Gerard’s Bistro review: Delivering a new take on takeaway

It’s long been one of Queensland’s top restaurants, but now Gerard’s Bistro has now moved into takeaway. Here’s how it stacks up

As I pick up my takeaway order from Gerard’s Bistro in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, I’m hit with a pang of sadness.

Rather than cosying into one of the cushion-clad banquettes in the subtly Middle Eastern themed restaurant - the perpetually dark lighting ensuring an intimate dining experience - I’ll be eating my dinner on the couch in front of the TV.

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There’s none of the restaurant’s usual warm and knowledgeable waitstaff to guide my dining experience, no savvy sommelier to help navigate the funky wine list, and there’s no intricate presentation on beautiful, artisan plates and bowls, rather just an assemblage of filled plastic containers.

What there is though, is courage and fighting spirit.

A will and determination to get through what is undoubtedly the toughest event - COVID-19 - to have ever hit the hospitality industry in Australia.

Chicken shawarma at Gerard's Bistro, Fortitude Valley. Picture: Supplied

While Gerard’s Bistro’s usual way of operating may be gone, owner Johnny Moubarak and chef Adam Wolfers are ensuring the venue is not forgotten, switching to an unique takeaway model offering a set, multi-course, Yemen-inspired menu with a main, sides, bread and dessert, which changes daily.

Think, perhaps, the gorgeously flaky flatbread malawach with aged tahini and chilli oil to start, followed by grilled rump cap joined by a trio of vegetable sides and salads, finishing with Turkish delight.

It’s all for $40 per person, except for on Friday’s when they are offering a special Etelek feast for $50 per person, which pays tribute to Wolfers’ Austrian grandmother and Hungarian grandfather with dishes like matzo ball soup.

The ordering process online couldn’t be simpler.

You just select the day of the week you want to order, hit add to cart, select the number of people you’re feeding, nominate pick-up or delivery time (if within 4km of the restaurant) and away you go.

Smoked eggplant with muhammara, walnuts and onion at Gerard's Bistro, Fortitude Valley. Picture: Supplied

There’s also the option to add a bargain bottle of wine or pack of beer, with some priced even cheaper than what you would pay online or from the winery’s own websites.

Cullen Dancing in the Moonlight rose, for example is just $19 through Gerard’s, while it costs $25 through the Cullen site.

My Saturday night takeaway order is ready as soon as I walk in the door, and with payment already handled online, you can keep to the 1.5m distancing rule with the grateful and friendly staff and be out the door in a flash.

Chicken shawarma is the centrepiece of my order, served with wood-fired potato pita, smoked labne, a tomato and feta salad, spiced eggplant with muhammara, and a shaved fennel salad.

Eating the tomato salad is like a game of Russian roulette, unsure which of the young, cherry-sized green and red fruits is going to be sweet or more sour than an acrimonious divorcee.

While the fennel salad offers freshness and balance with the creamy, crumbly, salty akawi cheese a perfect match to the shaved vegetable.

But the absolute standout is the spiced eggplant, roasted until its flesh surrenders, lacquered in a sour-meets-spicy muhammara sauce that will have you licking the plastic container clean.

Wood-fired bagel, buffalo curd, macadamia dukkah at Gerard's Bistro, Fortitude Valley. Picture: Supplied

Of course these all sit alongside the chicken, my leg pieces marinated with spices including cumin and turmeric and cooked over flame, retaining every last lick of moisture and whispering with just a hint of smokiness.

It’s food to be eaten with your hands, especially when ripped apart and piled into the fluffy bread, and it’s right then - with my cheeks stained with marinade and palms damp with chicken juice - that I’m glad not to be eating in a restaurant.

Dessert is more of a petit four than a true final course, with barely a thimble full of crumble-topped chocolate mousse, but it’s just the right sweet act to finish this sweet meal.

Adam Wolfers is a truly talented chef and I look forward to seeing his plating skills in action in the dining room very soon.

GERARD’S BISTRO

Food 3.5

Service 4

Ease of ordering 4

Value 3

14/15 James St, Fortitude Valley

Ph 3852 3822; gerardsbistro.myshopify.com

Tue-Sat, 4pm-8pm (order online or on the phone at least the day before)