Oceania

Sadly, this geographical region is less-represented in the Valley. Ever been to a Micronesian eatery? Neither have we. We don’t even have an Australian or Kiwi restaurant to speak of, let alone Polynesian options beyond Hawaiian plate-lunch spots. Still, we persevered, teasing out a few options for your Oceania adventuring.

by Nikki Buchanan, Leah LeMoine, Craig Outhier & Madison Rutherford

Most Americans’ knowledge of Australian cuisine comes from TV commercials – “shrimp on the barbie” at Outback Steakhouse and “Foster’s, Australian for beer” – but there’s a lot more going on than grilled proteins and a lager that was actually first brewed by Americans in Melbourne. It starts at breakfast, with avocado toast – Aussie restaurateur Bill Grainger lays claim to inventing the now omnipresent brunch dish in 1993 – and a flat white, an espresso and steamed milk drink (between a latte and a cappuccino, with a higher espresso-to-milk ratio) that represents Australia’s rich coffee culture (they were doing craft coffee before us). Get both for an authentically Oz breakfast at Fillmore Coffee Co. (fillmorecoffeeco.com), owned by Australian expat Tristan Davies.

The kava plant thrives in warm, wet places, so it tracks that it’s abundant throughout the Polynesian islands, where it’s known by various names (“kava” comes from Tongan and Marquesan languages, roughly translated as “bitter”) and pounded into a medicinal drink that has sedative and euphoriant properties. At Lacuna Kava Bar (lacunakavabar.com), the Dreamy Dragonfly kava blends the root-based elixir with the flavors of Fiji – taro root and coconut – for a mood-boosting sipper.

We tried finding meat pies. We tried finding Māori hāngī. We tried finding New Zealand lamb. Ultimately, our most authentic New Zealand import is Kiwi winemaker Sam Pillsbury, who was born in the U.S. but grew up in Aotearoa. Sure, you can order a New Zealand Sauv Blanc at tons of places around town, but why not get wine from a live New Zealander? Find Pillsbury Wine Company (pillsburywine.com) at Total Wine, Trevor’s, AJ’s Fine Foods and at its Cottonwood and Willcox tasting rooms.

glossary

ota ika /OH-ta EE-ka/
The national dish of Tonga, a mix of raw fish, diced vegetables, citrus juice and coconut milk also popular in Tahiti and Samoa. The closest approximation (albeit a much spicier one) we could find locally is the hiramasa ceviche with coconut leche de tigre at Vecina (vecinaphx.com).