Best of the Gold Coast 2020: Cardamom Pod named Best Vegetarian Eatery

Winner, winner, tofu dinner. After tallying the votes, Best of the Gold Coast can reveal the top 10 vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the region, as voted by you.

Cardamom Pod Southport is the Best Vegetarian Eatery on the Gold Coast for 2020.

RAW ingredients is not always a fan favourite but it’s a speciality at a pretty Coast cafe.

Cardamom Pod, a Southport superfood powerhouse, has revolutionised Gold Coasters’ perception of vegetarian fare and has been voted the Best Gold Coast Vegetarian Eatery 2020.

The public gave hundreds of reviews on Facebook and Bulletin subscribers chose “The Pod” as the winner from 10 finalists.

Winner for Best of the Gold Coast – Best Vegetarian Eatery – The Cardamom Pod, Southport. Chef Vijay Burramukka with a Blinged out Benny. Picture: Jerad Williams

Owners Keshava Reciuga and Sean Pinnell said their cafe, with food almost too stunning to eat, was ahead of the herb despite COVID-19 restrictions.

“Since we’ve had people back in the cafe, we have been busy and winning the Best of the Gold Coast crown is incredible,” Mr Reciuga said.

The Cardamom Pod, Southport seats around 50 people per sitting during COVID-19. Picture: Jerad Williams

“I have been a vegetarian for all my life but it’s wonderful to have a place like this where we can create food that tastes and looks amazing,” Mr Reciuga said.

“All our ingredients are fresh and I source a lot of it from the Brisbane Markets each week.

“We keep our customers happy by giving them more than they expect and by staying creative and progressive in the kitchen to make the plant based dining experience a memorable one.”

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A new spring menu is set to hit tables soon. Picture: Jerad Williams

The vego cafe is known for their Instagram-worthy fruit-topped acai bowls, banana and walnut pancakes and blinged out benny.

Their new spring menu is set to hit tables in the next few weeks.

The Brickworks Southport venue beat strong competition from Izakaya Midori, Blendlove, Plant Based Cafe and Dokodemo.

HERE’S THE TOP 10, AS VOTED BY YOU

1. CARDAMOM POD, SOUTHPORT

3/3 Brolga Ave, Southport QLD 4215

Opening hours: 8am to 3pm daily.

Their acai is too pretty to eat. Picture: Jerad Williams

Banana and Walnut Pancakes. Picture: Jerad Williams

Blinged out Benny. Picture: Jerad Williams

Cardamom Pod’s acai bowls are almost too artistic to eat — almost. The Brickworks cafe on Ferry Rd serves up vegan fare for breakfast and lunch that’s as pleasing on the tastebuds as it is on the eyes.

2. IZAKAYA MIDORI, REEDY CREEK

Shop 7/50 Woodland Dr, Reedy Creek

Opening hours: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday – 11am – 8pm, Friday & Saturday 11.30am to 9:30pm.

Izakaya Midori. Picture Glenn Hampson

Owners Yuki Kanazawa and chef Fumiyoshi Iwasaki deliver a vegan version of Japanese favourites. Their nigiri sushi has tomato not salmon and you will notice a carnivore-fooling plant-based spin on their ramen, gyoza and karaage curries.

Their hot, cold and sparkling sake, and Japanese beer is also vegan-friendly.

3. BLENDLOVE, SOUTHPORT

1/253 Ferry Rd, Southport QLD 4215

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday – 7am to 3pm, Sunday 8am to 3pm.

Sharlene Fletcher owner of Blendlove on Ferry Road in Southport with colourful cube cheesecakes which are raw and vegan. Photo: Steve Holland

Blendlove is an Coast raw treat icon. Their cheezecakes, which are vegan and free from gluten, wheat, refined sugar, dairy and soy, are mouth-watering.

Other must try items are their summer pancakes, smashed avo with almond fetta and their better-for-you burgers.

4. PLANT BASED CAFE, PARADISE POINT

1/2 Grice Ave, Paradise Point QLD 4216

Trading hours: 7.30am to 2:30pm

Kate Abraham owner of Plant Based Cafe. Photo by Kelly Barnes

The breakfast menu includes Byron Bay coffee, colourful granola bowls, a chickpea and spring-pea omelette and ‘Nutella’ pancakes with a side of organic coconut ice-cream and seasonal fruit.

The lunch menu, starts 11:30am, with hearty eats like the Chi-kin Burger and BBQ Pulled Pawk Tacos.

Gluten Free giant smoothies are also on offer, along with raw treats, museli tubs and grab-and-go savories.

Everything is recycled daily, and all discarded vegetables and fruits are taken directly to a nearby animal sanctuary each week by the team.

5. DOKODEMO V, MIAMI

Gold Coast Hwy, Miami QLD 4220

Trading hours: 5pm to 9pm — Monday, Wednesday & Thursday.

Friday & Saturday — 11am – 2:30pm, 5–9pm, Sunday — 11am – 2:30pm, 5–8:30pm.

Doko Demo V for Best of the Gold Coast: vegetarian restaurants.

The Miami vegetarian restaurant open from morning to night. Make the most of the plant-based bacon eggs benny, a lamb souvlaki gyros or pepperoni pizza guilt-free.

One of the most popular daytime dishes is the Tapei 101, a towering works burger with “chicken”, wedges, onion rings and chips.

6. TIAN RAN, MERMAID BEACH

Shop 8/2468 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218

Trading hours: 11.30am to 8:30pm daily.

Tian Ran vegetarian and Jessika Howard and Eric Chang. Picture: John Gass

Tian Ran, opened in 2013, and has your Chinese comfort meals covered but without meat.

Indulge in stir fries, curries, hot pot and more substituted with wheat, yam, seaweed and mushroom.

Dishes are also free from MSG, onion and garlic.

7. KUAN YIN TEA HOUSE, SOUTHPORT

2/152 Scarborough St, Southport QLD 4215

Trading hours: 11am to 8:30pm — Tuesday to Saturday.

Kuan Yin Tea House, Southport, Gold Coast. Photo: Regi Varghese

Meet the sister restaurant to Miami’s Doko Demo V.

Doko Demo V and Kuan Yin Tea House don’t share the same menu, but share the same food standard and lovely services.

8. GIRI KANA CAFE, SOUTHPORT

H2O Broadwater Apartments, 82 Marine Parade, Southport QLD 4215

Trading hours: Monday to Friday — 8:30am to 4:30pm & Saturday/Sunday — 8:30 to 3pm.

Giri Kana cafe, Southport

Since 2012, this Southport vegetarian haven has been serving up mouth-watering fresh salads, pastas, smoothies and sauces.

Their gluten-free tiramisu, chocolate mousse, chocolate brownies and raw peppermint cheesecake are “must-try item”.

9. GOODNESS GRACIAS PLANT-BASED STREET EATERY, PALM BEACH

1a/1114-1116 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach QLD 4221

Trading hours: Wednesday, Thursday & Friday — 4pm to 8pm, Saturday/Sunday — 11am to 8pm.

Goodness Gracias is a plant-based Mexican restaurant in Palm Beach.

Goodness Gracias in Palm Beach, previously selling up to 40 kilograms of meat a week, was completely revamped in 2018.

All your all time favourite dishes are topped with the Mexican ingredients you know and love, just in cruelty-free versions.

The BBQ beef and bacon tacos are made with plant-based meat and features pico de gallo, chipotle cream and cheese, while the smoken jack burrito comes with smoked jackfruit, guacamole and sour cream.

“All our cheeses are made out of aqua faba. We even have a blue cheese that’s dairy free and vegan, that’s on our triple cheese quesadilla,” Crissi says.

“Even our coffee we use plant-based milk: hemp, cashew, macadamia, soy — there’s so many nut milks now.

“And all of our sweets, desserts and brownies as well. It’s pretty much a vegan heaven.”

10. I LIKE RAMEN, NOBBY BEACH

2251 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218

Trading hours: 11.30am to 9pm — Friday, Saturday & Sunday. 5pm to 9pm — Wednesday & Thursday.

I Like Ramen. The Tankotsu Ramen. Picture: Tertius Pickard.

This plant-based ramen bar is a Gold Coast favourite.

The extensive vegan ramen list, which includes shiitake mushrooms, kimichi and tonkotsu, will blow your mind.

There’s also a selection of bao buns to choose from, with karaage jackfruit and cauliflower, panko mushroom and tempura eggplant.

The ramen bar features beers, umeshu, wine, a cocktail and a fine selection of hard-to-get Japanese whiskies.