by Kim Koeller
and Robert La France
As guest speakers for the Allergy
Show and Gluten-Free Fair in Sydney, Australia in late November,
we were very excited to travel down under and experience living
gluten-free in the southern hemisphere for a few weeks. Bottom
line, we are very impressed with the general awareness of
celiac, the delicious, high quality gluten-free meals, and
the willingness of the restaurants to accommodate special
dietary needs. .
While in the Sydney area, we
discovered a number of fantastic restaurants offering classic
Australian cuisine, as well as fusion menus incorporating
Asian and European flavors. One popular area near the famous
Sydney Opera House is known as "The Rocks," which
is jam packed with excellent restaurants complimented by breathtaking
views of one of the most famous architectural wonders of the
world! One of our favorites is Wolfie’s (http://www.wolfiesgrill.com.au/),
where they feature the delicious meat and seafood Australia
has to offer, as well as local specialties such as kangaroo,
emu and Australia rock lobster.
Those wishing to venture to
the nearby beaches need to consider taking the ferry to Manly
Beach, whose motto is, "seven miles from Sydney, a thousand
miles from care." Right off the beach on South Steyne
Street is White Water (http://www.whitewaterrestaurant.com.au/),
a restaurant so "hip" it refers to it’s cuisine
as "Mod Oz." While the food was very impressive,
we were especially overwhelmed with their careful service,
attention to our gluten and allergen-free needs and exceptional
wine list, which featured some of the excellent wines available
from both Australia and New Zealand. As with the other restaurants
we tried in the Sydney area, beef, seafood and local Australian
delicacies dominated the menu. Across the street and right
on the water is the Manly Ocean Beach House (http://www.bestrestaurants.com.au/booking/select_rest.asp?id=866),
where we enjoyed some delicious gluten-free Australian breakfast,
lunch and dinner meals, as well as fresh ocean air blowing
through their large open windows.
Across the Tasman Sea, to the
East of Sydney, lies the incredibly beautiful island nation
of New Zealand. Their fascinating culture is a combination
of the settlers from the British Empire and the Maori,
fierce Polynesian warriors who first discovered the islands
over a thousand years ago. Aotearoa, or "land
of the long white cloud," is what the Maori first
called the islands and the word’s mystical feeling is
still evident the landscape today.
 The
traditional Maori meal is called the Hangi,
a feast of meat and vegetables that is cooked underground
on a bed of red-hot coals and buried for hours allowing all
the flavors of each ingredient to permeate each other, creating
a most savory dining experience. This meal can be experienced
in many parts of both the North and South islands and, with
the exception of rolls that are typically offered on the side
and the holiday-like dressing, is generally gluten-free. Rotorua
on the North Island is where we had our Hangi, complete
with cultural entertainment and a twilight hike featuring
the famous glow worms of New Zealand. We were very happy and
surprised to be able to order gluten-free cake at both the
Rotorua regional airport as well as at the Polynesian Spa,
which were both delectable.
In Queenstown, for the first
time in all of our 2-plus million miles of travel, a tourist
brochure actually advertised two stores that offered gluten-free
items!!! Yes — we are making progress!! Another interesting
note is that a lot of the hotels and motels had kitchenettes
for those of you who would prefer to eat some of your meals
in your room.
As we drove up the west coast
of the South island, after sightseeing and a cruise of the
breathtaking Milford Sound, we discovered one of New Zealand’s
newest delicacies: venison. About twenty years ago, there
was a crash in the global lamb market that forced many Kiwi
sheep farmers to change their traditional way of thinking
and introduce a form of livestock new to the country. Deer
farming is now a popular and lucrative form of sustenance
on New Zealand farms and can be found in restaurants all over
the country. In Fox Glacier at the Te Weheka Inn (http://www.teweheka.co.nz),
Robert enjoyed pepper crusted venison filet with roasted potatoes,
while Kim went with the rosemary chicken breast. If you are
in glacier country, we’d recommend their delicious New
Zealand cuisine.
After taking the train from
Greymouth across the Alps to Christchurch, we took the recommendation
of the hotel concierge and tried Cook’n with Gas
(http://www.cooknwithgas.co.nz),
yet another fantastic Kiwi dining experience. While the name
may sound rustic at best, we were surprised to discover that
this local gem has won many awards for their contemporary
New Zealand cuisine. Again, we were impressed at the staffs’
understanding of celiac and other specialized diets, the quality
of their food and the wine list. In Auckland, we also had
an excellent gluten-free dining experience at Prego which
is a very modern restaurant serving traditional Italian cuisine.
 In
addition to the restaurants mentioned above, there were many
others that were up to, and exceeded, the challenge of serving
a delicious gluten-free meal. Be sure to keep reading below,
as Euro in Auckland, New Zealand, our restaurant spotlight
this month, may have been our favorite meal the entire trip!
In the end, both Australian
and New Zealand cuisine were very easy to manage while ensuring
a gluten-free diet. The people of both countries had a high
level of awareness overall and provided a very high quality
of service. We would strongly recommend a trip to the southern
hemisphere for celiacs and those sensitive to gluten and wheat.
Dining Tip
Discuss Ingredients that
are Problematic!
While awareness down under
was much better than in most places around the world, we still
found it necessary to discuss ingredients and culinary preparation
techniques on a menu item by menu item basis to feel safe
about our meal. While it is true that the terms celiac and
gluten-free are commonly understood, many people are still
not fully aware of the intricacies of the gluten-free diet.
On many occasions, particularly in restaurants serving Asian
fusion style Aussie or Kiwi cuisine; we had to remind the
wait staff of things like soy sauce, marinades and cross-contamination
in deep fryers. It is important to address your concerns without
the fear of being repetitive about them. Remember, it is better
to be repetitive and feel safe about your meal, than not effectively
communicating your needs and impacting your vacation with
a gluten reaction.
Restaurant Spotlight
Euro
Situated in the heart of Auckland's
waterfront on Princes Wharf is one of New Zealand's most recognized
and prestigious restaurants, Euro. It is part of the
Nourish Group of Restaurants created by Simon Gault, one of
New Zealand’s foremost chefs and restaurateurs. At Euro,
Head Chef Shane Yardly uses the highest quality ingredients
available with a goal to use 100% locally grown and organic
produce.
While the restaurant does not
offer a gluten-free menu for celiacs, they take particular
pleasure in serving their guest with special dietary requirements
the same gastronomic delights they offer their regular clientele
as often as possible, without common food allergens. In fact
one of their points of service states, "...your special
needs will be accommodated with pleasure."
Euro offers the
perfect setting for a dining experience, with an ambiance
that is certain to be remembered. The quality of their contemporary
New Zealand Cuisine is accented with traditional European
flavors and culinary preparation techniques. Euro also
features exceptional personalized service and an exciting
wine list. All of this combined has brought the restaurant
international acclaim, as it recently became the first New
Zealand restaurant recognized by Condé Nast magazine
as one of the world’s top 60!
As the menu at Euro
proudly proclaims, "At dinner one should eat wisely, but not
too well; and talk well, but not too wisely" --W. Somerset
Maugham
Euro
Shed 22
Princes Wharf
Auckland
New Zealand
Tel: +64 (0)9 309 9866
http://www.
eurobar.co.nz
Kim Koeller and Robert La France,
President and Executive Vice President of GlutenFree Passport™,
are the authors of the Let’s Eat Out! Your Passport
to Living Gluten and Allergy Free book series, 2006
Benjamin Franklin Award finalist for Best Health, Wellness
and Nutrition Book and Best First Book Non-fiction. For more
information and free educational materials, please visit http://www.glutenfreepassport.com.
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