The irrespressible Travelling Gourmet takes flight…
Friday 27 April, 2012
MY titanium Breitling watch tells me it is o7:41 and I am ready to go to Adelaide airport to fly to Port Lincoln to explore the Eyre Peninsula and swim with the tuna…
The sun is up and it looks like it will be a sunny day with blue skies in Australia’s seafood capital.
Touchdown and it was off to the 4 star Port Lincoln hotel, a grenade’s toss from Boston Bay. An energizing cappuccino in Sarin’s Bar with the GM Andrew Case and we zoomed off to Port Lincoln Fresh Fish Co. at 20,Proper Bay Road.
Finding NEMO!
I felt like I was in the movie “Finding Nemo” as there was ‘fruits de mer’ galore or super quality sustainable seafood that is available in Australia’s Seafood Frontier! Garfish, King George Whiting, Spencer Gulf Bugs (little lobsters), Southern Spiny Red Lobster (called crayfish by the locals), Spencer Gulf King Prawns, Bluefin Tuna, Nannygai, Bronze Whaler Shark, Vongole, Calamari, and more! Dynamic Craig McCathie, the MD revealed, “Ninety nine percent of the lobsters are exported to China and ninety nine percent of the tuna exported to Japan.” Selected fish, squid, oysters & mussels are also smoked in the factory with Maldon Sea Salt, Pine and other secret woods. His lovely wife, Sandy prepared the seafood for tasting.OMG! Fabulous!
Tuna Swimming!
I went swimming with the Bluefin Tuna today wearing a wetsuit and snorkel. It was exciting! The big fat torpedo shaped tuna as long a your body are very powerful and swim very fast! When you feed them sardines dangling them just in the water, the tuna gobble it up in a flash very forcefully almost knocking the tongs out ofyour hand!
Back at Port Lincoln Jetty, I strolled over to see the life sized statue of the famous racehorse called “Makybe Diva”who won the Melbourne Cup THREE times in 2003,2004 and 2005!
Then it was off to the historic Axel Stenross Maritime Museum where after a VIP tour conducted by the mild mannered Curator, George Wiseman, the gourmet Dinner commenced. Chef and Owner of Del Giorno’s Cafe Restaurant, Kris, arguably Port Lincoln’s finest restaurant, served up a fabulous feast of the freshest local seafood cooked in the ModOz style with Thai influences. Starters of Coffin Bay Oysters comprising Valentine, Cupid and Casanova…plus the KING OYSTER which costs A$100 a piece! I was privileged to savour the KING OYSTER which was absolutely the BEST oyster I have tasted so far! I have tasted oysters in the world’s finest restaurants from Guy Savoy to La Pergola in Roma so I know. Entree was a declinaison of Kinkawooka Black Mussels cooked in 3 styles. I loved the Thai ‘a la Green Curry’ style with aromatic Kaffir Lime (Daun Limau Purut) leaves, Ginger and Coconut Broth as well as more traditonal ‘Tomato & Chilli’ as well as ‘Garlic & White Wine’ combos.
The impressive main course included Eyre Peninsula Lobster spiked with lemon grass, coriander & Thai sweet basil. It was absolutely fabulous!
The Travelling Gourmet 