Luxury restaurant Penelope’s will offer guests an ‘Invasion Day’ menu with a bizarre range of dishes including a ‘halal snack pack’ and fairy bread.
The chic business on Sydney’s Circular Quay has introduced the new menu ahead of Australia Day on Friday.
The restaurant’s owner, Cuong Nguyen, said the decision to serve the food to customers on the National Day was made out of respect for the indigenous people.
“It’s a conversation that’s been going on for several years,” Mr. Nguyen said The Daily Telegraph.
“We should be celebrating Australia, but it’s hard to celebrate on a day where half the country likes it and for the other half it’s a day of mourning.”
Luxury restaurant Penelope’s (pictured) offers guests an ‘Invasion Day’ menu with a bizarre range of food items
Customers are also offered a braised kangaroo tail and salsa Vietnamita.
Mr Nguyen told the newspaper the move was made to recognize Australia’s significance to Indigenous Australians.
For many First Nations people, January 26 is considered ‘Invasion Day’ or the ‘Day of Mourning’ because it marks the beginning of the colonization of Australia.
Mr. Nguyen said he has not received any comments from diners so far and the restaurant’s general manager said they may scrap the menu if there is a backlash from customers.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Penelope’s for comment.
The Invasion Day menu (pictured) has been posted on the restaurant’s website and introduced to recognize the significance of Australia to Indigenous Australians
The restaurant’s decision comes after several Australian retailers, including supermarket giant Woolworths, opted not to stock Australia Day merchandise.
Aldi also followed suit with its decision to stop selling merchandise on January 26, but Coles said it will continue to stock themed products for the holiday weekend.
Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton urged Australians to boycott Woolworths following the company’s decision not to stock Australia Day items.
Mr Dutton told Sydney radio station 2GB earlier this month that the move was outrageous.
“It’s up to the customers whether they want to buy the product or not… I think people should boycott Woolworths,” he said.
Chic Circular Quay restaurant is also offering customers fairy bread (pictured), Braised Kangaroo Tail and Salsa Vietnamita on Friday
Woolworths confirmed it would not stock Australia Day merchandise, with a spokesperson saying demand for the items has declined in recent years as they realize what the date means to different parts of the community.
Several councils across the country have also scrapped citizenship ceremonies, with one Vietnam war veteran slamming Sydney’s Waverly Council’s decision to cancel Australia Day’s dawn reflection service.
Michael von Berg, a Military Cross recipient who served as a combat soldier in the war, told the council the move is disrespectful to soldiers who fought and died for their country.
‘For God sake. “It’s a disservice not only to the veteran community, but to the First Nations soldiers who fought and died for their country,” he said.
Penelope’s opened in the Quay Quarter Tower in December last year and offers guests a mix of dishes inspired by traditional Vietnamese cuisine and other cultural dishes.