Pavement Whispers: Volume 523 September 2
From news of not one – but two – new foodie hot spots opening up in Noosa to the return of beloved Madame Wu to Brisbane waterfront, The Weekend Edition is always on the search for the latest food news in Brisbane, dedicated to ensuring its readers are in the know. When we put our ears to the pavement this week, this is what we found out …
Cibaria Noosa is set to open on Hastings Street this summer
Renowned chef Alessandro Pavoni and the Maestro Hospitality team are bringing the vibrant spirit of an Italian piazza to the Sunshine Coast with the launch of Cibaria Noosa. Building on the success of Cibaria Manly, the new venue will be located within Sofitel Noosa on Hastings Street, offering an all-day celebration of Italian food, wine and hospitality. Guests can expect a traditional, multi-experience menu featuring everything from antipasti to handmade pasta, enjoyed in the relaxed yet elegant space that includes counter dining, lounge seating and the serene Lily Pond Terrazza. At the heart of it all is Bar Capri, a welcoming, walk-in-only space designed to capture the casual energy of Italy’s outdoor social scene. With head chef Lucas Bach leading the kitchen and a strong focus on quality and community spirit, Cibaria Noosa promises to be a lively destination for locals and visitors alike, “a space that embraces the European way of socialising, all day every day” as Alessandro says. Cibaria Noosa is set to open at the beginning of summer 2025 – just in time for a spritz or two. Stay tuned for more details to come.
Madame Wu returns to Brisbane’s riverfront
Madame Wu is back – brighter, bolder and ready for a new chapter on Brisbane’s riverfront. The popular Asian dining spot has recently reopened after a multi-million-dollar refurbishment that amplifies its dazzling location on Eagle Street and sweeping views of the Brisbane River. The longstanding favourite has undergone a complete interior transformation, revealing dramatic spaces layered with stone, texture and ambient light. A sleek new cocktail bar and elevated private dining rooms add to the redesign, giving guests fresh ways to experience the venue. The transformation extends to the kitchen, where executive chef Brendon Barker has introduced a menu that balances inventive flavours with Madame Wu favourites – expect dishes like duck-parfait spring rolls, wok-fried bug meat in XO sauce and rice-crusted market fish braised in jorim with mizuna and radish. And yes, the famed tang tui chicken ribs remain firmly on the menu – a delicious reminder that while the look may be new, some things are too good to change.
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Bar Alto’s Month of Mollusc begins today
Bar Alto’s beloved Month of Mollusc kicks off today, diving into its second year of celebrating all things shellfish. After 15 years of perfecting its iconic pot mussels, Bar Alto is going all out this September with a special menu dedicated to molluscs – think Appellation oysters with shallots and apple vinegar, Shark Bay scallops, and of course, mouth-watering mussels cooked in a variety of delicious styles. Available for lunch and dinner all month long, these unique, one-off dishes will sit alongside Bar Alto’s regular a la carte offerings. If you’re a seafood lover, now’s the time to head to the riverside and indulge in mussel season. Head here to book your seat.
MISSCHU brings Asian-inspired street food to Hastings Street
Another exciting opening for Noosa this year is the fun, quirky Asian-style street food ‘tuckshop’ MISSCHU. Deemed as the ‘healthy hawker’, MISSCHU was founded in 2009 in Sydney by Nahji Chu, a Vietnamese-Laotian refugee who wanted to bring authentic and healthy Vietnamese food to Australia. After quickly earning a cult following around Melbourne, the brand’s current owners Gabi and Heike Machado, felt that it was time to bring the establishment north to Queensland. The tuckshop is renowned for serving fresh, fast and healthy adult and kids menu items including warm vermicelli salad with lemongrass beef, organic berry rice and quinoa with seared XO salmon as well as Shanghai pork dumplings and chicken bao buns. All of the dishes are cooked in a wok with pure olive and coconut oil, with unrefined and low-GI palm sugar for sweetness. The drinks offering is equally fresh and refined with a selection of bubble teas, Heads of Noosa on tap, classic tropical cocktails and frozen coconut crushes, perfect for sipping and overlooking the action on Hastings Street. In terms of the space, three outdoor terraces connect seamlessly with the interior, which seats up to 85 people. For the first week, the MISSCHU team will be giving away a free beach bowl daily for the first 50 takeaway customers. So don’t MISSCH-OUT.
Festitalia is back at RNA Showgrounds this month
Clear your Sunday, grab the famiglia and don your stretchiest pants because Festitalia is back and it’s dishing up the ultimate Father’s Day feast. After an eight-year hiatus, the beloved celebration of all things Italian will transform the RNA Showgrounds this Sunday September 7 into a carb-loaded playground of wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta, Nonna-approved sauces, gelato carts and more espresso than Dad can handle. As for entertainment, there’ll be opera singers, folk bands, roaming Pulcinella street performers and even world-class pizza acrobatics (yes, dough will be flying). For the competitive dads, enter him into Best Dressed Italian Dad or Dad with the Biggest Pancia (belly, for those wondering), prizes include eternal bragging rights and Merlo Coffee hampers. Whether you’re Italian by blood, by love or just by appetite, this is the day to eat like Nonna’s watching, dance like Zumpa’s playing and toast with a cheeky limoncello. Evviva!
If you’ve heard something that’s worth mentioning in The Weekend Edition’s Pavement Whispers, email [email protected].