three blue ducks

when we discovered that the three blue ducks has extended to brisbane, we were very excited. expectation was high due to the andy (2014 master chef winner and current judge of master chef 2020) is one of the executive chefs in this hospitality group.
located at the w hotel, the view facingbrisbaneriver is really its selling points.
price of three coarse dinner with extra side dishes is a fair deal or even a bargain for this high-end restaurant.
our entree of kangaroo tataki and grilled octopus won our appreciation although the portion of kangaroo seemed to be small. mains of steamed mussels and flounder also reflected as good jobs. unfortunately, the desserts of coconut custard and cinnamon ice cream were under the par.
overall dishes involve the shadow of mediterranean cuisine. it is a shame on the downside of desserts but this restaurant is still worth for recommendation.
😋

today l visitedbrisbanefor the first time in twenty years. my hostess, determined to make my stay a memorable one made a booking by the window for lunch. service was, from the start, of the highest quality, discreet and without the obsequy that is unfortunately all too common in similar establishments these days. the menu was limited but interesting, and l chose the moreton bay bugs as, for me as an adelaidean, they are an infrequent delicacy. my hostess chose the tiger prawns.
our dishes arrived after only a few minutes. i was dismayed to see that both were accompanied by chopped kale a trendy green that until recently was fed to cattle and imho should remain thus, the coarseness of the stalk being much inferior to that of spinach or silver beet. to the detriment of my bugs they were awash with a good deal of unwarranted vegetable oil which was not evident with the prawns.
with both dishes there was a pervasive charred taste which spoiled the delicate flavours of the flesh.
we finished the meal by sharing an interesting cheese platter
on reflection, the wood oven is most suitable for a pizza restaurant, not the subtleties of seafood, and kale should remain in the cow shed.
the menu could do with a less trendy and more classical treatment

staying at the w hotel for our wedding anniversary we were excited to be dining at three blue ducks last night. unfortunately our excitement dissipated throughout the dining experience. the dining setting was excellent, with a well positioned table with a great view of thebrisbaneriver and southbank. we were welcomed by our waiter and the night was off to a good start. we had oysters for entree, which were excellent, particularly liked the finger lime dressing. the mains were a different story though. the char grilled prawns were overcooked, very dry and there were only 3 of them, not a very generous main serving in our opinion. the t-bone steak was of average to poor quality and presented gristle throughout and looked well under 500 grams. the waiter had become inattentive and delivered my glass of red wine, ordered at the start of the sitting to be taken with the steak, as we were finishing our mains. even more frustrating, was that our waiter was 2 tables away chatting with a couple that had finished their meal and were preparing to depart whilst i waited and eventually abandoned the notion of wine with dinner. the whole experience was underwhelming, so much so, that we made the decision not to return for breakfast as we originally planned. three blue ducks was a low light in an otherwise amazing experience as guests at the w hotel. unlikely to return for a meal.

i have been here now a few times for lunch and once for buffet breakfast. it has been good every time.
the beef was incredible, and the chicken too. the variation of food in the menu is quite good. i have not tried the desert yet. the restaurant has a really nice view of thebrisbaneriver. ther parking is super expensive and they don't give any discount for dining inn.

this is not a positive review. thebrisbanearm of three blue ducks fails to live up to the hype associated with its bronte and byron siblings. it failings are almost universal across the criteria common to restaurant reviews. the food at three blue ducks is, unfortunately, yet another example of the mediocrity that manybrisbanerestaurants of a similar ilk appear to be settling for. the drying meats and fish displayed in a cabinet on entry lead one to believe that this restaurant, like its southern forebearer, prides itself on high quality food. not in the white-table-cloth-and-classical-music tradition, but in the good-food-done-well tradition. it's neither. we shared all our dishes: the haloumi (an uninspired variation on an outdated concept overpowered by a garden of parsley) and tandoori quail (a very underwhelming marinade considering the depth and complexity characteristic of tandoor) to start, the 500g bone in ribeye with burnt onion and chimichurri (a reasonably well-executed dish, but not for the $60 price tag) and carrots (advertised as include honeycomb, but noticeably absent from our serve) for main, and chocolate parfait (perhaps the least inspiring item we ordered) and crème brûlée (boasting the inclusion of vanilla … as much a staple ingredient of crème brûlée as eggs and sugar). the decor is confused. laminated table tops; part faux wood part concrete flooring; downlights on rails alongside modern pendant lights; mismatched seating with a scandinavian feel ... what is going on here? service is poor, lifeless, and, sometimes, condescending. to draw on the recent experience shared by my wife and me, our server carried an air of arrogance complemented by yet another attempt at hipster wait staff attire (an outdated look). when our dessert order was incorrectly placed, our server offered an insincere apology. there are other small, but equally noticeable aspects that contribute to the overall listlessness of three blue ducks. if the rather large vacant space towards the back of the restaurant isn’t off putting, the battery-powered tea light candles in the bathrooms are. how could a couple be justified in paying over $100 per head (including 1 glass of bubbles and red each) for such oversights? interestingly, in this weekend’s wish, the magazine published as part of the weekend australian, jeff bennett, one of the co-owners of three blue ducks, described how he had an uneasy feeling about opening an arm of the restaurant in brisbane. perhaps these reservations were well-founded.

i’ve never been to three blue ducks for dinner in byron. so when theirbrisbaneiteration opened up at the new w hotel and a friend happened to have booked a table for opening night, our attendance was almost mandatory. overall our experience was a little lack lustre. we really should learn not to go to restaurants inbrisbaneduring the opening month. i feel like restaurants here really take a little longer to iron out their wrinkles. or perhaps it’s just them.