Danielle Gjestland’s first customer-facing job was at age 14, scooping ice-cream for holidaymakers on Noosa’s Hastings Street. Ten years later she’d opened a restaurant. Sixteen years on, and countless late nights later, Wasabi isn’t just flourishing – it’s Queensland’s top-rated regional eatery.
“I didn’t know how to be a restaurateur when I was 24 and opened Wasabi,” admits Gjestland who jumped in feet-first fuelled by a need for challenge and an affinity for Japanese food and culture. “I had to learn quickly: I learnt it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them and don’t repeat them.”
As a restaurateur, there’s a constant pressure to evolve. Gjestland endlessly refines the Wasabi experience, from its chic interiors to floor service and beyond. Little remains of the Japanese eatery that opened originally in Noosa’s neighboring suburb of Sunshine Beach and moved to its current riverfront digs a decade ago.
Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Gourmet Traveller.
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Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Gourmet Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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