Favorite Flavors of Australia

For foodies seeking new culinary adventures, Executive Chef Steve Sweetman of The Westin Brisbane has come to showcase his Favorite Flavors from Down Under at Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok.

Story & Photo by guest writer – Mam LuxurySocietyAsia.com

What you definitely will see, though, are the myriads of indigenous spices and local ingredients that Steve carefully picked out to excite our palates.

“No, we don’t eat wallaby nor wombat.” Chuckled the Australian chef good-naturedly. “Kangaroo or Emu, we do, sometimes.” Chef Steve said with a wink. “Bush food”, as he called, is starting to gain traction in Australia and elsewhere.

Some rare herbs and spices that used to be collected mainly through foraging in the wild have now transitioned to modern farming. The chefs interested in utilizing these ingredients like Steve have eagerly been in touch with passionate people who curate and cultivate them.

He also mentioned more fascinating examples such as Australian native green ant, which he didn’t bring, but would love to introduce its kaffir lime and lemongrass flavor to his dishes, perhaps during his next visits.

The spices he brought, Lemon Myrtle seems to be among his favorite. Steve incorporates its lemony aroma into both savory dishes such as well-crusted juicy Lemon Myrtle Salmon Fillet with Aussie Mango Salsa and Pasta with Lemon Myrtle Cream Sauce (make to order), as well as desserts such as tangy-sweet Lemon Myrtle Tart with Burnt Meringue and silky-smooth Lemon Myrtle Panna Cotta. Fresh local ingredients like bush tomatoes and roasted seeds like wattleseed make an appearance in several dishes as well.

Other Aussie favorites include creamy Chicken Liver Pate, smoky Beetroot-cured Salmon, perfectly-cooked Barramundi Skewers with Lemon-lime Aioli, warm Cream of Kumera with Toasted Seeds soup, Roasted Pear Salad served with vinaigrette pearls, crispy cheese-filled Australian Akajura Arancini with Tomato-basil Dip for veggies, and crunchy munchy Daniel’s Pork Belly with Red Cabbage Sauerkraut for meat-lovers.

Chef Steve’s Australian station will feature these winsome dishes (and more!) in rotation, on top of multiple other Western and Asian live stations and eclectic arrays of delectable selections Seasonal Tastes usually offers in its themed Lunch, Dinner and Sunday Brunch Buffet. Selections of Australian wine have been prepared to entice wine-lovers so don’t forget to inquire for recommended bottles to go with your favorite dishes of food.