Find Authentic Asian Dining Close to QPAC
If you're heading to a show at QPAC and looking for authentic Asian dining nearby, there's one extra thing that matters almost as much as the food: getting to the theatre on time.
A pre-show dinner should be part of the night, not something that has you checking your watch between every mouthful.
Located on Little Stanley Street in South Bank, Ma Pa Me is around a 10-minute walk from QPAC and specialises in modern Southeast Asian regional cooking. More importantly for theatre-goers, the restaurant is accustomed to working around show times.
Tell us what time you need to leave
When you arrive, tell the Ma Pa Me team that you're going to QPAC and what time you need to be out.
The team records an "out by" time on your docket. The kitchen and floor team can then manage the cooking and delivery of your dishes around that deadline.
It's a small detail, but an important one.
We see ourselves as one stage of your night. Dinner shouldn't be fantastic if it means missing the opening of the show. Our job is to give you a great meal, look after you properly and then get you on your way to QPAC at the right time.
For a relaxed pre-theatre experience, we'd recommend allowing around 90 minutes for dinner and another 10 minutes to walk to QPAC.
What does "authentic Asian" mean at Ma Pa Me?
Ma Pa Me isn't designed around the food of just one Asian country.
Our menu explores Southeast Asian regional cooking, inspired by the flavours of home and delivered with our own flair.
In fact, that's where our name comes from.
Ma Pa Me means GrandMA, GrandPA and ME.
Grandma and Grandpa represent the recipes, traditions, memories and authentic flavours that came before us.
The "Me" is what happens next: our own modern interpretation.
The result is a menu that has the nostalgia of Southeast Asian home cooking but isn't afraid to have some fun with it. There are familiar flavours, modern dishes, guilty pleasures and a cocktail list that's very much ready to join the party.
What should you order before a QPAC show?
If it's your first visit, there are a few dishes we'd point you towards. Interestingly, some of our own favourites are also the dishes that continually appear in customer reviews.
10-Hour Slow-Cooked Lamb Ribs
If there's one dish that has become synonymous with Ma Pa Me, it's probably the 10-hour slow-cooked lamb ribs.
The ribs are braised slowly in master stock until beautifully tender, then finished with black vinegar caramel, fried garlic and red chilli.
They're our most-loved dish, and customer reviews tell a similar story.
The lamb ribs are repeatedly singled out by diners as a standout. Reviewers describe them as tender, packed with flavour and, in one case, memorable enough that they were still talking about them afterwards. They also appear among the popular dish mentions in independent review summaries.
If you're only going to order one Ma Pa Me signature, start here.
Beef Rendang – or Jackfruit Rendang
Our Beef Rendang starts with slow-cooked beef cheek and layers in cumin, coriander, cinnamon, star anise and dried chilli, along with serundeng and coconut cream. It's finished with fried curry leaves and chilli.
There's also a jackfruit version for vegans.
The jackfruit rendang has developed a following of its own. It's been specifically recommended by Brisbane diners online, including as a dish worth travelling across the city for.
Pad Thai
Sometimes you don't want to reinvent a classic.
Our Pad Thai combines Pad Thai noodles, roasted peanuts, tamarind sauce, tofu, carrot, bean sprouts, egg, garlic chives and chilli and can also be ordered with chicken or prawns.
It's another dish that comes up regularly in positive customer feedback. Reviewers have praised both the vegetarian version and the traditional Pad Thai, particularly its balance of flavour.
Save room for Thai Tea Tiramisu
Dessert is where things become a little less traditional.
Our All You Can Scoop Thai Tea Tiramisu takes the flavours of Thai tea and turns them into a very Ma Pa Me kind of dessert experience.
We bring the tiramisu to the table with a serving spoon.
Then it's up to you.
You get one scoop — and however much tiramisu you can get onto that spoon in one go is yours.
Grandma and Grandpa might represent tradition. This one is definitely the "Me".
What do diners say about Ma Pa Me?
Looking beyond individual dishes, the interesting part of Ma Pa Me's reviews is how frequently diners talk about the whole experience.
The restaurant has more than 1,100 Google reviews, and recurring positives include bold flavours, friendly and attentive staff, cocktails, atmosphere and the South Bank location. Diners also frequently mention the lamb ribs, while Pad Thai and other dishes receive plenty of individual recommendations.
There's also something particularly relevant if you're reading this because you're heading to QPAC.
One Google reviewer describes Ma Pa Me as their go-to restaurant before going to the theatre, praising the vegetarian Pad Thai, the team's ability to accommodate a coeliac dietary request and a lychee martini to finish.
That's exactly the experience we want to deliver.
The food matters. So does the hospitality.
We want the food to be delicious. We want you to taste the Southeast Asian influences behind it. And we'd love you to leave thinking about those lamb ribs.
But hospitality is more than putting good food on a table.
If you're joining us before a QPAC performance, our team understands that we're one stage of a bigger night out.
Tell us where you're going and when you need to leave. We'll do our best to pace your meal accordingly, make you feel genuinely looked after, and have you heading towards QPAC with enough time to take your seat rather than running for it.
Because the best pre-theatre dinner isn't just the one where you loved the food.
It's the one where you loved the food, loved the hospitality and still made the curtain.