Brisbane’s fine dining scene is flying high, with restaurants from James Street to West End all dealing in the action. And the latest to join the dining revolution is Supernormal Brisbane and Bar Miette, Andrew McConnell’s shiny new restaurant and upstairs terrace bar.
Helmed by executive chef Jason Barratt (Stokehouse, Paper Daisy) and serving up dishes from New England lobster rolls to line-caught mahi mahi and salt-cured duck, this riverside icon is one to have on your radar.
Here, Barratt sits down with T Australia to talk about his favourite dishes, using real herbs, and Bar Miette’s best food and wine pairing.
Steamed coral trout with aged soy, ginger and spring onion. Photographs courtesy of Supernormal Brisbane.
How did you get your start in cooking?
I started my culinary career in the early 2000s, washing dishes in an extremely busy French restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD. It was tough work, but I loved it — loud, messy, full of energy. That kitchen showed me what the life of a chef actually looked like, and I found it fascinating.
Along with scrubbing pans and washing mountains of dishes, I’d help prep things like deboning confit duck legs or stuffing snails with garlic butter. Eventually, I realised if I really wanted to cook, I needed to get serious — so I started looking for an apprenticeship. After a few tries, I landed a job at Stokehouse working under Anthony Musarra.
How has your experience at Stokehouse and Paper Daisy informed how you cook now?
Stokehouse was my foundation. I learned everything there — how to hold a knife, how to shuck an oyster, how to run a pass and train chefs of my own. I spent seven years there, and they were some of the best cooking years of my life.
Paper Daisy gave me room to really explore. We cooked over fire, which was a bit intimidating at first, but I grew to love it. It also gave me a better sense of the business side of things — I learned to adapt fast, stay creative, and navigate challenges like the pandemic while staying profitable. That flexibility has shaped the way I approach things now at Supernormal and Bar Miette.
Local goldband snapper, Rocky Point cobia, Ora King salmon, ponzu, lemon. Photograph courtesy of @supernormal_brisbane/Instagram. A selection of cheese at Bar Miette. Photograph courtesy of @bar.miette/Instagram.
What produce do you most like to cook with? And how do you like to serve it?
Herbs. Real herbs. Not the micro hydro ones — the proper ones grown in soil. They can completely change a dish.
Right now, I’m using liquorice herb in a rhubarb dessert and it’s fantastic. At home, you can’t beat fresh basil with ripe tomatoes and olive oil in the middle of summer.
Do you have a favourite dish at Supernormal?
Steamed coral trout, aged soy, ginger & spring onion.
Bar Miette’s best food and wine pairing?
Yellowfin tuna, Siciliana style with a 2024 Vignerons Schmolzer & Brown ‘Prêt à Blanc’ Pinot Gris blend from Beechworth VIC.
Photograph courtesy of Earl Carter and Supernormal Brisbane.
Favourite restaurant to eat at in Brisbane?
My favourite restaurant at the moment is slightly out of Brisbane — called Mapleton Public House. It’s in the hills of the Sunshine Coast hinterland, in a century-old Queenslander with warm timber interiors and old-school charm, but the food is modern and creative.
Chef Cam Matthews is running the kitchen and using produce straight from The Falls Farm just down the road. The menu shifts with the seasons — vegetables are the hero, but there’s always a proper pub meal on offer too. Flavours are clean and layered, nothing overworked. It’s generous, honest cooking.
I love visiting on a Sunday for a long lunch — the coal fired pork belly roasted over the hibachi grill (served with guanciale spice and mustard sauce) is exceptional.
Is there anything we can look forward to seeing at Supernormal or Bar Miette?
At Bar Miette, we run regular Sunday events — bar and chef takeovers that bring in friends from the industry. One standout was a Pizza Party with Nick Stanton from Bar Evelyn, slinging New-York style pizzas on the terrace.
Another favourite was a Provençal-inspired afternoon featuring a menu of pissaladière, salade niçoise, and fougasse with tapenade — all served alongside a lineup of our go-to rosés.
At Supernormal, Sundays are all about a changing hero dish — something built to anchor a long lunch or dinner. We love the challenge of coming up with something new each month, and it gives us the chance to explore ideas that might not be part of the regular menu.
One cooking tip?
There’s one pot I reach for almost every time I cook — my Le Creuset cast iron casserole. It’s a workhorse for everything from slow braises to quick stir-fries. It’s worth investing in quality cookware like this – I’ve had mine for over ten years, and it’s still going strong.
Another tip, which is simple — always have your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking (mise en place). It’s a good habit to get into and makes a huge difference in the flow and confidence of your cooking.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
