Kusina is Canberra’s only Philippino cuisine restaurant.
Family run, the service is thoughtful, friendly and attentive.

The decor is casual, but very homely and pleasant.
Ready to chat about traditional dishes and styles of cooking, wait staff are helpful and as engaged with ordering as any fine dining experience.
I tend to agree with the reviewer who decided none of the dishes on the menu will disappoint.
Everything seems to have interesting and unique flavours and textures, a real education and pleasure.

Stand out dishes were the Ukoy (prawn fritters) and the Sizzling baka (beef rib curry).
But the Halo Halo is great for dessert as a Philippino must have specialty.
Dishes are well sized for sharing and good value. Kusina also offers a 25% discount with a Canberra Entertainment Book voucher.

Pritong talong – fried eggplant, tomato, red onion, salted duck egg, garlic sauce (5 pieces) $9

Ukoy – prawn fritters, sweet potato, tofu, bean sprouts (3 pieces) $9.50

Sizzling baka -sizzling beef rib curry (excellent) $20    Crispy pata – deep fried pork hock $22

Chicken inasal – grilled half chicken, lemon grass, garlic, ginger, soy sauce $20

Garlic rice (2 serves) $4 per serve
Plain rice (2 serves) $3 per serve

Halo Halo – sweet corn, coconut jelly, red beans, sweet banana, shaved ice, milk, ube ice cream $9

BYO wine corkage $4.50 per bottle

Specials

Kids Eat Free – 5-7pm Tues-Sat, drink, meal from kids menu and ice-cream for 2 children, 8 years or younger dining with at least one adult (min spend $25)

Pistachios really rates highly on all measures, making it a true all rounder and one of Canberra’s best restaurants.
Meals are well priced ($30 mains).
It’s BYO at $7 corkage.
Staff are friendly and service good.

Decor, though perhaps dated, still sets a good standard with thick carpet, white linen table cloths and soft lighting.
It has a true ‘Canberra’ quality, non-pretentious, stylish and confident, but conservative and not trendy.
The feel is relaxed yet special.

12 hr slow roasted lamb shoulder (excellent)   Grass fed beef sirloin with garlic broccolini, blue cheese and herb butter, smoked bacon and potato (Mains $30 each)

Green beans with toasted almonds and parsley side $8

The special of the day, Wagyu with clams and gnocchi (delicious)

Serve sizes are generous. And so are all the extras at no cost like nuts as a starter (pistachios naturally), bread on the side and an exquisite chocolate with coffee.

But perhaps the absolute best things about Pistachio’s is it’s Trio of entrees ($19) and Tasting platter of all desserts ($19, best shared between too) a wonderful opportunity to try seven dishes.

Trio of entrees

Dessert tasting platter with poached apple with nut butter and rhubarb compote and oat crumble (an unlikely absolute stand out), passion fruit parfait (delicious), lemon verbena panaccotta and chocolate and pear gateau.

Dessert tasting platter with Macadamia nougatine with banana puree, Scottish shortbread, dried flowers, pop rocks and pistachio biscotti, Apple and lemon tart with sugar crust, saffron anglaise, nut butter ice-cream, Lemon syrup cake with mascarpone, strawberries,, oat biscuit, Dark chocolate hedgehog slice with chocolate ice-cream, caramelised condensed milk, warm chocolate sauce

And if you are sharing a couple of entree tasting plates between three, staff thoughtfully serve it very helpfully.

The food is of a very high standard and equal to other fine dining Canberra modern Australian restaurants.

While it’s a little out of the way, tucked away in Torrens shops, parking is very easy.