Mamasan Kitchen + Bar

Mamasan Kitchen + Bar sits on Oracle Boulevard in Broadbeach, part of a precinct that also holds Social Eating House and KOST Bar and Grill. It opens seven days from midday until late and has become one of Broadbeach's best-known restaurants, appearing on Tourism Australia's list of the Gold Coast's best places to eat and on the official Gold Coast tourism guide to hatted restaurants.

The kitchen takes its cues from the food of East Asian cities such as Seoul, Chengdu and Tokyo, combining house blends of spices and sauces with fresh produce. The menu is long and arranged for sharing, moving from snacks, small plates and a cold and raw section through dumplings, chargrilled dishes and large plates. Recent menus have included a Sichuan-style burrata with chilli crisp and black vinegar, a yellowfin tuna taco, spanner crab tortellini in a coconut sambal bisque and a chargrilled bulgogi octopus. The showpiece is a whole duck, dry-aged for three days and roasted until crisp, served with pancakes and sauces, while half a West Australian rock lobster is the splurge option.

Sides such as the house fried rice with lap cheong and prawn, and a som tum green papaya salad, round out a table, and desserts include a miso salted caramel brownie and a Vietnamese coffee soft serve. The menu changes with the seasons, so check the current version on the website before you go. A separate banquet menu suits groups who would rather let the kitchen choose, and a full drinks list covers cocktails and wine.

Mamasan works for couples, groups of friends and celebrations, and its all-day hours make it an option for a long lunch as well as dinner. Reservations are made online through the booking link on the website. Groups of nine or more and private dining are handled through an enquiry form or by email to the events team, and gift cards are available.

Allow around two hours for dinner, longer for a banquet. With other restaurants and bars on the same boulevard, Mamasan slots easily into a longer evening out in Broadbeach. General enquiries can be made by phone or by email to the address on the website.