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 trained and worked on the Gold Coast, extending his culinary experience in Brisbane, Melbourne and Japan.
“We all grew up with food around us,” Fin says of his team. “My mother, grandmother and great grandmother were always in the kitchen creating the most amazing food for family, friends and anyone who turned up at our house, so it was a very natural choice for me to become a chef.”
His wife Risa grew up in Japan and went to hotel school before working at the Hilton Tokyo. After meeting Fin in Christchurch, Risa moved to Brisbane in 2013, where they both worked at a café in Hawthorn, a place they credit for developing their love for all things café, coffee, food and lifestyle.
They bought their first café, Cabukee at Emerald Lakes, a top spot for locals to stop, have a coffee and meet up with friends. It was the scene of many lunches and memorable chef’s dinners, such as one accompanied by opera ‘on the lake’.
After Cabukee sold in 2021, we patiently waited for Fin and Risa to reopen a café elsewhere. And they did.
Their second café, The Flying Horse Café, which opened in July 2022 in Ashmore beside Spotlight, is named after Pegasus, their son’s name in Kanji.
This is a small family business. With Risa covering front of house, and long-term friend and workmate chef, Melbourne-trained Keith Mascurine, shoulder to shoulder with Fin in the kitchen, they form a formidable team.
“The Flying Horse Cafe is a small team of hospitality professionals with different journeys, but we all have the same goal: to provide great food, coffee and service to all of our guests that come through our doors,” Fin says. “Our chef, Keith, grew up in a family surrounded by food… He shares the same philosophies and passions as we do.”
Talking coffee, The Flying Horse Café serves sustainably sourced Paradox Roastery coffee. This includes their fruit-based chocolatey Picasso Baby for black coffee and the popular Penny Lane for white, its mix of toffee, sweet lime and chocolate notes perfect to accompany lunch of salads, bowls, burgers and mains. Asian flavours emerge in the drink offerings – black sesame latte, matcha latte and pomegranate iced tea.
With a menu changing several times a year, Fin injects new life and a touch of class into favourite dishes. Everything is made in house, including sauces. Breakfast and lunch dishes are cooked to order.
Fin’s classical training and the influence of Asian cultures is also evidenced in his meal preparation.
Fin and Keith’s attention to detail shows on the plate. From Fried chicken Eggs Bene or the signature Pegasus-shaped Banana Split Pancakes for breakfast, the presentation is noteworthy. The Cauli Hash is a top vegan dish, one of my favourites on the menu, while the three egg Chilli Scramble provides a protein fix for gym goers.
Lunches lean towards healthy and diverse in salads, bowls and burgers. Daily specials add interest for locals. Bowls including Karaage chicken with Asian slaw and Japanese mayonnaise, and Slow-cooked brisket burger with slaw, cheese, bacon and pickles. The Teriyaki Chicken Salad is another of our favourites, followed closely by the Miso Salmon Bowl.
The Flying Horse Café is also one of the few places we know that includes simple cheap food on the menu. I’m talking toasted sandwiches for $10 and under, or Eggs Your Way for $11.
Well priced and clearly marked for food preferences (including gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan), there’s something for everyone boosted by lots of add-in options.
Whether you dine at lunch with a late brekkie and cold-pressed juice, a burger and ginger beer or share a crispy salmon salad or toasted sandwich, this is a great place to catch up with friends with minimal effort required. Say hello and introduce yourself to the team. After all, it’s the people we meet on the journey that count!
The Flying Horse Café, 345 Southport Nerang Rd, Ashmore QLD 4214, Ph: 07 5597 7968, Open: Sun – Fri 7.30am – 3pm, Sat 8am – 3.30pm, Sun 8.30am – 3.30pm.
NOTE: This venue is available for event hire and catering.
Good Food Gold Coast dined as a guest of The Flying Horse Cafe.