Spirit House

Ph: 5446 8994; 4 Ninderry Rd, YANDINA 4561 www.spirithouse.com.au

Modern Asian, $$ +, ** for Ambience
Open Lunch 7 days noon-2.30pm Dinner Wed-Sat 6pm-11pm; Licensed; DC MC V EFT
Chef Kelly Lord (27-12-07) Owner Helen Brierty (27-12-07)

Mietta's Review
Difficult to beat this serene bush setting. The main kitchen area of this charming U shaped restaurant straddles a lagoon amongst tropical bush. Water Dragons come here for romance, so should you. Asian influenced food is served in an efficiently, friendly manner on undressed timber tables, burgundy linen napkins. At night, light filters through the foliage and reflects off the water. Dishes are thoughtfully prepared and a good wine selection by bottle and glass are well matched. Truly a dining experience you'll remember. Cooking lessons are held in this setting.

Other published opinions

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2009 "This Sunshine Coast stalwart distils the essence of Thai cooking, both on the plate and in its tropical surrounds"

Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide "Spirit House is a Thai-inspired folly amid rainforest plantings and exotic statuary. After 13 years, the cuisine and landscaping are well established - a combination that more than compensates for the off-beaten-track location"

Brisbane Times Score: 15/20 "Short of visiting South-East Asia, it's difficult to imagine a more serene and apt setting for Thai dining than this Sunshine Coast stalwart"

Courier Mail food and wine guide Queensland 2008 Score: 15.5/20, One Hat "It's hard to imagine a malign spirit that wouldn't be appeased by the tranquillity and beauty of the restaurant setting, and the superb food that emanates from the kitchen"

Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide "It could be the restful lagoon, lush gardens or the many smiling statues of Buddha. It might be the vibrant flavours and heady but balanced dressings and accompaniments"

Brisbane News Dining Out Guide 2007 "Lovers of quality Asian food and tranquil dining have come from far and wide to experience a feast for the senses at Helen Brierty's restaurant"

Gourmet Traveller 2007 Australian Restaurant Guide "The Spirit House experience is so unique and uplifting that diners continue to seek it out in droves. The cuisine is described as Modern Asian, but in essence it's Thai. And it's very, very good Thai powerful, heady and exotic, honed to a sharp, modern edge."

Gourmet Traveller 2006 Australian Restaurant Guide "Dining at Spirit House is an almost magical experience. The fabulous setting, wrapped around a lagoon and surrounded by lush tropical forest, gives the restaurant a rare tranquillity and transports the diner to a location that seems a lot more exotic than the Queensland hinterland."

Courier-Mail Goodlife Restaurant Guide 2006 "A pathway winding through a forest of tropical plants and surrounded by streams and carved statues leads the way to the Spirit House. At night the gardens are lit up by fairy lights and lanterns."

Brisbane News Eating Out Guide 2006 "Wander through the gates into a tranquil tropical location, where the lake is home to frogs, ducks and water dragons. The food takes its lead from Thailand"

Courier-Mail Goodlife Restaurant Guide 05 ** "Visitors approach the restaurant along a pathway winding through a forest of tropical plants. Streams, carved statues and little spirit houses line the route and at night hundreds of fairy lights and lanterns transform the landscape into something special. The restaurant is built across and around a lake which has become home to ducks, bearded dragons, kingfishers and other wildlife. The food matches the setting"

Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide 2005 "The most striking feature of this hinterland restaurant is the incredible setting. Built around a man-made lake and bamboo forest, Spirithouse places the diner amid tranquil surrounds. Thai, Malaysian and Chinese influences are apparent in the menu"

The Age Good Food Guide 2005 "this tropical sanctuary with ruby red pavilion and waterlily lake is a refreshing sea change."

Brisbane News Dining Out Guide 2004 "An immensely popular cooking school and restaurant, the Spirit House has a strong Thai influence in everything it does. Tropical Asian gardens and ponds surround the restaurant"

Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Australia 2004,'This is a tropical setting for The Spirit House whose open verandas beside the lake provide a cool shelter for diners...modern Asian, the food shows a heavy Thai and Malaysian influence, albeit with some innovative interpretation...Service is as gentle as the surrounds...wine list is limited but a good array of fresh whites'

Brisbane News 2002 Eating Out Guide