A First for Everything- S. Wong

This is a memoir I wrote for this course about the first time I had authentic Aussie cuisine. There is still some work to be done on it; but please read, enjoy, and tell me what you think! :)

Anything is worth trying once, right?

In November of 2007, I was exposed to a world I never thought I would experience through its food. With all the bizarre foods that are prepared all around, I never considered a common dish in Australia: kangaroo. This, along with various other traditional dishes where the center of a memorable night at Criolla’s. Chef Shayne outdid himself with some wine and “roo” on this, his down under menu.

I was not aware of what was in store for me that evening when I pulled up on the sandy trail behind the restaurant. The smells brewing throughout the kitchen greeted me as I walked in the back door and found myself face to face with people rushing in and out and all about the kitchen. What a rush I felt as I tied off my apron and walked up to my chef. As he explained what I would be doing, I noticed his accent came out even more than usual. He towered over me as we walked in and out of the different walk-in coolers gathering ingredients. I could feel my mind spin as we told me about the presentations for all the dishes a mile a minute, but I got it. I was ready.

The whole dinner was an incredible experience, but the most interesting aspect about it was enjoying it from behind the scenes. Being in the back as part of the production for such an event made me feel thrilled and proud of my restaurant, my chef, and myself. One by one, each dish would go out to our many awaiting guests, ready for entertainment through tastes just a short distance away from all the action. They were let around seven, and after a couple of hours of mingling the guests moved on to explore the flavors of Aussie culture in one night.

I first saw a layout of appetizer sized plates across every inch of the kitchen’s flat surfaces. A small bed of micro greens was placed in the center of each with an offset slice of langoustine lobster and a prawn strategically placed, resting on it. Criss-crossed atop them where two pieces of candied ginger and it was all drizzled with some ginger beer broth. When I tried it, I expected the broth to be warm with the chilled seafood, but to my surprise it was also cool. The bubbles from the beer tickled my tongue as the ginger kicked in with a zing. A light and refreshing feeling came over me as I took the last bite of the uplifting starter. In less than ten minutes, that course was wiped out of the kitchen and into the adjacent quarters where the guests’ reactions to the first course could be heard throughout the restaurant. “Whew!” I thought, “one down; six more to go.”

The next set of plates were lined up and ready to go, with Chef running about giving everyone their cues: “On to the roo, mates!” This was an Australian version of southern comfort food; this little meat pie was no pot pie. As if braising the kangaroo meat was not good enough, it was done in Shiraz: a delectable varietal of wine – rich in flavor and color – perfect for this gamey meat. A sweep of a spoon and down went the bush tomato relish with a juicy piece of kangaroo loin. A crisp, trimmed sprig of chive made a bridge between the pie and the medallion. Hallelujah bells rang as I nipped at the deformed piece that was left behind. That portion may have lacked points on presentation, but the flavor the petite pie packed was immeasurable. This was the highlight of the night, as it was the most unique dish I had ever eaten, and with that said, I must admit, I felt no remorse for the kangaroos we ate. It was just another cut of meat and a mighty good one at that.

Till this day, I will not know if the lamb rump that was in the following course was really a rump or merely a tenderloin. The lamb in the salad was seared with mountain pepper and served with organic greens, dressed with wattle seed vinaigrette, and garnished with Macadamia nuts. With two pearl onions that had been soaking in the vinaigrette, this savory salad was not only refreshing but just the right portion of satisfaction.

The palate cleanser that followed was straightforward and refreshed the guests for another set of mesmerizing courses. It was a lemon myrtle sorbet which cleared the way for the end of the journey through Aussie cuisine. At first I thought it was actual lemon juice and some kind of herb named myrtle that made the intermezzo. As it turns out, Chef told me it was from a tea called lemon myrtle with the properties of a zesty lemon that was steeped and made into a frozen delight. I learned something new as I took another spoonful of the light and refreshing intermission from the new and foreign tastes of the evening.

The next course was basically referred to as the entrée because of the portion size and place in the menu. It was a barramundi fillet encased in paper bark – this looked like a thick corn husk, but retained its shape and texture more than a husk would – roasted and served with beet and yam gnocchi. At first glance, I thought the dish was weird and needed more components, but then I realized that the guest had actually been eating all the other courses instead of just sampling bits and pieces like my coworkers and I were. The colors and flavors that came from the gnocchi were beautiful and pleasing as the steam from the freshly cooked barramundi surrounded me. Any other would be exhilarated just to be engulfed in the aromas that came from this dish, but to savor it… oh what a dream.

As is tradition in many parts of the world besides the States, a cheese platter followed this course to help wind down the meal and slowly come to a halt. The “Aussie Cheese Sampling” as it was called featured three cheeses: the Tarago River triple cream, the Gippsland Shadows of Blue, and Jensens’ Red-washed rind. They were brie-like in consistency, but packed with flavor. When smeared onto the light, crunchy crackers and combined with the fruit and world renown wine (2006 Mollydooker Carnival of Love Shiraz), this dish won over a roomful of guests who could not believe their tongues. All my chef could do was smile at this point.

I was already in love with Australia at this point, and wanted nothing more than to vacation there to indulge myself in foods such as the ones I was sampling that night. Alas! There was but one more dish. I was now getting ready for my journey back to America as the night was winding down. How could I forget the dessert? Pavlova topped with fresh fruit and served with a kakadu plum ice cream. I thought to myself: “What the heck is a kakadu plum?” Seeing that perplexed look on my face, my chef came over and said it was better than an orange. I thought “It’s a plum for crying out loud!” I later found out what he meant: it is considered to be the world’s richest source of natural vitamin C. The energy boost that came from eating the ice cream was mind-blowing. It tasted like Lucky Charms and cartoons on Saturday mornings of my youth. I was a child for every instant that ice cream melted away as I remembered what it was like to enjoy the simple things in life such as this. I do not believe anyone realized what they were eating at the moment, and thought that with the sweet pavlova, that they would be able to sit back and have a calm drive home instead of bouncing off the wall from the initial dose of sugar and the vitamin C kicking in moments later. The airy enchantment that was that of the pavlova sat well with an audience that was now satisfied and happy to retreat back home.

Where would my beliefs on eating foreign foods be had I not had this experience? I think that back then, I would not have thought twice about looking into a menu like this. Who would ever say they want to try kangaroo? I was not even aware of half the items on the menu, not to mention the various wines the courses were paired with. That night, I had a dinner like no other with my extended family of exhilarated chefs, and esteemed friends. I will never forget my night down under with my mates. But the time came to say “hooroo” and head back home.