American Express Secret Dishes Is Bringing Limited-Time Chef Creations to These Five Brisbane Restaurants
From a Cantonese-style steamed coral trout to Wagyu brisket with biang biang noodles, these Brisbane restaurants are serving Secret Dishes for a limited time only.
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Brisbane's dining scene is growing year on year. From West End's booming bistro scene to Fish Lane's up-scale wine bars and wood-fired plates, there are a plethora of restaurants to explore.
This season, Amex Secret Dishes is helping you decide the next dining spot to book thanks to a line-up of chef-led dishes to try. Whether it's a dish inspired by a chef's childhood, a new take on a regional cooking tradition or a commitment to making the most of a local ingredient, there's always something new to discover.
The first wave of participating restaurants will serve their Secret Dishes from Friday, October 23 2026 to Monday, November 23, 2026, with a second burst to follow. These limited-time creations give you a reason to book a table, explore a new venue, or revisit a favourite with something different on the menu.
In Brisbane, five venues are taking part, with dishes spanning fresh Australian seafood, Cantonese cooking techniques and a creative meeting of Italian and Chinese culinary influences. Here's where to find them and what to order — but get in quick before they're taken off the kitchen pass once more.
Baja, Arianna Leggiero
Baja: Ceviche
At Baja — Brisbane's answer to modern Mexican food — the Amex Secret Dish puts Australian seafood front and centre with a ceviche made using locally sourced Goldband Snapper. The dish combines the mouth-watering fish with cucumber, red onion, coriander, lime, jalapeño and herb oil, served alongside totopos. It's a fresh, citrus-forward combination, with the lime and jalapeño bringing brightness and a little heat to the snapper. For diners looking for something on the lighter side for dinner, this limited-time creation offers a seafood-led way to experience Brisbane's dining scene.
Book your table here.
Central 中環, Arianna Leggiero
Central 中環: Steamed Coral Trout
Thanks to its rich Asian history, it's easy to find delicious Chinese cuisine in Brisbane city. But a true highlight is Central 中環. The Hong Kong-inspired bar and basement restaurant is known for its moody underground atmosphere, strong cocktails and delectable dumplings. For Amex Secret Dishes, Central 中環 leans into its heritage, bringing together two distinct regional cooking styles with its steamed coral trout, pickled minced garlic, chives, and green peppercorn.
The dish uses the traditional Cantonese technique of steaming whole fish, which helps the delicate seafood flavours shine. It then introduces ingredients associated with northern Chinese cooking, including pickled minced garlic and green peppercorn, adding texture and a subtle aromatic character.
The result is a light, delicate coral trout that's best eaten with a Hong Kong-inspired whiskey cocktail.
Book your table here.
Marlowe, Arianna Leggiero
Marlowe: Flame-Grilled Yabby Spaghetti, Shellfish Cream Sauce, Caviar
At Marlowe in South Brisbane, the Amex Secret Dish begins with a visit to a yabby farm near Gympie. The Head Chef's time with Scott at Cherax Yabby Farm (where they saw how the yabbies are bred, raised and harvested) inspired a dish built around making use of the whole ingredient. The Flame-Grilled Yabby Spaghetti pairs yabby with a shellfish cream sauce and caviar, with each element designed to maximise flavour.
The tail is lightly poached before being flame-grilled to order over an open fire. The claws are used in an intense shellfish bisque, finished with orange and saffron, while the shells are roasted and blended into a vibrant shellfish oil drizzled over the plate. Spaghetti carries the rich yabby flavour and soaks up the bisque, while caviar adds a salty finish. The Secret Dish brings together careful preparation, a commitment to using the whole ingredient and a little indulgence – perfectly Marlowe.
Book your table here.
Aunty on Wandoo, Arianna Leggiero
Aunty on Wandoo: Sichuan Wagyu Brisket and Biang Biang Noodles
At Aunty on Wandoo, an Amex Shop Small venue, the Secret Dish is a chance to enjoy something memorable while backing a small business that helps make Brisbane's dining scene so exciting — and the dish itself has a story that crosses culinary traditions, connecting the memories of Head Chef Salvatore's childhood in Naples with the Chinese cuisine he cooks today.
Growing up, Salvatore remembers Sunday mornings at home filled with the smell of his mother's ragù, which would simmer overnight on a low flame. In Naples, he explains, a proper ragù takes at least eight hours, and the phrase "il ragù deve pappuliare" captures the gentle bubbling sound of a sauce slowly cooking.
That patience and care continue to influence his approach to food. While cooking Chinese cuisine at Aunty on Wandoo, Salvatore began to recognise familiar ideas in different ingredients and techniques. This dish grew from one of those connections.
The Sichuan Wagyu Brisket and Biang Biang Noodles features slow-braised Wagyu brisket in a rich tomato and beef broth, infused with ginger, garlic, star anise, dried chilli and Sichuan pepper. The brisket cooks overnight, allowing the meat to become tender while enriching the broth with its flavour.
The dish brings together two different food traditions through slow cooking, generous flavours and the chef's own memories, resulting in a creation that's personal, distinctive and a satisfying way to support a local small-business venue.
Book your table here.
Peach Cafe, Arianna Leggiero
Peach Cafe: Bueno Lava Cookie
At Peach Cafe, the Amex Secret Dishes line-up gets a sweet addition with the Bueno Lava Cookie, a chocolate hazelnut cookie. The indulgent cookie combines white chocolate, Dolcetto chocolate chips and creamy hazelnut flavour, topped with a Kinder Bueno for an extra layer of crunch.
Inspired by nostalgic chocolate aisle favourites, it brings together familiar flavours with Peach Cafe's own take on a loaded cookie. Whether you're stopping by for your morning coffee or looking for an afternoon pick-me-up, the Bueno Lava Cookie is a little treat worth making room for — and it'll only be around for a limited time so get in quick.
Book your table here.
Where Else Can You Discover Amex Secret Dishes?
Brisbane's participating restaurants are part of Amex Secret Dishes, a dining initiative celebrating the creativity and ideas behind restaurants across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
The first round runs from Friday, October 23 to Monday, November 23, 2026, with a second burst to follow the same day. Each dish has been created specifically for the campaign, giving diners a limited-time opportunity to discover something different at participating venues.
Whether you're in the mood for Australian seafood, a classic cooking technique with a new twist, or a dish that brings together culinary influences from around the world, Brisbane's line-up offers plenty of inspiration for your next booking.
Discover Amex Secret Dishes and explore the participating restaurants. And as an Amex Card Member, explore ways you can access more across travel, dining and entertainment.
Prices and availability are subject to confirmation by participating venues.
Lead image: Baja, Arianna Leggiero
