By Laura Rancie.
Few things in the world make me happier than eating really good food. It’s probably why being a food writer at the Australian Good Food Guide, makes so much sense for me and for someone like you too – you’re the same. You’re here because you too, like really good food.
Because you and I have so much in common, I want to introduce you to others just like us – the Biuso family from Da Biuso bus!
Stepping into the elegantly adorned bus, I am instantly transported to an era of old-world dining carriages, reimagined with a modern twist. The ambience is warm and inviting, setting the stage for a first-class degustation experience that is meticulously prepared with an unwavering passion for creativity.
Head Chef Biaggio Biuso was raised in an idyllic Sicilian upbringing surrounded by a trio of seas (the Tyrrhenian, Ionian and Mediterranean) lapping up the shores of his hometown in Sicily. This daily and easy access to the water has shaped his culinary preferences and style, as it does many European Chefs who have the privilege to harvest and obtain fresh ingredients seasonally.
Though I have interviewed Chef Biaggio previously (and you can read about that here), this is the first time we meet in person. When I visited him, wife Sarah and Chef son Joseph this week, I was privileged to get a glimpse into their world of hospitality and how the past has influenced the present.
We all have sweet spots, and Chef knows mine, dessert first. I was thrilled that after being greeted in the Da Biuso fine dining bus, Joseph set immediately to work by creating a fruit-inspired dessert for me – before our pasta degustation. When you visit, you’ll eat dessert in the right order, but for me, it was a little pleasure I got to enjoy straight up. The Macedonia (pronounced, match-Y-don-ya) di frutta!
In Italy a customary dessert would be a deliciously juicy fruit salad, especially in the warm Summer climates that are enjoyed throughout Italy, France and Spain. Often served with a lemon sorbet in Italy, Macedonia is the perfect dessert for the warm Queensland climate where the Da Biuso bus lives. Ever being the artist, Chef Biaggio draws on this classic Italian memory and reinvents it with mango, passionfruit, banana, blueberry, raspberry and strawberry renditions of their fruit counterparts with cream, white chocolate and a couple bursts of fresh lime zest gel. The dessert is fresh and light.
The four of us spend the afternoon chatting easily, in the luxurious comfort of the bus’s elegant tables, with the textured lace plates from Portugal taking my eye. Sarah explains how integral the addition of these hand-selected plates is to the overall feel of the ‘old world charm’ they designed within the bus.
I feel like I am somewhere on the Italian coast, sipping the afternoon away and feasting like Sophia Loren, amid mia nuova famiglia italiana.
Family is everything to the Biusos who have worked together their entire careers spanning 25 years of marriage and two adult children. It was with hesitation that Biaggio accepted Joseph's decision to follow in the family footsteps of Cheffing, knowing full well the long hours and extreme conditions that Chefs endure to follow their passion.
Joseph explains, that after having studied Business at University he knew it was in the kitchen creating and inventing, that he felt most at home, as he brings over my tagliolini scampi with Oscietra caviar. The gentle burst of salty caviar flawlessly offsets the bite of the scampi resting on top of a perfectly sauced thin spaghetti (tagliolini).
It's not often you get to sit down for a full meal with the Chef in such an intimate and warm setting. I savoured not only the degustation but the conversation and warmth that radiates from this family.
It is my next course however, cappelletti alla norma with eggplant, Parmigiano and basil cream that stands out the most. I was truly surprised that simple eggplant and Parmigiano could create such a flavourful profile – the absolute standout for me.
From the moment I met the Biusos, I was greeted with the same warmth and hospitality one would expect upon entering a European home and you will be too. It is evident that this family has poured their hearts and souls into Da Biuso, currently nestled within Bretts Wharf in Hamilton in the heart of Brisbane.
With plans to position within the Botanic Gardens and Kangaroo Point in the coming months, you can find their most current location updates, or request a private party in your garden or venue at the Da Biuso website.
