It was a retro redo to celebrate both Good Food Month and Sofitel Luxury Hotels’ 50th anniversary at Prive 249 by Chef de Cuisine Josh Okorn.
Over riding Brisbane's Central Station and overlooking Anzac Square, Prive247 is an elegant dining space with a touch of French flair.
Even the black and gold cutlery is elegantly understated.
Chef Josh Okorn is Queensland born and bred, growing up in Maleny where he began his career at the well-known King Ludwig’s. Josh came to Prive249, which recently was awarded a hat in the Brisbane Times Good Food Awards, from Libertine at the Barracks. Prior to Libertine he spent several years in Europe working in restaurants and luxury hotels.
The occasion was an Australian Travel Writers Association lunch and the options were full of old fashioned faves given a modern twist.
The lunch started with an amuse bouche of quail eggs mimosa with prunier caviar.
Absolutely perfectly tender and well flavoured, the wagyu beef tournedos were doused with a perigourd sauce.
Individual bombe Alaska flambes to finish were a mix of rich, creamy ice cream on a soft cake base, topped with soft meringue crisped at the peaks.
French hotel brand Sofitel Luxury Hotels is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014, a special milestone that marks a half-century since the brand launched its first hotel in Strasbourg to now offer more than 120 luxury addresses in 40 different countries worldwide.
To celebrate the occasion, Sofitel's hotels across Australia have commissioned Donald Williams of Global Arts Projects to curate an exhibition of evocative Paris images by San Francisco-based, Melbourne-born photographer, Jon Rendell.
The exhibition is showing in Sofitel Brisbane Central’s expansive main foyer this month where it will stay until 24 August.
Kerry Heaney
Disclaimer: The ASTW lunch was sponsored by Sofitel.