Yum.Wasabi — Restaurant in Sunshine Coast Regional

As a Melbournian who came to the Sunshine coast for a holiday, we were very much taken by surprise when we stumbled across a homey-feeling restaurant just short of 20 metres from Dicky Beach's coastline.

We were first welcomed by decorations and architecture that was reminiscent of the izakaya bars that lined the backstreets of Japan's cities during its post-war era.

The seats on the exterior of the restaurant offered for a great dinner night out in Dicky Beach's warm coastal breeze.

When it came to ordering, we were very much pleasantly surprised as the menu included dishes from Japanese Unagi Omelette Rice to Thai Green Curry, to anything and everything in between as the innovative fusion dishes bring about a creative but yet delicious take on Asian cuisine

We started off our dinner with a serving of Nasu Miso - an otherwise boring vegetable, the eggplant, marinated, grilled and glazed in a generous portion of Miso. If you do come here, this is the one appetiser that is a definite must-try with the Miso glaze adding a whole new layer of flavour to the eggplant and one that tricks your taste buds into thinking "this was an eggplant?" as you savour every bite. The battered purple potato chips and Kuki Furai (crispy fried oysters) produces a taste palette like no other - with a very comforting flavour from the fries, to the more daring and robust oyster, topped with a spicy tobiko aioli wasabi piece.

When it came to our mains, as a group of 5, we decided to share the dishes amongst us - as to be able to try as many of the items as possible. Here, we decided to order our go-to Thai curry, Thai Green Curry - compared to other Thai restaurants we tried this far this definitely had a much creamier texture and with a spice level that the chef adjusted to your liking, ours had a nice 'kick' to it. A dish that stood out to us was the Tom Yum Fried Rice, as a fan of fried rice, we ordered it on a whim - but we definitely don't regret doing so! When it was served, the tom yum coated rice glistered and smelt fresh from the wok. It had a nice spice to it and when paired with crispy pork, it gave for a satisfying meal.

This was later followed by the infamous Unagi Tamago Don. This was a really interesting take on the famous Japanese sweet-sauce coated grilled eel, and a take that worked really well. With the tangy and umami-rich omelette, wrapped around a rectangular bed of rice, and finally topped with the Unagi and a generous but yet controlled portion of teriyaki sauce makes this dish one to come back again for. The Yaki Udon was a simple yet effective Japanese stir fry dish - a great comfort food dish that leaves you wanting more afterwards.

Saving the best for last, arguably one of the best dishes we tried this far, the infamous Thai Pad See Ew. With duck as our topping of choice, the air wafted of stir fry. The deep smell signature complemented the perfectly balanced stir fry dish - making for an absolute treat for all five of us to enjoy! As a tip from us, if you can handle it, definitely go for the more spicy option as the spice adds a whole new layer of flavour to this delicious dish. This is the one dish you shouldn't miss out on!

If the previous dishes have told us anything about this small cosy restaurant, it was the fact that the food here is one that our taste buds will be happy consuming anytime - so we decided to spoil ourselves and get a dessert. We were feeling quite full at that point, so we only ordered one dessert - a roti with ice-cream. It was almost an asian-ified version of the popular banana split, except instead of a banana, it was a flaky fried pancake (think croissant, but flat and better!). This dish wrapped up our night here beautifully - with a perfect combination of both sweet and savoury.

Our trip to the Sunshine coast greeted us with beaches and mountains, and finished off at such a memorable and delicious beach-side restaurant.

An easy 5/5 from us. Unparalleled service, unforgettable food and a truly...

After what felt like eons, my wife and I finally managed to escape for a long-overdue date night, and what better place to celebrate than Yum Wasabi at Kings Beach? Let’s just say—it did not disappoint!

We kicked things off with a bottle of Junmai Daiginjo sake, so smooth it practically whispered sweet nothings to our taste buds. For entrées, we indulged in Kaki Furai—crispy, deep-fried oysters that were golden perfection—and Tako Wasabi, a delightful dish featuring marinated octopus with a wasabi kick that cleared the sinuses in the most enjoyable way.

Then came the mains: I went for the "Boom Boom" New Zealand Mussel Curry, which was an explosion of flavour (true to its name). The mussels were plump, the sauce was rich, and every bite had me contemplating how soon was too soon to lick the bowl. Meanwhile, my wife dived into the Basil Chilli Chicken, which had just the right balance of heat and aromatics—spicy enough to keep things interesting, but not so much that I had to surrender my sake to put out the fire.

Dessert was a game-changer. We indulged in black sticky rice with coconut gel, which was delightfully creamy and comforting, and the mochi rice cake stuffed with ice cream, a sweet, chewy, and downright addictive way to end the night.

But the real MVP of the evening? Vip, the owner. She is an absolute legend—so warm, welcoming, and clearly passionate about delivering top-notch food and service. She made us feel like regulars, even though it was our first time, and her recommendations were spot on.

Verdict: If you haven’t been to Yum Wasabi, go. Now. Seriously. Just book a table, grab some sake, and let Vip take care of the rest. We’ll definitely be back—this time, sooner...

An easy 5-star experience. This unassuming cornerstore restaurant/takeaway is punching well above its weight in all areas.

The venue is humble but cheerfully decorated. All tables were served by one woman who was hospitable, gracious, attentive and went above and beyond to provide a memorable dining experience. For example, I witnessed her give two glow sticks to two boys at a seperate table much to their delight. They immediately ran off and had a sort of light saber battle down the footpath. This small act made they whole groups evening and was a good example of the sort of service that seems to be the norm here.

I ordered the miso eggplant and the chefs special Tom Yum Prawn Linguine. While the former was a fairly straightforward Japanese style eggplant dish, the latter was an exquisitely executed fusion of Thai and Italian cooking. The prawns were large, flavoursome and numerous, the tom Yum flavour was rich and delicious, aromatic and spicy to just the right degree.

Do yourself a favour and visit this delightful venue, you won’t be...