Our friends in Brisbane have been on the Harajuku Gyoza bandwagon for a few years now, with lively, gyoza-fuelled venues in Fortitude Valley, South Bank, Brisbane City and Indooroopilly. So, when we dropped the news back in March that the Gold Coast was getting its own taste of the Harajuku goodness, we began licking our lips in anticipation. Well, the wait is over – Harajuku Gyoza is here and it has injected a whole new vibe into the new-look Oasis Shopping Centre precinct. Step inside and you’re greeted with a hearty “Irasshaimase”, before being met by four giant beer vats, pumping out Harajuku Gyoza’s own brand of Japanese craft beer and cider called Yoyogi. A range of six core beers will be brewed on-site every day, with a series of seasonal releases thrown into the mix. It doesn’t stop at ice-cold tap brews – the new Broadbeach Harajuku will serve cider floats – a mug of cider topped with an iced ‘slushie’ swirl, as well as a vibrant spread of cocktails, including the likes of frosé, the Umami Mary topped with katsuobushi salt and a Japanese plum-wine spritz.

Okay, beer aside (just for a moment). Let’s get to the juicy stuff – the food. The piping-hot gyoza is clearly the hero here, and rightly so. You’ll find these fresh pillows of goodness dripping in sauce with combinations like pork and kimchi, duck with spicy vinegar, and even a crispy three-cheese deep-fried gyoza. There are also ‘open gyozas’, similar to a mini taco, which are piled high with fresh ingredients like pork belly with pea shoots, apple, ginger and celery atop crispy gyoza skins. For a sweet, sweet finisher, you can’t go past the hot Nutella gyoza or the famous calorie-free raindrop cake. Though, the menu goes well beyond the mouth-watering gyoza – you’ll find everything from vibrant salmon sashimi-topped poke bowls and hearty chicken katsu burgers, to colourful Japanese salads, crunchy karaage chicken and build-your-own braised-duck baos. Wash it all down with a ‘growler’ (that’s 1.9 litres) of Yoyogi beer, or take your pick from the shelves of belly-warming Japanese whiskies and sakés.

If you want get your lips around some piping hot gyoza and your mitts on some icy-cold hops, then head over to our Stumble Guide for Harajuku Gyoza’s location and opening hours.