THE BRIGHT, THE BOLD & THE PALEOYum Gluten Free

THE BRIGHT, THE BOLD & THE PALEO Restaurant, Brisbane QLD

{ ASANA BY CHEF PETE EVANS DELIVERS AN ECLECTIC MENU OF ASIAN, MIDDLE EASTERN & AUSTRALIAN CUISINES FOR AN ADVENTUROUS PALEO FINE DINING EXPERIENCE. }

Contributor: yum. Gluten Free

Upon taking my seat at Asana by Pete Evans, it became obvious that the decor was reflective of the food – thoughtful, classy, unrefined, creative and transparent. The dining room contains an open kitchen and is spacious and comfortable. It’s encompassed by glass to give diners an unobstructed view of urban Brisbane. There are pops of bright colours in quirky chairs, glass water bottles and paper cranes.

This design fits in with the paleo diet which has nothing to hide, heroing real food with no gluten, grains, dairy, refined sugar or preservatives. The chefs can also answer any question about the menu, as nearly everything is made in-house.

I was stunned by my incredible starter. It was a massive array of meats, fermented vegetables, beetroot hummus, olive tapenade, chicken liver pâte, paleo toast and seed crackers. I was especially impressed by the seed crackers. They are made solely of seeds and nuts and are baked to perfection to become the perfect carriers for each of the beautiful dips. And can we just talk about the chicken liver pâte for moment? Truly the best I have ever had. It was so amazing I would have been thrilled to have another few jars of it for my main but, wait, we’re only onto the entrée!

Course two of the night was a selection of two entrées: lemongrass prawn skewers with sesame, organic salad and nouc cham (a type of Vietnamese dipping sauce) and Middle Eastern spiced kangaroo skewers with pomegranates, mint and sesame. The kangaroo was truly impressive, cooked beautifully on a bed of chopped nuts, seeds, herbs, fennel, green olives and pomegranate. The ingredients complimented each other so well that it created an incredible flavour that I have never tasted before… and one I cannot wait to taste again.

On to the mains. Two exquisite dishes were served: ginger-braised beef short rib with Asian greens and roasted barramundi, sweet potato purée, lime and coconut sauce. The ginger-braised beef pulled apart effortlessly. It was the comfort of home cooking lifted to the pleasure of fine dining. The fresh salad on top was just what the rich beef needed to balance the whole dish. The barramundi was also cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection, with the added bonus of perfectly crispy skin on top. It was hard to believe that there was no dairy added to the smooth and creamy sweet potato purée.

With little room to spare, out came the sweet treats I had been eyeing all night. I couldn’t believe my luck when I was offered all five desserts on the menu! There was raw raspberry mousse cheesecake with whipped coconut and berries, cacao and coconut mousse with warm brownie and nut bark, coconut panna cotta with seasonal fruits, lemon pound cake with vanilla coconut creme and hazelnut brittle and the last one was a paleo tiramisu. With each dessert just as rich and satiating as the one before, it was hard to believe they were all gluten, grain, dairy and refined-sugar free.

Asana by Pete Evans at the Capri by Fraser hotel in Brisbane has truly outdone itself. Every dish was stunning, the staff were attentive and warm and the vibe was one of relaxed enjoyment. Check it out, for an epic gluten free, paleo-inspired feast. Enjoy!

Asana by Pete Evans

Capri by Fraser 80 Albert Street, Brisbane Qld Phone: 07 3013 0088

Email: reservations.brisbane@capribyfraser.com