A short stop-over in Darwin on a trip with Mumma and Sis to El Questro gorge meant dinner needed to be sourced in Darwin CBD (I use the term CBD very loosely, as its more of a small town centre full of dusty utes and rows of open air pubs). As a recommendation from the Virgin travel magazine on the plane, we decided on Char, which boasted 'The best steak in the Northern Territory'. A big claim to live up to.
Arriving at the restaurant, we were seated outside (perfect considering the climate-a balmy 26 degrees), ordered a bottle of wine and marvelled at the extensive menu options-a recent acquisition of the menu from Jellyfish restaurant in Brisbane meant one side of the menu was filled with Darwin's freshest seafood, and the other with the best meat cuts from eye fillet to wagyu.
Making a very tough decision (something my loved ones know doesn't happen easily for me), I chose seared scallops, pork belly, apple and fennel salad with caramel chilli salt for entree. Spectacular flavour combinations made for a great start to the night, though some of the pork belly was a little more like pork crackling than the juicy, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly I've grown accustomed to.
Needing to test the 'best steak' claim, I chose a scotch fillet, mainly for the side of green papaya salad and chilli salt squid than the cut itself.
On arrival, the presentation was simple but inviting, and the chunk of steak sitting atop of the 200 gram cut displayed a perfect medium-rare.
Now, while the steak, squid, salad and additional sides we ordered were a perfect match and the steak was cooked very well, it was far from the best steak I've ever had. Certain areas were sinewey and unpalatable. I blame the cut, rather than the cook and if I was ever to return to Char, I would be ordering the imported wagyu, rather than the local, grass-fed scotchy.
So, Char as 'the best steak in the NT?' Probably, with the right cut choice. Char as a culinary 'must-do'? Definitely worth a look, the decor, outdoor seating, side dishes and waitstaff made for a top night. And the ultimate question - Darwin as a culinary destination? The effort is definitely there, culinarians need not despair, a great meal will be found at one of the many open-air restaurants.
And if not, there's always a cold beer at the pub. Enjoy!
Arriving at the restaurant, we were seated outside (perfect considering the climate-a balmy 26 degrees), ordered a bottle of wine and marvelled at the extensive menu options-a recent acquisition of the menu from Jellyfish restaurant in Brisbane meant one side of the menu was filled with Darwin's freshest seafood, and the other with the best meat cuts from eye fillet to wagyu.
Making a very tough decision (something my loved ones know doesn't happen easily for me), I chose seared scallops, pork belly, apple and fennel salad with caramel chilli salt for entree. Spectacular flavour combinations made for a great start to the night, though some of the pork belly was a little more like pork crackling than the juicy, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly I've grown accustomed to.
Needing to test the 'best steak' claim, I chose a scotch fillet, mainly for the side of green papaya salad and chilli salt squid than the cut itself.
On arrival, the presentation was simple but inviting, and the chunk of steak sitting atop of the 200 gram cut displayed a perfect medium-rare.
Now, while the steak, squid, salad and additional sides we ordered were a perfect match and the steak was cooked very well, it was far from the best steak I've ever had. Certain areas were sinewey and unpalatable. I blame the cut, rather than the cook and if I was ever to return to Char, I would be ordering the imported wagyu, rather than the local, grass-fed scotchy.
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| Cooked to perfection |
And if not, there's always a cold beer at the pub. Enjoy!
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