A Fresh Catch at Fish House
John Caruso discovers that the team behind Bella Venezia are stepping beyond Italian to deliver a steak and seafood experience like the Coast has never seen.
There’s a buzz in the air on Parkyn Parade. Locals know the address, the former home of Fish on Parkyn, but what’s coming next is more than a fresh coat of paint. Fish House Steak & Grill is the newest venture from Kristine and Todd Young, the couple who have turned Bella Venezia into one of Mooloolaba’s most awarded restaurants.
Leaning on the same principles that have kept Bella Venezia at the top for years, Kristine said discipline, strategy, and an unwavering focus on the customer, would allow the team to introduce a fresh new flavour with Fish House Steak & Grill.
“Todd and I have been limited by the focus on Italian food that Bella Venezia is known for,” she says. “We have had all these incredible ideas, drawn from years of travel and research that we wanted to bring to life. This is our chance to show the full breadth of what we can do.”
Blending premium steak and pristine seafood with a Japanese fusion, the menu will feature dishes such as Mooloolaba Yellowfin Tuna sliced sashimi-thin; half-shell Hokkaido Scallops on silky miso pumpkin puree; and Wagyu sirloin from a glass-fronted dry-age cabinet that will greet guests as they enter.
“It’s Nobu-inspired, with a fresh twist,” Kristine says. “The miso toothfish will be a standout, like the famous black cod but with finely-tuned flavours.”
The location is part of the magic. Sitting just steps from the trawler-lined Mooloolah River, a reminder that the menu’s seafood landed just hours before service. Inside, a refit has transformed the space, to create an atmosphere that is both polished and inviting.
The Youngs are also bringing their people-first philosophy across from Bella Venezia. Some of their most experienced staff will split their time between the two venues, providing hands-on training for the new team and ensuring service meets the exacting standard they’re known for.
“You’ll see some familiar faces from Bella Venezia and we’ve recruited an incredible new team,” Kristine says. “It’s about having the right people in the right roles from day one.”
That kind of staffing strategy protects against one of hospitality’s biggest risks, inconsistency.
“Any new business is a calculated risk, but you need courage, and you need to go in wholeheartedly,” she says. “If you pour everything into it and leave nothing behind, anything’s possible.”
She points to the Coast’s rapid growth and the rise of Mooloolaba as a foodie destination. Bella Venezia already draws diners from around Australia, and even New Zealand. Fish House Steak & Grill aims to give those visitors, and locals, another reason to linger.
“There’s a gap for a high-end Asian fusion restaurant here, and there’s never really been a true premium steakhouse,” Kristine says. “We’re here to fill both.”
The concept is ambitious: a place where diners might start with sashimi and finish with Wagyu, where the seafood could be as memorable as the steaks, and where the wine list is curated to travel comfortably between both.
Executive chef Ben Achurch, already a key figure at Bella Venezia, has developed the menu drawing on ideas Todd and Kristine have gathered from Michelin-starred kitchens in Singapore to local producers down the road.
“He loves it,” Kristine says. “It’s a new passion project for him, and he’s taken everything we’ve wanted on board.”
The showpiece dishes will be backed by thoughtful details: seasonal vegetables from nearby farms, sauces built from scratch, and plating designed to highlight rather than overshadow the main ingredients. Guests might notice the subtle smokiness in a chargrilled ribeye, the clean bite of wasabi alongside raw tuna, or the way a drizzle of citrus miso lifts a delicate piece of reef fish.
Fish House Steak & Grill will be open from Wednesday to Sunday with service built around pace and precision with Kristine likening the customer journey to a performance – not scripted but carefully staged to deliver an experience rather than just a meal.
While the menu and atmosphere will set Fish House Steak & Grill apart, it’s the Youngs’ mindset that might be its biggest asset. Their track record shows they’re not chasing trends; they’re building institutions. The goal isn’t just to open another restaurant, but to create a destination that people plan their trips around.
