Author: Food and Travel Secrets

Quizine – Phillip

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Quizine is conveniently located for a weekday lunch in Woden and within walking distance of many offices.
Cheery and friendly, it has some interesting and fresh ideas for lunch and it’s great to see someone offering something a little different (including a complimentary apple!).

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The current menu differs a little from the one on-line 
…but essentially the two lunch options are one of the ready made salads ($13.50-$15.50) or a fit meal (cost depends on what options you choose).

The ready made salads are a generous serve and attractive, especially the Pumpkin and Quinoa.

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Traditional Greek Salad

The Fit Meals include delicious dressings on the side and the option to choose the combination you prefer.

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Garden Salad base $8.50, 120gm Tandoori Chicken Breast $3.50, 2 poached eggs $2.50 Balsamic dressing and Garlic Aioli on the side

It is a bit tricky though, to get the ordering just right. The ready made salads are generous in salad ingredients, but need a bit more protein to satisfy.

The fit meals are good on protein foods but lack salad ingredients.

Both lack carbs if you usually need at least a little.

It’s possible to add an extra base of carbs (e.g. brown rice, sweet potato etc but it would add an extra $8.50 to the meal.

It could be possible to add chicken/poached eggs or a vegetable fritter to a ready made salad for $2.50-$3.50.

Perhaps the solution is to share two meals between two people, a ready made salad $13.50/$14.50 for plenty of salad ingredients and a fit meal with plenty of protein options (e.g. 200gm chicken, 2 poached eggs and a vegetable fritters $10.50) and dressings on the side.

Two meals for the price of one are offered to Canberra Entertainment Book holders.

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Quizine on Urbanspoon

Tilley’s – Lyneham

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Tilley’s at the Lyneham shops is a Canberra icon.

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Huge on style and atmosphere, even a coffee and maybe some cake (cake is $8 a slice) is a treat experience.

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A short but interesting menu and specials are on offer.

Breakfast looks especially good, particularly the locally made sourdough bread with poached eggs and hollandaise $9.90.

Tilley's on Urbanspoon

Red Brick Expresso – Curtin

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Red Brick Expresso at the Curtain shops has great coffee and real style.

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Sunny seating inside and out, friendly service and a small selection of light lunches and baked items makes it a good suburban spot to catch up for a quick lunch of a coffee.

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Slow Cooked Beef Brisket Burger w bbq sauce & herbed sour cream on a soft brioche roll served w apple slaw $15.90

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Red Brick Espresso on Urbanspoon

Eat Me, Drink Me – Phillip

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Eat Me, Drink Me opened about 6 months ago in Dundas Court Philip.

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It’s a friendly, cheery sandwich shop, offering great value focaccia toasted sandwiches for $6.90, homemade hamburgers $7.90 and a generous serve of pan fried dumplings with a tasty thick soy dipping sauce for $5.

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Spicy veggie burger $6.90                              Pan fried dumplings $5 for 10

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$10 with get you a burger or sandwich and a large coffee and your second meal is free if you have the Canberra Entertainment Card.

Pick the couches for a bit more comfort and style.

Eat Me, Drink Me. on Urbanspoon

Thai Herb, Gungahlin

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Located near other restaurants on the waterfront in Gungahlin, Thai Herb has a more upmarket setting that is engaging with both indoor and outdoor seating. IMG_9509 IMG_9534 BYO is very reasonable at $2 per person. Dishes, while tasty and attractive, are not large and difficult to share between more than four or five people. Prices are good, ranging from about $15 to up to $27 for specialities. Rice is $2.50 per serve. Desserts are generous serves and good for sharing – $6.50- $9.50. For a mixed group order one dish and one rice per person. A banquet from $25 per person is also a good option and a 25 % discount is welcome for Canberra Entertainment Book holders. Some the best dishes are: IMG_9539IMG_9516 47. Roasted duck with oyster sauce and steamed Chinese Broccoli $26.50 IMG_9543 48. Roasted duck in red curry with lychees, pineapple, tomato and basil $26.50 IMG_9533 28. Beef massaman curry $17.50 IMG_9511 20.Stir fried chicken with cashews $14.90 IMG_9523 the 18. Stir fried prawns (7) with ginger and mushrooms $14.90 while generous with prawns $18.90, was a bit too salty Also recommended is the 17. Beef with Chilli and Basil $14.90 and the other curries and 27. Sushee $17.50 look worth trying too. Thai Herb Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Pork Barrel Cafe, Old Parliament House, Canberra

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The Pork Barrel Cafe is set in the lovely surrounds of Old Parliament House. It has cozy indoor seating next to large sunny windows with a great view of the rose bushes but it’s nicer to sit outside under the leafy trees if the weather is good.

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Pizza is the specialty ($16-37), there’s a Greek salad for $14.50 or garden salad for $10.50, hummus with roasted olives and house made bread for $12.50 and a range of daily specials for $18-22 such as homemade pies with accompaniments, a more detailed salad, battered fish with chips and salad or an omelette with salad.

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There’s space in the weekend menu for some gourmet sandwiches/wraps/foccacias for around $15 that are a missing option. (However, it looks like these are available weekdays).

Not BYO but wine starts at $6.50 per glass, making Pork Barrel a good spot for a glass of wine and the hummus and olives with bread or a small pizza to share between two on a summer evening.

Open seven days 8-3 and late on Thursdays and Fridays from 5pm when there are also good two for one pizza specials.

25% discount offered to Canberra Entertainment Book holders.

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Pork Barrel Cafe on Urbanspoon

Old Parliament House Cafe, Canberra

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At the moment the Old Parliament House Cafe is a great summer find open everyday except Christmas Day until 5pm, serving bargain-priced sandwiches and cakes in atmospheric heritage surroundings.

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Currently occupying an a sunny nook in the courtyard while the front of house Kitchen Cabinet is being renovated, it is just the spot for a relaxed, stylish coffee or light lunch.

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Share two warm scones with jam and cream between two for $4 or a large sandwich $8 or roll $10 with coffee and enjoy the memories of a past era.

Current specials include 4 scones and a pot of tea for $12.50 or a complimentary side of salad with your sandwich or roll.

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Other regular options for a special occasion include High Tea $39 or  Devonshire Tea $12.50.

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The indoor seating with a view of the courtyard, is cozy if it’s chilly or wet.

Visit the Beyond the Lines exhibition while you’re there and have a chuckle at the year just past.

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Stroll through the gardens (also a wonderful spot for a picnic) before you leave.

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Kitchen Cabinet on Urbanspoon

Pizza Gusto

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Pizza Gusto, open Tuesday-Sunday for dinner, on Lonsdale Street Braddon, definitely qualifies as a cheap and cheerful gem. Excellent pizzas are large enough for two and less than $20. Corkage is free and there’s a bottle shop next door.

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The Quattro Gusti $19 is excellent with four different toppings for the four seasons – mushrooms, olives, Calabrese salami and eggplant on a tomato and mozzarella base.

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Half and half ($1.50 extra) Mare e Monte $20
tomato, bocconcini cheese, prawns (marinated in garlic, olive oil and parsley) and mushrooms and Verde $17 ( special- garlic oil, mozzarelle, bocconcini,, parmesan, basil pesto, fresh rocket.

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However, making the small space and low pricing work requires careful resource management, so tables are few and no bookings are taken, only disposable plastic glasses are provided, water is available from the tap outside and you need to watch the pizzas coming out of the oven as you cross the kitchen to get to the loo.

But like all cheap and cheerful gems taken in good spirit it’s all good fun, great pizza and a good casual, friendly, spontaneous option.

Go early to grab a table as it gets pretty busy after 7:30.

Pizza Gusto on Urbanspoon

Ceylon Cafe, Woden – another Sri Lankan gem

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The Ceylon Café at the Woden Bus Interchange is another local undiscovered Sri Lankan gem offering authentic Sri Lankan dishes at bargain prices. It’s another great Canberra spot to explore this lesser known cuisine.

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Currently offering curries ready to go and Koththu Roti and Marsala Dosa made to order, this small eatery is planning to launch an extensive menu in the third week of January 2015.

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Serves are very generous and two plates of mixed curries is just right for 4 people and an unbelievable price of $5 each.

Priyanka is charming and very happy to chat about Sri Lankan food. It’s fun and rewarding to support this homely enterprise.

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The décor is pleasant, but basic and it pays to sit away from the door as the bus interchange can seem awfully close otherwise.

Rice and Curry $ 10.00 choice of curries (chicken or lamb and all the veg curries) served with steamed or vegetable Basmathi rice

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Chicken Curry Boneless pieces of Chicken cooked with a rich combination of Sri Lankan spices and a dash of coconut milk

Lamb Curry Chunks of lamb fully infused with a perfect blend of exotic Sri Lankan spices and a dash of coconut milk

Dhal Curry Red Masoor lentils cooked to perfection with a nice combination of spices and coconut milk

Fried Egg Plant Moju This is one of the signature dishes in Ceylon café

A perfect blend of spices, fried egg plant and vinegar topped with colorful combination of fresh chillies, onion and tomato.

Pumpkin curry – cooked with Sri Lankan spices and a dash of coconut milk

Coconut Sambol Fresh scraped coconut blended with chillies, pepper, onion and a hint of lime juice.

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Fish,Chicken, Lamb or Vegetable Pan Rolls $2 each Curried potato and fish/meat filling rolled in a crumbed crepe

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Samosas $2 each3pieces) Mild curry vegetable and potato in a traditional style samosa pastry

Ceylon Cafe on Urbanspoon