If you're a meat and potatoes kind of person, I would advise that Gerard's Bistro isn't for you. If however you like a bit of pizazz and creativity on your plate, this quirky laneway bistro is pure food theatre.
Getting through the menu options at Gerard's Bistro takes a bit of time. Not just because there are a plethora of dishes to choose from, but because each dish is so unique that putting all of the individual items together in your mind really takes some heavy thinking.
Getting through the menu options at Gerard's Bistro takes a bit of time. Not just because there are a plethora of dishes to choose from, but because each dish is so unique that putting all of the individual items together in your mind really takes some heavy thinking.
To help us decide between a dish with "cured yolks" or a dish with "kashk" we hit the cocktails list. Below were these two stand out drinks, soaked up by some pretty amazing bread:
The bread was salty and herbaceous, and so lovely and soft on the inside. The whole table could have happily eaten it with lashings of the smoked butter all night.
This all whetted the appetite pretty well for the food party we were about to experience on our taste buds.
- Negroni: Tanqueray, Antica Formula, Campari
- Lavazza Espressotini: Absolut Elyx Vodka, Kahlua, an espresso of freshly ground Lavazza coffee, vanilla sugar syrup
- Organic house bread, smoked Pepe Saya butter
The bread was salty and herbaceous, and so lovely and soft on the inside. The whole table could have happily eaten it with lashings of the smoked butter all night.
This all whetted the appetite pretty well for the food party we were about to experience on our taste buds.
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We then finally got our order on:
I don't normally pop a whole baby beet in my mouth, but when it has a dollop of creamy kashk on it (which is like a Middle Eastern yoghurt-type dairy product), it becomes pretty hard to say no to. This dish was just so pretty too, with micro herbs and flowers making the plate look like a mini-garden.
The chicken skins were honestly, out of this world. Even the health buffs at the table couldn't help themselves, and after saying there was no way they were eating this dish, they had a good go at polishing off most of the plate.
Rather than being a health buff, I'm the kind of person who has been guilty of buying a whole roast chicken from the supermarket, then picking off and eating all of the skin on my way home. I have seriously had dreams of dishes like this and Gerard's has made this dream come true.
The duck liver parfait was rich, rich, rich. The amount of parfait on the crisp breads was mighty generous and the smoked prunes did a good job of both lifting the dish but also adding another level of sweet depth at the same time.
- Roasted baby beets, kashk, black garlic, elderflowers
- Crisp chicken skins, Aleppo kimchi custard, barberry salt
- Duck liver parfait and smoked prune crisp breads
I don't normally pop a whole baby beet in my mouth, but when it has a dollop of creamy kashk on it (which is like a Middle Eastern yoghurt-type dairy product), it becomes pretty hard to say no to. This dish was just so pretty too, with micro herbs and flowers making the plate look like a mini-garden.
The chicken skins were honestly, out of this world. Even the health buffs at the table couldn't help themselves, and after saying there was no way they were eating this dish, they had a good go at polishing off most of the plate.
Rather than being a health buff, I'm the kind of person who has been guilty of buying a whole roast chicken from the supermarket, then picking off and eating all of the skin on my way home. I have seriously had dreams of dishes like this and Gerard's has made this dream come true.
The duck liver parfait was rich, rich, rich. The amount of parfait on the crisp breads was mighty generous and the smoked prunes did a good job of both lifting the dish but also adding another level of sweet depth at the same time.
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To keep the taste bud party going, we then opted for:
To both of these dishes I can only say: wow. The pork was fantastic and while some people were a little scared by the caramelised blood, it really was one of the best ways you could possibly eat blood. It was sweet and rich and went so well with the artichoke puree.
The cauliflower plate was a medley of aromatics. There were so many flavours happening in each mouthful, that again it took up a lot of thinking time to try to pinpoint exactly what you were tasting. Loved the tangy pomegranate seeds served on top of this too.
- Suckling pig, fossilised pear, caramelised blood, Jerusalem artichoke, walnuts
- Fried cauliflower, tahini, ras el hanout, smoked almond and pomegranate
To both of these dishes I can only say: wow. The pork was fantastic and while some people were a little scared by the caramelised blood, it really was one of the best ways you could possibly eat blood. It was sweet and rich and went so well with the artichoke puree.
The cauliflower plate was a medley of aromatics. There were so many flavours happening in each mouthful, that again it took up a lot of thinking time to try to pinpoint exactly what you were tasting. Loved the tangy pomegranate seeds served on top of this too.
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We then reached the theatrical dish of the night:
The wagyu brisket comes out as a slab of meat (there's really no other way to say it). But you get your own personal shredder who makes light work of carving it up into beautifully tender strips for you to pop onto some flat bread and top with sauces, cheese and pickled vegetables.
While this dish is beautifully cooked and moreish, it felt a little less interesting compared to everything else we'd eaten so far that night. I guess that's the problem when you set the taste bar so high.
- Slow roasted wagyu brisket with seasonal accompaniments
The wagyu brisket comes out as a slab of meat (there's really no other way to say it). But you get your own personal shredder who makes light work of carving it up into beautifully tender strips for you to pop onto some flat bread and top with sauces, cheese and pickled vegetables.
While this dish is beautifully cooked and moreish, it felt a little less interesting compared to everything else we'd eaten so far that night. I guess that's the problem when you set the taste bar so high.
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We couldn't dine at such an interesting place without testing out the dessert menu:
Each of these desserts were absolutely outstanding. The portion sizes were very generous as well, which is always good when it comes to creamy foods.
I particularly loved the frozen cardamom cream which picked up the orange blossom brilliantly. It was decadent and floral and really unique.
- Turkish apple sorbet, candied walnuts and spiced rum cake
- Frozen cardamom cream, raspberries, wafer and orange blossom
- Jerusalem artichoke, malt, caramelised chocolate, coffee and oat
Each of these desserts were absolutely outstanding. The portion sizes were very generous as well, which is always good when it comes to creamy foods.
I particularly loved the frozen cardamom cream which picked up the orange blossom brilliantly. It was decadent and floral and really unique.
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A visit to Gerard’s Bistro requires a slightly adventurous desire to eat something you would never make at home. Toasted ham and cheese sandwiches are out, fossilised pear is in.
If you love new tastes and beautifully constructed dishes, you cannot go wrong at a place that serves up cured pork jowl, green almonds and vegetables with pretty flowers on them.
The Particulars
If you love new tastes and beautifully constructed dishes, you cannot go wrong at a place that serves up cured pork jowl, green almonds and vegetables with pretty flowers on them.
The Particulars
- Gerard's Bistro can be found at Gerard’s Lane, 14 / 15 James St, Fortitude Valley Brisbane, QLD 4006
- Open for breakfast (Sat & Sun), lunch (Tues – Sun), dinner (7 days)
- Dinner share plates range from $4 – $48
