Walking down Queen Street towards Eagle Street, you’ll notice an illuminated glass box filled with ducks, strung up to dry age. It’s a sight more common in Chinatown or the streets of Hong Kong than the Brisbane CBD but, at Central, it sets the tone for what’s to come.
“We wanted to go light on with the signage,” co-owner David Flynn tells Broadsheet. “As people are walking past, they can glance in and see a dimly-lit space, but one of the light sources is the dry-aging cabinet. That’s our sign.”
As first impressions go, Central’s is distinctive. Descend a moody concrete staircase and you’ll find yourself in a hidden, cave-like space surrounded by 150-year-old rock walls.
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SUBSCRIBE NOW“It was probably about three years ago when we first started talking about the concept,” Flynn says. “We looked at a lot of different spaces over a year and a half, but when we saw this one, it was love at first sight.”
Central is the latest venue from the team behind Rick Shores and Southside: Flynn, Frank Li, Andrew Hohns, and Nick Woodward. For this project, they’ve partnered with Benny Lam, executive chef at Southside and native Hong Konger, along with Southside’s restaurant manager, Maui Manu.
Much of Central’s inspiration stems from techniques Lam picked up in Hong Kong kitchens. He says it isn’t easy for young chefs to earn the respect of older chefs, but once you do, you can learn a lot from them.
“They don’t really like to teach people, but if they see you are willing to learn and you have passion, they will slowly teach you a bit,” Lam says. “It’s lucky they liked me – I learnt some tricks that come through on Central’s menu.”
Start with dishes like Wagyu beef tartare served Cantonese chu hou-style (in a fermented soybean sauce); white cut kingfish with ginger radish, spring onion and white soy; or drunken chicken. Follow with dim sum, like scallop and prawn dumplings, Peking duck potstickers, and king crab and prawn spring rolls. Larger dishes include wok-fried lobster noodles and triple-cooked Wagyu short rib stir-fried with potato and red kampot pepper. From the barbeque, there’s classic roast duck with lilly pilly plum sauce, char siu pork, and crispy skin chicken.
While much of the menu nods to traditional Hong Kong cuisine, there are a few twists, such as a pineapple bun (traditionally a sweet treat served with butter) filled with crispy prosciutto and smoked butter, and youtiao (fried dough) served alongside a round of smoked foie gras, swimming in Davidson’s plum jus.
The extensive 250-bottle wine list, compiled by group wine director Peter Marchant, features selections from Australia and abroad. It includes wines from China’s Ningxia region; for something unique, try a flight of four of them. A cocktail list offers martinis in full or half serves, and innovative drinks like a nitrogen-compressed Pina Colada.
Architect and designer Jared Webb of J.AR Office – who was nominated for an Eat Drink Design Award for his work on the Gerard’s refurbishment – was tasked with transforming the space. The bare brick walls are made into features and the open kitchen sits at the heart of the room, adding an element of theatre. Overhead grid lighting and tiered seating create a striking fit-out, unlike anything else in Brisbane.
“We had some wild ideas coming from our side, but [Webb] was very open to them, and we ran with quite a few of them,” Flynn says. “There was an element of fun that we wanted to come through in the final product. And while it’s hopefully a serious venue, we also want it to have a casual nature and feel relaxed.”
Central
340 Queen Street, Brisbane City
3543 9588
Hours:
Tue to Sat 5pm–late
Thu to Sat 12pm-late (starting Oct 24)
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