Ivy and the Fox, Acton – a new lunch menu

Ivy and the Fox in Old Canberra House has a new menu. There’s till plenty of the old favourites, but a few newbies as well.

The Codfather is now grilled $20.90 for fresh market fish fillet with delicious roasted zucchini, lemon and mayonnaise. Not large enough to share, but perefct for a satisfying but light meal.

The Prawn Tagliatelle $24 is new. The fresh pasta is quite heavy with an oily dressing and dotted with prawns, chilli, garlic, basil and mushrooms. A heavier option, but good for sharing.

The Reuben and Big Salad both $17 also sound like good options to try.

Wine by the glass starts at $8.

Wilbur’s Cafe Bar Hackett – trying the new menu

Wilbur’s is a great local!

Offering relaxed, friendly hospitality it has a range of good value specials, like happy hour drinks 4-6pm ($5.50)…

..$10 pizzas or two for one burgers $22.50 on Sundays from 4pm (definitely a great time to go as there’s live music as well 3-6pm)…and two meals for the price of one for Canberra Entertainment Book holders.

There’s a regular menu offering dishes like the Veal Marsala with mushroom, bacon and marsala sauce on sweet potato mash for $26.90….

…as well as weekly blackboard specials like the pan-fried salmon with sweet potato chips, confit tomato, bocconcini and baby spinach salad with lime coriander aioli $28.90.

Like always, it’s good to order a lighter salad with a heavier meal and share.

There’s also some delicious looking deserts on offer at reasonable prices.

Me & Mrs Jones, Kingston – trying a couple lunch salads

Me & Mrs Jones is a one of the best places in Kingston for lunch.

It’s open everyday, has a broad ranging menu and offers two meals for the price of one if you have a Canberra Entertainment Card.

The salads make a good lunch choice, especially sharing a couple between two, or sharing one with another dish.

The SMOKED CHICKEN $18 with Treacle smoked chicken, crispy speck lardons, garden peas, mint, marinated feta, shredded baby cos, white balsamic reduction w/ brioche crisps is full of flavour but quite rich.

The SPRING LAMB $21 with Rare spring lamb, mixed seeds & nuts, currants,kale, pomegranate, mint & a fresh yoghurt dressing is perhaps the better choice, being a little lighter, with good textures and garnishes and full of colour.

If you want an even broader choice for lunch, get there before noon on weekday to be able to order from the breakfast menu too. (Lunch menu starts at noon).
Do book as it gets busy and if you’d like to BYO wine it’s $5.50 corkage per person.

Belluci’s, Manuka – trying the lunch special!

Belluci’s is one of the best spots for a weekday lunch in Woden, and so Belluci’s Manuka has long been on the wishlist.

It has a prime and inviting location on the corner of Franklin and Furneax Streets. Is also just across from the medical centre where parking is nearly always easy (and very reasonable), even during business hours.

Like Woden, Manuka Belluci’s offers a great lunch special that includes a glass of wine, beer or soft drink for $19.95.

The menu in Manuka is familiar but refreshingly different with some of the favourite pizzas and pastas, but also two different lovely salads (salt baked salmon or pulled lamb), a delicious sounding pulled pork burger, a pizza with creamed taleggio, buffalo mozzarella & corella pears and a great looking pappardelle with beef shin and tomato ragu.

The salt baked salmon with quinoa, radicchio, asparagus, cherry tomatoes & orange is excellent. The dressing is quite heavy so best to order it on the side.

The chicken risotto with pancetta, button mushrooms & broad beans is similar to Woden’s but a little lighter and fresher.
It’s still quite a heavy dish and best shared with a salad and a friend.

Belluci’s is also very versatile, providing takeaway containers if you’d like to take some with you and allowing BYO wine at $5 per person corkage and $2 per person cakaege. There’s also a 25% discount for holders of the Canberra Entertainment Book (including the lunch special).

Pho Phu Quoc – still great value

Pho Phu Quoc really does have Canberra’s best Vietnamese food. And it’s such great value.

Rice is $2 per person, corkage $6 per bottle, there’s a 25% discount for Canberra Entertainment Card holders and serve sizes are large and plenty for two people.

One of the best dishes is the Bird’s Nest Seafood $18.90 (also good with chicken $16.90 and I’m sure Vegetarian style $13.90).

Open everyday for lunch and dinner!

Copper Chimney, West Row, Canberra City – more winning dishes

While it’s good to know some good picks at Copper Chimney, you really can’t go wrong when you try something new.

The Butter Chicken, Kadai Paneer and Saag Lamb are just as good as the Fish Methi Marsala, Chettinad Chicken, Prawn Goanese and Kadhai Lamb.

Another good sharing menu for six to seven people is:

Entree:

The amazing Palak Papdi Chaat $13.90

and the equally good Chicken 65 $14.90 (one of each).

Mains:

One each of four dishes…a popular mix is:

Butter Chicken $18.90

Saag Lamb $19.90

Kadhai Paneer $18.00

Fish Methi Marsala

Add two serves rice ($3 each) and 3-4 Plain Naan ($4 each).

Corkage is $6 a bottle.

Pramod, Sunil and the other Copper Chimney staff deliver very fine and friendly service.

And it’s great value. Altogether it’s around $130 plus corkage for six to seven people.

If you have a Canberra Entertainment Card, it’s even less with a 25% discount up to $30.

Well worth having on you list of ‘go to’ restaurants!

Urban Pantry – trying the wishlist!

Urban Pantry may be the top spot in Manuka for lunch. It offers both indoor and outdoor seating….

….good service, an interesting and reasonably priced menu, BYO wine at $5.50 per person and two for one meals for Canberra Entertainment Book holders.

The salads are a great choice.

The Grilled Halloumi with smoked tomatoes, pickled zucchini, wild roquette, chickpea puree, labneh, za’atar $21 is excellent.

It has lovely flavours and textures.

The Seafood Lasagne with sand lobster, Crystal Bay prawns, barramundi, crustacea butter, saffron, concise tomato $32 is very beautiful and generous with its seafood, but very rich and best shared between about four people.