I am always wary when I hear a restaurant labelled as ‘Australian’.
As an Australian it causes both panic and
curiosity. First of all, please let it not be somewhere serving
overcooked ‘themed’ food (hello Outback Steakhouse, Walkabout…), second,
how have they defined ‘Australian’ cuisine? Our national
menu is so hard to quantify you’re never quite sure what to expect.
Chicken parmigiana and a lamb chop? Steak and seafood? Stir fries,
curries, dim sims, packets of Tim Tams, a meat pie?
Needless to say, curiosity was high when I heard
Dickie Fitz was opening in Fitzrovia with an Australian inspired menu.
I scoured the internet in the weeks leading up to the opening, looking
to see what would be on offer. What I found
suitably satisfied my definition of Australian food, going for a
contemporary take on what is a country with a vast mix of cuisines,
solidifying the Australian feel with classics including barramundi,
Asian fusion and a few very Aussie treats including Tim
Tam martinis and lamingtons.
I headed in for lunch with my Aussie compatriot to taste test this new representative from our homeland. On the menu for us:
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| Looks can be deceiving! Truffle 'macancini' |
A shared starter of Truffle ‘macancini’ (which seems to have since departed to only the Dinner menu) which were little nuggets of mac and cheese fried with a coating of black truffles. The truffle taste was spot on, not too overwhelming, but I could have upped the cheese taste (I love a cheesy mac ‘n’ cheese). They were just enough to get us going though, leaving lots of room for the dishes to follow.
I opted for the Aussie classic, barramundi, for my
main where Aussie No.2 went for the Pork Belly. The fish dish was
perfectly light yet delicious, with steamed fish, grilled cabbage and
perfect daikon served with a dashi broth. The compatriot's
pork belly was perfectly cooked and just a little spicy, paired with
fennel kimchi and a bacon broth. We both agreed these dishes caught the
modern Aussie/Asian feel that’s so popular at home. For a bonus side we
grabbed a side of the chicken salt chips, an
Aussie classic, which were spot on with their flavour. Chicken salt is a
thing everyone needs to get on board with.
We were of course tempted into trying out some of
the Australian inspired cocktails on offer, getting a good giggle at the
Goon Bag Caipirinha, the U Beaut and the She’ll Be Apples though
perhaps the Honey Badger should be called the Drop
Bear? Our choices were swayed by the accompaniments- a Tim Tam Martini
for the compatriot, and the Caramello Koala for me. Served with a Tim
Tam and a Caramello Koala respectively (Australia’s best biscuit and a
caramel filled koala shaped chocolate, for those
not in the know) we couldn’t pass up the chance to indulge in a treat
from home along with a lunch time drink.
Unsurprisingly they were both delicious although
how much our opinion was influenced by our childlike glee I cannot say.
Compatriot did as an any Aussie would and went with a Tim Tam Slam to
get a start on her martini (vodka, espresso,
Kahlua and honey syrup), while I greedily nibbled away at my koala
while sipping my cocktail, a mix of Amaretto, Kahlua, Butterscotch
Schnapps, Baileys, milk and cream.
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| A true Aussie: Performing a Tim Tam Slam with her Tim Tam cocktail. |
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| Dessert porn. Above, chocolate fondant. Below, banana bread sticky toffee pudding |
