Baba Ganouj
One of South Bank’s most beloved eateries is set to embark on a new chapter in just over a week’s time. On Thursday July 13, Lebanese-inspired restaurant Baba Ganouj will unveil its fancy new 200-capacity digs. The beloved nosh spot is relocating from its longtime home on Little Stanley Street (where it has operated since April 2016) to a new site just up the road, formerly home to Fifth Element. Here, Baba Ganouj owner and head chef Sayed Saleh and his team will continue to serve comforting Lebanese cuisine made with soul, using methods and techniques passed down through the generations, channelling heritage into the present day with morsels including house-made dips, sambousek, shawarma plates, fatayer, grilled skewers, kibbeh nayyeh, rekakat (Lebanese cheese rolls), stuffed vine leaves, fresh saj bread and more. A bar will dispense an array of beverages, while DJs and belly dancers will keep guests entertained on weekends (there will also be shisha after 9:00 pm nightly). With more room comes more space to accommodate functions – Baba Ganouj will boast a 12-seat private-dining space that can be expanded to cater to 70 guests. Keep your eyes peeled for a peek inside Baba Ganouj’s new location soon.
Momo Chicken
When we think of Brisbane’s best fried-chicken spots, it’s not long before our thoughts turn to Momo Chicken. The beloved purveyor of crispy Korean-style chicken and ice-cold beer has built a strong presence in Brisbane, opening locations in The City, Chermside, Upper Mount Gravatt and Runcorn. Residents of Brisbane’s southern fringe will be chuffed to hear that Momo is bringing its brand of comfort food their way later this month, with a new site set to open at Rochedale Village Neighbourhood Shopping Centre before the end of July. This 80-seater location will offer all of the Momo classics folks love, from the authentic Korean fried chicken flavour sets (including mounds of bone-in or boneless bites) and sizeable array of burgers to chewy tteokbokki and an assortment of other Korean dishes. The bar will also keep whistles wet, with beer, cocktails, soju, iced teas, milkshakes and soft drinks on offer. Stay tuned for more on this one once Momo Chicken Rochedale opens to the public.
FOSH
As we get deeper into the second half of the year, we get closer to a string of new and exciting openings. FOSH, the seafood-centric restaurant from the Tassis Group (Opa Bar + Mezze, Massimo Restaurant & Bar and Yamas Greek + Drink) has tabbed August as its opening month, revealing more details of the Hamilton venue’s offering as well as news of the talent that will be at the helm. Erik Di Luca, a Tassis Group mainstay that has been working with the crew since 2012, will be overseeing FOSH as operations manager. Vikash Gurung, a talented chef whose resume boasts stints at Greca, Fatcow Steak & Lobster and Jellyfish, has come aboard as FOSH’s head chef, joined by newly appointed senior sous chef Daniel Hernandez, himself an alumni of ESSA, Restaurant Dan Arnold and La Cache à Vín. Rounding out the senior staff will be rising front-of-house and managerial star Daniel Burton, who was previously a valued team member at Matt Moran’s Aria. As for the menu itself, fresh details hint at the likes of caviar bumps, lobster with bottomless fries and local line-caught fish alongside oysters, prawns, scallops and bugs sourced from trusted suppliers.
Siffredi’s
It’s a sad day for spaghetti lovers – Siffredi’s, Teneriffe’s cheeky pink-hued spaghetti bar beloved for its adventurous flavour combinations, will close to the public on Saturday July 29. The Siffredi’s crew announced the devastating news via Instagram, revealing that after two-and-a-half years of trade (and more than 40,000 bowls of spaghetti sold), the crew would be calling time on the project. A pandemic-era pivot born out of “redundancies and ‘rona”, former Stokehouse Q veterans Ollie Hansford and Aleks Balodis helped energise Teneriffe’s Vernon Terrace strip with their spaghetti-centric concept, joining Zero Fox, Streetcorner Jimmy and Ollie and Aleks’ other concept, Rita’s, in turning the street into a perpetually buzzy nighttime zone. Siffredi’s farewell menu will feature a range of the restaurant’s most-beloved dishes, including snacks like fried olives with black-garlic mayo, Siffredi’s tiger toast, and half-shell scallops with ‘nduja crust, plus spaghetti topped with the likes of smoked roe, XO and carrot-butter sauce, and butternut squash, smoked burrata and salsa verde. If you’re eager to slurp up some saucy noodles one last time, make a booking ASAP.
And, in case you missed it …
Joe’s Deli
Brisbane’s sandwich scene continues to go from strength to strength. A year on from its debut at Pacific Fair, Gold Coast sandwich superstar Joe’s Deli is travelling north to open its second location, bringing its menu of deli-style eats to the heart of The City. Joe’s Deli will open in late-August at the base of 123 Albert Street. A laneway site is currently being transformed into a hip eatery with indoor high bars, loads of booth seating and external seats wrapping around the laneway. A window will facilitate preorders and service takeaway customers, but those dining in will be able to soak up the old-school New York-inspired decor, complete with artwork and hand-painted vintage-style sign writing. As for the menu itself, expect to see some of the biggest hits from Joe’s Deli’s Rolodex of specials graduating to the main menu (we hear word that Joe’s newly launched hotdog range will become a permanent fixture), alongside a string of classic all-star sandwiches, subs and decadent desserts that have been huge sellers since the beginning. Conceived as both a lunchtime staple and a handy after-work hangout, Joe’s Deli Brisbane will also boast a boosted booze selection, with locally brewed beers and ciders joined by a range of organic wines, seltzers and mixers from the team at Soda&. Read all about Joe’s Deli’s forthcoming arrival here.
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