On the basis of its stunning ocean vista alone, it’s no wonder that bookings are recommended for Rick Shores at ­Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast. The ­restaurant is perched just above the shoreline – in fact it was closed for a while in June last year after waves, blown up by a massive storm combined with a king tide, crashed through the front windows.

On a fine day, the vista straight ahead is a close-up of surfers zipping by on the ­rolling swell, then, to the left, across the wide, sandy beach to the distant cityscape of Surfers Paradise.

Rick Shore’s interior fitout is low-key, with foldaway windows letting the outside in, polished concrete flooring, bare tables and a sailcloth-style roof. It’s a split-level design and there are no tables for two in the prime front section, with couples placed along an ocean-facing bench on the second level.

It becomes clear from the arrival of our first dish that the food – a mash-up of Asian influences – is every bit as appealing as the surrounds.

A new bar snack menu doubles as an appetiser and entree list along with a “raw bar” selection of oysters, sashimi and beef tartare. A delicate crab and prawn dumpling in a shallow pond of broth is ­scattered with ginger chive and bonito flakes ($6), and a braised steam bun with a luscious shiitake centre ($6) is enlivened by a dip in a piquant sauce of red vinegar and chilli oil. Equally alluring is a pork belly slider ($6) adorned by white kimchi and Sichuan caramel, although almost everyone in the place seemed to be chowing down on rolls of fried bug, gem lettuce and sriracha mayo ($12). Next time.

Mains include wagyu scotch fillet with black sesame, yuzu and king brown mushrooms ($52) or twice-cooked duck with ­rosella, kohlrabi, radish and five spice ($50). A more economical approach could be to choose the $60 per person set lunch (the dinner banquet is $75), which on our visit includes the bug roll and a yellow curry – a lovely, fragrant bowl of the flavour-steeped sauce, king prawn, coriander and crispy ­garlic ($36). Best of all is the lamb rump ($50), ­encrusted with a concoction that ­includes sesame and seaweed, and served medium rare with a rich bone marrow ­butter, seaweed and pickled turnip.

Desserts are inventive but the matcha tea-flavoured bread and butter pudding ($15) with black sesame sorbet and a splodge of golden raisin compote didn’t appeal to me as much as it did to my dining companion. Pavlova with shards of coconut parfait, semi-dried pineapple and a spiced rum cream ($15) was sweeter and more coherent.

Rick Shores has nailed that elusive X-factor of ambience and menu appeal, assisted by clued-up if very busy staff, a fine wine list with some reasonably priced by-the-glass options and an enticing array of cocktails.

It’s not at all about being a room with a view; that’s just the (admittedly quite fabulous) window dressing for very decent food.

This review originally appeared on couriermail.com.au.