Japanese cuisine with a sprinkling of other East Asian-inspired twists takes centre stage at Nonda, a striking 110-seater restaurant located at Gasworks Plaza. The newest venue from Eastern Culinary Collective is described as the sister venue to ECC’s Sunshine Coast restaurant Soka, with an ultra-modern, industrial-inspired interior (visible through two sizeable plaza-facing windows) boasting a mix of concrete and timber, with pops of green adding a touch of softness to a sizeable space. If you’ve dined at Soka, you might see some similar flavours on the Nonda menu, but Korean and Chinese influences enhance the Japanese-inspired foundations, with a host of Nonda-exclusive share-style dishes also to be found. Highlights include Mooloolaba king prawns bathing in shiso butter, sashimi tacos with fermented chilli and avocado cream, and black vinegar sweet-and-sour pork with puffed rice crackers. Drinks are a big focus too, with a lengthy bar pouring wines from the likes of Aphelion, Rieslingfreak and La Linea, as well as Sapporo on tap and a tight list of cleverly concocted cocktails.