‘Devilishly sophisticated’: The brilliant new restaurant worth the drive

It’s attracted celebrities and royalty in its opening weeks, now this new restaurant from the team behind Burleigh’s Rick Shores has won over our reviewer.

How do you create a follow-up to Rick Shores – one of Queensland’s most successful and iconic restaurants, loved by everyone from locals to Hollywood A-listers?

You spend years travelling the world, refining the concept, honing new skills, exploring techniques, and perfecting every last element.

The result? Norte in the Nobby Beach enclave of Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast.

The bar area at Norte restaurant in Mermaid Beach. Picture: Mathilde Bouby

The work of Rick Shores owners Nick Woodward, David Flynn and Frank Li, as well as executive chef-turned-business partner James Brady, Norte is a culmination of their passion for the delights of Latin and South America.

Capturing their countless visits to the region, the contemporary venue brings together the flavours of Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Peru, and elevates them using the finest local produce and the serious culinary chops from Brady and head chef Rudy Malinverni.

The dining area at Norte. Picture: Mathilde Bouby

That means a menu running from raw dishes like hiramasa kingfish ceviche to starters including braised mushroom tetela and an octopus taco; mains such as chilli-glazed pork rack with lilly pilly mole, asados of grilled murray cod with koji butter and an array of sides and salads. While the spirit and roots of the cuisines are immediately identifiable, this isn’t the peasant-style food you come to think of in these parts, this is devilishly sophisticated.

And that comes at a price, with starters ranging from $12 to $20 for almost bite-sized portions, and mains coming in between $75-90.

Braised mushroom tetela at Norte. Picture: Mathilde Bouby

That said, the mains are large, and each is easily big enough to share between two, as we do on the advice of our incredibly well-versed and affable waiter, Jana, who suggests we dive deeper into the small plates rather than follow the traditional a la carte format. That is after she does a little mop up around our elegant table, with the ceiling of the multimillion-dollar, dramatic fit-out having sprung a leak.

Apparently with all the rain, the restaurant, which features multiple levels, rich chocolate-coloured carpet, plush banquettes, outdoor seating and a huge central kitchen with a custom-built hearth, has had myriad ingresses.

When the builders return to fix the issue, one can only hope they can raise the cone-shaped pendant lights above the tables that either shine in your eyes if you’re short, or block you from seeing your dining companion if you’re tall.

Mooloolaba spanner crab churro at Norte. Picture: Mathilde Bouby

We begin with the scallop ceviche ($20) – five of the molluscs marinating in a sweet-sour soup of mango and grapefruit juice that proves utterly irresistible thanks to the gentle heat of chilli. Outstanding!

Next – and just as good – is the beef tostada ($12), a canape-sized tartlet of diced raw beef crowned with the succulent shrub agretti with its salty trademark amplified by a scattering of umami-packed taki kombu. It’s delivered alongside two terrific, palm-sized fish tacos ($12 each). The kingfish is coated in the almost-gritty cassava flour mix farofa and fried until crisp, before a drizzling with a Tasmanian pepper berry emulsion and a blackened spring onion sauce that deliver smoke and sweetness in harmony.

Mooloolaba spanner crab churro ($20) is a savoury, circular version of the Spanish doughnut topped with a salad of crab, cucumber and apple, and a ponzu jelly coronet.

A main of slow cooked short rib. Picture: Mathilde Bouby

Our shareable main is the slow cooked short rib ($90), which arrives with a small pot of the yellow pepper sauce aji amarillo, pineapple two ways and warm, handmade corn tortillas, ready to be loaded up with our salad of choy sum ribbons and smoked and pickled cactus with an earthy sunflower puree ($18). The result is some seriously boujee tacos that will have you ready to re-book a table, especially if you pair them with the highly quaffable Mezcal-based “Consuelo” from the Latin American-inspired signature cocktail list.

There’s a small collection of mostly local beers available too, as well as a terrific wine list that excites with lesser known grape varieties from Chile and Argentina, alongside more popular varietals from boutique Australian and European wineries.

A chocolate tart at Norte. Picture: Mathilde Bouby

Three desserts include our must-order “Sunrise lime” ($18) featuring a pistachio gelato, yuzu gel and pisco sour espuma.

Norte opened at Christmas under the weight of expectation and, thankfully, for the owners who put such passion and pride into this venture, that expectation has been met.

NORTE

2217 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach

5621 0496

norte.restaurant

Open
Tue-Wed 4pm-11pm, Thu-Sun noon-11pm

Must try

Scallop and mango ceviche

Verdict – Scores out of 5

Food 4.5

Service 4.5

Ambience 4

Value 3.5

Overall 4