Lettuce rejoice over Zala's Place in Currumbin Waters.
Lettuce rejoice over Zala's Place in Currumbin Waters.
Finding little hubs of gorgeous food and drink around the Gold Coast is a staple hobby of many of you out there these days. Little pockets of hard-working individuals who tirelessly create incredible food, often from scratch, for us to come along and savour. The newly opened Zala’s Place in Currumbin Waters is no exception to this rule; taking meat-free delectable dishes to an all-time high and rubbing off some seriously good vibes for those who decide to drop by.
The Traders Corner precinct on Currumbin Creek Road is fast becoming a go-to spot for all things delicious, and nestling in the back left-hand corner is Zala’s Place — entering the scene with a standout array of foods we know you are just going to love.
Heading up the kitchen is Zak Taylor, who has swapped fine-dining chef duties (ex Labart, Rick Shores) for an immersion into vegetable and plant-based delights — and for this, folks, we should be forever grateful.
The menu has strong roots within Ethiopian cuisine and uses traditional dishes and flavours to create exciting and tasty fare, such as their Split Pea Stew and Spiced Pumpkin Stew. The menu will revolve and slowly change in time to keep things interesting for those who cannot help but come back time after time.
Other hot items such as a Spiced Sweet Potato Roll look and taste just like it’s meat equivalent — if not better. Look, we’re not knocking the humble sausage roll, no, but you must give one of these a try!
Quick and easysalads are made fresh every day and are the perfect accompaniment to something heavier or, if you prefer, just to have simply on their own. A jam-packed Falafel Wrap is also an easy option if the abundant choices are a bit too much for you!
The folks behind the space want Zala’s to be enjoyed across the day and will ensure coffee fans are catered for with Elixir coffee beans delivered via a very unique and not often seen brew bar-style coffee machine. Meaning when the crowds turn up for their morning fix, amazing coffee can be knocked out at speed and without hiccup.
And should you feel like something sweet (because, why not), you’re spoilt with a selection of gluten and dairy-free slices and cakes such as their Teff Lamington and All Spice Orange Slice. Sidenote: Teff is an ancient grain indigenous to Ethiopia and is your next favourite superfood!
Currently, open six days a week, Zala’s caters for breakfast and lunch. Still, we hear a whisper they are looking forward to putting together opportunities to enjoy their food in the evenings also: watch this space.
An essential aspect of the space is community, and eats aside, you’ll also discover a small selection of locally made artisan goods such as hand-poured candles by Girls That Brunch and vegan made soaps from Little Loving Things, as well as others. Drop in for a bite, and you may just end up taking away a little something for yourself or a gift for that somebody special.
With a core choice of vegan dishes and a spattering of vegetarian options in there also, there’s no excuse not to enjoy the spoils of this Ethiopian-based mecca of veggie scrumptiousness.
When: Mon – Fri: 7am – 2pm, Sat: 7am – 12pm
Where: 4/27-31 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Waters
Words by Alex Mitcheson.
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.
The Gold Coast restaurant scene has been quick to catch up to the increasing number of people jumping on board the vegetable train. Thankfully these days, we need not venture far to find our plant-based fix, with a plethora of veg-vibing establishments all vying for our affections.
As the masters of mind-blowingly good meat-free eats, these veritable veggie experts are in a legendary legume of their own.
Cardamom Pod
While we may be guilty of throwing the word ‘institution’ around a little liberally at times, Cardamom Pod (and it’s crew of certifiable whole-food wizards) is a name known the coast over as a haven for plant-based folk and those craving nourishing nosh.
While we sadly bid adieu to the original Broadbeach location (and then a fond ‘hola’ to Nude Amigos in the same spot – coincidentally also offering a considered assortment of vibrant vego options) – thankfully the name lives on through the second Pod residing at Brickworks Ferry Road. Get your fill of creative and colourful all-day eats such as the Buddah Bowl, Blinged Out Avo Benny, and if we really must choose – the French Toast *never* fails. There’s a reason this place has been around for years, go discover it for yourself.
Where: 3/3 Brolga Avenue, Southport
Blendlove
The delightful folk at Blendlove believe nothing is worth eating, if it hasn’t been created with love and let it be known that everything they create there, is worth eating. Co-founders Riki-Lee and Sharlene pride themselves on serving the tastiest, freshest and healthiest plant-based food on the Gold Coast. They whip up their treats in-house without the use of refined sugars, artificial colours or preservatives. Plus, keeping us plied with our daily Blackboard coffee fix earns them a bunch of extra brownie points in our books (guilt-free, sugar-free ones, of course).
Where: 253 Ferry Road, Southport
Falafels
Mermaid’s middle-eastern eatery, Falafels, has since expanded from its initial exclusively meat-free menu, but its primarily plant-based roots remain (as do the legendary falafels we know and love, praise be chickpea).
This small but mighty neighbourhood noshery specialises in fresh and flavour-packed portable bites with a mediterranean focus – all plied with secret-recipe sauces, dips and house pickled veg. The famous hand-crafted falafels have a rep as the best you can get your mitts (and mouth) around on the Coast. Available any which way you like – Plate, Pocket or Salad – aka stuffed in a pillow of pita, or perhaps piled atop a throne of veg, tahini and hummus (or not, for the #hummushaters… we’re told they’re out there… #blasphemy).
A trip to Falafels will give you allll the feel-good feels (namely satisfaction).
Where: Shop 2c/1 Lakeview Blvd, Mermaid Waters
Temple of Spices
Ahhh, vego curry, how we love thee. A wholesome, hearty, hug in a bowl – and for many of us, the gateway dish to discovering that meat-free can be mind-blowingly good, yes? Mermaid’s resident spice slingers, Temple of Spices has quite the rep for treating local diners to incredible Indian eats – including a dedicated menu of main-character vibing veg/vegan dishes to tempt anyone and tantalise every tum. Quell those cravings and chow down on chutneys, coconut rice and your choice of protein swimming in creamy, spice-laden curry – your tastebuds will be happy as Lassi. And for anyone considering skipping the Vego butter? That gets a big yeah, naan from us.
Looking to bolster your meat-free meal with an all-out feast? Spice up your night and split one of the plant-based banquet packs with your Dahl-ing (thank us later).
Where: 2468 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach
Tian Ran Vegetarian
Meaning nature in English, Tian Ran provides the purest of vegetarian and vegan Asian cuisine. Their meals are free from meat, dairy, alcohol, garlic, onions and MSG and they also offer a gluten-free menu. The team are passionate about providing quality food and make their meat substitutes with soy, wheat, yam, seaweed and mushrooms. Serving wholesome helpings of healthful eats made with love, that in no way compromise on flavour or satisfaction – and impressively so, considering the restricted ingredient repertoire. Don’t believe us? Just check their reviews #amustvisit.
Where: 2468 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach
The Milkman’s Daughter
The funkiest little vegetarian joint around is Mermaid’s The Milkman’s Daughter, tucked away on Alfred St and serving up some of the very best (and most stacked vego food). The interior is as cool as they come filled with cascading greenery and terrariums built into tables, you’ll be Insta-snapping up a storm. The entirely vegetarian menu is made up of both all day breakfast and lunch options and my word, will you be hard up to make a choice.
The Farmers Breakfast is a perennial fave among frequents – but you ‘batter’ believe the loaded Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, piled with vanilla turmeric custard, granola, walnuts, passionfruit, berries, pistachios, lemon zest has to be one of the most bonkers brunches going (in the best of ways).
Where: 2/43 Alfred Street, Mermaid Beach
Dalas Kitchen
To the uninitiated, the Dalas Kitchen specialty of salads, sodas and sweets seems to strike the balance of naughty and nice eats – but as it turns out, its just nice.. and nicer – with the latter comprising of sparkling water topped homemade soda syrups and raw sweets.. so get amongst it guilt-free, y’all.
One of adulthoods greatest tastebud revelations remains that salad can be both nourishing and oh-so-satisfying (for those of us who grew up knowing ‘salad’ as sad iceberg and token tomato slices slapped on your plate, anyway). Dalas Kitchen is of course, serving up the former – Nobby’s wholesome eats dispensary delivers our daily veg-vibing, summery side-dish and salad fix, all 100% ready to tuck right in. Because sometimes we need a star salad without that whole cleaning-every-pot-and-pan-we’ve-ever-owned song and dance, right? #exhausting. So go on, grab some of that goodness to-go and get in that daily 2&5 in the most soul satisfying of ways.
Where: 2247 Gold Coast Highway, Nobby Beach and Pavilions, Fifth Avenue, Palm Beach
Greenhouse Canteen
A crew that’s especially keen on their greens, delivering crafted plates of plant focused, whole food eats that are also downright delicious. Their foodie philosophy of ‘sometimes naughty, mostly nice’ – is an approach we can wholeheartedly support, especially since they also happen to serve a killer marg #ourkryptonite (and also something we get around with gusto).
In their ever-tasty eight year tenure, they’ve amassed an army of loyal local fans (both vegans and meat eaters alike) that would follow them *almost* anywhere for their flavour-filled fare. Which is lucky, since they recently relocated little further south, making the move from Miami to Talle… and yeah, we can manage that – anything for our Cauliflower Wings (and coconut marg, lbh) fix.
Where: 268 Tallebudgera Creek Road, Tallebudgera
Govindas
It’s a vegetarian institution on the Coast and if you haven’t been there, you haven’t lived. With everything from Creamy potato bake, saucy layers of veg-laden Lasagne to an array of salads and desserts, there’s always something tasty to try and a line up of people waiting to get in on the goodness. Eat in or takeaway and definitely don’t forget to indulge in the lemon, mint and ginger refresher, it’ll make your day.
Where: 20 James Street, Burleigh Heads and 72 Griffith Street, Coolangatta
Psst – specifically seeking eateries sans animal products entirely? Check out our lineup of the best vegan GC restaurants here.
Words by Kellie Leader.
If you’re anything like us, taking an active interest in what you eat — and making sure only the best produce makes its way onto your plate — is a way of life. It’s also a way to mitigate all of the glorious (but naughty) food and cocktails you may have overindulged in over the weekend. Yet finding your way into a sumptuous and nutritious bowl of freshly made salad can be a difficult feat sometimes — until now.
Dalas Kitchen is a salad bar with a difference and just opened its doors in Nobby Beach, and by the looks of things, the adage ‘you don’t win friends with salad’ is well and truly out the window.
Front of house and behind the scenes, bubbly husband and wife team Jess and Michael are the owners behind Dalas, and were so inspired to pull out the stops and create the business after considering the lack of fresh and affordable salad bites out there. After all, getting your hands on fabulous healthy salads shouldn’t be so hard when you consider all of the fantastic produce we get from the hard-working farmers from our hinterland.
The shop is a salad bar on the simplest terms, with a selection of seven signature salads for you to choose from and three different sizes for you to buy them in. And for those who see themselves having friends over or want to double down on a serious sized order of salads, Dalas also offers a 24-hour pre-ordering service. Have as many folks over as you please and let some pre-arranged and lovingly made salads complete any gathering/meal with ease.
The main focus is on providing vegan salads, but there will also be a spattering of rotating vegetarian salads with the inclusions of cheese. No meats will feature throughout the range now or in the future.
For those who like carrots, try your way through their Za Carrots salad with Za’atar roasted carrots, garlic sautéed kale, and toasted buckwheat, or if you prefer keeping things a little more classic, then you can’t look past the Klassic Kale with olive oil and lemon massaged kale leaves, white beans, parsley garlic croutons and tahini dressing. Yum!
All of the salads on offer have gone through a rigorous 12-month tasting and testing period before the business even opened — so you can rest assured, these nutrient-dense bowls of goodness taste the goods.
Salads are not all you will find here though. There’s also a small selection of sweet raw treats courtesy of local Nic Dimond and a small assortment of baked-in-house baguettes. To keep you amply hydrated between mouthfuls of delicious greenery, you’ll discover a variety of house-made sodas on offer with flavours like Gingery Orange and Cherry Bomb. And should you feel like a bit of kick to your day, they also pour up iced coffees with cold press coffee from Two Amigos Cold Brew.
Apart from delicious food and thirst-quenching drinks, Dalas is also doing some good by having all their natural waste being collected daily by the Miami Compost Hub and also using only compostable containers and takeaway vessels. Every little bit helps, right?
If you’re looking for a guilt-free and tasty lunch or a little something to spruce up dinner time at home, look no further than Dalas Kitchen in Nobby Beach. And if you have big plans for Christmas Day lunch, why not save yourselves the hassle of preparing salads? Because after all, spending more time with family and friends is all that matters. So pre-order your festive salads through these guys pronto!
Hours: Weekdays 8am — 6pm & Weekends 9am — 4pm
Where: 2247 Gold Coast Highway, Nobby Beach
Words by Alex Mitcheson.
