April 2019 – Food and dining on the Fraser Coast

07/04/201907/07/2020Leave a comment

I’ve been horrified to discover that an entire year has passed since I last posted here. Interestingly – though not surprisingly – my lack of writing coincided with a full-time employment contract (which has now finished).

I’m actually hoping to co-opt a few friends into sharing some content so things might pick up again.

At the moment, however, it seems like an apt time to catch up on everything I’ve missed over the past year or so…

Starting with food and dining on the Fraser Coast:

Maryborough

As a coeliac, I’ve enjoyed Cheryl Lyn’s Cafe, in Adelaide Street which caters to those (like me) with allergies. Alowishus Delicious continues to offer one of the more satisfying ambiences in the borough, making it a good place to catch up with friends. I’ve only briefly tried Parkside on Adelaide but though service was lovely there weren’t as many gluten-free options available to fussy ol’ me.

On the daytime dining front, my mother regularly meets groups of friends at both Norma Jean’s Organic Tea and Coffee House at Tinana and Homewares from Everywhere in Baddow.

Coffee lovers seem to continue to be drawn to Retro Espresso Coffee in Tiaro, SIP Espresso Bar (in two locations in Maryborough), Mad Mule Espresso Bar (currently in Tinana on the way into town but about to move) and the new drive through Fast Lane Drive Thru Coffee.

: Retro Espresso

: 71 Wharf

When it comes to ‘finer’ dining, 71 Wharf has changed hands and is now again open Friday and Saturday nights and Ebb & Flow at the Brolga Theatre in Maryborough seems to be popular.

I know some are looking forward to the opening of the re-vamped Carriers Arms in the next week or so and it, along with Westside Tavern remains a popular choice amongst Maryborough’s pub dining options, along with the Maryborough RSL (which has recently started weekend breakfasts). I’m often surprised also by the popularity of The Maryborough Sports Club (Sporties) on the ‘north side of town (as you’re heading to Hervey Bay) which I’m told offers excellent value for money.

Hervey Bay

There’s been more movement in Hervey Bay. We already had some new cuisines popping up with Japanese at Tanto, Two Ducks Cafe & Asian Grocery at Urangan, Tres Salsas (for a great atmosphere) and Mexican food on the Esplanade at Torquay; and more recently Mee Mee Japanese Sushi and Korean Fried Chicken has opened at the Bay Plaza Shopping Centre.

From Tres Salsas’ FB page: Octopus paella topped with a chilli, lime rocket salad.

The Front Room, Bayaroma, Salt Cafe, Dan & Steph’s EAT, Vinvero’s and Bean Beat remain popular breakfast options and their esplanade locations help reflect their laid-back ambience. Of course the two eateries (and bars) RIGHT on the beach, Aquavue Cafe & Watersports and Enzo’s on the Beach have the upper-hand when it comes to ocean views. I’m still loving Enzo’s beanbags and vibe though struggle a bit more there on the gluten-free options front.

Along with The Front Room (at Torquay), I’ve heard great things about Su Jus Bar (& Lifestyle Kiosk) at Pialba Place – for those of us with allergies, or the ultra-healthy.

From Su Jus Bar FB: 6 superfood bowls

As for coffee-loving peeps (other than cafes already mentioned) I know Cody’s Coffee Shack on the esplanade at Torquay seems popular and a drive thru cafe, Miss Cocoa’s has just opened on Boat Harbour Drive at Pialba (next to the new Shell Service Station).

COAST and The Vinyard Wine Bar and Restaurant are still the go-to fancy dinner spots, though I’m keen to also try the ($35 two-course plus wine) lunch The Vinyard has on offer; as its location is just perfect. Of course The Dock and Cafe Balaena at the Urangan Marina as well as Santini’s and Wild Lotus in Torquay all continue to be popular choices for special occasions or a night out.

This post is becoming epic already (takeaway food will definitely need its own post) as I’ve not even touched on the pub and club dining scene.

I did recently however have a nice lunch at Beach House Hotel at Scarness. It, along with the Hervey Bay RSL both offer kids’ clubs that are draw-cards for my friends with children. I think Hog’s Breath and others also offer free kids’ meals on certain nights so that would be worth checking out. I know as well that The Bayswater at Urangan has recently changed its menu and now offers lunchtime specials throughout the week.

This list is far from exhaustive. I also kinda went off-script given I’d just planned to share a few new arrivals. It’s hard however NOT to mention some old faithfuls as well.

From @frasercoast_eats on Instagram. Read it and weep. No… look at their feed and drool!

To keep an eye on dining options on the Fraser Coast I’d recommend following my favourite Instagram account – which has introduced me to MANY new eateries, @frasercoast_eats, as well as @frasercoast_foodies.

Feel free to leave any tips below about places I’ve missed. I really don’t get out that much and my allergies make it a bit more difficult.

* The post includes Facebook or website links to all of the cafes I’ve listed.

Review: Oriental Palace

27/03/201527/03/2015Leave a comment

Interestingly the thing I miss most since my seachange to Hervey Bay isn’t the Brisbane nightlife or social scene. It’s not the shopping or the array of cultural activities. It’s takeaway food options!

I must first confess though that although I’ve whinged about this for two years I’m still only just getting around to trying some new places.

After writing about this very issue in my ‘other’ blog last August I had a range of recommendations about Fraser Coast options… but most pointed me in the direction of Oriental Palace in Scarness.

We had a few false starts as my friends and I rocked up one Sunday lunch only to discover the restaurant only opens at night. (A bummer as I actually eat out more at lunchtime than dinner!)

However, two weeks ago we finally made it. And enjoyed the experience.

Oriental Palace offers Chinese and Malaysian cuisine. I’m coeliac so offered to go it alone and order my own gluten-free dish; allowing my friends to choose whatever they wanted. However, they kindly agreed to both order from the GF menu so I would be able to try a few different dishes.

Happily, being coeliac is NOT an issue at the Oriental Palace. Rather than a blank look the waitress knew exactly what I needed and disappeared, bringing back a menu with GF options clearly marked. (She had spares, so let me bring one home for takeaway-ordering purposes.)

None of the entrees are GF, which isn’t unusual and my friends decided to forgo them anyway and nibbled on the vege chips provided while we sipped our drinks and ~~gossiped~~ discussed important social issues.

We went for the: Chicken with cashew nuts & vegetables; Chilli beef & vegetables; and Cha-Kueh-Tiao (Malaysian Flat Rice Noodles (which comes with a range of meats).

Chilli beef & vegetables

Service was very speedy and we agreed all three dishes tasted really fresh and healthy, although the Chilli beef won out on taste.

The other two dishes were a teensy bit bland… but I suspect the chef had to eliminate sauces because of the whole gluten thing. It’s something I’m accustomed to but my friends asked for some soy sauce and I think that helped.

Cha-Kueh-Tiao

Some choices I would have liked to have tried weren’t available gluten-free which is a tad disappointing. Many sauces (oyster, soy, black bean etc) aren’t necessarily gluten-free but you can buy GF brands. Understandably though, most places have their own preferences and probably can’t just use Masterfoods / Chang’s when they’re accustomed to Kikkoman’s. Or similar. 🙂

So, while my old fave Brisbane haunt still holds a place in my heart, I’m pleased to have discovered Oriental Palace. We caught wafts of sizzling beef, Laksas and Mongolian lamb and the like and I suspect my dining companions opt for those next time they visit. I certainly would, if I could!

Oriental Palace 352 Esplanade, Scarness is open Tuesday – Sunday evening from 5pm. Most meat-based dishes are around the $20 mark and it’s BYO and licensed. Check them out on Facebook or call on 07 4128 3496.

Review: Arkarra Tea Gardens, Dundowran

23/03/201415/02/20162 Comments

It’s hard to believe that it’s taken me over a year to make it to Dundowran. Worse still when you realise I lived back here for 3-4 years in the 1990s and spent my first 17 years on the Fraser Coast, without ever setting foot in some of the region’s smaller beachside locales.

However, I’ve been keen to get to Dundowran since last year when I saw (on Facebook) that the Arkarra Tea Gardens had reopened. I hadn’t heard of them before but liked the idea of something a bit different to the usual cafes – plus I’ve only heard good things from those who’ve visited.

And finally a month or so ago I got to see what the fuss was about when a friend and I headed to the Tea Gardens for Sunday brunch.

I have to admit to being shocked that it was actually so close to Hervey Bay as for some reason I thought Dundowran was much further away – however ‘Where is’ and my own car both informed me it’s about 15km from my place in Urangan (and given that Eli Waters is about 10km, it’s really not that far out of town at all!).

Thankfully my friend used her phone to guide us there once we turned off the main road or we would have had no idea; but once we approached it was kinda obvious cos there were cars everywhere.

I was surprised to see it so busy and we got the last free table.

The dining area is actually spread over a range of levels and locations so it’s kinda got something for everyone. I noticed, for example, some larger groups gathering around tables in the balinese style huts or in the pergola.

We arrived smack bang in the middle of morning tea and my friend eyed off the plump scones that kept wandering past our table, but we were both keen for brekkie.

We ended up going for the Eggs Benedict – which came complete with the usual – poached eggs on Turkish bread and hollandaise sauce but also with spinach and avocado and ham, bacon or salmon. I was happily surprised that they had GF bread AND rolls. The roll wasn’t huge but more exciting than the usual teensy pieces of store-bought bread.

It’s not hugely cheap (I think the Eggs Benedict were about $18) but they arrived quickly and they were delicious. The hollandaise sauce is always all-important in my mind and they nailed it.

I should admit I was also impressed that the person at the counter knew exactly what was and wasn’t gluten-free.

Before leaving we eyed off the lunch menu (so I’m keen to go back and continue my Fraser Coast steak sandwich survey) and the goodies’ cabinet. A GF chocolate brownie caught my eye, but thankfully I was full.

There’s a small gift shop in the café and we also took the opportunity to wander about the gardens and down to the lagoon to walk off our breakfast before heading back to the bay.

My friend and I both agreed we’d be back and without a doubt, Arkarra Tea Gardens may possibly become one of my new local favourites.

The Tea Gardens are located at 28 Panorama Drive, Dundowran Beach and open 7 days a week: 8.00am to 5.00pm. Check out their website, or you can contact them via their Facebook page, email or by calling (07) 4128 8069.

Wild Lotus Restaurant – a review

21/01/201404/03/2015Leave a comment

When a friend and I attended the Hervey Bay Food and Wine Festival back in October my friend (KangaRue – who occasionally blogs here) had a lengthy chat with peeps at the Wild Lotus Restaurant and Bar tent.

I’d commented that I was impressed at how many of their dishes are gluten-free and LOVE that they clearly mark things on their menu as gluten-free and dairy free etc. KangaRue’s son is dairy allergic so that was a bonus for her as well and she returned with her steak sandwich making me promise we’d head there as soon as possible.

Sadly it took us a couple of months but we finally had dinner there recently with another friend. We’d booked – which I think is generally recommended on a Friday or Saturday evening – and the place was quite busy (which is great given at how fickle the restaurant / cafe market seems at times).

I’m actually on a weight loss program (Weight Watchers) and counting points so I’d sussed out the menu online earlier in the day in order to decide what I would eat and calculate my points.

Naturally, in this online world, both of my fellow diners had done the same thing (well, looked at the menu online… not counted points of course! 😉 )

Plus the restaurant (showing increasing social-media savvyness of late, had shared a pic of their creme brulee (left) on Facebook during the day… cementing my decision that dessert was most definitely on the agenda.

Entrees are usually one of my biggest problems when dining out (as I don’t eat seafood and gluten-free options are often minimal), but there were easily two or things I’d love on the menu at Wild Lotus. The Scotch Fillet Carpaccio sounded TO DIE FOR and the Asian chicken skewers would have made me very happy.

However, we three had our minds set on the creme brulee so decided to forgo entrees for dessert.

There’s a good variety of wines available but as I was designated driver for a change I stuck to the soft stuff.

My buddies were a tad undecided about their mains – too many things that sounded delicious, but one ended up going for the seafood risotto and the other for the Moreton Bay bugs.

I’d already decided on the rib fillet (medium rare of course) and LOVED that all of the sauces were gluten-free (a rarity when dining out). While normally I would have chosen something creamy, I ended up with the Mountain Pepper sauce though diet-wise could probably have gone for the Red Wine Gravy as well.

My steak came on a root vegetable mash with some parsnip chips (or similar) on top. There was some cauliflower but that was easy to push aside :-).

I could have had my steak with chips and probably normally would have but… well…. It was only week 1 of Weight Watchers, so I decided to forgo my personal faves for a change.

My fellow diners all agreed the creme brulee was perfect but weren’t sure it needed the berry compote and chocolate melted sauce on the side with the ice cream. I’d skipped the berry compote (cos, well… fruit!) so actually quite liked the drizzle of sweet chocolate.

Meals were priced reasonably for a restaurant of that calibre, ranging from approx. $20-35 and entrees from $7; the service was great and our waiter very knowledgable. We’ll most certainly be going back.

All pics from Wild Lotus Facebook page

Wild Lotus Restaurant and Bar is open from Monday – Saturday for lunch and dinner. Check out their website or Facebook page because they also offer a range of specials. Bookings can be made by contacting 07 4125 3278.

Thai Diamond – a review

16/12/201304/03/2015Leave a comment

One of the things I’ve struggled most with in the year since I’ve moved from Brisbane to Hervey Bay is that I’m yet to find my ‘go-t0’ takeaway.

In Brisbane it was a chinese restaurant called The Pine and Bamboo. It was a suburb or so further out from where I lived (Hawthorne then Morningside) but very handy nonetheless. I actually started going there when my brother and sister-in-law lived nearby before the birth of my niece (who is now 17!).

I’m coeliac and that’s sometimes a struggle but I knew exactly what I could have there and they basically knew my order and my voice when I called. (And I got the ‘regulars’ discount!)

Although hot chips are my most favourite food of anything, Thai and Chinese are my fave takeaways. I live in Urangan so have been frequenting Jetty Seafoods (which has gluten-free hot chips!) but have tried several Thai places in the Bay without finding anywhere that tastes delicious and authentic.

I lived in Cambodia for a while and sometimes really authentic-smelling Thai / Vietnamese / Chinese food takes me back there like a shot.

Last weekend however, a friend suggested we go to the Thai Diamond, in Scarness. She’d been there a few times, she said, and enjoyed it.

The atmosphere is kinda nice (aesthetically I mean) although for some reason I suggested we sit out the front, which was probably somewhat stupid as it was a humid evening!

A big bonus for me is being able to ask about gluten-free options and people know what I’m talking about – and that was certainly the case at the Thai Diamond. The curries were GF I was told, plus other recipes could be adapted.

My friend and I decided to share a (beef) red curry; chicken with cashew nuts and jasmine rice. I also ordered some takeaway for the next day (as I was keen to try as many options as possible) and got the garlic and pepper beef.

All dishes were delicious and I was pleased at the lack of scary vegetables. (I don’t eat many and the dishes weren’t overflowing with stuff I didn’t eat which was a bonus!)

The meals aren’t cheap – most dishes are $17-20 plus rice – but I’ll most certainly be going back and I’m planning to program the number into my phone for future reference!

The Thai Diamond is at 353 Esplanade Scarness. For bookings or telephone orders phone 07 4124 4855.

Fraser Coasting

Tag: Food