New restaurant Tupe-Aloha is keeping the family tradition alive

In a case of food imitating art, fresh tiki and tropical vibes at Tupe-Aloha have given the Kirra restaurant an abundance of soul

Rory and his sister Tipalowe Oberman and Rory's partner Cassia run Tupe-Aloha - a cool Tropical Tiki Bar and Grill in Kirra. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

For a restaurant that’s only been open eight weeks, Tupe-Aloha has a whole lot of soul.

Filled with fresh tiki vibes and nautical quirks, the owners of the tropical beachside haunt in Kirra have created an atmosphere that’s both vibrantly new yet totally old-school.

New because it’s the kind of fresh and original space that the Gold Coast so badly needs.

Old because of the legacy that lines the walls: the history and the memories and the moments made by the family who own it.

Good vibes and splendid originality runs in the eccentric Oberman family.

You only need to walk into Tupe-Aloha to work that out.

Owned by brother and sister Rory and Tipalowe Oberman together with Rory’s girlfriend Cassia Burgett, the southern spot is overflowing with character.

After receiving an inheritance from their late grandmother, the siblings and Cassia were given a shot at chasing their dream and opening a restaurant and bar that reflected their personalities.

Serving up tasty tacos and sliders, Tipalowe says Tupe-Aloha’s ethos is all about “colour, love, island vibes and pineapples”.

Zucchini Fritters from Tupe-Aloha Bar and Grill in Kirra. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

“Everyone who walks in says they feel like they are on holidays,” adds Rory.

“We also have a lot of people who walk in and say, ‘Oh you guys must be related to Pamela and Rodney’.”

They are. The stylish Pamela and the late Rodney are Tip and Rory’s mum and dad.

They also happen to be well-known and much-loved artists and personalities on the Coast.

Both Pam and Rod’s artwork covers the walls of Tupe-Aloha, showcasing how the colourful and tropical vibes are infused in the Oberman bloodline.

“Mum’s the resident fluffer here,” laughs Tip. “She loves to fluff and place things.”

Rory adds: “Mum tells every second person that she grew up in Cooly and that her grandfather planted all the pine trees along the front here. There’s a lot of history here”

Tupe-Aloha Bar and Grill in Kirra. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

As for the name of the place, Tip says Van Morrison was their mum and dad’s favourites muso.

“We wanted to name it after Tupelo Honey as an ode to dad,” she says.

“We can feel him here, his presence here. Every time a Van Morrison song comes on we all get a tear in our eye. But they are happy tears.”

Rory adds: “Dad would love it, this would be his favourite place. He’d be right at the bar drinking chardonnay the whole time.”

While Pamela and Tipalowe both have “empty loungerooms” after relocating their quirky belongings to Tupe-Aloha, Tipi is glad. She says it makes the place feel like home.

“Mum and dad have always been tropical beach people, living life under umbrellas in the sand,” she says.

“Dad passed away in 2010 after five years of battling cancer. Every year on his birthday I get one of his artworks tattooed on me. I’m like a walking art gallery.”

Tipi’s dad is also the reason she’s obsessed with pineapples and mini cocktail umbrellas.

“I just bought a slicer that removes the core of pineapples so I am looking forward to making some fun cocktails served out of them,” she says.

“We are all about fresh fruit in cocktails and we also serve them in coconuts, which everyone loves.”

Tiki-Yaki Drunken Pork Skewers from Tupe-Aloha Bar and Grill in Kirra. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

As for the menu at Tupe-Aloha, Tipalowe worded it so “it’s like having a conversation with me,” she chuckles.

“I wanted to make it fun and tropical and do something different.”

From “beerios” to “groovy little potatoes”, chicken “wing-a-ding-dings” and “Jamaican me crazy barbecue ribs” — the menu, like a conversation with the vibrant Tip, is bound to make you smile.

Tupe-Aloha Bar and Grill in Kirra. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

And the food is exactly how it sounds — simple, fun and fresh.

“We aren’t taking ourselves too seriously — we like to keep to what we know and what we love,” she says.

“As soon as we move into summer we want to do fresh seafood — buckets of prawns and freshly shucked oysters. We want to keep it rad and cheap and fresh and local.”