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.
thanks for the review
Sounds like a top place, laughed at the lack of table numbers. I’m sorta undecided about scallop roe, it is nice to have a nice big piece of white scallop meat, but it seems Australian scallops are too small and the roe pads them out a bit. Personally, I don’t mind the flavour, perhaps their inclusion depends on the type of dish.
I attended my cousin’s wedding in Yeppoon at the weekend. It was held at Michael’s on Matthew Flinders.
If I could rate it out of 10, I would award it a 12. (or higher)
The food was out of the world.
The staff were so attentive.
The restaurant was a picture (inside and out)
The ceremony was held on the beach (at the back fo the restaurant).
If anyone I know is going to Yeppoon, I will not be telling them about the great sandy beaches, the rainforest or even the trip to Great Keppel, but my experience at Michael’s on Matthew Flinders and how the whole day will stick in my memory forever as I know it will in everyone elses who was there on Sunday night.
The food was to die for. Giant King prawns wrapped in potato or Veal Ravioli for entree, the best Angus Beef in existance or Salmon for the main meal and the Creme Brule which just melted in my mouth. (Luckily another guest could not fit in her serving of ice cream and sorbet and I got to eat that too)
I would never go back to Rockhampton or Yeppoon without going back to Michael’s on Matthew Flinders.
Margaret, thank you for you comment and I will certainly pass it on to Michael. As you would have read above, I also had a fantastic night. Looking forward to my next visit. P.S How did you find my site? Regards John
John - I googled “Michael’s on Matthew Flinders”.
The whole night was a delight.
I LOVE this restaurant! i live in brisbane and thinking of moving to ‘the poon’ for a brief seachange at the end of the year. This move will coincide with my finishing uni and turning 21…so i’m thinking of having it @ michaels in yeppoon (only true friends will drive for 8 hours in cocktail dresses!)
I can’t wait…if i ever get married I think it would be perfect as well.
p.s. best creme brulee ever!
[...] Michael’s on Matthew Flinders Drive in Yeppoon has snails on offer as an entree on the menu. Well worth a try if you have not had the chance before or you are a dedicated snail eater and want your fix. [...]
We went there for our wedding anniversary last year and had an amazing time. I find the food reasonable in price (you are getting great food) and the service was exceptional. It is about time that a high quality resturant arrives to the capricorn coast.
p.s. I too found this site on google.
Amanda, yes the brulee is great, and it would make for a very special 21st. All the best and thanks for your comment.
Cam, I do agree the price is reasonable, especially as you are getting top quality produce. Yes it is high time for a top establishment, now for the next one…. Thanks also for your comment, great that you find this on google.
p.s As you can see, I had a great meal just the other night, the highlight being the snails, if you get the chance don’t miss out. Read all about it over at http://www.johnmundell.com/2008/02/10/snails/ on my Snails
I currently live in Adelaide for uni but I grew up in Rockhampton and everytime I go home on break my parents treat me with a trip to Michael’s. The food is amazing, the service is polite and professional and the view - stunning. A perfect picture. The mushroom and chicken pie with champagne cream sauce is a very tasty entree. I’ve had the porterhouse for the main and some others that I can’t remember but every time all the food was truely superb! The deserts - amazing. I’ve had the souffle which was almost heaven on earth! 129387364582734654 out of 10
Are these reviews right or have they been paid for? A long wait, red wine way too warm and overpriced, splatters on plates, dehydratd herb garnish, meals creative but flavours dont match. Maybe i just had a bad night and a very average apprentice cooking.
@ Greg, I certainly was not paid for my reviews, that would be nice though. It is a shame that you didn’t have such a good experience. I know from my own kitchen it is hard to be on the money all the time. I hope that Michael gets to read your comment, maybe he can add a reply.
p.s Thank you taking the time to visit my site.
Thanks for the reply. Sorry for the smart remark. When i dine out it is usually based on reviews if they are available. There are a lot of Big Name restaurants around the Capricorn Coast that dont live up to there reputations and i do believe that the majority of reviews are written from within the business or by people that have no idea. I do appreciate that some people like myself do have pleasurable memmorable dinning experiences and they are duely noted. I have eaten at Michael’s twice with the first meal in my opinion average and figured it could get better as giving someone particually a restaurant another chance is always fair. The second time was with guests and like stated earlier thats how we or in particular, I saw it. The bloke is probably a master but perhaps his staff let him down. Lets also remember probably 95% or more people do not write reviews so naturally there are many others that would have enjoyed and would not have. I will give it one more go when i travel down next month. Once again thanks for your reply.
i am doing a assiment on matthew flinders and i lo9ve it thank you
Hi, thanks for visiting. A shame that Michaels is now closed!!!
I was to go back to Michael’s and thought i would check out the latest reviews before going back. According to your last post, the restaurant is now closed. Is it closed for good or for a break. If it has closed and you seem to know the Chef at this business, what was the reason. I suppose on my experiences, and naturally i have my opinion, it has unfortunately failed. The venue is ideally placed and did look a picture, regardless or not if the food at the times let it down. Only so many restaurants make it unfortunately and they are the good ones. I was to be down at the end of this month for another go but if its shut for good i will not head to Yeppoon. Hopefully the closure is just temporarily.
Hi Greg, thankyou for returning. Yes Michael’s is closed for good. I wish that it would have managed to stay open, Yeppoon or should I say the entire shire needs good quality establishments not just your average joe place. By the way, have you tried a few of the other places in Yeppoon, Megalomania, Euro, Beaches, the Shore Thing on Friday or Saturday nights only, Bretts Bistro, the Lagoon or Jappenese at Rydges are a few I can think of. Do you tend to dine in Rockhampton? All the best anyway and I hope you find a good dinning experience somewhere. I will not say why it closed, but it is a tough market to make a living in!
Greg Dunstal - Michael’s closed because the owner of the property refused to renew the lease for the restaurant.
Simon
PS I am extremely sorry that Michael’s closed - my wife and I (used to) eat their monthly. While I respect the opinions of others, I just wanted to say we have never had a bad experience at Michael’s.
Hi Simon, did he refuse to renew the lease at the same rate or did he want to hike it up? Lets get the complete picture on this. A lot of hearsay going round. P.S thanks for commenting
Hi John,
I didn’t want to make too much of a fuss on this but as you have requested… Rumours were circulating that Michael was trying to sell the business. This is true to my understanding. As a result, Michael wanted a new lease for 12 months only as he wanted to move onto a new business venture in Yeppoon while still being able to fulfill the wedding bookings that were taken (another rumour that has done the rounds was that he didn’t care and took people’s bookings and deposits regardless which isn’t the case. I am 100% positive that all bookings that were taking were done so with the complete intention of being fulfilled). This has been the reason for the lessor not renewing, they insisted on a long term lease only. Instead of giving Michael’s an opportunity to renegotiate, the lessor simply told them that there will be no renewal and to get out hence the restaurant closing so quickly with minimal notice.
I will not reveal the source of my info but I am extremely confident in that person.
Disclaimer - that is where my facts stop and my own heresay begins. I have heard the property owner is looking to fill the space with a medical practice and if not that, another ‘daytime’ business. My impression of this is, due to them living upstairs, they do not want another ‘evening’ business in operation so my take is that they took advantage of this situation to get rid of the restaurant to benefit their own living situation.
Thank you Simon. That is basically what I had heard. Only difference was that the rent was to increase considerably and therefore chew into Michaels profit, and as we know restaurants are not massive money making machines. Whatever the cause it is a dam shame to loose yet another fine establishment. Looking forward to your return visits.
In my discussion, the rental increase wasn’t mentioned. Despite that, I guess the owner might have tried it on thinking that they were in with a shot of it being accepted due to the short nature of the lease and the other option of losing the restaurant wasn’t a loss to them (that is based on my assumption only). The rent increase must have been ridiculous because Michael was not looking forward to having to wait a year for the new venture to materialise to be able to work again (as per his original plan).
Either way, I am extremely sorry to see that restaurant go. My wife and I were always grateful to be able to return to the place we were married. I know Ryan is at Coco’s now but any idea what Michael is doing?
By the way, on a different note, we ate at Beaches a while back after a very long time late last year (and prior to my knowing you were Executive Chef now) and I must say that it was an extreme improvement from previous. I would definitely recommend Beaches for anyone missing Michael’s due to the similar standards. I am sure my wife and I will be in again very soon.
I am pleased that you had an improved experience at Beaches and that you would recommend the restaurant. Thank you. Michael is also at Coco’s. I look forward to Michael’s new venture when and whatever it may be and also your next visit to Beaches, regards john
Have to say we are devestated that Michaels has closed! we are in the process of booking another holiday to Yeppoon and one of the main reasons is michaels which we only discovered on our last night on our previous holiday. We had imagined the joys of returning only to feel shattered by the news. We didn’t experience great food in Yeppoon until Michaels and it was BRILLIANT on many levels. Damn - is there anywhere else in Yeppoon with such ambience, attentive service, great prices and excellent food?
Hi Jenny,
I would suggest giving Beaches a go (see my comments above). My wife and I went on Saturday for lunch and it was spectacular. The food quality, presentation etc was definitely comparable to Michael’s and even though there was only one person managing the floor (afterall, it was only lunchtime), we had very attentive service.
Further to that, Beaches is exactly that (on the beach!) and should it not be too windy when you go, Kemp Beach is worth a short stroll along after a meal.
Also, if you like seafood, try the scallop entree!
Simon
It will be intersting to see if this gets published and if so credit to John Mundell for allowing such. Michaels was a very nice place to dine and the food was good, and good is as far as i will go. Inconsistent and at times not value at all for what was received. I too know as in a previous response, realise it’s hard to be on the money all the time and also note that a previous comment by G.Dunstall states that most people that have a bad experience never leave a negative review although they had a negative experience. From my experiences and others i know of that had dinned here, in most cases the experience did not match the high expectations raved about by the handfull (over nearly TWO years worth) of positive responses. I respect anyones opinion and would pressume many, many dinners would have had an enjoyable meal and a fantastic time but not everyone does and without no doubt, it’s these people that you never really hear of, or in management usually never see again. Michaels unfortunately was failing. Simple. CPI increases and sure rental goes up, but not through the roof to shut up shop. If the business is a success a small increase in a popular establishment can easily be met, as too, the prices in the restaurant meet the CPI trend as well and adjust to meet the current trends. Yes, i am local and know the trade inside out and the facts behind the closure.
@Anne Marie, thank you for your comment. I have no problem in publishing good, bad or whatever a comment contains, within reason. True it is not easy to be spot on day in day out, but people pay top dollar and expect top quality and service, further more, if you put it out there that you are ‘the best’ or ‘number one’ you need to be that, and also be prepared to cop the good and bad feedback.
Consistency is the key. To excell at what you do all the time. Some restaurants can do this, none of which you will find in our shire may I add. I have spent many years in such establishments and it is very tough, no room for error. To replicate that here is near impossible, but as I say, if you try to produce top class food and don’t, it sure will be better than cheap rubbish that is just banged out in some places.
A good point about CPI increases, of course restaurants increase the costs to cover and to make a profit. Some costs need to be absorbed as well. But if you are doing well then why close? Many have asked why do I not run my own restaurant? $$$$$$ is first and staff is second, the lack of excellence in both. I hope that you enjoy dinning out in the area, being a local it can be frustrating at times. Maybe see you one day at Beaches.
Hi Jenny
Yes, Michael is now the Executive Chef at Coco’s @ Seaspray, which is located at Seaspray, Zilzie, 20 minutes south of Yeppoon.
You can also stay there (and walk home after a few good wines and a very good feed!) at the Seaspray Resort & Spa (www.seasprayresort.com.au) which I found to be just fabulous! 4.5 star gorgeous s/c apartments, gym, pools, tennis courts, walk through national park to the beach.
Great atmosphere! Highly recommended.
John, great to get an honest reply. Putting your name out as been the best or number one means you must meet that standard or expectation where as Michaels missed the bar. I have been to many restaurants all over Australia and am harder on the over rated establishments making poor excuses for there closure when the fact in most cases is they simply, tried and failed. Will check out beaches next week.
@ Michelle, thank you for stopping by. Glad you had a good time at Coco’s. Are you local or did you come from outside QLD? You certainly gave it a good plug.
@ Anne Marie, thank you for revisiting. I like to have return readers, it shows me that my content has hit a nerve. Hope I get to say the same when you dine out at Beaches.
The plot thickens…. It makes for interesting reading! I’m saddened also, there would have been more sympathy for honesty.
I was told at the start of my career to “be nice to the people you meet on the way up, because you’ll meet them again on the way down” Wise words….
I personally have been up and down the ladder a few times now in my life, and been part of a failed restaurant venture. There’s no shame in that for me either, many factors contribute to a failure, and ultimately, it’s the public who decide.
So Michael’s was a failure, so what? He still remains one of the best chefs in CQ, but it’s hard to recognise that fact when it’s covered in bullshit. Come clean MH, and perhaps regain some respect amongst your peers, because right now, you’re being laughed at!
Thank you for your comment Sous Bitch!!, That quote of yours is very true. You never know when you might need a hand. This topic is getting quite a lot of interest. I would like to have all the answers, but as you can read lots of people have a comment to add. Agreed, it would be great if both parties would come clean.
I’m glad everyone has an opinion on my restaurant
yes we did have awards on the wall but at no stage did we ever say that we were the best or number 1 they were awarded by my peers
as for the rent if it was just CPI increase that would be fine and if it was a fair price would the venue still be sitting their empty now i ask
yes the business was for sale but that was to finance a new restaurant / function center that Yolanda and i were looking at here in yeppoon.
when the lease was due for renegotiation the landlord would not let us know what the new rent for the next 3 years would be how many people out their would sign a blank lease with no $ figure not me that is for sure. the landlord then had the right to charge what they liked when they liked
when we went to the table to renegotiate the land lord wanted to take away the bar and other areas away from use. and tried to push use around we were not willing to pay anymore money or to take any more shit so the decision was then made for us that we could not trade in the same manner. would you continue?
as for the business had failed that is not true. Know one is owed any money and know one was ever owed any money you only have to ask my suppliers and staff that have all followed me to Cocos @ seaspray.
this is a hard business and know one knows that more then me and my family and all of my staff
I’m deeply sorry that not everyone’s dinning expression was of the high level that i would have liked but i would like to say the we tried to put everything we could in to every plate we served
i could only hope that everyone out their even my peers would have nothing but respect for me and my staff and what we did as a business. i can hold my head up high and say that i gave it my all at all time and i know that so did my staff
we did make a lot of people very happy and made a lot of dream come true.
on a closing note i would like to thank everyone for the support both positive and negative over the past 3 years
thank you
Michael Hoare
p.s i hope this clears up any bullshit for you sous bitch!!
and if you need any other info please pick up a phone and call me
and use your real name thanks
@ Michael, Thank you for stating the facts Michael. As you can see it is a hot topic, the most active on my blog. Lets see what reaction this brings from the readers. Everybody has a story to tell and a comment to voice. Once again I will add that the loss of Michael’s on Matthew Flinders Drive was a terrible event and that the shire requires more fine restaurants. With the closing of so many that open try and close, it’s not a good advertisement for our industry on the coast. It is not easy as you and I have previously said. What is required is professionals to run restaurants and not rich or wannabe rich people with their mind at the real estate or betting office.
@ Michael
Listen carefully.
My support for your restaurant has never been in doubt.
Your skills as one of CQ’s best chefs have never been in doubt.
The praise for you , your team and your restaurant have never been in doubt.
The truthfulness of the claims arising from the closure HAVE been doubted.
I personally was very upset to hear of the closure, for whatever reason that may have been. It is a very hard business to be in, and I know what it takes to create , run, and ultimately close that dream. The local industry mourned the closure, and berated the public in their apathy. What we hear now is that they all wish it never closed, but if the public had supported you better, you’d still be in business now, and going on to create bigger and better ventures as you just stated.
Lets just make this clear. CQ needed Michael’s, and your loss has affected all of us in ways you just do not understand.
It may surprise you to know that your peers have nothing but respect and admiration for you in a professional sense, but those peers can also smell BS for miles.
My anonymity will remain on this site. I am an antagonist at the best of times, and my comments were in response to the comments here, and the notable lack of response by yourself. Everyone has their views and opinions, and heresay as to why Michael’s closed, and now you have silenced them, thank you!
As to picking up a phone and calling you, lol, that will never happen, because it is, at the end of the day, none of my f*****g business, and honestly, I don’t really care why, and I refer you back to my opening statements of praise, but the public, your valued customers wanted to know why, and now they know.
To those of you who commented negatively on Michael’s food, you obviously haven’t dragged your noses out of the food troughs of your local clubs and pubs.
To those of you who think you know the reasons for closure, you now have the facts
The sooner you’re back kicking arse in the area the better.
Are we clear Michael?
Just a few quick FACTS. The landlord of the past Michael’s restaurant is a greedy little buger but which landlord is not?? At the same time the rental was going up to meet current trends not eating into the profits, therefore well affordable and no reason to pack it in if you were successful and doing well. “Apparently”, a figure was nutted out but was not agreed upon by Michael and there was no blank lease. A good source of information, a prior employee whom for obvious reasons wont be mentioned said whilst the place was doing well it was not making the mega bucks that the owner wanted and the rental increase was a convienient reason to cut and run. Probably a good reason to save face but as Sous Bitch states, “there would be more sympathy for honesty”. I had dinned at Michaels with mixed results and so did many others. Simon advises Michael is setting up a new business venture and Michael himself says he was looking at a new venture. Is he or is he not or is this more mystery and speculation. I would suggest if the new venture does not come off other excuses will follow seriously denting his credability.On a final note it sounds to me that Sous Bitch is or was a chef at one of the local food troughs in town which there are a few to choose from. John the meal at Beaches is always better than average.
@Cam, Thank you for visiting and leaving your comment. Landlords are a thorn in any business, just when you start to see some profit, they want a bigger cut.
It would be good if Michael manages to secure another establishment, like I had previously said, our town needs good dinning venues, and not so many food troughs.
Better than average, I’ll take that any day, thank you.
@Sous Bitch, Again thank you for your comment. Looks like you said your piece…….
@C.Grant
Interesting comment. I wonder also if there is some ’spin’ being applied to this whole story.
And no, I have never worked in one of the troughs.
NO spin needed. The truth is factual.
My comment regarding ’spin’ was not directed to C.Grant. My definition of the spin being applied here is to the WHOLE story in general. We can only take the points of view expressed here on ‘face value’ and I really don’t know the truth, or who may, or may not have the real version. It makes for interesting reading.
The owner of this blog has written that it’s the hottest topic he’s had. It’s certainly generated publicity, that’s for sure, and free publicity is always a good thing!
Well all I can say is that is great to see such passion and concern for the industry!
I would like to share the story we recount as to how we found Michaels. When holidaying in Yeppoon it was on the nightly news that it was mentioned for an award they had just received in June 08 and we decided to try it out. The bus driver at Yeppoon wasn’t a big wrap for it - describing it as “Oh that’s very alla alla carte - if you know what I mean”. We saw this as a compliment! We weren’t dissapointed and the rest is history.
We are looking forward to trying Beaches and Cocos this time aound in Sept. Altho I rang Cocos for accomodation and the receptionist put me off by telling us how out of the way the location is and that the kids might be bored if we didn’t have a car… Anyhow, we are staying in Yeppoon now but hope to have the kids particiapte in the cooking class at Cocos- we would love to see one for the adults too??!!
This bloke is a great chef but a bad story teller. Failure is part of life. Grow stonger, get better, give it your best again, but dont tell un-truth’s as those peers will lose respect and they are.
@Troy, Thank you for your comment.
Attention all diners on the Capricorn Coast,
Michael’s restaurant was and still is one of the most prestige venues on offer while it was open, the food was always from what i have seen and heard the best on offer for dining out in Yeppoon.
Michael upholds a great reputation and his services at COCO’S can only do wonders for the venue out there and the reputation it did have pre Michael.
i have not had the pleasure of meeting Michael himself but i have spoken to him on the phone and he seemed as though he was an astute business man with the focus of great food on the coast.
as a matter of interest the food industry especially the table service side of it is not for the weak or the wanna be will be chef or manager, the margins in making a profit in this industry are quite tight and is something that needs to be monitored everyday week in week out.
Brett’s Bistro on the beach was a venture in Yeppoon that was running quite well and was a viable operation, the market in Yeppoon is one of those markets that will support the finer dining establishments. it was just a company decision to walk away from our Yeppoon operation and concentrate on our core focus which is accomodation and restaurants combined.
Michael will always have a great product when you have the skills that have been enstilled in this young man. i will forever believe and see the success of any venture he may take on.
too anyone that thinks they could do a better job at what Michael or myself has done or ever done i will more than happy have a set of keys for an establishment in Yeppoon for anyone to feel free and come get the keys and have a go at surviving in the hospitality industry.
Michael best of luck with anything that you may do, and i hope and look forward to meeting you face to face one day. If the opportunity was to ever arise to be involved with an event that Michael is hosting i would love to enjoy the cuisine on offer.
to the haters that will never understand the industry keep your opinions to yourself and just enjoy the dining out experience on offer…..
Brett Paul
@ Brett, Thank you for your comment. The venue is without doubt one that has lots to offer and yes Michael can only do wonders for Coco’s.
The food service industry is deffinatly not for the faint hearted, it is not a massive money making machine and yes the margins are tight,
but saying that you can make money, with good management and control, with good staff that understand service and profits you can succeed.
You need to be prepared finacially for the tough low trade periods and also willing to work hard not just 9-5.
With the closure of Bretts Bistro like Michael’s and other places, Megalomania and most recent restaurant Euro, there are plenty of rumers the do the rounds,
only those inside really know why!!
As for those key’s, well it would take a very brave person to jump in the deep end and not be able to swim.
We need feedback Brett, good and bad and we need to understand why and for what reason it is given, yes people do think they know better and will complain,
sometimes we do make mistakes. It is down to us in the industry to try and ensure that we do the best we can all the time so as not to give the customer reason for complaint.
Hope to see you here again
Bretts Bistro was, if I remember, a place where the staff had to wait hours in hope to collect their pay, if they actually even recieved it. Also I recall so often seeing staff, including you Brett, sat out the front puffing away on a smoke, now that’s great advertising. Viable business, well you have the figures, but if you ask me, a place that is mostly empty, apart from staff how is that viable? Plus the knowledge of overdue bills and the lack of payment on the financial side doesnt say a good viable business either. One thing you obviously don’t know is that Yeppoon is a small town and the word gets arround quick! Staff and suppliers talk. I think you should bury those keys, the place with a house wife kitchen and ex KFC toilets, once failed as Goosehorn, has nothing but bad vibes on offer. Maybe you should stick to accommodation and leave the restaurant side of things to the professionals. I also have heard of a time when you actually tried to poach a staff member from within her own work place, in front of other staff, how low do you, and will you go? Generally speaking, the reputation of your Bistro was crap, bad food, bad service. My thoughts would be that you should stay well away from restaurants, and I hope your expertise in accommodation exceeds the skills displayed in the mess you left behind in Yeppoon. Anyway, enough bitching, I’m sure that’s not the last we will see or hear from you.
A sign of a GOOD or GREAT Honest Chef comes from within their own spelling, word formating and word pronounciation. If they cant get this right they will fail and then make excuses for the business failure and poor performance. Michael and Brett unfortunately lack talent in this department casting dout over the story they put forward and cooking ability as a whole. I have eaten in restaurants all over Australia and it is evident that some Chefs (the majority) cant spell or write properly and its these establishments that often but not, dont go too far. Strange, but next time you dine out and the food is ordinary, check out the spelling errors on the menus or boards written by “Top Chefs” who would be better off staying out of the trade, and you will be surprised.
Dout? I doubt it! JTFC! If you’re going to slag us chefs for spelling then perhaps you should activate your spell checker, he he =)
@ WilliaM Zeebub,
mate i have thoroughly enjoyed your opinion on the inner workings of what you believe to have happened with our establishment in Yeppoon, as for staff that apparently stood around for hours waiting and wanting what was due to them has no substance and until the day the FWO puts a demand forward stating that there are or was any outstanding monies due then this will be the day i will swallow my own words. Staff can either be the best thing for your business and they can also be your downfall if you do not have a tight grip on them. I will be the first to admit that we had our own problems that needed to be addressed- theft was probably the highest and usually always is in cash world of dining out. As for your comments on what the bistro was like it was great to hear your feed back you hear good things and you hear bad things as a business owner and i have honestly come to the conclusion that no matter what, you need to be able to take it all with a grain of salt. so this is how i will stomach your opinion- i am going to open a bottle of 12year Glennfiddich have a glass or two and forget about you and your opinion as now at this point in time there is phsically nothing i can do to correct this situation and in your words puff on a cigarette while having my scotch.
it is not that i do not totally agree with what you are saying every single person is entitled to an opinion, it is just unfortunate that your opinion could not be raised or addressed at a time that it could be corrected. Apologies if for any reason you were unsatisfied with anything that may have arisen from our time operating in Yeppoon and i hope this is something that as time goes by either it could be corrected or rather lost in translation.
JOHN i apologise for using your site to reply to the comment made by the above mentioned person and i hope all goes well for yourself and BEACHES restaurant. i stayed at Keppel Bay for almost a month and spent an evening in your establishment and was greatly impressed.
The service was exceptional and the meals were devine, Keep up the good work and i hope to be up to enjoy it all again one day soon…
Times change, Good food stays the same.
best of luck to all restauranteurs in the industry at this point in time and i hope all goes well for you through this economic downturn as we all know dining out is the first thing that goes off the customers shopping list.
good luck John and thank you for this oppurtunity to make my opinion on the matter heard.
And possibly I should have checked my grammer! LOL
Interesting, interesting, interesting. A good chef whom i knew from the Country Comfort in Rocky and hearsay, and thats all from Coco’s, suggest that all the staff do the work whilst Michael takes the accolades. Reminds me of my ex boss who got all us staff to work hard and make the big changes whilst he got the pay rises and the pats on the back.
To L Canello - Coco’s has an open doorway where you can see directly into the kitchen. Maybe you should have a look in there sometime and then you’ll realise how stupid that comment is.
All the ‘hearsay’ on this topic is getting ridiculous along with spelling all of a sudden being a key criteria to be a successful (and honest???) chef.
L Canello and to all the people who have nothing better to do than to diss Michael, I would like to add my comments. I am a dishy at Coco’s and I have been there since it opened. During my time in the kitchen I have seen many head chefs come and fail. Since Michael has taken over, Coco’s has improved 200%. Michael is an excellent boss, an excellent chef, his food is outstanding, he has the highest respect from ALL the staff at Coco’s, and for the comments about him not pulling his weight, I mean how many headchefs are there out there that would get on their knees and scrub a grill? So to all those sad people out there who have nothing better to do than to post comments about Michael’s business, you should get your facts right before you say something, because at the end of the day its laughable. You just made youself like an idot.
I googled Michaels restaurant so i could get in touch with him as i no longer have his mobile number and until now was unaware of the closure. I dont leave reviews and think people that have left some of these reviews dont have a life. After reading some of these comments i thought i would leave my own, and yes i do have a life. I worked with Michael as his 2nd Chef and thought the guy was creative and very talented. I have been in the trade too for 22 years and know a good chef from a donkey. It appears Michael got out there to give it a go and for what ever reason he closed it would not have been from a lack of cooking skills. The restaurant we worked in due to his creativity and hopefully from my support went from half full to full within no time with great raves and compliments so i am well aware of his work ethic and commitment. I believe that people leaving harsh or negative reviews only pick on a small fault and blow it into something bigger and i also believe there is no credability in most of these reviews neither. Also, Angela Russe, what planet are you on??? Anyway, if you read this Michael or John if you can pass this on, please give me a call if you have my number so we can catch up. Richard.
Hi Richard, great comment. It’s always good to have it from the source. I will contact Michael for you.
Exactly, you can’t knock Michael for his creativity & skills in the kitchen. I know that we chefs can’t and will never be able to please all.
On that note I wish you all the best and visit again sometime.
Hi Leanne, sorry it took too long to post your comment I must have forgotten. But it’s up now.
Great to see respect for your boss. You are right too, there are not many Head/Executive chefs that would
scrub the floors.
Thank you for your comment
I have watched this blog for some time now and will say that Michael is a brilliant chef because of the people that back him and if it were not for some of his previous support staff who backed him, he would not be so popular. The last few comments were from people that were suckered by his talent of deception. The credit should actually go to the behind the scenes staff who make him or made him look good and that goes back to Melbourne when excuses were made and bullshit flowed. By the way, where is this NEW venture he was taking on. Thats right there was none. AW.
Amanda, thank you for following my blog. It does lack a bit of content I must add, but I will work on it. Your comment has been published. I can not add anything about the history of Michael, but will say that I have only had good experiences when dinning at his establishment. Also it is never a one man team and every great chef has his workers that slave away and receive nothing but a paper to say they worked there. That’s the way it was when I was in some, you work, get paid and leave with a reference of high value in the food world.
Hi all, i have work for Michael for 18 months now as an apprentice, he has passed on a lot of knowledge to me of which i am really grateful. just to clear up a few points. for the person that said Michael doesn’t do any work and receives all the rewards, that is complete and utter bull shit. never since i have worked for him has he ever sat on his ass and done nothing he is always in the kitchen doing his fair share as well as doing all the paper work that comes in the job description. so for those people out there that think this way about Michael you should maybe ask his staff before you start saying shit that isn’t true. as i stated before i am very grateful of the knowledge that michael has passed on to me and i look forward to working with John at beaches and hoping that he will pass his wealth of knowledge on to me.
Hi Joel, it is always good to have the inside knowledge of what really does happen behind the scenes of any kitchen. The public are often very fast at judging others, and our industry is a high target for such. We chefs need to be tough skinned and be able to bounce back to work day in day out forgetting the hype and nonsense that goes on, just to keep producing what we do best.
I know of Michael and some off the staff that have worked with him. From all accounts he is a dedicated worker who thrives on his staff. If the back up is not there nor is he. Please, i have followed the story and ask without excuse or cover up where is his latest venture??? It was noted earlier that it was an excuse for quiting the prior business early to move on and also noted it was a poor excuse for pulling the pin. What really is true???. Where is the latest newest venture or where is the latest excuse????.
Hi Kerry,
well Michael has finished out at Coco’s and is now pursuing other avenues. He is in fact running his fathers business. That is the basics of it. A sad loss to the industry I will say. Who knows what might happen in the future, but for now that’s where he is.
Bring back quality food. On holidays and dissapointed this place closed.