Having gone to the acclaimed restaurant Joy a few years ago for my birthday, I was thrilled when I heard that Chef Tim had opened a new venture in the city. With its focus on an omakase style menu that centres on the freshest produce, I was down to try it. We would have gone immediately had it not been for the fact that we needed an excuse to splurge on such a fancy dinner. As such, we patiently waited until our anniversary to justify the meal. I made the reservation two months early, and it was lucky that I did as they go fast. Although the sign to the restaurant is easy to spot, the door wasn't easy to find. Turns out you have to go into the gallery next door and turn in after to go down the stairs.
Being seated immediately after our arrival, we were greeted with a Tengumai sake to celebrate our anniversary. This was crisp and cool with a nutty and earthy aftertaste, a fantastic start to our meal. Exhibition Gin and Apple Cocktail. These were deliciously floral and fruity respectively and the clear ice was also a great touch to the drink.
Having seen it numerous times on social media, I knew what to expect, but seeing the selection of snacks on the table in front of me still managed to take my breath away.
Hokkaido island scallops with Yarra valley smoked salmon caviar and mandarin tsuyu was unbelievably fresh and the scallops were very sweet. I loved the tang of mandarin that complemented the smokey caviar.
Chutoro, ginger and daikon. The daikon posed as a dumpling wrapper and the dumpling itself was filled with chutoro and ginger. It was a little salty but packed a zing. The crunchy dumpling 'skin' was very unique and stood out.
The sashimi yellowfin tuna, shiso and horseradish was my most anticipated dish given my love for sashimi. From memory, when they first opened this dish was made from toro, but since toro isn't in season right now it was simply yellowfin tuna. With its stronger meaty flavours, it went well with the horseradish.
Amaebi, Calamansi Kosho, Shiro Shoyu. Amaebi is by far my favourite breed of prawn because of how tender the flesh is, it can be forgiven for how small it is. Dipped in the tangy calamansi and umami shoyu, it was a delight to eat.
Saison smallgoods, duck leg 'lap cheong'. This came with the premium menu. I hadn't had duck lap cheong before and this was surprisingly gamey and waxy with a fragrant smokey scent. If I wasn't told it was duck, I would easily have mistaken it for regular pork.
Saison smallgoods pork, pepperberry salami was a good contrast to the duck lap cheong. This was definitely less sweet and the berries gave it a very sharp heat that I really enjoyed, but between the two, I do prefer the duck more.
Pork Lincoln oyster, lemongrass, jicama was a surprising hit for us. I am not usually a fan of oysters but these were delectable. With the added crunch of jicama, it provided a smorgasbord of textures which was only elevated further by the lemongrass oil.
Abalone liver parfait, shokupan was my favourite of all the snacks and also allegedly Chef Tim's favourite. The abalone liver was light but buttery with a rich umami flavour to it. The shokupan was crisp and spongey, providing the perfect vessel to enjoy the liver parfait. I could have eaten ten of these.
Sashimi scampi, xian you tiao and polanco oscietra sturgeon caviar was Dr L's favourite of the snacks. The you tiao was crisp without being oily and the scampi was quite sweet. We liked the addition of polanco oscietra caviar which was delicate and buttery.
9+ Wagyu, Quinoa, Hikari Miso was served in a light crispy tart base. The wagyu was raw and seasoned with a rich umami miso, and the quinoa gave it an added texture that doesn't ordinarily go with tartare.
Cucumber, spring herbs, vegetables was a celebration of local veggies and produce. It was refreshing and delightful with its multitude of crispy crunchy textures and I loved the vibrant colours too!
Duck dashi master stock rounded off the snacks for us. Deep and mellow, it was unbelievably rich and sweet with star anise flavours, making for an ideal interlude before the full sized courses.
King prawns, yuzu, sugar snap peas was the start of our larger dishes. The peas were crunchy and the yuzu was very tart, I just wish there was a bit more of the meaty king prawns in the dish to balance out the veggies.
Roasted duck crown, beetroot and juniper was without a doubt the highlight of the meal for both of us. This was by far the best duck we have had in Brisbane. The skin was perfectly crispy with the fat underneath rendered off. The meat was well seasoned, complemented well with the sweet beetroot sauce. I will definitely be back, if anything for this duck dish.
9+ Wagyu Yakiniku, white asparagus, beurre noisette was our second main. Whilst delicious, it didn't stand out as well as the duck. Perhaps because we had recently enjoyed 11+ wagyu the week before, this was not as soft but it had a very strong meaty taste to it. It was cooked to a perfect rare pink which I really liked, although it wasn't dripping in blood, which was great. The asparagus was roasted with a light caramelized exterior whilst retaining its crunch too, an all round delicious main.
Interluding with a Red Shiso Liqueur, this had a warm peppery taste with grassy elements to it. It was a nice gap between our mains and dessert.
Vu Sua, pink pepper yukari. It was sweet, smooth and soft with a coconut like flavour. Added with the spice of yukari, it was a unique and delightful fruit.
There were two dessert courses that evening. The mango, cucumber, sesame, yoghurt was a very surprising combination. I had never enjoyed cucumber in a dessert context before but it was very invigorating and served as a quasi palate cleanser. The mango wasn't too sweet and the sesame provided a fragrance to it. Our second dessert was the brown butter, macadamia, vincotto. Much richer and sweeter, I loved the caramelised burnt flavours with the macadamia crunch. It was a perfect way to round off the meal.
Despite being full to the brim, we were surprised with two parting gifts when we were presented with the bill, a mandarin marmalade and blackberry tart, which was citrusy and not too sweet with a crumbly base and a smoked milk chocolate truffle, rich and decadent.
Overall we had a splendid time at Exhibition. Despite the sheer number of diners eating with them every day, they managed to make each and every one of us feel welcome and special. I can't wait to come back again!
Price Range: $150pp for basic $210pp for premium
Taste: 9.5/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 9.5/10
Environment: 8/10
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