Unexpected foodie delight at one of Australia’s most popular destinations
Updated . First published at
Until recently, my favourite food outlets on the Gold Coast were Lord of the Fries (sadly closed) and Mr Yiros.
But on my last visit I got the scent of something in the air apart from 1am kebabs. Cuisine is changing on the Gold Coast.
Cuisine on the Gold Coast is changing. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Oftentimes when you see a cultural shift in a city, food is the place where it starts. That seems to be the case on the GC, so I decided to road test some places to eat that actually require crockery and cutlery (mostly).
This is by no means any kind of food critics list. These are the places I ate that I'm happy to share are indicative of the latest offerings on the Gold Coast food scene.
Palette, HOTA, Surfers Paradise
If I said I was eating lunch at a fine dining restaurant in an art gallery you would be forgiven for thinking it was in Melbourne or Sydney.
But I’m at Palette on the ground floor of the HOTA (Home Of The Arts) Gallery in Surfers.
For those who know this is a pretty big deal. It has Three Chef Hats from the Good Food Guide which apparently puts you into the top one per cent of restaurants globally. Congratulations Chef Dayan Hartill-Law. Sorry, Mr Yiros.
Palette has an unpretentious indoor-outdoor vibe with clean lines and contemporary styling without being intimidating to those unfamiliar with high-end dining.
Palette is on the ground floor of the HOTA (Home Of The Arts) Gallery in Surfers. Supplied/John Walsh
The food is accessible, tasty and beautifully presented right from the fluffy bread roll with black garlic butter. I had a delicious roast duck, but I’m going to skip straight to dessert because the Black Forest-inspired cherry souffle was the star of the show for me.
A marvel of culinary engineering. It was, according to the description, “Finished tableside with warm cherry coulis, chocolate crumb, and chocolate and cherry swirl ice cream”.
Enough said. Check out the photo.
The outstanding Black Forest-inspired cherry souffle. Supplied/John Walsh
The two-course menu was $70 or $85 for three courses.
That might seem expensive, but you are getting a food experience for that price not just something to eat.
Mamasan, Broadbeach
I was worried that after such a blockbuster beginning with Palette the only way to go might be down. However, along came Mamasan.
This is described as pan Asian featuring Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine interpreted by head chef Sebastian Tan who won a gold medal at the World Master Chefs Competition in 2023.
We started with an absolute knockout Sichuan Burrata served with chilli crisp and what looked like a churro but was called a Chinese doughnut. From there it was a dazzling high wire act of thrilling dishes including Korean Fried Chicken Wings, Spanner Crab Tortellini Dumplings, Lamb Ribs and then finished with Mango Spring Rolls with a Vietnamese Soft Serve. Yes, we are still on the Gold Coast.
Chicken wings at Mamasan, Broadbeach. Supplied/John Walsh
Although you may have to book at least a couple of weeks ahead in peak season they do take walk-ins, especially if you’re happy to sit at the kitchen counter and watch all the action unfold.
The banquet menus here start from $95 a head so it’s not cheap but if you want to sample a range of these delicious offerings it might be worth the splurge rather than just ordering à la carte.
Miami Marketta, Miami
So, if your dining out budget has taken a hit from a couple of exy experiences head out one night to Miami Marketta. This is a fun, chaotic converted warehouse stacked with food trucks and quirky bars, a free live music stage and auditorium for ticketed concerts.
Virtually every type of food truck fare you can imagine. I can personally vouch for the fried chicken baos from Ka Bao and crêpes from Golden Crêpes.
I’m amazed I’d never heard of this place and it was a genuinely great discovery.
Miami Marketta was a fun discovery with a range of food trucks to choose from. Supplied/John Walsh
The fried chicken baos from Ka Bao. Supplied/John Walsh
Burleigh Pavilion, Burleigh Heads
To celebrate the extension of the Gold Coast Light Rail to Burleigh Heads I’m going to throw in the Burleigh Pavilion aka the “Burleigh Pav”. If you’re staying in Surfers you can ride the light rail down here for 50 cents.
The Pav is a local institution for good reasons. Open 11am-late seven days a week. Fantastic location right on the beach. Great atmosphere, drinks aplenty and good food. Burgers $30, fish and chips $33, and chicken schnitzel $35.
So on par with many pub prices although the schnitty is probably at the upper end.
The verdict
There’s a lot, lot more going on in the GC food scene than I can go into here but suffice to say food is something you might want to work into your holiday here rather than just as an afterthought after a day at the beach or the theme parks.
John Walsh travelled to the Gold Coast as a guest of Experience Gold Coast. John was Executive Producer of the TV travel series Getaway from 1999-2024. You can follow John on Instagram @thegetawayexpert.
