If we were to curate our ultimate meal, we wouldn’t bother with sticking to just one cuisine. If it’s our actual dream dinner, you’d best believe we’re going for a bit of everything.
Steak? You bet. Pizza? Make it two. Sashimi? Keep it coming.
Unless we’re making all of this ourselves, very rarely do we get to enjoy all of our favourite dishes in one sitting. But Mr Duncans, Vince Mōefa’auo’s ambitious new Fortitude Valley dining hub, is giving us the chance to live out our wildest gastronomic fantasies.
Located in the heart of Chinatown Mall, Mr Duncans is giving Fortitude Valley foodies a chance to sample an assortment of cuisines under one roof. The venue, located at the bottom of a gleaming new-build commercial tower at 31 Duncan Street, is equipped with four kitchens – each dedicated to cooking a different cuisine. With an aim towards redefining Chinatown’s culinary landscape and activating a forgotten part of The Valley, Vince is taking a big swing with Mr Duncans – but he’s not doing it alone.
Overseeing the multifaceted concept’s culinary offering is award-winning chef Shaun Presland, who joins with 30 years of experience in hospitality. Boasting extensive classical training in all aspects of Japanese food (including stints working at world-renowned restaurants like Sake Restaurants and Nobu), Shaun is a seasoned pro whose steady hand and attention to detail is key to the execution of Mr Duncans assortment of dishes.
“We’re pushing boundaries,” says Shaun. “It’s not just about serving food – it’s about crafting, experimenting and surprising guests with unexpected flavour combinations and innovative techniques. We’re creating a culinary journey unlike any other, where all different cuisines sit side by side and come together in perfect harmony. You won’t find this kind of culinary adventure anywhere else in Brisbane.”
With four kitchens firing at once, variety is a massive selling point for Mr Duncans. A casual food court Mr Duncans is not – the gear here is restaurant quality in regards to its presentation, produce and, most importantly, flavour. There’s no defined starting point, but we’ll begin with the raw bar, which boasts a Japanese lean. Here, you’ll find Pacific oysters with a dash of shiso vinaigrette, beef tataki with sweet soy, tosazu jelly and bonito-cured egg yolk, snapper sashimi with spicy nashi pear and white-sesame dressing, and assorted market-fresh sashimi.
Skip across to Mr Duncans’ pan-Asian counter and you’ll be presented with morsels like cheeseburger gyoza, strange-flavour eggplant with fried capers and Hong Kong soy, hand-diced Hunan beef tartare, flash-fried and wok-tossed Singapore chilli crab, and lotus-leaf-steamed Jiangxi rainbow trout with mustard greens and pickled red and green chillies. Fancy something European? A third kitchen is dedicated to a number of Italian staples – think octopus carpaccio, burrata bathing in basil oil, potato pizzas with miso brown butter, gnudi (gnocchi-like ricotta dumplings) with spinach and lemon butter, and linguine with black basil sauce, grilled squid, gremolata and lemon.
Last, but certainly not least, is Mr Duncans’ grill section. This section’s fire-licked morsels include steaks (striploins and skirts), flame-grilled Korean buffalo half chickens, pork belly bossam (with DIY lettuce wraps), baby pork back ribs with maple teriyaki sauce, and Mooloolaba prawns with shiso kombu butter. On the veggie front, there’s cumin-rubbed corn on the cob, Brussels sprouts with kimchi vin, and broccolini with sesame sauce, ginger tare and dancing bonito flakes.
Over at Mr Duncans’ bar, guests can supplement their feast with a clutch of signature cocktails or classics made with a Mr Duncans twist. Highlights include The Gleeson (fat-washed olive oil vodka with sea salt, cream and Vanilla demerara syrup) and the Vietnamese coffee martini – an invigorating number that mixes vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur and condensed milk. Bolstering the cocktails are a clutch of mocktails, a range of tap beers and wines available by the glass.
Mr Duncans is now open for lunch, bar snacks and dinner next door to its cafe sibling Buttery Boy – head to the Stumble Guide for operating hours and menu info.
