Eating out in Yeppoon has never been better
December 1, 2009
Eating out in Yeppoon has never been better
Dine out all day for under $50
Dinning out in Yeppoon has always been a bit difficult. Restaurants come and go, open and close at a whim and offer somewhat differing service and etiquette. However after dining out the other day I felt the need to write this article.
My wife and I dine out every week, yes every week. Now some of you are thinking how can they, well I will show you.
As the title reads dining out has never been better, well I’m not saying that we have better restaurants or that the food is better, what I’m getting at is that you can get great value for money right now here on the coast. It’s not always about filling your plate or dressing up and spending over the top for average produce.
So with out further ado I will let you in on a great tip…
Breakfast. I am a great fan of a cooked breakfast and like many Australians enjoy a plentiful meal in the early hours to jump start the day. The best place that we have found for value is at The Shore Thing. Here you can have a full cooked breakfast of bacon, eggs your way, sausages, beans, ample toast and tomato all for just $13.50 oh and I forgot to mention it includes a free Tea or Coffee. The breakfast menu has plenty of choice and is very well presented. Don’t forget to ask for the HP sauce which is available. Total bill $27.00
Lunch. Well again we have sampled many a place for lunch, not all because some just don’t fit the bill for certain reasons, too expensive, limited options and so on, but this place which has had many a name and make over has got the value for your dollar spot on. Y4 again in the main street of town has an extensive menu at very reasonable prices. The food which we have sampled is of a clean crisp and satisfying quality and there for fills the lunch spot. For $13.90 and $11.90 you can have meals. Not to mention the other priced dishes available. We had a basic chicken schnitzel and parmigiana that come with salad and Bad Boy chips. For $2 a soft drink can be consumed in the air conditioned premises. Total bill $29.80
Dinner. Now dinner can be a challenge and we have found that few places offer what I would call a budget priced meal. Not cheap and nasty or a kids meal either. Some of the clubs have even a pricey feel to them but not Beaches Restaurant and Bar. Here you can have an authentic wood fired pizza for $15. They range from $12 to $18 and have a huge variety, not to mention that they are made fresh to order and baked in the wood fired oven. Beaches does offer a wide variety of food options from seafood, steaks and much more all at different prices, but for this example of dining out for under $50 you can’t look past the best pizza on the coast. Pizza and a beer $20 Total bill $40
Breakfast @ The Shore Thing $27.00
Lunch @ Y4 $29.80
Dinner @ Beaches $40.00
Total $96.80
Leaving a few dollars for a tip or a scratchy.
So what are you waiting for. For less than $50 per person you can eat out on the Capricorn Coast not just for dinner but all day, so come on get out there and sample some of the local cafes and restaurants and enjoy.
Technorati Tags: Wagyu
Dinner at Michael’s on Matthew Flinders
October 23, 2007
Just at the spur of the moment we decided to go out for dinner, probably because the fridge was empty, well not empty but nothing that excited us. So Michael’s on Matthew Flinders Drive was our choice. At 6.40pm I called for a table, Ryan accepted booking for 7.30.
We arrived dead on time which is unusual for us generally we are fashionably late. We were shown to our table by the window, not to much to see with the doors closed and the big tree lit up over the beach, yes Michael’s is directly on the beach, it couldn’t get any closer unless you were on a boat. The view however during the day is awesome, the sandy beach, blue water, the view to the Keppel Islands, what more could you ask for. Well maybe great food and drink.
Firstly lets describe the restaurant. It was only our second time at Michael’s and I spotted a few changes. The lovely wine glasses with the engraved ‘M’, the complimentary bread with balsamic and olive oil. The tables are clothed and set perfectly with a basic napkin fold and the menu in place, which I do like. Also no table numbers, a sign of a classy place. Slick lines and colors that give the feel of a certain elegance. Unfortunately it was a quiet night but that only made it better for those dinning. 
The service from Ryan was tops. Great up-selling ability, very smooth but not pushy, that’s an art in-itself. We studied the menu which has grown from our first experience, great to see. A well balanced menu I must add covering most palates. Before we got to make our choice, we were presented with an ‘amusegueule’, what’s that you ask, well check out my report for amuse-gueule.
This complimentary petite dish was cucumber sorbet with fine tomato and onion with salmon caviar. This is a first for Yeppoon and hats off to chef Michael, the impact was just great, the combination cold & smooth with the slightly salty caviar popping in the mouth, refreshing yet intriguing, (maybe loose the onion). Let me help educate those out there about ameusgeule eticate, this is a ‘gift’ from the chef, his way of saying welcome, so don’t go asking for choices, take it or leave it.
Onto our order, which by then I was inspired for more. The sorbet and caviar were on two of the entrees so they fell out of my choice but still there was plenty to chose from. Eventually we ordered. Not long after, our entrees arrived. Moni had the buffalo mozzarella with proscuitto ham and apple balsamic $15-
which was absolutely fantastic 10/10 now that’s saying something. Two products that don’t need much doing to, but if inferior quality then it doesn’t work, with the addition of salt, cracked pepper and the balsamic it was a marriage in heaven.
I had the scallops with rare tuna $17-
Four scallops in the shell with roe on, topped with perfect squares of rare tuna and salmon caviar with tomato and chervil. Very nice, but I am not a fan of the scallop roe, the flavors were good. These were cleared and our mains were quickly with us.
I had lamb on mint and pea salad $ 33- This was excellent. The lamb cooked to perfection, I couldn’t do it better myself, the pea and mint had great flavor and with the jus being top quality it was a great meal, highly recommended. I also had a side of smashed baby potato, very good flavor and at $5.50 plenty.
My meal didn’t need them, but I had to see for myself.
Moni had the veal ravioli with tomato fondue sage butter $15- from the entree selection as her main meal. Two entrees suit her better than often a main meal. The fondue with sage was very flavorsome.
The ravioli was cooked well and was good filled, (often lots of dough no filling) the filling though was a little plain and rather pastey in texture. Presentation was once again great. With our meals we drank a 2004 Andrew Garret merlot $ 37.50 Question, I wonder how it is in full summer with the red wines if they tend to get a little too warm? That will be something to monitor.
By this time Chef Michael had spied us and we then had a chat and sampled some new sorbets that he is working on. We had ordered the creme brulee which came with a perfect sugar crust and great flavor, a huge serve I will add, probably ideal to share if full and want to sample a dessert. With a bottle of Riesling from Neilson NZ which was a bit weak as dessert wines go, but still it was great to even taste it with these ‘custard apple’ treats. Michael having his own icecream maker it is definitely a passion of his to churn away every day to produce the best ice on the coast. So $147- later, and a great night behind us, it’s time to publish my review.
John Mundell will definitely return.
Dinner At Megalomania
August 31, 2007
Megalomania bar & bistro has been open since the 18th of August and has already made its mark in Yeppoon as the place to go for lunch, dinner, afternoon dessert and coffee or a drink at the bar. After catching up with Kenny today, he said is very pleased with the way things have started. I mentioned that I have heard only very good comments from the public.
So onto my report of our evening at Megalomania. The place is divided into three parts, the bar, the courtyard (under cover) and the deck (open air) which has wooden flooring and a water feature. Up/down lighting accent the walls and changing colour lights in the famous fig tree add to the atmosphere. While we waited for our friends to arrive we had a few drinks. Very nice tall beer glasses and angled mixer glasses as well as the drinks in them.
We then received the menu’s. Once again nice presentation in a compact folder with a clear front and easy to handle (not too big). The general opinion was that the writing maybe a little small as it was quite hard to read in the light. Although it would be hard to enlarge the font as the choice of Tapas and light meals are huge, and probably wouldn’t fit all on. We all ordered tapas @ $12.50 or a light meal (entree) followed by mains. I chose a bottle of wine from the extensive list with great variety, not just your standard wine either.
The drinks service was very good and Melissa was on the ball. I tried the wine and she poured the ladies first, great, we let the wine breath before our meals arrived. We waited a little for our entrees which came to the table without the service knowing who had what, which was a little surprising; this was the same for the main meals, that said, all six dishes arrived together in one trip from the kitchen, which is rare these days, excellent,
The selection we chose was; sushi combination, traditional accompaniments. Peking duck pancakes, spring onion, cucumber, hoi sin. Seared Yeppoon scallops, chickpeas, caper raisin dressing. Crisp calamari, rosemary sea salt, cracked black pepper, curry aioli.
And roast mushroom tart, seared veal liver, roast garlic, truffle emulsion @ $15- Mine was the latter. I was a little disappointed with my light meal, the roast garlic was beautiful just delicate and creamy, but the pastry was very well cooked, the liver was just warm and the truffle emulsion was hard to find. ![]()
My friends enjoyed all of there meals, but I am the critic. We followed these with our mains; grass fed rib fillet, pancetta parmesan and garlic mash, wild mushroom ragout. Glazed lamb shanks, lemon cous cous, vanilla pumpkin, mint jelly. Steamed miso salmon basket, crab wontons, spinach, chilli jam. And chicken picatta, crisp prosciutto, balsamic tomato, smoked salmon creme fraiche from the light meals section. Crisp skinned chicken breast, potato rosti, French peas, chervil vinaigrette. Everybody enjoyed their meals with nothing left on the plates except for the bones.
Mine was the chicken, the skin was crisp and cooked beautifully; the rosti was again nicely done, as for the peas well that’s a tough one. The chervil vinaigrette was intense with flavour, excellent, could have had some more though. A side of the fat chips
with HP sauce, garlic aioli had to be ordered as we had heard lots about them. Hand cut and stacked neatly on the plate they came with the accompanying sauce bowls. They had a distinct homemade flavour that you only get with real chips. Well done.
By this time most were full except Monica & me so we partook in our dessert choice. @ $14.50 Moni had the caramelised pinhead oats, raspberries, single malt whisky, double thick cream, honey and lemon. I had sticky date pudding, butterscotch sauce, honey spiced ice cream. 
Both desserts were delightful and all got to try, the verdict was yummy. We then finished with good coffee and hot chocolate. Great presentation with huge bowls, triangle plates, large square plates and bamboo steamer baskets.
A very visually pleasing restaurant with tables clothed and tuxedo folded napkins, water and both red & white wine glasses. Shiny polished new cutlery great to the eye with the knife standing up instead of lying flat, but we all found them hard to use and rest on the plate. A talking point was the salt and pepper, check this out, stainless steel push button spring-loaded top that ejects the measure onto the plate. They will need to keep their eye on them that’s for sure. 
The atmosphere was great, nice gentle background music, flickering candles and on the wooden deck outdoor heaters gave gentle warmth. Young Kyle one of the chefs came to see us after dinner. It was Kenny’s first day off since opening, well deserved no doubt. Neil and Kyle had done a good job in his absence. Overall a great night was had at Megalomania. John Mundell (and friends) look forward to return.
Fifteen Melbourne
August 26, 2007
Jude back from Fifteen Melbourne. Our top waitress Miss Jude visited ‘Fifteen’ in Melbourne last week and came back with the signed menu from some of the original crew. Many thanks. Fifteen in London and now they are in Cornwall UK, Amsterdam and Melbourne the first one outside of Europe. They are all called Fifteen because the first group in London were 15 young people, (they take 20 trainees each year). The restaurant funds itself with the help of donations and sponsorship, and 30% of the profit goes back to the Fifteen Foundation Australia. Quote Fifteen is about more than just cooking. is about giving troubled young people the chance to get out of the rut they’re in and break the cycles that are holding them back, and to show the world how amazing they can be! So now to the dinner and menu. Entrees from $ 16 - $19 mains from $36 - $40 desserts from $14 - $20 The prices are certainly up there when you consider that you have twenty young apprentices cooking for you!!! From this kitchen
On the side of the menu is a note from Jamie Oliver explaining a little about the reason behind Fifteen and to quote part of this the students training course isn’t like any other. It’s designed to let the students really tap into the best of Victorian and Australian produce and let them experience things that most chefs wouldn’t have the chance to in 10 years. Obviously depending on where one would go to work Jamie, but I do agree this is definitely the best training ground for any lucky young person to be able to do there apprenticeship start, if only there were more then we could forget the TAFE system, oh what a joy.
If you would like the opportunity to work at ‘Fifteen’ visit jobs@fifteenmelbourne.com.au
It’s a Shore Thing
August 26, 2007
The Shore Thing cafe on the main street in Yeppoon has seen many a face lift. In the time that I’ve been here I have witnessed five operators.
I would say that I think that it has had its ‘hay day’ back in the time of Bob & Reg with the rest of the family. It was truly the place to be, great coffee, service and yes the food was good too with such great choice very neat and clean just what you would expect to find in a big city.
Now with new owners Adam & Rachael it looks like they have settled in fine, and the cafe is back on track. A slight decor change, new menus and great to see open for dinner on Friday & Saturday as well. I have yet to sample due to work, maybe one day. As for breakfast well this was always a favourite of mine and today they didn’t disappoint.
Monica & I both had the shore thing breakfast for $12.50. Bacon, sausage, tomato, mushroom, thick toast and eggs how you like. All cooked very nice and presented with care. A small bottle of HP sauce and your in heaven on Sunday morning by the beach with a good flat white and the paper. A good flat white, $3.50 great temperature excellent crema but did lack a bit of body.
I guess the only thing wrong is the car park right by the outside tables. You can’t have everything. With car park space a premium in Yeppoon it will be hard to see that change.
The Shore Thing is open 7 days Sunday - Thursday 7am - 5 pm
Friday - Saturday 7am - 9.30pm
Outside catering is also available as well as take away meals.
For more information check out there website http://www.theshorething.com.au/
Yeppoon’s Newest Establishment
August 20, 2007
Opening night at Megalomania,
Friday the 17th August just gone was the official opening of the newest establishment in Yeppoon. After many months of anticipation the day finally arrived.
For Colin & Monika the only thing going for it back in the planning days according to Colin was the huge fig tree with palm growing though it. Thankfully after some good guidance and help from gifted people they have now got a fine looking establishment. Colin and Monika thanked many people on the night no more than Kenneth Burton and Robert. Together they have the opportunity to run this talk of the town bar and bistro.
The evening was enjoyed by many people in different fields of work who were lucky to receive the invitation. We enjoyed a variety of hors-d’oeuvre from sushi, spring rolls, prawn tails to oysters to mention just a few. Also a selection of fine wine and beer was available as well as flowing champagne of course. After the speeches Kenny was given the honour of cutting the tape to officially open Megalomania.
Open seven days lunch through dinner and brunch on weekends. To make a reservation call 4939 2333. Megalomania is on Arthur Street in Yeppoon. So go on feed your ego. Rest assured it has more to offer than Lasagne.
By the way on Sunday after another launch, this time a book launch from local author Colin Macpherson, friends suggested to go for coffee at a place in town, I promptly refused to go and suggested Megalomania instead. So coffee was had and my first of many more just like that one. Great creme, taste, temperature and presentation. Off to a good start. Well done.
Waterline Cafe, Bar & Restaurant
August 13, 2007
With friends back from there European holiday; it was great to catch up again. After having coffee and biscuits followed later by smoked salmon, crackers, brie and olives, we were ready for dinner.
The Waterline cafe, bar, restaurant was to become our destination.
It was a Monday night and we had booked for 7 pm. We arrived a little early but that was not a problem as there were plenty of tables free. Harry was our waiter, a very pleasant English lad, over with the hopes of securing his place in Brisbane to study.
We chose our table right near the door so as to see what was going on. It was still cold and we were glad to have our jackets on. The heaters were
inside so of no use what so ever. I guess some are more tolerant to the cold than others. The menus and wine/drinks list were on the tables along with wine glasses and our cutlery with blue paper napkins. It all looked very pleasing to the eye.
Sometimes I wish that I had a little fat under my behind as the chairs are not all that comfy, maybe cushions would help that, just a suggestion.
We chose our wine and studied the menu a little longer before ordering a few Tapas followed by our main meals. Our wine came and the host was given a sip to try, we had a discussion then about wether you really need to offer the wine to try if the bottle has no cork just a screw top, as many bottles do these days. You always checked to taste if the wine was˜corked obviously from the cellaring with the cork as the stopper. I would be interested to find out about the idea now behind the tasting of these wines today.
Harry took our order and we had our Tapas within 15 minutes. House made sun dried tomato & olive foccacia with trio of dips $12,
the bread needed salt, the dips were fine and lifted
the bread
The panko crumbed beef skewers with Chinese bbq sauce $12 was very tasty. Four neat tidy skewers and a great tasting sauce was a good match. 
As for the wok tossed chilli salt squid with yuzu dipping sauce $15, well that squid never touched a wok, especially as it was lightly crumbed to, it would have been very strange to wok toss something crumbed!! 
Shame for the squid which was nicely scored and cut to size. The overall presentation of the tapas was very good on the nice fine square plates. As for our main meals, we had two catch of the day $31 the fish was very nicely cooked and it ate well with the soba noodles scallops and Asian inspired sauce.
The port glazed chicken breast wrapped in pancetta with wild mushroom risotto, seasoned winter vegetables and port tarragon sauce $29. The breast of chicken was huge. And was cooked to perfection nice and moist with no trace of fierce heat on the pancetta. As for the risotto, I felt that it was rather sweet, I couldn’t make out if this had come from the use of port wine or something else. It was also a little stodgy. The winter vegetables were fine. The dish came topped with sweet potato shards. Unfortunately the plates are too small to give its presentation justice as it was all to cramped. Tarragon was none existent in flavour.
Onto the braised lamb shank in a chorizo and roma tomato ragout topped with garlic mash, puffed pastry and a minted lamb jus $27. I did not get to taste this, but from the comments that I had it was tasty but full of mash. I’m not so sure about the combination but I will have to try before passing judgement.
Onto desert, the ladies choose frangelico and vanilla bean pannacotta with cointreau sauce $9. This would also have been my choice apart from the three cheese platter which had my favourites but I was just too full for more. Disappointed I was though to see that the pannacotta was set in a chocolate cup. As the other dessert was a chocolate cup with chef’s selection of handmade sorbets.
We finished with lavazza coffees which were very good. Total bill was $ 204.90.
Overall a good night at the Waterline. John Mundell will return
Marco Pierre White Autobiography
July 18, 2007
I had been inching to read this book White Slave by Marco Pierre White his autobiography ever since it was in my hands some weeks ago.
I ordered it for a friend of mine and as I glimpsed into it I immediately wished that I had ordered two copies. I had to order it from Brisbane as not one book seller in Yeppoon or Rockhampton had it. They could get it for me but it would take a few days at least. So I called Borders book sellers and they express posted it overnight for me. I was in a rush to get it the next day for certain reasons. That was a few weeks ago…..
Now I have just finished reading this book, White Slave by Marco Pierre White. The book goes into great detail how his life was from a young child at home in Leeds with his mother and father and shows how deeply he was attached to his mother and how after her death she influenced him on his journey throughout the great kitchens off England back then and still are today. The likes of Albert Roux, Pierre Koffman, Raymond Blanc, Nico Ladenis and others.
A fantastic journey it was, and what a master of his craft he is. I remember stories back then when a chef called Simon whom I worked with a particular Michelin restaurant in London prior to him and I moving on spoke of Marco at Harveys where Simon went to work for some time. About the kitchen and how extreme it was “it’s all about food†he said. You get bashed a bit but it is worth it he said showing me his bruises. Other stories that I will keep for my own ears. Some that come out within his autobiography. It also tells of his friendships and business partners and how his previous marriages came and went. Stories of how customers were thrown out of his restaurants and what led him to become the youngest British chef to gain 3 Michelin stars and then to hand them back. What a career. I now look back and wonder how I would have copped back then full of drive to be the best. I followed my dream and spent time in great kitchens so from experience I can safely say that I understand the joy’s of working to the goal for perfection, a life of food, cooking, food, cooking, little room for sleep but to see and feel that gourmet life it is great, but you have to want it because it is not for the sleepers and dreamers.   I think that the title ‘The Devil in The Kitchen’ is the same book, I will have to check it aswell to be sure. Happy reading
Dinner with friends-Goosehorn by Night
July 16, 2007
Last evening Moni and I met up with friends and decided spur of the moment to go out for a meal rather than cook. We headed over to the Marsden Tavern, only to find 6 people in there and as we found out from the man behind the bar that on Sunday night they only did roast. We decided that was not for us so the four of us made our way to the Goosehorn. The place was full with only a few seats for us which the waitress put together. This was another opportunity for me to see the Goosehorn by evening. The first thing that we all agreed on was that the neon lights were far too overpowering and defiantly did not fit a wine bar, more so a night club maybe…. We were given the menus and asked for drinks. We ordered 4 Coronas with lime. Two minutes later the waitress informs us that they only had 3 left and would someone like a different beer. OMG you have run out of Coronas well!!! What can I say? I choose a Pure Blonde and we waited for our drinks, no problem. Then the waitress arrives at the table with three Coronas poured into glasses without any lime either. Well what can I say again? They were returned to the bar, by this time the boss walked in the front door with a carton of Coronas and we gladly pointed out to him that we would like our beers in the bottle with a lime wedge and not in the glass, he said that it was the way they served the beers in a glass at the Goosehorn. Surely not a
Goosehorn Coffee & Lunch
July 10, 2007
Another Monday is here and in town I was with Monica, so we headed straight for the Goosehorn for a coffee and a bite to eat. A bite it was. Recently opened in the old premises of the KFC after some refurbishing.
In we walk and first of all I am greeted with a smell that I cannot put any other way than cheesy. After a while it went or maybe we just got used to it. Could have been the new chairs and tables. Anyway we chose to sit inside, at a table by the window with view to the beach and the street. Also with view of any of the 4 flat screen TV’s on the walls. 
The Décor is nice with black leather feel chairs dark brown low tables, brick walls, blue electric fluorescent strip lights and polished concrete flour with marble effect. (We will be back to see and experience it at night time.) We received the menu and studied it for a while. First up in the black book is the coffee menu, two whole pages, each with an explanation as to what exactly is what, great if you’re a coffee novice. Not over priced either which is good because the coffee was poor. We ordered two flat whites I’m not saying that I ‘m the coffee expert but believe me I have had a few, if you like it week, pale in colour then this is for you. 
It was at the perfect temperature I must add. Up next the Gourmet food menu quote the “lounge dining experience, here the dining is secondary to the experienceâ€. It would be unfair to critic this place on just this one occasion, so I will not say too much apart from I found the prices strange from the entrées around $12.- to the mains around $14- with a few others like BIG Kangaroo skewers $17.95, Oysters $25.50 to $29.95 or Garlic Bug at $22.95. The meals are available from 11am. We chose and about 13 minutes later our food arrived. We had quiche and pasta two very basic dishes,
both dishes lacked seasoning and there was no salt and pepper on the table either, maybe we were expected to go find it at the waiter’s station. Presentation was fine and the salad dressing was nice with a hint of lemon myrtle. The quiche was very hot and didn’t look homemade, the strange thing was that it was served on a nice new round plate with a high lip, which I do like, but it was sat on a paper napkin on the plate with the salad as well, maybe the chef had forgot to take it off. 
Very strange indeed, by the time that I was finishing the napkin was defiantly moist to say the least and you could not cut on it either! We were not offered the wine list nor was it either mentioned, again strange, we were asked if we would like something else to drink or eat though. Even though we could have eaten more we chose to pass and wait for the next time we visit to experience the Goosehorn lounge dining. Total bill for our lunch $33.80. Untill next time….





