Seaside Flavours

OCT 2010

WITH history running back to the late 1960s Sydney culinary scene, Angelo and Nick Omeros have created a family culture based on fine dining.

The signature dish at their Omeros Bros Seafood Restaurant comprises a thick, juicy snapper fillet grilled in lemon butter and served with an avocado, tomato and cucumber salsa salad with a side of home-made lemon scented and oregano potato wedges.

A special fish main also adds flexibility and value to the menu. In this instance it was a delicious grilled Tasmanian salmon steak with a crispy skin, served on an apple and balsamic saffron risotto cake.

Picking from a range of enticing hot and cold entrees proved tricky, but it’s hard to go past a rich, creamy prawn curry dish or soft calamari with a perfectly weighted light batter.

Desert is a simpler choice, with the vanilla or strawberry crepes almost as famous as the restaurant’s seafood.

The crepes are openly cooked in the middle of the restaurant to entice the senses and with a sweet caramelised texture blending flawlessly with fresh cream and ice cream; it’s easy to see why the chef is continuously cooking them throughout the night.

Restaurant manager Robert Rank, says Omeros Bros sources fresh produce from around the country to ensure continuity.

“Absolutely fresh seafood is what people want and that’s what we are famous for,” he says.

“We often go up to the local trawlers to see what produce they have (and) often they have beautiful pearl perch or whiting. Currently our Atlantic salmon is coming from Tasmania and mud crabs from the tropical north.”

An array of delicious crustaceans, pastas and fish dishes is on offer, but according to Rank the most popular by far is the Omeros Bros Signature Snapper.

“Regular diners are creatures of habit and nine times out of 10 the locals order the snapper before even opening the menu,” he says.

Omeros Bros recently extended its trading hours to operate continuously throughout the day. The decision was made due to overwhelming demand and changing consumer habits.

“Being in the restaurant industry is a constant learning process and opening the restaurant for full-day dining is another part of keeping up with an evolving society,” says Rank.

“Diners can now come in at 4 or 5pm for dinner. It offers greater flexibility for our clientele and also boosts the number of customers we can serve each day.”

Rank first joined Angelo and Nick when the restaurateurs relocated from Sydney to open Paragon Seafood Restaurant at Burleigh Heads 25 years ago. He attributes the ongoing popularity of the Marina Mirage restaurant to three things – service, consistency and fresh, quality seafood.

“We know we are doing something right when 60 per cent of the customers are regulars, either locals or people who regularly visit the Gold Coast. Every night when I walk through the restaurant I know at least 50-60 per cent of the clientele; it’s a really nice feeling,” he says.