Chifley Bar & Grill – Kurrajong Hotel – Canberra – ACT – Australia – September 2017

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ACT, Australia, canberra, Chifley Bar & Grill, dinner with colleagues and friends, Kurrajong Hotel

Taking a visiting Canadian colleague out to dinner

Across the road from where I work is the Kurrajong Hotel.  Its restaurant Chifley’s Bar & Grill is named after its long-time hotel resident, former Australian Prime Minister Ben Chifley.  I have been to this restaurant several times for lunch so I decided this was a good option for dinner as our international visitor was actually staying there.The guest rooms have been refurbished and am told are quite lovely; overlooking the garden terrace and some with balconies.

We sat in the foyer area and enjoyed a glass of wine before my boss arrived and we went into the restaurant for an early dinner.I ordered the wild mushroom risotto with roasted hazlenuts but unfortunately I did not enjoy as it had a funny taste so I only ate a couple of mouthfuls – thinking back I think it might have had chicken or beef stock and I forgot to ask prior to ordering. My fault!!My friend Jane came along as she wanted to speak to our international visitor about a project she is working on and ordered the confit duck maryland which came with braised apple red cabbage and a madeira glaze…she told us that this was the best duck dish she has EVER eaten….my photo doesn’t look that great though!My boss ordered the twice cooked pork belly with cider apple compote and a side dish of herb roasted pumpkin and sweet potato.

Our visitor asked for some recommendations and wanted to eat something ‘Australian’ so Jane and my boss chose the lamb dish for her which she thoroughly enjoyed.  The dish came as a Guinness braised lamb shoulder with faro and a mint salad.  A Google search allowed us to find out that farro is comprised of grains and wheat and dried – looked very much like couscous.

We had a really nice evening even though I didn’t love my meal…I must say I have had the same dish before for lunch and it was delicious so not sure what happened on this occasion but it won’t stop me returning.

 

Tipsy Bull Restaurant – Braddon – Canberra – ACT – Australia – August 2017

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ACT, Australia, Braddon, canberra, dinner with friends, tipsy Bull restaurant

Dinner with my usual dining companion, Jane

It’s amazing really how many new restaurants are popping up in the city of Canberra.  One new restaurant called ‘Tipsy Bull‘ I had never been to so one evening I walked into the city and met Jane for dinner.  On its website, Tipsy Bull says it is great for a quick meal or a long night.  It’s definitely a quick meal place; we booked early [6pm] but had to be out by 8pm and that definitely occurred as the bill was put on our table just before 8pm and the waiters were hovering by to get us out for the next group of guests to be seated.  So for me that is definitely not a ‘long night’…but perhaps they mean if you eat later it’s a ‘long night’.  But no way could I eat at 8pm; much too late for me – no matter where I am, I am an early eater!

Jane told me that a drink she had previously would look good on my post [she had been here before with her husband] and it was a deconstructed gin and tonic which came served on a wooden board with everything ready to make this particular drink…very cute actually. And this was the result when constructed – and delicious so Jane told me – pretty with the rose petals.Jane and I decided to start off with a share plate of fresh bread and a selection of dips.We then ordered a dish of dutch carrots  with pistachio nuts and dukkah to share and I ordered a roasted pumpkin salad with candied walnuts, balsamic dressing and honey glaze – both delicious.  I just love pumpkin!Jane ordered the crispy fish with Korean chilli sauce and as she was still feeling hungry also ordered the lamb cutlets with a hazelnut pangrattato [I know now this is a posh word for Italian breadcrumbs] and caramelised shallots in a red wine jus.  She didn’t think she would be able to eat all the cutlets but managed to..well done Jane!!On this night we had so much fun as we arrived about 5pm [knowing we had to leave by 8pm] and over a drink, we wrote out a list of invitees for my retirement function in November..such fun…and not long until I retire!!!

 

Bentspoke Bar & Darbar Restaurant – Braddon – Canberra – ACT – Australia – July 2017

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ACT, Australia, Bentspoke Bar, Braddon, canberra, Darbar restaurant, Indian cuisine

A night out at one of Canberra’s top twenty restaurants

My frequent dinner partner, Jane and I met one evening for a drink before dinner.  I had done my usual and walked into the city to meet her at a local bar/pub.  It was raining all the way into the city but I took an umbrella and must say did enjoy the hour-long walk.  I had been to this bar before with a group of friends where we sat upstairs, but this time we met downstairs just for a glass of wine before walking to the restaurant to meet another friend from interstate.

Bentspoke is a pretty funky bar with options to sit outside with a heater (as it was the middle of winter) or inside..we chose inside.

After finishing our drink, we walked over to the restaurant and met our friend Peter.  The restaurant I chose was a new Indian in the local restaurant area.  At Darbar Indian our table was reserved with a small blackboard with my name on it…rather sweet.  But unfortunately within five minutes a large family group arrived; the size of the group is not the problem; it was the parents allowing their two children to run around and scream [a lot].  We were the only two tables in the restaurant and with parents not controlling their children it was pretty annoying. There was plenty of dishes to order from the menu.I ordered the masala dosai for entree after asking Jane and Peter if they would share with me as the waitress told me it was a pretty big serve.  The dosai is a thin, crisp golden brown rice pancake rolled with spiced potato masala and served with coconut chutney and sambar. It tasted good albeit a little bit spicy.Peter ordered the chicken chat pat an aged chicken marinated in spices, lemon juice and deep fried. It’s then tossed with curry leaf and fenugreek powder and coriander.  It’s served with a lemon wedge and spanish onion.Jane ordered the chef’s specialty which was called Jal Pari Hariyali – a marinated Tasmanian salmon fillet with tumeric,cashew paste, cumin and coriander powder with lemon juice and pan friend.For my main dish I ordered the malia kofta; dumplings made from potato and cheese and tossed in a combination of curry leaves and mustard seeds then simmered in a Moghhlai gravy.  This is a dish I always order at Indian restaurants.  It was nice but not the best I had ever had.  I am not too sure why it wasn’t that delicious, I think it was the sauce – not as creamy as others.Peter ordered the chicken tikka dish to share with Jane.  It was boneless chicken cubes that have been marinated in yoghurt, spices and smoke roasted. Pretty good they both said.Jane ordered a goat curry for main course, again to share with Peter.  It came diced and stewed in a medium spice and flavoured with onion, fenugreek seeds and fresh curry leaves.  They both liked this dish too.  Great company but a little spoilt by screaming children…probably won’t go back.

 

Lazy-Su Restaurant – Braddon – Canberra – ACT – Australia – July 2017

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ACT, Asian fusion food, Australia, canberra, dinner with friends, Lazy Su restaurant

One of twenty new restaurants in Canberra

My friend Jane’s husband has arrived back home from overseas so instead of the usual two of us, this time three of us went out to dinner a couple of weeks ago to this new restaurant in Canberra which has received great reviews.  The theme of the restaurant is Japan meets Korea and is great for casual dining.  It has a pretty big menu with several vegetarian and vegan options.

I walked into the city from my home which is just under an hour and was fortunate to see the sun setting; a lovely sight on this evening.

And then through the streets of Braddon which is now where all the new restaurants in the city are located.  It’s become a very trendy street also with cafes, trinket shops, bars and of course restaurants.I arrived at the restaurant and met Paul and Jane who were already seated with a glass of wine in hand and one ready for me – great friends!!  We were in a booth which unfortunately had very slim seats and the table was unmovable and did not allow much space between the seat and table.  A little uncomfortable!

But lots of positives, the restaurant is filled with contrasting quirks – from a traditional Japanese waves mural to the Harajuku-themed ladies bathroom, ’80s Japanese pop culture ads covering the bar fridges, and a mesmerising wall of lucky cats when you first walk in.The bar itself is also pretty impressive although my photos don’t really show how impressive – the lights have names of what spirits are on offer.And then there are the lucky cats…The restaurant has dishes that are meant to be shared; I think this is a trend with a lot of new restaurants now.  I ordered the miso & honey baked sweet potato with garlic kumara chips and blackbean with sesame and lime.  We all tasted this and each of us said it was exceptional.Jane and Paul ordered the Szechuan peper squid with salted black bean, lime, coriander and aioli.Followed by the pork and shrimp wontons with black vinegar…Also Mum’s chicken which is a boneless poached chicken, Singapore sauce, cabbage with sesame and soya sauce.

And last dish they ordered was the steamed fillets of barramundi fish topped with samba, pickles and crispy eschallot.  They enjoyed them all apart from one dish but now i can’t recall if that was the squid or the chicken…

I also ordered the kimchi fried rice with egg and sesame; wow this was huge and too much for me to eat; Jane and Paul took it home for their son Harry to have at school the next day.  But it was delicious; very tasty!

My other dish was the Tasty Tofu Bao which I thought was going to be very small but like the rice dish was quite large and way too much to eat.  It came with shitake salsa, coleslaw and a teriyaki and kimchi mayo.  Again very tasty I must say but just too big to finish.

It was a lovely evening with my friends and I would return for the food but not for the small seats and tables.

Petite Feast – Buvette Restaurant – Canberra – ACT – Australia – June 2017

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ACT, Australia, Buvette Restaurant, canberra, Friends, High Tea, Petite Feast

Another High Tea in Canberra

One of the hotels in Canberra advertises for a high tea every Saturday, so my friends Jenny, Jane and I decided to try it out.  Jane and I arrived a little early and this caused much confusion with the waitress who couldn’t understand why we were ten minutes early.  We finally got to seat down after agreeing we were early (!!) and wait for our friend Jenny.  I had decided to forgo breakfast as we were meeting at 1130 and wanted to enjoy the spoils of the High Tea.  When we arrived, the restaurant was empty but it filled up by the time we left.We all started off with a pot of tea each and waited for the High Tea to arrive.  It really is a little different to the usual High Teas I have been to.  Firstly warm fresh sourdough rolls with house-made butter were brought to the table and then a large plate of savoury items arrived – a plate each. Jenny had advised the restaurant I didn’t eat cheese so I had a plate of mini pumpkin sandwiches, salad, olives, mini quiches and sun dried tomatoes – all delicious except the olives which I don’t like.The girls each had a plate of chicken wraps, smoked salmon finger sandwiches, mini beef pies, sundried tomato quiches, duck liver pate, and a terrine. Then there was a Tasmanian double brie cheese, olives, fig, lavosh crackers, salami from Queensland and an oyster – a rather large plate of food!Jane sort of forgot the sweets were yet to come and was a bit full when they arrived but then again she does not have a sweet tooth so it didn’t matter to her; Jenny and I tried most of the desserts; probably more than needed.  At this point Jane and I ordered a glass of champagne; none for Jenny who attends a yoga class on a Saturday afternoon.On the large slate plate, beautifully displayed and carefully arranged were passionfruit profiteroles, macaroons, chocolate tarts with popcorn, a coconut curd with a cream and fruit topping and a mini pavlova topped with strawberries – all so lovely but some never made it off the plate – too full!!

Lovely couple of hours chatting and eating – well worth the reasonable cost.

Otis Dining Hall – Kingston – Canberra – ACT – Australia – June 2017

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ACT, Australia, canberra, Kingston, Otis Dining Hall Restaurant

‘Another’ new restaurant in Canberra

For several years Canberra had a Belgium Beer Cafe which was a good place to go for a drink on a Sunday afternoon and then one day it was gone; not sure why as it was always full of people but some months ago, in its place was a new restaurant called Otis Dining Hall..which certainly is not a hall in the true sense of the word but a fabulous restaurant.(source: http://www.thisisotis.com.au)

I booked a table (for me and my friend Jane) one Saturday evening in June.

When I dine out if I see a dish with cheese in it, I always ask can the cheese be removed as I do not eat cheese containing animal rennet and this time was no different as the dish I liked the look of was the pumpkin ravioli dish.  I wasn’t sure if there would be a shaving of parmesan so I asked the [very] young waiter if this could be done and he immediately told me it couldn’t.  I was surprised as the cheese was not inside the ravioli nor part of the dish, so I asked him if he was sure and he said he was and that cheese on a dish could not be removed.  I was rather [very] frustrated and asked him if he could ask the chef (who actually makes the meal!!) which he reluctantly did…and surprise surprise the chef said ‘yes’ the dish could be made without the shaving of cheese.  grr!!

So after this ordeal, I did order the pumpkin ravioli with  sage burnt butter, a hen’s egg and amaretto…and it was definitely worth it – absolutely delicious..

Jane, who apologied to me first (because I am completely vegetarian and and lover of all animals) ordered the salted wallaby tartare with pickled vine leaf, macadamia nut floss and burnt onions.  The wallaby is a small Aussie animal and I think just a smaller version of the kangaroo and I really didn’t think it was an animal we ate, but I guess all animals can be eaten. Jane said it was good but next time would probably order seafood [her favourite].

It was at this time I asked for an ice bucket for our wine as it hadn’t arrived with our bottle, well I asked twice really [again to our young and inexperienced waiter] and in the end Jane had to insist on one…it was a little frustrating but not the biggest issue in the world…

For main course I ordered the forest mushroom gnocchi with pickled chestnut mushrooms, pine nuts and taleggio cheese (I asked for the cheese to be removed and funnily enough this time it was ok).  So delicious!!Jane ordered the Otis pepper steak with  silk-wood brandy jus and a side of french fries – it was funny though as that was exactly what it was…steak on a plate with nothing else…I suppose I think there could be some greens somewhere on the plate – but no!!I ate the fries as Jane is not a big eater of chips!! (lucky me).  No dessert for either of us as we were very full but this is what we can expect…(source: http://www.agfg.com.au)

Other friends of mine have eaten at this restaurant and actually asked me about the service; like me they found it wanting – maybe it’s because it’s new and the staff are young but the food is definitely worth a return visit.

 

 

 

 

 

Agostinis Restaurant – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – May 2017

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ACT, Agostinis Restaurant, Australia, canberra, Italian food

Dinner with a friend from London

A friend of mine has a posting to London and recently returned to Canberra for a short visit.  I wanted to catch up with her so we decided to go out to dinner (of course with my other friend Jane) at a restaurant that is attached to one of the lovely hotels.

This Italian restaurant has a casual and comfortable feel with a predominantly pink palette throughout.  It’s good for families and larger groups rather than intimate dining.  On the evening we went there was a large group next to us so it was a little difficult to hear our conversation.

It has a pretty extensive menu and everything is made in-house, from the ice cream to the the pizza dough which is great.

And then there’s the pizza oven – the largest in Canberra. It fits fourteen pizzas at a time and even rotates to make the best use of the heat.  

(source: http://www.goodfood.com.au)

The kitchen is open, meaning both the pizza oven and the chefs preparing the evening’s meals are on full display which I do like to see.

I ordered the Cavolo salad which is an Italian coleslaw dish with finely shredded green cabbage and a garlic, lemon and mint vinaigrette.  It was really nice – refreshing really and as I was having a very healthy night I didn’t order anything else and ordered a bottle of sparkling water to enjoy whilst my friends shared a bottle of white wine.Jane ordered the parmesan and thyme crusted veal cutlet which was served served with a fennel and cabbage salad.  She loved it!My London friend ordered a pizza with a topping of prawns, cherry tomatoes, chilli, parsley, mozzarella and lemon.  She loved it too – nice and fresh with a good base.The restaurant does have a very good selection of wines and a specialty behind the bar is the range of Italian-made wines on tap.  Might need to try one next time. 

A nice evening with friends but I think I might try a few of the other restaurants in town before I return.

 

 

Sanya Bar – Braddon – Canberra – ACT – Australia – April 2017

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ACT, Australia, Braddon, canberra, Chinese cuisine, Sanya Bar

New bar/restaurant in the inner city

My friend Jane’s husband is currently working overseas so during his absence Jane and I regularly try new restaurants mostly in Canberra but also in Sydney and Melbourne.  Last last month she told me about a new  bar/restaurant in the inner city called Sanya Bar so we decided to try it out.

We went there on the week of its soft opening and arrived when it opened as couldn’t make a reservation either through the website or after Jane physically went to the bar.  Which meant we got good seats when we arrived.  The cuisine is Beijing fusion.  So what is Beijing fusion you might ask [as I asked the same question), well it’s just a different take on northern Chinese food.  The restaurant’s menu is a mix of traditional dishes including the renowned Peking Duck pancakes but then it also has other interesting dishes.  For example crispy banana chicken wings and blue cheese, pear and walnut wontons and deserts like fried cheesecake with toasted coconut. Interesting!!

The restaurant is so lovely; intimate and dark with several tables near the bar and a few more smaller tables down a long corridor whose wall has many framed Chinese black and white prints.  We sat next to the bar (in the best seats I say) which has gold grout between the tiles [never seen gold grout before] and enjoyed some champagne whilst catching up on our lives.

The owner, JJ Chen was a public servant in Canberra for some time and then moved to Beijing and the head cook is her mum who has been a cook at Parliament House and the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra. I also did some research and found out that the head chef’s  grandfather was a cook in China’s Imperial Palace and he had passed down his recipes and taught his granddaughter how to cook.

The name of the restaurant is the same as a beautiful beach on Hainan Island in China and the menus, which are pretty cool, have pictures of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army troupes being entertained by Marilyn Monroe and a caricature like cartoon of people in Tian’anmen Square, [certainly not a picture you could have on a menu in China).  Both are by renowned Chinese-Australian artist Guo Jian, who is a friend of the owner.

There are also great murals on the walls which match the menus.

When Jane and I finally stopped talking [we hadn’t caught up for a while] we decided to order dumplings; mine vegetarian and Jane’s meat filled.  They arrived all wrapped up nicely and matched with a spicy sauce.  The sauce was delicious but Jane and I found the top of the dumplings a little dry; guess it was the soft opening so will make allowances.  But the contents were good.

We also ordered a plate of  vegetarian wontons which I found were pretty much the same as the dumplings but a different shape.  Looked great in the dish but still a tiny bit dry on the top.

The official opening was a couple of weeks after we dined and I have heard the owner is going to make the entrance to the restaurant more like a Beijing Hutong so I will have to go back to check it out and give those dumplings just one more try.

 

 

 

Courgette Restaurant – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – May 2017

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ACT, Australia, canberra, Courgette Restaurant, Fine Dining, French wine

Fine dining on a Saturday in Canberra

Courgette Restaurant is located just on the outskirts of the CBD in Canberra; not a particularly good spot as it’s a bit in the commercial area but definitely worth locating to try the food.  It’s owned by one of Canberra’s great chefs James Mussillon.

It’s luxurious inside but also cosy so you feel comfortable in the main restaurant.  There are options for group dining in private dining rooms and I have done this a couple of times before for work but I really prefer the main area.

One of the special things about the restaurant is the separate private dining room called the Cellar Room which is located [unsurprisingly] in the cellar surrounded by over four-hundred different bottles of wine and seats up to ten people.

 The restaurant has a great lunch time special with three courses for just $66; I think this is surprising for Canberra in a fine dining restaurant as it’s inexpensive…we commenced with sparkling mineral water and my friend Jane ordered a really nice bottle of French wine (most enjoyable).

I started off with a corn fritter dish which was really not your typical corn fritter but came beautifully displayed on a wooden platter with baby corn and a mustard dressing.

Jane ordered the Morton Bay bug tail, seared scallop and chorizo with sweet peas, baby kale and fermented black garlic. Jane is a real ‘foodie’ and said both her entree and main course were fabulous.

Then for main course I had the roasted heirloom carrots, with crunchy seeds – so delicious…and so beautifully presented.

Jane ordered the beef dish which was also so well presented and even I said that being a strict vegetarian.  It came with truffled mash, sweet and sour red cabbage with a port and thyme jus.

Our desserts were amazing; Jane had the fresh raspberries short bread mille feuille with fresh cream.

I ordered the baked hazelnut tart which came with coffee marscapone mousse, and praline dust. Didn’t like the mousse I must say as it was coffee flavoured and I don’t drink or like coffee but loved the rest of the dish.

Loved the experience and will definitely return.

Abell’s Kopi Tiam restaurant – Manuka – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – April 2017

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Abell Kopi Tiam restaurant, ACT, Australia, canberra, Chinese, Malaysian, Manuka, noodles, Vegan

Dinner on a week night!

A friend at work told me about a restaurant that she goes to regularly with her husband on the way home from work and said the food was fabulous.  So I knew I had to go there and soon after arranged for three of my friends to come along one weeknight.

Abell’s Kopi Tiam restaurant is a combination of Malay and Chinese food with its website saying that Kopi means ‘coffee’ in Malay and Tiam meaning ‘shop’ in Chinese (Hokkein) so it’s said to be named after coffee shops in Malaysia who serve traditional and home-style meals which is exactly what this lovely restaurant did.

It’s a rather sweet and colourful little restaurant with chairs and tables outside along with heaters and blankets on the back of chairs as Canberra gets quite cold even in the lead up to winter and I guess some people still like to sit outdoors (not me).  We sat inside!

My friends ordered the special spring rolls for entree but I didn’t want any as I wasn’t that hungry.

My friend Ray was trying to be a bit funny as he knows no-body can eat until I have taken a photo for my blog; so he pretended he wasn’t happy with the presentation of the dish so moved one of the rolls – I really don’t think he will be a food presenter (ha ha).

They also shared the red curry fish cakes, the spring onion roti and pork and prawn dumplings – which were absolutely loved by Ray and Nat (but in particular Ray).

The restaurant was opened in 1998 by Abell Ong, of Chinese/Malay heritage and his wife who are both from Sarawak, one of the Malaysian states on the island of Borneo.  When he arrived in Canberra he said he could not find any authentic Malaysian restaurants so decided to open his own….and I am so glad he did!

For our main dishes my friends ordered beef rendang and mixed vegetables with tofu and mushrooms.

I ordered the vegan noodles with vegetables.  There are many vegetarian dishes on the menu and it’s great to see that vegetarians and vegans are equally catered for with plenty of stir-fries and coconut curries.  I found out a funny story that Abell tried introducing fermented tofu (stinky tofu) to the menu, which is another Chinese classic, but I think only loved by the Chinese, and its distinctive pungency wasn’t well received – so off the menu it went! (I say thank goodness).

This dish was so good, so tasty…I loved the noodles. I tried the tofu and mushroom dish as well and that was good too but certainly not as good as the vegan noodles.

An excellent night and I will return soon!!