Be my Valyn Thai
In its first year of operation, Valyn Thai has already been voted by Gold Coast locals as our best Thai restaurant. But while Valyn may be new to us, its heritage is not. Experienced owners Pattaree (Pat) Jiranuchaiwattana and Vitchaya (Alex) Hasitawet are not newcomers to the Gold Coast dining scene. After moving to the […]
See Yö for the best GF sourdough in town
Bread is a staple food, named ‘the staff of life’, with some type of bread included in the diet of almost every culture in the world. Imagine, then, if you could not eat bread or were limited to store-bought gluten-free products which contained many additives such as colour and stabiliser. Dining would not only be […]
Doko Demo V sunlit plant-based restaurant
NOTE: Doko Demo gained new owners in mid 2024. It had been some years since I’d seen Chef Jared Peck, the Versace-trained chef and restaurateur. I certainly wasn’t expecting him to pop up in a vegetarian restaurant in Burleigh, but there you go! He’s not the first acclaimed chef to make the change to vegetarianism […]
Falafel is king
For the best falafel on the coast, look no further than Falafels. Their handmade falafel is the tastiest we have eaten in years. Crunchy on the outside, soft and textured inside, they’re ‘out of the ball park’ fabulous! Once you try one, you’ll be asking for more. So, what’s the secret? Well, let’s back up […]
Lunch at The Flying Horse Cafe
We love seeing great people succeed in business. Especially those whose focus is clearly on great food and service. We often ‘follow that chef’ from place to place, knowing that when we do eat out, it’s going to be a top experience. Fin Tully is one of those chefs. A New Zealander by birth, Fin […]
Sogno Italiano, the Italian Dream
Opening just in time for New Year 2022, Sogno Italiano (which literally means ‘The Italian Dream’) opened in the restaurant precinct of ‘Markeri Food’ between well-respected restaurants Lucky Bao and Easy House Vegan. It’s great to have an Italian restaurant in the L-shaped centre, Mermaid’s main dining precinct offering alfresco dining along the verandas as […]
Vector, the science of coffee
There’s a lot of talk about coffee and the process of making it, all in pursuit of the perfect cup. At Vector Coffee, the clues of success are there in the espresso bar’s name and logo. Even before we enter the premises, we can see the ‘vector’ name and arrow symbol denoting that we’re on […]
Dining in Paradise
There are few more iconic beaches in Australia than the pristine white sands of Surfers Paradise. The birthplace of the bikini, it represents Queensland’s casual outdoors-driven lifestyle. The Paradise Centre, just across the road from Surfers Paradise Beach, offers diners a beachside shopping location, entertainment, enhanced by its new $40-million dining precinct opened in September […]
Take away or dine in at The Deli by Pepe
Nothing shows us love more than a great Italian meal. It’s not just the food, it’s also the atmosphere and the service. They’re parts of a story that together adds up to more than the sum of its parts. Follow the smell of pizza from down the street, the sound of music and laughter lilting […]
A Beachside Italian Feast
Take a well-known restaurateur, an iconic beach location, a young chef with a modern fresh take on classic Italian cuisine, and chances are that an exciting new dining venue will emerge. After twenty years of waiting, when the opportunity finally arose for Sydney restaurateur Maurice Terzini (founder of Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, CicciaBella and […]