Miss Moneypenny's Broadbeach new Head Chef.
Miss Moneypenny's Broadbeach new Head Chef.
Tapos Singha was recently appointed Head Chef at the award winning, hatted restaurant, Miss Moneypenny’s Broadbeach. Originally from Sydney, Tapos has worked the kitchens of numerous highly acclaimed restaurants including Merivale’s 3 hatted Est at Establishment, two hatted Lucio’s in Paddington and The Watsons Bay Hotel. Tapos started Bang Street Food in 2015, a unique concept of modern Bangladeshi cuisine. A Bangladeshi native, Tapos was able to celebrate the street food of his youth.
Ben Walsh, the CEO of The Good Time Group Holdings said ‘We are thrilled to have Tapos on board and are very much looking forward to introducing him to the Gold Coast and push our dining offering to a level yet to be experienced on the Gold Coast. His food is simply incredible. The Queensland dining scene should be very excited about his arrival.’
We chatted to Tapos about his new career move and what he’s most looking forward to about living on the Gold Coast.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I recently moved the to the Gold Coast from Sydney after initially moving to Melbourne from Bangladesh when I was very young. I moved to Sydney in my early 20’s when I started working in restaurants. I now have two beautiful boys both under two, so that keeps my wife and I very busy!
You have just been announced as the new Head Chef of Miss Moneypenny’s Broadbeach. Congratulations! What are you looking most looking forward to about living on the Gold Coast?
The lifestyle, weather, and the quality of the produce. In Sydney we would often use QLD produce – the quality if the meat and vegetables coming out of QLD are of such a high standard. Seafood generally came from northern NSW or QLD and I have found a beautiful Wagyu, Phoneix Wagyu from Mort & Co – why would you use Japanese Wagyu when the full blood Wagyu right here in QLD is that incredible!
Tell us about your career thus far?
I was fairly young when I became a Head Chef and after 3 years, I decided to work as a Chef de Partie (CDP) to refine and strengthen my skills to be as best I could possibly be. Opening my own restaurant, a little later, was a highlight of my career. We were so overwhelmed with the interest in BANG when were in the Time Out Top 50 four years in a row, being written up in the new York Times, Australian Good Food Guide and Gourmet Traveller Magazine. Being part of SNS Food Safari was also a fantastic experience as was cooking for Al Pacino at Lucio’s in Paddington – especially when he popped into the kitchen to say thanks! That was a day I won’t forget!
Have you always known you wanted to be a chef?
I was very young when I realised I loved cooking. Both my mum and dad would cook, so I was always in the kitchen with them – and I was always the first to taste anything that came out of our kitchen! I tried a few things before I decided to be a Chef, and when I realised how much I loved it, working hard with a great team and being able to have late night dinners at Golden Century and other restaurants that were open into the early hours of the morning in Sydney with my team and other Chefs around Sydney.
One of the things you are renowned for is your unique take on Bangladeshi cuisine, can we look forward to a new menu at Miss Moneypenny’s?
We will always retain our famous signature dishes that are extremely popular, although we will be looking at launching a new menu in the coming months that will feature some of my creative touches in many dishes.– I am very excited to be including a beautiful slow cooked Crispy Skin Duck dish that I am sure will prove to be extremely popular.
What are your thoughts on the Gold Coast’s dining scene in general?
It has been a very busy few months getting settled into our new life on the Gold Coast although with the produce that’s available locally I can’t wait to get around to as many restaurants as I can. With this beautiful weather, it appears people generally are out more often and enjoying the Gold Coast so I certainly want to make some time to do that too! But I can say the Gold Coast dining scene is rapidly evolving. Some time ago it was never really on the map for great dining experiences, however that’s changed now and its reputation as a premium dining destination has been cemented and it only continues to improve which is a great thing!
Do you have any Gold Coast favourites you keep going back to?
Café/Coffee spot: BSKT Café or anything right on the beach
Restaurant: Miss Moneypenny’s of course!
Bar or place for a drink: Paloma Wine Bar
Beach: Tallebudgera Creek with the kids
How do you choose to spend your weekends?
Before the kids, we were out quite a lot, bouncing from restaurant to restaurant enjoying all different food and wine experiences, now that we have two very young children, our life has quietened down a little. Time with the kids, I love being able to put them to bed at night, I miss that a lot when I’m working.
The wait is finally over Gold Coasters, famed Sunshine Coast venue Miss Moneypenny’s has opened her doors in Broadbeach this week and it’s the very good news we need right now.
The stunning, fine-dining (without the fuss) restaurant can be found underneath Avani on Surf Pde and right next door to the also-very-new Fat Freddy’s Beach Bar and Diner and it’s one you’re going to want to experience at the earliest possible opportunity.
Upon entering you’ll be met with a pared back aesthetic, both sophisticated and cosy and perfectly curated for dining experiences from breakfast through to late night snacking.
The interior is made up of low leather chairs set against plush, cushiony booths you could nap in for days. A wooden wave-style ceiling and a stone-backed bar, beautifully lit and stocked with premium tipples are the most eye-catching features and the entire space comes together as what can best be described as sleek, beachside chic. We’re in love.
There’s an outdoor area in the front and The Rimini Room (an equally stunning private dining room) can be found tucked away at the back.
The menu, by acclaimed Aussie Chef Braden White who once headed up hatted Brisbane restaurant Stokehouse Q and was the Executive Chef at Noosa’s multi-award winning Ricky’s River Bar & Restaurant, is as exceptional as you’d expect.
Filled with all the very best options from bar bites to pizzas, entrees, mains, sides and desserts, you’ll want to go back time and time again to taste it all.
If you’re in a snacking mood (us, always) you absolutely must order the Mushroom Fritters, Chargrilled Ora King Salmon Stick, Green Pea Croquette and the Doughnut of Smoked Crème Fraiche (life changing) because they are quite simply, taste sensations.
For entrée, the Oakey Beef Tartare with torched gochujang, garlic custard and chilli threads. It’s the best we’ve ever sampled.
Because we love the concept of share-style dishes (and want to eat everything) we recommend the Social Share Dining section and in particular the Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with spicy chermoula, burnt lemon, chilli oil and watercress. It is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
If sharing isn’t your thing (fair), don’t go past the Coral Coast Barramundi. It not only looks mind-blowing, it tastes mind-blowing with clam and potato puree, warrigal greens and wood sorrel.
The breakfast menu is equally impressive with tasty dishes the likes of which you’ve never had the pleasure of coming across before now.
Of course, everything Chef White and the Miss Moneypenny’s team touches turns to gold so there isn’t a dish on the menu we couldn’t eat every single day forever.
Cocktail-wise, prepare for something really special. There are MANY to choose from including a selction of Miss Moneypenny’s favourites, sparkling cocktails, an array of gin and tonics, The 80’s Cruise Ship set and a House Crafted section and they’re all exceptional.
In case you’re wondering, we’d choose the Kombucha Spritz with Aperol, kombucha, lemon, passionfruit, prosecco and thyme because fresh and oh so delicious.
All in all, Miss Moneypenny’s is one of the most exciting restaurants that’s opened on the Coast probably ever and we have no doubt you’re going to love it as much as we do.
Go for breakfast, stay until bedtime is our plan.
LOCATION: 50 Surf Pde, Broadbeach
HOURS: 9am until 12am daily
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
With all of the excellent and plentiful eateries on offer on the Gold Coast these days, it can sometimes be hard to take your pick. Options. Options. Options. And for the most part, we must all agree; it’s a brilliant thing. But when you want to slow things down a nudge and enjoy just the simple things — executed with utter finesse — there’s a new kid on the block we just know you’re going to love. Burleigh’s newly opened Paloma Wine Bar is your new sophisticated hangout spot — and you’re going to be smitten.
But who is behind the venue? For those who are no stranger to the much-lauded and hatted Restaurant Labart, you’ll be aware that husband and wife team Alex and Karla Munoz Labart are some serious hospitality veterans from Sydney who made the sea change to West Street Burleigh Heads in 2018. And for that, the Gold Coast will always be thankful. However, their focus has now turned on creating a James Street wine bar that is fun, vibrant, and at its core, just a simple place for people to enjoy fantastic wine and equally brilliant small plates.
The space takes over from former venue Burleigh Bar & Bites and, through the pair’s love of decor, has been transformed into a haven of clean coastal chic with oceanic blue leather banquettes, dune sand white walls, and soft khaki green tiling. Hand-blown light fixtures from Currumbin’s Soktas punctuate the entire setting with classy low-level lighting, perfect for staring lovingly into your glass of wine in hand.
When it comes to a wine list of breadth and approachability, you’ll be hard pushed to find anything else similar on the Coast. A no bars approach has been taken with the offering, affording the customer a vast range of styles, producers, and countries to choose from to spoil their tastebuds with. Maybe a zesty and crisp Savignin (Sauvignon Blanc’s cousin) from the hilly Jura region of France will quench that Friday knock-off thirst, or perhaps a sultry and smooth Pinot Noir from Victoria’s Gippsland will take the edge off a hectic weekend of festive shopping.
Take your time here to explore the list and you’ll be rewarded with some absolute treasures, including a robust collection of natural style (skin contact) wines and pet nats (naturally sparkling), which if you haven’t tried, you should at least give a go. For those giving the wine a miss, you’ll still be catered for with a solid selection of signature cocktails (the bar is named after the refreshing tequila/grapefruit cocktail afterall), a well-stocked back bar, with a spattering of local craft beers.
Small dishes will complement the drinks forward focus here, but certainly not lacking any creativity or flavour. Think European-inspired and Mediterranean splashed dishes such as Burrata, white anchovies and peppers on toast, and Beef tartare with tarragon and anchovy vinaigrette. Oh and we’ve even heard a whisper that their beloved lockdown, La Burger, is set to make its comeback to Paloma. Be sure you have those stretchy pants within reach, folks!
Chef and co-owner Alex Munoz Labart tells us this, ‘Paloma is a neighbourhood wine bar. Pop in for a pre or post-dinner drink or come early and settle in for the night. We want you to treat it as your own, get to know our team and make it your home away from home”.
With such a stellar line-up of drinks and fabulous flavour laden dishes on offer, we doubt you’ll need any further encouragement.
When: Wednesday – Friday 3pm – late & Weekends 1pm – late
Where: 12 James Street, Burleigh Heads
Words by Alex Mitcheson.
Karla Munoz Labart is one half of the superstar couple (the other half being chef extraordinaire Alex Labart) behind Burleigh’s beloved Labart and Australia’s Wine Bar of the Year, Paloma Wine Bar. We sat down with Karla to chat about the hospitality scene on the Gold Coast, get the insider tips on what to order at Paloma and she dropped a hint about their upcoming plans.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I grew up on the Gold Coast and moved to Sydney for uni when I finished high school. I studied Media + Communications at UTS and worked in Public Relations in the entertainment industry before moving into PR for restaurants and bars. I met my husband Alex in Sydney when he was Head Chef at a restaurant I was managing the PR for. I didn’t think I’d ever move back to the Gold Coast but Alex was keen for a quieter lifestyle somewhere close to the beach, so the Gold Coast made sense. We moved to Burleigh in 2018 and opened Restaurant Labart. In late 2021 we opened Paloma Wine Bar just down the road on James Street.
What do you love about the Gold Coast?
The laidback lifestyle and community feel of Burleigh makes it a pretty special part of the world. We have a one year old daughter and it really is the greatest place to watch her learn and explore. We’re lucky to live so close to the beach and to have restaurants, bars and cafes all within walking distance from our house.
Your wine bar, Paloma, recently won Australia’s ‘Wine Bar of the Year’ Award. Congratulations! Tell us a little bit about Paloma.
Paloma is a relaxed neighbourhood wine bar in the heart of Burleigh Heads. We wanted to create a place that locals and visitors could pop into for a quick snack and drink. Nothing too serious, just somewhere to kick back and have a good time. We don’t have a beach view like some of our friends down the road so the atmosphere comes from what’s happening inside.
Why did you think the Gold Coast needed a wine bar like Paloma?
There aren’t many wine bars on the Gold Coast. We wanted to open the kind of place that we like to eat and drink at on our days off, so when this site came up in the heart of James Street we knew we had to take it.
What would you recommend we order at Paloma?
I recommend working your way through the wines by the glass so that you can try different varietals that you might not have had before. The menu is mainly made up of snacks and small plates so you can graze as you go. Although Paloma is first and foremost a wine bar, the cocktails are some of the best on the Coast so it’s definitely worth starting with a house cocktail before you move on to wine.
What do you think about the hospitality scene on the Gold Coast
The GC hospitality scene has come so far in the past five years. Great operators moving to the area have raised the bar. There are a lot more venues opening in the coming months so I’m excited to see what else is in store for Burleigh and the greater GC.
What are you most looking forward to in the next 12 months?
Alex and I are looking at a couple of sites for our next project which should hopefully kick off in 2023 so watch this space.
What are your Gold Coast favourites…
Café/Coffee spot: Seadog on James St for the best coffee in Burleigh
Restaurant: The Tropic for lunch with a view and Piatto for a cozy dinner
Bar or place for a drink: Cantina in Mermaid Beach
Beach: Talle Creek (when it’s not school holidays)
How do you choose to spend your weekends?
Weekends are the busiest time for us at Labart and Paloma so you can normally find Alex and me popping into both the venues to see our teams and say hi to regulars. On our days off you can find us at the beach with our daughter and catching up with friends and family over a BBQ at home.
