Tusk has a primo corner lot on Chapel Street, with a great alfresco dining area for taking in the…read moreMelburnian sunshine, along with the added enjoyment of people-watching (as this is Windsor, which has a load of characters and hipsters). We were there at the right time, as a table opened up in the middle of the scene. We quickly settled in. There were two waitresses manning the outside, so it took a bit of a wait before a gal showed-up with menus.
I started with a cold Asahi ($8.50), which hit the spot on this warm evening. For a starter, we shared the Fried Whitebait (with chili, garlic, lemon, parsley and baby capers) on a bed of "rocket" (arugula) ($12). (I'm told this is a popular started in Australia and New Zealand.) Personally, it wasn't my thing. "Whitebait" is essentially fish that's used for bait fishing: like small sardines, you eat 'em whole. It was very fishy. Even eaten with the rocket and capers, and dipped in the accompanying aioli, the fish flavor was pretty strong for my palate. (My bud liked it; our friend thought it was fishy, as well.)
For dinner, I went with the Tandoori Chicken Burger (served on a crunchy bun, with avocado, lettuce and tomato, and a side of shoestring fries) ($18.50). The chicken breast was moist and had a nice tandoori spice; fries were salty and tasty. (My partner-in-crime ordered the Tusk Burger (also served on crunchy bun, topped with caramelized onion, cheese, fried egg, aioli and tomato relish, and a side of fries) ($18.50), which looked fantastic. He said it was great. Our friend with the prawn pizza ($17), which she said was decent; unfortunately, the prawns still had their tails on 'em, which made for difficult eating. It looked pretty, though.)
Overall, it was a fine meal, and you couldn't beat the outdoor atmosphere. Our original waitress was a bit pokey and went MIA on us; however, the second gal turned out to be super friendly and fun to chat with. We'll definitely pop back into Tusk again.... :)
