Cult favourite overhaul is worth the drive
After 25 years in the same spot, an overhaul of this coastal cafe turned restaurant has added a tasty new chapter to a community favourite.
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It was called Baked Poetry and for 25 years the cafe at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast served beautifully crafted German bread, cakes, biscuits, tortes and savoury dishes to residents and visitors.
But in November last year the much-loved enterprise closed down and the handover was to someone whose first job had been at the cafe, Jess Coolican, and her chef husband Jack Madden.
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The couple had been running Bask restaurant in Eumundi in the Noosa hinterland for two years but decided to make the move to the beach and Coolican’s home town.
Bask Mark II has shrugged off the cafe vibe and moved into a restaurant mode with white-clothed tables, a huge painting on the wall inside, a large central communal table, displays of foliage and, out the front through peeled-back doors, a plethora of smaller tables facing on to the village green, with its lawn and trees. Cushions add comfort to the wooden chairs and the overall look is attractive and welcoming. On a recent Saturday night every table was full, something echoed at the neighbouring restaurant, which was similarly filled to the gills. It’s a very pleasant setting on a summer evening, although in extreme humidity the inside tables have the benefit of being beneath ceiling fans.
Wait staff are personable and despite every table being in use they take the time to discuss the menu and regularly dispense complimentary filtered still or sparkling water. The kitchen also keeps up with demand and dishes appear at well-paced intervals.
The wine list offers an interesting selection of Australian and European wines, although the by-the-glass options stay out of budget territory, with most $18-$20.
The menu kicks off with a “Tempt” section including house-made bread with almond cream, oysters, house-made ricotta with lilly pilly and almond dukkah, and cauliflower and gruyere croquettes with sweetcorn cream ($15), which have a pleasantly crunchy golden exterior and a firm, flavoursome interior. After tempt there’s “Taste”, including scallops with bearnaise and salmon pearls and zucchini flowers with broad beans, whipped feta, watermelon radish and tarragon oil. Two Mooloolaba leader prawns with a slick of tomatoey-garlicy escabeche sauce, carrot and roasted kumquat ($26) is a light, fresh starter with the accoutrements enhancing rather than overwhelming.
Main courses (dubbed “Savour” on the menu) include spatchcock, zucchini and ricotta cannelloni, lamb backstrap, grilled swordfish, and pan-fried kingfish teamed with roasted green tomato, chunks of spanner crab and smoked bone and squid ink sauce ($46).
Steak lovers have two options and neither will suit someone who wants a giant piece of meat. The 180g black angus rib eye is $48 or there’s a 160g 9-plus-graded wagyu strip loin ($55), which comes cut into sections with braised leek, a fabulous wedge of duck fat-roasted potato gratin and a puddle of rich jus and while it’s a lovely pink medium as requested and a nice enough piece of steak, it takes a bit of cutting and lacks the juiciness I’d expect for such high marble score wagyu.
A very large portion of twice-cooked fries with truffle aioli ($12) is piping hot and crunchy or there’s a garden salad or vegetables, broccolini on this occasion, (both $12).
Desserts run to lemon sorbet, poached pear with meringue and white chocolate ganache ($18) or roasted pineapple tarte tatin with vanilla bean ice cream, ginger marmalade and ginger nut crumb ($20), which has soggy pastry beneath a thick wedge of roasted pineapple, but the combination of flavours works.
Bask has such a pleasant ambience, and it’s so relaxing to be there that the experience is very positive despite a couple of quibbles.
BASK
Shop 3-4/218 David Low Way, Peregian Beach
baskrestaurant.com
Open
Lunch Wed-Sun,
11.30-3.30
Dinner Wed-Sat,
from 5pm
Verdict
Food 3.5 stars
Service 4 stars
Ambience 4 stars
Value 3 stars
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