The absolute first thing you need to know about the Thirsty Koala was named after this picture.

HOW CUTE IS THAT. Okay.

Second– the Thirsty Koala has only been around since December of 2012, and in literally just thirteen months they’ve become an Astoria staple. Don’t believe us? They’ve got nearly 250 reviews on Yelp… and everyone’s obsessed.

The Thirsty Koala was born from the minds of Christine Chellos, Katherine Fuchs and Alex Styponias– three friends who realized they couldn’t find Australian dessert anywhere. Chef Katherine Fuchs remedied this problem by trying her hand at authentic desserts, which she happened to have a knack for. Unsurprising, since Kathy’s father in law was the Head Chef of the Waldorf Astoria, and her husband a French trained chef. She, on the other hand, was a paramedic. Now, saving lives is great… but we’re thanking the foods gods for bestowing Kathy upon us. The next natural step for the trio was to open up a restaurant– Kathy with her passion for food, Alex with his background in the restaurant business, and Christine with her extensive knowledge of finances.

Should we get to the food now? Let’s get to the food. HOLY. MOLY. OKAY. LISTEN. This food. Guys. I am emotional over this food. Legitimately emotional. For starters, there is a ridiculous amount of vegetarian and gluten free options. All the vegetables used are organic and fresh. Have you ever had gluten free fried calamari? Yeah? How about gluten free fried calamari that tastes completely legit. You genuinely can not tell the difference between breaded calamari and this. And this is coming from someone who eats a lot of fried calamari. Mhhhh.

The meat they cook up at the Thirsty Koala is tender, fresh and amazing. AND THEY HAVE KANGAROO. AND IT’S FROM AUSTRALIA. Guys, this meat has seen more of the world than I have. The other meat is regularly brought in from Hunts Point Meat Market. It’s 100% antibiotic free and grass fed.

The Thirsty Koala has so many unique aspects to their menu, we couldn’t possibly name them all. They make their own goat cheese on site, and it is AMAZING. Have it on their Kakadu Crostini. Seriously. I could eat this Crostini everyday. It’s the perfect mix of crunchy and creamy, with kalamata tapinade, caramelized plums, prosciutto, and of course, the goat cheese.

The sauces and spices at the Thirsty Koala really set them apart. They import spices straight from Australia, and get this: only three chefs in America use them… one of which is Gordon Ramsey. The spices are lemon myrtle, bush tomato, and wattle seed, which is made from the nuts of the acacia plant.

So here’s what you should do. Write this down. Go to the Thirsty Koala. Order the fried calamari and cry about how it doesn’t taste gluten free at all AND IT’S JUST SO GOOD. (Or don’t cry. I just really like to cry.) Order the burger with the lot– let your friend order the Kangaroo burger and pick off of it. Preferably have another friend order the lamb lollys. Pick off theirs as well. Cry some more. Order the authentic Australian Pavlova for dessert, and an Aussie coffee that is more ice cream and whipped cream and syrup than coffee. And then come back from Brunch and order the Pain Perdue Croissant French Toast.