East, Broadbeach

Thursday night is Ladies night at East Restaurant & Lounge Bar. It also happens to be half-price meals and drinks at their restaurant.  Perfect excuse to rustle up a gaggle of girlfriends for cheap eats and drinks!
I hadn't ventured into East since it changed over from Quest nightclub a couple of years ago, which is probably why I mistakenly took the back alleyway entrance when arriving.  There is now a bar attached to the club with street frontage on Surf Parade, called Chairman Mao. I had arrived earlier than my group of girlfriends so was lead back downstairs, to wait at the bar.  It had a nice warm feel and had a couple of comfortable lounges and a row of bar seating.
On the arrival of my friends, we were lead back upstairs to the club/dining area. Reorienting myself to what was once Quest nightclub, I realised we were seated smack bang in the middle of the dance floor.  If you hadn't been to the venue before, it probably wouldn't be obvious that you were in the middle of a nightclub.  They do a good job of disguising what the venue transforms into later in the evening. 
My girlfriends and I loved the decor. It was a melange of  South-East Asian cultural icons.  Red was the dominant colour.  The lighting was very moody and cast red and purple hues across the restaurant.  Above the main bar was a beautifully cheeky portrait of a Geisha.  The ceiling was adorned with delicate red lanterns and ornate chandeliers. 
Being the food  cyber stalker that I am, I had already chosen what I wanted to order when we made the decision to dine here.  The menu is on the website (bonus!) and certainly does well in whetting the appetite. The menu is a fusion of typical Western fare, Mediterranean and East Asian/South-East Asian.  The menu is half-price on Thursday nights, and drinks $42 and under are also half-price. This made for a very affordable night out.
We decided on the Tomato and Olive Bruschetta ($4.45) to start with.

We were told that the serve was six pieces, but it actually came as five. No biggie.  The crunchy crostini  was covered with a salsa of  Roma tomatoes, Kalamata olives, grilled mushrooms, Spanish onion and a drizzle of an aged balsamic reduction.  It was delicious and light enough to start the meal without filling us up.


For main I decided on the Crab Lasagna ($12.45).  It was a mix of prawn and crab (some might like to call it crawn) layered between perfectly cooked pasta sheets, covered with an abalone spiked "laksa carbonara" sauce sprinkled with coriander and a florette of basil. I have a thing for crab lasagna, and ordering this was risky as I have had two of the best crab lasagnas in Queensland (Shuck and Il Centro) to compare this to.

Well let me assure you, this dish did not disappoint (despite my shoddy photography).  I was in heaven!  Every mouthful was delicious and the layers of crab and prawn were generous. The laksa spice addition to the bechamel made for the perfect combination.  The only thing that would have made this better was if I had ordered some greens to compliment the creaminess of the dish. I enjoyed this so much that I may have trouble ordering anything else if I dine here again.  I always trap myself with one favourite dish at a restaurant.


Two of my friends opted for steak dishes, one getting the Surf'n'Turf, and the other getting what I think was the Tenderloin in Red Wine Jus. Whilst I didn't sneak a taste of either, satisfied groans were coming from across the table, signalling that my friends were happy with their choice.

 

I managed to steal a taste of one of my friends' main. She had the Chicken Surf'N'Turf ($13.95), which was a honey-soy marinated chicken breast served with garlic prawns with  mash and grilled vegies.  I always steer clear of chicken breast when I dine out.  I usually find it is overcooked and too dry.  This however, was cooked perfectly and I had a little bit of food envy.

We all decided to indulge in the desserts. The dessert list wasn't huge, but had a couple of interesting dishes. We were all intrigued by the Dessert Sushi on offer. None of us tried it, but it sounds as though it might be worth trying on our next visit.   I had the Coconut Creme Brulee ($5.45), and it was delicious.  The toffee on the top passed the Amelie test, and cracked beautifully when I tapped it with with my spoon.  The coconut creme was subtly flavoured and very moreish.  The creme hadn't set as well as a typical brulee, but it didn't make it any less enjoyable.  'Scuse the bad photo. 

At about 10pm we were advised that the dining tables were set to be packed up and that Ladies Night was due to start. We were ushered over to a very comfy booth, positioned next to the tropical fish tank. We settled down with some drinks and the DJ started with the lady pleasing tunes (RiRi!).  The obligatory ladies night topless waiters started their shift, and were great for comedic value, if nothing else. We ended up staying until about 2am, spurred on by the generous complimentary champagne.  A bottle turned up on our table in a Veuve Clicquot cooler, and we all looked accusingly at each other wondering who had had been a naughty yet generous woman.  Turns out it was complimentary and not a bottle of Veuve . Wishful thinking! It was still champagne AND it was free.  Happy!

I envisage more Thursday nights with my girlfriends at East.  The food was so well priced for the quality we were served. I'll definitely be heading back to East again.  

East Restaurant & Lounge Bar - Broadbeach 
Level 1 / 88 Surf Parade
Broadbeach
QLD 4218
Australia
P)07 5538 8868