Gourmet Gold Coast

THE GOLD COAST LIKE A GOURMAND

Mention hatted restaurants and molecular gastronomy, and the Gold Coast is probably not the first location to spring to mind. Yet over the past few years a world-class food scene has been growing, and it’s now ripe and ready for foodies.

WORDs: Michelle Hespe

LEFT, THEN TOP TO BOTTOM: Stanthorpe figs with goats curd, vanilla pickled pistachio and brick pastry from Palette; Surfers Paradise at dusk; The delectable root beer dessert from Citrique; Citrique's signature oven-baked snow fish, with wood-fired cauliflower, lemon zest, dukkah crumble and lemon verbena sauce.

THE SOUTH Coast of Queensland earned its moniker of the Gold Coast in the 1950s, thanks to its expensive real estate and the high cost of living. It was an easy way to refer to the holiday strip from Southport (which was a hotspot for wealthy Brisbane residents) through to Coolangatta.

Local entrepreneur Keith Williams opened Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens in 1958, which initially offered spectacular water-skiing shows, and over the years has morphed into today’s Sea World.

The area’s first theme park Magic Mountain started out as a chairlift at Nobby Beach in 1962, becoming a castle-themed attraction by the mid-Seventies. Dreamworld opened its doors in 1981, and the Gold Coast was booming.

However, ask anyone who spent much time in Surfers Paradise or on the Gold Coast in the Eighties, Nineties and Noughties about the food and beverage offerings, and you’re likely to get similar responses: it was all about fried food, takeaway chains, perhaps a nice café or two and your local Thai and Chinese joints alongside pubs and many clubs.

Fast forward to 2022, and there are more and more fine dining options joining the throng of already established eateries and bars that wouldn’t dream of dishing up schnitty and chips.

In fact, the Goldie has laid claim to 22 hatted restaurants for 2022.

DECADENCE AT CITRIQUE

Citrique is tucked away behind an ornate Asian-inspired wooden wall on the first floor of the JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort and Spa, which had an incredible $35 million makeover in 2020.

TOP TO BOTTOM: South Australian sardines with fermented tomato, steamed fennel, chilli relish and fermented herb oil; Chef Jon Nurminen; The stunning view from Gods of The Sea.

Step into Citrique and you slip into a world where the culinary talents of Executive Chef Paul Smart are showcased in five-course degusations of decadence that bring his love of Australian produce, seafood and Asian flavours together in sweet harmony.

Paul has travelled and worked his way around the world while sharpening his approach to food and cooking techniques, but it was seven years of working in Asia – particularly his times at the Sofitel in Bangkok – that gives his style a sophisticated Asian flair.

Citrique’s Bay bug dumplings with a bisque sauce, kaffir lime, coconut sambal and herbs from the hotel’s garden is one of Paul’s signature dishes, and the scallops white bean cassoulet with smoked ham hock is an absolute delight. The more robust roasted lamb rack with mint gel, pomme purée, baby turnips and chimichurri is delicate yet rich, and oh-so tender. The staff add to the experience of immersive, dynamic dining with at-table preparations of the dishes and Paul loves to roam the room and chat to diners.

If you’re a seafood fan, order the seafood tower – which includes oysters, spanner crab, Moreton Bay bugs, Mooloolaba king prawns and Hervey Bay scallops in the shell, salt-and-pepper squid, battered fish and grilled prawns.

Paul’s love of molecular gastronomy comes to the fore in a dessert called the JW Raspberry Root Beer. It is a miniature thin-walled white chocolate barrel with The Hot Shoppe inscribed on it, which is a nod to legendary entrepreneur and founder of Marriott International James Willard Marriott (the JW in the hotel’s name), who launched Hot Shoppes Inc which later became the Marriott Corporation.

The sublime dessert comes surrounded in a playful smattering of rose petal crumbs, poached rhubarb and popping candy. It arrives at your table with a smoke-filled bubble that you can pop, allowing the smoke to swirl gently across your table.

RHAPSODY AT GODS OF THE SEA

Hatted restaurant Gods of the Sea is perched on the side of a wharf – where any passionate fisherman dreams of being – on the aptly named Seaworld Drive.

The stunning view that diners are welcomed by is a signature Surfers Paradise vista: pelicans skimming the water, yachts cruising, fisherman laughing and chatting in bobbing tinnies, hotels and sky-living apartments rising high across the bay.

Finnish chef Jon Nurminen and his front-of-house business partner Warren Lucas create an inviting, exciting atmosphere at Gods of the Sea, and everything on the menu – whether it be produce, beer, wine or water – is 100 per cent Australian in

order to support Aussie producers and lower environmental impact by reducing the distance from farm to table.

The meals bring together Jon’s experience working with seafood from his years spent at the iconic (and now sadly closed) The Fish House in Burleigh Heads, and his homeland’s Finnish cooking techniques, such as smoking, fermenting and curing. In Finland, for instance, pickled trout is a classic Christmas meal.

The mussels in a chardonnay broth is sensational, and the pickled Petuna ocean trout with a native berry spice dust and smoked oil foam capture the essence of Jon’s approach. Or the smoked tomato, pickled carrot and leaf salad with king fish crudo and fermented pumpkin, pickled onion and trout-skin crackers is another awesome Finnish creation with an Aussie influence.

Warren then matches each dish with a different wine or beverage for a delectable series of flavourful fare.

The pared-back décor – lashings of white with green plants and pale wooden floors – with stylish blackand-white fishing and sea-inspired photography artworks give this stylish restaurant its fresh, lively and summerfun feels.

THE ART OF GASTRONOMY AT PALETTE

Two-hatted Palette inside the Home of the Arts (HOTA) six-storey gallery is an experience like no other on the Gold Coast. The menu not only changes in line with the seasons, but according to what exhibition is on display in the main gallery.

Explore the edgy gallery (which aims to inspire debate) from the top down, and then settle in for a series of perfectly balanced, exceptionally artistic food and wine pairings that bring to life the remarkable culinary talents of Executive Chef Dayan Hartill-Law.

In Dayan’s words: “You can expect all the great aspects of fine dining: fresh, local, high-quality produce with amazing provenance, knowledgeable staff, but with no stuffy bowties or waistcoats.”

A tasting menu with matched beverages will set you back around $200, but it’s worth every cent. Even the bread – Burleigh Baker charcoal sourdough, teamed with 96-monthold rice culture whipped miso butter – is out-of-this-world awesome.

A single chicken wing appetiser that has been deboned and doused in karage flavours with a light chilli glaze sets the stage for the unique offerings to follow.

From there on in each dish just gets better and better, until it wraps up with a chocolate miniature model of the colourful HOTA building, filled with flavours of strawberries and cream. It looks rather out-of-place set on a Gold Coast table as it’s covered in dry ice “snow” – but that’s what HOTA does too: makes you look and really think.

Other standouts are Dayan’s creative take on lobster thermidor (with cheese, beer mustard and fennel) and a 150-day dry-aged beef sirloin which, in line with a recent LEGO-based exhibition, you construct yourself after a plate arrives with the piece of meat sitting alone. A perfectly presented tray of garnishes then joins the table, including parsnip purée, sautéed rainbow chard, hasselback Jerusalem artichokes, mushroom sauce, and a Bordelaise sauce with flecks of bone marrow.

Creating an artwork that looks as good as it tastes is a tough work for anyone lacking Dayan’s talents – but due to his input, you can still create a masterpiece of taste. 

LEFT THEN CLOCKWISE: Palette's calming decor; Lady Musgrave Island swordfish and Margra lamb; Dayan's take on lobster thermidor with pickled beer mustard and local cheese.

BELOW THEN CLOCKWISE: The magical entrance and exterior of Uncle Su; Modern artworks adorn the walls; A table for four set with taste sensations paired with wines and cocktails.

HOT TO TROT AT UNCLE SU

Arriving at Uncle Su in the Star Casino is magical. The floorboarded entry has lasered visuals of lapping water so you can part the ocean like Moses as you step into this stunningly detailed Chinese restaurant, which is somehow both bright and light and rich and moody at once. With the thin, pale strip-wood panelling encasing the entire restaurant, it feels as though you are sitting inside an intricate Chinese lantern.

Uncle Su focuses on offering its diners the freshest live seafood, so tanks of lobsters, fish, abalone and other marine delicacies line the walls. It also specialises in hand-made lunchtime yum cha and a delicious blend of Cantonese-style favourites, with a selection of signature Beijing and Szechuan dishes. The bar staff put together sensational cocktails with traditional Chinese ingredients. Try the watermelon cocktail with Aperol, jasmine tea and chrysanthemum, which arrives in an intricately painted porcelain cup depicting Chinese flowers and vines, sitting on a bed of ice in a matching bowl.

The chicken san choy bau with prosecco is a great way to start your meal, followed by soft-shell crab with a glass of chardonnay. Both are light and bursting with freshness and flavour. If you’re a meat lover, the Darling Downs sliced wagyu with straw mushrooms and water chestnuts in oyster sauce garnished with fried Chinese donuts is a show-stopper. For chilli fans not afraid to walk on the wild side, try the Szechuan poached beef with some of the hottest chillies on the planet. Wow-ee, is it hot to trot!

To splash out, you can order a superior bird’s nest with chicken soup, which comes with a $188 price tag. That seems fair enough when the waiter explains that the gatherers need to climb a tree to find the nests, as it’s the swiftlet’s hardened saliva that is the delicacy. Chinese people believe the spit helps maintain youth, as well as contributing to a long, healthy life and a strong body.

Finish your meal with a soohting pot of Chinese tea – perhaps a brew that aids digestion. Pu-erh is a popular one, made from the fermented leaves and stems of the Camellia sinensis plant. Because after a few days or a week on the Gold Coast swanning from one restaurant to another, you’ll no doubt need to digest what you’ve eaten, seen and experienced. TB

WHERE TO FIND THESE CULINARY WONDERS

citriquerestaurant.com godsofthesea.com.au paletterestaurant.com.au star.com.au/goldcoast/restaurants/uncle-su

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RECHARGE IN

Robertson

Spend a big weekend in a tiny house and explore this tranquil hamlet, where it’s all about local produce, spectacular scenery and a relaxed country atmosphere.

Words: emily Riches

TUCKED AWAY in Robertson, an easy two-hour drive from Sydney, you’ll find Foxglove Cottage: a Tiny Away cabin in the beautiful Southern Highlands on Gundungurra Country. This little piece of paradise is our home for the weekend, and sits on the working farm of our hosts Max and Miriam. As we arrive on Friday night, they greet us with a warm welcome and plenty of recommendations for things to see and do during our stay.

Tiny Away aims to provide guests the opportunity to enjoy unique properties and reconnect with nature in an eco-friendly, sustainable way. Our tiny house is private and cosy, complete with an outdoor fire pit and an undercover screen for movies. Inside the cottage awaits our first taste of Robertson: a cheese platter with locally made brie and vintage blue cheese, a jug of crystal-clear spring water, fresh milk, Max’s homemade port and mead, as well as his award-winning honey. With full bellies, we fall asleep to the gentle sounds of rain on the roof and a chorus of frogs from the nearby Missingham Creek. I’m already excited for what’s in store tomorrow.

We wake to a view of green pastures and grazing horses, and decide to visit the Lees Road Lookout, just a ten-minute walk from the cottage. As we pass sweeping farmland and curious cows, I’m not surprised that Robertson was the setting for the 1995 film Babe. The lookout sits 580 metres above sea level and offers utterly breathtaking views over the Illawarra escarpment, rainforests and rolling green hills, all the way down to Lake Illawarra and the Pacific Ocean. It’s a great introduction to the landscape, and clear why Robertson is known as the “green heart of the Southern Highlands.”

From Foxglove Cottage it’s just a short drive to the town centre, so we

OPPOSITE, THEN TOP TO BOTTOM : Blue Pool, Budderoo National Park; Scenic aerial of Robertson in the Southern Highlands. Image: Dee Kramer Photography; Foxglove Cottage, a Tiny Away cabin; Robertson Pie Shop. Image: Destination Southern Highlands and hcreations.com.au

head in for breakfast at Moonacres Kitchen, a popular local cafe, where we tuck into pancakes with poached pear and rhubarb compote. The owners pride themselves on using ingredients grown from their organic farm, and also run cooking classes at the Moonacres School.

It may be small, but Robertson is full to the brim with delightful cafes, quirky shops, small galleries and friendly locals. It has a thriving community art scene, so we pop into the Southern Highlands Artisans Collective to admire their latest exhibitions. Across the road is the Old Robertson Cheese Factory, which houses Mumma’s Country Kitchen – a gorgeous cafe and dairy store selling locally made cheeses, chutneys, jams, oils, marinades and more. Inside, you’ll also find The Cool Room – A Country Emporium filled with fascinating vintage wares and curios: we spend a good half hour rummaging, but could have easily spent the whole day.

We pick up some local salami from Pecora Cheese and Wine, a lovely little wine bar with delectable grazing plates, and visit the peaceful and fascinating Robertson Cemetery for a bit of town history. Another spot for history buffs is the Robertson Hotel – built in 1928 and once considered one of the most luxurious hotels in the Commonwealth, it’s a great place to enjoy a fancy meal or high tea.

The town is also host to the annual ‘spud-tacular’ Robertson Potato Festival, so we stop by its quirkiest landmark, the Big Potato, for a photo op before heading out to explore the countryside. Robertson is spoilt for choice when it comes to natural beauty, with three waterfalls within easy driving distance of the town. At Carrington Falls, a short, accessible track circles the top of the falls, which drop a spectacular 90 metres into the valley below. The nearby Blue Pool is a serene swimming hole that cascades down to Nellie’s Glen, a great spot for a picnic, or there are plenty of other walking tracks for keen bushwalkers to explore.

After a quick and chilly dip in Blue Pool, we stop by the famous Robertson Pie Shop for a late lunch before heading back to Foxglove Cottage. We spend the afternoon soaking up the peaceful atmosphere of the farm, lounging in the hammock, and being introduced to Max and Miriam’s three horses and two friendly Border Collies. It’s so relaxing and we feel totally at home.

Max and Miriam recommend getting takeaway from Pizzas in the Mist, a popular woodfired pizza restaurant and eating it by the fire, but as the rain picks up, we opt for a meal at the charming Robertson Public House instead. The mushroom burger and chicken parmy hit the spot, and I think back on our day well spent with great food, natural beauty and a good amount of relaxation.

The next morning as we’re getting ready to leave, Max pops over and asks if our batteries are recharged? The answer is a resounding yes. TB

TINY AWAY GETAWAYS

For wineries: Tiny House 888 – Hunter Valley, NSW For a farm stay: Cottesloe – Meander Valley, TAS For horse riding: Wodalla Horse Farmstay – Nyora, VIC To switch off: The Ridge – Korweinguboora, VIC To explore: Kookaburra Cabin – Sunshine Coast, QLD To be lakeside: Dandelion Retreat – Lochiel, SA For alpacas: Alpaca Tiny House – Flowerdale, VIC Visit tinyaway.com