Gold Coast features in Good Food Guide Awards 2015
The Brisbane Times Good Food Guide Awards for 2015 were held this week in Lightspace, Fortitude Valley. Sponsored by Vittoria Coffee and Citi, it was an evening with stunning food from Fino Fine Foods and Salumi Australia, where Pol Roger flowed freely and wearing black was ‘de rigeur’! The awards celebrated the performance of restaurants throughout Queensland, with the Gold Coast shining through as a prominent high achiever.
“The performance of the Gold Coast this year has been particularly strong,” Brisbane Times Good Food Guide editor, Natascha Mirosch, says.
There was a significant increase in the total number of hats awarded, with 61 compared to 50 last year. For the first time in the hat stakes, regional restaurants outscored urban kitchens, with 32 hats awarded to non-city venues compared with Brisbane’s 29.
“Out of the 32 regional hats awarded, 22 were from the Gold Coast, and a lot of these were new entries such as Kiyomi, Room81, Moo Moo and Verve.”
Congratulations go to the Kiyomi team in particular for becoming a hatted restaurant in their first year of operation. Such a huge achievement reflects the team’s commitment to quality and service!
Summarising restaurant trends, Natasha Mirosch said that it’s the first year that the Good Food Guide has included Top 10 Burgers as well as Top 10 Healthy Food, demonstrating current trends and the diversity of food choices. Paleo, raw and vegan in particular have an increased presence on mainstream menus, with fresh juices served in mason jars still in fashion! Dining out for breakfast has become hugely popular, with a price creep evident per plate. The $14 smashed avo on toast is alive and well.
“In house” is the phrase of the moment, one application of this being the increase of in-house curing and fermenting in Brisbane. Kitchen gardens are also more common.
Mirosch commented on the emergence of more hidden and rooftop bars, as well as cafés in unlikely spaces due to rent costs. (On the Gold Coast, we’ve seen further development of our own food scene with an increase in casual outdoor venues which reflect our lifestyle.)
Alistair McLeod summarised by saying that these are all part of “a vibrant food journey”.
Gold Coast Restaurants awarded 1 hat: The Fish House
The serial restaurateur of Hellenika and The Fish House Simon Gloftis is a shining Gold Coast Entrepreneur.
Simon Gloftis’ influence in his latest achievement The Fish House is clearly evident – the lack of pretence in the presentation; the generous serving sizes; the light healthy touch with preparation, the style Southern European, leaving the quality of the seafood to speak for itself. Fish is flown up daily from Melbourne suppliers Ocean Made Seafood, or sourced locally from Snapper Road, the freshest and best available in Australia.
With knowledgeable, unobtrusive service, ambient, relaxed yet understated surroundings and a fine wine collection of over 200 handpicked wines from Australia and Europe, The Fish House provides an exceptional wining and dining experience. A celebration marked by great food.
Read Restaurant Review: The Fish House.
Gold Coast Restaurants awarded 2 hats:
Kiyomi:
A huge congratulations to the Kiyomi team for becoming a hatted restaurant in their first year of operation. What a huge achievement!
Kiyomi is a stunning restaurant overlooking the lobby bar at Jupiters Hotel and Casino. Kiyomi’s minimalist design nods in reference to traditional Japanese restaurants: muted brown tones, the privacy of booth seating along one side, Japanese murals and layered wood features. Yet it’s overtly modern as well, with a fabulous cocktail bar on entry, high bar seating running down the middle of the restaurant, and moody lighting – perfect for a small group dinner or a romantic date.
It’s an absolute delight to experience Chase Kojima’s cutting edge Japanese-influenced cuisine. A balance of traditional and modern, our meal at Kiyomi brought unique combinations of the freshest ingredients to our table; a surprise and delight to discerning diners. We do not need to travel far to taste world class cuisine: Kiyomi has brought it to our doorstep!
Read Restaurant Review: Kiyomi
Moo Moo:
Moo Moo Broadbeach specialises in steak and fine wines and is undoubtedly one of the Gold Coasts best steak restaurants. In its first year of full operation it was awarded 2006 Gold Coast Best New Restaurant and Gold Coast Best Steak Restaurant by the Restaurant Industry body – Restaurant and Catering Australia.
With its stunning modern interior decor of natural stone finishes, sleek organic curves and state of the art lighting system, the steak restaurant has evolved.
Ristorante Fellini:
There have been too few Italian restaurants on the Gold Coast bringing locals the rustic recipes passed down through generations by Italian matriarchs. Rarely do we enjoy an authentic Italian culinary encounter, rather than the Italian food Australians have come to expect. The most notable exception to this is Fellini.
The restaurant is elegantly timeless. Focus is drawn away from the beautiful open kitchen with its hard working chefs framed by a line of peg-held orders, past the linen-clad tables, out through the open windows to sweeping views across luxury yachts and the Broadwater beyond. The restaurant is two-tiered, allowing every table to share the magnificent views.
Read Restaurant Review: Fellini
Rocksalt:
Rocksalt is a contemporary multi-award winning restaurant in the heart of Broadbeach. Its decor is elegant and atmosphere is relaxed. The degustation is a must try.
Saltimbocca Di Pollo fellini - Ristorante Fellini Gold Coast
Ristorante Fellini Gold Coast
Moo Moo Broadbeach specialises in steak and fine wines and is undoubtedly one of the Gold Coasts best steak restaurants.
Kiyomi restaurant Gold Coast
Dining out for breakfast has become hugely popular, with a price creep evident per plate.
Kiyomi - Binchotan Duck Breast with-Beetroot, Sansho Pepper and Wasabi
Restaurant Kiyomi Gold Coast
Ristorante Fellini
Room 81:
In the Room 81 kitchens, Chef de Cuisine Sam Moore has taken on the daunting responsibility of steering Sofitel’s prestigious One-Hatted restaurant. Mind you, he has plenty of experience to draw on, having worked at Greg Doyle’s Pier and Dietmar Sawyere’s Forty One Restaurant when they both held multiple Chef’s Hat ratings.
“I’ve worked at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins’ signature restaurant, No. 35, where I really loved their eclectic and modern approach,” he said.
“I now have a great opportunity to bring a similar urban-style elegance to the classic yet casual dining approach of Room 81.”
Sam has already made his mark, sourcing the very best local produce to inspire a uniquely Australian menu with Sofitel’s traditional French twist.
Salt Grill:
Celebrity Chef Luke Mangan brings his renowned culinary flair to Salt grill, the signature restaurant at Hilton Surfers Paradise. Combining his creativity, expertise and passion with the finest and freshest local produce, Luke brings guests the definitive Modern Australian dining experience with dishes such as Jamón Serrano Crumbed Bone Marrow, with Truffle Oil, Parmesan, and Parsley, or Twice Cooked Blue Eye Trevalla wrapped in Pancetta, with Crushed Peas and Preserved Lemon.
There are also five- and seven-course degustation menus. Salt Grill’s 157-seat dining room, features large, dramatic circular windows which overlook Orchid Avenue, along with an open kitchen.
Read Restaurant review: The favourite restaurants in Surfers Paradise
Seaduction:
Seaduction boasts one of our most talented chefs, Steve Szabo. Former Executive Chef of Palazzo Versace, Szabo is a renowned master of molecular gastronomy, a master of detail, his excellence recognised in many awards. His menus change seasonally, but throughout the dishes there’s a display of technical brilliance and artfully imaginative presentation.
There’s an extensive wine list to accompany the food, from Old to New worlds, the feature being the wines of Australasia. It is very easy to be artfully seduced by Steve Szabo’s intriguing cuisine, the elegant relaxed venue with such a spectacular view, and the unstuffy polished service. Seaduction is a delight!
Read Restaurant Review: Seaduction
Social Eating House:
Social Eating House + Bar is the ultimate venue for the casual diner who enjoys sophisticated food. It has a sexy vibe, great food, knowledgeable service and keen pricing, plus it’s open seven days!
Matt and Amy Jefferson have made a very loud culinary statement to the Gold Coast: Even when you dine casually, you can still eat absolutely delectable fine cuisine at an affordable price! So smart!
In chic but for the most part muted industrial colours, the long space has been split into several more private areas, each with a visual feature. Divided by a bright canary-coloured pillar and high seating, one end of the restaurant has a view of the kitchen, the other the bar. Taking pride of place in the middle is a picture windowed charcuterie cabinet. Owner Matt Jefferson says that he decided on a charcuterie as a visual selling point so that diners could identify and understand the produce they would eat. It houses an elite hand-picked collection of some of the best Spanish, Italian and French cured meats and cheeses available.
Read Restaurant Review: Social Eating House + Bar
Social Eating House + Bar - See restaurant review below
Social Eating House + Bar
Room 81
Dessert at Seaduction
Ten Japanese:
In the past few years, Japan has increasingly gained world recognition for culinary excellence. This rise to fame is best illustrated by three events: in December 2013, Traditional Japanese cuisine “Washoku” was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list (only the second cuisine to be listed, following French); Japan is now recognised as a major force in fine dining, its 27 three-starred restaurants in the 2014 Michelin Guide matched only by France; lastly, the attention paid to the Japanese culinary arts by the best chefs in the world, including René Redzepi , owner of Noma (Best restaurant of the year, 2014), who will relocate himself and his entire 50 person team to Tokyo for January 2015.
If there’s one restaurant on the Gold Coast which embodies the essence of timeless simplicity in a most sophisticated way it is Ten Japanese. Hidden behind impressive stainless steel doors on a street offset from the main dining areas of Broadbeach, it’s a tranquil world away from the outside bustle.
Read: Restaurant Review: Ten Japanese
Vanitas:
Vanitas at the Palazzo Versace Hotel hosts a magical culinary experience perfectly situated in an elegant dining room with beautiful lagoon views. The signature degustation dining experience with matching wines is a must try if you are seeking an unforgettable culinary journey.
Verve:
Verve offers a romantic and intimate fine dining experience. The restaurant has put itself on the map as must-do restaurant for both local, national and international diners. Head Chef Ashley Skeen is constantly changing the menu, something regular diners truly enjoy.
Allure on Currumbin:
Get treated like royalty at Allure on Currumbin in an elegant casual dining experience. The restaurant boasts a classic french menu with an Australian touch and was voted in 2014 as the second best fine dining in the country on Trip Advisor.
The full list of winners and judges’ comments can be found in The Brisbane Times Good Food Guide 2016, available for $7.99 from participating newsagents or online at brisbanetimes.com.au/goodfoodguide for $9.99 including delivery.
Read more of Marj’s reviews on Good Food Gold Coast
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