The first element most site visitors accomplish with the Sunshine Coast is its sparkling shoreline. But beyond its golden sands and turquoise waters, the vicinity has become a multifaceted vacation spot with a thriving culinary scene. In addition to the barefoot cool of the eateries dotted alongside this pristine stretch of the Pacific, you may discover everything from institutions that have set the benchmark for destination eating to rustic Hinterland hangs to add to your hit list.
Here’s our manual on the first-class places to eat and drink on the Sunshine Coast.
For top-class sustainable seafood
Suppose you want evidence that the Sunshine Coast culinary scene is converting, head to Fish on Parkyn in Mooloolaba, in which chef Andrej Kogoj champions “dock to the desk” eating the usage of sustainable wild-stuck fish from Walker Seafoods, 24 meters up the road. Simple starters consist of fats Hervey Bay scallops and tempura squid in Sichuan and purple peppercorn dust, and to observe, a wealthy bouillabaisse proposes Mooloolaba prawns swordfish. The Walker family’s catch additionally unearths its manner onthe tables at the fashionable Asian fusion restaurant Spice Bar, overlooking the Mooloolaba Esplanade.
Expect share plates of chili salt squid, Mooloolaba prawns in betel leaf, Hervey Bay scallops with a soy-ginger sabayon, and fish in a fiery Sichuan broth. Then, at lunchtime, head to Pier 33 or The Dock, where you’ll discover everyone from workplace people in heels to tradies in high-vis sharing buckets of clean-caught nearby prawns.
For vegans on holiday, Alejandro Cancino has worked for about two years in top eating places, including Mugaritz in Spain, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Britain, and the Bulgari Hotel in Tokyo.
Noma in Copenhagen and Urbane in Brisbane. So, discovering the Argentine-born chef heading modern vegan cafe Lola’s Pantry in suburban Maroochydore seems like finding hidden treasure. What smells like caramelizing meat scents the air. But it is, in truth, beef, a plant-primarily based patty advanced in Cancino’s adjoining. Take a look at the kitchen. Proponents of a plant-based weight-reduction plan journey to the fuss-loose open-air cafe from as far away as Brisbane and Noosa to enjoy meat-unfastened menu alternatives, including gnocchi with sesame cheese sauce and polenta chips. It’s open from Friday to Sunday. The menu at Lemon and Thyme caters to all comers. However, vegans will have many breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. And Brouhaha Brewery in Maleny is likewise on the map for its vegan sorbet and coconut ice cream.
For a taste of Asia
The Sunshine Coast’s meals and wine scene began drifting toward Asia two decades ago with the appearance of Spirit House, the restaurant-cum-cooking faculty that has blossomed into an institution. Here, you will find a mix of sun-kissed visitors and Boho Baby Boomers punctuating their seashore excursion with farm-to-table fare with an Asian twist at the main restaurant or the more informal Hong Sa Bar. While Spirit House has a wonderful Thai accessory, Sum Yum Guys crisscrosses Asia for the idea. Matt Sinclair interned on MasterChef 2016.
He and three of his associates have had big fulfillment with their graffiti-embellished eatery in an energetic strip mall in Sunshine Beach. The Tamarind is another lot-praised restaurant serving province-crossing Asian cuisine on the Sunshine Coast. Located on the Spicers Tamarind Retreat within the Hinterland, this out-of-the-way vacation spot eating experience attracts meals-targeted pilgrims worldwide. The younger servers here are experts at supporting you in decoding the menu: go along with the recommendation of jungle curry with quail, bamboo, wild ginger, pickled papaya, and Thai basil.
For Hinterland hangs
Bring a meal Sherpa to Eumundi Markets to help lug your eco baggage of onions and lemons, lettuces with frilly inexperienced skirts, and potatoes still blanketed in moist earth. The weekly market sells pinnacle-notch produce, jams, pickles, and baked items. Refuel with a hemp burger because you’re in Eumundi, mate, before embarking on a very last lap across the marketplace. You can also source produce grown in the region’s rich, volcanic soil at The Ginger Factory in Yandina, where you may buy the whole thing from candied goodies.
Marmalade to cordials and syrups. Those trying to flesh out their Escape to the Country fantasies should additionally head to Hinterland Feijoas to study first-hand the fruit native to South America, coveted in New Zealand, and cultivated within the Hinterland. The picturesque farm overlooks Mapleton Range and the surrounding countryside, which looks like a loopy cover assembled from scraps of green cloth.
Carla Grossetti became a guest of Visit Sunshine Coast and Tourism Events Queensland.
