Ever wondered what chefs whip up when they’re not plating your usual order? Well, the kitchen curtain’s finally lifting. We’ve teamed up with American Express® for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it secret menu dining series—your VIP pass to fresh flavours you won’t find on the menu.
From October through to November, we're taking over twelve of your favourite venues across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney with exclusive secret menu dishes, with the first six-venue bursts running from 1 October to 31 October. Think: personal passion projects, recipes that’ve been quietly marinating for years or culinary experiments that have been kept under lock and key…until now.
And with your eligible Amex Card, dining becomes more than just a meal. Every bite can earn Card Members Membership Rewards® points to cover almost anything that’s been purchased on an Amex Card using Cover Charges with Points.
Amex Credit Card Members can also make secret menus stressfree with Plan It® Instalments, enabling you to split individual purchases into equal monthly payments, with a fixed monthly fee and no interest.
So, which secret dish are you devouring first? Dig into our faves in your city.
Melbourne
Maker | Maven Cheesecake
387 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Your afternoon slump doesn’t stand a chance against Maker’s Maven Cheesecake. Zoe Pearce of Richmond’s Baker Of Things has taken Maker’s single-origin Colombian coffee we know and love, and turned it into a spectacular sky-high masterpiece. On the base is a rich, chocolatey biscuit, setting up the stack to be structurally sound.
Next: creamy coffee cheesecake. On top of that, you’ll find a zesty apple layer, with yuzu panna cotta at the summit. Together, it mimics the coffee’s natural fruity, chocolate notes. Pair it with your fave black or milk-based coffee, and you can have your caffeine and eat it too.
Marameo | Ravioli Carbonara
6 Russell Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000
This is pasta cosplaying as a choccy bar. Marameo head chef Geoff Martin has taken a classic carbonara and pressed it into neat, little ravioli ‘til it looks like a perfect block of chocolate.
Topped with crispy pancetta shards, salty pecorino and a good crack of black pepper, it’s a cheeky, ultra-savoury and highly ‘grammable pasta plate that’ll have your taste buds dancing (albeit a little confused at first).
Sydney
Cross Section | El Obsesión
84-90 McLachlan Ave, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
El Obsesión is the edible embodiment of a lifelong obsession. Cross Section’s co-founders (and best mates) Brent Wasserman and Josh Said spent years hunting for the perfect burrito, road-tripping through Mexico, smuggling jars of salsa across borders and flame-roasting corn in their home kitchen until they nailed the formula.
The result is now wedged between two slices of bread: Mexican-spiced pulled beef, smashed avo, molten cheese, tangy green salsa and a riot of roasted corn, parsley, and onion. It’s gloriously messy and requires two hands (and a big appetite) to devour, as all good sangas should.
Cho Cho San | Pig’s Head Carbonara Udon
73 Macleay St, Potts Point NSW 2011
When two cult classics collide, you get this: Japanese udon noodles tangled up with the legendary pig’s head carbonara sauce. Cho Cho San’s Roy Park resurrected the dish with a Tokyo twist. Instead of spaghetti, springy noods are swirled through a glossy, rich, umami-loaded sauce, taking you on a full-on flavour joyride every time you twirl your fork. Slurping is highly encouraged.
An when the night inevitably stretches on, with Amex you can use Cover Charges with Points to take care of your bill. That way, the only thing you need to worry about is how to fit in the next secret dish.
Brisbane
Picnic Café | Tom Kha Risotto
111 Boundary St, West End QLD 4101
Thai soup crashes an Italian dinner party at Picnic. Chef Jill Thanaree has reimaged the humble risotto through the lens of her Favourite Thai soup, Tom Kha. Each grain of rice is slowly coaxed to creamy perfection in a coconut-galangal broth, layered with lemongrass, kaffir lime and the warm, zingy hug of Thai ginger.
Before it lands on your table, it’s topped with Hokkaido scallop tatiki, seared just so, and drizzled with basil oil and her mum’s top secret fermented chilli sauce. It’s comfort with a kick, tradition with a twist, and packed with flavour fireworks. Creamy, silky and zippy with just the right amount of heat, this is an East-meets-West mashup that keeps every forkful interesting.
Walter's Steakhouse And Wine Bar | Veal Cotoletta And Erbe Rosso Negroni
219 Alice St, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Walter’s is going full La Dolce Vita with this iconic Italian double act. Here, a golden Fairlight veal cotoletta, drenched in parm butter and a glossy veal jus—a signature creation by chef Ben Philpot—is paired with an Erbe Rosso Negroni. But this Negroni isn’t playing by the rules. Bright, bitter and bubbly thanks to a decent dash of grapefruit soda, it’s a citrusy, sparkling take on tradition.
And with Amex, you don’t have to think twice about going big. With Plan It Instalments built-in to your Amex Credit Card, you can savour iconic foodie moments now and pay them off later in equal monthly instalments with a fixed monthly fee and no interest.
Running 1–31 October, these menus are here for a good time, not a long time, so get in quick.
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by American Express® and proudly endorsed by Urban List. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who make Urban List possible. Click here for more information on our editorial policy.
Images: Supplied.
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