Billykart West End

Billykart's grilled chook is so plump and juicy, so olden days uber-chickeny that it might make you tearful.

Nostalgia is a bit of a theme at Billykart West End, the freshly opened second restaurant of celebrity chef and all-round good bloke Ben O'Donoghue​. It's tucked beneath a massive living green wall, part of the new Botanica residential complex, but tips its hat to the more traditional West End architecture, with features such as exposed studs, tongue-and-groove timber and classic Queenslander textured coloured glass windows in wooden frames.

It's a casual, comfortable and convivial space that makes you want to slide into a banquette seat, order a mojito and just hang out for a good couple of hours.

The secret of that chicken – free-range, of course, because this is West End where people care about provenance – is that it has been brined to keep it juicy, dusted in baiano​ (a Brazilian spice mix) and cooked on a churrasco​ grill. It comes with a salad of crunchy fattoush, toasted seeds and a creamy, nutty, sour tahini-kefir milk dressing. Chicken may be the default order of unadventurous eaters everywhere, but this dish is the goods, with plenty of texture, dialled-up flavour and ingredients du jour.

There's a definite vein of health consciousness running through the menu, with more than enough to pacify vegos, paleos and just the plain fussy. Entrees include a kale salad, of course, with broccoli sprouts, dates, toasted seeds and hot-smoked salmon, and a carpaccio of squash and zucchini with goat's curd, mint and chilli. A truffled white-bean puree is rich and earthy, topped with a little salty burst from dried olives and served with crisp shards of house-made lavash for dipping.

As at the original Billykart Kitchen in Annerley, many items are made in house, from the kefir to cultured butter and yoghurt, preserves and jams, spice mixes and sprouted bread. Billykart Provisions will soon open next door, stocking a range of delicatessen goods, wine, bread and poultry cooked on the churrasco grill to take home.

Well-briefed staff are on hand to explain less familiar ingredients such as picanha (rump cap), served atop a deep-brown, sweet swirl of burnt-onion puree. It comes with a bearnaise infused with yerba mate (a South American herb) and sprinkled crumbs of farofa​ (toasted grated taro) for a little crunch.

Ocean trout is cured with vodka and Heilala Vanilla. With little dobs of sweet beetroot gel, roasted baby beets, pickled beets, dill and sour cream, it makes a tasty and pretty plate.

Of the four lunch mains (there are a couple more meatier options at dinner), two are fish: grilled swordfish or yoghurt-baked fish of the day with a walnut and fennel crust.

More casual offerings include a close-to-perfection Reuben open sandwich made with corned Tasmanian wagyu bolar blade and served on a light rye bread from Sprout bakery, and it wouldn't be a Brisbane menu these days without the ubiquitous burger. Sides include moreish molasses-roasted spiced carrots and truffle fries.

Of the dessert menu, verrine​ (a layered dessert in a glass) proves the most appealing on a steamy summer afternoon. It includes a scoop of perfumed guava sorbet, pleasantly sour house-made yoghurt, ginger jelly, mango and passionfruit and dehydrated coconut biscuit, topped with a brittle sugar glass biscuit.

At weekends, Billykart wheels out an old-school cheese trolley as well as one with bloody mary fixings for those who might have partied too hard the night before. There's a well-curated wine list, or the amiable bar staff will whip up a cocktail.

Breakfast is served daily, and house-made crumpets with honeycomb butter are definitely recommended.

Billykart is a clever package, offering seasonal food people really want to eat, rather than just Instagram, and genuinely warm service. It pays homage to the old neighbourhood, while acknowledging its future direction. Welcome to the West End, Billykart.