From the first bite of a furled bouquet of red cabbage in beef bone sauce topped with purple mustard it’s evident that innovation are still on the menu at the small, understated restaurant on the edge of the South Brisbane arts precinct. From the start, Gauge has consistently served up original dishes that might draw from unexpected influences but have intense flavour as their mission statement.

Similarly vibrant is the mahi mahi, which arrives atop a bed of Jerusalem artichoke, shiitake mushroom, hazelnut, and rye; and the barbecued wagyu tri tip, with a quenelle of globe artichoke and an outcrop of finely diced rapini with an anchovy accent. Gauge continues to blur the line between sweet and sour across the menu, courtesy of a wonderful dessert of pear with celeriac ice cream, caramel ricotta and wattleseed.

The room remains a small, spare space fronting the open kitchen with bare tables and handcrafted furnishings and tableware. The wine list is clipped with a minimal intervention focus and wait staff get the job done without matching the flair of the kitchen.

Exceptional dishes: mahi mahi, Jerusalem artichoke, shiitake mushroom, hazelnut, rye