Just like other capital cities, Brisbane too has a thriving but subtle laneway culture. Tucked away just off Queen Street Mall is Burnett Lane, Brisbane’s oldest, which is host to an array of restaurants, cafes, a vinyl record store and boutiques. Named after the occupation of the lane’s namesake, surveyor and explorer James Burnett, is restaurant The Survey Co.
Greeted by a motorised sliding metal gate which opens to reveal the long, narrow dining hall, there is a certain secret hidden hideout vibe to the restaurant. A series of thin hanging spotlights light each individual table. Exposed brickwork and large, slightly tinted windows into the kitchen complete the resulting intimate dining experience. On the other side of the kitchen is a bar for the less hungry.
Touting as modern European, The Survey Co hosts a creative and adventurous menu. Choices include edamame, seared scallop tostada, truffled salami, Roquefort ravioli and roast spatchcock, highlighting the vast styles on offer. For the extremely hungry or small groups is the humorously named section “Life’s Challenges” which consists of a rotating special “Death Row Meal”, today’s was a whole ham hock, a tin of Don Bocarte anchovies and a whole duck of the day. There is also a selection of cheeses and desserts.
On this visit I went straight for a main dish of the Achiote braised pork shoulder with Dutch cream potatoes, agave, ricotta salata and chicharrón. Oddly, some of the mains come in a medium or large size, I ordered large being quite hungry and not really knowing the difference or why the choice existed. When the dish was served the immediate thought is of the gigantic blob of grated cheese that is visible. In fact, the only thing really visible – I had to gently push the cheese to one side in order to take a photo. A cheese lover at heart, there is no complaint to the quantity or the flavours it added but some rethought into the presentation of the dish would made it more visual appealing. The overall flavour combination of the dish was fantastic with the spiced pulled pork contrasted by the creamy potato and bed of what could be described as refried black beans. This may be my own ignorance, but the dish, as tasty and flavoursome as it was, came with a bit of a surprise and slight confusion as the menu didn’t exactly describe what being was seen and tasting. A nice dish nonetheless.
Dessert was a real treat, condensed milk pannacotta with Vietnamese coffee syrup. Providing a bit of creative flair, the waiter poured the coffee syrup through a filter on top of the pannacotta at the table. The flavours of the sweet but ever so slightly bitter coffee syrup combined well with the creamy pannacotta, although the syrup appeared to cause it to break up a little.
The Survey Co offers an exciting and creative dining experience hidden right in the heart of the city.