TOKIYA in Mermaid Beach

TOKIYA in Mermaid Beach is a long way from the Waldorf Astoria in New York but happily for locals the trip by Taisuke Fukuda has given the Gold Coast a chef of excellence.

This small restaurant on the highway offers a superb but tight menu allowing Chef Taisuke Fukuda to display his many talents.

He serves modern French cuisine with a Japanese touch – his sauces tempered and presented in a far lighter vein with flavour intact.

“Expect a leisurely dining experience at night”

Meals are cooked to order by Taisuke who prides himself on perfection while his wife Erico looks after the tables with a quiet serenity. Nothing is rushed.

The menu consists of two soups , three side dishes, six mains and two desserts but Taisuke is happy to prepare any special requests as long as he is given a few days notice.

Crab Soup

Both soups are delicious the prawn chowder is thick and creamy, packed with prawns and vegetables – shallots, mushrooms, onions, carrots and parsley

Crab and vegetable soup is thin and tasty several crab claws adding colour and sweet crab meat

A small bowl of vegetables and a slice of garlic bread accompany the mains.

Black Angus

Black Angus rib eye steak is tender, rare as ordered, and comes with roasted garlic and a garlic soy sauce and cream, the sauce light and different.

Poached orange roughy is a light option served on a bed of snow peas, mushrooms and asparagus – the white firm fish dressed with a prawn and white wine sauce

There are two desserts, crepe suzette and apple pie.

The apple pie is well worth trying - made with a filo pastry and served with homemade ice cream.

French cuisine with a Japanese twist

Location: 2396 Gold Coast Highway (Corner Markeri Street)

Mermaid Beach

Phone: 07 5526 1772

Open:   Dinner Tuesday to Sunday from 6pm

Lunch Friday, Saturday and Sunday – the dishes Japanese and designed for faster service.

Cavalier Bar & Supper

The new Italian Supper Room at Cavalier gives the Gold Coast an elegant and delightful venue for late night dining.

The restaurant-bar, with its very Italian feel, offers a smart complement to the downstairs section where patrons can enjoy a drink as well as tapas dining.

Upstairs one is greeted by glistening chandeliers, Chesterfield style leather seating, candle lit tables and a wall featuring framed black and white Italian photographs .Chefs are busy in an open kitchen which has a bar front and comfortable stools.

Open Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm until late

 the upstairs Italian Supper Room offers an 

excellent and well priced menu.

From a varied selection of entrees;

Cured Salmon

• the house cured salmon with lemon vinaigrette, radish and almond crumbs is excellent and has a pleasant texture.

• The Wagyu cap
  carpaccio with truffle oil, pecorino and garlic chips is superb

• An Amalfi salad, baby lettuce, orange segment, fennel and red wine vinaigrette, is a good lead in to the mains.

Oven baked market fish with Coffin Bay clams, crunchy asparagus and dill is light and  perfectly cooked while the wild rabbit and red wine ragu with tortiglioni and grano pandano is a more substantial offering.

The Edge, a 2012 Pinot Noir, from Marlborough New Zealand, and a 2012 Coates Organic Chardonay from the Adelaide Hills South Australia work well with the dishes.

Desserts are both tempting and interesting.

Pistachio and olive oil cake

• The pistachio and olive oil cake with vanilla thyme panna cotta and roast strawberries is well worth a try 

• while the fresh marinated strawberries with limoncello and berry granite is light and refreshing.

This is a great addition to both Burleigh and the Gold Coast.

Cavalier Bar & Supper

Shop 1/17710

Gold Coast Highway

Burleigh Heads

Phone: 07 5535 9200

www.cavalierbarandsupper.com.au

        

Videre Restaurant

One of the finest chefs on the Gold Coast Glen Bacon put on a stunning dinner for the Chaine des Rotisseurs in Videre Restaurant at the Royal Pines Resort recently.

Held in the refurbished 21^st floor Videre with its sweeping Gold Coast backdrop the dinner began with NV veuve d’ Argent, Blanc de Blanc and canapés which included steamed prawns on lemongrass with a lime leaf sauce and tuna lollipops with sesame and soy.

CAPRI on VIA ROMA

On the Isle of Capri what used to be a bunch of scattered shops and businesses is being transformed into a stunning market complex with a gourmet food theme.

15 Via Roma Street, Surfers Paradise QLD 

Phone: (07) 5538 7228

www.caprionviaroma.com.au

The award winning Mayfield chocolates has set up shop alongside an exotic florist and is surrounded by a plethora of up - market culinary delights.

Mayfield Chocolates

Here you can find healthy yogurt, top quality fruit, bread, a bottle shop, a fish emporium, butcher, super market and of course a coffee shop

Yogurt

Via Roma

Via Roma

In the throes of construction a dining and lounge bar overlooking the water and, facing the street, a modern architecturally designed restaurant

The restaurant is the brain child of internationally award – winning Chef Luke Turner, who also owns Providore, the popular eatery and delicatessen, at Marina Mirage.

Luke puts his own twist on modern Australian dishes, has an excellent wine list and a very attentive wait staff. There is a continental touch with an attached pizzeria. Bar food is available for a light but delicious snack.

Rib Eye Fillet

The Green Stone rib eye beef is excellent as is the duck confit, all of the dishes enjoying Luke’s masterful touch.

OLLI & LUCA

INFO@OLLIANDLUCA.COM.AU

Man Mohan's - INDIAN RESTAURANT

WHILE there is no shortage of good Indian restaurants on the Gold Coast, Man Mohan’s Indian Hut ranks high on the list of places at which to enjoy the exotic flavours of the sub-continent.

From the little teasers such as vegetable pakoras, garlic marinated prawns and seekh kebab to the numerous curries and various vegetable dishes, all are beautifully presented and delicious.

This is Indian cuisine at its tastiest
Man a true culinary artist whose cooking reflects his northern background and influences through dishes which are attractively presented, wholesome and particularly delicious.

There are numerous naan bread combinations including garlic, garlic and cheese and a favourite Kashmiri naan filled with fruit and nuts, a most pleasant and exotic variation.

The curries are what diners expect to find in an Indian establishment and they do not disappoint, from the very spicy vindaloo from Goa to the milder offerings such as the house specialty mughlai in which chicken or prawns are cooked in a creamy sauce with tomatoes, onions, capsicums, coriander and garlic.

Unique spices and a touch of cream help define the ‘must try’ shahi, a mild but interesting curry.

There are many fine offerings to be found from the tandoor including mouth-watering lamb chops, chicken tikka and succulent king prawns.

There is more, much more, all of the dishes most enjoyable and the indoor - outdoor setting is very relaxing.

Shop 3/221, Christine Ave

Burleigh Waters, QLD, 4220

Phone: 07 5576 7255

Exotica Indian Restaurant

Find EXOTICA and you have uncovered a true Indian gem, strangely hidden just off the Gold Coast Highway at Mermaid Beach.

A romantic indoor outdoor setting overlooking Mermaid Beach park, the restaurant opens right up when the weather is fine.

Offering North Indian cuisine EXOTICA presents a range of delicious entrees, many from the tandoor oven, a large variety of curries and accompaniments, along with vegetarian dishes.

This modern well appointed restaurant provides excellent service, a good wine list and is well worth a visit.

• Gajemdra Painuly. Owner / chef‏

• Tej Kapadia. Owner‏

Located at:

2/2519 Gold Coast Highway

Mermaid Beach

(07) 5679 8155

Licensed   BYO wine only

Carmody's

Although it limits them to just four a year, Carmody’s has become widely known for its excellent wine dinners.

Restaurant manager Socky Soares puts together the events which are always sold out well in advance.

The most recent featured Heggies wines from the Barossa with winemaker Sam Wigan presenting several styles and Chef Nathan Hay and his team providing complementary dishes.

The wine dinner maintained its usual high standard with great dishes perfectly matched to excellent wines.

The evening began in the lounge bar with canapés and a Rose bubbly by Jansz.

Three of the wines featured included a 2013 Heggies Riesling which showed great complexity and went well with a smoked trout entrée.

A 2011 Heggies Chardonnay stood up extremely well to a delicious offering of pork jowl with umeboshi, seared scallop, celeriac and green apple.

An exceptional 2010 Heggies Merlot was perfect with juniper spiced venison, braised red cabbage, vino cotto and buttermilk puree.

The dinner was rounded off with a 2011 Botrytis Riesling the lime juice flavours  adding to the enjoyment of an elderberry panna cotta with macerated berries, rose jelly and pistachio floss.

The dinner was another example of the fine quality always found at Carmody’s so ably run by maitre d’ Socky Soares and his team.

Carmodys 

@ Southport Sharks

Musgrave Ave (cnr Olsen Ave)

Southport

5532 1155

Web: www.southportsharks.com.au

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