If you get peckish in the middle of the day, keep your appetite in check until you get to Tukka in East End.

The vibrant new restaurant, on the site of what used to be Portofino, is enticing people from all over the island to indulge in its eclectic and (unless you’re Australian) somewhat eccentric-sounding menu.

Where else could you have conch and crocodile fritters or kangaroo sausages?

The fritters, which are encased in Caybrew batter, are the biggest sellers at the restaurant, according to owner and head chef Ron Hargrave, formerly the head chef at Deckers, who opened the restaurant in early October.

Deciding to make the trip to East End over a weekend, we deliberated between having lunch there on the Saturday or the brunch on Sunday, and in the end opted for the Sunday brunch. We weren’t disappointed.

The brunch included an array of fresh salads, sushi and soup for starters, and a variety of hot dishes for the main course. There was also a roast beef carvery and a barbecue that offered chicken and shrimp with sausage.

And there were plenty of desserts to choose from, so we chose a little of all of them.

The barman recommended sangria to accompany the brunch and when the two glasses of fruity, ever so slightly fizzy drink arrived, it was impossibly refreshing. He also sent over some homemade lemonade which was sweet and delicious.

For an extra treat, Chef Ron brought us into the kitchen to watch him prepare fresh-from-the-sea lionfish cerviche with chilli, avocado and peppers. The restaurant gets lionfish from divers who are certified to cull the invasive fish. On the day we went, Chef Ron was snipping the fins and venomous spines off 15 lionfish he’d just received from a dive operator and was getting them ready for a diner who’d specially ordered the dish.

If you’re in there for lunch or dinner, it’s worth asking if there’s any lionfish on the day’s specials.

There’s a tank of lobsters just inside the restaurant’s front door and Chef Ron says Tukka is the only restaurant where you can choose and weigh your own lobster which will then be specially cooked for you.

The restaurant is named after the Australian slang for “tucker” or food.

Tukka Native Fusion Restaurant is a combination of Caribbean and Australian food. Hence, you’ll find kanga bangers – lightly spiced kangaroo and sage sausages – on the menu beside jerked chicken breast and West Indian chicken curry.

Another popular dish is the Aussie Burger., a giant Australian all-beef patty, with crispy bacon, Swiss cheese, grilled pineapple, fried egg, arugula lettuce and sliced beetroot. Yup, that’s how the Aussies like ‘em. Bring your appetite!

There are also plenty of healthy options on the menu, with lots of salads and fish dishes, as well as low-fat and carb-friendly meals to choose from.

And kids aren’t forgotten. The kids menu includes cheese burgers, chicken fingers, crumbed shrimp and grilled cheese quesadilla – for $8 each.

The entire restaurant is family-friendly, with changing stations in the bathrooms and plenty of sturdy high chairs available in the dining areas.

For those who don’t have cars or who don’t want to drive to East End, Chef Ron has launched Walkabout Wednesday, where guests can be picked up by bus from hotels on Seven Mile Beach every Wednesday evenings, from about 5.30pm, driven to Tukka where they can have a three-course meal and then get driven back, all for $60.

Sunday brunch is served from 11.30am to 3pm, lunch every day from 11.30am to 5pm, dinner every day from 5.30pm to 10pm. On the weekend the restaurant also serves breakfast from 8.30am to 11am.   WH

Call 947-2700 for reservations or email tukka@candw.ky