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Dinner at a restaurant at one of Canberra’s new hotels

IMG_2754Canberra has a few new hotels and East Hotel, in the suburb of Kingston is just one which has a lovely restaurant that I have been to twice over the past six months.  The hotel is quite funky and modern and the restaurant is lovely.

To get to the restaurant you walk through the foyer of the hotel then through a library where the walls are lined with solid American oak bookshelves suspended on a thin brass structure and lovely vintage Afghan rugs on the floor.  There is a selection of new and pre-loved titles that includes everything from the latest releases to long out of print classics.  I  love the classics and think this is a really lovely room to walk through on the way to your dining experience at Muse Restaurant.Muse proper(source http://www.musecanberra.com.au)

The food at Muse is very good with lots of vegetarian options and the service is excellent. After I had been there once with some friends from my work, I went again with other friends who used to live next door to me in Canberra and had wanted to go but had not had the opportunity.  We started off with some share dishes which were the roast pumpkin, candied walnuts,  sourdough, balsamic reduction and watercress and another dish of house made dukkah, toasted sourdough, roast garlic labneh, balsamic reduction and extra virgin olive oil.  My friends were happy with the vegetarian entrees as they had already decided on meat and fish main courses.  Only one of my friends is really ever happy with vegetarian food, the majority of my other friends really ‘need’ meat or fish when we go out.

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IMG_2757We also shared roast kipfler potatoes with chilli & citrus seasoning and smoked paprika aioli and as we were hungry we ordered the grilled haloumi with basil pesto and black olive tapenade.  No matter where I go, if there are chips on the menu I have to order them!!  IMG_2762

IMG_2758I didn’t try the haloumi on either occasion unfortunately but only because I had eaten so much of the other entrees I couldn’t fit anything else in, especially as I still had my main course to eat.  My friends said it was very nice though and as it was cheese made in Canberra it will be something I will order next time I visit [and the waiter told me it doesn’t contain animal rennet – which means I can eat it – yay!].  A couple of us ordered some nice wine to go with our meal and two of my friends ordered three red wines to match their meat dishes – all Aussie wines but from different states in Australia.

IMG_2755Our main courses consisted of  the roast stuffed baby eggplant, quinoa & pine nut tabbouleh, beetroot hummus and mint labneh (me).

IMG_2760Also the house cured and smoked duck breast, carrot, radicchio, zucchini and orange.

IMG_2768The fish was also ordered which came with a miso corn sauce, furikake seasoning and bean shoots, chilli and sesame.

IMG_2770 And the Grainge Angus sirloin steak with the green pea purée, charred eschallots and Café de Paris butter was something one of my friends was interested in, so ordered.

IMG_2759We also shared a delicious dish of Sumac-roast Dutch carrots, radicchio with hazelnuts and extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon – really good!!

IMG_2765The other main meal that was ordered was the slow cooked spiced lamb shoulder with roast pepper purée, beetroot chutney and dukkah.

IMG_2767All meals were delicious and of course a lovely evening catching up with friends I hadn’t seen for some time…so much to talk about and you walk away with a very full stomach of food!!  But as we left we saw large jars of sweets in the foyer [for the guests] and we all took a small handful even thought as I said we were very full – it’s a bit like chips, if they are there I will eat them.