When e'cco won the Remy Martin Cognac/Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year award in 1997 it was a seminal moment in Brisbane's dining scene.
In those days Brisbane food was often compared with Sydney and Melbourne's offerings and found wanting and there's nothing those south of the border liked more than laughing at brash Queenslanders.
Well they are still laughing, now with Queensland's sense of fun, but from 1997 onwards the Australian food community started to look at Brisbane a little differently.
Flick forward 17 years and e'cco is still pushing out fabulous food that is simply a pleasure to eat. There's no trickery, instead its honest flavours carefully nurtured to highlight outstanding local produce.
Philip Johnson invited a group of food writers and bloggers to experience e'cco's new seasonal menu.
"My head chef Norman Harvey has built this new menu around seasonal produce such as padron peppers, mango, peaches and broad beans.The seafood and meat on offer is also seasonally focused."
Philip described the Brisbane public as an unforgiving lot but said e'cco had stood the test of time. Few could disagree with that!
He's also proud that along with many loyal customers, some of his staff has been with him for up to 10 years. He loves the way they work seamlessly as a team with no disagreements between back and front of house. I'm sure his customers would agree that goes a long way to ensuring a great dining experience.
So here's what we ate - it is drool worthy!
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| Lemon thyme butter poached bug tail, saffron mayonnaise, jamon crumbs & fennel salad |
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| seared scallops, pea tendril panna cotta, smoked ham emulsion & crispy leeks. |
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| green eggs and ham, white asparagus, pine nuts, rocket & vincotto |
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| Hazelnut crumbed veal sweetbreads, sauce soubise, shimeji mushrooms, truffled pecorino & candied hazelnuts |
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| Grilled white fish, roast pumpkin, wilted chard, lemon, caper, crouton and almond beurre noisette. |
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| duck breast, grilled mango, duck fat congo potato & red currant jus |
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| lamb loin, aubergine parmigiana, padron peppers and crispy artichoke |
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| licorice spiced pork belly, caramelised peach, onion jam & mustard kipfler potato. |
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| spanner crab tortellini, cauliflower puree, caperberries, peas, shallots & speck |
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| cape grim eye fillet, bone marrow, field mushroom, broad beans, onion rings & red wine jus |
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| crema catalana, red wine poached pears and almond praline |
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| cinnamon sugared doughnuts, lemon creme & raspberry jelly |
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| warm carrot cake, cream cheese mousse, candied pepitas and pumpkin ice cream |
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| mint & lime parfait, strawberry sorbet and lime meringue |
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e'cco
Bottom line: perfectly presented, beautifully flavoursome food. A delightful package.
Best tip: Street parking is available after 7pm.
Kerry Heaney
Disclaimer: E,d+bK was a guest of e'cco
