Nice Thai by Kid Curry owners open French bistro pop-up

It’s run by two of Brisbane’s most respected names in hospitality and is already turning heads, but this appealing French restaurant is only in Brisbane until January.

When successful Brisbane hospitality brothers Cameron and Jordan Votan announced in September they were closing their brilliant Fortitude Valley eatery Nice Thai by Kid Curry just a few months after launching, there was a collective sigh of disappointment among those who had eaten there.

The dining room at Mini, Fortitude Valley. Picture: David Kelly

Nice Thai was serving up some of Brisbane’s best Thai fare with bold and punchy authentic flavours cooked by a team of passionate Thai chefs led by former Spirit House culinary guru Tom Swapp. But when Swapp transitioned out of the kitchen to follow a new career as a lawyer, the brothers decided it was time for a change at the restaurant too.

Despite Nice Thai’s cracking offering, it had, unfortunately, been suffering from third child syndrome. The venue sits alongside the Votans’ other two hugely popular restaurants, Happy Boy and Snack Man, on East St and was going a little unnoticed next to its louder, more exuberant older siblings.

The kingfish carpaccio at Mini. Picture: David Kelly

So the decision was made to move away from the Asian fare the brothers have become synonymous with and launch a rotating pop-up restaurant in the space – some run by the duo and others by up-and-coming chefs looking for a space to try out a new concept.

The first pop-up is Mini – a casual French bistro that will act as a preview to the brothers’ fourth restaurant along the East St strip due to open in January next year – a French wine bar and eatery named Petite. Mini opened in late September and will run until Petite launches, and it is already turning heads.

On a Saturday night there’s an exceptionally diverse clientele, from groups of girlfriends, to couples, families and tables full of blokes sitting outside under the light of a giant fairy-lit tree, or inside among the dark timber interior that hasn’t changed in the transition from Nice Thai.

There’s an open kitchen at the back of the small angular space, which shows off new head chef Aubrey Courtel’s passion for his craft.

The menu is designed similarly to those great suburban bistros in Paris, where diners can come in for simply a glass of wine and some snacks, or settle in for a proper dinner.

Pan-fried spangled emperor) in brown butter at Mini. Picture: David Kelly

It begs for that casual, high bar style of dining where you can dive into beef tartare while perched on a stool having a chat with the bartender as he whips you up a Kir Royale.

Instead, though, it’s all table seating and there’s a professional, knowledgeable and honest team of waitstaff who are happy to answer even the most annoying questions and make recommendations. Our waiter’s first suggestion is the kingfish carpaccio ($23) which offers a bright and light start to the meal with a tarragon-infused lemon dressing adding sharp citrusy notes against the creaminess of avocado, which is there more for texture than flavour.

Next out is a classic onion tarte Tatin ($18). My friend is initially hesitant, but after one mouthful is converted, with the pastry tender and delicate under the super sweet, deeply caramelised onion that is balanced by the sourness of creme fraiche that sits in a little pot to the side ready to be dolloped on top.

The large plates are all classic protein and fries combinations, such as steak frites, cordon bleu or slow-braised wagyu collar.

We order the duck a l’orange ($37) and the pan-fried fish ($45) in brown butter, lemon and caper sauce, with two of the smaller vegetable plates from the snacking end of the menu as sides, based on our waiter’s recommendation.

The dining room at Mini. Picture: David Kelly

The duck arrives pink and pre-sliced into bite-sized medallions ready to be swiped through the surrounding pool of thin, saccharine orange sauce; while the fish is goldband snapper with a crisp skin, tender flesh and plenty of acid and tartness from the lemon sauce and quartered caperberries scattered over the top. The mains come with a monster bowl of salty, skin-on chips that prove addictive.

Our sides that double as snacks consist of half a dozen white asparagus spears ($18), cooked until yielding and reclining under perfectly executed riesling sabayon, as well as a dish called “roasted carrots” ($16) that is actually just one whole carrot, covered in
wafer-thin slices of raw carrot alongside a puddle of carrot sauce. It’s tasty enough, but next time I would prefer simply some well-roasted baby carrots.

Like all the Votan venues, the wine list is a treasure trove of top-quality, hard-to-find drops usually imported directly from overseas or sourced from exclusive relationships locally.

There is also a handful of cocktails and beers available. Mini has all the confidence, calmness and professionalism of an established operation. But with it only here for a few months, you’ll want to get in fast.

Mini

East St,

Fortitude Valley

0421 981 882

obee.com.au/happyboy

Open

Tue-Sat 5.30pm-late

Must try

Kingfish carpaccio

Verdict

Food 3.5

Service 4

Ambience 3.5

Value 3.5