A stylish new vegan venue for Burleigh Heads.
A stylish new vegan venue for Burleigh Heads.
Oh hey, we’re here to chat about Burleigh Heads again – the fastest growing foodie scene in Australia (made that up but it wouldn’t surprise us if it were true).
The latest exciting eatery to join the ranks of Burleigh’s rapidly expanding restaurant extravaganza (dramatic) is BKA Vegan, a stylish plant-based venue found underneath Ambience on Burleigh and open as of right now.
BKA Vegan has moved into the spot once occupied by The Local and it’s got that low-lit, moody industrial vibe we know and love. A sign splashed across the wall reads ‘Be Kind Always’ (which is what BKA stands for) and that, friends, is the entire premise of the newbie.
Earthy tones, exposed bricks and raw unpolished timber makes up the bar area and it’s a welcoming, edgy and delightful addition to beautiful Burleigh.
You can sit inside to soak up the good vibes or sidle up to a footpath table and watch the world pass you by.
Quite obviously, the menu is of the entirely vegan persuasion and every single thing on it (besides the bread) is made in house. Let it be known however that yes, it’s a vegan restaurant and while the food is indeed plant based, it is also simply food that is tasty, comforting and full of surprising, delightful flavours.
Owners Kylie Wood, a vegan of eight years, and Ryan Jacob wanted to create a space that offered hearty, tasty food and to educate people about being kind, both to one another and the planet. Ryan has been a chef for over 30 years and brings his expertise to a menu filled with unique flavour profiles that we shall now discuss.
There are many dishes worth mentioning here starting with small plates. We were particularly fond of the Spring Rolls (best we’ve ever tasted) and the Stuffed Crumbed Mushrooms. More please.
The larger plates were even better. Highly recommend the Mushroom Satay Ramen (flavour sensation), the Eggplant Cannelloni with spinach, cheese and lentil ragu and the Black Bean Noodle Salad with edamame, pickled ginger, wakame and spicy black bean dressing. Especially the Eggplant Cannelloni, what a treat.
The drinks menu is filled with vegan wines and beers (FYI Burleigh Brewing’s beers are all 100% vegan) and the cocktail menu is as good as you’ll find anywhere.
The entire crew are passionate about creating a conscious, ethical space and it shows both in the food and on their smiling, stoked-to-be-there faces.
Good food and good vibes, two of our favourite things. Get down there and give them some love Gold Coasters.
LOCATION: 1/1837 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads
HOURS: 10am until 11pm Wednesday to Sunday
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
The time has finally come friends, Burleigh Pavilion will open it’s doors this weekend – Saturday the 22nd of December to be precise and it’s set to change the local dining scene in a BIG way.
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock and missed the news, the gist is this: the beachfront space has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation and it’s going to bring the good people of the Gold Coast a beachside venue the likes of which we’ve never seen before.
Sydneysiders Ben May and Robert Magid are the duo behind the build, not to mention famed Sydney venues Manly Wharf Hotel and Mrs Sippy (love) plus Seminyak Beach Club in Bali. So you know it’s gonna be the absolute goods.
Once home to Oskars up top and still home to Rick Shores down below, the new addition to the ocean front building will boast both a full-service 235-seat restaurant called The Tropic, and a larger more casual fixture named The Terrace.
The Tropic is said to be a more casual style of sit down dining with all your fave fresh seafood, pizza and burger options while The Terrace will offer more of a bar snack dining situation.
The space will be a whitewashed style of fitout with a breeze block bar and a rooftop-style area filled with beach umbrellas and absolutely perfect for sipping cocktails in the sunshine all summer long.
There are showers and surfboard racks just outside so you can actually walk right off the beach and into the bar. Which is just too good.
With 180 degree views of the ocean and a constant salty breeze blowing in, you’ll have the pleasure of watching the surf roll in (and the surfers) while counting your lucky stars you’re a Gold Coaster.
What a time to be alive.
See you there this weekend and probably every weekend after that to be honest.
LOCATION: Goodwin Tce, Burleigh Heads
Words by Kirra Smith
In news that will surprise no one, Burleigh is set to welcome another epic eatery to the fray at the end of September. Bondi Grill’e first appeared in Coolangatta in 2015 and, due to popular demand, will swing open their doors for a second time in six short weeks.
The food options are a meaty affair boasting their signature, and super popular, pork, beef and lamb ribs and a selection of gourmet burgers. Famous for perfectly cooked steak, the Burleigh venue will add new cuts of premium Cape Grim Beef to the menu.
The menu will also expand to include entrees, mains, share plates and desserts as well as a full cocktail menu.
In other exciting news, fresh local seafood with a Brazilian twist will also be added to the Burleigh lineup, a first for the Bondi Grill’e boys.
Almost a quarter of the new premises will be dedicated to a bar (hallelujah) that will offer your favourite craft beer, a sweet selection of wine and some delicious new cocktails.
We can see it now, sunny Sunday arvos with the crew, a cocktail in hand and seafood to match the salty sea breeze.
The Coolangatta restaurant came about after a trio of passionate chefs, originally from Brazil, completed their Aussie-wide travels and decided to call the Gold Coast home (where else).
Their plan was to create an intimate venue with a relaxed vibe and community atmosphere and, of course, the good people of Coolangatta made them feel at home.
Now it’s Burleigh’s turn with the new 130-seat venue set to become a firm favourite amongst locals looking for something new to sink their teeth into.
Stay tuned for more details in the weeks to come.
Words by Kirra Smith.
If there’s anything better than sipping a frosty, perfectly salted margarita in the sunshine, overlooking the sparkling ocean, we can’t (and won’t) think of it. Throw in a few spicy tacos and some of those Gold Coast good vibes we know and love and, well, it’s pretty much the perfect time.
Which is why, we are beside ourselves with the news that Frida Sol opened in Palm Beach just a short while ago bringing all of the above to the very-in-need-of-an-epic-Mexican-eatery, beachside suburb. And what an epic Mexican eatery it is.
Taking up space where 8th Ave once graced us with its presence, Frida Sol is perfectly at home perched above the Gold Coast Highway and overlooking one of the most beautiful stretches of sand around (biased). Having been transformed by the one and only Morgan Walsh (owner of Poke Poke and FuFu Chinese Diner), the space is quirky and eclectic with bright pops of colour and we, quite frankly, are in love.
You’ll enter through the dining room, passing the Chefs hard at work preparing tasty eats and a backlit bar punctuated with flowing greenery and, of course, all your favourite tipples.
Outside, high tables with shaggy dry grass umbrellas are the seating spot of choice so you can gaze lovingly at the black and white portrait of Frida Kahlo herself (an incredible early 1900s Mexican artist for whom the place is named) or, at your back, said beautiful stretch of sand. Along one side, a low textured wall is complete with really quite spiky cactuses and along the other, copper biblical statues shine out above you.
As you know, no Gold Coast restaurant is complete without a neon slogan sign and Frida’s does not disappoint. We’ll let you seek it out. Throughout the venue, little artworks and artefacts have been artfully placed on walls and surfaces, all nods to Frida Kahlo and her colourful, much-loved work.
The whole space comes together perfectly (of course) and it’s exactly the venue Palm Beach needed to lift the nighttime vibe to a whole new level. We could not be more excited.
The menu, love you Mexican eats, is a mix of all the things you know and need in your life, boasting punchy, can’t-get-enough flavours to be washed down with a signature cocktail or three.
To start, there are snacks along the lines of Chile Con Queso (LOVE) with smoked chilli salt, Pork Taquitos and Chipotle Salt and Pepper Calamari to name a few delicious options. From there it’s share plates for the win with a few gourmet tacos thrown in for good measure.
We HIGHLY recommend the Chorizo Croquettes with shaved Manchego, smoked sour cream and Habanero jam, obviously, plus the Charred Cauliflower Ensalada, a chargrilled corn and cauliflower salad with quinoa and toasted pepitas – pretty and delicious. Maybe eat one of everything on that menu though, just to be safe.
There are burrito bowls and an impressive array of tacos to sample. We’d go the Pescado – crispy fish with tomato pico, mango crema and queso fresco and the Cerdo Tirado – pulled pork with tomatillo salsa, pickled cabbage, pineapple chilli jam and cilantro crema.
If you can’t decide a. nobody would blame you and b. there’s a banquet for that. It’s just $40 per person and made up of MANY dishes that’ll be your absolute favourite, one after the other.
On Thursday’s it’s a taco takeover with $5 taco and drink specials and Friday’s get down for ‘Muchos Nachos’ with $10 nachos and drink specials. Sunday’s sees $29 banquets so that’s your weekend sorted.
Was it all down with the very best Coconut Margarita you’ve ever sampled and it’s happy day friends.
That’s a lot of reasons to get down to Palmy and indulge in an absolute tequila-sipping, taco-tasting time. You’re gonna love it.
LOCATION: Level 1, 1176 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach
HOURS: Open nightly from 5pm
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
