Bollywood Dimensions, Braddon

Bollywood Dimensions in Braddon is a great spot for a group shared meal, especially if you are sticking to a budget.

It has efficient and helpful service, is cozy, carpeted and quiet for conversation…..

… and offers well sized served of a range of mains, breads and side dishes that can be combined to create an interesting and diverse menu.

The dishes are flavoursome, but quite spicy, so choose a mild or medium spice level.

Combine one main dish, one side dish (like a dah), one bread and two serves rice per two people to share. However four people could share two different types of mains, sides and breads for variety.

Methi Chicken (mild, medium, hot) – $18.50 Chiken with fenugreek leaves, a good choice

Yellow Dal Tadka $8.90 – a full-flavoured lentil dish with curry leaves, mustard seeds, coriander leaves, mint and cumin (tasty)

Kheema Naan Naan bread stuffed with ground lamb mixed with chopped coriander $4.50 ( really wonderful!)

Saffron Basmati Rice $ 3.25

… I think the Steamed Basmati Rice $3.00 would be better

For a group of four (or more) I’d try:

2 serves steamed basmati rice

Awesome Butter Chicken (Mild) $18.50 Boneless Chicken pieces cooked in Tandoor and finished in a creamy butter and tomato sauce. A creamy and fairly mild dish

Majestic Chicken Tikka Masala (mild, med, hot) $18.50

boneless chicken pieces cooked in a Tandoor with capsicum, onion, ginger & garlic, sauteed with crushed tomato

and

Marvelous Lamb Pasanda – a chef’s special $18.90 lamb marinated overnight to ensure that the meat is tender and full of flavour

Angelic Lamb Saag (mild – med) $18.50

Lamb with freshly ground spinach, sauteed in butter, ginger & garlic and finished with cream. A traditional dish from North India

with

Mesquite Dal Makhani $8.90

A rich, creamy dal preparation with lentils and red kidney beans cooked with an aromatic combination of spices

and

Yellow Dal Tadka $8.90

and

1x Kheema Naan $4.50 (cut into 1/4)

and

1x Paneer Naan $4.50 Traditional Naan Bread stuffed with cottage cheese and baked in Tandoor (cut into 1/4)

About $20 per person (or $15 with a Canberra Entertainment Book discount)

BYO Corkage $5 per bottle

Open 7 nights for dinner 5:30-10pm and lunch Tues-Fri 12-2pm

Licensed with wine by the glass starting at $6.50

25% discount (up to $25) for holders of the Canberra Entertainment Book

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Garnish, Garema Place, Canberra City

Garnish of India, has a great location for a warming winter dinner out. Parking is close by at the Dendy end of the Canberra Centre and it’s a short skip across Bunda Street into the arcade and up the stairs to Garnish.

Comfortable bench seats overlook Garema place. Perfect for families.

The host of Garnish is extremely welcoming and informative about the best dishes to order.

Dishes are excellent and well sized for sharing.

An entree, one dish with rice and naan is perfect for two people.

The Murgh Tikka Tandoori – marinated boneless chicken roasted in a tandoor is very good $9.50.

The Paneer Hara Masala – cubes of fresh cottage cheese cooked with tomatoes, spinach based gravy and finished with fenugreek leaves $14.50 is delicious…

…as is the naan $3…

…and perfectly cooked rice $3 for a generous serve.

Corkage is $8 per bottle and pappadams are $2 per serve of 4.

A 25% discount is offered to Canberra Entertainment Book holders.

A range of lunch specials are also available.

Trying some entrees at Taste of Bangladesh, Manuka

Still a favourite, Taste of Bangladesh can’t be beaten for value and hospitality.

Shafique and Fahana always make sure you enjoy their food and prepare dishes freshly and with passion. Serves are generous and corkage and pappdoms are complimentary.

The Fish Bengali is still a top pick and Dum Murgh. Palak Paneer and Goat Curry are excellent too.

But the Fish Korma $16.50 is very delicious and I suspect the chicken, beef or lamb korma would also be very good. It’s also a milder dish for those who prefer less spicy dishes. Worthy to be added to the favourites list.

The Beef Vindaloo $15 is very tender and flavoursome, but quite spicy.

The cheese and spinach naan $3.50 is exceptional.

But don’t miss the wonderful Onion Bhaji (4 for $7) served with tamarind and mint chutney and mint yogurt. These are crisp and morish, a truly delightful surprise.

The Samosas are also good at $7 for two, but it’s hard to beat the Onion Bahji.

Perhaps the best shared menu for four includes:

Papadoms to start

Entree:

1x Onion Bhaji with tamarind and mint chutney and mint yogurt $7

Mains:

1x Fish Bengali $16.50

1x Dum Murgh $15.50

1x Palak Paneer $14 or Beef Korma $15

2x Cheese and spinach naan (2x $3.50) (quartered)

2 serves rice (2x $3)

Dessert:

1x Gulab Jaman $4.50 (halved)

1x Mango Kulfi $4.50

Total including free corkage: $76 ($19 per person)

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Malaysian Chapter, Belconnen

Malaysian Chapter recently reviewed very well in the Canberra Times Food and Wine.

And justly so. This family based restaurant has great food and very friendly, welcoming service.

It is also very good value offering $3 per person corkage and a 25% discount for holders of the Canberra Entertainment Book.
Serve sizes are good for sharing in a group to taste a number of dishes.
Particularly excellent is the Nyonya Prawn & Pineapple Curry ($21.50) (includes a generous serve of 9 prawns, great for sharing).

…And the Roti Canai ($4.50) with Dahl (consider asking for the dahl to be warmed)

…also very good is the Nasi lemak with Lamb Rendang ($22.50) with beef rendang, half boiled egg, roasted peanuts, anchovy sambal. However, this can’t be shared between more than three people as serves sizes of the dish components are relatively small.

…and the coconut rice( $3.50 per serve)

(Two serves coconut rice)

The Assam Curry Fresh Ling Fillet/ Prawns or Soy Fish in a spicy tamarind sauce with tomatoes, pineapple and okra.
Fish, Prawn or Soy Fish ($20.50) is also good, but may be too spicy for some.

Chicken 65 (15 bite sized pieces of nicely spiced chicken) ($13.50) needs to be pre-ordered.

Also worth considering trying green bean and vegetable “belachan fry” ($14.50) but this needs to be pre-ordered as it’s not currently on the menu.

A great sharing menu for 6 is:
3 serves Roti Canai with Dahl (halve the roti)
2 Nyonya Prawn & Pineapple Curry (2x $21.50)
2 Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang (2 x $19.50)
2 Coconut Rice (2 x $3.50)

OR
6 serves Roti Canai with Dahl (halve the roti)
1 Nyonya Prawn & Pineapple Curry (1x $21.50)
2 Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang (2 x $19.50)
1 Coconut Rice (1x $3.50)

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Taste of Bangladesh – a menu for six larger appetites

Taste of Bangladesh is such good food and warm home-cooking hospitality at great prices, that it’s an ideal place to pick for a family with active, rapidly growing members or group with larger appetites.

While pappadoms won’t fill much space, they are great to nibble on with a glass of BYO wine (free corkage) while you reach a consensus on the ordering.

Choose one dish each to share between up to six people, or one dish less if also planning dessert, along with one rice and one naan per two people.

3 plain naan, cut into quarters.

One serve rice

Two serves rice

The Dum Murgh $15.50 is always a winner

So is the Fish Bengali $16 (with eggplant and tomato)

The Goat Curry $15 has lovely flavours

But then every dish is good, including the Kadai Prawns $16.50

And Kadai Vegetables $14

Also interesting to try are some of the side dishes, like the Fish Borta $5. This little extra can be shared between six and adds a little extra spicy (very, but you can ask for less heat) crunch to the meal. It’s ideal to order as an extra, if there are just two of you sharing one meal with rice and naan.

There are three desserts, all $4.50 per serve which are good to share as a tasting experience.

The Pesta Kheer (Milk pudding with Sultanas and Pistachios, served warm) is nice..

But it’s heard to beat the Gulab Jaman..

(halved for sharing)

and the Mango Kulfi

Two serves pictured here.

Taste of Bangladesh – another menu for five to six people

Taste of Bangladesh and India is one of Canberra’s best casual dining spots and great place to head with a few friends for a weeknight catch-up.

Start with the pappadoms ($2 for 4, but often complimentary) and a glass of BYO wine (free corkage).

Three dishes is just about the right amount to order for 5-6 people with modest appetites.

Palak paneer $14, Eggplant Marsala $14, Goat Curry $16, two serves rice, three serves naan cut in half.

The Goat curry $16 has an excellent flavour and the meat very tender. However, being on the bone, it can be a little harder to share in a group (but still doable).

The Palak paneer $14 is very good too

…as is the Eggplant Marsala $14 ( but it is similar to the excellent Fish Bengali dish, so be careful not to double up on flavours)…

2 serves rice is enough for 5-6 people

Naans are delicious and huge (half each is plenty for one person)…

If you still have room for something sweet, the mango lassi $3.50 is delicious.

And a mix of Gulab Jaman ($4.50 for two whole pieces, but also 3 for $6, halve them to share) and mango kulfi $4.50 for about 6-7 pieces, makes a great group dessert.

The coffee is not as good, being instant, but try the marsala chai instead.

While you can’t leave disappointed because every dish is a winner, the Dum Murgh ( chicken) and Fish Bengali are two dishes that are very hard to top.

Yarralumla Halal Pide House, Yarralumla – a great large group idea for an Anzac Day lunch

Ordering Turkish Banquets is an excellent idea for catering for a large group at home.

Adding a few extra touches and re-plating can give the meal a whole new look.

A Turkish lunch is particularly wonderful on Anzac Day to remember the special relationship between Turkey and Australia in the Great War. It’s a great way to get family or friends together after the formalities and share what is such an important time for so many.

Add a few special ANZAC traditions like vegemite on Turkish bread, a Gunfire breakfast (coffee with a shot of Bundaberg rum or condensed milk (whatever was available at the time)),Two Up, and of course ANZAC biscuits!

(Cinnamon Scrolls has a recipe for Anzac Biscuit Sandwiches with Coconut Butter Cream which sound very luxurious if you’re looking for something extraordinary to make dessert particularly special!)

There are several spots in Canberra to order from including the Yarralumla Turkish Halal Pide House who deliver free of charge within 15km – outside of that area a $25 surcharge applies.

Probably a good idea to give a minimum of 1 day’s notice if you will be ordering quite a number of banquets.

Yarralumla offers particularly nicely presented salads as well as the usual options included in most Turkish banquets.

Only order what you need. One banquet per three people may well be enough if you are adding your own dessert, extra vegetable crudités for the dips and perhaps adding a few extra garnishing ingredients to the salad.

Often the basic banquet is the best and most versatile.

For example, the Yarralumla Halal Pidehouse Banquet includes:

A selection of dips, pide bread , kabak, falafel, salad, rice, lamb skewers, chicken skewers and mixed pide – $40.00 for 2 banquets then $20.00 per extra banquet.

Cold starters:

Dips Humus • Beetroot • Carrot • Eggplant • Cucumber

with some extra Vine leaves stuffed with rice, onion, tomato and olive oil $1 each added for variety

…re-plated with torn turkish bread

Warm entrees:

Kabak Mucveri Fried zucchini puffs with yoghurt sauce

Falafel Deep fried chickpea patties with tahini sauce 6 per serve

with some extra Börek – Fetta cheese and spinach pastry rolls ordered and added

…re-plated with the garlic dip and tahini dip

Chicken and Lamb Skewers

…cut in half with kitchen scissors and re-plated..

Mixed Pide

…cut up with kitchen scissors and re-plated..

Salad

Salad re-plated with extra olives and nuts to garnish

Rice

…re-plated…

Sliced meat..as it arrives and re-plated

extra Turkish bread and some roast vegetables

Chong Co, Westfield Woden

There are two Chong Co restaurants in Woden, one in the Southern Cross Club and one of the Corinna side of Westfield. The Westfield option is cheaper,and while the atmosphere is nice as nice as the SCC, it is still very pleasant and has outdoor seating that is especially nice in the good weather.

Serve sizes are particularly generous and great for sharing.
Three dishes from the main menu and two serves of rice ($3 per serve) is plenty for six ( about $10.50 each).
The Pork with Prik Khing is especially good $17.90 but chicken is probably a better meat to pick.

Chicken with Malay Sauce, $17.90, is also good.

Mixed seafood with lemongrass, $20.90, includes two prawns, two calamari tubes, two mussels and one scallop, but is not as good as the other two dishes.

A takeaway container is happily provided for leftovers.

Rama’s Fijian Indian Restaurant, Pearce

Rama’s Indian Fijian Restaurant at the Pearce Shops is immensely popular and busy.

Service is extremely friendly and efficient and there’s a real feeling of being welcomed and entertained.

Prices are probably more than average but this is balanced by no corkage BYO, and more reasonable rice and roti prices.

The food is also very good and serve sizes good for sharing between up to six people.

Entrees include the very delicious Roti parcel $9 each

Cooked pumpkin and coconut wrapped inside a

pan fried roti

and large Vegetable samosa 2 for $12

The mains that included a creamy spinach sauce win over the more tomato based sauces.

The standout dish is Lamb Saag

Cubes of lamb cooked with fresh spices, spinach and

coconut milk. $24.50

quickly followed by Palak Paneer $20

Home made cheese cooked in a smooth spinach sauce

The Curried Beans and Tomato $13 are a good value very tasty dish, good to add to a shared menu.

Sliced beans, chopped tomatoes and onions cooked

slowly at low temperature, with a hint of spices.

The Prawn Saabji $24.50

Prawns cooked with onion, garlic, tomato, spinach

and coconut milk, comes with six prawns and a tasty sauce.

The Aamm Chicken (Mango Chicken) $23

Boneless chicken pieces cooked with fresh spices and a

sweet mango sauce, while listed as a ‘speciality’ is not as good as the other dishes, but better than the

Madras Fish Curry $23.50

Boneless fillets of ling marinated in lemon juice, tumeric,

garlic and simmered in spices, in a tomato based sauce which is fairly hard textured fish in a very spicy sauce.

Pappadam 4 for $3 with yogurt and tamarind sauces

Roti $2.50 each

Rice $2.75 per person (unlimited)

Three dishes between four people is a good amount to share and stay comfortable.

If also ordering one entrée piece each (particularly the large samosa) then three between six may be enough especially with roti.

Suggested menu for six:

3x Pan fried roti with pumpkin and coconut (halved)

Lamb saag

Palak paneer

Curried beans and tomato

1 extra dish (e.g. the Potaotes and Peas Curry which comes highly recommended – Potatoes, pea, onion, tomato and fresh coriander cooked in a touch of spices $20 or try the Fijian Pork Curry $24 or the Goat Curry $23 )

3 roti

6 rice

$160 total approx. ($22 per person – no corkage required)

Fine Eating

Hints Hacks and Highlights

Exploring Canberra World Food Delights with Friends

Bollywood Dimensions, Braddon

Garnish, Garema Place, Canberra City

Trying some entrees at Taste of Bangladesh, Manuka

Malaysian Chapter, Belconnen

Taste of Bangladesh – a menu for six larger appetites

Taste of Bangladesh – another menu for five to six people

Chong Co, Westfield Woden

Rama’s Fijian Indian Restaurant, Pearce

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