FEASTING TOP FIVE GUIDE · FROM THE ARCHIVE
Five Queensland tables I still remember from 2023
Five very different Queensland food memories from 2023, revisited through Zen’s archive.
A restaurant archive is a strange kind of diary. You remember the year through tables: where you sat, what arrived, who reached across for the last bite and which places survived in your memory after the details of the week disappeared.
These five Queensland visits from 2023 move across cuisines and cities. Some venues have changed since then, which is why each original review carries current status notes. What remains here is the experience as it was: five meals that still have something to say.
01 · Brisbane, Queensland
Wu Kong Kitchen & Bar Brisbane
Wu Kong brought Chinese dining into the centre of the memory: a Brisbane table with enough energy and variety to make the order feel like an event rather than a transaction.
Sharing food is my absolute favourite style of dining, so spreading a feast across a table at Wu Kong Kitchen & Bar in Brisbane was right up my alley. The restaurant introduces a striking narrative to Brisbane, taking its design and branding inspiration from the mythical origins of the Monkey King, the legendary character from the classic 16th-century novel Journey to the West. Throughout the venue, thematic touches recall elements like the Magical Stone and the Waterfall Cave.
Sharing food is my favourite style of dining, and assembling a table of shared plates at Wu Kong Kitchen & Bar makes gathering around a meal a real pleasure.
What I’d start with: Chef Special Sauteed Prawn, Plum Duck, Kong Pao Chicken.
Read the full recommendation02 · Noosa, Queensland
Paradise Arcade Noosa
Paradise Arcade was the colourful Noosa counterpoint, Mexican food with holiday energy. The venue’s story later changed, but the visit belongs to that particular moment in 2023.
When we stopped by Paradise Arcade in Noosa, building a meal around dedicated gluten-free Mexican staples was our main priority.
During our visit, Paradise Arcade Noosa offered a dedicated gluten-free Mexican lineup built around pork carnitas and chicken across soft tacos and crispy tostadas.
What I’d start with: Carnitas Taco GF, Pollo Taco GF, Carnitas Tostadas GF.
Read the full recommendation03 · Brisbane, Queensland
Mecca Bah Gasworks
Mecca Bah at Gasworks offered the slower, shared-table pleasure of Middle Eastern food: dishes arriving in waves, conversation stretching and no reason to rush the final plate away.
Flash-frying cauliflower until the edges crisp up, dusting it in Moroccan spices, and resting it over smooth hummus with crushed pine nuts is an immediate statement of intent at Mecca Bah in Gasworks. When we sat down to share a Middle Eastern feast in this Brisbane dining precinct, this vibrant vegetarian plate set a fast, spice-led rhythm for the table.
Mecca Bah Gasworks shines when you share a spread of rich tsire-spiced lamb skewers, garlic chicken, crisp spiced cauliflower, and honey-lemon dressed halloumi salad.
What I’d start with: Crispy Cauliflower, Mixed Grilled skewers (garlic chicken & tsire-spiced lamb) with Persian Pilaf, Fattoush Salad, mint yoghurt, and gyros bread, Grilled Halloumi Salad.
Read the full recommendation04 · Brisbane, Queensland
Grill’d Mt Ommaney
Grill’d Mt Ommaney was the casual outlier, proof that an archive should include the everyday discoveries too. A drive-through burger can be part of a food year when the format itself is what makes the visit memorable.
A five-dollar burger menu board positioned beside a branded event tent announced a special promotion day outside Grill'd Mt Ommaney. Holding the distinction of being the brand's first drive-through location, this store caters to quick drive-through stops as easily as seated casual meals.
Grill'd Mt Ommaney delivers classic burger options, signature chips, and community token voting, with the extra convenience of drive-through ordering and patio seating.
What I’d start with: Crispy Bacon & Cheese burger, HFC Classic burger, Regular chips with herb mayo.
Read the full recommendation05 · Rockhampton, Queensland
Riverston Tea Rooms
Riverston Tea Rooms carried the story north to Rockhampton. Breakfast in a regional setting has its own pace, and this was the quietest chapter in a guide otherwise full of city noise.
Breaking up a tropical Queensland road trip with a food detour through Rockhampton turns a long drive into a surprisingly varied day out. On our trip through Central Queensland, we carved out time to taste our way through three very different local spots, jumping from morning baked treats to lush palm-shaded paths and finishing at a busy microbrewery table.
Rockhampton delivers an easy, rewarding road trip detour, balancing sweet tea room slices and lush garden paths with a hearty brewery lunch.
What I’d start with: .
Read the full recommendationLooking back should not turn every meal into a classic. The value is in the contrast: polished and casual, city and regional, current and changed. Together they show where Feasting With Zen had been, and why a useful archive deserves to stay honest about time.