Australia is delightfully mixed up in its cuisine, thanks to a blend of many cultures and people who have settled down there along with their spices flavours and meats.
A slice of that wholesome platter is now being showcased at the Pickwick’s at The Claridges with a lot of elan and hard work that has gone into bringing this side of Australia to the table.
The effort hasn’t gone waste. It is the good old pumpkin soup that leads you out of trepidation about English blandness that assails the cuisine otherwise. Smooth as butter, flavourful and totally Aussie in aroma, the dish fuels your appetite and cajoles your taste buds with a subtlety that makes it quite a cornerstone for relishing things to follow.
Chef Vivek Rana who loves to go into the history of any of the foods he attempts to regale his guests with, tells you that Australia is all about fusion cuisine, meat grills and desserts that will send you into the guilt zone even if you don’t have a sweet tooth.
The fact that there is some Indian cuisine spread graciously with an Australian makeover makes you favourable to experimentation.
But the Australian Lamb Pie keeps you totally engaged with its melt in the mouth crust and the softest of lamb mince one had had in a long while. This one is a must-try. The slides keep coming from the live counters and there is nothing that you would want to miss, be it the mini vegetarian burgers or the cottage cheese wrap.
But wait there is a whole lot of mains, like Grilled Barramundi and the largely unforgettable whole lamb leg slow-cooked in spices and juices that come to the table with their own brand of uniqueness.
If you are at Pickwick with friends do not miss out on this delicacy put together with tender loving care.
But if you are not having that, the crusted herb chicken is the dish for you, and not just because is it presented so alluringly.
Flavours match the delectable taste and you are forced to close your calorie eye to the cheese spread over it.
Served with spaghettini on the side rippling with herbs and chilli flakes, this one is the dish to go for.
The menu is quite inviting and varied with classics like wild mushroom rissoles and mixed vegetable and garbanzo stew, but save your tummy space for the absolutely out of the world Black Ant Lamington, the signature Aussie sweet that fortunately has nothing to do with those in edible hard-working population of the animal kingdom. Much like a twisted sponge cake, with a taste that defies anything cakey, Mr Lamington call for a requiem.
Don’t hesitate. Don’t think calories. Just repeat the order with a cup of coffee, please!
