Tempest Seafood Restaurant and Teppanyaki Grill — Restaurant in Greater Brisbane

Valentines Day - what a disaster! Fortunately we had the good sense to leave. It started from when the booking was placed. We were offered a table in the "new section". I had to pay $100 deposit, then later received a call to pre-order meals. The deposit I could understand but pre-ordering? We arrive, and after some time the manager noted down our order at the reception counter to presumably go to the kitchen. Then we were led to the "new section" which turned out to be like a large carport replete with painted concrete floors and steel beams.

The restaurant furniture was plastic, no table cloth, small wine glasses like you would get at an RSL club. Their only concession to Valentines Day was two balloons at one end of the carport and one rose petal per table. We settled in - then we learn that the manager had not put our order in. If the place was really busy I could understand but it was average busy. So 40 minutes later we get the entree which amounted to 5 tiny scallops on a bed of green mush in a bowl with canola oil and a lot of garlic. The scallops were not properly cooked and the garlic was over-powering. I noted that the couple next to us (lady with Gucci bag looking very out of place) stayed for the seafood platter which appeared very underwhelming.

After that we got up and walked out with the waiter, past the other manager in his shorts and hiking boots who could not care less, got $50 back and left. Went next door and bought a kilo of prawns and later a few items from a grocery store then sat near the beach and had a lovely time. This restaurant at one time was quite good and I can understand that some people would find it acceptable. The old restaurant area at least has a bit of character, and some of their seafood might be ok, but even allowing for low Queensland expectations, this place is really not very good. The owners/managers have capable staff but the owners do not have a clue about running a quality restaurant in my opinion. And the food is...

Tempest Seafood Restaurant and Teppanyaki Grill

I was visiting Brisbane to see my family. I suggested we go find somewhere and have a seafood lunch. Mum suggested Tempest which is near Morgan's Seafood Market.

I was with my parents and one of my daughters. Without a reservation we were seated at a table for six on the upper level, which as it turned out was perfect. It gave us more elbow room.

On perusing the menu we agreed to two Scarborough Platters. Each platter has both hot and cold seafood suitable for two people.

We had to wait about 30 minutes but it was worth the wait. The platters were large rectangular metal trays on a heavy wooden stand. The set up is impressive.

Each platter consisted of Moreton Bay bugs, hot garlic prawns, cooked cold prawns, battered whiting fillets, a pot of cooked mussels in a tomato-based sauce, sushi rolls with the associated accoutrement of pickled ginger and soy sauce, natural oysters, kilpatrick oysters, smoked salmon, calamari, mixed fruit, salad, and the best chips I've eaten in a long time.

This would have to be one of the best value hot and cold seafood platters I've enjoyed in a long time. The mussels were a real treat, my had daughter had been expressing how she was not a fan of mussels because she had only experienced the cold variety on offer at seafood buffets. Such mussels are often a little chewy and tasteless. These hot mussels were tender and very tasty.

The oysters were small but plump and full of flavour. The Moreton Bay bugs were quite large and full of flesh. I really liked the addition of the sushi rolls too.

The only disappointments, if I can call them that, were the beer battered fish and the crumbed calamari. Both were a little soggy. That said the fish was delicious and the calamari was tender.

I'd highly recommend the Scarborough Platter for two at Tempest...

We chose this venue as we have had many lovely dinners here in the past, but but unfortunately, it fell well short of expectations.

The fresh seafood entrée was nicely presented and tasted fresh, but it was seriously overpriced for the portion size. For mains, I had the cha sui pork belly. While the pork was tender, it was overwhelmingly fatty, with no effort made to render or crisp the fat. It was slopped unceremoniously onto a mountain of plain rice, accompanied by limp vegetables. The sauce was overpowering — like someone had spilled an entire bottle of Chinese five spice into the pan. There was zero finesse in the plating or the balance of flavours. Honestly, my weeknight dinners look and taste better. Unfortunately I did not finish the meal. My husband ordered a pasta seafood dish we’ve enjoyed in the past, but this time it was a letdown. The seafood wasn’t fresh, the pasta was drenched in butter, and the whole dish lacked seasoning or any real flavour. It was thrown into the bowl with no care or attention. These were both listed as “signature mains,” yet neither lived up to the label — or the price tag.

The service unfortunately didn’t do much to lift the experience. The waitstaff didn’t seem particularly engaged, and we could overhear some frustration from staff about having to stay late due to a late-arriving group. It created an atmosphere that felt a little uninviting.

In the end, it was an underwhelming and costly meal that left us still hungry and disappointed — not what we had hoped for on a special occasion like our anniversary. While we appreciate that every venue has its off days, this one missed the mark for us, and we’re unlikely to...