Big Esso by Mabu Mabu

"Nornie Bero's Big Esso in Melbourne showcases Torres Strait Islander cuisine with dishes like kangaroo tartare and crocodile skewers. The restaurant emphasizes the use of native ingredients and supports First Nations-owned businesses."

"Native Australian produce isn’t hard to find in this city if you know where to look. But Big Esso is one of the few places championing it that’s also Torres Strait Islander owned-and-run. Try the deep-fried crocodile dusted in saltbush and pepperberry, wild boar with native lemongrass, and the charred peach, rivermint, and candided quandong salad. Booze (like the Green Ant-Tini) is mostly Aussie, too." - ellen fraser

"Using native ingredients has become increasingly popular in Australia, but it’s nothing new for chef Nornie Bero, who grew up on one of the Torres Strait Islands in the northern part of the country. The self-professed “island girl” now showcases her culture and cuisine at all-day restaurant and bar Big Esso in Melbourne’s Federation Square. Here, buckets of charred prawns come with sea succulents, and kangaroo replaces beef in bourguignon. Her signature damper, a springy bread, is a must. Stock up on native condiments and herbs like strawberry gum before leaving." - Audrey Bourget, Sharlee Gibb

"Native Australian produce isn’t hard to find in this city if you know where to look. But Big Esso is one of the few places championing it that’s also Torres Strait Islander owned-and-run. Try the deep-fried crocodile dusted in saltbush and pepperberry, wild boar with native lemongrass, and the charred peach, rivermint, and candided quandong salad. Booze (like the Green Ant-Tini) is mostly Aussie, too. photo credit: Kristoffer Paulsen" - Ellen Fraser

"Though indigenous cuisine is increasingly available in Australia, venues serving dishes from the Torres Strait Islands on the mainland are still rare. The collection of nearly 300 islands above northeastern Australia have been home to Torres Strait Islanders for nearly 70,000 years, and chef Nornie Bero is taking that long history  and putting it on a plate. Bero, a member of the Komet tribe of Mer Island, opened a market stall in Melbourne in 2016 serving island specialties and afterwards a small restaurant in Yarraville called Mabu Mabu. Her most recent and ambitious endeavor, the much larger eatery Mabu Mabu Big Esso, opened in late 2021. On the menu are foods from Bero’s own childhood, made with native ingredients. That means dishes such as wattleseed pavlova, emu filet with saltbush chimichurri, and breadfruit seasoned with bush tomato. Big Esso also sports what Bero considers Australia’s first indigenous bar, highlighting local producers and ingredients, resulting in the Green Ant-tini (made with green-ant gin) and a Davidson’s plum gimlet. Plus, a small store on site carries indigenous-made products. All these things fit into Bero’s mission of making local traditional foods accessible to all. Know Before You Go The restaurant is located across from the ACMI museum. It serves lunch and dinner." - Gavin, Collector of Experiences, Anne Ewbank