MAC ATTACK
THE BIG CHEESE MADE TASTIER
IN between their morning and evening classes, gym fitness instructors Ben Engwirda and Yuri Kagita would lunge their way along the length of the Coast, checking out which cafes would pull up the best. They’d dabble in an acai bowl here, a green smoothie there and, while they’d sometimes strike gold, more often than not they’d be left unsatisfied.
When Ben first met Yuri he’d just been through a fight for his life. At age 28 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
“I was quite young when it happened. I had to go into a hospital waiting room full of people in their 70s just hanging on to life,” Ben says.
“I got through that and I got better. But then everything had changed.
“I’d always been fit, healthy and pretty lean — I used to surf a lot — but after the cancer I noticed a massive difference in my body.”
Unable to shift his comfort kilos and rebuild muscle on his own, Ben found himself inside a gym. Surrounded by red-faced individuals determined to sweat out the sins of their weekend binges is an odd place to rediscover your love of food, but that’s how it happened to Ben.
“Going right back to early childhood I’ve always wanted to be a chef as long as I can remember,” Ben says.
“So when I finished school I started my apprenticeship at Royal Pines.
“I worked in a few different places around Broadbeach and Main Beach until one day I left the industry all together.”
For a couple of years Ben dabbled in pest management and helped his father, a builder, do renovations and manage properties.
After his cancer scare and subsequent health kick Ben became a personal trainer.
At the gym not only did he fall in love with Yuri but he also revisited his first flirtation — cooking.
So with long days stretching out between their dawn and dusk fitness classes at Fitness First Mermaid Beach and Goodlife Robina, Ben and Yuri started looking for something to sink their teeth into.
What they found was Ruby + Green, a Burleigh cafe nestled between well-known establishments Canteen Coffee and Social Brew.
Ben bought it nine months ago and, with Yuri by his side, they set about making small changes.
Now the owner and chef has finally put his own stamp on the place, rebranding it as Be Somewhere.
Current healthful offerings include the green breakfast with poached eggs, sauteed spinach and kale served with avocado and toasted semi sourdough. The classic bacon and egg roll is served on a charcoal brioche bun with spinach, relish and avocado.
But the favourite of both his gym junkie mates and health-conscious Burleigh locals is the nourish bowl. Broccoli is nestled beside organic quinoa, tabouli, sweet potato and a half avocado has its centre oozing with a mixture of Greek and Italian dressing.
Most menu items range from $12 to $20 but Ben says they’ll fluctuate depending on what juicy local produce he can get his hands on each week.
“We started off tweaking the original menu and then reinventing it,” Ben says.
“I know a lot of chefs don’t encourage it, but we want our menu to be interchangeable.
“Want your eggs cooked soft, medium or hard? No problem.
“If you want that without the fetta cheese we can do that too. We do have a set menu but there’s always at least six specials. I like that challenge and I like diversity.”
Be Somewhere Cafe, James Street Arcade, Burleigh Heads. Open Monday to Sunday 6.30am to 2.30pm