Jimmy Wah’s
“Good morning, Vietnam!” Jimmy Wah’s brings a huge smile to our face. Not only is it a sideways nod to the local GI bar in the 1987 movie Good Morning, Vietnam, but its combination of talented owners – Jake Cooley, highly regarded former head chef of Social Eating House + Bar and Shelly Greaves, former […]
The Avenue
Some deaths are slow and painful; others bring a new beginning. For Vince and Michael Russo, our longest running licensed nightclub bar and restaurant owners, closing The Avenue in Surfers Paradise came as a huge shock, soon replaced by the excitement and challenge of re-establishing the venue across the road in new premises with a […]
The Loose Moose Tap & Grill House
Step inside The Loose Moose and you feel like it’s been there forever. Or maybe it just should have been! There’s an ‘old but new’ feel to the joint – a heady mix of Romania’s steampunk Enigma Bar and a Canadian taphouse that belongs in both the Old and New World, its detail meticulously aged […]
The Fish Emporium
There are times when I hanker for great fish; something more than a battered bundle of joy wrapped in paper with crispy chips – that’s another delight entirely. No, I want the real thing, unadulterated; a perfectly cooked buttery piece of coral trout or red emperor, or the indulgence of tasting the salty brine of […]
Izakaya Ichi
Sitting pretty amongst laminex diners, Izakaya Ichi is as cute as a Ningyō Kabuki doll. With fairy lights winking and the dining wagon calling, there are lots of reasons to check out this little gem. Owned by Young Hun Cha, owner of the Sushi 1 chain, the bar opened in late 2015, the flagship (he […]
Aloha Bar & Dining
NOTE: The McCluskeys have sold their share in Aloha in preparation for another project. Watch this space! If fabulous cocktails and delish food are your thing, head on down to Aloha Bar & Dining, tucked in off the laneway behind Main Place, Broadbeach. Aloha is the first in what’s hoped will be a series of […]
Beer and Bugs at House of Brews
Beer and bugs! It’s too good an invitation to miss. Skipping lunch, I prepare my appetite for a seafood onslaught at the House of Brews media lunch. A feast it is, but the ‘bugs’ at Brews push my dining experience into wild frontiers. They’re bugs alright. To be more specific, ants and crickets. Eating insects […]
Mamasan Kitchen & Bar
‘Authenticity’ can be an over-rated ideal. There are times when it’s a good idea to shake up time-worn dishes with a healthy dose of innovation. After all, being an ‘authentic’ dish embodies not only a sense of place, but also a time and social context which cannot be replicated. As diners, if it’s flavour and […]
Bon Bon Bar
There’s something about Sunday afternoon that always catches me unawares. I want to slam the brakes on the weekend, reining in the rest of the leftover hours to head for the nearest watering hole. ‘‘Nooooooo! I’m not ready for the working week yet!’ I cry, as we gatecrash the Sunday sesh at Bon Bon. Ah […]
Burgster
There’s a huge space in my heart for earth mothers. You know the sort of woman I mean – the one who’s the hub of her family; who makes everyone feel welcome, holding their well-being close to her heart. She’s the matriarch apparent. When we first meet Rochelle Smith, I know that she’s the beating […]