Sometimes when I go travelling, I come across some really weird combinations of things that make no sense to me at all, but when you actually give them a go, are a brilliant idea.
As an example, I’ve tried Tea with Egg and Shaved Ice with Red Beans. These two drinks have ingredients that normally don’t occur together, but they actually taste pretty good.
Anyway, I came across something like this recently on a trip to Airlie Beach. A Rum Bar combined with Fish and Chips!
The place I’m talking about is an establishment called Fish D’Vine which is a bit on an institution around Airlie Beach.
The story goes is that one of the owners, called Kevin (see Video interview later on) asked one of his staff how they could bring in another source of income.
The crazy idea was to create a hybrid rum bar with fish and chips. Sounds silly, but it actually works. Like so.
Amazingly, the rum bar at Fish D’vine holds around 430 different types of rum from around the world. Staggeringly, this place turns over one million dollars (American, Australian, whatever) of rum and it’s cocktails alone per year! That’s without the fish and chips!
This is a fairly small place in town, but it was pretty popular on the night I went out – and it was the low season!
In terms of unusual food, you can try tempura crocodile. It tastes just like koala.
I’m joking! I’ve never eaten a koala. You’d get thrown in jail if you did because they’re a protected species.
Anyway, here is my chat with Kevin about Fish D’vine.
The Rum Bar and Fish and Chip Shop Interview!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfRD2u5b76k[/youtube]
There you go, if you like rum and fish, you know where to go!
If you really like rum, check out And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails.
The food looks good…not sure about the rum, but it’s got to be better than the red beans and ice cream….
You’d be surprised!