What the Broadsheet Team Ate (and Loved) in Brisbane in 2024

When someone finds out you write for Broadsheet, their first question is always, “So, do you get to eat a bunch of really great food?” Yes, yes we do. Selflessly, our writers and editors put their waistlines and wallets on the line to make sure we’re always across the best dishes in Brisbane. Here are the best things we ate in 2024.

Prawn omurice, Snug

Brisbane hardly has any places serving omurice, but thank god one of them is Snug. What makes this dish for me isn’t the rice, the perfectly soft egg, or even the comically large king prawn on top. It’s that rich, zesty shiitake soy sauce combined with the chives and sesame on top.
– Kit Kriewaldt, subeditor

Pho bo, Saigon Alley Cafe

I work 200 metres from Saigon Alley Cafe and I reckon I’ve visited about 50 times this year. Why? Short answer: the beef pho broth is robust and seasoned perfectly. I love the self-serve condiments station with lime, Thai basil and fresh and pickled chilli. The noodles are the best I’ve had in Brisbane – a little thicker and rounder than the standard flat noodle – and the varied cuts of beef are always generous: sliced rare beef, brisket and tender meatballs. They also make an exceptional Viet iced coffee with heaps of crushed ice and strong espresso.
– Becca Wang, contributor

Caramelised brioche, golden syrup and cultured cream, August

This deceptively simple dessert just might be my dish of the year. It’s all about balance: the tangy, slightly acidic cultured cream effortlessly offsets the sweetness of the golden syrup-drenched brioche. With these two elements working in harmony, it’s pure unadulterated perfection.
– Elliot Baker, contributor

Prawn and pork wontons in chilli broth, Happy Boy

Is Happy Boy’s $50 chef’s menu the best-value banquet in Australia? It’s a non-stop flavour assault lasting more than 90 minutes, but the biggest flavour bomb of the meal was the plate of pork and prawn wontons swimming in a chilli broth. These slippery suckers look like ’tons on ’roids, but before I knew it, I’d eaten more than my fair share. Don’t make the same mistake I did – save some room. You’re going to be here for a while.
– Dan Cunningham, food and drinks features editor

Massaman beef short rib, Ping Pong

I can’t stop thinking about this massaman beef short rib I ate while shooting at Ping Pong in Newstead. Their first chef, Boywo Muangson, is an absolute genius and they’ve just hired an amazing new head chef called Woody Sarawut. Short rib and massaman are two of Ping Pong’s staples and this lovechild of them both is absolute fire.
– Rachael Baskerville, photographer

Plain croissant, Lune

When I spent a rainy 24 hours in Brisbane earlier this year, I knew I had to brave the elements to pick up a croissant from Lune. Once I found myself down in Lune’s laneway, with its brutalist concrete bench and line up of pastries, I (a Sydneysider) was plunged into a new world of luxe lamination. I mean, it’s one croissant, Michael. What could it cost? $7.10. While usually I’d have a whinge about a croissant passing the $5 mark, it was totally worth it. With flaky layers and a glossy crisp shell, it was an absolute dream.
–Lucy Bell Bird, national assistant editor

Raw scallops, Supernormal

These silky-smooth scallops are the best appetiser in a crowded field at Supernormal. Each one is balanced on a crisp cracker made of seaweed and topped with punchy slices of pickled ginger. Forget oysters – these are my new favourite Martini accompaniment.
– Kit Kriewaldt, subeditor

Fish crumpet, Milquetoast

Disclaimer: this dish is no longer on the menu, so read with caution. I love a raw fish dish. At Milquetoast, they had this three-citrus cured white fish (oftentimes snapper or Red Emperor), sliced thin and built over a mini crumpet with curry aioli and pickles. It ticks all my flavour and texture boxes. It’s bright, creamy, acidic, chewy in a good way. This dish and a glass of riesling was everything I’d ever wanted.
– Becca Wang, contributor

Maranggi beef satay, Warisan

Forget everything you know about satay. This West Javanese version, from chef Alfie Musthafa’s native province, is something else entirely. Tender beef skewers are generously coated in a rich, sticky kecap manis-based sauce, while pickled vegetables bring a fresh contrast.
– Elliot Baker, contributor

Honey butter bread, Snug

I’m sceptical of the trend of making sweet things increasingly savoury: chilli chocolate, mushroom caramel, and the like. But this caramelised honey butter bread may just have converted me. The toasted bread comes with a sprinkle of salt and a serve of garlic butter – moreish doesn’t begin to describe it.
– Kit Kriewaldt, subeditor

Mussel escabeche, Bar Miette

Mussels are, for me, a god-tier seafood. But on toasted white bread? With an aioli spiked with lots of dill? Marinated in vinegar? Truly so glorious. I’ve had it every time I’ve been to Miette.
– Becca Wang, contributor