Friendly Flavours at Dee Den
The deliciously different flavours of Dee Den are about to burst onto the spring menu and, as Deb Caruso discovers, they promise to be more flavoursome and friendlier than ever.
Dee Den is chasing away the winter blues with a spring menu as colourful as the blooms adorning the rafters of their hillside Queenslander!
Those who joined us for the Sunshine & Sons x Dee Den’s Something Different gin lunch indulged in a banquet bursting with playful Asian flavours and reckless creativity both from the kitchen and the distillery.
The response to the dishes was so overwhelmingly positive that Dee Den owners Jeremy Khoo and Head Chef Mike Meesuwan decided to keep some of the superstars on its fresh and flavoursome spring menu.
Try the Sashimi Hokkaido Scallop, served with Chilli sesame vinaigrette, lychee, ginger, kaffir lime zest, finger lime, sawtooth coriander, herbed oil and lemon aspen powder – an aromatic and divine combination of flavours!
The Thai Herbed Grilled Chicken with spiced sundried tomato, roasted kohlrabi radish, pickled fennel, basil, chipotle salt and crispy shallot is too good not to share and the swoon-worthy Sticky Pork Belly Salad with Gochujang chilli caramel, pickled daikon, red apples, Konnyaku noodles, Asian herbs, crispy shallot and cacao powder will now be a permanent star on the menu! As it should be!
No need to worry about your favourites vanishing – the classic Dee Den signature dishes will return to the table, including elevated Asian starters such as the Betel Leaf Wraps, now with a new filling of caramelised pork belly, pineapple, green apple, shallot, pickled chilli, finger lime, and toasted coconut; and Banana Blossom Salad with pulled chicken, cashew nuts, coconut, tamarind, golden shallots, and roasted chilli jam.
Stir fries such as the Wagyu Basil & Betel Leaf Stir-Fry with traditional Thai mixed aromatics and spices, apple eggplant, chilli, and green beans; and indulgent, robust curries including the Slow-Cooked Angus Beef Cheek Massaman with sweet potato, almond flakes, and toasted coconut; and the Lamb Shank Rendang with Indonesian mixed spices, potatoes, pickled fennel, lotus root chip, candlenut and chilli threads; will also remain in favour and with full flavour!
The kitchen will be giving a fresh twist to beloved dishes like the zesty Vietnamese Fried Turmeric Cuttlefish; and the Grilled King Prawns will be served with black garlic butter and lychee salsa – that’s decadently different!
The usual Dee Den delights of “Conversation Starter” questions and the Foodie Fun Interaction Map to help you choose your perfect dishes will be refreshed along with new banquet options and an updated “Trust the Chef” food journey.
In fact trusting the chef is now even easier with all items marked Gluten Free (GF) now crafted to be coeliac-friendly by default, ensuring all coeliac guests can savour the complete Dee Den experience without any concerns or worries.
As a sufferer of Coeliac Disease, I couldn’t be happier and I appreciate the effort and understanding of the Dee Den team to ensure a worry-free feast!
A trip to Dee Den isn’t complete without sampling some of the creative cocktails showcasing beautiful local Australian spirits and products from small distilleries and family farms.
The delights of springtime flavours from the soil and the sea, lots of fresh greenery and colours, a vision Dee Den has implemented for their spring menu.
Revisit Dee Den for Something Different – we know what magic they’re capable of creating, and we can’t wait to taste the flavours of spring!
