A Taste of Australia: Kanga

Not too long before the world cup a friend of mine told me about an Australian meat pie place downtown call Kanga so naturally I had to add it to my list of places to visit during the World Cup.  I went over early today before lunch was even a thought for most people.  One woman was working (which may have been one of the owners) and was preparing a coffee of some sort for another customer.  There was a display case of the fresh meat pies and rolls to choose from.  On the counter were a number of tasty looking baked goods. 

I ordered a “Traditional Aussie”.  According to the small menu I grabbed this was “minced beef in a rich beef, tomato and vegemite gravy”.  I considered also ordering the Kiwi Classic (Kiwi as in New Zealand, not the fruit) but restrained myself.  I’ve been eating too much already this month and decided not to overdo it. It would be nice if my clothes still fit me at the end of the month!  They also had a baked treat called the billionaire shortbread that looked good but I had to restrain myself from ordering that too.

The meat pies are hand pies hence they are supposed to be eaten with your hands and are served in a paper bag.  I preferred to eat it with a fork and knife so grabbed some cutlery along with a packet of ketchup as suggested by the woman.  A friend had warned me of his experience with vegemite so I assumed the ketchup was to counter the taste of the vegemite.  The first few bites I took were without ketchup and I really liked it without it.  I then tried it with some ketchup but I personally found that it hid the yummy goodness of this meat pie.  The woman behind the counter asked me how the meat pie was and I commented on the vegemite to which she said theirs was mild.  So I still don’t quite know what vegemite tastes like but thanks to this hand pie I’m ready to try anything with vegemite in it.

If you like these hand pies, they have entire boxes of them available in the refrigerator or check out their website to see other stores that sell them.  Most of my Toronto friends reading this are probably within walking distance from work to this place on Duncan at Queen.  You might as well take a walk over for lunch sometime! :)

Day 5 - A Taste of New Zealand/Australia

New Zealand VS Slovakia
Ivory Coast VS Portugal
Brazil VS Korea DPR

I think it is safe to say that neither New Zealand nor Australia will be making it through to the next round. I think it is also safe to say that there are few restaurant options in Toronto for these two. My online research turned up three locations.

The first option was Hemingways. The opening flash screen on their website clearly indicates their New Zealand connection but, being unfamiliar with New Zealand cuisine, the menu looked like they had their own Taste of the World Cup happening. Apparently New Zealand cuisine pulls from a lot of other cultures but having souvlaki, fajitas and butter chicken all on the same menu seems a little far reaching. Plus I’ve been there a number of times for drinks so I quickly discounted it.

The next option I found was the Stone Grill located at 51B Winchester, just off of Parliament. Here your meal is presented and prepared on a cooking stone. This is, or I have a feeling was, a common cooking method for both countries. The menu also lists New Zealand lamb and New Zealand ostrich as options. So you can cook and eat like you’re in New Zealand.

The last option I found was he Gourmet Burger Co. This burger chain was created by an Australian and claims to make burgers the Aussie way. They have a few locations including one on Charles Street and one on Parliament, not far from the Stone Grill. On the menu they have a New Zealand lamb burger and an “Aussie” burger. I decided I wanted to try the Aussie burger.

The burger has some common toppings; lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and bacon. It also has some less common toppings; a fried egg, beets and a thin slice of pineapple. When I got my burger it was neatly wrapped in some brown paper. Once unwrapped, it was a little messy to eat. I tasted the cheese and bacon flavours more so than the other toppings and occasionally tasted the sweetness of the pineapple. It was pretty good.



I wonder how many of these burgers they sell a day and if a lot of people are turned off by the beets and pineapple.


On a side note, I was a little disappointed today that the New Zealand All Whites didn’t do the haka. The team captain claimed they weren’t a particularly intimidating looking bunch. In comparison to the All Blacks, I agree.