I love trying cuisine from all over the world. One of my favorite things about DC is that you can eat food from around the globe without ever leaving the metro area. So when I was invited to a tasting at Australian restaurant Oz in Clarendon, my curiosity was piqued.
I’ve visited this space before, when it was Restaurant Three several years ago, but I was surprised at the transformation. The decor is bright and lively, elegant without taking itself too seriously.
Owners Ashley and Michael Darby, of Real Housewives of Potomac fame, noticed a lack of Australian representation in the DC food scene. Michael, originally from Melbourne, opened Oz with his wife to expose Washingtonians to the exotic cuisine from Down Under in approachable ways. My experience with Australian food is limited to a couple of bites of kangaroo eaten on vacation several years ago but I was eager to learn more.
We started off with refreshing Cilantro Rickeys, a drink after my own heart, made with Old World gin, cilantro and lime before moving on to the food.
First up, a beetroot caprese salad of tomato, basil, mozzarella mousse and sherry poppy seed had a lot of nice texture and flavor. The addition of the bread crumbs and the creamy mozzarella elevated the usual approach to caprese.
However, the tomatoes could have been fresher and the basil flavor was barely identifiable, keeping the dish from being fully successful.
For the second course, an Arcadian flatbread with tomato, pesto, jalapeño, garlic aioli and lemon zest that was beautiful to look at.
My dining companions raved about the spice coming from the jalapeño combined with the pesto, but unfortunately my plate didn’t have a single jalapeño on it. Tom was nice enough to loan me one of his, which did punch up the flavor profile quite a bit but it seemed odd for my dish to be lacking completely in a main component. The flatbread was also quite difficult to eat. The tomatoes were cut too large and tended to topple off mid-bite. It wasn’t a bad dish, but could use a couple of tweaks in consistency and execution.
The next plate was a big improvement – hake crusted in hazelnut with cauliflower, spinach and scape.
The fish was nicely cooked and very light, but may have benefited from a pinch of salt. The cauliflower was both puréed and roasted, which seemed a little busy but actually worked. I’m a picky fish eater, but this was a solid and well prepared dish.
The hake was paired with an Australian white blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Viognier that was crisp and earthy. My knowledge of wine from Australia is pretty much limited to straight Sauvignon Blanc so it was nice to try something a little different.
Up next, we finally got something uniquely Australia. The Oz skewers feature chicken, vegetables and kangaroo.
As I said, I’ve had kangaroo once before and wasn’t much of a fan, but I was willing to give it another shot. The meat had a gamey twang, but it was cooked well. I think it might have been more enjoyable with a sauce or even as a jerky, but on its own it’s certainly an acquired taste. The spicy chicken skewer was much more palatable, and both proteins paired very nicely with the peppery Australian Shiraz Grenache blend served with the dish. I wouldn’t drink the wine on its own, and I’m not going to be running out to eat kangaroo again anytime soon, but I appreciated the thought that went into the pairing.
Dessert was another beautifully presented dish, a deconstructed Lamington cake with cherry purée, toasted coconut, chocolate, meringue and fresh berries. While pretty, it was quite hard to eat and the cake was a little dry.
Overall, I commend the Darby’s for attempting to introduce the district to something new. We had some really great bites of food. I think the menu might benefit from a little restraint and consistency, but they’re on the right track.
Considering its location, I can see Oz becoming a popular drinking spot for the young crowd in Clarendon. Especially considering this…
Oh yes, shots out of a didgeridoo. When in an Australian restaurant, you drink out of indigenous woodwinds, right? I’m pretty sure it’s what Anthony Bourdain would do. But he probably wouldn’t look like this after, either.
At the end of the night, I was glad we gave Oz a try. I would go back to try some of the more exotic items on the menu, because I like a challenge. I’m good on the shots though.
That’s awesome that an Australian restaurant opened up in the D.C. area! Have never even heard of that until now to be quite honest. Personally, I would go just to try the kangaroo meat to see what all the fuss is about. Where in Australia did you originally taste it then?
It was actually on vacation in St. Thomas. We went to an awesome restaurant that offered a lot of exotic proteins. We also tried emu that night, which I liked a lot better than the kangaroo!