In a hip, converted brick warehouse in the industrial backblocks of inner-Brisbane’s Newstead is The Golden Pig, a plant-adorned, atmospheric bar and restaurant serving very good pan-Asian food. Executive chef and owner is Katrina Ryan, a one-time head chef at Neil Perry’s now-defunct Sydney fine diner Rockpool. Six years ago, Ryan opened the Golden Pig cooking school and daytime cafe in Newstead before a makeover this year saw it re-emerge as a dinner-only restaurant, with the cooking school limited to weekends and Mondays. 

The Thai-accented, pan-Asian menu includes openers such as scallops swimming in a luscious, rich ponzu miso butter and bao filled with slices of succulent pork, a slick of yuzu mayo, chilli caramel and apple slaw. Lamb and chestnut potsticker dumplings with ginger and shallot sauce are also terrific. The menu’s “large” dishes live up to their name: a crisp-skinned thick fillet of barramundi in a deeply flavoured yellow broth and pork belly braised in a turmeric curry of tomato, coconut cream, fresh lime and coriander.

Dessert far from an afterthought and lemongrass tapioca enlivened by dark palm sugar syrup, passionfruit pulp, coconut sorbet and a sesame biscuit is terrific. The Golden Pig works well for groups with its array of large, well-spaced tables and the banquet menus.

Must-eat dish: Crisp-skinned barramundi in a yellow fragrant broth