Ethiopia Down Under, Pearce – lovely and family run

Ethiopia Down Under is another gorgeous family run suburban restaurant – welcoming, casual and committed to bringing this lesser known cuisine to Canberrans.

There’s a variety of combination meals available or put together your own meal that may include:
Samosas (2 for $6.90)
ETHIOPIAN BEEF SAMOSAS – spicy beef samosas

ETHIOPIAN CHEESE SAMOSAS – fetta cheese samosas

Mains
ALIT’CHA DORO $19.90 ( my favourite dish)

Strips of chicken breast pieces cooked with carrot, green chilli & onion

ASAR TIBBS $20.90

Nile Perch fish fillet pan-fried fresh with burbere spices, capsicum, onion & tomato

ALIT’CHA “YAYESH” WAT $17.90

Chef’s special beef and coconut cream in mild Ethiopian spices

DUBOU WAT $15.90

Spiced pumpkin cooked in a berbere sauce

RICE/INJERA – served with mains

HOMEMADE ICE CREAMS, GELATO & SORBETS ( thanks to an Italian colonial heritage)

$8.90 No mixed servings available

Ginger, Toasted Coconut & Chocolate Shards

( my favourite although, I do generally like my icecream sweeter and creamier)

Turkish Delight

Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee & Roasted Hazelnut

It’s also great value as there’s a 25% discount for Canberra Entertainment Book holders and….

Free corkage!
Open for dinner every night except Mondays, you’ll find Ethiopia Down Under at the Pearce Shops.

It is in good company with Rama’s and the Pearce Vietnamese nearby, all facing into a courtyard that’s lovely on summer and evenings and great for kids.

Bellucis’s Manuka lunch special- an update on the salads

The $20 weekday lunch special at Bellucis in Manuka is as good as ever.

The two salads on offer as light and fresh, perfect with the glass of wine that’s included.

25% off for Canberra Entertainment Book Holders

INSALATA DI SALMONE – beetroot cured salmon w/ watercress, shaved baby fennel, baby carrots, pickled golden beetroots & chard

INSALATA DI POLLO – poached chicken, baby cos, asparagus, grilled marinated peppers, ‘san daniele’ prosciutto & caraway aioli

Maple & Clove, Barton – lunch update

Maple & Clove in the Realm Precinct is still lovely for lunch.

In the spring weather it’s good to sit outside…

and enjoy the most delicious lunch dishes which were the ….

GRILLED BARRAMUNDI SALAD $24.5 – Roasted pumpkin, fetta, spinach, rocket, broccoli, asparagus, celery, tomatoes + pepitas…

The broccoli and pepitas added crunch and flavour to the leaves and supported the pumpkin, feta and barramundi as the feature ingredients.

Also looking lovely was the Seared Ocean Trout Salad at the next table with chat potatoes, free range eggs, green beans, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, olives + salad leaves $24.50

The was also the breadless PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM BURGER – With tomato, avocado, roasted beetroot and creamy cucumber yoghurt with a side of sweet potato wedges $16.

A good choice, especially for brunch, but also availalbe for lunch, is the SAVOURY SPELT WAFFLE – Wholemeal spelt, zucchini + sweet corn waffles served with smoked salmon, smashed avocado, and slow cooked eggs $20

For something a bit simpler there’s EGGS ON TOAST
Poached, scrambled or fried on your choice of seeded rye or white sourdough $13.50

Or design your own meal, with gluten free bread.

Temporada, Canberra City – a first look!

Inspired by Adventures in Winterland ‘s brunch posts I headed to try out Temporada myself.

Sadly only open from breakfast until 11:30am weekdays, it is a lovely spot with great service and ambiance.

For a light breakfast the Sour Cherry Toast with Cultured Butter and Jams $8 is a good choice.

But I do need to go back for the Banana, Coconut and Pecan Waffle $12.

Two Before Ten in the City – my new favourite for brunch @TwoBeforeTen

The very popular Two Before Ten in Aranda is one of my favourites.So it’s great news to me that they’ve opened up in Hobart Place in Cafe Arirang’s old spot, offering all day breakfast and lunch dishes, seven days a week.

I’ve had my eye on the Bear for a while and it didn’t disappoint.

At $9 it’s a bargain and just hits the spot for something light.

BEAR: Boiled Egg with Smashed Avocado on a Rye Muffin

The specials vary, but the Haloumi with freekah, roast beetroot, blood orange and mint salad for $14 was a good pick.

Even though the food, prices, decor and setting are excellent, what really stands out to me is the friendly, warm and welcoming service. Bookings, special requests and just a friendly chat are no trouble.

Two before Ten in the City is my firm favourite for brunch. Open weekdays 7am-4pm, weekends 8am-2pm

Lanterne Rooms, Campbell – the $18 Market Lunch

The Lanterne Rooms has gorgeous decor and staff service.

It’s also one of the few fine dining restaurants in Canberra to offer a quick weekday lunch for under $20.

The Market Lunch is excellent at $18 per meal.

You can choose from:

Kari Daging – Slow cooked beef in traditional Malaysian curry w/ Pickles, croquettes, salad & rice (my overall favourite)

Kari Ayam Chicken thigh cooked in coconut gravy w/ Pickles, croquettes, salad & rice

Babi Assam Pork stew cooked in tamarind sauce w/ Pickles, croquettes, salad & rice (the best favoured sauce).

Team it with a bottle of BYO wine at $12 corkage per bottle and it’s great value.

Boathouse By the Lake – a first look!

The Boathouse by the Lake, must have one of the best positions in Canberra.

The views are lovely and it’s perfect how they change over the evening with each course.

The four course meal for $90 included a chef’s plate of snacks…

….homemade bread with cured butter, beetroot puree and pickled beetroot on parmesan shortbread, choux pastry with goats cheese and honey

…and a 65 degree egg course, which is surprisingly lovely.

The menu changes, but on the evening we visited we enjoyed:

Cured ocean trout cucumber, labnah, avruga caviar (our favourite)

Pan seared bug baby gem, buttermilk, chlorophyll

Blue eye cod baby spring vegetables, prawn, fumet

Slow cooked lamb rump eggplant, chickpea, puffed rice (our favourite for this course)

Rosemary cheesecake sweet beetroot, blood orange, burnt butter

Mandarin & black pepper sorbet liquorice custard, blueberries, green tea (voted the best dessert)

To finish, we were surprised with lovely petit fours.

BYO corkage is $25 per bottle, but a 25% discount up to $40 is offered for Canberra Entertainment Book holders.

The Boathouse is very well set up for large groups and this is it’s great strength and this could be a little overwhelming for more intimate diners who feel distracted by what’s going on in the rest of the venue.

Chez Frederick, Braddon

Chez Frederick on Lonsdale Street have got a recipe that works!

Quick, large serves of tasty well priced pasta dishes in a relaxed and casual setting.

Next to the Hamlet, it offers something more comfortable for not much more $.

The menu is on-line or on the back board, but don’t miss the specials.

You pay when you order, so there’s no problems with splitting bills. It is also clearly popular for take-away.

My favourite dish was the Duck Ravioli – I have to go back for that again!

Duck ravioli w/ leeks & pink sauce $19.50

But for a smaller meal the 1/2 Lamb Shanks was great value as it came with two sides of your choice

1⁄2 Grass fed lamb shank $12

The Lasagna special was also great value as it was tasty and huge!!

Not BYO

Little Brother Red Hill – back again already!

I’m not sure why, but I just love the raisin toast at Little Brother Red Hill. On another cold and rainy day, it was just perfect for my brunch.

My fellow diners chose the Sweet potato and beetroot fritter with poached eggs, wilted spinach and horseradish cream $19 which was a lovely dish.

But a big part of why I enjoy heading to Little Brother (besides the great view) is the lovely, warm service!

Highly approachable and accommodating, Little Brother also takes bookings and gives Canberra Entertainment Book holders a 25% discount.

XO, Narrabundah – a first look at lunch

XO at the Narrabunday shops is fun dining!

It’s approachabilty and accessibility remind me of Supernormal and Cumulus Inc. in Flinders Lane Melbourne. The staff are very lovely and the atmosphere is sophisticated, but relaxed.