Eating out in Canberra

Thirst – still a top pick in Canberra

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Thirst on West Row, Canberra City, has always had great style and good food. But a couple of newer additions to the menu are outstanding and along with some old favourites, make Thirst the best local spot for Thai food.

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Penang Curry with Chicken (outstanding) $25.90

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Stir-fry chicken with chilli jam, basil, seasonal vegetables and cashews $23.90

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Crispy fish salad $24.90 (an old time favourite)

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Chicken and Coconut Salad with peanuts and mint $24.90 (a regular favourite on the specials board)

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The new Lemon and basil sorbet ($2.90 per scoop), is light and tangy like lemon delicious pudding, the best flavour on the menu and a wonderful way to finish the meal.

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Add a piece of homemade salted caramel with or with peanuts, for extra sweetness.

$5 for a pack of six.

Serve sizes are very generous and great for sharing, even between six people. On Mondays and Tuesdays Thirst offers two mains or two entrees for the price of one making it exceptional value for very good food.

No BYO option is available on Mondays and Tuesdays, however wine starts at around $38 per bottle, and from $8 per glass.
BYO is available other nights of the week for around $10 a bottle.

Four dishes with three rice ($3.50 per serve) between six modest appetites is a satisfying and comfortable ordering plan especially if including ice-cream/sorbet and salted caramel.

If your group includes larger appetites you may need up to one dish per person.

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Thirst Wine Bar & Eatery on Urbanspoon

Smoque Woden

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The recently opened Woden branch of Smoque, is a very welcome addition to Woden lunch options.

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Located at the bottom of the Abode hotel in Bowes Street, opposite the Hellenic Club, it offers sunny, open and airy indoor and outdoor seating.

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The feel is casual and relaxed, but service is quick and efficient.

The same rich, delicious flavours available at its sister restaurant in Canberra City are on the menu with blue cheese aioli partnering the spicy, tasty buffalo hot wings , BBQ sauce and a zesty coleslaw teamed with pulled pork on a burger, and goats cheese and smoked chicken with cranberries, highlighting the Thanksgiving Salad.

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Buffalo hot wings $8.90 for 6

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Thanksgiving Salad $15.90  with Smoqued Chicken, Quinoa, Pumpkin, Toasted Pecans, Red Onion, Goats Cheese, Spinach Fresh Herbs with Lemon Vinaigrette

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Smoque Vegie Burger $13.90
with Smoked Mushroom, Pumpkin, Onion, Zucchini, Rocket is perhaps the absolute top pick .

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Texan Waldorf $15.90 with Brisket, Pear, Red Onion, Gorgonzola, Rocket, Walnuts, Coriander Vinaigrette & Balsamic Glaze is also good

…as is the Original $11.90 with Pulled Pork or Brisket with BBQ Sauce & Coleslaw

Not quite as good are the…

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Smoque Vegetable Salad $12.90  with Pearl Barley, Rocket, Goats Cheese, Pine Nuts, Eggplant, Onion,
Zucchini, Mushroom, Pumpkin, Honey & Rosemary Vinaigrette

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Smoque Signature Burger $12.90
with Brisket, Cream Cheese, Jalapenos & Smoked Capsicum

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The LA Green $12.90  with Broccolini, Broccoli, Spinach, Sprouts, Snow peas, Asparagus, Toasted Peanuts & Lemon Vinaigrette

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As all flavours are rich and strong, it can be good to share dishes to vary the textures and tastes. It’s also great way to try new things without committing to a whole dish of the same option.

Smoque is also happy to provide a container, to take with you what you would enjoy more later.

Breakfast also looks very interesting and I have heard that the Breakfast Salad with poached eggs, spinach, pumpkin and bacon as well as the Chicken Waffles are both well worth trying.

Smoque Woden on Urbanspoon

Turkish Banquet – a great idea for sharing food with friends at home

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An easy, great value idea for enjoying food with friends, is to order turkish banquets.

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Delivered to your door……………

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……..a little re-plating can transform this ‘take-away’ meal into something special.

(Four banquets are shown here i.e. $92 total).

While there’s is usually a minimum order of two banquets that are intended to serve two people, two banquets are more than enough for four people, even six if you add a dessert of your own.

(These four banquets, with dessert were about right for 8-12  people to share).

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It can also be good to add some vegetable crudites for the dips as well to add crunch and texture. This works out at around $8 per person and leaves everyone feeling satisfied, but comfortable.
Lynham Pide Hut at the Lynham shops, Canberra offers a $23 take away/delivered banquet (minimum order 2) that includes:

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Mixed dips & bread

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Zucchini balls, falafel, fetta spring rolls

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Chicken skewer, sliced donor kebab meat, meatball & turkish rice, mixed green salad, Kiymali pide (Seasoned minced lamb, onion, cheese, parsley & herbs)

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Baklava open 11:00am – 9:00pm Tuesday to Sunday Ph: 02 62485568

They happily deliver orders over $30 and even offer a 25% discount for holders of the Canberra Entertainment Book!
Turkish Pide and Kebabs on Urbanspoon

Cork Street Cafe, Gundaroo – a great lunch spot with kids

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Cork Street Cafe is worth the 40 min country drive. It has a lovely sunny setting that is also cosy in winter, friendly relaxed staff, great food and good prices.

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Set back from the road, the space and casual environment is great for kids.

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The menu great for young kids with finger foods like homemade baba gnash and hummus dips with focaccia and veggie sticks, gourmet pizza and some delicious potato wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce $9.

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Half Tiger Wazza, half Columbian $31 Family sized

Tomato and bocconcini salad $16

Team this with a salad to cater for adults as well and everyone can help themselves from these shared dishes.

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BYO is $2 per person and cakeage is $1 per person making Cork Street a good spot for celebrating.

Canberra Entertainment book holders are offered a 25% discount.

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Cork Street Gallery Cafe on Urbanspoon

Claypot Chef, Farrer – a hidden Sri Lankan gem

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Like the Burmese Curry Place and the Global Café (Ethiopian), the Claypot Chef in Farrer offers an exceptionally good, lesser known cuisine, at an unbelievably good price

The Claypot captures authentic South Asian flavours  and is a great place to try many of the Sri Lankan classics like Chicken/lamb/prawn Curry $14/$15, Kottu Roti $10-$13 (a little like a fried rice made with diced roti breads served with curry), Biriyani $13.50, Watalappam $4 (like a baked coconut milk and cardamom custard) , String Hoppers $8 (great with curry), Coconut Sambol side dish $5…..and if pre-ordered, or usually on weekends, also Egg Hoppers $2.50 each, Pittu (rice flour and grated coconut cooked in a cylinder shape and served with coconut milk and sambol $4 (minimum of 5), Goat or Black Pork Curry $15 and Lamprais (a Dutch influenced dish) $18.

Serve sizes are generous and ideal for sharing a few dishes up to six people.

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Kottu Lamb   $13                       Devilled Chicken (a favourite) $15

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Prawn Curry  $15                             Large rice $3

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Green Beans Curry $10                Delicious plain roti $2 each

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Seeni Sambol $5 (quite spicy)                         Pappadoms 2 for $1.50

Four dishes with a large basmati rice $3 and roti $2 each (so delicious that you will want one each) is plenty for 6 people (especially because Claypot is so lovely and may offer complimentary extras like rice re-fills, pappadums (usually 2 for $1.50) and cooked milk, palm sugar, cardamom and ginger sweets.

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Cardamon & ginger sweets                        Watalappam $4

At around $12 per person, this is a delicious feast,cooked by people who genuinely want to share their love of Sri Lankan food with Canberrans.

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As the Claypot is primarily caters for takeaway customers, inside seating is limited.  However groups of up to 10 can be comfortably accommodated indoors and up to 30 can eat al fresco, which is very pleasant on a warm summer evening.

It’s good to phone ahead and book, especially if you’d like to try the dishes that take much time to prepare.

So don’t let the casual nature of Claypot distract you from trying the great food, it’s well worth the visit to Farrer shops (next to IGA) and a worthy suburban dining opportunity to support.

Open Tuesday to Thursday 4-8pm and Friday to Sunday 10am-8pm.

Closed Mondays.

Phone 02 62868081

Claypot Chef on Urbanspoon

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Ming’s Chinese and Malaysian Cuisine, Philip – $18.80 Banquet

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Ming’s offers an excellent banquet full of classic Australian Chinese favourites, in unbelievably generous portions at an amazing price of $18.80 per person.

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Possibly this is the best value asian style dinner banquet around and ideal for groups with mixed preferences on a limited budget.

The atmosphere and decor is pleasant, parking is plentiful, service is friendly quick and efficient, and BYO corkage is $4 per bottle.

The $18.80 banquet (here shown for 7 people) includes:

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Spring rolls  (one per person)    Steamed Dim Sims (one per person, and very delicious)

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Honey Prawns                                                     Stir-fried vegetables

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Boneless chicken with lemon sauce          Sizzling Mongolian Lamb

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Satay Beef                                                          Fried Rice

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Plenty of boiled rice

…and naturally, prawns crackers..

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While serves are so generous that you could eat twice, Ming’s helpfully offers takeaway containers at around 50 cents each, to take home extras for later.

Open for lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday and dinner Sunday, it’s an ideal spot for a family gathering.

Ming's Restaurant on Urbanspoon

 

 

 

Belluci’s Woden – a group lunch from the a la carte menu

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Belluci’s in Woden, like Belluci’s in Manka, has a great lunch special than includes a range of Italian dishes and a drink (house wine/beer/soft drink).

But it can also be more interesting, varied  and allow you to vary your portion size more easily, if you share dishes from the main menu.

This can be especially handy if you have already treied many of the dishes on the lunch specials menu and are looking for something new.

Ordering 4 dishes for a group of 6, or 6 dishes for a group of 9 gives a good range of different dishes to share while leaving you feeling comfortable at the end of the meal.

Choose 1-2 pizzas, 1-2 pastas, 2 side salads and perhaps a risotto, to share. This works out at around $16 per person.

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The Bombay pizza $23  is excellent (as is the Verdura  and Bellucis Special also on the lunch specials menu).

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The Gnocchi Di Agnello (gnocchi with lamb shank ragu, citrus gremolata and aged parmesan $27) is especially good. The gnocchi is light and the ragu rich and flavoursome.

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The Linguine Affumicato $25 (with smoked chicken, tiger prawns, pumpkin and avocado $25) is a good dish, but very rich creamy and best shared.

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The Insalata Di Verdura (roquette, Israeli couscous, roasted vegetables,feta and sultanas $21) is a better choice than the Insala Di Bietola (roasted beetroot, lentils, fresh basil, goats cheese & blasmic glaze $21) however, both have a lot of roquette and are only side salad sized. A better choice may be two of the Insala Di Rucola (roquette, gorgonzola dolce, roasted walnuts and balsamic reduction $12) or the chicken cesar salad (also on the lunch specials menu) $22.

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The Risotto Di Zucca (caramelised pumpkin, baby spinach, gorgonzola dolce and toasted walnuts $23) is larger than that on the lunch specials menu, but perhaps not as tasty.

Belluci’s also offers Entertainment Book holders a 25% discount.

Belluci's Italian on Urbanspoon

Trev’s, Dickson, Canberra

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Trevs has lots going for it. Staff are knowledgeable and very professional.

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Entree sharing platter for 3 (3x$11.50 (3 items))

Sharing entree platters offer a selection to taste and the desserts are beautiful. Corkage is $9. The menu offers a good range of dishes and the specials of the day are interesting.

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Silver Dory Lemon risotto cake, whilted spinach, garlic herb lemon butter $27

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Duck confit Blood orange glaze, vanilla bean potato puree, green beans $29

 Chicken Scallopini prosciutto, cherry tomatoes, xv olive oil, pesto potato puree $27

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Pork Neck Confit, braised red cabbage, apple glaze, apple relish $28

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Lemon tart $13 Blood orange gelati, blood orange syrup, pistachios and fairy floss
Sticky Date and pear cake $13 caramelised fig gelato, maple syrup

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                                                                        Chocolate semi freddo $13 raspberry gelato, tuile biscuit
Entrees are $11-13, mains $28-33, and desserts $13, and while they are all good, they are not particularly ‘special’ and nor is the atmosphere and surroundings. Trevs is a great place to try and adds variety to Canberra dining options. But there are many other spots offering a more memorable experience for around the same price.

Trevs @Dickson on Urbanspoon