Antipodean adventure

Speciality meats are the order of the day for Astral, the most 'authentic' Australian restaurant in town

Beijing's newest Aussie restaurant Astral is throwing more than just shrimp on the barbeque.

It's a hemisphere distant and a culinary universe away, but cuisine featuring Australia's native fauna has now arrived in Beijing.

Chefs at the Tangla Hotel's new Aussie eatery Astral are now offering patrons the chance to tuck into emu appetizers, choice kangaroo cuts and crocodile croquettes.

Astral, which opened in November last year, is the first Beijing restaurant to offer such exotic fare, according to Tsen Chen, media relations director at the hotel.

The meats are imported vacuum chilled from farms in Australia, said Astral's Executive Chef Desmond Chan, adding that crocodile is the choice dish out of the three.

He said the crocodile's white meat is healthy and "tastes like chicken". Though it's usually tough and chewy, he uses a special marinade heavy with citric acids to help tenderize the reptilian meat.

His advice for conservative patrons is to "just be adventurous and let go of any reservations".

Prices for the antipodean entrees range from 250 to 290 yuan.

The Singaporean chef has spent more than 25 years creating dishes in five different countries.

He said his first time cooking "bush food" such as kangaroo and emu was at a Vietnamese food festival more than 10 years ago.

The Tangla Hotel's Food and Beverage Director Gabriel Polias was the brains behind developing the Australian kitchen.

The native of Down Under said he wanted to open the kitchen to offer a food culture unlike any currently available in China's capital city.

"We chose to open an Australian restaurant because there is not another of its kind in Beijing," Polias said.

"There was an opening in the market for this type of cuisine."

To test the waters with both the Chinese and expats, the hotel recently invited local food bloggers and well-known publications for a complimentary meal.

"Their first reaction was curiosity. Then they were surprised to try something like this because both the kangaroo and emu are the national animals of Australia," Chen said.

While they are considered delicacies as well, the two distinctly Australian animals are rarely eaten outside of special occasions.

"I've had friends who have traveled to Australia, but had their first taste of kangaroo and emu only after they got back home to China," Chen said.

After getting over the idea of eating such unusual cuisine, he said the bloggers expressed delight with the foreign fare.

"We are trying to be as authentically Australian as possible," Polias said in response to concerns over real flavors.

"No dishes have been changed to suit local tastes as this would deviate away from the originality."

For less daring diners still looking to score authentic Australian tucker, the restaurant also offers imported Australian beef and lamb chops.

Because Astral opened so recently, Chen said they have yet to see the type of crowds they hoped for, but as soon as word spreads he expects more of the adventurous crowd.

The restaurant also serves a large selection of Australian beers such as Victoria Bitter and cocktails.

Astral

Add: the Tangla Hotel, No 19 Fuxingmenwai Street, Chang'an Avenue West

Tel: 58576688