First look at Gold Coast’s new intimate Asian restaurant transformed from a laundromat into a classy share-style eatery

This southern Coast restaurant used to be a laundromat, but it turns out you can do a lot with 64sq m of space when you’re inspired by the cosy kitchens in tucked-away alleys of the Orient. We take the first look at this long awaited new eatery.

The team behind popular Vietnamese dining spot Can Tho Kitchen are opening a new venue in Robina called Eddy + Wolff. Owners Thao Nguyen and Vien Nguyen. Picture: Jerad Williams

YOU may be surprised to learn Robina’s newest eatery used to be a laundromat.

But you can do a lot with 64sq m of space when you’re inspired by the cosy kitchens in tucked-away alleys of the Orient.

“We travelled through Japan and ate out at restaurants where you’d walk in, see a dining table, a chef and the open kitchen,” owner Thao Nguyen says. “That’s what we wanted to create.”

Eddy and Wolff is the second venue for Thao and her husband Vien Nguyen. It pays homage to the couple’s roots growing up in Canberra after their families arrived in Australia from Vietnam as refugees — Eddy and Wolff were the names of the streets they grew up on.

Their first venue Can Tho Kitchen in Runaway Bay has been a hit with the northern neighbourhood, but Eddy and Wolff is a new direction for Thao and Vien.

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The sizzling Xo Squid from Eddy + Wolff. Picture: Jerad Williams

While Can Tho is modern Vietnamese food, Eddy and Wolff is a combination of flavours from different corners of Asia.

“It is an accumulation of everything we liked eating, what we ate growing up going to barbecues and family lunches, and our favourite dishes from travelling through Asia,” Thao says.

“It all came down to where we would want to go on the Gold Coast to eat on our days off. “There was nothing that we were looking for.

“We wanted it to be intimate, cosy, somewhere you’d want to go out and chill and hang out. Somewhere you wouldn’t think we’d be. All that rolled into one.”

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Jumbo oyster and scallion oil with roasted crushed peanuts, part of Eddy + Wolff’s share menu style of food. Picture: Jerad Williams

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Thao says the menu is based on small and medium-sized snacks and share plates, with the baby pho and barramundi salad on toast capturing the essence of the new restaurant.

“The menu is split up into barbecue snacks and a bit bigger dishes,” Thao says.

“The bar snacks come from the way we were eating. We’re constantly snacking on smaller portions. We didn’t want to come out and call it Asian tapas, because when you’re out in the streets of Asia, everything is served small.

“At the moment we’ve had a bit of hype about our baby pho.

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The fit out was designed by Design Poet. Picture: Jerad Williams

“We cook our bone for 48 hours (in the baby pho) so you can imagine the marrow falling out of it. Another one will be the Thai barramundi salad on toast. That comes with herbs and Thai dressing and then it’s got Yarra Valley caviar on top. It’s got a flavour punch and it’s snack sized.

“It’s a good starter. That one’s going to be the most iconic one.”

The refreshment list is curated by Thao’s cousin, the owner of two restaurants in Canberra, with specially sourced wine, beer and cocktails.

“We wanted to make sure we had a top-notch wine list,” Thao says.

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Cocktails Peace to the East and Wu Tang Forever. Picture: Jerad Williams

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“I reached out to my cousin and he jumped on it. We’ve got new world and old-age wine, we’ve got a good selection of Japanese whiskeys that are really rare, sake, and we’ve got lychee cider. That was really hard to get.”

With a sleek, dark fit-out and sophisticated cuisine, Eddy and Wolff delivers mature concepts in a small package.

Owner Thao Nguyen holding the Jumbo Oyster dish. Picture: Jerad Williams

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“This venture of ours is purely about us and what we want to eat,” Thao says.

“This is more of a bar feel, something for date night or special occasions. Something more for adults so they can come out and have a good time.”

Eddy and Wolff will open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Sunday later this month at 12/217-219 Ron Penhaligon Way, Robina.