April 11th, 2025 -- The Sunshine Coast Asian Food Festival is returning to Spicers Tamarind Retreat on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August 2025. Visitors to the verdant 18-acre property just outside Maleny will be served a spicy blend of the region’s most iconic Asian restaurants simmered in a nourishing afternoon of live music, chilled drinks and market stalls.  Make a weekend of it with Spicers Tamarind Retreat’s ‘Complete Package’ that includes either a one night/one day experience or 2 nights/2 days.  

Come to savour unique, street-food style dishes from the iconic Spirit House restaurant, as well as local favourites Rice Boi, and the Retreat’s own Tamarind Restaurant led by Sunshine Coast native and acclaimed executive chef, Daniel Jarrett. 

As a flagship experience of the award-winning Curated Plate Food and Drink Festival, the Sunshine Coast Asian Food Festival is thrilled to work with the Curated Plate festival’s Culinary Director, Peter Kuruvita. The renowned chef, restaurateur, TV presenter and author is a Sunshine Coast local, and is on a mission to build connections between the region’s chefs, producers and venues. 

“It’s not just a celebration of incredible food and drink. It is also a testament to the collaborative spirit of the Sunshine Coast’s leading Asian-inspired restaurants,” Peter says. 

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE VIBRANT FLAVOURS OF ASIA 

For The Tamarind’s Daniel Jarrett, the Sunshine Coast Asian Food Festival is about putting on a feast of local produce for a happy crowd. 

“For all of these chefs, it’s an opportunity to put a spotlight on the amazing produce we get to use every day. We’ll cook for more people in an afternoon than we’d usually see in a week,” says Dan. 

This year The Tamarind will be serving Dan’s own recipe, barbecued half-shell scallops with roasted chilli jam, a coconut dressing and Asian herbs. 

Following its success last year, the Tamarind Oyster Bar will make a return alongside a champagne bar and desserts crafted by local favourite Maleny Food Co. The Tamarind Oyster Bar will showcase fresh oysters with yuzu ponzu. 

The ever-popular Rice Boi in Mooloolaba is returning to the festival with their expression of Asian street food, as Mitch Smith (co-owner) and James Fraser have the crowds salivating over their black sesame prawn toast with mandarin dashi caramel, dressed with a mayo made with sesame-based goma shabu sauce. 

A Sunshine Coast icon renowned for its peaceful garden setting, the Spirit House in Yandina will surprise and delight with ‘Phat Wag’ wagyu beef sate skewers, with a deep, rich black Indonesian sate sauce cut through with acar pickle. 

To match the sensational food on offer, an epic round of the Sunshine Coast’s own beverage producers will be pouring the drinks. 

THE PERFECT ARVO WITH AN ASIAN SPIN 

Giving foodies the perfect weekend escape to the country, Spicers are offering special one or two-night accommodation packages and transport options. 

Enjoy the shade and lush surrounds at Spicers Tamarind Retreat with picnic blankets and cushions on the slopes of the grassed amphitheatre. 

Return buses will run to Spicers Tamarind Retreat from Noosa, Caloundra and Mooloolaba on Saturday and Sunday. Buses are timed to arrive 15 minutes before the festival opens at 1:00pm and depart 15 minutes after the festival closes at 6:00pm. A park-and-ride shuttle will run between Spicers and the Cooke Park Maleny throughout both days. 

So, leave the car at home, bring a picnic blanket, relax in the sunshine with friends and family, and savour the amazing tastes of Asia at Spicers Tamarind Retreat, Saturday 2 - Sunday 3 August. 

THE COMPLETE PACKAGE FROM SPICERS TAMARIND RETREAT 

Spicers Tamarind Retreat are offering a special price on one and two-night accommodation packages so guests can make the absolute most of the 2025 Sunshine Coast Asian Food Festival. 

The two-day / two-night package begins on Friday 1 August with dinner at Tamarind Restaurant, breakfast on Saturday morning, tickets to the Festival on Saturday 2 March, a cheese and charcuterie feasting board on Saturday night, and breakfast Sunday 3 August: 

• Spa Studio: $2,516 for two guests 

• Falls Villa: $2,556 for two guests 

• Luxury Forest Villa, Orchard Villa or Gardner’s Villa: $2,556 for two guests, $3,166 for three guests, $3,776 for four guests. 

For the one-day package guests are asked to arrive before 11:30am on Sunday 3 August and enjoy the property before the festival kicks off at 1pm. The package includes Festival tickets, a cheese and charcuterie feasting board on Sunday night and breakfast Monday morning in Tamarind Restaurant: 

• Spa Studio: $1,358 for two guests 

• Falls Villa: $1,378 for two guests 

• Luxury Forest Villa, Orchard Villa or Gardner’s Villa: $1,378 for two guests, $1,727 for three guests, $2,076 for four guests. 

https://spicersretreats.com/events/sunshine-coast-asian-food-festival-2025/ 

Exclusive VIP Area: Group booking availability 

New this year, Spicers Tamarind Retreat presents an exclusive, bookable VIP Area perfect for a private corporate event or fancy day out with friends and family. Set within Tamarind’s private indoor/outdoor pavilion with a bird's eye view of the festival, the all-inclusive package includes exclusive use of the space, entry tickets, food tickets, a 5-hour free flowing beverage package with Taittinger, cocktails by Sunshine & Sons distillery, Brockenchack Wines and Brouhaha beer complete and dedicated waiter service. The VIP Lounge suits 30-40 guests.  

For more details and pricing visit: https://spicersretreats.com/events/sunshine-coast-asian-food-festival-2025/ 

SHOWCASING THE FINEST LOCAL CHEFS AND PRODUCE 

Under the tenure of executive chef and local legend, Dan Jarrett, since 2010, the award-winning Tamarind Restaurant and popular Tamarind Cooking School at Spicers Tamarind Retreat have become the region’s culinary gems for their fresh, inventive take on modern Asian cooking. 

Jarrett was raised on the Sunshine Coast where he lives with his young family and has been delighting foodies as a chef for nearly 30 years. He’s built an extraordinary insider’s knowledge of the region’s produce and suppliers, and helped create a thriving, supportive environment for the kitchen team members to craft culinary experiences that leave an indelible impression on their guests. 

The Curated Plate Food and Drink Festival is a celebration of the region’s produce, producers and chefs. The festival is an initiative of Sunshine Coast Council, supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism & Events Queensland, the Food and Agribusiness Network and Visit Sunshine Coast. 

The Official 2025 Curated Plate program will offer events across the region from July 25 to August 3, 2025, showcasing hundreds of local producers and suppliers. 

The 2024 Curated Plate festival attracted more than 7000 attendees to 85 events thanks to local businesses, producers and venues who participated in the region-wide culinary showcase. 

Spicers Tamarind Retreat is a series of discrete buildings and villas among a paradise of cool garden ponds, trickling fountains, wooden boardwalks and drooping palms that encircle the guest lounge pavilion and dining areas. Inviting walkways peel off into the rainforest, tempting you to savour a quiet moment surrounded by the lush gardens and rainforest beyond, as the sounds and smells of the festival beckon you to celebrate life. 

FESTIVAL TICKETS and TRAVEL 
Event: The Sunshine Coast Asian Food Festival, part of The Curated Plate 

Where: Spicers Tamarind Retreat, 88 Obi Lane South, Maleny QLD 

When: Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 August 2025 from 12:00pm to 5:00pm 

For Transportation information, Festival ticket prices and all other details please visit: https://thecuratedplate.com.au/page/sunshine-coast-asian-food-festival 

Tickets: on sale now through Humantix and Spicers Tamarind Retreat websites. 

SPICERS TAMARIND RETREAT  

Western luxury blended with eastern tranquility 

88 Obi Lane South, Maleny QLD 4553 

spicersretreats.com/retreats/spicers-tamarind-retreat/