Chefs urge Adelaide diners to be more daring with their choices of meat and fish

DESPITE “hostile attacks” online, slow sales, and evidence of local resistance, a brave band of restaurateurs are focusing on environmentally-friendly foods such as wallaby, kangaroo and European carp.

Olfactory Inn's Simon Burr, partner Lauren Alexander and dog Edie with fresh carp, one of their unconventional menu hits. Picture: Tom Huntley

ADELAIDE chefs are daring diners to be game, and make some wilder food choices.

Despite “hostile attacks” online, slow sales, and evidence of local “resistance” a brave band of restaurateurs are focusing on environmentally-friendly foods such as wallaby, kangaroo and European carp.

“Come on Adelaide, you love the eat-local movement, so let’s actually eat something local,” urged Simon Burr, chef/owner of Olfactory Inn, in Strathalbyn. He has challenged us with carp, and won. The much-maligned fish is a bestseller on his menu. “Many people say ‘wow, I can’t believe I’ve just eaten carp’,” he said.

And the game mob at Burger Theory, who recently ditched beef burgers for roo patties, met with “pretty hostile reaction”, but co-owner Rob Dean said they were sticking to their, “ethically, environmentally sound” guns, also considering adding wild boar patties and carp fish fingers.

Uni campus customers had embraced roo burgers, but their East End Burger Theory business “is certainly slower”.

“Our patties are 80 per cent kangaroo and 20 per cent beef, mainly beef fat, for flavour and binding,” said Mr Dean.

Burger Theory co-owner Dan Mendelson with the new kangaroo burger, in Adelaide. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“We were so impressed with the (roo) flavour and texture when we were playing around with it, but underestimated the reaction from some customers.”

Fallout after “an ethical-food decision”, included conservationist tirades about roo numbers. Yet Government Sustainability and Environment reports describe roos as a national pest. Recent data, after higher rainfall, put the population at about 50 million.

“We thought it was a cracking thing,” said Mr Dean, stumped by local resistance.

He echoed the experience of SA expat Katrina Kelly, of Lenah Game Meats in Tasmania, who met with local reticence to wallaby, “the ultimate free-range meat”. It did well interstate, she said, but SA sales were so slow that it was now only sold at Something Wild in the Adelaide Central Market.

Mr Dean believed education was needed, citing the successful Tasmanian “Eat the Problem” fest, serving only food that was not farmed.

“We’ve done the right thing,” he said, also describing carp as “a polarising food”.

Mr Burr agreed, noting, “we’re one of the only countries that don’t eat carp”.

Are you game to try these meats?

■ Ba Guo Bu Yi, Gouger St - diners can eat the recently-legalised donkey meat, as well as duck tongues, pigs ears and beef tendon.

■ Press Food & Wine, Waymouth St - tongue, sweetbreads and brains

■ A Hereford Beefstouw, Hutt St - owners are considering adding a former by-product, beef biceps, to the menu.

■ Orana, Rundle St - chef Jock Zonfrillo is renowned for heroing native ingredients, including kangaroo and roo tendon.