Da Biuso restaurant serves fine fare to ‘passengers’
Thinking outside the box – or four square walls – has resulted in an innovative gourmet experience in the Queensland capital.
When veteran Queensland restaurateur Biagio Biuso suggested to his wife, Sarah, they establish a fine-dining venue on board a bus, she thought he had lost his marbles. “I had to stop myself from dismissing the idea completely,” she recalls.
Biagio’s brainwave was borne of Covid lockdowns and staff shortages. His theory was they could avoid further shutdowns by being mobile. And catering to smaller numbers with a refined degustation menu would mean they needed fewer staff.
After mulling over the scheme for a couple of days, Sarah admitted it had potential. The pair bought a former Iveco school bus (coincidentally, an Italian brand) from Ayr, south of Townsville, and spent the next 12 months kitting it out with pressed-metal ceiling, tongue and groove panelling, timber-framed windows and a compact kitchen.
Their creation, Da Biuso, welcomed its first “passengers” on board in early March and since then has been regularly parked for dining in the leafy grounds of Ascot Green at the Brisbane Racing Club near Eagle Farm. In August it will move to the waterfront location of Bretts Wharf in the upscale suburb of Hamilton.
The exterior is a gleaming combination of heritage green and gold while the interior, an intimate space for 12 diners, conjures the elegant first-class dining carriages of yesteryear trains. Tables are dressed in crisp white linen and set with fine glassware and crockery by pedigreed brands Vista Alegre, of Portugal, and Wedgwood.
The Biusos are experienced hands in Queensland’s restaurant scene, having owned two Italian eateries in Brisbane, including the former Casa Nostra in Fortitude Valley, plus one in Cairns and another in Townsville. Sarah says their career path has been inextricably shaped by her Sicilian-born husband’s creative thinking and his tendency to get itchy feet every five or six years.
That creativity is evident in a four-course lunch menu that begins with Stuzzicare il Palato, a selection of morsels designed to tantalise the tastebuds. Slivers of pink veal with capsicum reduction, and marinated crab with fennel cream, are presented on petite wafers as light as air. Palates now paying attention, we are served freshly baked bread of semolina, sundried tomato and turmeric with oil pressed from Nocellara olives grown at the foot of Mt Etna.
Next up are Coffin Bay oysters inventively plated with watermelon granita, caviar that has been dehydrated and shaved, yuzu gel and sea foam. Handmade tagliolini with quail ragu comes next, followed by a choice of main: red emperor with lemon butter bisque sauce or wagyu striploin with a mustard and wine sauce.
Sarah’s passion for Italian wines is evident in a list that spans the country from Alto Adige near the Swiss border, to Abruzzo near Rome and, naturally, down to Sicily. I am particularly taken by a golden, lightly oaked soave classico from Inama in Veneto. Italian fruit salad, known as Macedonia, is normally a selection of fresh fruit served with sugar and lemon. In Biagio’s hands, the dish is transformed from something simple to ingeniously shaped gelati flavoured with strawberry, mango, raspberry and banana. It’s delicious, especially paired with something sweet and sticky.
At the end of each day, Sarah and Biagio drive their bus home, where it is restocked and stored, ready for the next day’s diners.
Penny Hunter was a guest of Brisbane Economic Development Agency.
MORE TO THE STORY
Restaurants that take you places
Q Train, Victoria
Views of Swan Bay and the Bellarine Peninsula are on the menu as passengers enjoy a five-course degustion on the Q Train. The focus is on local and ethically sourced ingredients, with all dishes prepared onboard; the train has five dining carriages and two bars. Return three-hour journey from Drysdale Station; Q Class $139 a person; First Class $189 a person for two in private compartment. Wine matching available. Train is steam-powered on the first weekend of each month.
Mr Badger’s, Brisbane
Ensconced within this buzzing all-day eatery is a replica tram, built in honour of the transport system that serviced Brisbane from the late 19th century until 1969. The Mr Badger in question was a New Yorker who helped to electrify and manage the network. It’s a quirky, relaxed venue with a deli that serves antipasti and charcuterie plates plus there’s classic American sandwiches, pizza and pies.
Puffing Billy, Victoria Take a seat in the first-class dining car of this steam-powered train as it travels through the Dandenong Ranges from Belgrave to Lakeside return. Passengers nibble on grazing platters on the outward journey and indulge in an afternoon tea of scones and jam on the return. Spend 90 minutes exploring at Lakeside Visitor Centre and Emerald Lake Park, with its walking trails and pretty gardens; $99 a person.
Tramsheds Sydney
Transport history meets an array of cutting-edge dining experiences at The Tramsheds in Sydney’s Glebe. Housed in the former Rozelle Tramway Depot, built in 1904, it’s now home to 11 restaurants and cafes, and hosts growers’ markets, art and craft workshops, and live music. Step aboard the Butcher and The Farmer’s restored vintage tram for drinks and shared plates.
Kowloon Cafe, Sydney There are three outlets of this eatery serving authentic Cantonese cuisine. Think: curried fish balls, pickled cabbage and shredded pork, and stir-fried pork chop with instant noodles in XO sauce. Go to the Burwood location, where a genuine Hong Kong minibus, sliced, diced and reassembled in situ, serves as a bar.
IN THE KNOW
Da Biuso caters to 12 diners, and offers a four-course degustation lunch; $110 a person; premium wine pairing $100 a person. The seven-course dinner is $170 a person; premium wine pairing $150 a person.
