Trotters and trout and pho, oh my! Our team has taken a serious bite out of the Brisbane food scene and the verdict is in: these are our favourite dishes this year so far.

For Milquetoast’s first birthday, there was a one-night-only menu that featured one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten (huge call, I know.) I’m a huge fan of overlooked or slightly “gnarly” produce and butchery. For me, the pig’s trotter wins my St John-esque award. This particular trotter is de-boned, stuffed with silky chicken and morel mousseline and braised. It’s served with a very Parisian mash, chicken jus and a generous shaving of black truffle. – Becca Wang, contributor

There’s something about the classics that just hits so hard, like this standout Chinese-style fish dish at Supernormal Brisbane. Delicate, flaky coral trout? Tick. Deeply savoury aged soy? Tick. Fragrant ginger and spring onion? Tick. I’ve had it twice this year already, and both times it’s been flawless. The best part? The sweet, succulent flesh around the head. – Elliot Baker, contributor

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Sure, every other cocktail is a clarified milk punch nowadays, but that just means the truly creative ones stand out. Only Dan Gregory of Barry Parade Public House would think to make a drink that tastes exactly like an Ekka strawberry sundae, from the fresh fruit on top to the ice-cream cone underneath. For Brisbanites, it’s nostalgia in a glass. – Kit Kriewaldt, subeditor

This Korean-inspired cafe was my first stop in Meanjin, and its egg drop sandwich did not disappoint. It’s a toasted pocket of fluffy milk bread, overflowing with sliced mozzarella and the silkiest scrambled eggs you’ve ever tasted. This is Snug’s delightful take on the popular breakfast sandwich found in chain restaurants across South Korea, done with just the right amount of local charm. It’s even better paired with a steaming Hojicha latte! – Jess Larmer-Barallon, campaign manager

A list like this isn’t complete without a declaration of my current favourite pho. Em Saigon is a relatively new spot in a line-up of predictable corporate takeaway joints on Gresham Lane, which is why I gasped quietly when I tasted their broth for the first time. It’s robust and slightly sweet but does not overcompensate with seasoning. I’ve been back almost every week since. The combination pho (my order) has slices of tender brisket with soft veiny tendons. – Becca Wang, contributor

I have to admit, I’ve been sleeping on Hikari for far too long. What a gem it is. The standout from a recent meal was the MB7 Wagyu karubi (boneless short rib). The meat came perfectly charred, drizzled with sweet soy, and paired with a crisp cabbage salad and a side of kimchi. The richness of the beef was beautifully offset by the freshness and acidity of the sides. Shame on me for taking this long to get there. – Elliot Baker, contributor

It seems almost perverse to single out just one item on Alphabet’s all-star menu. There really are no wrong answers here, so let’s call this egg in a hole – made with house-baked brioche – my current favourite. The perfectly crisp egg and buttery bread are reason enough to order it, but the combination of maple-pork sausage and sweet capsicum chilli jam pushes this into weekend craving territory. – Kit Kriewaldt, subeditor

I recently went to yum cha at Southside. The squid ink and prawn dumplings I had there were life-changing. We were lucky enough to watch them each be made by hand. – Rachael Baskerville, photographer

I can’t for the life of me remember the stall names, but everyone should visit the Global Food Markets for fried chicken lathered in Thai eggplant relish. You have to seek out the two components separately (as in, one stall sells the chicken and the other the relish). The chicken is pre-fried and lives in a heated display and the relish (packaged in a small plastic container) is sold by a lady who also makes Thai steamed rice cakes. The relish is mild and spicy and balances out the richness of the chicken (which is cooked and seasoned perfectly, FYI). Apologies for the vague directions, treat it as a scavenger hunt! – Becca Wang, contributor

This signature serve at West End cafe The Twin keeps me coming back. Between the slabs of toasted focaccia, there’s fresh kale, sliced tomatoes and homemade mayo, plus a one-two punch of special ingredients. First comes the complex tanginess of The Twin’s own mustard pickle, then the sharp crunch of packaged salt-and-vinegar French Fries. It’s an addition that sounds insane but somehow ties the whole thing together perfectly. It’s easy to see why this one’s become a menu fixture. – Kit Kriewaldt, subeditor

I was lucky enough to go to Pneuma for its closing weekend. These two snacks – the crispy wakame with black garlic, smoked caviar, and black vinegar and the crispy potato topped with smoked eel cream, black apple and prune – made quite the impression. – Rachael Baskerville, photographer