The Billabong - Review from Where.ca - Winnipeg Section - Editor's Pick Winnipeg’s diverse restaurant offerings did not include an antipodean option until The Billabong opened its doors last year in Osborne Village, courtesy of owners Owen Degen and husband and wife team, Peter and Erin Keating.  The Billabong is a modern Aussie pub with a classically relaxed ambiance that attracts customers throughout the day for a hot meal or a cold beer. Rich red walls, decorated with boomerangs and other fun artifacts, set the scene, and enough Australian accents are heard to complete the illusion that you are in a pub down under. Friendly, casual service mirrors the laid-back atmosphere.  Chef Lee Fry successfully reworks classic Australian pub standards. He is especially talented at pairing interesting sauces with each of the dishes. Crab cakes have a crunchy almond shell that shelters the soft, mellow interior. The red pepper sauce delivers a fiery kick to the crab. Old-fashioned sausage rolls feature two hefty rolls of a flaky pastry housing a delicately spiced, fine-grain sausage.  Corner-shop pies are quintessential Oz tucker and there are three versions here. The best being a dandy meat pie of finely-ground beef in a thickly sweet gravy.  Pumpkin soup is a nostalgic favourite among the most acclaimed Aussie chefs. It’s their equivalent of chicken soup. This version is simple and soothing. A cranberry swirl adds a sweet complexity to the mild pumpkin. Pumpkin also appears in the form of ravioli stuffed with a savoury filling akin to a pumpkin pie. It glistens in garlic and herb oil, with sundried tomato and red onion adding a touch of sweetness. The V.B. fish and chips is an Aussie twist on classic beer-battered fish and chips. Shark, covered in a crisp Australian Victoria Bitter beer batter, has the traditional meaty texture of fish, but with a malty flavour. The thick batter is surprisingly light and airy, and the hint of beer complements the mild shark perfectly. The accompanying seasoned fries add a subtle spice to the dish.  Dessert includes that Aussie favourite, Pavlova. The crisp meringue shell has a soft chewy centre. It is smothered in swirls of whipped cream with cinnamon-sugar curls on top. The only quibble is the canned fruit used instead of the fruit purée of the day that is promised on the menu. Also try the sticky date pudding, a dense cake in a warm caramel sauce.  The Billabong is open Mon-Sat 11:30 am-2 am and Sun 4 pm-2 am. 121D Osborne St, 452-1019. Entrées: $9.99-$16.99.