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Gum Bistro

A relaxed inner-city newcomer from a talented young duo is making all the right moves at West End, writes ELLIOT BAKER.
Gum Bistro dining room
The inviting dining room at Gum Bistro
David Chatfield
BRISBANE
Address
237 Boundary St, West End, Brisbane

Two 20-somethings catch the hospitality bug, work around town, then shoot off to gain more experience. They return home to open their own place – where they call the shots. It’s a familiar story, but for chef Lachlan Matheson and sommelier Phil Poussart, it’s the framework for Gum Bistro, the duo’s impressive debut restaurant.

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Take, for example, their excellent tagliatelle, glistening in bisque sauce and studded with pearl-white chunks of Skull Island prawns. It shows Matheson’s years of making pasta at Pasta Club, the West End haunt that is now home to Gum Bistro.

Meanwhile, a plate of simply dressed vegetables – radishes, cucumbers and kohlrabi – served alongside a play on tarator (with pepitas instead of sesame seeds), reflects the seasonal, produce-driven ethos Matheson picked up at Bright in London.

Ask Poussart what to pair with these dishes, and he might steer you towards a nosiola from Trentino, or a pinot noir from Domaine Derain, a biodynamic producer in Burgundy. Or, introduce you to Pedro Parra, the Chilean soil expert, and pour you his mineral-rich pais. It’s clear Poussart’s stints at Fico in Hobart, as well as Essa and Pilloni in Brisbane, have shaped his knowledge. Here, he gets a chance to show it in full flight.

Brisbane Valley Quail, king & oyster mushrooms at Gum Bistro
Brisbane Valley Quail, king & oyster mushrooms.
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Matheson’s food never gets too tricky, drawing inspiration from his suppliers – some are listed on the back of the menu. Goolwa pipis and Urban Valley oyster mushrooms come together in an umami-packed sauce laced with thin strands of young ginger and basil. A flawless duck liver parfait, topped with a layer of rosella and port jelly, begs to be ordered with sourdough from Riser Bread.

Matheson knows when to leave something off the plate and when to put it on. Fried cauliflower comes with burnt onions and a creamy sauce made from Époisses cheese, but it’s an intense Sherry caramel that cuts through the richness and elevates the dish. Meanwhile, a date pudding, drenched in caramel and topped with cardamom ice-cream, is a lesson in simplicity.

Not everything is as simple. A Margra lamb dish may look unassuming, but it’s brimming with technique. The shoulder, belly, and trim are braised overnight, cut into pieces, and caramelised in the pan with the rump, while sweetbreads are blanched, dusted, and fried. It’s served with white beans, wilted radicchio and herb oil, allowing the meat to shine.

It’s still early days, but you’d think the owners have been running restaurants for years. Instead, they’re a couple of young blokes giving it a red-hot crack. Best of luck to them.

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Gum Bistro
237 Boundary St, West End, Brisbane
Price Guide
$$
Bookings
Recommended
Opening Hours
Lunch Sun; Dinner Tue-Sat

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