Double the char, double the flavour at Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori
Double the char, double the flavour at Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori
It’s so sizzling good, you have to say it twice! Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori is Robina’s home of Korean-Japanese barbecue and yakitori, aka expertly chargrilled fare, stacked on a skewer.
There are few scents as aromatically intoxicating as that of charcoal-cooked meats sizzling away on the open coals. Charcoal Charcoal has been enticing visitors since it opened last year, and now, with a newly released menu, there’s even more to love! Expect exciting new additions that elevate the yakitori experience to new heights. Whether you’re a regular or a first-timer, Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori promises a culinary adventure you won’t forget.
Their skewers are cooked over Binchotan charcoal, which is widely considered the secret to making the flavours of live-fire yakitori so unique. Binchotan charcoal is a Japanese white charcoal coveted for its long-burning properties. The result is a pure grilling experience and a smoky flame-grilled taste that is otherwise inimitable.
Yakitori is not a new phenomenon, but there’s something undeniably amazing about the flavour experience that’s hard to beat. Everything is cooked over a charcoal fire and served bite-sized, traditionally on a wood or bamboo skewer. Whether it’s the smoky aroma or the perfect balance of crispy and succulent textures, yakitori captivates taste buds everywhere. And Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori has it down to a fine art.
Their char-grilled chicken yakitori comes in six tempting varieties, letting you choose whichever chicken part strikes your fancy- thigh fillet, tenderloin, oyster, soft bone, tendons or chef’s choice. Wash it down with some of Japan’s finest firewater (whiskey), and you have yourself what we call our desert island dish. Salivating yet? Just wait- there’s more.
Looking for some zing? Try the free-range pork belly yakitori seasoned with Himalayan pink salt or the M5 Wagyu and pineapple served with thyme and garlic butter. The Japanese Scallop served with homemade soy garlic sauce, green onions and chilli rings is another skewer standout. Other mouth-watering menu editions include their 10-hour slow-simmered siu ramen with chicken or pork, and rice bowls. With such a variety and quality of dishes, you’ll be eager to try them all.
Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori offers a new take on evening dining. It masterfully combines the lively spirit of street food with the sophistication of fine dining, turning every skewer into a delightful fusion of casual charm and refined taste. It’s a dining experience that’s sure to intrigue and excite.
Where: 126/128 Robina Town Centre Dr, Robina
When: 5:30–9 pm, daily
Instagram: @charcoal_charcoal_yakitori
Words by Chelsea Ipsen
Images by Mathilde Bouby
STORY SPONSORED BY CHARCOAL CHARCOAL YAKITORI
El-cheapo eats to start your week.
Thank God it’s Monday! … said no one, ever. Let’s face it, the day gets about as much love as peak hour commutes and the Orange Creams (don’t @ us) left lurking in the office bickie jar.
The day gets a bad wrap, but one thing Monday does have going for it is sweet dining deals. So if the prospect of a tasty treat to look forward to is all it takes to summon a modicum of enthusiasm for the day (and week) ahead, ‘tis but a small price to pay, if you ask us (literally, these deals are cheap as chips y’all).
Words by Chelsea Ipsen
Smiling Dumplings & Noodles has got buns, hun.
If the very thought of slurping back oodles of pillowy bao, glistening prawn dumplings and piping hot soup noodles puts a smile on your dial – prepare those pearly whites to be positively beaming. Because Smiling Dumplings & Noodles, the aptly named new kid on Robina’s block, gives us plenty worth grinning about.
Now, if like us, you consider yourself a discerning dumpling connoisseur, you’ll likely also be in full Cheshire Cat mode over the prospect of this delicious new dining development. Luckily for fans of these delectable morsels, our gleeful grins are entirely warranted. With bonafide bao experts Louie John Zhang and Nina Zheng at the helm, Smiling Dumplings & Noodles is now serving up house-made, handcrafted bites like spicy, steamed Soup Dumplings and Shanghainese style Noodles daily.
Quietly sliding into Robina Town Centre’s flagship foodie precinct, The Kitchens in recent months, the newcomer is yet another absolute W for Robina residents. Off the back of recent additions, Charcoal Charcoal Yakitori and Hwaro92, Smiling Dumplings & Noodles adds casual yet authentic Chinese eats to the locale’s budding nosh scene.
Greeting diners with a glowing, neon-lit facade, the cheery yellow fitout is one you couldn’t miss if you tried. The space, led by Darren Kong, is flanked by a central, open-plan kitchen tucked behind a tiled, wraparound counter. So you can watch on in awe as the culinary magic unfolds (or folds, as the case may be).
While SDN might be the new kid on Robina’s block, it’s certainly not the first (or even third) rodeo for Louie and Nina – who now boast an impressive four restaurants in their repertoire. Originally hailing from Sydney, it seems the restauranteur gene reigns supreme in this fam, with their mother Jennifer Du, the proprietor of the East Coast’s 9-strong Taste of Shanghai franchise… talk about a role model!
From humble beginnings, slinging their signature handmade delicacies out of a hole-in-the-wall style haunt in Burwood Chinatown, the pair have forged their own, slightly more relaxed style take on quintessential Chinese-Australian fare. Like many southerners who have set their sights on the sunshine state in recent years – for their fourth venue, Louie and Nina were drawn to the GC for the ‘great weather and people’ – go on guys, butter us up why don’t you.
And sure, flattery will get you far, but surely Char-siu pork buns and crispy Pan Fried Pork and Chive Dumplings will get you way further (like, honorary BFF status).
Alongside the succulent, steaming-hot dumpling specialties, the menu offers an irresistible array of wok-fried and grilled goodies to wrap the ‘ole laughing gear around.
Dishes like saucy SDN house noodles, tender, seared Chicken skewers and Prawn and XO fried rice are all equally befitting of a banquet – which, if you ask us, is absolutely the only way to go when you’re spoilt for choice with a spread like this.
Our tip? Just don’t forget to leave room for the Mango Pancakes to finish.
Where: Shop 4248A/19 Robina Town Centre Dr, Robina
When: Monday-Wednesday 10:00am-5:30pm, Thursday 10:00am-8:00pm, Friday-Saturday 10:00am-5:30pm, Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm
Words by Kellie Leader.
Images by Mathilde Bouby.
Appetites at the ready, grill gang! Hwaro92 enters the chat.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a username belonging to some rando causing a ruckus in the comment section? No, it’s Hwaro92 – a brand new, Korean BBQ flavour sensation – the latest to join Robina Town Centre’s ranks amid its elevated The Kitchens precinct.
Serving authentic flavours designed to transport you to the streets of Seoul, Hwaro92 delivers the traditional, Korean style of barbecue. A hands-on – and addictive – experience, where, with your choice of high-quality cuts at the ready, you converge with your crew around a glowing grill to char your mouth-watering selections to perfection (and attempt to keep the salivation levels in check).
Also known as “Gogi-gui”, the classic Korean method of cooking is complemented by a selection of specialty dishes from the kitchen such as tender and sweet beef Bulgogi Bibimbap, Kimchi Fried Rice and Spicy Soft Tofu Soup. So, yep, there’s plenty worth getting fired up over, here folks.
And if there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to take food to a whole new level of delectable, it’s some smoky, barbecue goodness. Sear-iously – we challenge you to come up with even one ingredient that doesn’t benefit from being slapped across smoking hot grill.
So, whether you’re an old hand at the art of self-seared, melt-in-your-mouth meats, or totally new to the tantalising wonders of Korean fare, Hwaro92 should have the ‘ole tastebud alarms well and truly sounding.
Owner Allan Park can certainly stand the heat in this kitchen – his experience doling out East Asian eats already extends to two venues, including Chermside’s Bulgogi Bros. A grill-focused venture has been a long-term goal driven by Allan’s enthusiasm for carnivorous eats, ‘I love to handle and eat meats’ – and hey, who doesn’t – adding, ‘I’m always buying big cuts of meat… trimming and boning it to get a better cut and different texture’.
Of course, at a venue like Hwaro92 it’s the kitchen crew doing all the heavy lifting – so we can swan in and take all the grill glory, Steven Bradbury style. Enlisting the expert skills of Sangbong Seo, a gun, Korean culinary graduate head chef with whom Allan shares a lengthy hospo history. Diners are in excellent hands here.
With a fit-out flanked by the ubiquitous sight of grill-adorned tables throughout, the roomy 80 seater is more than equipped to handle the onslaught of flame-licked fare fans. Bedecked in classic black marble and oak finishes, the space – delivered by Yura Choi and Yoon Kang – also includes a 12 pax private area for those looking to gather a group for a delicious, grill-studded celebration.
So whatddya say, Gold Coast? Time to get in on some mouth-wateringly good GIY (grill it yourself) action? We thought so.
Whether you’re not yet familiar with the flame-kissed wonders of Korean BBQ or a keen connoisseur of the trademark, melt-in-your-mouth marinated meats – it’s high time we all met Hwaro92.
Where: T5037/19 Robina Town Centre Dr, Robina
When: Daily, 11am-3pm, 5pm-9pm
Instagram: @hwaro92_robina
Words by Kellie Leader.
Images by Mathilde Bouby.
