Travel is back and in full swing! Not only were my recent travels quite special, they were on the complete other side of the world, in the wonderful country of Australia. While I could go into how amazing the streets of Sydney and beaches of the coast are, I’ll focus on the food and start with my absolute favorite meal during my time there. Located right on the waters of Byron Bay, the aptly named Beach Cafe and Restaurant was one of the best meals of, maybe even, my life.
What made it the best? A combination of fresh ingredients locally sourced and personal favorites in meal choices were a recipe for success. Add a nice red wine and my taste buds were in Oz heaven. We started with some fresh and delicious oysters- a bit of romance to start off date night if you will. While these were wonderful, in the way it is possible for an oyster to be, I was not blown away until our entrees came. Starting with the spanner crab and bottarga pappardelle. Presented beautifully below:
Pappardelle is a long, flat ribbon pasta traditionally made of egg. The thick cuts and texture make it perfect for heavier sauces. Bottarga is the roe sac of a fish that has been seasoned and dried. You may not have heard of it, but most important to know is that it is considered a delicacy (even though some call it the “poor mans caviar), and has a long history. While caviar is the most prized of the roes, I’ll settle for the more common version, no problem. Finally, spanner crab are simply a species found on the coast of Australia that are often used for their sweet meat. There you have the makeup of the best pasta dish of my life.
Each main ingredient intriguing on its own but placed together, they wow. Pappardelle has been a favorite of mine ever since finding an excellent white sauce and egg recipe online but Beach does it exceptionally well, with a homemade taste even though I am not sure if they make it in house. The crab is so succulently sweet and chopped into bits that are ensured in every bite. Spanner crab tastes especially fresh, and mild in flavor, I can see why it is considered easy to work into dishes. The sweetness is lovely when working with a lightly sauced pasta, something I really appreciate about this dish all around. Then you have the bottarga. A complete contradiction to the crab, these salty specs may be an acquired taste to some, but I really liked. Such small flakes to add so much complexity to the dish. Not just with the juxtapose of saltiness to the sweet but also a crunch to the smoothness of the pasta, it really was the cherry on top to a wonderfully thought out and well-made pasta dish.
Moving on to the roasted fish with white beans, prosciutto, tomato, and seaweed:
I was not expecting this to be such an incredible dish. I should not have been surprised though considering how excellent the pasta was. Mouthwatering tuna grilled to perfection, with a healthy sized portion too. Eating seafood in coastal towns is absolutely the best when you taste how oceanic things like fish (and the aforementioned oysters) really are. While the restaurant is a bit pricey, you can see with a dish like this that it is worth it. Holding the fish are white beans, prosciutto, and tomato made into a heavenly stew with plenty of sauce for the fish to soak in and really combine all of the flavors. I love each of these ingredients separate, and yet I still cannot see how they were able to make something so interesting and yummy when combining them all together. This would serve as an excellent side to most meals.
We added 2 sides worth noting and 1 not. The one not was the crumbed roo tail with a zuni pickle. That is only because I did not try any, that was all for my intrigued boyfriend. I am sure many people visiting Australia would be adventurous enough to try a kangaroo steak or some form of preparation. I already have a hard time with anything other than fish or chicken so I left that to him. This roo tail was just a small bite and apparently “tastes like chicken, it’s just OK.” You can be the judge.
The 2 worth an order were the roast carrots with coconut and honey and the BBQ’d greens topped with preserved lemon and macadamia.
Carrots roasted to the perfect point of caramelization. The benefit of a roast carrot is the sweetness that comes out in the process, making it the best way to prepare these veggies. Then placed on top of a bed of cheese containing coconut flavoring and all drizzled with honey, a bit of bitter and a lot of sweet goodness. These are not your average carrots, they are exceptional. Ranked right up there with the BBQ greens. If anyone has reservations about eating their greens, this is the type of dish that will convince you that maybe you really could go vegetarian. Broccolini marinated barbecued and topped with nuts for a combination of textures that is common throughout all of the dishes. The perfect additions to the perfect meal!
