Bush Tukka

Brisbane, Australia (Aug 2007)- One word- delectable. This is the first word that comes to
mind after having enjoyed the surprisingly vast range of unique, yet edible native Australian flora and fauna at a quaint, but award-winning restaurant called “Tukka”. The origin of the word “tukka” is from “bush tucker” which refers to the collective diverse indigenous Australian foods that Aboriginal people and their descendants have been preparing for over 40,000 years. Advanced Australian fare… I’d say!!! The food was utterly brilliant. And since this was part of a large “last Aussie hoorah”, we went all out. Appetizer, entrées, matching wines, mains, and dessert- the whole shebang. Here’s how the evening progressed:

Appetizer
Salmon (not for Rachie)
Entrees
Strawberry eucalypt cured Queensland crocodile braised with pineapple, sunrise lime and rosella salsa
Home-made damper, macadamia oil and bush dukkah
Wine
Campbells "Bobbie Burns" Shiraz (for the emu)
Comissionier's Block Merlot (for the possum)
Mains
Confit of Tasmanian possum, quandong and grapefruit jus, braised cabbage
Emu (akin to an ostrich in North America) plate: Davidson's plum and lemon myrtle braised drum, cauliflower purée. Seared fan fillet, native tamarind jus
Dessert
Milk chocolate truffle, strawberry eucalypt and orange mousse, Davidson's plum coulis

Our favourite, by far, was the entrée- saltwater croc (“salties” in Oz) and the Damper. Bon appetit!

Liebe geht durch den Magen, aber das uns die australische Küche so um den Finger wickeln kann, hätten wir nicht erwartet. Auf unsere letzten Tage haben wir nochmal richtig in die Tasche gegriffen und uns im preisgekrönten Restaurant “Tukka” kulinarischen Genüssen hingegeben. Schnie, Schna, Schnicki das kleine Krokodil hat am besten geschmeckt, aber Emu und Possum war auch sehr lecker. Guten Appetit!