Pneuma - Brisbane CBD

 

 

I had wanted to check out Pneuma, by Dan Arnold and Matt Blackwell (probably two of the most famous chefs in Brisbane) for some time now, however as a more refined and higher end experience, I wanted to save it for a celebration of sorts. Luckily for me, that circumstance came faster than expected with a change of jobs. To celebrate this milestone, we made a reservation for a Friday night dinner.

As they only open for two evenings a week (and more during lunch hours), it was inevitable that it would be packed. We managed to score one of the last tables of the night at the bar rather than the dining area.

I believe that during lunch service, you can order individual plates, however during dinner there was only a choice of the short or extended menu with a few optional add ons. We opted for the extended menu.

Although sitting at the bar was ultimately not as comfortable as in the dining room, we were able to enjoy the spectacle of our drinks being prepared by the bartender. We opted for two mocktails, these were fruity and delicate with a refreshing aftertaste. 

First to arrive was the Royal Miyagi oyster, bonito, brown rice miso and parsley. Oyster with parsley seems to be a very mainstream combination with flavours that deeply complement each other. It was no different in this instance. I really liked the fresh oyster that was neither too small nor too big for my enjoyment, with the added herbal scent of parsley and the earthy flavours of miso.

Our only addition to the course was the oyster emulsion, bonito, brown rice miso and parsley. It was like a creamier iteration of the first course and went down in one bite. I only wish it was larger so that I could have enjoyed it a little bit more.

 

Next up we had the smoked eel cream, black apple & prune, crispy potato and the aged cheddar and comte custard tart, malted onion, burnt leek. The eel dish was very interesting, I slowly ate it expecting to come across a more substantial piece of eel, but it was entirely a rich cream infused with eel, topped with crispy potato strips that were crunchy without a hint of oiliness. The cheddar tart reminded me of the wagyu tart I had at exhibition, except this time it was richer and sharper with the cheddar cheese. I really enjoyed this course. 

Next was the rosemary sourdough with a cultured miso butter. A good friend of mine in the foodie circles raves about this bread and how it is the best bread in Brisbane. Whilst it probably isn't number one in my books, I could definitely appreciate the appeal. The bread was perfectly warm with a crusty exterior and a fluffy interior that was just right to melt the butter. I just wish I could have had another piece.

This was the heirloom beetroot, aged apple vinegar, garlic almond cream, pickled walnut. It looked and tasted like a work of art. I enjoyed the delicious beetroot, crunchy walnuts that came with a distinct smokey smell as well as the additional zing of garlic almond. An absolute sensory delight. 

 

Our "large" plate of the night consisted of slow cooked wagyu, cipollini onion, bone marrow with black truffle served with salt and vinegar baby potatoes glazed in preserved truffle and honey. Although this was probably our main course, the wagyu beef was small and was at most three mouthfuls. The crispy cipollini onion was delicious and reminded me of deep fried garlic flakes. The bone marrow was also rich and creamy whilst the beef was melt in your mouth tender. My only issue with this dish is that the black truffle flavours did not come out at all which was a bit disappointing. As for the potatoes, I also didn't get much of a truffle taste from them, but they were lightly crispy and fluffy inside.

 

There were two dessert courses to round off the extended menu, a citrus leaf custard, roasted white chocolate, feijoa and a gianduya chocolate, banana miso caramel, roasted vanilla cream, crystalised cocoa nib. Although they had different elements to them, both desserts were actually fairly similar in terms of tastes and textures, offering a rich chocolate taste and crumbly biscuit textures. The only main difference was the sharp zing of the citrus leaf custard in the first dessert. Both were delicious but didn't really stand out to me as particularly outstanding. 

Overall we had a solid time at Pneuma. I was glad to be able to satisfy my curiosity once and for all, and could definitely appreciate the effort and craftsmanship that went into making quite a few of those courses to earn it two chefs hats. Having said that, it was definitely a let down for me to have paid in excess of $130 per person for dinner and to have left not feeling full. I could not imagine how hungry I would have been if I had ordered the short course instead, so I don't think I will be back anytime soon.

 

Price Range: $130 - $140pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 4/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10