DECEMBER 2017 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA 039
OUT & ABOUT
a ‘six-star’ hotel, a series of
luxury residences, and the
purchase and complete
refurbishment of the Sheraton
Mirage Resort, plus plans for a
beach club. The coast, he says,
is preparing itself to capture
the coming tide of Chinese
and Indian tourists.
Next stop is the QT Gold
Coast, my digs for the mission.
Part of a now-international
chain, the QT has recently
undergone a facelit. The
result is a hotel that perfectly
captures the sunny, playful
spirit of the Goldie. Accents
of yellow, plenty of exposed
wood and a vintage Kombi
in the lobby — the hotel has
a definite Beach Blanket
Bingo vibe. I half expect to
find Gidget by the pool.
The QT’s Japanese
restaurant, Yamagen, has
just reopened ater its own
extensive makeover. Once
a brightly lit teppanyaki
restaurant with all the
atmosphere of a food court
sushi train, it’s since been given
the Harajuku Girls treatment
— and is much improved for it.
Now more of an izakaya
(Japanese bar/restaurant),
it’s all mood lighting, sleek
lines and food oferings. The
sashimi tacos are delicious, the
assorted kushiyaki (skewered
meat or vegetables) are grilled
just right and the signature
sushi roll with seared scallop,
cucumber, witlof and miso
caramel is a rolled gold classic.
Yoshi, the jovial sushi
master who’s been plying
his trade at Yamagen for an
impressive 29 years, works
his magic in the corner, his
hands conducting a fresh
fish symphony each night.
If the cocktails (the
gin-based Sake It To Me is
a winner) and ludicrously
comprehensive Japanese
whisky list weren’t reason
enough to dine there, the
soundtrack ought to seal the
deal: prepare for a winning mix
of 1980s hits on high rotation.Food for Thought
Having let the curtains in
my suite open for the night,
I’mwokenjustater6amby
a glorious sunrise. I have a 7am
breakfast date at Cafe DBar,the institution atop Point
Danger at the southernmost
end of the Gold Coast. Over
a heart-startlingly good cofee
and superfood coconut
bircher, I stare south across
the blue waters of Fingal
and north past Rainbow Bay
towards Burleigh Heads.
There’s a nity right break
rolling in over Snapper Rocks
and the locals are out in force.
I eschew the ‘Tim Tam
Delux’ milkshake for a ‘Good
Root’ juice of turmeric,
blueberries, grapefruit and
watermelon and feel all the
more wholesome for it. Ater
all, turmeric is the new black.
It’s technically winter,
but the air temperature is
25 degrees and the sea an
ambient 20 degrees, meaning
a quick dip at Kirra Beach is
exactly what the digestion
doctor ordered. And just in
time, too, as lunch is only
a beach away.
House of Hubert is
a recently opened cafe-
restaurant in the tiny braceCLOCKWISE
FROM TOP
The spacious QT
King Suite Ocean
View at QT Gold
Coast; Cafe DBar;
lunch at House of
Hubert; the Balter
Brewing Company
in Currumbin; Cafe
DBar also has cofee
to go. OPPOSITE
Surfers Paradise is
the Gold Coast’s
most popular spot.