Coming Soon: Central, the Southside Team’s Subterranean Dumpling Restaurant in the CBD

For years, David Flynn and Benny Lam have been searching for the perfect subterranean space – a spot that reflected their experiences in Hong Kong, where many restaurants and bars are tucked below street level due to space constraints.

“Space is a premium in Hong Kong,” native Hong Konger Lam tells Broadsheet. “Especially in Central area, you find all these hidden spots. It’s like a treasure hunt.”

Now, they’ve found the perfect Brisbane counterpart in Piccadilly Arcade on Queen Street. In October, the space will open as Central, an 80-seat dumpling restaurant.

“We love the atmospheric element of going downstairs into a space you wouldn’t know exists from the street,” Flynn says. “There’s a level of escapism.”

The space has a rich history. It was once an ironmonger for the Eagle Street shipping yards and later became Primitif Cafe, an underground jazz and poetry venue that operated between 1957 and 1974. The duo brought in Jared Webb of J AR Office – the company was recently shortlisted for an Eat Drink Design Award for its work refurbishing Gerard’s – to “embrace the cave”. The design will highlight the 150-year-old exposed brick walls, complemented by timber, a central kitchen and bar, and tiered seating.

The pair are seasoned hospitality professionals. Flynn co-owns Rick Shores and Southside, where Lam is executive chef. For Central, they’ve teamed up with Southside’s restaurant manager, Maui Manu, as well as Flynn’s co-owners from Southside and Rick Shores: Frank Li, Andrew Hohns and Nick Woodward.

For the menu, Lam is drawing heavily on his time in Hong Kong. Cold dishes will include drunken chicken with aged Shaoxing wine, red date and golden sesame, alongside smoked foie gras with youtiao (Chinese doughnut) and Davidson’s plum. Wok dishes might feature ginger and shallot lobster with e-fu noodles, and Goolwa pippies with a prosciutto XO sauce and crispy noodles. From the barbeque, expect char sui pork and roasted half duck. Lam is also teasing a pineapple bun-inspired dish with smoked butter and crispy prosciutto in place of the traditional spam.

“I was lucky to learn a lot of old-school techniques from some really great chefs,” Lam says. “We’ve spent a lot of time trying to get the flavour as close as possible to what you find in Hong Kong, but there will be some dishes with a twist.”

Ultimately, though, it’s the dim sum that Lam and Flynn hope will define Central. There will be prawn har gao, Peking duck potstickers, a Hong Kong-style wonton soup poured tableside, and “Old Hong Kong” chicken steamed buns.

Group wine director Peter Marchant is curating a 200-bottle wine list, ranging from classics to more obscure choices, including a selection of wines from China’s Ningxia region.

Central will open at 340 Queen Street, Brisbane in October.