Lunch in Suva--The Defence Club on Fridays

Welcome to the latest installment of Lunch in Suva. If you want the inside scoop on the culinary scene in Suva, this is the column to watch. It's written by two Suva denizens who call themselves "Picky Eater" (PE) and Kania Tiko (KT). They specialize in seeking out tasty local fare--generally under $10 or so. They mostly stick to the metropolitan Suva area--but have been known to venture out from time to time as far as Nadi Town. Fijiguide.com is proud to publish their unvarnished gastronoical escapades. You can find their blog Lunch in Suva at http://www.lunchinsuva.org/.

All the private clubs in Suva have a kitchen, the last remaining holdout was the Defence Club. With the demise of "Khana Kao" that used to be in the basement (selling something called "Indo-fijian cuisine"), the Defence Club has been without food for a couple of years (cheese, tamarind chutney, and breakfast crackers don't count).

Now the club is getting back into the lunch scene with a Friday cafeteria style offering. Usually only one or two options are offered, and the price ranges from $10 to $12. A lady named Joanna is in charge and apparently you can call her for orders as well (call the club at 3305037 and ask for her - Friday only).

The day we investigated the Seafood lunch was on offer and this menu included:

• Dalo
• Fried Fish in Lolo
• Ota
• Baked Kai
• Lumi
• Nama
• Fruits ( watermelon / pineapple)

Overall a stunning success - slightly over our $10 per head policy, but we can justify it by saying that its a Friday only treat. Its a large meal, and when coupled with the $1.60 beers that one will be tempted to wash down the lolo with, your afternoon productivity will be severely impacted. You are probably better off telling the boss that you won't be "out in the field" for the rest of the day.

Make sure you eat your fruits. The fibre will help you shit later, and god knows that you'll be needing to shit after such a serve.

The menu changes every week. Typical offerings include Lovo (pork, chicken, palusami, wacipoki) and Curry (lamb, bhindi, pumpkin, chutney, rice). Ask them to put you on the mailing list and they will tell you whats for lunch via email.

In Summary

Defence Club Friday Lunch

57 Gordon St

Phone: 3305037

Opening Hours:

1200 - 1430 - Friday only

Spend:

$15 per person (assuming two beers)

Rating:

Thumbs-up

Editor's Note: If you have some time in Suva, it's worth it to take a peek at the Defence Club. Once a bastion of white colonialism, since independence in 1970, this classic, wood paneled private club has been open to Fijians of all stripes. Rob says check it out.