5 OF THE BEST MERMAID WATERS

There’s no need to cross the highway to Nobbys if you’re after a great foodie experience. Denise Raward cruises the corner shops to unearth these suburban treasures

LUCKY BAO SHOP 6/90 MARKERI STREET

The big news at this unassuming gem is the launch of a weekend brunch menu, complete with Blackboard coffee, from 8am. The menu will be rich in modern Asian fusion delights: think black miso banana bread, kimchi and mozzarella jaffles, steaming breakfast baos, scrambled organic tofu and rice bowls with bacon and eggs. “It’s definitely not yum cha,” owner Emmi Kendall says. “It’s been a lot of fun to keep reinventing but staying true to what we are.” Lucky Bao is now well entrenched on local foodie maps and is working on launching its spring menu. Its signature baos won’t be going anywhere. “The wagyu brisket bao has been a huge hit for winter, right up there as a bestseller with the pork belly,” Emmi says. Whatever the chefs fall in love with at the Miami organic farmers’ markets on Sunday will no doubt feature on the specials’ board that week. If you’re looking for an at-home flavour hit, Lucky Bao has launched its delivery-only venture Ramen Junkie, with a menu of five ramen and five rice bowls available through UberEats.

TWO WISE FISH WATERWAYS SHOPPING VILLAGE, SHOP 1/64 KARBUNYA STREET

This atmospheric fish and chippery sets the high watermark, serving fresh seafood, burgers and signature house specialties, including golden crumbed fish and salad sandwiches and fish cakes spiked with lemongrass, garlic, ginger and coriander. Managing director Belinda Gates says the Two Fish secret is consistency, quality and affordability. “We want to show people you don’t have to pay a lot of money to get a great piece of fish,” she says. “We want coming here to be an experience. It’s BYO at night and we love seeing families come for dinner.” For anyone with a hankering for the prawns from the old Oskar’s, Belinda has recreated them from Marty’s original recipe, complete with curry mayonnaise. “You have to come and try them,” she says.

NUDE SISTERS WHOLE FOOD KITCHEN SHOP 3/90 MARKERI STREET

It’s hard to believe the sweet creations of this healthy haunt emerge from a refinedsugar-free kitchen. Nude Sisters embraces the nourishing, fresh, locally sourced ethos, its vegetarian menu abounding with vegan and gluten-free options. Manager Loren Telfer says the standout is the vegan chocolate chip pancakes with caramelised banana, seasonal fruit, vegan coconut ice cream, chocolate crumb, roasted macadamias and maple syrup. “For savoury, there’s the green breakfast bowl,” she says. “You can add an egg or haloumi or mushrooms.” The clean-lined cafe also serves Allpress organic coffee, with all manner of dairy or dairy-free milks (of course), as well as a range of smoothies and smoothie bowls.

DOUBLE BARREL KITCHEN WATERWAYS SHOPPING VILLAGE

In just two years, this cafe has picked up Best of the Gold Coast awards for its coffee and breakfast, so it’s no surprise its first foray into night-time dining was fully booked in two days. “All our locals had been asking us,” co-owner Jess Winters says. “It was a great night. It’s lovely to be part of a neighbourhood so it’s something we’ll do once a month.” Plenty of time then to keep up what’s working in the day: serving seasonal, locally-sourced food and great coffee. The rustic avo is a big seller, as are the zucchini and corn fritters. Now is the time to savour the rolled oats and chia winter porridge with charred banana, brown sugar, hazelnut crumble and local honeycomb. Double Barrel Kitchen is licensed from 10am.

EASY HOUSE VEGETARIAN SHOP 8/ 90 MARKERI STREET

Easy House has been doing its crueltyfree thing for a decade, building its reputation on good-value Asian food. The menu contains all the usual suspects, only the sweet and sour pork, lemon chicken and sizzling beef are all minus the meat. Owners Mary Ye and Hoi Tsang have stuck with much the same menu since they opened the doors and it’s an in-joke that their most popular dish, the XO noodles, doesn’t appear on the menu. “It started as a special when we first opened,” their son Jacky Zeng explains. “People just kept ordering it whether it was there or not so we serve it all the time but it’s still not on the official menu.” Locals love being in on the secret, almost as much as they love that Easy House is BYO.