They say good things come to those who wait and that certainly seems to be the case for the good people of Robina who have (probably) been waiting quite some time for an eatery of newbie Eddy +Wolff’s calibre.

The not-quite-open space has been the talk of the town for the last couple of months with owners Thao and Vien Nguyen (of Can Tho Kitchen fame) keeping tight-lipped on the location and style of venue. But it’s a secret no more with the intimate eatery set to open on Wednesday March 27th and here’s the low down for your learning pleasure.

You’ll find Eddy + Wolff in the midst of bustling Robina, just slightly out of the way and bringing all your Asian food dreams to life. The space, a former Laundromat, has been absolutely transformed into a chic, 22-seat venue with a curved, polished concrete ceiling, a neon sign reading ‘I love drinking beer’ (written in Chinese Mandarin, which is amazing) and a pink velvet corner bench seat we would give up everything we own for.

You can perch up at the bar, with iron shelves holding many a bottle of delightful spirits hanging overhead or, at said pink velvet couch underneath the front window. It’s all very edgy and understated and, to be honest, one of the most beautiful fitouts we’ve come across in our local travels.

Having taken over and transformed Can Tho Kitchen (from Thao’s Mum) in 2014, the pair were keen to create something quite different for the Coast. Eddy + Wolff is a combination of their travels throughout Asia and, a trip to sample many a Melbourne eatery, and it is indeed unlike anything else around these parts.

The menu is made up of BBQ-style dishes, snacks, bigger plates and sides, all of which are designed to share and hail from Thao and Vien’s home country of Vietnam, China, Japan and Korea to name a few.

Don’t go past the Vietnamese-style Pork Collar, Korean BBQ Quail (with a bit of a spicy kick) and the Isaan Tofu Salad with Kaffir lime and sweet and sour caramel. All absolute taste sensations.

The wine list is tight, curated to match the menu perfectly and featuring a select few Canberra beauties because Canberra, friends, is the city where the couple met and Eddy and Wolff are the streets they lived on at that time.

There are just four cocktails on offer and we highly recommend Peace to the East with Jinzu gin, maraschino liqueur, Yuzu lime juice and cucumber. Fresh and zesty.

All your favourite Asian beers, and a few local ones, are on offer too and a very tasty Lychee cider that can’t be found anywhere else locally. YUM.

As always, you may choose your own adventure in the dish department or go with The Lucky Eight set menu ($40 for lunch and $45 for dinner), which is made up of two dishes from each section of the menu – BBQ, snacks, a bit bigger and side dishes. Such good value.

Oh and, quite the fans of meaningful little touches everywhere, the team have created a sweet menu that features both an illustrated cityscape of the spots they’ve travelled and also little speech bubbles with words like ‘love’, ‘tradition’, BBQ, and ‘spicy’ in many languages, dotted throughout.

So you see, good things really do come to those who wait. We’ll be in Robina if you need us.

LOCATION: 12-217/219 Ron Penhaligon Way, Robina
HOURS: Wednesday 5pm until 10pm, Thursday to Saturday 12pm until 2pm and 5pm until 10pm and Sunday 12pm until 2pm

Words and photos by Kirra Smith

We would venture to say Burleigh Heads is one of the most-loved places on Earth and for (very) good reason. A stunning coastline, world-class surf break, a breathtaking national park and, to top it all off, five star eateries. Plus, every single person there is wandering around with a big old smile on their face at all times – obviously.

And just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get any better, up pops a brand new venue to take the Gold Coast dining scene to a whole new level. Yes friends, Burleigh Pavilion is open and it is even more delightful than we could have imagined.

As of late December, the much-anticipated venue threw open their doors to hordes of absolutely thrilled locals (and many visitors) who it seems have been waiting for this moment their entire lives and same to be honest.

You can find the Pavilion at the base of Burleigh Hill, right on the sand and overlooking not only Burleigh beach but also the entire northern Gold Coast coastline. It’s the epitome of beachfront good times and perfectly at home in our beloved Burleigh.

You’ll enter up a set of stairs and, once inside, come face to face with the Chefs doing their thing for the good of hungry people everywhere. To your left is The Tropic, the sit down dining section of the establishment and, to your right, The Terrace, a more casual, walk-in-off-the-beach-with-sandy-feet style of venue. What a treat.

The Tropic is all pastel pinks, mustards and greens with stunning stone tables with plants popping out of rattan baskets a pink tiled bar that’ll see you taking Insta-snaps for days. Of course, a deck juts out over the ocean and, with fairy lights strung overhead and the calming lull of the ocean right below; you probably won’t ever want to leave.

Across the way, another open-air section backs onto the kitchen so you can either watch the Chefs at work or gaze out over the ocean through the big old windows while occasionally popping over to the Pavilion Bar for a refreshing tipple.

To the right, The Terrace is exactly that, an outdoor area (yes you can still go there if it’s raining) with big white umbrellas, stunning stone high tables and striped seating yep, all overlooking the ocean and with the Beach Bar at your back.

Each section boasts its own unique vibe but they all come together to create a vintage look that is also modern and sophisticated but relaxed and understated and pretty much pure perfection if you ask us. Big love.

Food-wise The Tropic is where you want to be for an à la carte, Mediterranean style feast with standouts like the Seafood Platter, Giant Octopus and Wood Fired Pig Doughnut (just try it) the absolute must-trys. In terms of cocktails, The Tropic are the masters of creative concoctions and we recommend The Palms and The Pineapple Plantation.

At The Terrace, you’ll indulge in more of a casual eating situation with burgers, wood-fired pizzas, nachos, fish and chips and the like the name of the game. Perfect for a feast after a day of salt water and sunshine, washed down with an icy cold beer of course. Oh and you can also get to The Terrace via a set of stairs on the Burleigh Hill side of the building so that’s useful if you can’t wait a second longer for said feast and icy cold beer. That’ll be us.

So there you have it, Burleigh Pavilion has graced us with its’ presence and we are absolutely here for it.

Long live summer on the Gold Coast, what a time to be alive.

The Tropic is taking bookings now so get on in there.

LOCATION: Goodwin Tce, Burleigh Heads (you won’t miss it)
HOURS: 12pm to 12am daily

Words and photos by Kirra Smith

Ahoy mateys, we found some treasure. A new venue has dropped anchor in Palm Beach and it’s all your whiskey-loving, cheese board fantasies brought to life.

The Scottish Prince is brought to you by the salty seadogs who gifted us Cambus Wallace so prepare to be transported back in time (again).

The sneaky side entrance opens to a dimly lit space reminiscent of a ships cabin (minus the drunk pirates and plus an impressive whiskey bar). Vintage memorabilia fills every corner, from battered books to long-ago-guzzled booze bottles and art-filled walls that will have you wandering around in wide-eyed awe.

As you’d expect from the nautical newbie, the bar is the star of the show, packed with over 150 varieties of whiskey taking up 90% of the shelf space.

The cocktail list is similarly impressive made up of an array of shipping-themed bevvies even the crustiest of captains will get involved in. For its name alone, the Betrayal and Mutiny in Manhattan is a must-try concocted with Woodford Rye, Espirit de Figues, Seppeltsfield Grand Tawny and Cinnamon Tincture stirred down and served with pear and blue cheese. Epic.

The dinner menu is share-style and every meal kicks off with the softest of sourdough from Burleigh Baker. From there, it’s choose your own adventure with everything from Sirloin Steak with truffle gherkins, golden shallots and red wine jus to Garlic Rosemary Roasted Brussel Sprouts gracing the menu.

Without a doubt though, the most enticing dish is Walk the Plank – a charcuterie board filled with everything that’s good about the world – truffle salami, MANY varieties of top quality cheese, cornichons, pickled fennel, olives, you name it. You’d probably send your own Grandmother off the plank for this one fam.

Oh and in a move not seen anywhere else, you can make your own magic by selecting individual meats and cheeses to build a custom board. STOP. IT.

Fun fact: The Scottish Prince is named after a ship that ran aground in the Southport seaway in 1887. Unsurprisingly, the majority of its cargo was cartons of whiskey. Today it’s a popular local dive spot but we’ll stick to the dry, un-sharky, alcohol-filled bar thank you very much.

Seeya there sailors.

LOCATION: 1176 Gold Coast Hwy (under 8th Ave Terrace), Palm Beach
HOURS: 5pm to 12am Tuesday to Thursday and 4pm to 12am Friday to Sunday

Words and photos by Kirra Smith.