There seems to have been a bit of a push recently for restaurants to open early doors – breakfast has become a fashionable repast to enjoy with friends.
For me, however, breakfast is often eaten at my desk while I put my face on. Or if I have the day off, sometimes skipped entirely while I hit the gym for a weights session and if I’m lucky, a protein shake.
So while breakfast might be my favourite meal of the day – it’s primarily enjoyed in pyjamas, at home with my bacon done just the way I like it and my egg that perfect balance between set white and runny yolk. The rest of the time it’s a hurried bowl of porridge.
So forgive me if I champion the second best meal of the day. Lunch.
Lunch is halfway through the day. Lunch is both reward and fuel. Lunch rescues you if you’ve had to skip breakfast, and gives you more options than breakfast. You can of course, eat breakfast foods for lunch, or you can eat dinner foods. Lunch is flexible.
And lunch means you can take some time away from the grindstone and still be productive. Lunch meetings can involve a glass of wine (alcohol has been proven to fuel creativity) and a coffee at the end (in the same study, coffee was proven to improve productivity). This lunch at Australasia included both, and a meeting to talk gin. All of my favourite things in one place.
My last visit to Australasia was, admittedly quite a while ago. I recall it fondly as it involved me spotting an old design bottle of Whitley Neill on a top shelf, and the barman having to climb the shelves to reach it. Poor chap. That visit was wholly drink related, a visit to enjoy cocktails and gin. This time was all about the food.
As ever, clean lines, glass mirrors and white greets you in Australasia – wicker seating, plump cushions and the almost eerie yellow glow from the kitchen space. It looks like it should be on a balcony in Sydney, whilst actually being below ground in Manchester.
The menu, speaks of the Pacific rim – of sushi and dumplings, of fresh fish treated well, of sweet and salty, spicy and umami. It’s everything you’d expect of a restaurant with the same name.
My date and I made three selections each – from both the lunch menu which is available during the week 12pm to 5pm and the main menu. Think of it as Lunch offerings start from 2 for £12 (3 for £16 or 4 for £21), whereas the main menu items are individually priced, and we stuck with small plates, so we had a small pick and mix of plates. You can of course, treat the menu more traditionally and go for a starter, main and dessert, but a choice of little plates suited us perfectly.
Futomaki with yellowfin tuna, daikon and avocado were first on the list and proved perfect – the rice was sticky and done well, and displayed prettily, the salt and pepper tofu was stunning, a light fresh salad accompanied the warm spice, the crisp rice cracker adding texture.
And the beef was rare, tender and delicious.
The warm dishes we’d selected were seafood heavy – squid tempura, with a dipping sauce and fresh lime to freshen the dish. The squid was tender, the batter perfectly crisp, it saw us arguing over the last piece.
The pork with scallops and apple proved why it had been recommended to my date – soft moist pork, crisp skin, sweet scallops all lifted by ginger and dehydrated apple.
And finally large grilled black tiger prawns – so easily overdone, these were juicy and full of flavour.
Our taste buds had been on an adventure, and they weren’t about to stop. Still talking gin, we opted to indulge in dessert, while of course, ensuring we sampled a production inspiring coffee.
My dessert selection was a green tea cheese cake, paired with ginger snaps, vanilla and mango. Fresh, but rich, it’s a dessert I will definitely enjoy again. It suits my love of fresh flavours perfectly.
My date however, was all about indulgence.
Warm chocolate sauce poured over a chilled chocolate dome, fruit to cut through the richness. The table was silent as we paused to savour.
Australasia isn’t going to be your choice for a sandwich at your desk, and admittedly, the price range means that for the majority of us, it’s not an every day lunch. But as someone who is championing the lunch as the meal it should be, rather than the meal it is, I’m firmly behind making the most of it when you can. And the palate awakening fresh flavours mean I’ll be back.
This meal and accompanying drinks were supplied for free by Australasia. As ever, this doesn’t guarantee a positive review (if anything, I tend to be a harsher critic).
We were impressed, with both the service and the food (especially that pork dish and the cheesecake!).