I was invited to @libertinebris for the Northern banquet, and I'll be honest, I've been a few times over the years and it never really changes, in the best way.
Libertine sits inside the heritage-listed Barracks on Petrie Terrace. The second you walk in, you forget you're in Brisbane. Chandeliers, moody lighting and wallpaper that is very much over the top. Some people seem surprised by French Vietnamese, but the two have been sharing a table since the colonial era. That's how the world got banh mi, Vietnamese coffee and crème caramel. Libertine leans into that history.
We added the kingfish to the banquet and I'm glad we did. Soft and fresh, and I loved the crunch on top. The 5-mushroom dumplings were the one miss for me. The minted soy dressing was a bit too zesty for my liking. Not bad, just not for me.
The caramelised pork san choi bao was tasty. Warm minced pork and Vietnamese sausage, cool crisp cos to wrap it in, and a red nahm jim that brought a zesty, tangy lift. Then the beef bourguignon milk bun. The bun on its own is excellent, pillowy and faintly sweet. Then you add the sauce. Wow. Rich and properly beefy, with a sharp little hit of cornichon. Straight to France. Easily my favourite of the night.
The ga xo hat dieu chicken was proper comfort. Roast cashews, baby corn and capsicum in a savoury soy and oyster sauce. The green papaya salad was the palate cleanser. Crunchy green bean and papaya, sour tamarind, a kick of fresh chilli and cracked peanut.
The steak frites was about as French as the night got. Jack's Creek flat iron, shoestring fries and a creamy mushroom sauce. The chilli aubergine closed things out, silky and soft, with sriracha heat and hoisin sweetness.
Staff were professional, could talk you through every dish and were just easy to chat to.
Always a good night here. I would come back for that milk bun alone, and I would bring someone who still needs convincing that French and Vietnamese belong on the same plate.
