With ribs, chicken wings and onion rings beginning to pop up in many menus across Australia, what makes Apple Tree Creek’s Australian-Canadian fusion restaurant Mollydookers stand out from the rest?
Owner Alana Vandenbrink says there is nothing that beats a shot of authentic Canadian flavour.
“It is definitely our spices that makes Canadian food what it is. You certainly wouldn’t find much food in Canada that isn’t flavoured or smoked,” Alana said.
“Canadian food takes a lot of influence from Mexico, and given they don’t even share a border, it is likely because it is a popular holiday destination for Canadian’s trying to escape the cold and the flavours and heat in the food are very warming.”
Childers-born local Alana and her Canadian husband Mike import a variety of spices from Canada to take pride of place on the Mollydookers menu, including Smoked Applewood, Chipotle Mango, Tex Mex, Maple Bacon, Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper, Montreal Chicken and Montreal Steak.
“We are always getting asked to explain what the flavours are, but they are so unique you can’t explain them. And you can’t make or recreate them – they have amazing complexity,” she said.
Alana said spices in Australia were very standard. “The closest you come to that kind of variety is the bush blends that are now starting to come out.
“One of the things I love to do when we go back to Canada is go to the grocery store and walk down the spice aisle – there is just such an outrageous variety.”
Mollydookers itself is a unique blend – staying true to its Canadian roots by importing authentic staples such as cheese curd, poutine gravy base from Quebec, Motts Clamato Juice for an authentic Caesars cocktail and genuine Canadian maple syrup.
This is paired with Aussie classics you won’t find overseas, such as a parmi, pork belly or lamb, that are then infused with Canadian flavours.
“Canada is very much like Australia in that it doesn’t have its own specific cuisine – they just takes the best from everywhere else and make it their own. And that’s what we do here – take the best of Canadian and Australian food and put them together.”