Dann Rowell isn’t a fan of the term “pan-Asian”, and yet, he’s the head chef at Luc Lac, a new restaurant bringing Vietnamese and Thai-inspired dishes to Brisbane diners.
Rowell grew up in the Welsh town of Tenby where, other than one pretty good Chinese takeaway, there wasn’t a whole lot in the way of Asian cuisine.
From Tenby, Rowell travelled the world cooking: “I spent most of my time in Thailand. My partner is Thai so we pop over there quite often and see her family, and eat our way around the country”. He arrived in Australia 12 years ago.
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SUBSCRIBE NOWHe cut his teeth cheffing at luxury lodges including Longitude 131 at Uluru, Silky Oaks Lodge in the Daintree and Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island. Most recently he was head chef at the Asian-inspired Balfour Kitchen & Bar at Spicers.
This is Rowell’s first time working with the Ghanem Group, which runs nine other Brisbane venues, including Donna Chang and Boom Boom Room.
After a research trip, Ghanem Group directors were taken by the Vietnamese shaken beef dish, bo luc lac, and originally planned to open an entirely Vietnamese restaurant, according to Rowell. Focusing on one cuisine would have moved them away from the dreaded “pan-Asian” label but as Rowell says, “[If you do that] you kind of limit yourself. … If you broaden it out a little and pull in more of the tropical elements, it gives you the opportunity to use the high-end produce we wanted. We’d call ourselves inspired by the flavours of the region and their cuisines … We’re not exactly doing the food from that country, we’re just using it as a jumping-off point, as a creative spark.”
Dishes include an interpretation of the venue’s namesake dish which has been reimagined with imported Cambodian Kampot peppers and beef tossed with betel leaf and lemongrass. “You get all the aromas of the pepper without it being overwhelmingly hot,” says Rowell.
Bringing in French flavours, there’s a take on escargot made with sustainably hand-caught vibrant periwinkles from executive chef Jake Nicholson’s Victorian hometown. They’re served with ginger, spring onion and a chicken broth that becomes a rich sauce to swipe up with the meat of the mollusc.
Goat’s cheese giant Meredith’s Dairy is supplying young male goats for a tender Vietnamese yellow sour curry. There’s also a deep-fried speckled grouper served with native tamarind and a punchy Thai three-taste sauce.
The big flavours are mirrored in the venue’s maximalist interiors, with vibrant patterns and oversized rattan pendant lights. There’s a bar area for a quick bite and doors that open out onto an external gallery where there’s seating for another 46 guests. The focal point of the space is a back-lit jade onyx bar from which they serve theatrical cocktails and pours of local wines, including an exclusive riesling from Clare Valley winemakers Rieslingfreak.
Luc Lac
Queen's Wharf Brisbane, The Terrace, Level 4/33 William Street, Brisbane City
(07) 3187 8088
Hours:
Daily midday–late
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