By Rama Gaind
Coaxing tourists from the glorious turquoise waters of Noosa’s Laguna Bay won’t be difficult now with the luxuriously peaceful and relaxing surrounds of the new $350 million Outrigger Little Hastings Street Resort & Spa.
Just 500-metres from the shoreline and surrounded by its own sea of green, the Outrigger sits above the southern end of Hastings Street tucked in beside Noosa National Park. It just takes your breath away!
Cutting a striking pose against its leafy green backdrop, the resort’s design, inspired by a Scandinavian village, features all the five-star facilities one would expect, while respecting the natural environment.
In fact, the Outrigger is the region’s greenest large-scale resort, setting the benchmark for future luxury eco-tourism developments.
The development has already received numerous design and landscaping awards, with some of the eco-friendly features including full rainwater harvesting systems, sustainable building design and materials, gas and solar powered hot water systems, gas heated pools and many energy efficient in-room facilities.
Room interiors feature unique design elements such as raked plied timber ceilings, offset by sandstone floors, indigenous art and attractive furnishings. The extensive use of glass and louvres minimises air-conditioning use, while also drawing the eye out to the national park.
The tranquil surrounds are a haven as you relax in one of the deluxe, self-contained suites, villas or penthouses. Situated on a former banana plantation, over 36,000 trees were planted as part of the re-vegetation program to form wildlife corridors to Noosa National Park that is home to over 1100 species of flora and fauna.
Tingling tastebuds
Your tastebuds will also sing with the delectable Australian and Asian fusion cuisine by French-Vietnamese executive chef Olivier Maokhamphieu.
Olivier (Ollie) combines the Asian flavours of mint, lemongrass, ginger, coriander and the crunch and texture of Vietnamese foods, with the smooth silky sauces and robust reductions of classical French fare.
His origins are as complex as the innovative dishes he has been perfecting for over three decades.
Ollie possesses an innate understanding of Asian fusion. His refined skills in seafood are displayed as a passion through his own tantalising menu at Outrigger Little Hastings Street’s a-la-carte restaurant, View on Little Hastings.
He has stitched up supply agreements with local seafood suppliers for Mooloolaba prawns, Hervey Bay scallops and other tasty morsels straight from the trawlers.
“One exception will be our oysters that are sourced from Coffin Bay,” Ollie said.
Non-seafood lovers are also in for a treat with a sumptuous range of pork, beef, chicken and vegetarian dishes along with some exquisite desserts, handmade pastries and cheeses.
Local produce is a key priority for Ollie, with seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, meats and dairy products sourced direct from Sunshine Coast producers, growers and purveyors.
A staunch believer in not taking short cuts, Ollie and his team make everything from scratch daily, including all stocks, reductions and marinades.
“Prepping is as important as presentation,” he said. “Particular dishes are marinated for a minimum of three hours and up to 24-hours,” he added.
Ollie’s calm demeanour, combined with his passion for ‘cooking from the heart’ is infectious – so much so, that his sous chef followed him from Canberra to the sub-tropical surrounds of Noosa to work beside him at the 144-seat a-la-carte restaurant.
Ginger Factory
The Sunshine Coast has a myriad of attractions, and at the top of the list is the multi award-winning Ginger Factory. It is Queensland’s second most popular tourist attraction – after the Australia Zoo that’s home of the Crocodile Hunter – and gets 500,000 tourists per annum.
The tourism arm of the world’s largest specialty ginger processor, Buderim Ginger – the factory moved to its present site in Yadina in 1979, but kept its original name. It has been making the world’s finest ginger since 1941.
Ginger is one herb and spice that is multi-functional: it adds zest to cooking and is used in natural remedies.
However, be prepared to be astonished when you discover that there are more than 3000 products for sale because you will shop till you drop in The Ginger Shop!
Located just 90 minutes north of Brisbane, you can join an escorted tour of the factory and discover how fresh ginger makes it from the factory onto your plate. You’ll even finish the tour with a delicious tasting session of ginger-inspired snacks.
See the natural fragrant topical gardens by riding on an authentic sugar cane train, sample ginger scones in the outdoor café and when you stand at the counter of the Bliss Ice Creamery you will have fun deciding which of the 65 uniquely flavoured ice creams (churned onsite) you’ll eat.
Why not learn some special culinary techniques from Buderim Ginger Cooking School’s Michelin-star chef, Erik Van Alphen?
Erik feels that “cooking comes from the heart”.
“We should all make time to appreciate good ingredients and techniques because there is no better feeling than seeing family and loved ones sitting down and sharing meals prepared with love and care,” he said
He delights in sharing some culinary tips and tricks developed during his time owning and operating restaurants in Holland, France and the United Kingdom: the latter gaining him a Michelin star at London’s Sydney Street restaurant.
Sublime stocks made from scratch and rapturous reductions and rubs from Van Alphen are just some of the class topics from this talented man who is more in-tune with teaching the classics rather than espousing the short-cuts of commonplace ‘heat and eat’ dining.
Try your hand at making such delectable desserts as Pear Upside Down Tart with Cinnamon, Strawberry and Raspberry Mille Feuille and then there’s French classic Madagascar vanilla, orange and honey creme bruelee.
Delectable Indian cuisine
You should also make a point of dining at the new Kaali Gourmet Indian Restaurant in Little Hastings Street. Owners Arati and Nitin Bhogale provide an “authentic Indian dining experience” for patrons.
Arati elaborated on plans for the future: “Ours is not a run-of-the-mill restaurant. This is just the first edition of the menu, we will be adding a lot of new dishes and pay particular attention to presentation and quality of food. We are here to stay”.
Having worked in the hospitality industry for 15 years, Nitin and Arati own two restaurants in Brisbane – Indus in Paddington and the Curry Republic in Bardon.
