Kara Rosenlund
It’s no mystery why almost everyone elects to sit outside at Nu Nu, even on a lukewarm, windy afternoon. A table on the timber deck is a premium spot in the stalls of the vibrant theatre that is tropical north Queensland, fluttering palms high above, the roiling Coral Sea on full display. Switched-on staff sporting shorts and sunnies scurry about, doling out candid advice. Begin with a cocktail, they’ll suggest, and you’d be unwise not to listen; a vanilla and ginger Mojito roars with throat-tingling spice. Everything here, from a two-bite-sized snack of smoked reef fish in a tangle of papaya relish on a wild pepper leaf, to a salad of watermelon offset by dollops of quark, dehydrated olives and malty molasses crumbs, expresses the region’s colourful palate (and palette) in high-definition. A blitz of seeds, mustard fruits, pickled radishes, chilli butter and fluorescent pumpkin purée takes the more-is-more mantra one step too far in a main course starring sourdough-crumbed Tablelands pork loin, but then a chocolate brownie emerges: a chewy, toffee-rich reminder that life’s most gratifying pleasures are often the least complicated.
Phone:
(07) 4059 1880
Website:
Bookings:
Bookings recommended
Features:
Licensed
Bar
Vegetarian-friendly
Outdoor dining
Private room
Accepted card types:
American Express
Eftpos
MasterCard
Visa
Chef:
Nick Holloway
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot at the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national Top 50.
