5.337 Kangaroo

Cycle 5 – Item 337

8 (Mon) December 2014

Kangaroo

2.5

at The Meat & Wine Co

-Southbank, Melbourne, Australia-

solo

Mission to Australia (Day 3)

In Melbourne.  Here to participate in a “Training of Trainers” workshop organized by The McCabe Centre for Law & Cancer to develop capacity-building programs for government officials towards strengthening their national legal frameworks on NCD risk factors.

AFTERNOON TEA

On the way back to the hotel, I dropped by The George Lounge  for a pot.

Draft beers come in 3 sizes: pot = half pint (285 ml), pint = pint (570 ml), jug = 2 pints (1,140 ml).

I had a pot of Golden Axe and a pint of Carlton Draught.

“Lionel Richie” = “all night long.”

DINNER

My first view of the city skyline, Central Business District as seen from Southbank.

The Meat & Wine Co. is a South African restaurant chain.  Founded 2000 in Australia, currently with 4 locations.  As the name of the business would suggest, the menu is all about meat, mostly grilled, from steaks and ribs to sausages and cutlets, beef and lamb and pork and chicken and … kangaroo.  Other than salads and sides, the only vegetable item is “Vegetarian Plate (please ask your waiter).”

Being in Australia, I had to sample the local fauna.  Animals that would fall under the “bushfood” or “bush tucker/tukka” rubric: kangaroo, wallaby, emu, crocodile, koala, grub.  Maybe not the grub.  Just kidding about the koala.  Unfortunately for me, fortunately for the animals, such fare is not readily available in urban settings.  Even the locals attending the workshop couldn’t think of any places, apparently never having thought about it.  Various googlings turned up a couple of establishments, such as The Meat & Wine Co., which offers only kangaroo, done one way.  I still have the rest of the week to investigate further, but I’m not keeping my hopes up.

The food was thoroughly unremarkable.  I was disappointed that the kangaroo looked/felt/tasted exactly like lean beef, making the cynic in me to think that the kitchen could substitute cow and nobody would be the wiser.  The so-called “tomato chutney” was merely chunky BBQ sauce.  Roasted chats – small/baby/new potatoes – okay.  Deep-fried onion rings reminded me of Outback Steakhouse’s notorious Bloomin’ Onion.  Oh well.   At least I get to add a new animal to the list.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN AUSTRALIA)

(See also DUTY TRAVEL)

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