As we exit the lift, we hit a series of elevated boardwalks – one crossing a beach volleyball court, another a long pool glowing a shade of cobalt in the darkness, while a DJ pumps dance music beneath a ring of lights and speakers.

It feels like we’re at Miami Swim Week in Florida, the boardwalks are the catwalk and we’re about to get overtaken by a bikini-clad model strutting her stuff for a front row of fashion elite.

Instead, we’re at the Gold Coast’s hottest new dining and lifestyle precinct, Cali Beach Club. The $10m development from Australian hospitality group Artesian sits in the heart of Surfers Paradise and is perched on a rooftop boasting a series of pools, bars and cabanas.

Billed as an adults’ playground, it is for over 18s to work on their tans and sip cocktails in the sun, while at night some of the country’s best DJs drop sets to kick up the party vibes.

It opened in September and has become the place to see and be seen, with a list of celebs from movie stars to models and TV personalities all regulars. Then last month it expanded its offering, launching new Japanese restaurant Sake Sisters. Under a jagged white roof, the restaurant sits at the side of the complex with no walls so diners can feel part of the tropical paradise, giving them front row access to the debauchery that is bound to come from an all-day watering hole.

Staff are beyond enthusiastic and friendly, from the young girl on the front desk downstairs, to the greeter at the base of the catwalk, as well as the waitstaff and restaurant manager who doubles as sommelier and expert in all things Japanese liquor.

As for the food, chef Marcelino Papio Jr. (ex- Nobu and Toko, Sydney) has created a popular menu of snacks, raw dishes, sushi, tempura, yakitori and items from the grill designed to appeal to the masses, while offering a few twists from the norm.

The cheeseburger gyoza ($22) is one such example. The East-meets-West creation features a dense ball of wagyu mince and runny melted comte cheese inside a rubbery dumpling wrapper, dressed with a wholegrain mustard vinaigrette. It’s not to my taste, but has my dinner date in raptures.

Consensus is reached, however, with the kingfish uzusukuri ($24). We agree it’s an exciting bite of sweet and saltiness from a honey and soy dressing, while bursting yuzu pearls provide acid, and jalapenos, heat.

The fire factor continues with the spicy avocado and seaweed sushi rolls ($16), though it’s more a smoulder than an inferno. The glossy white rice and wafer-thin layers of creamy, fanned avocado help counteract any intensity from the spicy mayo and togarashi.

For the vegetarian there’s roasted cauliflower ($22) served three ways with a real umami undertone; while the batter on the Moreton Bay bug tempura ($25) is a little thick and underseasoned.

A terrific cocktail menu with signature mixes harnessing Japanese flavours including sake, yuzu and umeshu gives diners reason to linger after dinner, as do flights of sake and Japanese whisky. A few more wine varietals would be welcomed to complement the menu.

As for those who need dessert to finish a meal, the liquid vanilla cheesecake ($18) is a more than satisfying conclusion, though the term liquid is used a little loosely. More simply it’s a deconstructed cheesecake with piped cream cheese atop a scattering of buttery biscuit pebbles with a sheet of crisp and set acidic
apple gel across the top bringing vibrancy and freshness.

Sake Sisters is still in its infancy and easing into its offering with plans to build into a more comprehensive and boundary-pushing menu as time progresses. If this is an early indicator of its potential, there’s plenty to get excited about.

Related restaurant news: The Calile Hotel welcomes sophisticated Sushi Room into its fold