner still in his shorts and singlet is drinking a beer and chowing down on spring rolls. The enterprise, which opened late last year, is a collaboration between Luckies Kitchen Bulimba co-owner Nick Wigley and Alfan “Alfie” Musthafa, who grew up in West Java and has devised a menu that showcases an array of Indonesia’s regional cuisine – perhaps Central Java duck white curry, Sumatran beef curry, Balinese pork belly or Lombok-style grilled half chicken marinated in red chilli paste, as well as snacks like crispy chicken skin, grilled corn with sweet and spicy chilli sauce.
Vegan and plant-based food is more than an afterthought, with 11 dishes including jackfruit curry, or crispy noodles with mushroom and vegetable gravy. The banquets, regular ($49) and vegan ($45) are served in tiffin boxes and sound like good value.
We begin with otak-otak, steamed and grilled fish cakes in banana leaf ($19), and they’re airily light and delicious, especially when plunged into the accompanying pot of peanut sambal.
We also try a vegetarian and a minced chicken spring roll ($2 each on special on Wednesdays). Their casings are shatteringly crisp and we prefer the vegetable version stuffed with cabbage, carrot, vermicelli and mushroom.
From the large plates, maranggi – West Java marinated beef satay ($35) – arrives as two skewers straddling a pond of sweet soy sauce sambal and topped with a thatch of pickled vegetables, chilli slices and a wedge of lime. The overall flavours pack a punch but the meat is a bit tough. Fortunately we’d ordered a serve of steamed rice ($3) to make the most of the flavoursome sauce. Similarly the grilled snapper fillet ($37), prepared Jimbaran-style (marinated in a spice paste), is not as succulent as it could be but the flavours and the raw sambal topping of herbs, vibrant red slices of chilli, loops of lemongrass, and spices, is appealing.
Drinks are a big part of the Warisan picture, with nine cocktails including an on-theme, light and bright highball with lemongrass gin, triple sec, lemon, cucumber and black pepper ($18) and zero-alcohol options. Seven craft beers on tap include mango macadamia sour from Bulimba’s Revel Brewing, and a pale ale from Sea Legs at Kangaroo Point, with bottled Bintang available.
A thoughtfully compiled page of mostly Australian wines, many from small producers – eight each of red and white, five orange and rosé, and a few sparkling – is well priced, with glasses from $11 and bottles from $50.
To finish, Dutch-influenced coconut tart ($17) is served with ice cream, raisins and chopped almonds and satisfies a sweet craving without being overly finessed.
Warisan is a chilled venue with competent, friendly staff and a cuisine that’s relatively rare in inner-Brisbane, with diners able to work through the greatest hits, while keeping value front of mind.
Warisan
4 Hynes St, Fortitude Valley
warisan.com.au
Open
Tue-Sat lunch 11.30am-3pm and dinner
from 4pm
Must try
Otak-otak, steamed and grilled fish cakes
Verdict
Food
Service
Ambience
Value
Overall
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