Lil Red briefly fired into life in March 2021 as a pop-up restaurant but went into hibernation until it opened as a permanent fixture a couple of weeks ago, an accoutrement to QT Queenstown’s Bazaar Marketplace breakfast nook and Reds Bar.
It’s tucked away on the sixth floor, angling two floors down from the eighth-floor front desk entranceway of the Brunswick St hotel.
The 40-seat venue is relaxed, replete with a "floating" fireplace and a splashy colour palette imposed by Sydney interior designer Nic Graham.
Both it and the nearby waterside Rydges on Lake Esplanade are managed by Australian stock exchange-listed Entertainment Ventures Travel (EVT), and they overlap on their food and beverage offerings – literally, in this case, via a connection on the sixth floor.
Ultimate responsibility for the full programme falls to executive chef Ryan Henley, who prior to 2021, was chef de cuisine at Pescatore at The George in Christchurch, after honing his style and particularly his seafood skills at the three-hatted Vue de Monde in his hometown of Melbourne.
No waste
It shows. The salmon, in this case sourced in Akaroa, was the star of the table. It had significant competition, however, notably from Black Origin wagyu beef from Christchurch.
Henley is also a fan of going direct to suppliers, buying the whole animal and creating the cuts he wants at a more competitive price than buying it by the kilogram – and without waste.
Ryan Henley's focus is on using the whole animal. (Image: Sasha Bardwell)
His focus on fresh local ingredients is meshed with a love of traditional Japanese techniques, creating a menu that translates onto the plate as works of art.
Our menu – which extended to tasters of each item – started with chilled cos lettuce (delicious, but a little heavy on the vinegar) and a Black Origin wagyu ostada. Star of the show for my dinner partner was the wood-fired flatbread with buffalo cheese, chilli oil and spring onion.
Smoking!
The early frontrunner for me – and because I ate the entire thing with a shellfish-sensitive partner – was the creamed pāua doughnuts, served with a brown butter emulsion.
Mains included a rare, dry-aged Black Origin wagyu, which was slightly smoked, and a very simply cooked wood-fired salmon with koji butter and kombu. The sides included a wagyu fat boulangère potato with mushroom jus and pickled shallots.
Stunning sphere: the creamed pāua doughnut. (Image: Sasha Bardwell)
We weren’t extravagant with the wine selection. Our server, Blake, convinced us a lighter drop would fit the bill, so we selected a reasonably priced Central Otago pinot noir in a Domaine Thomson Explorer. It was a perfect accompaniment to the fusion-inspired meal.
Nori taco: rustic look but a menu highlight. (Image: Supplied)
Sake jus
The dessert highlight in my book was the nori taco served with caramelised rice, raspberry, blood orange, and rice mousse. I'd eat that for breakfast. There was also a peanut butter sando with local Bay Road peanut butter ice cream, brioche, and caramelised apple feuilletine.
A selection of small tapas-style dishes selected by the kitchen is available at $95 per person or $120 with wagyu added.
Lil Red's à la carte menu features oysters ($46 for six), fish or wagyu (market price), and an aged whole duck glazed with QT’s own "rooftop" honey, sour pear, Jerusalem artichoke and sake lees jus ($110).
Lil Red at QT
Wed-Sun 5.30pm-9pm
30 Brunswick St, Queenstown
Phone (03) 450-1336
redsbar.co.nz/lil-red/
