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

Clarence - Woolloongabba

 

After a particularly challenging week at work, Dr L and I decided to go somewhere a bit more fancy for date night. Going down my list, we opted for dinner at Clarence, a fairly well established modern Australian bistro at Woolloongabba, recently awarded one chef's hat on the good food guide. 

We made a reservation since it was Friday night, but the restaurant wasn't entirely full so perhaps walk in would also have been sufficient. I loved the rustic decor with the exposed brick walls. Service was personable and friendly whilst maintaining an air of professionalism. 

 

The menu was very concise, with less than half a dozen starters, mains and only two desserts. Lucky for us, there was also a 3 course set menu that allowed us to sample more of the menu.

First of the entrees was Yellowtail Kingfish, miso, apple buffalo curd and shiso. The flavours were delicate and intricate whilst the kingfish was fairly firm in texture. The shiso made the dish decidedly asian in theme whilst the apple added a sweetness and crunch to it.

 

Our other two entrees were the Cold roast pork, bagna cauda, capers and celery and the Watermelon, cherry tomato, cucumber and stracciatella. Both were very interesting, the cold roast pork was almost like a terrine whilst the bagna cauda and capers gave it a very sharp zing. The watermelon really elevated what would have been a simple but enjoyable veggie salad, adding a level of fresh sweetness to it.

We were provided a serve of house made bread and house made butter. I found the bread to be very dense and filling but I did like how it was served warm and crusty. The butter was definitely a highlight for me though and it was rich, creamy and salty.

 

Our mains showed up after a brief interlude, we had the duck, beetroot, fig and soubise along with the  dry aged dairy cow with sugarloaf, pickled grapes and pepper sauce. Both were well received, my preference was for the duck whereas Dr L enjoyed the cow more. The duck had a fairly crispy skin, the fat had been well rendered and it was well infused with a delightful onion flavour whilst the beetroot and fig added sweetness to compliment. I was slightly reluctant to order the dairy cow dish as dairy cow is often not used for consumption due to how tough they're known to be. With this in mind, I was pleasantly surprised by it's texture, not being too far off from a rump steak with a very delightful beefy flavour to the meat. The sugarloaf was delicate and absorbed much of the zingy pepper sauce.

Our sides include salad and duck fat chips. The salad was fairly standard, fresh and tart. The duck fat chips were phenomenal. They were fragrant, crunchy and had a fluffy interior and they were definitely one of the better chips I've had lately. Portions wise, the chips were also very generous and definitely filled us up.

Our third course was dessert, we had the honey custard with queen garnet plums as well as a rhubarb and white chocolate tart, rhubarb sorbet. I'm not particularly a fan of rhubarb as it reminded me a bit of a sweet celery, but the tart was very well done with a crisp thin shell and a refreshingly tart sorbet. Our favourite of the night though was undoubtedly the honey custard, rich sweet and wholesome, it was a wonderful dish to round off our meal.

In summary, we had a really delightful evening at Clarence. I really appreciate their ability to take fresh, seasonal local ingredients and apply their skills to elevate them on each plate. The three course set was good value in this day and age and makes for a memorable date night. I highly recommend!

Price Range: $75pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10 

KatsuYa - Fortitude Valley (2023 Revisit)

There are very few restaurants who can legitimately claim to be booked out a year in advance, however Katsu Ya, my favourite Japanese omakase in Brisbane is one of those places. Their bookings for 2023 opened in October 2022 and I was lucky enough to be able to secure three reservations for their much coveted omakase this year. With only six seats a night and only being open four days a week, reservations are able to be obtained with personal reference from friends and family of Chef Katsu. It is with much joy that I am able to recount my first time back since the new year.

Compared to when we first went, the dining area has since been painted a colourful floral hue that matches the plates. Chef has also infused the kitchen itself with his personality, notably the adorable bear bricks and the sneakers he adores. Like every time I go, everything was set in its place and everything was perfect.

Always making sure to arrive on time, I love having the prime spot at the counter to admire Chef Katsu's cooking.

Treasure show plates were laid out right after everyone arrived. We were definitely in for a treat that night and displaying the fresh produce before we watched them being cooked only further whetted our appetites.

Our first course was the Nannygai Snapper topped with Chives, Salmon Roe, Bottarga. The texture of the snapper was amazing. It was crunchy and smooth with a sweet aftertaste. Combined with the popping salmon pearls and umami of the bottarga, it was a spectacular opening dish.

 

This was the Hokkaido Scallop, Calamari and Sturgeon Caviar. I hadn't had this last  year and it was incredible. The scallops were so fresh that they were unbelievably sweet. Chef Katsu also expertly diced the flesh and removed the skin of the calamari so it was extremely tender and flavoursome without the chewiness of skin. Sturgeon caviar is always delectable and this would probably be my second favourite dish of the night.

 

Sashimi courses came next, first up was the Flathead and Blue Eyed Cod from New Zealand. I have never had flat head as sashimi before and this was surprisingly tender but with a sweet aftertaste that I really enjoyed. The cod was far more firm with a light delicate flavour. Between the two of them, I preferred the flat head. 

 

Our two other sashimi courses were the classic Alpine Salmon and two week dry aged Toro. Compared to regular salmon, Alpine Salmon had a far more clear cut taste without the oily finish to it, although still maintaining a super smooth texture. My favourite sashimi for the night though was of course the dry aged toro with its firm meaty texture and buttery aftertaste.

 

As an encore to the delicious Toro, for the next course, chef made a NegiToro with Wagyu hand roll. As chef introduced the dish, this was indeed the best handroll I've had in my life. I appreciated it particularly after recent less stellar experience in the field. The rice was well seasoned and had a perfect texture. The wagyu was tender with a light charring to it and a melty buttery texture which complimented the toro perfectly. I don't think anything else can top this hand roll. 

Our other hand roll of the evening was the Foie Gras Hand Roll. Also lightly charred and topped with soy and chives, it was rich, buttery and delicate. Although not a regular in Japanese cuisine, it was very complimentary in flavour to the nori and sushi rice. A few of my companions rated this above the negitoro wagyu handroll, but I think that although it was good, it is hard to dethrone the best handroll.

 

Our next two courses were cooked and also more substantial. This was the Toothfish served with Salmon Roe, Bottarga and Dashi. Toothfish seems to be one of the most popular fish recently and this was executed wonderfully, with a lightly charred crust, and a buttery, flakey texture inside. The lightness of the meat ensured that it was a perfect vessel to absorb the fragrant and delicate three hour cooked dashi. Bottarga and Salmon Roe only added more to its umami flavour.

After much anticipation, and the earlier taster in the hand roll, we had the Kagoshima Wagyu served with locally sourced oyster shroom picked on the day. The wagyu was grilled to perfection, allowing for the fat to render and then absorb some of the amazing dashi. The oyster mushrooms were light but still flavoursome, making for a wonderful companion for the beef. 

Rounding off the savoury courses was miso soup with fish, made with love. I have had other miso soups in the past but this was phenomenal. Deep and mellow with different textures of fish, with none of the fishiness, it was everything one could want in a miso soup. I really enjoyed it.

Dessert for the evening was Pineapple topped with Leatherwood honey and a dash of hibiki. The pineapple was fresh and tart, contrasting well with the thick, floral, sweet honey. Adding to this was the nutty, peppery taste of hibiki, giving the dessert a striking kick as it went down. Simple but delicious, it was the perfect dessert to round off the amazing meal.

In a world where first times usually outshine sequels, I have to say that Chef Katsu has stepped up his game in 2023. Although, pricey, it was entirely worth every cent. Chef handled every ingredient masterfully and with respect, every element of cooking was executed to perfection and I cannot wait to come back later in the year.

Price: $250pp (but worth every cent)

Taste: 10/10

Value: 10/10

Service: 10/10

Environment: 10/10