Faces of Fish Lane: Brendon Barker from Chu The Phat

We’re taking a peek around the curtain and getting to know the colourful people that make Fish Lane tick. We caught up with Chu The Phat Executive Chef Brendon Barker who dished the goss (as well as duck buns) and let us in on why he moved back to the Sunshine State.

We know you aren’t originally from this part of town, what brought you to Brisbane?
I’m actually originally from Cairns, but I moved to Melbourne in my early 20s to broaden my horizons. The opening of Embassy XO at Sunshine Beach lured me back to Queensland, and after selling XO, the opportunity arose to come and open Madame Wu with the RAW group. I was then approached to see if I wanted to open another restaurant with them, and here we are in Fish Lane.

What are your favourites when it comes to your menu?
I’d have to say my favourite dish is the Beef Kalbi, it’s based on a dish that I had in Jeon-Ju in Korea and it’s really flavoursome. My favourite cocktail is the Kung Fu Panda, because I’ll gravitate towards anything with gin.

Do you have a favourite Fish Lane artwork?
My favourite is currently Echo. I love the way it brings Melbourne Street and Fish Lane together, and how it changes with the daylight.

What are you loving most about Brisbane right now?
I’d have to say the weather.

How would you spend your ideal night out in Fish Lane?
I’ve actually done this a few times, and it involves starting with a beer at Hello Please, heading over to Julius for pizza, grabbing cocktails next door at Maker, snacking at Chu The Phat and grabbing a bite and more wine at La Lune.

You’re cooking to impress at home – what do you make?
I keep it simple. You can’t go wrong with really good meat and seafood on the BBQ, and I’ll throw in a nice salad.

Check out Chu the Phat at 111 Melbourne Street, open every day from 12pm.