i like ramen
Gold Coast’s own vegan-ramen kings i like ramen are coming home! After making a mark in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, the team are departing the big smoke and will bring the plant-based concept back down our way with a new ramen bar to open in Nobby Beach next month. The new i like ramen venue will be located within the high-traffic corner site that used to house Local Knowledge surf store. i like ramen will join a to-be-announced cafe operator on the ground level of the site, while upstairs will be a surfboard retail showroom. Plenty of raw materials, concrete features and live greenery will shape i like ramen’s new Nobby Beach venue, which will serve a similar menu to what our Brisbane friends experienced – vegan ramen, tasty plant-based sides, and a couple of fresh new additions for summer. It’ll also feature tap beers, natural wines and a tight menu of cocktails, and will trade over lunch and dinner. The new i like ramen Nobby Beach is due to open in November – we’ll give you a look inside in a few weeks time!

FuManchu Oriental
Asian-infused Chevron Island dining spot Fu Manchu has closed its doors and will re-open this month with an entirely new identity. The new incarnation, named Fu Manchu Oriental, has undergone significant works to reinvigorate and shake-up its interior, adopting more of a cocktail-bar vibe with the inclusion of outdoor dining. Set to be adorned with opulent, oriental-inspired decor, Fu Manchu Oriental will dish up a food menu of Asian-influenced share-style eats – which we’re told will be more generous and adventurous than its predecessor – as well as a late-night ‘supper club’ menu served until 11:30 pm. Think plates like house-made crumpets with pork pate and duck skin, Shanghai soup dumplings, lager-battered bug rolls with nashi-pear slaw, and Korean fried chicken ribs with wasabi and green-onion gel. As for the sips, expect plenty of imported beers and a raft of vibrant Asian-inspired cocktails. Kids will also be catered for and a unique and playful Asian-fusion breakfast menu will be available on weekends. Fu Manchu is due to open late next week. But wait, there’s more …

The Ipoh Club
Fu Manchu Oriental’s owner Zuraya Hamilton is taking the revival of the Chevron Island space to new heights, announcing plans to open a British Colonial-style bar and dining space directly above Fu Manchu. The Ipoh Club (pronounced ee-poh) will be a relaxing sipping and snacking spot, designed to take diners on a Malay, Chinese and Indian-infused food journey. Expect gin and tonics, intriguing dishes and an impressive interior (dotted with lush greenery) that gives a nod to the post-colonial era of the Malaysian city of Ipoh. We’re told The Ipoh Club will be opening its doors in November – stay tuned, folks.

Main image: Unsplash
Image 2: i like ramen