Gold Coast Taste review: BSKT Cafe, Mermaid Beach

MAKE a date at Mermaid Beach where this cafe is putting indulgence back on the menu for health-focused diners.

Chantay Logan

2 min read

November 18, 2016 - 1:00AM

Gold Coast Bulletin

A selection of food from the BSKT restaurant at Mermaid Beach "date night" menu, available Friday and Saturday nights only. Picture Mike Batterham

Food

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I’M just going to say it: whether the enemy is gluten, dairy or carbs, dietary demands can be a real romance killer.

It may be a matter of life or death, or just the usual panic after seeing yourself in a bikini for the first time after a winter hibernating with lasagne, but when one or both members of a couple live in constant food fear, finding a restaurant you both enjoy gets complicated.

BSKT Cafe, which has made a name translating health-conscious fare to the flavour-focused masses, hope their recently launched Date Nights will be the answer.

Fare on BSKT ‘date night’ menu. Picture Mike Batterham

When the hectic daytime crowds have washed through the doors, they lower the lights and top every table with a bright bouquet for the more exclusive dinner service.

While the scene is set for romance, I set a tougher challenge, taking along my gluten-free, dairy-free, pesticide-free and genetically-modified-things free mother.

BSKT’s guilt-free experience starts with a refreshingly different drink list of vegan wines and other better-for-you brews, including kombucha cocktails.

I’m always a bit wary of that distinctive fermented potion, but the Deniro — Byron Bucha, VDKA 6100, Campari, pink grapefruit and lemon juice — was a pleasant surprise.

Made to be shared, the food menu is split into proteins, with the choice of two portion sizes, and side dishes.

Fare on BSKT ‘date night’ menu. Picture Mike Batterham

The matter-of-fact descriptions do nothing to hint at the delights in store.

The knockout dish is pork ($19/$32) — it’s slow-roasted until utterly tender, pulled so it’s easy to share and dripping with a sweet honey and orange glaze that I can’t get out of my head.

A simple, coarse rosemary seasoning works its magic on the roast chicken ($18/$30), while the aged rump steak ($20/$36) has a unique hint of coconut courtesy of its marinade.

As for the sides, order the Mauritian-spiced curry ($15), if only for the deliciously warm aroma.

Mexican corn rolled in cacao butter, tequila lime and chipotle ($15) leaves a lip-tingling legacy.

I also enjoyed the silky root-vegetable mash (coconut cream does an admirable job of filling in for butter, $12) and chickpea fries with bush tomato mayo ($12)

Overall, Mum had more choice than usual and I left feeling far more satisfied then I do when we visit her usual hard-core health haunts.

It must be love.