Rustic delicious Spanish cuisine served in the heart of Brisbane.

Located inside a stunning heritage listed building on Petrie Terrace in Brisbane’s CBD, business partners Chef Javier Codina and Front Of House Host and Manager Francois Le Saveant combine rustic cuisine with friendly attentive service to deliver a unique dining experience which has patrons feeling like they are stepping inside a Spanish brasserie.

The venue which was once the Police Barracks Stables creates the perfect atmosphere for a Spanish feast with its brick walls, delicate lighting, leather and timber furniture, leafy alfresco terrace and elegant wine room.

For Spanish born Chef Javier, cooking and making people feel comfortable is his passion.

“From the early age of 14, I knew I wanted to be a chef and it’s been an amazing journey. I love making people feel comfortable and relaxed. I am a very passionate and giving person and being able to give this experience to my customers gives me great pleasure”, said Javier.

Javier delivers a mouth-watering Spanish-inspired menu, including extraordinary tapas, delicious entremeses (entrees) and steaks perfectly grilled in the Mibrasa charcoal oven. “We discovered the Mibrasa oven at a Comcater hosted event at SeaWorld a few years ago, I was blown away by the flavour that the charcoal imparts on the food and knew that I had to put one in my kitchen.”

“Cooking with a charcoal oven is an art, I have been experimenting a lot. It’s a little beast. At first I started experimenting with meats and then lobster and Morton Bay Bugs, I just love it and so do my customers.”

Keeping costs down in the kitchen is a key goal for Javier. The team work cleverly and very resourcefully and make use of equipment in the kitchen to reduce wastage and costs.

“Yesterday we made over 360 meatballs with beef trimmings that we have been saving and putting aside instead of throwing them away. That’s pure profit. You have to be clever and not wasteful. We also buy a lot of produce in bulk and cook it either in the Mibrasa or RATIONAL, chill it in the Tecnomac and then vacuum seal it in the Purevac machine. Using this cook and chill process we can buy produce when it’s cheap and in season and it keeps perfectly. After all, the labour is here and the equipment is here. You might as well use it to your advantage.”

Javier’s resourcefulness extends through to his bread making. “Why would I pay for bread when I can make perfect bread in the RATIONAL combi oven. We even proof the bread in the combi oven. It tastes amazing! We make our own bread twice a day.” Over the years Javier has
cultivated an excellent relationship with growers and suppliers of fresh local produce. He visits the markets before dawn daily to personally select ingredients to fuel his daily inspiration.

Since opening its doors over 12 months ago, Moda has established itself as the hottest place in Brisbane for tapas and wine lovers alike. With an extensive Spanish, South American and Australian wine list to complement the rustic menu coupled with Javier and Francois’s passion for great food and hospitality there is no doubt that Moda will continue to provide a dining experience like no other.