Sushi Avenue at Surfers Paradise - Food Review

Posted by Unknown at 6:30 PM Tuesday, September 11, 2012 Labels: , , 0 comments
Gold Coast . 2012 . Aug 07-13

Sushi Avenue is located at the ground level of Hilton Hotel at Surfers Paradise.  It is a conveyor belt style sushi restaurant where the customers can select their choice of freshly made sushi placed on colour coded plates.



The colours of the plate indicate the cost of the dish. The conveyor belts go round an open kitchen where chefs work on their dishes.  Customers can also order main dishes such as udon from a menu.


The Food & Service


The restaurant is a small and neat outfit, fuss-free for some quick dining.  Having come from Singapore where Japanese restaurants are in abundance, we were initially sceptical about the quality of Japanese food in Gold Coast.  Sushi Avenue did not fail to deliver fresh and good Japanese fare.  The restaurant is primarily staffed by Japanese Chefs and young Japanese waitresses.   As with all Japanese restaurants, service is immaculate.

 Fried dumplings ordered from the menu.


The restaurant allows its customers the flexibility to choose full sized or half sized main dishes. The half size is about a kid’s portion.

Half sized Ebi Tempura Udon and Kakiage Udon.
 

The Bill


Ebi Tempura Udon: $6.00
Kakiage Udon: $5.00
Tea at $1.00 each: $2.00
Plates from Conveyor Belt: $13.10
GST: $2.60
Total: AUD$28.70

Final Thoughts


Affordable and reasonably priced dining, but the small portions leave us feeling hungry after that.

Sushi Ave @ Surfers Paradise
G21 Hilton High Street, 3113,
Surfers Paradise Blvd,
Surfers Paradise Queensland,
4217
+61 7 5539 9888
http://www.facebook.com/sushiavenue
Opens Mon - Sun: 11:00 am - 8:30 pm

Check out our in depth review of Scoot Airlines below!

Read these articles about our Gold Coast / Brisbane Trip too!

Check out the Hotel we stayed

Check out the good eats!



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Mirimar Brisbane River Cruise

Posted by Unknown at 6:00 PM Friday, September 7, 2012 Labels: , 0 comments
Brisbane . 2012 . Aug 10

There are many operators offering river sight-seeing cruises along the Brisbane River such as River City Cruises and Kookaburra River Queens.  Some offers a hop on – hop off option, while others package a lunch or dinner with the cruise.

We chose the Mirimar Brisbane River Cruise as it combines a round-trip sightseeing river cruise along the post-card perfect Brisbane River and a visit to the lovely Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary for some koala hugging.

The first part of our Brisbane city tour began at the Queensland State Library located at the river bank and near the boarding area of the Mirimar II for our cruise.




Boarding starts promptly at 9:30am.  Be there early to snag a good seat.
 

Those who want a good view of the river should sit at the exposed upper deck at the sides of the boat. We were not early enough and had to settle for seats at the centre portion of the upper deck.

The cruise starts off punctually at 10am, passing bridges, beautiful luxury vacation houses, and the University of Queensland located along the riverfront.

Most of the owners of the river front mansions are so rich that each of them has their own private docks and boats leading from the mansion!

The places of interest that the cruise passes by along the Brisbane River.  The journey is fully narrated to give you a background on the places of interests.

Picturesque scenery seen from the back of the boat.  Conditions got cold and windy after a while (it was winter while we were there), so we had to adjourn to the covered lower deck for some food and warmth.


 The on-board café at the lower deck, offering a simple menu for food and drinks.


Some hot egg and bacon sandwich and hot coffee is a must to recover from the cold.  It was well worth the money that we paid for it.  The waiter will give you a gold token to operate the coffee machine for a hot cup of coffee.

 Getting the tickets ready for Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.


After more than an hour of cruising, we are finally reaching our destination!

And finally, after a day outdoors, we were delivered back to the Cultural Centre Pontoon.  Stay tuned for our next articles as we bring you to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and our Brisbane City Tour.


Mirimar River Cruises


Mirimar River Cruises departs once daily at 10am (boarding starts at 9:30am) from the Cultural Central Pontoon situated outside the Queensland State Library.

The cruise will stop at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary at about 11:15am for 2 hrs, departing at 1:45pm and returning to the Cultural Central Pontoon at 3:00pm.  During peak vacation season, it may be advisable to book your tickets early to ensure a seat, though we saw some walk-in customers on our trip.
Tickets are AUD$65 per adult for a round trip and include entry into Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (entry tickets for Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is AUD$33 per adult).  For more information, check out their website at http://www.mirimar.com/

Check out our in depth review of Scoot Airlines below!

Read these articles about our Gold Coast / Brisbane Trip too!

Check out the Hotel we stayed

Check out the good eats!



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The Coffee Club Gold Coast Food Review

Posted by Unknown at 6:30 PM Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Labels: , , 0 comments
Gold Coast . 2012 . Aug 07-13

Our very first meal at Gold Coast was at The Coffee Club, since it was conveniently located across the street from Vibe Hotel and caught the attention of two of us very hungry people who had just spent a night on the plane and had no supper or breakfast on Scoot.   We would have gone looking for other food, if not for the fact that we were pressed for time to start our itinerary for our day at Sea World Gold Coast.  The Coffee Club appeals to us as we could smell the aroma of coffee from afar.  And I thought – why not? I am obsessed with the high quality of coffee in any part of Australia, and having a nice cup of coffee before we start our hectic day seems like a bright idea.



What we liked most about every Coffee Club outlet around the world is its cozy atmosphere – the kind that lets you escape from the weather, feel sheltered and at home while enjoying some comforting food.



The Coffee


You know you can depend on Coffee Club for a coffee fix – no surprises there. 

We ordered a hot mocha and a hot chocolate and they look almost identical when served.  Can you tell which is which? Taste-wise, the hot chocolate is a lot sweeter than the mocha and of course, as a coffee lover, I would prefer a hint of coffee in my drink.



The Food


Eggs Benedict – it’s basically toast, poached eggs and bacon topped with hollandaise sauce (a sauce made from egg yolks and butter).  Smooth and creamy, and its flavour is rich and buttery but as with all eggs benedicts, its rich texture could be quite overwhelming for some.


I still prefer my American-style breakfast of bacon, eggs, tomato and toast.  It is nicely done up, served piping hot and savoury.



The Bill


The bill comes up to be:

Eggs Benedict with shaved lean ham (AUD$17.90)
Classic bacon, eggs, tomato and toast (AUD$15.90)
Hot Chocolate (AUD$4.80)
Hot Mocha (AUD$4.50)

Total: AUD$43.10

The total bill for breakfast comes up to be quite a hefty sum for budget travellers with shallow pockets.  But their food and coffee are well worth the price and we’ll come back again anytime for breakfast!

Have a look at other items on their menu!

Note that their breakfast items are available for all-day!


Location


The Coffee Club
The High Street Surfers Paradise (at base of the Hilton, Surfers Paradise)
3113 Surfers Paradise Boulevard
SURFERS PARADISE Queensland 4217
(07) 5538 8940

Map below from The High Street Surfers Paradise website
http://www.highstreetsurfersparadise.com.au/22/Location


Check out our in depth review of Scoot Airlines below!

Read these articles about our Gold Coast / Brisbane Trip too!

Check out the Hotel we stayed

Check out the good eats!



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Surfers Paradise Beachfront Night Market

Posted by Unknown at 11:49 PM Friday, August 31, 2012 Labels: , 0 comments
Gold Coast . 2012 . Aug 07-13

Every Wednesday and Friday evening, the foreshores of Surfers Paradise comes alive with makeshift market stalls selling a great variety of local produce, souvenirs, jewellery, handicraft, artistic and hand-made items, and the music of buskers.  There is even a magician performing at one of the stalls!


 Decorative Pieces for the Home...



 An old coin gets pressed and sculpted into a pendant!

 Beautiful handmade table runners and tissue box covers.

Recycled glass bottles are flattened and made into clocks.  Can you spot the Vegemite and Bundaberg root beer bottles from this picture?


 This is my favourite stall with gorgeous paintings for the home.

 Get a sketch or drawing done for a fee.

Body warmers made into adorable owls.

Get a python wrapped around your neck and live to tell the tale and take a picture.  Only for the brave hearted.

With a great variety of merchandize, it is little wonder that the promenade is vibrant and bustling with people.   There is bound to be something for everyone here.

Surfers Paradise Beachfront Markets
The Esplanade (between Hanlan St & Elkhorn Ave)
Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast
Queensland 4217
Australia

Opening Hours:  Every Wednesday and Friday Night
5:00pm – 10:00pm
Closed in the event of inclement weather


View Larger Map

Check out our in depth review of Scoot Airlines below!

Read these articles about our Gold Coast / Brisbane Trip too!

Check out the Hotel we stayed

Check out the good eats!



We hope you enjoyed reading this article. To receive notifications on updates, subscribe to our blog via RSS feed and email.

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Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!
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