The story
Daniel and Amelia Miletic’s honeymoon was a foodie’s dream. Gallivanting around the Amalfi Coast and the Adriatic Sea, the duo spent 25 days savouring the bountiful seafood of the region (Daniel never met a seafood risotto he didn’t like), making mental notes of every tantalising morsel they encountered. Daniel has been overseeing the culinary offering at Kangaroo Point destination Banter since it opened in 2017, but a recent opportunity to take over the spot has given the chef the chance flip through his seafood playbook (Daniel was also formerly a chef at The Fish House) and do something a little bit different with new concept One Fish Two Fish. Daniel and Amelia have given the old Banter space a cosmetic facelift, lathering on a new coat of paint and installing brand-new furnishings to give the interior a sparkling white Hamptons-inspired feel. The front bar offers a casual spot to loll about with friends and family, casually grazing and guzzling while people watching. Further in is the seated dining portion, which makes way for a deck at the venue’s rear that is a perfect perch for functions, breezy sundowners and snacking.
The food
The haul at One Fish Two Fish runs the gamut of the ocean’s bounty, and Daniel has cleverly organised his catch into some charming and chomp-worthy categories designed for casual nibbles or serious feasting. First is the ‘Hook, Line and Starters’ section, which includes small plates such as oysters with oak-aged chardonnay mignonette, rainbow Cajun fish taco nachos and soft-shell crab sliders. Next comes ‘Old Fish New Fish’, a selection of modern interpretations of classic seafood dishes – crumbed calamari rings, battered cod and panko-crumbed flounder goujoins feature. The menu moves to fancier options next, offering up whole salt-baked fish, a seafood risotto stacked with fish, shellfish and crustaceans, Thai green curry with dumplings, and tagliatelle with portobello mushroom ragout. A dedicated potato menu will ignite the interest of any carb lover, especially when it features shoestring fries, potato scallops and potato bake with nduja sausage sprinkled with your choice of sea salt, chicken salt, vinegar salt or Cajun gun powder. Diners are free to pick and choose how hard they go, but those struggling to make a choice can opt for ‘seacuterie’ platter at the bar, which gives patrons a taste of One Fish Two Fish’s bite-sized eats.
The drink
Amelia and Daniel have curated a light and effervescent drinks list to pair with the snappy fare, favouring sprightly wines and cocktails. Rosé is a big focus, with several French and Italian varieties sitting snugly amongst first-rate Australian selections. From eight taps flow five beers and three cocktails, including espresso martini, peach spritz and Pimm’s. Pair that with some crafty beer cans and bottles behind the bar and you’ve got some mighty fine quaffing material to select from.
One Fish Two Fish will open to the public on Friday February 15. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for regular Red Fish, Blue Fish dinners featuring appearances from some of Brisbane’s top-flight chefs. For menu details and opening hours, click on over to the Stumble Guide.
