Tasty rewards for cafe
Emeraude caps off big first year
WHEN Amanda Hinds reads rave reviews about her cafe and restaurant Emeraude in the papers, or sees her venue nearly filled with Brisbane patrons, she knows the hard work has been worth it.
The micro-region eatery in Hampton, north of Highfields, has capped off a stellar first 12 months by being considered one of the best eats in the state in 2018 by The Courier-Mail’s top food critic.
Anooska Tucker-Evans praised Emeraude for its mix of country hospitality and locally-sourced produce.
Mrs Hinds, who opened the venue in November 2017 after moving from Bundaberg, said she saw the kind words as a vindication for the unusual approach she took with her food.
The vast majority of dishes at Emeraude are sourced from the northern Toowoomba region, with menus changing constantly to fit in with what is available.
“When I saw us in there, I was very grateful – it is a good thing for all of us in the (food and tourism) industry to get a mention in the state newspaper,” she said.
“We started with the idea of having this moving menu, but not to the extent that it has been.
“We’ve thrown in some menu items that are just for that night (and) it seems to me that people are open to that.
“When I read that on the weekend, I just took a breath and realised that those 80hour weeks with no holidays were worth it.”
Mrs Hinds said it was difficult to pick just one dish that stood out for her in 2018, but added she had a fondness for Emeraude’s Murray cod.
“It would come up (from Lilydale) and then Stoney the Fishmonger would fillet it for us,” she said.
“We’d pair it with these beautiful locally-grown tomatoes and capers coming from Cumbria and fresh herbs like dill and butter as well.
“That was one of my favourite dishes.”
Emeraude is open four days a week, with varying opening times. Call 4697 9008 for more information.