7 By The Lake, a Culinary Canberra Tour of 7 Indian regional cuisines

As Charmaine O’Brien writes in the Penguin Food Guide to India Indian cuisine is actully incredibly diverse, with the traditional food of each different region reflecting its history, culture, trading opportunities, climate, religion and economy.

This is exactly what Sushant wants to show Canberra and why his new restaurant 7 By The Lake at the Kingston Forshore is the stage for a feast of dishes from seven different parts of India.

Last week Sid from Movenpick introduced the Canberra Food Bloggers to his great friend Sushant who became our culinary guide for the evening.

Sushant is well known in Canberra for his catering business named after his mother Sarla. He is often asked to cook for Canberra’s embassies and temples and Travel & Beyond testify to Sushant’s amazing samosas that sell like hotcakes at Apna Bazaar in Belconnen.

Sushant offered us his delicious Mango Lassi $5.50
(Sweet and creamy yogurt drink made from mango pulp and flavoured with cardamom)…

….and wine by the glass (BYO also available).

We began our journey starting in Sushant’s hometown Mumbai, where the roads of regional tradional foods meet as people from all over India come to make it rich in the big city…

Chicken Lollypop $16.90
(Marinated chicken winglet in a lollipop appearance, deep fried and served hot with lip smacking Szechuan sauce)

This brought back fond memories of Mumbai’s Chowpatty Beach street food.

From Calcutta came our vegetrian entree Palak Papdi Chat $12.90, the finest I’ve tasted in Canberra, with lovely crisp spinach fritters.

(A unique and delicious ’street food’ dish made from a mix of potatoes, chaat masala, onions and roasted cumin topped with crispy and crunchy spinach fritters, fresh sweet yogurt, tangy tamarind chutney and spicy mint and coriander chutney.)

We then met Ramesh, head chef, from Hyderabad who is known for his amazing biriyanis (as is Hyderabad itself!).

Then we continued our journey through the mains with classics like…

Lamb laalmaas $25.90
(An aromatic and flavourful lamb curry prepared in a sauce of yogurt, garlic and variety of spices with a burst of red chillies is a very famous dish that comes from Rajasthan.)

This dish reminded me of Indique restaurant in Jodhpur.

Lal Maans is a dish developed by the Rajputs when out fighting that doesn’t need a frypan and just a few ingredients easily acquired from a nearby village.

The Goanese Fish ( fresh ling fillets cooked in coconut based curry, tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves) took me back to Casa Anjuna $29.90

…and Chicken Chettinad (A classic dish from Chettinad region of south India that gets it’s unique flavour from roasted dry coconut, combination of spices including star anise and fennel seeds) and reminded me of melas from the kitchens of Visalam and The Bengala.

Chettinad cuisine has benefited greatly from the Chettiars ambitious trading relationships with south east asia, the source of distinct flavours like the star anise. $23.90

From the North came Murgh Makhani (creamy textured curry made from smoky flavoured tandoori chicken tikka simmered in tomato and cashew based gravy, also known as Butter Chicken.) $23.90

From Maharashtra (home state to Mumbai) came Kolhapuri Chicken ( boneless chicken pieces cooked in flavourful Kolhapuri style masala) $24.90

From Gujarat, the Indian state with the highest population of vegetarians came our vegetarian main – Lasooni Palak Paneer (Cubes of fried cottage cheese cooked with spinach, green chillies, a special blend of spices and a touch of garlic which gives a unique taste and enhances the flavour of the curry) $23.90

From Bengal we had Bengali Chicken Curry (Chicken marinated in yogurt and spices cooked in mustard oil on slow fire) $23.90

This was accompanied by…

Basmati Jeera Rice $5
(Steamed Basmati rice flavoured with cumin seeds)

Raita (Yogurt mixed with grated cucumber and flavoured with roasted cumin seeds $5.50

And some lovely breads…

Garlic Naan (Fermented plain flour bread cooked in a tandoor topped with minced garlic)…$4.50

Laccha Paratha (Crispy and layered whole meal flour bread cooked on a pan ) $5

Masala Kulcha (Fermented plain flour bread stuffed with a mix of spiced potatoes and herbs, sprinkled with onion seeds, chopped coriander and mint, cooked in a tandoor) $5

Puran Poli – 2 pcs $5.90
(Sweet bread made from plain flour stuffed with sweet mixture of gram daal and jaggery, infused with cardamom and nutmeg, a Maharashtrian delicacy)

I’m a bit of a bread fan, but this Puran Poli that Sushant makes himself was my absolute favourite.

It was truly a very special night to be a Canberra Food Blogger and a guest of Sushant and his team.

Sushant is a great cook and storyteller and has some wonderful ideas that he has been trying out, and still plenty yet to test.

I can’t wait to see what Sushant’s new menu will look like in September.

7 By The Lake is open everyday for lunch and dinner.

It’s at the far end of the Kingston Foreshore that has lots of great newly opened eateries – well worth exploring!

Baan Latsamy, Manuka a menu for 10

Baan Latsamy in Manuka is a good spot for a group dinner.

For ten people it works well to order:

5x Crunchy Eggplant with Chicken and Prawn for entree $12.90

2 x Duck Hotpot $24.90

2x a curry such as Beef or Chicken Mussaman Curry $19.90

2x Prawn stir fry with ginger and vegetables $22.90

and 4x coconut rice $3.50

With corkage for three bottles of wine $6 per botttle and the 25% discount with the Canberra Entertainment Book (up to three cards can be used for groups of six or more) it works out at around $17 per person. Great value and good flavours and servcie!

Me & Mrs Jones, Kingston, trying the burgers

The lunch menu at Me & Mrs Jones, includes a range of interesting burgers.

In order of preference they include:

THE KINGSTON BEEF 100% local beef pattie, beetroot, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, egg, pickles, jack cheese, aioli and house relish on a brioche bun with fries $22

TEMPURA COCONUT CHICKEN Fragrant coconut chicken thigh, with tangy slaw, sriracha hot sauce and kewpie mayo on a brioche bun with fries $19.00

PORTABELLO MUSHROOM Polenta crusted mushroom, beetroot labneh, peperonata and baby leaves on a brioche bun with sweet potato chips $17.00

There’s also a range of interesting salads.

BYO available and two for one meals for holders of the Canberra Entertainment Book.

Open useful hours:

Monday – Friday 7.00am – late
Saturday 8.00am – late
Sunday 8.00am – 04.00pm

Mr Wei’s , Canberra City – good choices for a pre-theatre dinner

Mr Wei’s is conveniently close to the canberra Theatre making it a good spot to try for a pre-theatre dinner.

Prices are quite high, but it does offer 25% discount for the Canberra Entertaimnet Card and BYO wine at $10 per bottle.

It also has some very delicious choices that can be shared which makes the final price reasonable.

The steamed pork dumplings $13.50 for 12 are excellent and a perfect entree for sharing.

The Eggplant is well sized and looks great, but lacks flavoured without plenty of sauce and is not as good as the dumplings.

The Massaman Beef Cheek $26.50 has a great flavour and texture and could be shared between four….

But the Taro Duck $28.50 is a stand out, with a nice crisp batter and lean, soft duck breast.

Barbers Inc. Department of PM&C – a gem in Barton

Barton is blessed with some great eateries serving the departmental workers close by, like Double Drummer (AGS)Ne Brindabella Cafe (DFAT).

But I think my favourite so far might be Barbers Inc. on the ground floor of Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

It’s well priced, and the menu varies offering ever changing curry, pasta and soup lunch options.

They day I visited there was a very beautiful and flavoursome Lamb Vindaloo with Eggplant and Lentils and rice $16

The lighter option was a very tasty chicken and rice noodle soup with spinach and toast $5.90 for a very generous serve.

There are also nude burgers with extra salad on offer made ready made and made to order sandwiches.

The atmosphere is good for a workplace cafe especially up the stairs.

It’s a great find that I know I will return to often!

Open weekdays 7am-5pm.

Second look at Polo Restaurant – Peirogi Specials night, Turner

Having enjoyed my first visit to Polo at the White Eagle Club in Turner, I was back this week again for the Wednesday night specials.

The menu was a little different this time and I think it keeps changing.

The Mushroom and Cabbage or Cheese and Potato Pierogi ($10 or $14 with a wine of beer) were still on…

….but there were also Koldunai – handmade Lithuanian dumplings – pan seared with bacon and camrmelised cabbage ($13 or $17 with a drink). These were offered in Beef with Horseradish and yogurt sauce….

…but my favourite were the pork and fennel with apple and fennel slaw.

The Veal Goulash $16 looked pretty good – wrapped in potato blintz with pickled fennel/kolrabi and sour cream.

There were also good looking ricotta fritters $10….

….Kodunai – handmade sweet cheese dumplings with chooclate custard $13…

…and another dessert….

…but I think liked the savoury dishes best.

There’s a nice choice of wine or beer to go with your special and wine pours are generous.

Opinions seem to be divided about this venue and not everyone agrees with me, but I love it here! It’s so relaxed and friendly and everyone is enjoying each other’s company as they share a simple meal and a drink.

…And it is noisey in some spots. But the library is a quiet spot (though it might be a bit too quiet for some) and surprisingly the main area (with carpet) is quieter than the room next door (with a wooden floor).

A couple of other things I learnt this time are…

Get there early and order quickly as the line gets long.
Book by texting 0422898617. It’s easy and you get a very quick, friendly and accomodating response.
Ask for the mainroom near the kitchen or the library if you need somewhere quiet.

I’m looking forward to another visit already!

The Hungry Buddha

The Hungry Buddha in Curtin is Canberra’s oldest Nepalese restaurant.

While the momos are quite pricey at $9 for 4 ….

One samosa is $6.50

…and the mains $19-22 are modest in size… the flavours are excellent.

The specials are good and include…

The Nepalese goat curry $20 is also very good – khasi ko masu –
exquisite village style curry of tender boneless goat enriched with the flavours of fenugreek, cinnamon, tomatoes, coriander, bay leaves, ginger & garlic – a famous specialty of nepal

Desserts are well priced at $7.50 for pistachio icecream and $6.50 for rice pudding.

Breads are $4-5 and a good way to balance the meal without needing extra courses. Serves of rice are $3.

BYO corkage is $6 per bottle of wine.

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

38 Expresso, Kingston Foreshore

38 Expresso on the Kingston Foreshore, offers Canberra Entertainment Book holders two meals for the price of one…

Like the….

Pastrami Pickle and Mustard Sub $12

Roast Beef and Gravy Roll $13

Regulars…

Specials…

The Pedler – such a great asset for Campbell

The Pedler describes itself as Campbell’s first local pub!

But it’s so much more…open 7days from 7am it’s great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, coffee, a wine and share plate or dessert ( the Peach and Mango Melba looked great at the next table).

We tried the Prawn Betel Leaves $16 for three, with galangal, toasted coconut, green mango in a nahm Jim and coconut dressing ….

…..and Prawn and Chorizo $16 in a tomato, chilli and basil sugo with grilled sourdough.

Both were good and I’d certainly order them again.
The mixed berry and mango smoothie was very pretty. I’m not a smoothie person, but I can see this would be a good choice if I was $7.50.

The Pedlar is, as it claims…a gathering place offering a stylish and approachable setting ….but it also has very friendly and accomodating service. Charging my iPhone ( in between the photos !) was no trouble at all.

The wine pours are very generous and wine by the glass starts at $7.

Share plates range from $13 – $17, but I also like the idea of sharing $24 Chese board with three cheeses, fig paste and broken pane croccante with some extra warm sourdough with smoked butte $5.

You can just walk in, but it is very popular so it’s wise to book on 0477533488.

I just know I will be back….often!

Caphs, Manuka – trying the $15 lunch special

Caph’s, Manuka offers a $15 lunch special that includes a wine or beer, as well as a two for one deal (or half price meal for single diners) for Canberra Entertainment Book holders. This makes it excellent value for a tight budget.

The Lamb Burger is a good choice.