Coconine’s BBQ is a set price and size and has to be booked ahead. Photo: Tenele Conway.
It’s been a damn cold winter so far and this time I have data to back up my personal feelings on the matter, with Canberra having recorded the coldest run of June nights in 41 years.
It takes a lot to get me out of my nest on nights like that, but when I saw that the Thai restaurant Coconine on the Kingston foreshore is running Thai BBQ and hotpot just for winter, I was in the car ready to throw my money at them.
Thai BBQ and hotpot are lesser-known Thai dining styles in Australia, having never taken off like their counterparts Korean BBQ and Sichuan hotpot, but if you have partaken in either of these, you have a hint of what to expect.
Both the BBQ and hotpot services at Coconine require you to book ahead; both are priced at $89 total for a set offering and both can be shared by however many people you bring along.
Coconine is located on the Kingston foreshore, just follow the lights! Photo: Martin Conway.
We opted for the Thai BBQ but found it’s a little too much for two people and you may be taking home some leftovers. It would be suitable for three fairly hungry diners and a reasonably-sized meal for four diners but you may want to add an entree.
Arriving on the Kingston foreshore in a blustering southerly, we may have backed out of the outing had it not been for our booking, but it turns out that the weather set the scene for what felt like a fun alpine experience, much like fondue at a ski chalet.
All of the BBQ and hotpot diners were set up in the semi-enclosed outdoor space outside the front doors of the restaurant. With the wind blowing, I was a little skeptical about being outside on this particular night, but within 10 minutes jackets and beanies were coming off and faces were getting flushed under the heat of the BBQ burners and the outdoor gas heating.
There was little information available prior to attending as to what the menu was, so we were on a magical mystery tour, ready to go along for the ride. Would we be ordering our own BBQ ingredients from a list like at Sichuan hotpot? Or would there be a buffet like at Malatang? In this case it was none of the above.
Within a few minutes of sitting, we were presented with a platter of meats and seafood and a platter of vegetables as our waitress poured a chicken broth into the moat around the BBQ dome on our personal BBQ burner.
Thai BBQ is a DIY cooking experience. Photo: Martin Conway.
For the full Thai BBQ experience, it’s best to indulge in the local drop and we’d become avid Chang beer drinkers on an extended stay in Bangkok earlier this year. The $9.90 per bottle price tag was a little eye-watering compared to the $2-$3 long necks we had become accustomed to in Thailand, but as we were reminded by the weather, we were not in Thailand.
The BBQ heats up within minutes and we’re advised to pop the pork belly on top of the grill so as the fat renders, it prevents the rest of the meat from sticking.
Left to our own devices, we had one small conundrum – what to do with the whole raw egg we were given. The table of Thai diners nearby were more than happy to help and showed us how to crack it onto the platter of meats and stir it through, and I was glad they had saved us the embarrassment of cracking it into the broth, which was the tactic I had been leaning towards.
I had gone into this mystery tour armed with some knowledge from the internet and whilst it didn’t show me what to do with the egg, I knew that the vegetables and noodles were to be cooked in the moat of broth and the meats laid out on top of the dome, a skill we apparently mastered quickly as the waitress came over to remark that she was impressed with our level of knowledge on how to BBQ.
The meat selection came with pork, which was likely neck or shoulder that had been lightly marinated and possibly tenderised.
There were slices of marinated chicken plus prawns and squid and on the accompanying vegetable platter were bean sprouts, vermicelli noodles, cabbage and morning glory.
Coconine’s Thai BBQ is perfect Canberra winter dining. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Once cooked to their liking, diners pull the meat and veg from the BBQ and into their personal bowls to be topped with or dunked into the two dipping sauces, which had varying levels of sweet, spicy and tart.
Being used to the bold flavours of Sichuan hotpot, I was surprised at how delicious it all was. The food when first presented looked quite plain and I thought we would be relying on the flavours of the dipping sauces, but the meats are incredibly tender, the egg adds a richness, there is a subtle backnote of soy and it all picks up a lovely char and smokiness from the burner.
The light touch with the marination allows for the meat and char to really shine.
As naturally fast eaters, the whole process of cooking our own meats really slowed down the night and forced us to take in the experience. It’s a very conducive setting for some lively chatter over many beers and one that we will be back for. Don’t forget though, this is only for winter.
Coconine is open seven days for lunch and dinner. Head to their website, or to book the hotpot or BBQ, phone 6162 1964.
