CAILLIN PALMERO
Widely regarded as the number one superfood, Acai has quickly taken over the Gold Coast’s breakfast scene and become a staple on many beach side café menus.
With its wide range of health benefits and sweet tasting flavour, it is no surprise that the Gold Coast has adopted the Brazilian superfood as its own.
Food critic for the Gold Coast Bulletin, Chantelle Logan said Acai suits the Gold Coast lifestyle.
“Our lifestyles are so complimentary, I think it’s a really natural fit for us. It probably has become one of our biggest trends around!” Ms Logan said.
After working as a food critic for the last twelve years, Ms Logan said the Gold Coast’s food culture has come a long way in a short space of time.
“I used to struggle so much to find a different restaurant every week and now I can’t even cover every one!” she said.
While Ms Logan tends to review more formal dishes, she admitted in her own time she eats Acai a lot.
“The best ones are definitely from Cardamom Pod in Broadbeach and Ferry road,” she said.
“There’s so much work in them and they’re so hard to finish because they are so big!”
“It’s almost hard to eat them because they’re so pretty!”
Food blogger, Gabrielle Stark agreed and said her favourite bowl was also from Cardamom Pod.
“All the different fruits are so delicious and they always look pretty,” Ms Stark said.
Cardamom Pod’s resident Acai bowl maker, Magdalena said their Acai bowls are popular because their recipes and bowl designs are constantly updated.
“We try to do something new every time we make them. We’re always changing the fruit and design,” Magdalena said.
With many cafes now serving acai bowls on the Gold Coast, the competition is heating up.
However, Magdalena said the trick to a good acai bowl is the texture.
“It’s all about the texture. It has to be like frost- not too runny but not too cold and there has to be lots of fruits and granola!” she said.
While the local food scene will continue to evolve, Chantelle said that Acai will remain a popular choice with Gold Coast locals for a long time.
“I don’t think it’s going to go anywhere,” she said.