When Detour shut in December, it marked the end of a successful eight-year run in Woolloongabba. Over that time, the restaurant became known for its dual herbivore and omnivore menus, as well as inventive dishes like fossilised carrots (slow-dried for several days), gunpowder-seasoned Wagyu brisket, and the cult-favourite Kentucky Fried Duck, which Broadsheet named a dish Brisbane can’t live without.
Owner Damon Amos says the closure came down to a couple of factors, including the lease ending and the uncertainty surrounding Woolloongabba’s ongoing development. “The area is potentially under a lot of construction, and it will be affected dramatically,” Amos says. “We didn’t want to commit to another three or five years.”
But Detour isn’t dead. The restaurant has taken over the former Mini space on East Street – next to Cameron and Jordan Votan’s Happy Boy, Snack Man and Petite – for a three-month residency. “It happened by chance,” Amos says. “I was taking to Cam, and he mentioned he wasn’t doing anything [with the space]. I jumped at the opportunity – it’s such a great location.”
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SUBSCRIBE NOWFor the pop-up, Detour is offering two set menus – named herbivore and omnivore – both priced at $88. The menus will rotate monthly, but this month, Amos is revisiting some of Detour’s classic dishes.
The omnivore menu features emu tartare with burnt shallot and egg yolk; gunpowder-seasoned Wagyu brisket with green tomatoes and flatbread; and the Kentucky Fried Duck with jalapeno cornbread and sour cream. The herbivore menu includes fossilised carrots with dukkah and macadamias, and a dish of roasted sweet potato with green curry, lychee and coriander.
For drinks, Amos is highlighting Australian wines with a focus on small, minimal-intervention winemakers. He mentions the new wines from Joshua Cooper as a recent standout.
While the space hasn’t changed much from its Mini days, diners can expect to see some of Detour’s signature theatrics. Chefs will deliver dishes to your table with a flourish, and you might catch glimpses of liquid nitrogen wafting through the room.
Once the pop-up wraps up in May, Amos plans to re-open Detour permanently in a new development on Fish Lane. “We’ll get the keys in July and open around September,” he says. “It’s a bright future, and Fish Lane is a great area.”
Detour
5/826 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley (enter from East Street, under the fairy-lit trees)
(07) 3217 4880
Hours:
Wed to Fri 5pm–10pm
Sat midday–3pm, 5pm–11pm
Sun to Tues closed
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