Snapper, by the Lake

Inspired by the Food Marshall’s post on Snapper, at the Southern Cross Club Canberra Yacht Club, by Lake Burley Griffin, it is certainly a unique and special spot.

Possibly it is the only place on the lake where you can have the benefits of taking your own picnic (like choosing your own spot, taking wine and drinks, nibbles, cake, keeping costs down, space for kids to run around) but also have the luxury of hot tasty fish and chips (around $12)….

…or a nice smoked chicken and avocado or Caesar salad ($10) ready to go …

Garden salad $6

….along with a manicured lawn, great view, and live music (Sat and Sun from 12).

Snapper does have tables, but these fill quickly and may not always be shady/sunny, so it pays to bring your own chairs as well as a back up.
They also sell alcohol, cakes and are open 8am-8pm every day!

It’s just such a treat to have the flexibility to buy or bring as much or as little as suits you on the day, every day of the week, for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Hard to beat as a great spot in the good weather, particularly for families.

Sharing at Smoque, Woden

The new Woden Smoque, while specialising in a range of American styled burgers and salads also offers the option of all-meat dishes and a range of sides, which can be added to a sharing menu for variety.

Cornbread can also be ordered on its own.

The Mac n Cheese ($5.90 for the large serve), is good value, tasty and Moorish (but pretty rich and oily).

The Carolina Pulled Pork $14.90 is also pretty oily. The pulled pork is probably better enjoyed in the Original Burger.

The Garden Salad, while not as interesting or tasty as the Texan Waldorf or Thanksgiving salads, is good value at $9.90 and excellent for adding more salad greens to a menu selection.

While it’s good to try a range of Smoque’s options, the best sharing menus are based on the gourmet burgers and a mix of feature salads/garden salad. The Vegie Burger $13.90 and Original Burger $11.90 are the best burger choices and the Texan Waldorf or Thanksgiving salad, both $16.90 are good combined with a Garden Salad $9.90 which is less rich.

Vegie Burger $13.90

One burger or salad can be shared between three to four people (just need a sharp knife) and the total number of salads and burgers can be the equivalent of three between four people, making the cost of the shared menu around $10 per person.

The Hamlet, Lonsdale Street Braddon

If you’ve enjoyed the Forage street food offerings you will love The Hamlet on Lonsdale Street Braddon, a (temporarily) more permanent home for these caravan vendors of yummy, casual eats.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, it’s a great, inexpensive night out and just perfect for sharing a range of samplings between a group in good weather (just bring a sharp knife and a few extra paper plates).

Start a Lonsdale Street food tour (as it’s hard to get a table later) or stay the whole evening.

BYO (drinks and glasses) without corkage, adds to the great value.

Top picks include Mr Pappas’ Pork Belly Roll ($12)….

….and Broddogs “pups” (perfectly sized for sampling, $5-$7 each).

…or a full sized ‘dog’ $6.50-$11 (about 1 1/2-2 times the size of a ‘pup’)

New Yorker Dog with a Kransky

Omi Pup (the best!), New Yorker Pup & Chilli Pup are all good.

Choose from a Vienna Frankfurt, Spicy Kransky or Pork free sausage.

Also worth trying is the pork roll with apple sauce from the Spit Shack ($12:90)…

….and the Bratwurst in a roll with sauerkraut $9 from ‘Bratwurst’…

I’m also told that the Bratwurst’s Schnitzels are good and easily shared ($16 small, $21 large).

One of the great things about the Hamlet, is that there are often smaller serving sizes on offer like Free Range’s pulled pork with couscous, rice and salad ($8).

There’s also plenty to choose from for those wanting gluten free options. Broddogs has gluten free buns available and the sausages are gluten free. Free range’s pulled lamb is gluten free.

Mr Papa’s Pork Belly sandwich is also gluten free if you skip the roll.

Other choices include Mr Papas’ Peruvian Stuffed Potato (tasty, but plenty of outside coating to get through)

…and Mr Papas’ Empanadas and Chicken Wings.

Turkish Pide House, Woden

The Turkish Pide House in Woden has lovely outdoor seating and inviting interior seating.

It also has a menu full of interesting Turkish dishes and a very convenient location for Woden workers.
The tricky challenge has always been how to order an interesting range of dishes to share and leave feeling content but comfortable.
A banquet (starting at $19.50 and including a glass of wine) is an easy way to share but is way too much food.

However, an alternative for sharing between a group of six is to order a dip and Turkish bread to start with another entrée item and a couple of salads with chicken veal or seafood as well as a pide.
This works out at around $13 per person.

Entrée:

Carrot Dip with Turkish bread – carrot, olive oil, garlic, yogurt, mint & herbs $10.00

Kabak Mucver– Crispy zuchinni puffs served with yogurt & dill dressing $12.50 (halved)
(Two different dips would also work)

Mains
2 Salads:

Meditarranean Tavuk Salatasi- Tender chicken pieces char-grilled and tossed with mesculin lettuce, roma tomatoes, cucumber & topped with croutons. Served with a savoury piquant dressing. $19.00

Other choices include:
Prawn Salad– Char-grilled King prawns, tossed in mesculin lettuce with roma tomatoes, cucumber and infused with a tangy dressing. $20.00
Calamari Salad -Grilled Calamari, tossed in mesculin lettuce with roma tomatoes, cucumber, & infused with a tangy dressing. $19.00
Aegean Salatasi- Thinly sliced veal, char-grilled and tossed in baby spinach, fetta cheese, mesculin lettuce, tomatoes & topped with tzaziki dressing. $19.00
Karisik Balik Salatasi -Grilled seafood salad including salmon, prawns & calamari $22.00

1 Pide

Vegeterian Deelite – Roasted pumpkin and potato with fetta, garlic, capsicum, onion & cheese topped with pesto aioli. $18.50

BYO is also welcome at around $4 corkage per bottle.

Urban Bean, Woden

Urban Bean is located at the bottom of Scarborough House in Woden. It does a great job of servicing the surrounding offices for breakfast, lunch and coffees.

However, it is well worth considering in it’s own right as a lunch venue as it has good food offered in generous serves that are best enjoyed at one of the outside tables in warm weather.

Dishes include large gourmet burgers wraps and open sandwiches served with aioli and chips for around $14 each. These are way too much for one appetite but perfect for sharing between two people.

The Warm Chicken and Cashew Salad with mustard chicken tenderloins on a bed of mixed leaves, tomato, cucumber, carrot, Spanish onion with lime aioli and crunchy cashews is a good choice if eating light.

It’s ideal for sharing, but you might also want to order a side of Turkish bread to round off the meal.

Her Canberra’s A year in food: 20+ dishes that defined 2014

Some of Canberra’s top dishes to try from Her Canberra

Garnish of India, Canberra City

Recently opened Garnish of India, overlooking Garema Place, is serving some of Canberra’s best Indian dishes at good value prices.
Located in former site of Canberra City’s Flavours of India, it has a similar décor and feel, but a new menu with great promise.
Service is friendly and efficient and there is a warm generous hospitality that seeks to help diners understand and enjoy regional Indian cusines.

Five dishes, three naan and 4 serves of rice and a raita is more than enough for six mixed sized appetites. Four dishes, 3 naan, 3 rice and a raita would be perfectly sized for 6 medium appetites.

Ask for recommendations/specialities as these are the often best options.

Dishes are listed here in order from best pick:

BEEF HARA MASALA $16.50

Diced beef cooked to perfection in a spinach based gravy & flavoured with
fenugreek leaves.

KUMBH MAKAI PANEER $14.50

Fresh mushroom, fresh corn, and dices of paneer a medium spicy preparation (really very good with fresh ginger too)

ERACHI VARATHADU –LAMB (KARNATAKA) $16.00

Tender lamb in a thick gravy made with the spices special to the region of Coorg.

CHETTINAD (TAMIL NADU) $16.50
A Spicy treat from the Chettiyars of Tamil Nadu.

MURGH ZAFRANI KORMA $16.50
Morsels of boneless chicken cooked in cashew gravy & flavoured with cardamoms,
mace & Saffron.

SQUID PEPPER & COCONUT FRY $18.00
A Speciality from Southern India that has a flavour of coarsely ground pepper, coconut
& fresh curry leaves.

ALOO – GOBHI $14.00

Flowerets of cauliflower &diced potatoes cooked with onions , tomato, & ginger juliennes.

MEEN VEVICHATHU –FISH (KERALA) $19.00
Fish in red hot chilli curry flavoured with kodampuli (Fish Tamarind) (not great at all, flesh is too firm, lacking flavour and overwhelmed by chilli).

Sides:

The plain ($3) or garlic ($3.50) naan is excellent and the plain rice is probably a better accompaniment than the saffron rice or even the coconut rice.

GARLIC NAAN $3.50
Indian garlic bread that is baked in Tandoor

2 serves of ZAFRANI PULAO $3.50 per serve
Steamed basmati rice with saffron in milk & garnished with roasted cumin.

2 serves of SAFED CHAWAL $3.00 per serve
Steamed plain rice

THENGAI SADHAM (COCONUT RICE) $3.50
Steamed rice mixed with fried grated coconut& garnished with curry leaves &
mustard seeds.

MIXED RAITA $4.00

Plain yoghurt mixed with cucumber & cumin (good).

Recommendations to try next time include:

PANEER MUSSALAM $14.50 Paneer pieces cooked in red medium spicy gravy with cashew nut paste in it garnished with grated paneer.

TAVA DHINGRI (MUSHROOM) $14 Fresh mushroom and sweet corn cooked in red gravy with more of chilly pepper & coriander

DAL MAKHNI $14 A traditional Punjabi black dal preparation.

DAL TADKA $14 A moong dal delightful preparation with seasoning of garlic & dry red chilly & mustard seeds.

MURGH KAALI MIRCH $16.50 A speciality from Southern India that has a flavour of coarsely ground pepper & fresh curry leaves.

MALABAR LAMB CURRY $16.50 Diced lamb cooked in a medium spicy curry.

BEEF COCONUT FRY $16.50 A Superb medium spiced dish of diced beef that is flavoured with desiccated coconut & curry leaves.

…and the samosas looked yummy too!

Corkage is $8 per bottle and a 25% discount is offered to Canberra Entertainment Book holders.

Cafe Arirang – Canberra City

Tucked away in Hobart Place off London Circuit, Cafe Arirang is a wonderful discovery of excellent Korean dishes at bargain prices.

Popular with students, serve sizes are very generous and two dishes is plenty for three people. Cafe Arirang will also happily give you a container to take with you what you can’t eat.

Great picks are the….