Phenomenal. Amazing. Restaurant of the Year 2022. 🤤🤤🤤
That’s how we’re starting this food review because wow-zeee, Mick and I were very impressed by Dan Arnold; a modern Australian restaurant located in Brisbane, where polished meets avant-garde. This delicious menu blew our minds and palates, leaving us drooling for more. Not to mention Chef Arnold worked in a 2 Michelin star restaurant (Restaurant Serge Vieira in France) as their sous chef for 6 years.
They have 3 menu options: 3 course, 5 course, and 8 course, and two wine pairing options (normal and premium).
We ate the Carte Blanche menu (8 course) for $210 per person, and the premium wine pairing for $215 per person on 16th December 2022. We booked the restaurant a month in advance via their website.
That’s how we’re starting this food review because wow-zeee, Mick and I were very impressed by Dan Arnold; a modern Australian restaurant located in Brisbane, where polished meets avant-garde. This delicious menu blew our minds and palates, leaving us drooling for more. Not to mention Chef Arnold worked in a 2 Michelin star restaurant (Restaurant Serge Vieira in France) as their sous chef for 6 years.
They have 3 menu options: 3 course, 5 course, and 8 course, and two wine pairing options (normal and premium).
We ate the Carte Blanche menu (8 course) for $210 per person, and the premium wine pairing for $215 per person on 16th December 2022. We booked the restaurant a month in advance via their website.
Starters
Right after we sat down and settled into our seats, we were bombarded with this array of starters that had us drooling and smiling from cheek to cheek 😆. We hadn’t even opened the menu yet! It gave us instant déjà vu of our finest dining experience at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay (LINK). From left to right, it was a kangaroo tartare, a scampi with dill, and a vegetable ravioli.
The kangaroo tartare with lemon and crisps was impressive. It did not have that strong gamey stench kangaroo are well known for. It had a light taste. In fact, the tartare was diced so finely that the texture was smooth and creamy. The crisps provided a contrasting crunch, giving the overall impression of “chips and dips” in a bite.
This scampi with dill, nori and fingerlime was refreshing 👌. We couldn’t believe it was part of the FREE starters. The scampi was sweet and fresh, with a plump texture. The dill was fragrant. The fingerlime came through in-between each chew with its soft crunch and citric flavours. We loved the nori too; a medium thick piece of ocean salt.
Lastly the ravioli freshly made from vegetables, stuffed with ocean trout and topped with caviar was délicieuse. Look how big this scoop of luxurious caviar was — on a FREE starter. We were shook! 😲
This was a very light and refreshing bite, with hints of earthiness on the ravioli skin, mixed with a slight piquance and oceanic salt (from the trout and caviar). The texture was soft and chewy, melting on our tongues.
This was a very light and refreshing bite, with hints of earthiness on the ravioli skin, mixed with a slight piquance and oceanic salt (from the trout and caviar). The texture was soft and chewy, melting on our tongues.
Already up to a great start, we ordered our food and drink, and as the server took away the menu we were bombarded with another array of starters 😵 This was a foodie’s wet dream.
This was a toasted cheese and onion with a deliciously soft crust, melting into a warm, gooey, cheese filling. It was a dense bite.
This was a toasted cheese and onion with a deliciously soft crust, melting into a warm, gooey, cheese filling. It was a dense bite.
Next was a cauliflower puree on cauliflower couscous and tart. Instead of tasting the bland flavours of cauliflower, Dan focused on its unique texture to wow us. The root of the vegetable was used in this blended smooth creme to highlight the cauliflowers’ sweetness. And the head of the vegetable was turned into a fluffy ‘couscous’ texture to lighten the dish. Absolute gastronomy genius 😍.
We’re still on the starters here… This little bite was foie gras, rhubarb, apple and red wine. It was cold and refreshing. The sweetness of the fruit cut through the richness of the stuffed liver perfectly.
This oyster with Sichuan sauce and butter was such an interesting twist! The way the spice travelled along underneath our taste-buds as we slurped down the plumped, briny shellfish made it such a unique starter, but also acted like a palate cleanser 🤤.
We had a nice break here – long enough for us to digest, but not too long that we started getting hungry again. We spoke to Rowan (server) about the best restaurants in Sydney and Brisbane here.
For our staple bread and butter, we were served a variety.
For the bread: milk bun, molasses (hints of star anise), sourdough
For the butter: cherry tomato + citrus (fluffy mousse texture, with savoury tones and a sweet ending), salt (better than Pepe saya).
For our staple bread and butter, we were served a variety.
For the bread: milk bun, molasses (hints of star anise), sourdough
For the butter: cherry tomato + citrus (fluffy mousse texture, with savoury tones and a sweet ending), salt (better than Pepe saya).
HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE MOST WOWZER DISHES OF THE NIGHT! 🤤 When this dish arrived, the smell was so aromatic and in our face, I felt my stomach do a back flip in anticipation. This was a pork jowl congee with crackling pork and green onions.
Let’s start with presentation. They were able to make ‘congee’ look beautiful, but also misleading because it looked like puree. Upon contact with our mouth, we were genuinely surprised to find congee-like texture amongst the ‘porridge’. It brought a home feeling, of comfort and safety and happiness.
All the flavours were juxtaposing but met in the middle, with the pork savouriness coming through as the perfect knot. The crackling pieces were fluffy; not fatty or oily either. The scallions were cut finely, giving bursts of fresh earthiness to the bite. It was so delicious! 🤤 We were trying so hard to suss out the cooking secret so we could replicate this at home HAHA.
The matching wine was a white wine from central France. It was light and floral.
Let’s start with presentation. They were able to make ‘congee’ look beautiful, but also misleading because it looked like puree. Upon contact with our mouth, we were genuinely surprised to find congee-like texture amongst the ‘porridge’. It brought a home feeling, of comfort and safety and happiness.
All the flavours were juxtaposing but met in the middle, with the pork savouriness coming through as the perfect knot. The crackling pieces were fluffy; not fatty or oily either. The scallions were cut finely, giving bursts of fresh earthiness to the bite. It was so delicious! 🤤 We were trying so hard to suss out the cooking secret so we could replicate this at home HAHA.
The matching wine was a white wine from central France. It was light and floral.
Our next dish was calamari with tomatoes and roasted watermelon, matched with a pinot noir from Germany.
Do you see the protein? It’s the flat noodles!!! 😱 We were shook when we realised the calamari was sliced soooooo thin that it had the chewy texture and appearance of hand-pulled noodles. On top of that, the choice of roasted watermelon gave it a tender, meaty texture, with a – dare I say – gamey flavour? There was no overpowering sweetness from the watermelon at all. IF anything, the sweetness came through subtly from the tomatoes, balanced with the tartness.
Everything about this dish, from flavours to texture, was so creative and complex, yet when combined it was the perfect match to take us to gastronomy heaven 😍. Divine!
The aftertaste from the wine was perfect too, echoing the chamber of flavours down our throats.
There was another short intermission here that was not too long or short. It gave us enough time to fan-girl over the food.
Do you see the protein? It’s the flat noodles!!! 😱 We were shook when we realised the calamari was sliced soooooo thin that it had the chewy texture and appearance of hand-pulled noodles. On top of that, the choice of roasted watermelon gave it a tender, meaty texture, with a – dare I say – gamey flavour? There was no overpowering sweetness from the watermelon at all. IF anything, the sweetness came through subtly from the tomatoes, balanced with the tartness.
Everything about this dish, from flavours to texture, was so creative and complex, yet when combined it was the perfect match to take us to gastronomy heaven 😍. Divine!
The aftertaste from the wine was perfect too, echoing the chamber of flavours down our throats.
There was another short intermission here that was not too long or short. It gave us enough time to fan-girl over the food.
This was Fall Farm asparagus, scallop, Geraldton wax. It was the least favourite out of the six dishes but still a beautifully presented and delicious dish on its own.
The scallops were nicely seared; the crust enhanced its sweetness. Surprisingly, all the attention was on the vegetables. This was the first time a chef had cooked asparagus perfectly. The flavour was all in the asparagus’ natural fragrance, followed by slight undertones of its bitterness. This was balanced by the nuts, lime and green sauce; which was 65% sweet and 35% tangy.
The matching white wine was a little acidic, with a hollow aftertaste to allow the asparagus flavours to linger on the tongue.
The scallops were nicely seared; the crust enhanced its sweetness. Surprisingly, all the attention was on the vegetables. This was the first time a chef had cooked asparagus perfectly. The flavour was all in the asparagus’ natural fragrance, followed by slight undertones of its bitterness. This was balanced by the nuts, lime and green sauce; which was 65% sweet and 35% tangy.
The matching white wine was a little acidic, with a hollow aftertaste to allow the asparagus flavours to linger on the tongue.
This was trout with fennel chutney, confit potato and caviar, served with a pinot noir from North Queensland.
The confit potato was delicious 🤤, like eating a gourmet salt and vinegar chip. The potato flavour was very similar to the one served at Oncore By Clare Smyth (LINK), with the differentiating factor being the texture and type of sauce used. The sauce of this dish had a tang to it, followed by evenly dispersed caviar as salt enhancers – genius! The trout was divine; melt-in-your-mouth, creamy goodness.
The wine was a great choice, creating an echo effect that complemented the dish well.
The confit potato was delicious 🤤, like eating a gourmet salt and vinegar chip. The potato flavour was very similar to the one served at Oncore By Clare Smyth (LINK), with the differentiating factor being the texture and type of sauce used. The sauce of this dish had a tang to it, followed by evenly dispersed caviar as salt enhancers – genius! The trout was divine; melt-in-your-mouth, creamy goodness.
The wine was a great choice, creating an echo effect that complemented the dish well.
Next was a Tasmanian lamb with melon and cucumber, served with a shiraz. The wine was a medium bodied red.
The chef picked produce from Tasmania because of the state’s greener grass and hill landscapes, which results in the best tasting sheep in the country. We could definitely taste the difference compared to our local packaged lamb from the butcher. This Tasmanian lamb was both dense and tender (it was dense from their natural muscles but broke apart easily with a few chews), and only had a subtle gamey lamb flavour.
The green onions and capra (goat) sauce was light, sour and only produce the faintest gamey taste too. We haven’t acquired the taste for goat yet but Chef Arnold did a fantastic job convincing us to love it. The melon and cucumber were refreshing, cleansing our palate after every bite.
The chef picked produce from Tasmania because of the state’s greener grass and hill landscapes, which results in the best tasting sheep in the country. We could definitely taste the difference compared to our local packaged lamb from the butcher. This Tasmanian lamb was both dense and tender (it was dense from their natural muscles but broke apart easily with a few chews), and only had a subtle gamey lamb flavour.
The green onions and capra (goat) sauce was light, sour and only produce the faintest gamey taste too. We haven’t acquired the taste for goat yet but Chef Arnold did a fantastic job convincing us to love it. The melon and cucumber were refreshing, cleansing our palate after every bite.
OUR DECLARED WINNER AND FAVOURITE DISH OF THE YEAR: wagyu, ratatouille zucchini, eggplant caviar, muhammara 🤤🤤🤤. This beautiful and creative dish was everything we love about gastronomy.
The beef was a rump cap from a Queensland cow. It was tender and delectable, but packed with so much beefy flavour. The eggplant caviar was amazing; creamy, neutral flavours with texture of caviar. I only want to eat eggplant like this from now on! The ratatouille stuffed zucchini was another delicious element. It was a perfect balance of savoury and sweet flavours. The muhmmara was a hearty roasted red pepper jus. We could taste moroccan and cajun spice. Every component of this dish complemented each other so well, from textures to flavours 🤤. We would do anything to eat this dish again.
The beef was a rump cap from a Queensland cow. It was tender and delectable, but packed with so much beefy flavour. The eggplant caviar was amazing; creamy, neutral flavours with texture of caviar. I only want to eat eggplant like this from now on! The ratatouille stuffed zucchini was another delicious element. It was a perfect balance of savoury and sweet flavours. The muhmmara was a hearty roasted red pepper jus. We could taste moroccan and cajun spice. Every component of this dish complemented each other so well, from textures to flavours 🤤. We would do anything to eat this dish again.
We got some extra cheese to help support this amazing restaurant. They didn’t have brie or camembert, but this soft creamy cheese was superb. The accompanied cracker and sweet fig were great counter balances to the decadence of dairy.
The palate cleanser was a refreshing ginger and watermelon sorbet. Self explanatory deliciousness 🤤
Our main dessert was a chocolate brownie, served with a Spanish sweet wine. This milk chocolate brownie with chocolate mousse was rich, with grapes to cut through the indulgence. There was also pineapple crackles, miso caramel drops, malt ice cream and chocolate oplain for a variety of textures. Overall as a dessert, this dish was refreshing and moderately sweet (which is great for us when the dessert is not overly sweet) 🤤. The wine went well with this dish.
Our first petit fours was a strawberry tart with yuzu meringue. This was a sweet and sour bite, mellowed by the neutrality of the meringue. The wine went well with this dish.
This was a small bite sized apple muffin. It was flavourful and soft, with a nice crispy lid. The centre was an apple puree filling.
Lastly, we were served a blueberry jelly. This was another balanced bite, with sweet fruit notes enhanced by the powdered sugar. The jelly texture was chewy, but melted away in our mouths after a few chews. The wine was too sweet for this dish.
Drinks
This was a fig and reposado tequila cocktail with dates and lemon soda. It was fruity and delicious, with a moderate tequila flavour towards the end of the slurp. The wine pairing was plentiful in quantity. Notes on each individual wine is underneath the corresponding dishes above.
Service
The service was impeccable. Rowan was our main server and he was so nice to recommend us a few great restaurants to try while we were in Brisbane. He is also a food enthusiast and talked about coming to Sydney to try Oncore 🤤. The service made us feel like we were at a 3 Michelin star restaurant – hence our shock to find out they were not hatted!
Review
We love, love, LOVE Dan Arnold. It was an absolutel delight to eat here and we’ve already vowed every Brisbane trip will not be complete without another booking at this restaurant. They have won Best Restaurant in Australia in our hearts.
Thank you to N&A for their amazing taste and recommending this restaurant to us.
And thank you for reading. As always, happy eating!
Thank you to N&A for their amazing taste and recommending this restaurant to us.
And thank you for reading. As always, happy eating!
