Ma Pa Me
South Bank
Updated: Aug 03, 2025
Ma Pa Me is a cool Pan Asian restaurant and bar that raises the dining bar at South Bank with its exquisite Indonesian, Thai, Japanese and Chinese fusion menu inspired by the Michelin-experience chef's grandma's cooking.
Don't be fooled by casual street decor and laidback ambience (menus are screen-ordered and chopsticks and serviettes are in containers on the table) because the food is top-notch.
Choose from small plates such as king fish sashimi (with pomelo, red curry oil, red nahm jim, garlic shoot and nori cracker); yuba rolls (fried tofu skin crisp crab & chicken rolls, served with a caramelised chilli dipping sauce); eggplant tempura (lightly battered crispy eggplant chips served with sesame & chilli caramel, fresh herbs & green onions) and chicken bao (crispy buttermilk chicken thigh with pickled daikon, furikake & spicy mayo).
From the large plates it's hard to go past the heavenly curries such as Harvest Lamb (red curry of Tasmanian lamb shoulder with macadamia nuts, chilli, serundeng and kipfler potatoes) or Yellow Barramundi (yellow curry Cone Bay barra with pickled veges, snake bean, sweet basil & green peppercorns).
There's also Bali-Style Pork Belly (Twice Cooked Pork Belly with bumbu genap served with steamed vegetable salad and pork crackling); Good Son Nasi Goreng (Nasi Goreng Rice with bean sprout, long bean, tofu, egg, acar, garlic kerupuk and sambal); or Beef with XO (tender beef rump with baby corn, pok choy, red capsicum, snake beans & house-made xo sauce). And leave room for dessert (Oolong tea parfait or Indonesian coconut honeycomb cake with pandan jam and passionfruit ice-cream).
Good to know - There are also gluten-free and vegan menus. Generous banquets for 4+ are available.
Need to know - Ma Pa Me is found on the stretch of Stanley St between Tribune and Ernest Streets, South Bank.
*Ma Pa Me has expanded into the space next door and had a makeover since our visit.
Still hungry for more suggestions on where to eat out in Brisbane, head to our comprehensive Eat & Drink section HERE! Happy grazing!
