The central “plating” table sits before ­burnished copper panels – more like an altar in a temple devoted to the worship of food than prosaic kitchen furniture.

It’s the centrepiece at Detour, this year’s newcomer to Brisbane’s Logan Rd restaurant strip near the Gabba.

At first glance, the 140-seater in a freshly renovated heritage building could be confused with an architectural showroom or a Swedish furniture store, however the striking yet stark fitout of wooden floors, vertical timber wall slats, exposed steel girders and sections of raw, original brickwork allows the focus to be firmly on the food.

There’s plenty of attention to detail with recycled paper menus, very decent crockery, glassware and ­attractive copper cutlery all adding to the picture of quality, with a hint of edginess.

The share-plate menu similarly accounts for current tastes, with herbivores getting as much of the action as omnivores, as well as gluten-free choices.

Arresting ­ingred­ients also make an appearance, which is not surprising as chef/owner Damon Amos has previously revealed his penchant for the unusual – he developed an interest in cooking with gunpowder after reading his father’s SAS handbook, and served mealworms and roast scorpions during his previous gig as head chef at Public in inner-city George St.

Here he’s been dishing up gunpowder-cured salmon accompanied by black ants and a green curry cream.

However, most of the dishes are composed of more regular produce, and squid ($24) cooked over charcoal and served in a ­tangle of chorizo and coriander is, for ­example, a simple, effective combination of punchy flavours.

The concise list of boutique Australian wines has expanded in recent times and there’s also a sparky array of cocktails including a capsicum margarita or the Provencal Calling, with its base of lavender gin.

The herbivore side of the menu reads ­really well and the dish of the night turns out to be the savoury splendour of coal-roasted, miso-marinated broccoli with ­spinach, quinoa and seaweed ($22). On ­another occasion, “fossilised” roast carrots ($26), with their crispy, dehydrated skins perched atop, and teamed with almond cream, are a real treat.

We bypass the emu (tartare), pork belly and wagyu brisket (which sails past on the way to many tables accompanied by a fold of tortillas, sour cream and hot sauce) for Amos’s ­signature dish of Kentucky Fried Duck ($34), served in a crunchy, spicy coating in a paper bag with a side of cornbread that’s a bit too dry, and a pot of sour cream. Lamb with labna, leek and potato ($26) is fine but ordinary by comparison.

Basil-scented pannacotta ($16) nestled against perfectly ripe mango mixed with macadamia nuts, passionfruit and shortbread crumbs is a warm weather winner.

Service is pleasant and efficient and the timing of dishes on a mid-week night well-paced. It is a somewhat spare ­environment, with fast-paced music and bright lights, all part of a quirky package worth going out of your way for.

This review originally appeared on news.com.au.