Wondering what it’s like to eat at the Spirit House in Yandina Sunshine Coast? This hatted restaurant is renowned for being one of the best Asian influenced restaurants in Australia. But, does it live up to its hype? When we visited recently, we knew we had to share our experience with you.
Where Is Spirit House In Sunshine Coast?
Spirit House is situated in Yandina which is a gorgeous little town in Sunshine Coast. Located 1h30m from Brisbane, it’s a town you could easily come to for a couple of days for a weekend getaway from Brisbane.
What Is The Spirit House In Yandina?
The Spirit House in Yandina is a contemporary Thai dining experience set in tranquil tropical gardens. It has been said that it’s “a tropical film set that takes your breath away” by Gourmet Traveller. We think they are spot on as it’s an incredible place everyone needs to visit.
Nestled in the heart of the gorgeous little Sunshine Coast town of Yandina, you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world when you walk into the grounds. I think nothing prepares you for how big this restaurant actually is. You’ll walk past huge bamboo gardens and will come to the Spirit House Cooking School before continuing down different paths which will either take you to the Spirit House bar or to the restaurant, all situated around the pond.
There is a spirit house that sits overlooking the pond, something the manager told us holds the late owner’s ashes. He said that she wanted to watch over the restaurant which made it feel extra special to us. Even though the British manager at Spirit House had been working there for over seven years, we could see how proud he is to come to such a beautiful place to work every day.
Spirit House Cooking School
Come and learn from some of the best chefs in Sunshine Coast at the Spirit House Cooking School! We bumped into a few people taking a class and they were loving it! Learn how to cook beautiful Thai food and enjoy meeting local people in Sunshine Coast.
There are so many different cooking classes in Sunshine Coast to choose from. Learn the Spirit House Restaurant Classics, or learn how to make soups, salads, stir-drys and much more. Just make sure you pre-book as it does fill up quickly!
The Gardens
The Spirit House gardens are an experience itself. When we visited for dinner, we walked onto a path lit with oil burners. Both of us felt a bit overwhelmed, I mean it almost felt like we were walking down a path into the filming of the Survivor TV show! It felt incredibly atmospheric and we were blown away before we even walked into the actual restaurant.
When the staff told us how different the gardens look in the daytime, we went back the next day to see them again. It’s like going to a completely different place in the daylight. We felt like we could properly appreciate it and I’m glad we went back. If you’re into photography, you could spend ages photographing this incredible place. Apparently, it looks even better in the rain at the pond!
With a lot of buddhas placed throughout the gardens, the show stopper is the big bell with the buddha inside which is lit up all day and night.
Our Dining Experience
I knew Spirit House would be an awesome restaurant but nothing prepared me for how amazing it would actually be in person. When we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted by the manager who showed us our seat up at a counter overlooking the pond. The restaurant was starting to fill up, and as the waitress came over to introduce herself to us, we instantly knew the service was going to be flawless throughout the evening.
You can choose either a three or four-course setting. Because we were booked in for three courses, the waitress suggested we pick an option with a small plate and an option for the dessert so we could share and try something from every meal.
We started with the most popular small plate – Trio Of Miangs which includes beef, Moreton Bay bug and a vegetarian option. Steve absolutely loved this dish and knew from that moment that it was going to be an exceptional night.
Onto entrees and we picked Panang Curry of Mooloolaba Baby Squid and the South Indian Black Gun Powder Spiced Quail, both popular options. We loved both dishes, for me the quail is exceptional.
For our main courses, I decided to pick the most popular dish on the menu which has been on it for 30 years – the crispy fish with tamarind chilli sauce. Even though it’s an extra $10 on top for this dish, it’s no wonder that it’s been on the menu for so long.
I have to say, the crispy fish is the best fish I have ever tasted in my life!
Steve had the master stock braised duck Maryland yellow curry which was also excellent. When it came to the dessert, I ordered the dark chocolate & star anise mousse, which was really good too.
When we came back to the restaurant the next day, some of the staff recognised us and chatted to us like we were friends with them, which reminded us of what a special place this really is. We went to check out the bar which we didn’t see the night before and loved how gorgeous it truly is.
Spirit House restaurant is the type of place you’ll remember for a long time. It’s a beautiful restaurant and a place I’ll back to time and time again.
Find out more about visiting Spirit House in Yandina.
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Spirit House Yandina Review
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