Hizola’s Kitchen & Bar

If you ask our Gold Coast editor, Burleigh’s Mr Hizola’s is one of the best restaurants on the coast—in fact, she’d put it in her top 20. So when we found out that the contemporary Cantonese spot was coming to Brisbane, we were understandably excited—and you should be too. 

Landing in the M&A Building on McLachlan Street in the Valley, Hizola’s Kitchen & Bar is the next chapter of Mr Hizola’s—a sleeker, elevated version of the Burleigh favourite. Dishing up their signature bold Cantonese dishes from a split-level space adorned with hanging lanterns and boasting a dedicated bar, it’s definitely a must-visit. 

While the menu shares more than a few dishes with the Gold Coast venue, including signature dishes like their sizzling steak, pork belly char-sui with apple and ginger and of course, their dedicated bao menu, it’s not a complete copy and paste of Burleigh’s offering. Start with dim sum dishes like wagyu dumplings and duck spring rolls, and share plates of honey lemon prawns, sizzling chicken and peking duck Pancakes, as well as a round of baos of course—our pick is the smoked beef brisket. 

Seafood options include the likes of scorched salmon sashimi and raw tuna with crispy rice, while sizzling wok dishes such as kung pao chicken, Shanghai curry and chow mein noodles round out the lengthy menu (and yes, there is deep-fried ice cream for dessert). If you can’t decide, just opt for one of the banquets—at $49pp for five courses or $69pp for seven, they’re damn good value. 

Mr Hizola’s is also well-known for its cocktails, and the Valley venue is following in its footsteps with concoctions like the Hong Kong Spice, a blend of vodka, kaffir, lemongrass, lychee, chilli and coconut, and Kaffir Mezcarita, a kaffir-heavy take on a margarita. There’s a curated list of wines, beers and sakes behind the bar as well, so everyone is covered. 

Image credit: Supplied