Shorty’s, Canberra City – a quick look at dessert

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Deep fried Golden Gaytime with sticky caramel and honeycomb $11 (not a great pick as it melts quickly, and not suitable to share).

Other dessert options include:

Reeses sundae with nutella ice cream, peanut butter mousse and candied peanuts $13

Warm chocolate and hazelnut pudding with Sour cream ice cream and candied hazelnuts $13

Shorty’s

Shorty's on Urbanspoon

Box Diner- Fyshwick, Canberra – a quick look at lunch

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Box Diner Fyshwick is only open Monday to Friday for breakfast and lunch.

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It has a pleasant decor and a good range of options.

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The toasted pannini $10 have tasty interesting fillings, but perhaps a bit too tasty and oily ( e.g. Chicken, Camembert, Sundried tomatoes, pesto, salami, feta, mozzarella,olives ).

Splitting one pannini and having salad on the side would balance out the oiliness.

Box Diner on Urbanspoon

Thai Chiang Rai, Belconnen – Thai Cuisine, another Canberra Global Food Delight

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Like, it’s sister restaurant in Kingston, Thai Chiang Rai is a good spot for a group shared menu and another spot to try a Canberra Global Food Delight.

Two main dishes between three people is about right.

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The red duck curry and green chicken curry are especially good.

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The chicken with chilli and cashews stir fry is also a good choice.

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The beef massamun is not as good as the other dishes.

If you also order entrees then one entree and one main per two people would be a good choice.

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Thai Chiang Rai on Urbanspoon

Chairman and Yip, Canberra City – a quick look

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Chairman and Yip is one of my favourite restaurants that always feels very uniquely Canberra. The service is a always exceptional, the atmosphere is ‘special’ , food delicious and pricing reasonable (25% discount on the entertainment card and BYO $10 per bottle).

A good spot to celebrate a special event.

Entree

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$16.50    Steamed chicken wontons dressed with hot chilli infused oil

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$16.50    Calamari tossed with spicy salt & chilli           $16.50    Grilled field mushrooms with cashew and herb pesto (top pick)

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$33.50    Beef and scallop ground pepper hot pot  (top pick)      $31.50    Spicy lamb Shan-Tung style

The Chairman and Yip on Urbanspoon

Gryphons, Griffith, Canberra

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Located at Griffith shops, the parking is easy. Gryphons is also open at very useful times, e.g. lunch Sundays, breakfast.

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The pulled pork burger is delicious, $18. The pizza (e.g. Little Tokyo pizza, a special, $20 with prawns, pumpkin, karaage chicken and katsu sauce), also good.

The couches and lounge chairs are a cozy option. Not BYO, but the Forest Pinot Gris $8.50/glass is consistently good. Good to know if ordering steak, be aware that it seems to often be more rare than expected.

Gryphons Caffe Bar on Urbanspoon

Wild Duck, Kingston, Canberra

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Wild Duck is definitely elegant and full of style. The decor is warm, tasteful and relaxing and service is very polished and professional.

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All this makes it a good pick for a special night out.
BYO is an option at $10 corkage per bottle.
The menu has interesting dishes on offer.

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The Lamb Shank in Golden Sands entree  $16 is like a cross between shantung lamb and san choy bow but probably needs a dipping sauce). The Roast Duck Rice Paper Rolls entree $16 has nice flavours but they are similar to other restaurants.

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The King Prawn and Green Papaya Salad entree $17 has a lovely flavour.
The Dragon Cut Baby Eggplant was delicious and good value at $26 (a more generous serve than other mains and does not need rice to accompany it).

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The Pork Belly in Lotus Leaf $30 has a very tasty thin layer of meat but is quite small in size and quite fatty.
Rice serves are also very small.

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The Black Sticky Rice and Vanilla Meringue dessert $14 is also a small serve and the sticky rice may not be quite sweet enough.
The small size of the dishes (and rice) make it very hard to share in a group and also mean several courses are needed even for a modest meal.
This can make it quite an expensive night out especially if you’re hungry.

(The  Canberra Entertainment Book offers a 25% discount)

Wild Duck on Urbanspoon

Chocolate Olive – Phillip, Canberra

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This Monday to Friday stylish cafe is within walking distance of Woden Westfield and one of the best spots for a weekday lunch.

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It recently changed hands, but has maintained a similar menu, specialising in inexpensive gourmet burgers and interesting salads.

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Large serve of three salads $9                                          Small salad and quiche approx $9

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Also open for breakfast.

Chocolate Olive Cafe on Urbanspoon

Paparazzi, Garren, Canberra

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One of the great things about Canberra are the restaurants and cafes tucked away in the suburbs. Paparazzi at Garren shops offers a nice range of breakfast and lunch options at good prices.

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Even though busy, the service was quite quick and very helpful.
The outdoor seating, though limited in outlook, is good for sunny days and there are cozy tables in side.

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The roast veg toasted wrap with camembert cheese and the toasted wrap with pumpkin and feta are well priced at $9 each and a good size.

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Coffee comes with a lovely piece of almond bread on the side, a very special touch.

Paparazzi on Urbanspoon

Chong Co, Belconnen

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Chong Co in Belconnen shares the same gracious staff, menu, generous serve sizes and delicious recipes as it’s sister restaurants on the Kingston Foreshore and in Woden at Westfield and the Woden Southern Cross Club.

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While it has some charming corners that would be lovely on a quiet night, unfortunately the atmosphere on a busy night tends more towards food court. Sadly the decor and ambiance may be the least of all the Chong Co’s and does not compete with the space and outlook of the Woden Southern Cross Club venue.

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The BBQ Lamb is flavoursome, but you do need to enjoy lamb chops.

The Chicken Penang Curry is good, like all the Chong Co curries, but probably the Beef Massaman, followed by the Chicken (or Tofu) Green Curry and then the Roasted Duck Red Curry are the best that the Chong Co’s do.

Chong Co Thai Bar and Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Xchange on London, Acton, Canberra

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The Xchange, while busy and catering well for city workers, still has a good feel to it and plenty of style. The menu is interesting and varied and meals are nicely presented, especially the Chicken Ceasar Salad with a crumbed boiled egg and a crisp pita and cured meat for crunch and a salty flavour. The pulled lamb baguette is also good.

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Chicken Ceasar Salad $22.50                                           Pulled Lamb Baguette $24

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Tuscan Style poached eggs, spinach, pesto, sautéed tomato, and mushroom with fried haloumi $19
Xchange Big Breakfast eggs poached, scrambled or fried, on toast with bacon,  mushroom, tomato, spinach and roesti $20

If you have the Canberra Entertainment Book, there’s a two meals for one offer in it for the Xchange.
Xchange on London on Urbanspoon