Fresh Flavours at Chinadina
John Caruso discovers that culinary currents shift as Chinadina changes hands but continues to deliver a palate-pleasing fusion of familiar favourites and fresh flavours.
Tourists and locals understand that Noosaville delivers a genuine Noosa experience without the hustle and bustle. When the Mary Street building that was home to China Jade for 25 years was vacated it was the end of an era. Thanks to local investors and Tim and Chloe Lepoutre of Gusto Noosa, the unofficial home of authentic Asian cuisine was reinvigorated with the opening of Chinadina at the end of 2023. After establishing a solid reputation for their contemporary take on Cantonese cuisine with friendly service and fresh and vibrant decor, the quest was on for new owners to build upon that solid foundation while bringing a fresh perspective.
“When we saw Chinadina was for sale, we were impressed by the ambience, the food and the styling, and felt there was real potential,” co-owner Michael White explains.
Michael, whose background is in marketing, clearly has an eye for branding and a passion for customer experience.
“I appreciate the modern image and the upmarket styling of the restaurant,” he notes. “It stands out from traditional Chinese restaurants.”
He’s keen to point out that they were attracted to the fact that Tim and Chloe had already done such a good job of revamping what China Jade was, emphasising that the prospect of taking over the business was very appealing. Chan Choriatis is the new Operations Manager, bringing a wealth of expertise from managing resorts in remote areas all over Australia, including K’gari.
“I mostly work behind the scenes,” she says with a smile. “I’m like a shadow, working directly with Michael to ensure everything runs smoothly.”
Her background brings a unique perspective to creating a welcoming and well-managed dining atmosphere and, while there might be a change of ownership and management, the culinary heart of Chinadina will retain a familiar flavour thanks to Head Chef Henry Alvarez.
“Henry is a Gold Medal award-winning, skilled veteran chef with over a decade of mastery in Chinese Cuisine and South-East Asian Fusion with experience covering a wide variety of high-quality Asian dishes,” Michael says. “Even though he is new to the head chef role, he and his team have been with Chinadina for so long that people will still be able to experience and enjoy the cuisine that they have come to know and love – with a fresh approach.”
Henry brings a wealth of Asian-fusion expertise to the table and describes his approach as incorporating flavours from many different countries including Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam as well as Cantonese flavours from southern China. The autumn menu promises a delightful blend of familiar favourites and exciting new additions.
“We’re planning to introduce dishes like sizzling beef wagyu, Mongolian beef, and pandan chicken,” Henry reveals.
The pandan chicken, he explains, involves wrapping chicken in fragrant pandan leaves before frying it to crispy perfection.
“We’ll keep 90% of the existing menu,” Henry assures me. “But we’ll upgrade and modify some of the dishes to make them even better.”
The new menu will also see the inclusion of Thai cuisine.
“There’ll be beef, green, fish and chicken curries and for dessert, a Thai favourite, mango sticky rice,” Henry says.
This expansion should appeal to a wider range of palates and fill a gap in the local market. The decision to include a broader spectrum of Asian cuisine is a clever move.
“We want people to come here and find something they love, even if they’re not strictly Cantonese food lovers,” says Chan whose focus is on creating a calm and inviting atmosphere to make Chinadina the go-to for special occasions.
“I want this place to be known for its ambience so that people think of us as the preferred destination when they have a birthday or an anniversary to celebrate,” she says.
Chan is also keen to gather feedback from customers, ensuring that any changes to the menu and overall dining experience are well-received.
“It’s important to reassure our existing customers that we’re not making any drastic changes,” Chan emphasises. “We’re keeping the dishes that people already love, and we’re adding new options to improve and expand the menu.”
Michael echoes this sentiment.
“We want to see Chinadina grow and create more employment opportunities in the area and to honour and continue the trajectory that Tim and Chloe had in mind when they opened the restaurant,” he said. “We just want to see the business continue to grow making people happy and to provide a slightly different Asian dining experience.”
From my perspective, the future of Chinadina appears to be in good hands. The combination of Michael’s business acumen, Henry’s culinary skills, and Chan’s commitment to customer service creates a promising recipe for success. As Noosaville continues to evolve as a culinary destination, Chinadina is well-positioned to remain a local favourite, offering a taste of modern Asian cuisine. I’ll certainly be returning soon to sample the autumn menu and I’ll be sure to save some room for mango sticky rice!
