Black Pearl Epicure

As a child growing up in Hamburg, Iranian-born Babak Hadi was exposed to a multitude of cuisines. Developing a love of food – and caviar sandwiches – at a young age, it seemed fitting that Hadi would go on to open a provedore in Brisbane, filling a very big gap in the 1990s food scene.

Hadi’s store was originally called Black Pearl Caviar before a government ban on the product forced him to change it to Black Pearl Epicure.

The caviar ban has since been lifted, so now you can find Yarra Valley salmon roe and Sterling Royal caviar sitting next to antipasto platters, fresh dips and more than 300 varieties of cheese. There’s even Grade 1 Iranian caviar, if you’re feeling reckless.

Black Pearl also sells hard-to-find products such as Vialone Nano (an Italian variety of rice) and truffle flour (yes, that’s a thing). The fine food store further stocks an extensive range of cured meats, fine chocolates and products from the Simon Johnson and Maggie Beer ranges for all your picnic needs.

Complementing the retail section is a wholesale warehouse for those in the industry, as well as a designated cooking school where you can learn the craft of cheese-making and Indian cooking among others.