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There’s something glorious about spending balmy nights by a beach somewhere lush in Southeast Asia. It's made even better with an ice cold beer or extravagant cocktail and some bite-sized spice-laden bar snacks. You can now experience a similar euphoria at the latest haven for beach bums in Sorrento, Ocean Beach Pavilion.
Jerome Borazio (St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, St Jerome’s – The Hotel, Ponyfish Island and Back Alley Sally’s) partnered up with Mark Hinkley (The Emerson) and world-champion snowboarder Scotty James to make this dream a reality. It’s a casual, laidback family-friendly eatery and bar that you can saunter in and out of like you would on any beachside venue on an island. Shoes are of course optional, and sandy feet aren’t frowned upon.
There's a sunlit deck dotted with flourishing palms, a spacious coastal-themed mess hall and an open-air terrace offering entertainment for kids with its Sorrento Ninja Warrior Course (a playground that will tire your kids out before you can say 'ice-cream').
For the menu, the brains behind Gingerboy, Ezard at Levantine Hill and the now-closed Ezard, Teage Ezard, was recruited to bring his signature Southeast Asian-inspired flair and is offering a brand new concept called Gingergirl.
Expect Hawker-style street eats similar to Gingerboy. It's finger food at its finest and the type of thing you will want to eat on a hot day. Think crisp banh mi to Chiang Mai sausage hotdogs with chilli-tamarind relish, fluffy crab meat omelettes to steamed pork dumplings with mouth-numbing Sichuan sauce. All that’s missing is a cold frothy, but fret not there’s a curated list of local wines, craft beer, spirits, cocktails, and non-alcoholic spritzers to keep you going.
Did we mention that it will have its own dedicated prawn shack running in tandem with its all-day menu too? Purchase fresh prawns by the bucketload straight from Mooloolaba at wholesale prices direct from the boat, to eat in or takeaway.
The venue is also doggo-friendly and was made by locals for locals and those looking to explore. It’s set to open before the end of the month and you can find more information via its website.