Trevor Pepys reviews Light Years Asian Bar and Diner, Noosa Junction
We were supposed to be going somewhere else in the Junction, but Trevor doesn’t like it when his calls go unanswered and his increasingly hostile messages likewise. So, since our party of four had Asian in mind, we stuck to the theme but, instead of breaking new ground, revisited the dependable and sometimes inspired Light Years.
A confession: last time Trev went to Light Years he went a bit silly on the beef rendang and red wine and was confined to quarters the next day. No reflection on the house rendang – Trev has been a connoisseur since early days in the Padang Makan roadhouses, and now swears by the treatment Bambu in Seminyak, Bali, gives to this quintessential Indonesian dish. It was the red wine combo rather than the beef that did him in. But this time we avoided the big, rich dish and went instead for some share plates.
But first, Trev had as usual a photographable thirst, so front of house Leon was sent running for a bottle of Pizzini pinot grigio ($48), an eminently quaffable King Valley drop. If you’re going to drink the domestic product rather than the Italian, you can’t do much better than a King Valley, and while there are a few good ones to choose from (including the Nugan Estate), Trev favours the citrus blends of the Pizzini.
Okay, that will be enough wine wanking. On with the tucker! We chose to launch with the kingfish ceviche ($24), succulent fish subtly cured in coconut, chilli and kaffir lime. What a great way to start a meal. No complaints from our lot, other than another bottle of Pizzini, Leon, and don’t spare the horses.
Next came the shitake, ginger and chestnut wontons ($16) and the miso caramel eggplant ($22). To be honest, I’ve had better wontons. The black vinegar seemed to overwhelm the sesame and coriander, and if there was a low point in a high-scoring meal, this was it. But the eggplant (not Trev’s favourite vegetable) was a pleasant surprise, with the very ingredients buried in the wontons shining through.
Then came the dish of the night, so good we had to double down while trebling on the Pizzini. The chicken yakitori in a sweet plum glaze ($18) was everything you expect of this simple Japanese staple, and so much more. If you’re going to call yourself a diner, then you have to get the basic Asian street dishes just right, and at Light Years they seem to have got that one down pat.
Light Years is a chain of three these days, with the fairly recent addition of Burleigh Heads to the Byron original and its Noosa counterpart. Not having been to the others, Trev can’t complain about economies of scale eating into originality, so he won’t. But Noosa’s version is easy on the eye, a pleasant space in which to graze (I don’t know why they need such a big bar – is it for cocktail dancing?) with excellent service from staff who are friendly rather than gushy.
The verdict? Good value pan-Asian offering with a few real treats. Trev will be back.
Light Years Asian Bar and Diner. 1 Sunshine Beach Road, Noosa Junction. Phone 5447 4814. Open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday.
