Ocean Beach Pavilion

When he moved to the Mornington Peninsula, Jerome Borazio (the “Jerome” behind St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, as well as St Jerome’s – The Hotel, Ponyfish Island and Back Alley Sally’s) found that whenever he craved a killer Asian feast, he ended up Melbourne-bound.

So, he and Mornington mates Mark Hinkley (The Emerson) and snowboarder Scotty James brought a bright, casual bar and eatery to Sorrento.

The family-friendly, indoor-outdoor space is in a former brewhouse on Ocean Beach Road. It features a sunny deck dotted with palm trees; and an easy, breezy lounge area (with a playground to keep the littlies occupied).

Celebrated restaurateur Teage Ezard (Gingerboy, Ezard at Levantine Hill and the now-closed Ezard) created the hawker-style menu, Gingergirl. It includes steamed pork dumplings with spicy Sichuan sauce; Mooloolaba prawn cocktail rolls with oakleaf lettuce; fluffy bao stuffed with master-stock pork belly or crisp eggplant; Chiang Mai sausage hotdogs with chilli-tamarind relish; and salt-and-pepper chicken ribs with Korean barbeque sauce.

And that Southeast Asian influence bleeds into the morning menu, which features a breakfast banh mi with pork, a fried egg, hoisin and pickled carrot and daikon, and scrambled eggs with curry leaves, roti and herby yoghurt.

There are also more traditional breakfast options, such as saucy bacon and egg rolls, three-cheese toasties with caramelised onion, and house-made banana bread with vanilla-and-wattleseed ricotta. Plus, pastries, cakes and takeaway coffee.

Out back you'll find the Prawn Shack, where you can pick up buckets of fresh Mooloolaba prawns – at wholesale prices – for dine in or takeaway.

Drinks-wise, expect local wine, craft beer and creative cocktails – such as a zingy sour with Earl Grey gin liqueur and limoncello, and a refreshing Highball with Japanese whisky and plum wine.