Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre's Colombian cafe earns rave reviews

With the offerings of most aquatic centre cafés not being recognised for culinary excellence, the El Toucan Café at the Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre in north western Melbourne is, by contrast, generating some very positive reviews.

12 months after opening in the facility’s foyer, Frank Torres, owner of El Toucan Café is overwhelmed by the reception he's received for the food he grew up with.

The Colombian-born chef and restaurateur told SBS “(the pool is) a council-managed site, and I never thought they’d be into the idea of us offering Colombian food in a swimming pool cafe, but they really surprised us.”

Keen to share his passion for Colombian culture and cuisine, Torres’ menu at El Toucan isn’t tweaked for the Australian palate. Dishes are true to Colombian flavours and exceedingly generous, with irreplaceable ingredients like tiny Colombian new potatoes (papa criolla), lulo and maracuyá fruit, flown in especially for the menu.

Colombian empanadas, $9 for three, are distinct from their Argentinian cousins, with their golden-fried cornmeal shells, instead of the wheat-based pastie-like pastries Australians are more familiar with. Torres’ flank steak, $22, is still marinated the same way his mother learned it from her parents: with beer, garlic, capsicum, coriander, cumin, spring onions, and no doubt, a good seasoning of family secrets.

South American food lovers may recognise arepas: those pale gold cornmeal discs, topped with aromatic pulled meats, $16, or stuffed with oozy cheese, $5, and bandeja paisa, $22, a hearty worker’s brunch of chicharrón, rice, arepas, plantains, pulled beef, beans, avocado, chorizo - all topped off with a fried egg.

El Toucan’s menu delves a bit deeper than just the hits: with offally goodness in the form of lengua en salsa (slow-cooked ox tongue), $18; higado encebollado (pan-fried livers in guiso, a rich, tomato-based braise), $18; and mondongo, a minestrone-esque soup of tender, earthy braised tripe, $16.

Torres explains “Maribyrnong has a big Asian population, and it makes me so happy to see so many non-Colombians embracing these humble dishes.

“What we have found is that we have created a bit of an opportunity for parents to take their kids to experience a new culture, and the kids are loving it.

“I feel there is real value to what I do in the sense that we come from a country that has a stereotype of being the drug capital of the world. As a Colombian living in Australia, I want to portray a different view of my country through food, music and culture. I want people to experience the fact that Colombians are fun people and hard workers who love great food, music and living life well.”

Click here to view the original article on the SBS website.

Images: Colombian cuisine at the El Toucan Café at the Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre (top and below) and the Café's counter (middle).