The Gold Coast has an amazing climate and lifestyle. We live in a land of plenty, which produces a bounty of produce. As a growing food destination, the Gold Coast is fast developing our own sense of style.
It’s all about the coffee for some, ambience or food for others, a social way to get out and meet friends.
As we dine out more often and far less auspiciously, there’s been a scaling down of fine dining venues, leading to some really talented chefs choosing alternative lifestyles. It’s a ‘win/win’ for both them and the dining public: they get to work in daylight hours and have more face contact with both their families and the dining public, while we’re blessed with a huge improvement in daytime dining standards. We look at five new cafés which show us developing trends and creative talent with a style all their own.
MLK Espresso Bar & Café
MLK Espresso Bar & Café at Broadbeach
Avo Smash at MLK
Gluten free cakes at Le Vintage
Corn and zucchini fritters at Le Vintage
Salmon with Potato Rosti at the Counter Eatery
Owner of Counter Eatery - Olivier Kraft
Avo with lemon, feta, dukkah and a side of streaky bacon at the Black Lamb
Cadence Café
75 Nerang Connection Rd., Nerang Ph: 07 5636 9295
Cadence, on the lower level of the Just Ride bike shop at Nerang, shows off some serious culinary talent.
In a very funky makeover, the minimalist space of distressed timber, bricks and concrete set off with a stainless steel kitchen fits right in with the cycle brigade, being close to the velodrome and several riding routes.
Of course we expect healthy food from a venue aimed at riders, but the quality of our meals was a complete surprise. Fresh tuna topped with guacamole salsa on tacos, banana protein pancakes, house made smoked BBQ sauce on slow-braised pulled pork raise the bar on café culture.
“We knew from the beginning that we wanted to do things differently to other cafés,” Cadence’s co-owner Kylie tells us later.
“We wanted to employ chefs, not cooks. We were really fortunate that both of our chefs were already customers and keen bike riders looking for a change of lifestyle.”
In fact, owners Kylie and Mark have scored not one but two ‘five star chefs’, Head Chef Carlos Peixoto (ex-Versace and O’Reilly’s) and Chef Marco Passos (also ex-Versace and MooMoo). It’s serious talent descending on Nerang.
“We started with a specific goal, to build a community and culture around the bike shop,” says Kylie
“a social hub where people can gather to meet before or after rides or runs.
“We want to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere with a playground for small children and lots of seating nearby.”
With ambience and the choice of indoor/outdoor dining, Cadence is already popular with cyclists who catch up after their early morning ride, and workers who use it as their lunch stop! The weekends are more laid back, with families and even large groups gathering.
While the menu falls into the healthy eating category, it also caters for a variety of dietary preferences – gluten free and vegetarian options through to traditional. This venue is well appreciated for its clever design – a large kitchen and servery, its own bathroom facilities, open spaces expanding onto grassy lawns and a dedicated playground, its edges shadowed by large gums. Think of it as a little dining oasis landed in the middle of Nerang’s retail district.
What a valuable addition to the community!
Fresh Tuna Tacos
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Counter Eatery
Cnr Gooding Drive & Ghilgai Rd., Merrimac Ph: 07 5525 3340
Merrimac may seem an unlikely location for an upmarket breakfast/lunch café, however it’s well-chosen by owners Olivier Kraft and David Humbert. Food outlets are few and far between in the area and, due to its culinary talent, this modern French-influenced eatery is unlikely to be a secret for long.
With experience between them spanning from Moulin Rouge (Paris) to Charters Towers (Jupiters, Broadbeach), as well as ownership of previous restaurants (a French restaurant in Mosman, Vue and Voilà), it’s stellar heritage to land on Merrimac’s doorstep, a ‘middle of the coast’ suburb which is within easy reach of the motorway.
Dining as a group of four at Counter Eatery, we’ve been able to taste each dish, lobbying for our favourite. In fact, all our meals have been outstanding, the attention to detail self-evident: Wood-smoked salmon accompanied by batons of finely grated potato – the best rosti we’ve ever eaten, large Field mushrooms served on house brioche with handmade goat labna plus a herb and hand-peeled tomato salad, a Healthy Start, as well as the most delicious French toast we’ve tasted, served alongside Blackboard coffee. It’s not extravagant food, however using the best fresh ingredients from local suppliers, making all cakes, pastries, brioche and baguettes in house, Counter eatery has many points of difference.
“It’s a personal thing. Selfishly, I suppose, I’ve made it for myself, how I like to eat. It doesn’t cost that much, but if you take the time, it changes the experience,” says David, the chef.
“We use old school techniques, and do everything by hand with a knife. The apple in our bircher muesli is julienned, not grated, so it keeps its texture.
“There’s no bacon, but to me the pork belly soaked in brine is better than bacon because it contains no nitrate… People have been surprised and happy with our food.”
For now, the owners have opened the eatery for breakfast, with a few light lunch dishes and cakes also on offer.
‘Destination dining’ necessitates drawing people in, keeping customers coming back and relying on word of mouth to extend clientele. ‘Build it and they will come’, the adage says, and with food, service and venue excelling, it won’t take Counter Eatery long to establish a following.
Once diners find this café, they’ll be sure to return. We have already!
‘Goodies’ from the patisserie at Counter Eatery
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Le Vintage Boutique @ two locations
Cnr Hinkler Dve & Goodman Close, Nerang Ph: 07 5596 6118
Cnr Hinkler Dve & Kurilpa St., Worongary Ph: 07 5518 4511
Cute as a button, Le Vintage Sandwich Boutique, Highland Park, transforms a rather ordinary corner store into a chic little boutique hybrid business. Whether you want to pick up staple food items such as bread and milk, coffee or the morning’s paper, or stop for a meal with friends, if you live on the western side of the highway, Le Vintage is worth a stop on your way home.
After being taken over two years ago by partners Nick and Joel, business has boomed because of the guys’ sunny attitude, and recently a second outlet was opened along the road in Worongary.
“Food and coffee are very personal,” Nick tells us.
“We cater to locals, not tourists. People factor us into their weekend routine, whether it’s coming out for breakfast with their partner, to walk the dog and have a coffee or to get the paper.
“We’re on first name basis, we know their kids and grandkids and we continue the story. It’s all about relationship, and that’s what we want to develop.”
Sharing similar simple fitouts of assorted clocks on the wall, shelving and tables housing gifts, personal care items, local gourmet jams and honey. With brekkie, lunch and Merlo coffee to go or enjoy in house, there’s also a cabinet of ready to go raw, vegan and GF cakes and slices, all made in house.
We visited on a Sunday for breakfast. Our light Corn & Zucchini Fritters with field mushrooms were given extra zing with a spoonful of corn and mango salsa. The Eggs Anyway lets you choose the sides, in our case chipolata sausages, mushrooms and organic eggs. It’s simple rustic cooking at the right price for locals; generous with just a touch of posh.
The dining area of the Highland Park shop features a rustic communal table decked out with flowers. High Tea can be booked ahead as either gluten-free or standard, a great place to have a book club meeting, high tea with friends, or a pre-teen girl’s party with sweets and shakes. Such a pretty little dining room demands an audience…so cute!
French Toast at the Counter Eatery
Pulled pork on brioche at Cadence
Macadamia Brownies at Cadence
Bacon and Egg Roll at Black Lamb
MLK Espresso Bar & Café
2 Queensland Ave., Broadbeach Ph: 07 5661 4392
With new cafés opening every week, it’s important for newcomers to know their market and make a mark. MLK Espresso Bar & Café has done just that. With its organic healthy focus in a fully licensed venue, it’s right on target for Broadbeach’s dining public, especially those who work out, eat out and play hard on their days off.
The venue which once housed Champagne Brasserie has had a fresh lease of life. The Eiffel Tower still stands on the wall inside and some of the distressed timber tables grace the alfresco area, but the menu is light years away from French cuisine.
To us, almost each dish has an obvious organic, paleo, low GI slant. Healthy choices can be seen throughout: sweet potato used instead of potato, hash browns made from cauliflower, and greens accompany many dishes. Smoothies are made on Greek yoghurt, almond milk or soy with ice rather than milk, which pleased some at our table more than others. Owner Sam Mustafa tells us that all dishes on the menu can be made gluten free on request. Almost as many are also dairy free.
We checked out a few options. Kick Start is the most popular dish on the menu, Sam tells us. Served on a wooden board, the little smorgasbord of cauli hash browns, greens, roast sweet potato cubes, feta, dukah, beetroot hummous and avocado with two perfectly poached eggs is a tasty plate of goodness that could see you through until the evening meal. The Bubble and Squeak, a sweet potato and kale smash rather than a patty, is served with two poached eggs, feta and a paleo ghee-based hollandaise. The obligatory Smashed Avo and Feta is a pretty version scattered with fresh corn, seeds and dukkah.
The lunch menu features salads, burgers, bowls and a few more hearty options coming into winter. Beef up your salad with a side of steamed chicken, slow-cooked pork, lamb shoulder or salmon. While there’s no doubting the healthy intent of the menu, there are plenty of sweet options loaded with seasonal fruit, organic protein powder, coconut water, flaxseed and chia seeds. Uninitiated or traditional diners may be a little out of their depth, but this menu is right on trend for Gen X and, with the venue now fully licensed, healthy dining doesn’t mean that MLK’s patrons will go without!
Smashed Avo and Feta
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The Black Lamb
123 Nerang Street, Southport Ph: 07 5528 2126
Dinesh Nair is a patient man. He’s opened The Black Lamb, a smaller version of his Black Sheep Espresso Baa, in Southport, waiting for the customers to come to him.
While the espresso bar is across the road from a vacant block, it’s a strategic move anticipating growth in the area. Housed under the Pacific Private Hospital, there are already plenty of customers to tickle the espresso machines.
The Nerang St G:Link station is right outside, St Hilda’s School around the corner and future development across the road on the now vacant old hospital site.
Born in Fiji, Dinesh, the son of two chefs, migrated to Australia when his wife came to the Gold Coast to work, Dinesh finding employment at George’s Sanctuary Cove, the Hilton and then Toby’s Estate Coffee, before the opportunity arose to open his own espresso bar in Coolangatta.
Like many customers, we fell in love with Dinesh’s enthusiasm and devilish sense of humour. It’s not just in the black sheep references, or buying coffee in sheep sizes (lamb, sheep, ram), but even in menu descriptions, such as the Moroccan Lamb “…straight back from his holiday…” Random? Yes, but there’s that Kiwi affection for difference shining through, just as it does in the food.
While the focus is on the deliciously creamy Toby’s Estate coffee, there’s a breakfast and lunch menu: Açai bowls, Avo smash, Bacon and egg rolls and a few egg and streaky bacon-based breakfasts with plenty of options to spice them up. Lunch delves into salad and burger territory tarted up with homemade sauces. Like breakfast, it’s fairly simple food focussing on the flavour of great ingredients, with creativity, difference and a sense of fun. With all meals under $15, food is priced for every day consumption.
On the mid-week morning when we dined for breakfast, the trade was already steady, coffees, breakfasts to eat in or go – health professionals, office workers, patients and students a constant flow in and out of the little shop.We’ll be back for the ‘Hippie Burger, BYO hair flowers, – a burger packed with chickpeas, roasted kumara, house made chilli jam and haloumi to feed your inner child’.
Doughnuts filled with goodness
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