Tags
ACT, Australia, Bicicleta restaurant, canberra, dining with friends, Eggplant, Gnocchi, Polenta, Vegan food
A Canberra Italian restaurant serving delicious vegan dishes
Isn’t it funny, I live in a small city and; having lived here for nearly fourteen years and have never been to Bicicletta Italian Restaurant (which my ‘foodie’ friend Jane had told me about several times)…but last month that all changed…
I arranged a pre-Christmas dinner with girl friends I have known for over thirty-five years. We all joined the same employer way back in 1983. Unfortunately two girls could not make it but the remaining three and myself allowed us to catch up on all the gossip of life. Even though I have now retired we still keep in contact and only one of the girls is still with the same organisation…although she did leave for many years to run a hotel in the country. 
But back to our dinner… Bicicletta Restaurant serves locally sourced food and its menu has several vegetarian and vegan options. In this location, there are several restaurants and a few residential complexes who share a communal vegetable and herb garden. I loved this little area; so beautifully maintained also with an ‘interesting’ statue and small gardens and pathways for local residents to enjoy.
We sat outside in the courtyard with a view inside the restaurant through large windows.
The courtyard is great for the warmer months with lush greenery and coloured chairs and umbrellas. In late Autumn and Winter, blankets are supplied to keep your legs warm.
I loved the look of two vegan items on the menu so decided to try both an entree and main course. I chose the eggplant dish for entree which was deep fried with a balsamic glaze, polenta chips and a small amount of rocket. This was an incredibly delicious meal…really too big for an entree but I was not complaining. I loved it!
My friends shared the Pane, Olio E Balsamico which was a selection of breads; sourdough, baguette and brioche served with butter, aged balsamic reduction and extra virgin olive oil [forgot to take a photo].
For my main course I ordered the Gnocchi Da Giardino; house made pumpkin, potato and ground herbed gnocchi with roasted baby beets, broccoli florets and wild mushrooms in spinach and a vegan herb pesto sauce. Another incredible dish – so [so] good.
One of my friends also ordered the gnocchi but hers included a topping of crumbed goats cheese.
My friends then chose a range of dishes including the Capesante; pan seared scallops with romesco sauce, green apple tartare with lime and salmon caviar.
Also the Ravioli Di Maiale Arrosto; house made ravioli stuffed with roast pork, apple, potato and thyme in a creamy apple, rhubarb and white wine sauce finished with rocket, toasted walnuts and aged balsamic. 
And finally the daily risotto dish with wild mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, rocket and freshly shaved parmesan. 
I thought all the meals looked so appetising and were beautifully displayed. But in relation to our friendship, no matter how different our lives are now, this group of friends is still very special to me and I always enjoy catching up with them over a meal.
A couple of weekends ago, I travelled about two hours from Canberra to the south coast of New South Wales to stay with friends Sharon and Brenden. I hadn’t seen these friends for some time so with my little dog Axel we set off around lunch time on a Friday and stayed until mid morning Sunday. Driving along their street is wonderful as there are many kangaroos that come to the front lawns of homes to eat every afternoon and early morning.
We arrived at St. Isidore and wow what a place. A casual feel inside, tables presented nicely and lovely views of the gardens from all windows.
The grounds really are gorgeous, service is great and food very good. We were seated at our table by a very friendly waiter and I took a walk around the grounds to take some photos.
We ordered our drinks and took a look at the menu. I had already checked out the dishes on-line as wanted to make sure there were vegan options; there were!
I ate very healthily. I ordered a pasta dish with broad beans and an olive oil dressing for entree and a tofu and vegetable dish for my main course. My main had grilled eggplant and I love eggplant but definitely not grilled so that was left in the bowl.
My friends ordered an array of dishes which they said were all delicious.
All in all it was a very lovely evening…
I find that no matter how many new restaurants open in Canberra, I always seems to return to the ones I love and one I particularly enjoy is Lazy Su voted the number 1 people’s choice restaurant in Canberra. The interior is distinctly Asian with a Japanese-Korean pop culture theme…I love it!!
On this occasion a few months ago I went with my friend Jon and a young Chinese friend we have become close to over the past year or so and who refers to us as his Aussie mum and dad – very sweet! The menu is good for meat lovers, vegetarians and vegans and there is a good choice of wines and spirits.
We started off with dumplings; vegan kimchi, tofu and shallots (more for me as neither Jon nor Peter ate any), pork and cabbage Chinese style dumplings and Korean buffalo wings which the boys told me were spicy and delicious.
The boys then ordered a soy braised pork dish with Korean pickles and shallots and a dish of jasmine tea smoked duck breast which was pan-seared with carrot and yuzu citrus purée and charred Asian greens. Then they shared a Korean noodle soup which contained pork belly, egg and crispy noodles.
I ordered a cheezeburger which has vegan mince, black beans, mustard, vegan cheddar, cos lettuce, tomato sauce and charred leaks. It was ‘really’ good but quite large so I need not have ordered Grandma’s Spicy Tofu (Ma Po Doufu 麻婆豆腐) with pickled mustard, eggplant, garlic, chilli and shallots.
Peter who was born in Sichuan in China and eats very spicy food regularly told us that to calm the tastebuds and numbness after a spicy dish you should eat sugar; haven’t tried this yet but I do know that milk, water and yoghurt do not work. We did order some from the waiter but it took a little while to reach us and my mouth had calmed down by that stage.
We were way too full for dessert so after an evening of good food and wine and lovely company it was time to say ‘goodbye’…until next time.
Earlier this year, three of my good friends and I drove just under two hours from my home in Canberra to Bundanoon which is a small country town in New South Wales. My friend Natalie had told us about this great place where we could go and have facials/massages and take country walks…so one Saturday off we all drove.
We started off with some beauty treatments and then a couple of us took a walk around the gardens which really were quite lovely and so well maintained.
All meals were included and the food was excellent. Lunch was a buffet with a variety of dishes from Mexican bean casserole, to vegetable dahl and tofu stirfry served with a variety of salads, fresh wholemeal damper [absolutely delicious] and fruit. The daily salads included a fabulous brown rice salad and an Asian peanut cabbage salad. And evening meals were three courses served with wine.
And the clear blue sky and lush green grass and trees were lovely to look at whilst reading a book or just talking in the fresh air.
And sunset was particularly lovely…
On our first morning, two of us got up early to take a walk around the town whilst my other two friends took in a yoga class. Bundanoon really is a lovely old town with all sorts of nice things to see.
Our last day we took a hike with the retreat’s guide to Morton National Park; great way to start the day and lovely views. This was followed by an exercise class and other beauty treatments…oh and a great night’s sleep.
But after three days and two nights it was time to depart; relaxed and feeling great – what a great way to spend time with friends.
Jon chose The Green Herring Restaurant which is located in a historic village near my home. The restaurant is housed in one of Canberra’s oldest buildings; a 150 year old slab hut. The Slab Hut was built in 1860 in a small town about 100 kilometres from Canberra and was transported to Canberra in 1970 and has been The Green Herring Restaurant for over twenty years. The owner told us that the restaurant still maintains the original construction materials from almost 150 years ago with minor modifications and extensions to provide the necessities for restaurant operations.
We arrived and were shown to our table. The inside of this beautiful building is just as charming as the outside but probably a little too old fashioned for me. 
We ordered a bottle of Australian wine but found out Peter doesn’t drink so we ordered him a soft drink. Jon knows the owner of the restaurant having been there several times, so we were lucky to have personal service from the owner that evening. We started off with a cob loaf with roasted garlic butter and balsamic olive oil as well as dukkah focaccia bread with a duo of dips.
For our main courses, I of course, chose non meat dishes [a very nice pumpkin dish] and Jon discussed with Peter the Australian cuisine on the menu and then ordered for them both. They ate kangaroo, Australian prawns, Australian lamb and Australian eye rib fillet…
We also shared a couple of side dishes; beans and toasted almonds and buttery mashed potatoes…
Throughout the evening, it was lovely chatting to Peter and getting to know him a little better; hearing about his family in China and his studies in Australia. He has since invited us to meet his family in China [which we are now doing next month; so looking forward to returning to what I call ‘my second homeland’].
All in all a great night of fun conversation which allowed me to practice my Chinese (sometimes successfully)…
I chose this restaurant as I had been here before and enjoyed the food. XO Restaurant is located in a small neighbourhood shopping street and is known for its communal share plates. There is a range of vegetarian and vegan dishes and lots of other dishes for my meat and seafood loving friends.
Nasi goring with squid ink fried rice, spanner crab and fluffy eggs – well that is what the eggs are called, I just think they are a little scrambled; suppose they could be fluffy!
Slow cooked black Angus chuck steak reduced in coconut milk and spices.
Steamed fish cooked with ginger, shallots and shoaling wine.
Yes… and still more to come. Only one more dish though…a salmon ceviche with lime caviar, red curry cream and a crispy salmon skin.
All throughout the evening, wine certainly flowed and our laugher grew louder. Funnily enough we didn’t have any room for dessert. I really do love catching up with my friends and look forward to the next catch up with this particular group of girls but now know all three that came on this occasion cannot work out a bill even though it pretty much was just divided by four!!
I left school ‘many’ years ago and for the past fourteen years a few of my school friends and I catch up annually. This year with my friends Belinda, Lianne and Michelle we went to Sydney to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the iconic Capitol Theatre.
We laughed pretty much non-stop for two hours after which we popped into a local bar for a cocktail before heading back to our Airbnb.
We decided to walk back towards our apartment and on the way found this fabulous Thai restaurant where we enjoyed satay tofu, salt and pepper tofu, curried vegetables (and tofu) and my friends ordered two meat dishes. I think we were ‘tofued’ out at the end of the evening but we all said the food was exceptional.
I started off with a pot of peppermint tea and the girls ordered coffees, followed by poached eggs on sourdough toast. This came with a side of avocado (more than anywhere else we have seen – half an avocado!). I ordered a vegan dish of coconut feta and quinoa fritters with coconut labne, avocado, fatoush salad and hazelnut dukkah – oh my goodness I have never tasted coconut feta but it was the best and the rest of the dish was amazing!!
When we finished I wanted to walk through an alley I had seen the previous evening – Spice Alley – what a great find.
We wished we had eaten there the previous evening with its gorgeous coloured lanterns, wooden stools and seats and a large range of Asian restaurants. But we decided we were more than happy with our Thai choice.
Spice Alley is quite small but definitely worth the visit to see its paved pathway, colourful signs and street art…
And vibrant posters of Asian women and lovely rooftops above the restaurants…
It was so lovely walking through mid-morning as the restaurants were just in the process of lunch preparation so no-body was around.
We finished our walking tour and stepped onto another slightly wider paved street that runs parallel to Spice Alley which has more lovely restaurants and an actual Tuk Tuk parked on the kerb. 
We walked a little further to Central Railway Station through the country train station which is rather lovely with a beautiful clock hanging in the grand concourse…
And time to depart once more until we meet next year!
I wanted to thank some friends for something they did for me last year so I thought a dinner out at one of Canberra’s Chinese restaurants would be ideal…it was!
And tables are very nicely presented…
We ordered a couple of dishes to start; the Sichuan style crispy chicken with barley and caramelised onion and salt and pepper tofu and we also shared a bottle of white wine. I did like the serving bowls the dishes arrived in!
We also ordered the roast duck and mushroom pancake and a mushroom vegetarian pancake for me. These were put together at the table by our waiter so whilst it doesn’t look that great in my photo both were delicious. I also borrowed a photo to show what they look like inside.
A really nice evening and an excellent way for me to thank friends for being so generous.
(Firstly apologies but this post is a little longer than my usual posts)
And a nice view of the city from my window…
We then walked to Aria. The entrance is not what I expected; it’s a little unassuming but once you are inside it’s a completely different story – the walls are full of original art, the atmosphere is fabulous and the views….wow!!
The restaurant is located down near the Opera House with those magnificent views I just mentioned and as its web page says Aria is one of Australia’s finest restaurants. 
Our table was not right next to a window but we still had good views of the Bridge, Harbour and a docked cruise ship.
We decided on three courses; entree, main and dessert and started off with a bottle of French champagne before selecting our dishes. Some of the vegetarian options contained non-animal rennet cheese and all desserts contained gelatine so the waiter kindly brought me a vegan menu.
I was rather disappointed with my first course which although arrived beautifully presented, was cold. But…it was supposed to be cold but I didn’t know that and unless the dish is a salad I am not a fan of cold food…perhaps I should have checked before I ordered!!
Ray ordered a seafood bowl which was very nicely presented and Nat had the blue-eye trevalla with almonds, capers and razorback prawns. That was presented so beautifully.
Service was top quality; our waiter was so friendly and our Sommelier was extremely knowledgeable. We ordered a glass of wine each for our main course and a different wine for our desserts. My next course was a sweet potato, Jerusalem artichoke and nasturtium – this was lovely.
Ray ordered a duck dish with treviso, sausage and sweet potato mash and Nat ordered another fish dish; the Murray cod with an angasi oyster, white radish, miso and celeriac…they loved all their dishes.
Our sides which I think were complimentary, were a mashed royal blue potato (absolutely delicious) and a beautiful leaf salad with a delicious dressing which Nat kindly displayed with serving utensils for my photo.
My dessert was pineapple, coconut and almond (forgot to photograph this) and we were also given complimentary cones with a raspberry sorbet which was a very nice way to finish our mains and wait for dessert.
Nat and Ray ordered some nice desserts but I think Ray’s was the winner. Nat’s is the pie and Ray’s is the chocolate ball with a chestnut, cognac and cocoa crumble which once broken there flowed an amazing caramel like thick sauce. How good does this look!!
Nat also chose a selection of Australian and international cheeses to share with Ray which came with quince paste, grapes, fruit and lavash bread…
And then more complimentary dishes; some dark chocolate and small treats. I could only eat the nougat on the small treat platter as the lemon sweets contained gelatine. But lucky I had very willing friends who managed to eat them. It was a lovely few hours and I am glad I have been; it’s not a cheap restaurant but the service, food and views were all part of the wonderful experience.
After our long lunch we went back to our respective hotels and I met Nat a little later to walk to the Harbour. I did pop into Ray and Nat’s room at the Intercontinental Hotel to see fabulous views of the harbour.
We had good seats and both Nat and I loved the opera (Ray is not an opera fan so he didn’t come). 
The usual merchandise could be purchased of course…
And wonderful sunset views over the Opera House and Harbour Bridge…
When I bought our opera tickets on-line I also bought two drink tickets for intermission as there was a pop up bar which was beautifully decked out with tables, stools and lovely fresh flowers. It was a nice way to spend thirty-minutes so Nat and I enjoyed a white wine each.
A great opera after which we walked back to our hotels for a comfortable sleep. And the next morning, I went to the restaurant for my complimentary breakfast from the huge buffet [I don’t usually have this much tomato sauce; it poured out way too quickly].
I love going away for short breaks and this was such a lovely weekend away.
A few months ago my friend Jane invited me out to dinner and said she wanted to try an Afghani restaurant near the city. I had no idea what Afghani food tasted like so took a look at the menu on-line and it looked great with lots of vegetarian dishes so off we went.
We decided on a banquet as both of us were relatively hungry and Jane suggested all vegetarian was great for me, but we really could not eat all dishes as there were so many!
We were then served a traditional Afghan dumpling which is steamed and topped with yogurt, chickpea tomato sauce and garnished with a little bit of mint. Again very good and so tasty…feeling a touch full at this stage!
Our next dish was called Kachaloo Loobia Korma; a chef’s special comprising a korma sauce with red kidney beans, mild spices and herbs accompanied by a really good naan bread. As you can imagine very full by now but had to taste this delicious dish and eat the naan bread.
At this stage I took a little break from eating and took some photos. It really is a lovely restaurant with great traditional ornaments, pictures and wall carpets. 
And the iconic photograph of the young beautiful green-eyed Afghani girl who appeared on the front of National Geographic in 1985.
I did find a photograph of her now on the internet [courtesy NY Times)…still with same amazing eyes just probably not staring as intently at the camera.
But back to our restaurant…still more food to come…the Banjan Boranee arrived which is another traditional Afghani dish of fried eggplant covered with cooked tomato and yogurt sauce and it was supposed to be garnished with dry mint but I couldn’t see any. Loving this dish so much along with a separate [large] dish of rice topped with a layer of julienne caramelised carrots, sultana and almond nuts [had to pick out the sultanas but apart from that a delicious aromatic rice].
A really good restaurant that I must take my friend Naomi to as she lived in Islamabad for over four years and I think she would love the food and ambience which I know is similar to that of Pakistan.