That’s right – we said bao, dumplings and beer. What more do we need in life? Perched on the Gold Coast Highway at Tugun, the new Backbone Bar has recreated our Asian street food favourites with a fresh, vibrant spin – and what a welcome addition it is to the southern foodie scene. Ben and Chris have developed a mouth-watering menu of bao, dumplings and gyoza alongside the likes of karaage, taro chips, beef short-ribs in chilli caramel and pork belly delights. Everything from the dumplings to the banana fritter batter is made-to-order on site from fresh top-quality ingredients – just listen for the distinctive crunch when you bite into the fritters and you’ll see what we mean.

The menu will continually evolve, so expect to see bao combinations like chicken karaage with avocado, snow pea tendrils, chilli, mint and perilla leaves with Japanese mayo, and braised beef with pickled cabbage, spring onions and Asian mushroom ragout. The snapper and scallop dumplings are fresh-made and filled with young ginger, chives, corn puree, almonds and chilli oil, or keep it land-based with the wonton dumplings with pork and kimchi in a shimeji mushroom short-soup. The Backbone crew have put just as much passion into the beverage menu, with craft brewers Black Hops, Green Beacon, Currumbin Valley Brewing and Young Henrys lined up on the taps. You won’t find your standard spirits here –  only Australian-made small-batch craft-spirits will be pouring, alongside minimal-intervention natural wines.

Digging the vibe? Jump over to our Stumble Guide for Backbone’s location and opening hours.