Caviar and Dom Perignon for $895: New seafood restaurant draws a crowd

Moreton Bay bug and scallop spring rolls to caviar flights with French champagne - step inside Queensland’s luxurious new seafood restaurant.

Anooska Tucker-Evans

3 min read

February 29, 2024 - 5:00AM

QWeekend

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What does $3m buy you these days when it comes to a restaurant? A pretty flashy fit-out, that’s what.

After conquering the steak market on the Gold Coast and Brisbane for more than a decade with their hugely popular Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill restaurants, husband and wife duo Steven and Autumn Adams have turned their attention to seafood.

The charismatic pair took over the former site of The Bavarian at Broadbeach and, with the help of builders Zero 9 and design team Space Cubed, transformed the dark German beer house into the luxe, sea-inspired Blowfish Ocean Grill + Bar.

The outdoor dining area at Blowfish Ocean Bar and Grill in Broadbeach.

Opening at the end of last year, the glamorous two-storey restaurant and bar moves from relaxed resort chic, with its mix of striped booth seating and gold-detailed bar chairs outside to sophisticated elegance inside with tones of the sea and sand across a sunken dining room. It’s the type of venue you can get dressed up for, or come in off the beach with your sarong and sandals for a drink on the terrace.

The bar area at Blowfish Ocean Bar and Grill in Broadbeach.

The menu echoes that same vibe with share-style entrees like oysters, calamari fritti and Moreton Bay bug rolls ideal for a more casual visit, or for the high-flyers there is the option to enjoy a caviar flight paired with a bottle of Ruinart Blanc de Blanc NV, or with Dom Perignon for the tidy sum of $895.

My budget is significantly smaller, so it’s an entree of the spring rolls ($32) to share. A recommendation by our attentive waiter, the trio of pastry cigars come packed with scallops and Moreton Bay bug, before a crowning of charred nori mayo and lemon gel. The pastry could be a tad crisper, but as it would probably mean compromising the moistness of the seafood, the slight lack of snap is to be forgiven.

The main dining room at Blowfish Ocean Bar and Grill in Broadbeach.

Mains run from whole young chicken and buffalo ricotta gnocchi to pieces of seafood with a sauce that requires an additional order of sides, such as goldband snapper, rock lobster or coconut and tamarind Moreton Bay bugs. There’s also a hot and cold seafood tower for $160 served with fries, aioli and a leaf salad; plus steaks brought over from the Moo Moo menu.

Scallop and Moreton Bay bug spring rolls at Blowfish Ocean Grill and Bar, Broadbeach.

We choose the Patagonian toothfish ($62). The golden, palm-sized fillet comes splashed with a slightly sweet, slightly sharp parsley sauce dotted with black caviar, alongside a puddle of lemon gel and a lettuce leaf cupping a coil of micro herbs. Delicious! The waiter recommends a side (all $12 each or three for $33) from the list that includes an iceberg caesar, sauteed greens, banana blossom salad, fries and more. Our choice of “roasted creamed potatoes” – a fancy way of saying mash – is a win, with the silken spuds cocooning a dollop of melting smoky brown butter.

Patagonian toothfish with parsley sauce and black caviar at Blowfish Ocean Grill and Bar, Broadbeach.

If it’s volume you’re after, however, then the pasta cavatelli ($52) is perhaps the better choice. Available with a daily changing selection of seafood – salmon, kingfish, snapper, prawns and black lip mussels on my visit – it’s an enormous portion that could be shared by two with a side. It’s also well made with the seafood cookery bang-on and the flavours of tomato and saffron enough to add interest without overpowering the proteins.

Seafood pasta cavatelli at Blowfish Ocean Grill and Bar, Broadbeach.

An extensive champagne and wine list is in play to complement the fare, with an enormous by-the-glass section; plus fun cocktails and mocktails and a broad selection of beers on tap.

For dessert there are four options, plus sorbets, as well as overseas and local cheeses. The lemon basque cheesecake ($17) is a well-executed version of the classic – not as dark as some, but perfectly set and beautifully creamy, with a sharp passionfruit sorbet on the side.

While Blowfish is only new, the longevity the Adams family have had in the local hospitality industry shines through on every level, creating a well-rounded restaurant that’s as welcoming and enjoyable as its $3m fit-out demands.