So What Stereo
Thai brunch served in what feels like the ultimate retro rumpus room.
So What Stereo
Thai$
Kawid “Meek” Brikshavana is best known for Mameek, which he opened in Hawthorne in 2022. It was while looking for a production kitchen for Mameek that he happened on the space for So What Stereo in front of The Valley Grocer in Fortitude Valley.
Walking in here feels like stumbling into your rich mate’s ultimate retro rumpus room. It’s a fabulous space, full of found furniture, mid-century layered pendant lights and vintage UBL speakers. In a corner, there’s a stack of vinyl and compact discs, and two vintage turntables.
For food, So What Stereo is serving a Thai brunch and lunch menu anchored by dishes inspired, in particular, by Brikshavana’s native Lampang province in Thailand’s north. Expect dishes such as Thai-style scramble with coal-grilled tiger prawns and nam prik num; Thai boat noodles; khao kai kon served with coal-grilled scotch fillet; crying tiger beef; and khao soi egg noodle soup that comes topped with braised chicken or beef.
For drinks, there’s Single O espresso and filter coffee, and chilled drinks such as iced coconut matcha, iced coconut espresso and the like.Brikshavana says to expect the menu to change regularly, and the cafe to begin experimenting with dinner service.
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Matt Shea is Food and Culture Editor at Brisbane Times. He is a former editor and editor-at-large at Broadsheet Brisbane, and has written for Escape, Qantas Magazine, the Guardian, Jetstar Magazine and SilverKris, among many others.