W Brisbane’s Three Blue Ducks are bringing a fresh new menu that I was lucky enough to sample on Wednesday evening this week. I was getting some seriously fancy Christmas lunch vibes.
Dinner at Ducks is always a big deal. On Wednesday last week I was lucky enough to attend the launch of the Autumn 2022 menu and wow- we had fun! We were serenaded by live music (love to see so many venues supporting the arts post-COVID lockdowns), surrounded by beautiful people and ate like royalty.
I've had the pleasure of dining at Ducks several times over the last few years and if I could summarise Three Blue Ducks it would be this:
'Non-foodies read the menu and are all 'arghhh, Bushtuckerman vibes and raw stuff, will I like this!?' Then the food comes, it's perfection, surprising, delicious. Wine glasses clink and the merriment begins.'
Please tell me you are hearing the theme song in your head.
Honestly. I don't love carpaccio, as a rule. I don't really eat much game (although I'm told I have loads of it)
Loved the venison carpaccio.
My delightful date for the evening doesn't love seafood. Enjoyed the seafood dishes.
I did have to ask Gorgeous Georgia, editor of UrbanList what a quandong was, but hey, I've been a surburban mother of several for many years now. I'm more familiar with how to hide vegetables in mince than I am in super-chic native pickled elderberries. Thank god Georgia was there to be our native food glossary. Urbanlist are lucky to have that girl.
I adore seafood and thus, was absolutlely in raptures over the seafood. Bugs with wok-tossed greens, charred prawns, natural oysters with some magical accompaniment. The peri-peri glazed kingfish is what made me think of Christmas. I want to take the whole family there to order the whole menu and enjoy some merriment. I feel if there's anything we all need right now...it's some goddamned merriment!
Mark, Andy and Darren's menus will change your mind about the foods you thought you didn't like. I encourage you to walk on the wild side and try something new.
Location: Three Blue Ducks at W Brisbane, 81 North Quay Brisbane 4000
Brisbane Foodie + Friend were guests of the W for dinner but were not paid for this post.
The Press Release below:
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - W Brisbane’s signature restaurant, Three Blue Ducks is launching their all-new menu from March 24th that’s sure to curb the cravings of foodies the world over.
Sit back and relax as Three Blue Ducks gets set to plate up a fresh set of inspiring dishes that tell a unique story from each of the chefs, as diners take in the sweeping views of the Brisbane River.
Curated by Andy Allen, Darren Robertson and Mark La Brooy of Three Blue Ducks, the menus feature 18 new dishes across breakfast, lunch and dinner, that draw from their personal inspirations, their backgrounds, extensive knowledge of incredible produce, and of course their paddock to plate dining philosophy.
The Three Blue Ducks trio are no strangers to sourcing the freshest South Australian produce and in creating his Stracciatella, pickled melon, Davidson plum and fennel crunch Darren collaborated with their friends Olsson’s salts in South Australia for a special Davidson plum salt.
“The Davidson plum fennel crunch gives the dish texture, the base is fried sourdough crumbs which allows us to use up bread trimmings in the restaurants, and the green oil is a way for us to use excess herb stalks while adding vibrancy to the dish. We season this with roasted crushed coriander, fennel seeds, chili flakes and dehydrated Davison plum powder for a little tang which we mix with Olsson’s flaked salt,” said Darren.
An array of flavours are ignited across the menu and have evolved from inspiring experiences to bring together an epic selection to be shared with friends and family. Mark’s influence from his hands-on approach comes to life with the Peri Peri glazed kingfish, sumac almond cream, heirloom tomato, radish, mint and cucumber.
Mark says this dish came about when he was “Spearfishing in the Coral Sea a few weeks back and came across a nice Green Jobfish in about 20m of water. Green Jobfish are not available in the commercial fish marketplace, but they’re a nice fatty fish that gets a great crispy skin when licked by the fire, so this got me thinking about a similar fish we could use - and that’s the kingfish.”
The unmistakeable menu offers up something for everyone from original ingredients that get the Three Blue Ducks treatment giving them a vibrant welcome to the plate, including Andy’s Burnt cabbage, smoked tomato butter, crispy pork skin.
“This is a dish that I created for a masterclass on MasterChef where I was asked to complete the mystery box from the previous week and show the contestants what I would do in their shoes. The box consisted of dark chocolate, pork chop, tomatoes, cabbage, flat leaf parsley, lemon and ciabatta. The episode should air in late April, “said Andy.
“I was drawn to using cabbage as it’s incredible how much flavour you can get out of it through heavily roasting it. If there’s one thing burnt cabbage loves it’s butter, and I decided to pair this with one of the first sauces I ever made in a Ducks kitchen, a tomato butter, which I smoked to give it a full body.”
It doesn’t stop there. The menu just wouldn’t be complete without the bold beverage knowledge of the Three Blue Ducks Sommelier, Mem Hemmings. Hailing from the UK, Mem joined the team back in 2014 and has her finger on the pulse when it comes to what’s new and next.
“Over the last five years, I have loved exploring the country's amazing and varied wine regions, discovering and learning as much as I can about Australia's wine industry,” said Mem.
“We are always looking at ways to reduce our impact on the environment and we've introduced a 12-tap system for beer, cider and even some of our wines, which has saved us using 9,000 bottles a month. What’s more is that the wine seems to love it – as it sees no oxygen until the moment it hits your glass. Our high-quality organic or biodynamic wines come from independent winemakers who put their hearts into what they do and work with us for our respect of the produce."
If you’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth, then you’ve come to the right place. Diners won’t be disappointed and can finish off the night with a delicious chocolate parfait, almond streusel, raspberry with stout ice cream or a Basque cheesecake, with a port wine poached pear and ginger sable. The new menu from the team at Three Blue Ducks is sure to not disappoint.
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