When a vegetarian restaurant has survived on the Gold Coast for nearly a decade, you know they must be doing something right and that’s certainly the case for Easy House in Mermaid Waters. The humble space is a family affair for Mary Ye and chef Hoi Tsang and whilst the decor may be unassuming, the food is anything but and offers an incredible selection of traditional Chinese dishes sans animal products. For lunch, the Yum Cha menu features dumplings (tip, if you like coriander, the zesty coriander dumplings are a must!), spring rolls and remarkably fluffy ‘pork’ buns. As the sun sets, the dinner menu rolls out and is filled with moreish Chinese favourites including hot pots, noodle bowls and mock-meat dishes such as sweet and sour pork, honey chicken and salt and pepper calamari. The XO Noodles isn’t officially on the menu as it’s more of a locals secret but is definitely a must-try. Everything at Easy House is made fresh to order, even the dumplings are made entirely by hand, the way Hoi was taught many moons ago. Whether you’re 100 percent vegan, vegetarian or just trying to eat less meat, there’s plenty to love about Easy House. Oh and they’re BYO too, so that’s another thing to love. If you love discovering amazing Asian places, put Easy House at the top of the list.