All green, everything.
All green, everything.
The plant-based life is one that has gained huge momentum over the past little while with dedicated eateries popping up all over the place and many people adopting more of a green way of life.
The Gold Coast has joined in on the fun, becoming home to a few vegetarian venues that we the people have welcomed with open arms.
The most recent of which is Plant Based Café, found in Paradise Point on Grice Ave and next door to Cross and Feather, it opened late last year and it’s been quite the delight ever since.
Owners Airi Kanazawa and Ali Imz noticed a need for more plant-based spots on the northern end of the Coast and so, as many aspiring change-makers do, decided to change that right up.
Now plant-based eater or not, you’re going to want to sample the absolutely stunning eats on offer here. Created by both Airi, Ali and former Masterchef contestant Christina Laker heading up the kitchen, every single dish is a delight to behold and yes, packed with flavour too.
For breakfast there are dishes like Nutella Pancakes with house-made Nutella poured over three layers of fluffy, vanilla pancakes and finished with organic coconut ice cream, blueberry compote, fresh seasonal fruits and peanuts and that is one dish you’re going to remember for a long time.
If you’re more of a savoury fan, the Zucchini and Corn Fritter Stack is next-level with a stack of low-fat, baked fritters served with tomato relish, smashed avocado and a lightly-dressed petite salad. So tasty and perfectly presented too.
There’s also a Buddha Bowl, Matcha Tea Mochi Pancakes and a Dukkha Mushroom Medley to name a few more delicious dishes.
For lunch, there are burgers, tacos, pasta and Spiced Buffalo Cauliflower Wings which are one of our favourite things ever. The Chi-kin Burger is the go with a grilled chi-kin patty, housemade slaw, pickled gherkin and melted cheddar. All day please.
To drink there are smoothies of the Snickers Protein, Chocolate Mint and Blueberry Chia varieties plus an organic blend of coffee from Byron Bay Coffee Company, plus of course, cold pressed juice and kombucha.
The team are also aiming for a waste-free business, recycling everything daily and taking leftover food scraps to an animal shelter nearby. So that’s really great.
Do yourself a favour and get into Plant Based Café ASAP to taste some exceptional eats in a high vibe space that is doing good for not only the Gold Coast but the world.
We like.
LOCATION: 1/2 Grice Ave, Paradise Point
HOURS: Daily from 6am to 3pm
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
We’ve got it on good authority that every brunch in the UK is a boozy one. We’re all for that obviously and it’s come to our attention that there simply aren’t enough boozy brunches in our lives.
Luckily, we’ve found a couple of lads who share our thoughts and they have come to the rescue. Said lads are Pete Jeary and Clark Lynn, a UK born pair who, in the last few days, opened brand new brunch spot Cross + Feather in Paradise Point and (you guessed it) they’re big fans of a tipple or two at brunch too.
Found on Grice Ave, just off the main drag in the delightful waterfront suburb, Cross + Feather is a pared back, intimate space all moody hues and hanging greenery and one of the very best pieces of art we’ve ever laid eyes on. You can choose to sit up at the bar and watch Pete make magic via cocktails and also gaze lovingly at the copper bar or, outside on the street to people watch and soak up that (very necessary right now) ocean breeze.
As mentioned, Pete and Clark hail from the UK but more importantly, they met at much-loved (and really quite famous) restaurant Hawksmoor where Pete invented a cocktail called Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew and dubbed it ‘a turbo-shandy for the discerning drinker’ which is still served there today, won a slew of high profile awards AND (most importantly) is now served right here on the Gold Coast. At Cross + Feather. Obviously.
It’s made with Beefeater Gin; blended with fresh lemon and house-made ginger syrup and topped with Roger’s Amber Ale and it is possibly the zestiest, most refreshing tipple there has even been. No exaggeration. Oh and 50 cents from each one ordered is donated to Act For Kids, charity dedicated to child abuse and neglect.
So there’s that. There’s also an entire breakfast cocktail menu including the new love of our lives, the Highland Breakfast Martini, made with Kamm and Sons English Aperitif, shaken with a generous teaspoon of Chef’s handmade marmalade and then lightly toasted with a splash of smoky scotch whisky. The smokiness is the winner here, offset perfectly by the sweet marmalade and a cocktail that might just change your life (and made you want to snuggle up by the fire someplace where it snows a lot). Bye.
Food-wise, the menu is refined breakfast slash brunch eats and all your favourites are on offer but don’t go thinking you’ll find any run-of-the-mill dishes here.
How does Champagne Infused Eggs Benedict sound? Epic, yes. Tastes even better. Let’s discuss the Mushroom Bruschetta though because who knew mushrooms could be so very tasty. Nobody, that’s who. Well, Chef John obviously. So it’s Toasted New York-style rye bread with rosemary and garlic roast field mushrooms, mushroom parfait, mushroom soil, shaved Gruyere, white truffle and egg yolk jam. One of the great breakfast dishes, sharp and tangy and mouthwateringly delicious.
For lunch, there’s a Kingfish Ceviche with sunrise lime, sea fennel, burnt mango, fermented cucumber and native botanicals and again, can we eat this every day please?
The Raw is also a good time with seasonal baby vegetables, apple-smoked coconut yoghurt, watermelon radish, leek ash and carab soil. Pretty as a picture and the perfect flavour combination.
We could go on but no doubt you’re hungry now and same.
Make it a priority to pay Paradise Point a visit and eat one of everything, washed down with a breakfast cocktail or two.
Boozy brunch is back, baby.
Bye.
LOCATION: 2/2 Grice Ave, Paradise Point
HOURS: 5.30am until 3pm daily
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
Everyone loves a good market filled with all kinds of tasty eats and, lucky for the Gold Coast, they seem to be popping up all the place.
The latest foodie marketplace-style adventure will be joining the outlet shopping centre that is Harbour Town and it’s set to change the areas’ dining scene.
The multi-million dollar dining precinct will open in December and include famous Asian hawker-style market 8 Street as well as brand newbie Crafty’s, a sports bar they say will change experiential dining on the Coast.
8 Street alone is exciting, with 14 unique Asian street food stalls, all of which will give us some exceptional authentic eating opportunities.
Crafty’s is looking to change the perception of sports bars into all day, family-friendly venues. It’ll showcase DJ’s, food trucks, games of skill, fresh food and (the very best part) bottomless cold-pressed mimosas. Yes. There’ll also be 12 taps with rotating craft beers. How fun.
It’s set to be the perfect place to catch up with pals over a morning coffee or to watch the game over beer and cocktails. Which is pretty much the best of both worlds if you ask us.
The 125 million dollar project will be the biggest addition to Harbour Town since the North-West Mall was unveiled in May of 2016.
Everyone loves a good market filled with all kinds of tasty eats and, lucky for the Gold Coast, they seem to be popping up all the place.
The latest foodie marketplace-style adventure will be joining the outlet shopping centre that is Harbour Town and it’s set to change the areas’ dining scene.
The multi-million dollar dining precinct will open in December and include famous Asian hawker-style market 8 Street as well as brand newbie Crafty’s, a sports bar they say will change experiential dining on the Coast.
8 Street alone is exciting, with 14 unique Asian street food stalls, all of which will give us with some exceptional authentic eating opportunities.
Crafty’s is looking to change the perception of sports bars into all day, family-friendly venues. It’ll showcase DJ’s, food trucks, games of skill, fresh food and (the very best part) bottomless cold-pressed mimosas. Yes. There’ll also be 12 taps with rotating craft beers. How fun.
It’s set to be the perfect place to catch up with pals over a morning coffee or to watch the game over beer and cocktails. Which is pretty much the best of both worlds if you ask us.
The 125 million dollar project will be the biggest addition to Harbour Town since the North-West Mall was unveiled in May of 2016.
Stay tuned for further announcements, including the official name of the new dining space and all the new venues set to blow your foodie mind.
It’s happy days for Harbour Town, and us, because eating and shopping are two of the very best things to do, are they not.
LOCATION: 147-189 Brisbane Rd, Biggera Waters
Over the last couple of years, the Gold Coast has become known as a (very pretty) city to watch in terms of our arts, culture and dining scenes. Which makes sense because as we all know, there are a lot of good things happening.
One of the most impressive (and exciting), are the local breweries that have opened and are now sending their goods across the country to be sipped and adored, as they deserve.
Black Hops Brewing is one of those local breweries and theirs is a success story that is not only extremely interesting but also makes you feel as though you too can do something absolutely epic with your life and make lots of people happy in the process.
Black Hops came about in 2014 when three Gold Coast mates decided they wanted to start brewing craft beer and so they set about to do exactly that.
Fast forward six years, Dan Norris, Eddie Oldfield and Michael ‘Govs’ McGovern are now the proud owners of a brewery and bar in Burleigh Heads and another much larger version in Biggera Waters that opened in 2019.
Which brings us to the point of this quite long tale.
You may now treat yourself to a tour of Black Hops second brewery, learning all about how the business came about while also drinking a very generous amount of the boys’ tasty brews.
The tour begins with a sample of Black Hops very first brew, Eggnog Stout, while hearing about how the lads created it and the process of upscaling to be where they are today.
The rest of the tour is made up of following the route the beer itself takes and learning about everything from the recipe (not the technical term) to the very end, at the packaging machine (again not the technical term).
Along the way, you get to sample many a Black Hops brew and once you’ve learned all the things, you can head to the bar to taste any sips you didn’t get to try along the way.
Our favourite is the Pink Mist which is a Raspberry Saison and the epitome of a girl beer if ever there was one, but it’s very delicious and refreshing and we love it a lot.
So if you enjoy learning about how local businesses became a big deal, while sampling the goodness that made them become a big deal, a Black Hops Brewery tour is the answer.
It’s only $50 per person (BARGAIN) and the perfect way to spend a few hours on a Saturday.
So gather the crew and get involved, it’s a very good time.
LOCATION: 14 / 665 Pine Ridge Road, Biggera Waters
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
