By
Trevor Pepys reviews Embassy XO bar food
A confession: now and then Trev likes to do it standing up.
Eating, that is. It’s something that started in crowded corner pubs in London half a century ago, reared its head again in Asian markets where you can’t trust the plastic chairs, and became an art form in the tapas bars of Hondaribbia, San Sebastian and Barceloneta.
Of course, around Noosa it’s trés uncool to stand up to eat anywhere (and until recently Covid illegal) but Trev has been hankering after the feel of light and breezy bar food. A particular favourite, The Riviera overlooking the river at the Sofitel, deserves another visit before Hastings Street is officially closed to residents as the rabble descends, but the other night we were on our way to eat at the Junction ahead of the James Bond marathon when Trev suddenly had an epiphany – Embassy XO.
No, not the lovely but arm and a leg restaurant, but the verandah bar with the sea breeze wafting up Bryan Street, good wine and lots of delicious nibbles. At least that was how he remembered it from a distant visit, XO having been the quiet achiever of Asian fusion in this town since all the young guys and posh blokes with man buns were in nappies.
In we went with 90 minutes between an empty stomach and Daniel Craig’s last stand. After a cursory glance at the excellent but pricey wine list – “A peaceful setting, an adventurous modern Asian menu and a nicely put together wine list,” said the Australian Wine List of the Year Awards as they gave XO a gong last year – Trev opted for the second cheapest bottle he could find, which fortunately was the damn fine Dominique Portet Fontaine Shiraz Blend ($55) from the Yarra Valley.
The XO bar snacks menu is not vast but well thought out and everything enticed. What to do but order two times the lot. Well, almost. We started with the vegetarian spring rolls ($4 apiece) with peanut Nam Jim and moved pretty quickly into the duck pancakes ($6) with onion, cucumber and Hoi Sin, and the prawn dumplings ($5). As a closer, Trev chose the Wagyu beef wontons ($7), but was then tempted by another round of duck, this time the steamed bun ($6).
If five snack pieces doesn’t constitute a feed for you, just keep going, but for Trev and the missus, this was an elegant sufficiency, as Trev’s old grandpop used to say, cutting a ripe one for emphasis. And everything was delicious.
Well, okay, the prawn dumplings didn’t stand out from the pack, but compared with the mixed entrees fare around town, they more than passed muster. And the duck pancakes and Wagyu wontons were absolute stars.
The verdict: A casual, comfortable indoor/outdoor space with tables as well as bar settings, bright and breezy service and great tastes. The experienced, award-winning kitchen doesn’t cut corners on bar food, and it’s dependably excellent. In fact, when the Sunshine Beach glitterati starts to thin out after the holidays, Trev might have to treat himself to dinner inside.
Embassy XO, corner Duke and Bryan Streets, Sunshine Beach. Phone 5455 4460.