Ready, bready go to Broadbeach's Gluten Free 4 U.
Ready, bready go to Broadbeach's Gluten Free 4 U.
Does this sound like you: a) mad for baked goodies (pretty sure that’s 99% of the population), b) loves checking out hot-off-the-press newbie spots (re-insert previous comment), but c) suffers from serious food allergies or intolerances when partaking in a and/or b. Unfortunately, c) applies to an increasing number of people, resulting in potentially life-threating side effects, feeing downright crud, or being forced to forgo eating out and OMG this is our idea of literal hell.
One savvy GC mum however, turned this big fat lemon into lemonade (which is gluten-free BTW), opening Gluten Free 4 U in the heart of Broadbeach to cater for her fellow Coeliacs and food allergy sufferers. This Broadbeach arm of the popular Gluten Free 4 U franchise has already ‘grained’ a cult following, with its Parisian café vibes and traditional bakery feels – sans the stuff that makes you feel ick.
Even those of us who don’t have acute intolerances are obsessing over its goodies because not only are they delicious and beautifully presented (we eat with our eyes too right), but we also don’t leave looking like we’re in our second trimester #BanishTheBloat. From chocolate eclairs, donuts and danishes, to pasties, pies and lasagnes, this place proves that going against the grain can be a game-changer in the best possible way.
So what inspired proud owner, baker, chocolatier and cake decorator Tanya Filak to launch her own bakehouse with only 100% gluten and nut free goods, plus a wide range of dairy free, soy free, egg free, yeast free and fructose free products, take-home meals and speciality cakes? She and her mini-me are both Coeliacs and sick of being left ravenous with nowhere safe to dine. On a recent trip to Melbourne, they discovered Gluten Free 4 U and the cogs started turning. “What if I open one of these on our home turf”? So she did just that!
With Tanya championing the interior design and GC Trade Services taking care of the build, you’ll find indoor and outdoor dining and you won’t know where to look first. Maybe the rich navy velvet seating, or the cute-as-a-button cups and teapots. No, it’s definitely the mouth-watering array of baked treats on display at the counter, or the fridges chock-a-block with gluten-free takeaway meals (Family Chicken Pie, you’re coming home with us). You can also buy pre-mixes like vegan flour, pizza base mix, tart shells and cake slab bases so that you can play DIY baker at home.
The $10 Devonshire High Tea is this place’s bread and butter, and that was a really bad analogy for obvious reasons. With two cloud-like scones, jam and cream, all you knead is a sip of your comforting Madura tea and you’ve arrived at your happy place. Sucker for a High Tea? Same, and we’re in luck because for $25 Wednesday to Saturday, we can partake in this (not so) guilty pleasure, so call your girl gang and lock it in as bookings are essential.
Gluten Free 4 U’s mission is simple; to provide the very best quality gluten free baked products coupled with excellent service, and we reckon Tanya has nailed the brief like a boss. This concept proves that when you yeast expect it, taking a whisk can lead to the creation of something truly amaize-ing. So if you haven’t already, you baguette get down there!
Where: Bel Air On Broadbeach, 2633 Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach
When: 7am – 2pm Monday – Saturday. Closed Sunday & public holidays.
Words by Bianca Trathen
How good is a Sunday arvo by the water as the sun sets with a cold beer and/or rosé in hand, some delicious lemon laden fish and chips and a few of your favourites by your side? So good is how good.
Imagine then, if said lemon juice-laden fish and chips were actually healthy (as opposed to the usual greasy, finger-lickin kind) and you could add a crisp, tasty side salad AND you knew were eating fresh, Aussie fish cooked to perfection. What an absolute time.
So surprise, all that is now available for your fish and chip loving selves in Miami thanks to the opening of The Jolly Roger on Mountain View Ave where you can also find That’s Amore (excellent Italian eats) and Little Itoshin (excellent Japanese eats).
It’s a nicely decked out little space with just the right amount of ocean paraphernalia and a rustic, relaxed vibe that makes it a sweet spot to spend a bit of time in. Which you should because there are a couple of Black Hops beers on tap which are served in giant skull glasses (that’s our fave thing) plus a range of wines and a little piccolo should you wish to partake in a tipple while awaiting your eats.
As mentioned the seafood is as fresh as fresh can be with all the Aussie fish, prawns, squid etc. brought in a few times a week to ensure max flavour and goodness. All batter, crumbs, salads and sauces are made in house, so again with the freshness.
On the menu are all your usual favourites including yes fish and chips of the Hoki (the only non-Aussie one on the menu), Flake, Barramundi and Tofish plus calamari, prawns, scallops, fish bites, potato scallops (hand cut YUM), coconut prawns and seafood sticks.
There are also burgers including the Cow Shed Beef Burger with a premium Angus Beef patty and all the burger things (for just $12 guys), a Soft Shell Crab Burger with a whole crab and a Fish Burger that is also just $12. So that’s cool.
On the little Street Grill section there’s Baby Squid and Trawler Prawn Skewers and they are very delicious and your choice of regular potato or sweet potato chips.
Now all of those things are made with health in mind, they’re as good-for-you as possible and far more so than the regular BUT the piece de resistance of healthiness at The Jolly Roger comes from their Keto section.
That’s right folks, Keto fish and chips are a thing now meaning there’s no carbs and no sugar and they’re high in fat which is very good for you. The crumbs are made from almond meal as opposed to flour and you can have those on fish and calamari and also zucchini chips. Which is so great even if you’re not a Keto person and want to eat fish and chips but be good about it.
Either way, it’s all very tasty and you actually feel good after eating it so that’s a big old yes from us.
LOCATION: 3/110 Mountain View Ave, Miami
HOURS: Tuesday to Sunday 11am until 8pm
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
Hands up if you’re in a toxic relationship with Uber Eats? You want to bite that hand feeding you, even though, technically, that hand is yours. So maybe this is a self-restraint issue? Don’t worry, this isn’t a therapy session- just a list of healthy takeaways that don’t require any restraint at all! Because, well, they’re healthy, obviously?
Here’s your cheat sheet for the best healthy takeaway eats on the Gold Coast.
As wholesome as it gets, Dalas Kitchen is a gourmet salad bar with two Gold Coast locations, online delivery and catering. They’re known for the most deluxe salads, but also serve sangas (on house-made focaccia), bagels and sodas too! Ran out of time to meal prep? Just order’ Dalas At Your Desk’ via their website!
Our pick: the vegan and dairy-free Bangin’ Cauli’ with panko-crusted roasted cauliflower, Asian slaw, mint, coriander, shallots, crushed peanuts and a creamy maple sriracha dressing!
Where: 2247 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach and 6 Fifth Avenue, Palm Beach
Voted Gold Coast’s best healthy vegan eats, Govindas is not just a restaurant, but a mission. They’re a non-profit serving up feel-good, budget-friendly, and ethically made vegetarian fare. Every dish is as soul-nourishing as the next, with curries, salads, sides and more. They also run specials daily!
Our pick: Thursday’s Shepherd’s Pie– a classic!
Where: 20 James St, Burleigh Heads and 72 Griffith St, Coolangatta
This place is a plant-based paradise; every dish is a visual and nutritional masterpiece. If you’re yet to experience the best of vegan cuisine, let Cardamon Pod be your gateway! It’s as decadent and exciting as vegan dishes come- from raw cakes to globally inspired mains.
Our pick: Vegan Madras Chicken Tacos with tamarind popcorn ‘chicken’, bhuja, BBQ corn chat salsa, madras mayo and jalapeño cheese pakoras.
Where: 3/3 Brolga Ave, Brickworks Ferry Road, Southport
Quick, healthy and tasty- Just Fresh Made is your go-to for mouthwatering salads, spuds, wraps and fresh juices. Whether you’re craving something light and refreshing or a little heartier, Just Fresh Made has you covered every day of the week.
Our pick: Classic Fresh Veg Spud loaded with your choice of protein, smashed avo, tomato salsa, kale mix, sour cream and herb butter.
Where: Shop 1/84 Scarborough Street, Southport
They’re the Asian-inspired salad bar shaking up the fast-food game with zingy Asian bowls and rolls full of flavour and crunch. Banana Blossom is an East Coast favourite, serving in locations from the Sunny Coast to Bondi Beach. Their salads, rice bowls, and rice paper rolls are a fast, healthy and flavourful way to get your takeaway fix.
Our pick: Satay Salad with chicken, tofu or beef, plus pineapple, rice noodles, bean sprouts and a mouthwatering Malay-style dressing.
Where: Shop E117 Oracle East 6 Charles Ave, Broadbeach
Come for the poke, stay for the roti wraps and smoothie bowls. This Mermaid Beach gem dishes up generous, customisable bowls with all the toppings your taste buds could desire. They offer plenty of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options to suit all!
Our pick: Nacho Bowl with chilli con carne, smoked sour cream, guac, habanero jam, and crunchy wonton chips.
Where: 2375 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach
Plant-based yum cha? What about take-home banquet packs?! Hell yeah! This little vegan restaurant in Mermaid Beach serves up mind-blowing Asian yum cha and meals that are so damn good it’s earned them a 92% recommendation on Facebook! This place is a not-to-miss, with insane hot pots, soups and noodles, and even vegan ‘meat’ and ‘seafood’ dishes.
Our pick: Any noodle dish (seriously, you can’t go wrong)- but don’t skip the entrees.
Where: 90 Market St, Mermaid Waters
Three words, well, dishes; donburi, okonomiyaki and sushi. Does healthy takeaway get much better than Japanese soul food? Okazu does it best- fast, fresh and in two locations. They also do poke bowls, burgers, bento combo meals and plenty of options for the kiddies.
Our pick: Teriyaki Beef Okonomiyaki with a side of miso soup.
Where: 1/2223 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach and 90 Markeri St Mermaid Waters
Don’t let the same put you off because this famed franchise is single-handedly making salads great again! They taste so damn good you forget you’re getting your entire daily intake of veg in one bowl! Build your own or pick from a menu of stacked bowls.
Our pick: The O.G. Chicken with poached chicken, kale, beets, crispy shallots, seaweed salad and roasted sesame dressing.
Where: Soul Boardwalk Shop T120B/4 Esplanade Surfers Paradise, Shop/4252 Robina Town Centre Dr, Robina and 2 James Street Burleigh Heads
Your servo snack stop just got a serious glow-up. Fox’s Pantry is a gourmet grocer/café hybrid (also a servo) serving fresh and fab whole eats, including sandwiches, salads, soups and more. Whether you follow a vegan, gluten free, dairy free or, keto lifestyle or diet….they have something ya!
Our pick: whatever you get, just don’t leave without a smoothie!
Where: 468 Golden Four Drive, Tugun
This Currumbin spot is a treasure trove of health-conscious delights. While catering is their main gig, their in-house and takeaway eats are at the next level. They use only the highest quality ingredients to make only the best-tasting eats that will fill your belly and warm your heart.
Our pick: the Organic Handcrafted Tofu Burger
Where: Shop 2 – 30 Currumbin Creek Rd, Currumbin
Words by Chelsea Ipsen
Okay so the vegan eats movement has totally blown up on the Gold Coast, and we’re loving the ever-increasing variety of restaurants proving that plant-based fare is anything but bland-as-bruh.
If you’re looking for a list of local nosheries that can convert even the most passionate meat and meat by-product enthusiast into a bona fide vegan fare fan, read on friends….
Kuan Yin Tea House
If you’re one of those peeps who thinks eating vegan is all about tasteless rubbery tofu, get yourself down to Kuan Yin Tea House immediately! The ultimate IYKYK, this place is fast becoming a local institution with some of the best vegan eats in our ‘hood. Serving the most insanely delicious Thai inspired vegan food, do yourself a flavour (not a typo) and order the BBQ Pork Fried Rice. Now open Monday to Sunday, see you there every day and twice on Sundays!
Where: 152 Scarborough Street, Southport
Greenhouse Canteen
One of the OG vegan restaurants on the Gold Coast, Greenhouse Canteen’s menu is as good as it gets. They’ve got a botanical bar so that you can order a selection of vegan cocktails, wine or beer and the space is always packed with good vibes. To eat, we’d go for the Jackfruit and Sour Cream Enchiladas or the Sweet n Sour Tofu Larb. Also, if you feel like eating at home, Greenhouse does takeaway and for a gastronomic gift, they even sell vouchers. Hint hint….
Where: 1916 Gold Coast Highway, Miami
Goodness Gracias
It’s vegan. It’s Mexican. And ‘nuff said #BetterTogether. An all-time vegan fave on the Gold Coast for many moons, Goodness Gracias serves up plant-based Mexican food in a vibrant Palm Beach space with mexcellent service to boot. Eat-in or takeaway and choose from delicious eats like burritos, tacos, nachos and plenty of tasty sides and salads. We’re regulars here, and it’s always top-notch nosh (say that after a few margis).
Where: 1114-1116 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach
Blendlove
Blendlove started with two gals just trying to make a difference to people’s health through plant-based food. Created with love, they blend only the finest ingredients to produce a collection of whole, nutritious treats that are vegan, and free from gluten, dairy, preservatives, artificial colours, and refined sugar. Basically free from everything….except flavour! A local fave, educating the GC that raw and whole foods can be a party in your mouth. An Insta-worthy one at that!
Where: 253 Ferry Road, Southport
Lord of the Fries
If there’s one thing we can get behind, it’s a fast-food venue made up primarily of potatoes. Well colour us happy because Lord of the Fries is precisely that. Finally fries that aren’t drowned in beef tallow and juiced up with gluten, aren’t cooked in cheap’n’nasty oil or smothered in watered down tomato sauce, and haven’t been sitting in a bain-marie since the beginning of time. Praise be! Slinging vegan fries a-plenty, Lord of the Fries is also serving up Veggie Burgers, Onion Rings, Vegetarian Nuggets and Vegetarian Hot Dogs. Plus, everything is kosher and Halal. Hallelujah!
Where: Paradise Centre, 8 Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise
The Hidden Cherub
Tucked away in our much-loved Miami, you’ll find laneway bar/plant-based eats venue: The Hidden Cherub. Decked out with a sleek, industrial-esque look and greenery dripping from the walls, this warehouse style restaurant is a Vegan Vibe! While the drinks here are the main event (as they should be!), the 100% vegan packed food menu is filled with delicious share plates, burgers, tacos, salads and sides. In terms of burgers, get stuck into The Californian (just trust us) and sharesies some Sticky Buffalo Wings and Beef Tacos. Mouth-watering goodness at its best.
Where: 2/29 Lemana Lane, Miami
Cardamom Pod
Cardamon Pod at Southport Is a favourite amongst Gold Coasters (and influencers), offering both mouth-wateringly yum vegetarian and vegan choices. All about clean eating, the menu is lit with Insta-friendly, tastebud titillating nosh so good it’ll knock the socks off even the most discerning vegan diner. We recommend the Mumbai Wrap, Life is a Berry Peach Pancake, and the Snicker Acai Bowl because duh – Snickers. There’s also plenty of raw treats, organic coffee and gluten-free options too. All dishes are almost too pretty to eat….emphasis on ‘almost’.
Where: 3/3 Brolga Avenue, Southport
Easy House Vegetarian Restaurant
Okay it’s vegetarian, it’s vegan….and it’s YUM CHA! Nothing pleases our palette more, and the fact that this place has been around for yonks it a testament to its deliciousness. Whether you dine in or takeaway, Easy House will send your tastebuds into a tizz with the likes of Deep Fried Wontons, Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, and Pan Fried Shanghai Dumplings. Not a yum cha fan? No probs, there is also a vast array of traditional (but vegan/vego) fresh, flavour-packed Asian dishes and banquet options.
Where: 90 Markeri Street, Mermaid Beach
Doko Demo V
The Bali-vibing Doko Demo V 2.0 is even more amazing than the OG, and we are here for it! Offering an entirely vegan wholefoods-based menu, Doko Demo V is the work of Head Chef Jared Peck. Whether you’re seeking an uber tasty plant-based breakfast, lunch or dinner, this little gem is bursting with beautifully prepared dishes that are both healthy and of the eyes-are-bigger-than-your-belly variety. The Spicy Pepperoni Pizza goes down a treat, as does the No Beef Lasagne with garden salad, and the Unreal Scallopini. Wash your feed down with the Dokodemo cocktail because one must stay hydrated….
Where: 2 Sunlight Drive, Burleigh Waters
Izakaya Midori
Umm with ‘Midori’ in the title, this place immediately had our attention. A Reedy Creek based trove of plant-based Japanese food, Izakaya Midori is a winner winner vegan dinner. There are dishes like Spicy Lime Karagee, Japanese Curry Rice, Midori Ramen (not the booze just to clarify), and Smoked Edamame to name a few. You can also grab things to takeaway and the service is next level. Sold? Of course you are!
Where: 50 Woodland Drive, Reedy Creek
Words by Bianca Trathen.
