Orana
Orana is the wackiest and most interesting restaurant I've been to. On my last visit, I didn't like a lot of the food, but it was a fascinating experience for a feedie like me. :)
Tonight will be degustation.
A tiny damper, baking on red hot coals! I'm left to tend it for a minute or two. It gets nice and fluffy, and I dunk it in the lamb butter, which is a bit like cream cheese, except more tangy, and slightly overpowering. 6/10
The little roll of emu, with native plum inside, is very spicy. It's an unusual and very rare meat taste. The spicy aftertaste is slightly unpleasant, but I'm not a fan of spiciness. I don't think I've had emu anywhere else in Adelaide. 4/10
The little spoonful of squid has just the right amount of microscopic native limes. They take over the flavour, leaving just the squid texture. Very interesting. 7/10
The macadamia milk is sweet, nutty, creamy and wholesome. It's like a creamy soup. 8/10
The plum is tart, but very sparse. It adds a fruity kick to the prawn. 7/10
Another fruity seafood flavour. The crispy skin and pulpy flesh create a nice contrast. 7/10
Salty, oily, slightly cooked pumpkin. 6/10
Yes, that's actual ants on my diced heart of palm. Not ant flavour. Actual ants. Here goes!
It's just tangy cubes. 5/10
The apple reduction and seablight really amplify the taste of the mussel. You can call me Mr. Mussel. :) 7/10
The samphire adds to the flavour of the pig's tail. It's almost like not eating meat. It's more like a fine antipasto. The pig probably didn't need its tail anyway. 7/10
The fig shoot in pandanus vinegar has a strange mushy structure. Like eating bamboo. It's an odd, woody taste, with a punch of vinegar. Strange. 5/10
The Rosella flowers add another burst of fruit to the salmon. 7/10
The mullet has a real campfire taste to it. The carob emulsion adds a strange tang to it. 7/10
The woodia ice cream with pickled mushroom is like a sauce for something. It's like very weak Nutella. The nondescript crunchy pickled mushroom long outlives the ice cream in my mouth. 5/10
This tangy froth contains numerous unfamiliar berries. They're not the tasty berries we usually eat. They have all kinds of tart, bland and odd fruity tastes. I can taste lili pili. From there, it gets weirder.
Fermented bunya nut, on beetroot puree and buffalo cream. Topped with crispy saltbush.
This is surprisingly mild. I can taste beetroot, and the weird fermented taste of the nuts. It's a surprisingly normal outcome for such weird ingredients. It's vaguely like I was eating a bruschetta or something.
The music here is nice. I take a moment to just sit back and enjoy the ambulance. :)
My feed is revealed, from under a giant, smoky glass! The waitress waves the smoky glass around under my face, to waft the smoke around.
Daniel: "Is someone smoking in here?"
The kangaroo is almost raw, but has the cooked taste of the smoke, and a raw texture.
The native stone fruit underneath tastes like sauerkraut, and the crispy purslane on top tastes a bit like popcorn.
My smoky glass is then given a dash of beer for me to drink. It's supposed to evoke a barbecue.
This beer evokes the times I've tasted beer. This beer is similar to the slightly bitter water that beer usually is. :)
This is extraordinarily refreshing. I'm expecting the usual sourness and weirdness blast, but this is actually extremely smooth.
The crab has a mild seafood taste, but the Geraldton Wax (tree) oil and the succulent add flavours resembling mild lemon or lime.
The sauce on the plate is sweet, but has a slight sharp sourness to it.
The knuckle meat on top is lightly cooked, while the meat underneath is salty and well-done.
The little plant circles taste just like green beans. :)
Update: they were green beans.
Flavoured with vinegar. Sauce is strawberry.
I'm used to eating sloppy things, but this doesn't taste like panna cotta, custard, or yoghurt. With the hint of vinegar, it's a new experience. The strawberry juice is another strange but pleasant taste.
With caramelised damper ice cream.
The muntries are supposed to pack an apple punch here, but they actually don't. They're pretty similar to Apple pie apple.
The damper ice cream is a bit like toasted marshmallow, but it contains real charcoal, which unfortunately ends up being the dominant flavour of the dessert.
Orana was as interesting as last time, but I think I liked the food more this time. Most courses contained multiple flavours I wasn't familiar with. That can be offputting, but if you're a foodie, it's a very worthwhile experience.