South City Square
Last week Sasso Italiano caused a stir when it sauntered onto Brisbane’s food scene. The brainchild of Vincent Lombino and Jared Thibault of FnB Collective brought a dash of retro glamour and Italian indulgence to Pellicano’s Logan Road development South City Square, its arrival marking an exciting period for Woolloongabba’s dining landscape. In 2022, FnB Collective will follow up Sasso’s launch with a string of new concepts that make the precinct one of Brisbane’s most exciting eating hubs. FnB Collective’s next venue is set to launch in February with the opening of South City Wine, Vincent and Jared’s take on a classic European wine bar. Located at the base of 1 South City Square, South City Wine will feature a Collectivus-designed interior boasting a material palette of green marble, timber and stone, with an outdoor setting branching out into the precinct’s laneway. Expect an offering big on natural wines and charcuterie, with a menu also featuring steak frites and steak tartare. South City Wine will grow to include a bottle shop by May, showcasing a range of vino handpicked by the team. The fun doesn’t stop there – following hot on the heels of South City Wine’s opening will be a big-format brewpub, boasting aesthetics described by the team as a Frank Lloyd Wright-style contemporary chalet, drawing influence from the elements (earth, wind, fire and water) to create an engrossing textural interplay. The venue will be equipped with six bright tanks filled to the brim with beers concocted by brewing partner Aether Brewing (the maker of Sasso’s Italian-style lager), as well as a small pilot system used to brew small batches of specialty beers for FnB’s venues and retail. Continuing FnB Collective’s breathless run at South City Square will be Casa Chino – a 100-seat bar-centric concept drawing inspiration from Peruvian and Chinese cuisines – and a Mad Men-inspired steakhouse boasting a speakeasy vibe applied to a restaurant setting, with an offering focusing on chophouse-style eats (and plenty of old fashioneds). This isn’t even an exhaustive list of what Vincent and Jared have planned for South City Square, but rest assured we will be scoping out each and every opening as they arrive next year.

ALBA by Kuruvita
Internationally known chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, Dilmah Tea ambassador and television presenter Peter Kuruvita is a busy man. Soon, he’ll be busier than ever. Not long after hanging up the apron as head chef at Noosa Beach House (wrapping up a lauded eight-year tenure), Peter announced plans to open an exciting new venture of his own called ALBA by Kuruvita – a multifaceted venue located on Alba Close in Noosa Heads. The venue, which is set to open on Thursday December 16, is situated on the site of the original ‘Noosa White’ sand quarry (a stone’s throw from Noosa Springs Golf & Spa Resort), drawing its name from the Latin word for ‘white’ and the Spanish words for ‘sunrise’ or ‘dawn’. ALBA by Kuruvita will boast a cafe and pizzeria, cocktail bar (conveniently located close to the 18th hole), restaurant, providore, cooking school and event space, each showcasing a diverse range of offerings influenced by Peter’s love of quality produce and global flavours. Details on the menu are being kept close to the chest until December, but lovers of Peter’s famed snapper curry won’t be left wanting. Stay tuned for more details on ALBA by Kuruvita next month.

Alanna Sapwell to head Beach Byron Bay
Here’s some big news for foodies living in Byron Shire – award-winning chef Alanna Sapwell is heading south to take up the role of head chef at Fink Group’s immensely popular beachfront restaurant Beach Byron Bay. The former ARC Dining chef has been making waves across the nation with her touring restaurant pop-up Esmay and will look to put her signature spin on the Beach Byron Bay menu when she officially steps into the role next February. Famed for her skilful use of hyper-seasonal, ethically raised and sourced produce, Alanna will no doubt look to creatively make the most of the local bounty for her menu, which will likely include plenty of seafood and Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Current head chef Simon Palmer will continue running the kitchen until January next year, while Seamus Brandt, ex-head sommelier at Bennelong has already joined Beach Byron Bay as operations and beverage manager.

Ngon
Just because it’s nearly December doesn’t mean Brisbane’s dining scene is slowing down. Quite the opposite – a score of eateries are set to open between now and the festive season and two of them will be calling Paddington their home. On Friday December 3, the team behind phenomenal Vietnamese restaurant Ngon will lift the cloche on its brand-new 100-seater location on Given Terrace, showcasing some slick new digs in addition to some mouth-watering menu additions. Owner Tuan Nguyen (who also operates Given Kitchen & Bar) and his team have been hard at work over the past month fashioning the new site at 183 Given Terrace (located directly opposite The Paddo Tavern) into a clean and spacious locale boasting some unique decorative touches. Expect a bit of a modern-industrial vibe (courtesy of some exposed ceilings and polished concrete floors) accentuated by a collection of colourful handmade lanterns imported from Vietnam and an eye-catching noodle man mural on the feature wall. In addition to the main dining space, Ngon will also boast an alfresco area and a private-dining room (nicknamed the Tiger Room, which is also illuminated by its own custom light fixture). We’ve been told to expect a menu flush with Ngon’s beloved Vietnamese-inspired fare, with the addition of some new small and large plates – and a specialised vegan and vegetarian offering – set to showcase a host of tempting flavours. Ngon will also be licensed, with an extensive wine list, beers and signature cocktails likely to feature. Come January Ngon will launch its breakfast and lunch service, which will see the offering expand more to include banh mis and coffee from Industry Beans. As for Ngon’s old space at 233 Given Terrace, Tuan and co. have some exciting plans in the works for that spot as well …

MAO Latin Dining
Come Wednesday December 8, Ngon’s old location will reopen as MAO Latin Dining, an eatery celebrating the traditional cuisines of Latin America. MAO’s kitchen will be helmed by head chef and co-owner Eduardo Obando – a skilled culinary maestro who has previously worked as sous chef at lauded inner-city restaurant Urbane. Managing the restaurant and overseeing its front-of-house operations will be Eduardo’s wife (and MAO co-owner) Paula Torres. MAO’s interior will draw influence from every Latin-American country, with a simple and homely aesthetic favouring comfort. As for the offering, MAO’s menu will boast a selection of tacos, small plates (including oysters and ceviche), large-format dishes and sides. We’ll have more on both venues when they open next month.

Tiny Bar
If you’re seeking an intimate venue to engage in some end-of-year revelry, allow us to introduce Tiny Bar – a brand-new pop-up spot launching in South Bank this Friday November 26. Tiny Bar is the brainchild of Muragh Operations general manager Chris Cosgriff, who is opening the temporary tipple spot in partnership with the hospitality group (which also operates The Jetty South Bank and Newstead locale Botany). Chris has snagged a spot on Stanley Street Plaza (between Nando’s and El Camino Cantina) for the concept, building and fitting out the space by himself over a two-week period. The result is a cosy 30-seater bar that will operate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12:00–10:00 pm until the end of January. Being a tiny bar with a small footprint, Tiny Bar will offer a concise selection of drinks and snacks. Four cocktails will be available on tap (a pink grapefruit margarita, a navy-strength Moscow mule, a Bloody Shiraz spritz and a Four Pillars negroni) alongside a draught pale ale from Slipstream and a clutch of wines. Tiny Bar’s food offering will be limited to three items – oysters with either mignonette or cucumber-and-gin dressing, fresh prawns with cocktail sauce and a cheese board featuring three Australian cheeses. The pop-up’s sole staff member will also double as a DJ, playing vinyl records in between pouring drinks and dishing out food. Tiny Bar can be booked out in its entirety (not a bad idea if you’re still contemplating Christmas party spots) – you can make a reservation via The Jetty’s online booking system (be sure to select the ‘Tiny Bar Pop Up’ option) here. 

Le Bon Bakery pop-up
Speaking of pop-up concepts, carb lovers will get a kick out of the news that Woolloongabba-based French restaurant C’est Bon will be hosting its own Parisian-inspired pastry concept from tomorrow, Wednesday November 23. Le Bon Bakery will operate from the Le Bon Bar space Wednesday to Saturday from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm until Christmas Eve, serving an array of grab-and-go boulangerie-style baked goods. While the selection will be constantly changing, we’ve been told that there will be croissants, baguettes and loaves galore, as well as specialty items including rum baba, Toulouse sausage rolls, croque monsieur and pre-packaged granola – all made in house! Specialty coffee from Roast by Yili will also be on offer, because what pairs better with a croissant than coffee? Le Bon Bakery will also be selling some Christmas-themed items in the days leading up to December 25, so be sure to pop in and stock up ahead of your festive feasting.

If you’ve heard something that’s worth mentioning in The Weekend Edition’s Pavement Whispers, email [email protected].