Canberra

Pistachio’s Dining, Torrens, Canberra

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Pistachios really rates highly on all measures, making it a true all rounder and one of Canberra’s best restaurants.
Meals are well priced ($30 mains).
It’s BYO at $7 corkage.
Staff are friendly and service good.

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Decor, though perhaps dated, still sets a good standard with thick carpet, white linen table cloths and soft lighting.
It has a true ‘Canberra’ quality, non-pretentious, stylish and confident, but conservative and not trendy.
The feel is relaxed yet special.

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12 hr slow roasted lamb shoulder (excellent)   Grass fed beef sirloin with garlic broccolini, blue cheese and herb butter, smoked bacon and potato (Mains $30 each)

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Green beans with toasted almonds and parsley side $8

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The special of the day, Wagyu with clams and gnocchi (delicious)

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Serve sizes are generous. And so are all the extras at no cost like nuts as a starter (pistachios naturally), bread on the side and an exquisite chocolate with coffee.

But perhaps the absolute best things about Pistachio’s is it’s Trio of entrees ($19) and Tasting platter of all desserts ($19, best shared between too) a wonderful opportunity to try seven dishes.

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Trio of entrees

 

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Dessert tasting platter with poached apple with nut butter and rhubarb compote and oat crumble (an unlikely absolute stand out), passion fruit parfait (delicious), lemon verbena panaccotta and chocolate and pear gateau.

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Dessert tasting platter with Macadamia nougatine with banana puree, Scottish shortbread, dried flowers, pop rocks and pistachio biscotti, Apple and lemon tart with sugar crust, saffron anglaise, nut butter ice-cream, Lemon syrup cake with mascarpone, strawberries,, oat biscuit, Dark chocolate hedgehog slice with chocolate ice-cream, caramelised condensed milk, warm chocolate sauce

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And if you are sharing a couple of entree tasting plates between three, staff thoughtfully serve it very helpfully.

The food is of a very high standard and equal to other fine dining Canberra modern Australian restaurants.

While it’s a little out of the way, tucked away in Torrens shops, parking is very easy.

Pistachio Dining at Torrens on Urbanspoon

Canberra Japanese Nara Candle Festival – a spring cultural festival with food

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Canberra’s annual Japanese Nara Candle Festival is immensely popular and it’s great to join in with the enthusiasm.

The lakeside setting and high quality entertainment is ideal for an evening picnic with a Japanese flavour.

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There are plenty of interesting new foods to explore with some great old favourites as well as lots of other exhibits to enjoy.

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Red bean paste desserts  $6.50                                    Strawberry daifuku $6.50

It’s true that the great  support can mean some long queues for food, but here are ten useful tips to make the very best of this great opportunity.

1. Get a group together so you can work as a team to grab a great spot and gather great food to share and enjoy together.
2. Go early, before the official start time of 4:30.
3. Take your own picnic rug or chairs & table to set up in an ideal spot.
4. Drop off your group and props before parking. There’s good parking across Commonwealth Ave from the Albert Hall and you can walk under the road through the underpass).

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5. Take a bottle of wine, glasses, platter & sharp knife for sharing and napkins.

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6. Look out for the most popular foods (probably with the longest queues, as these are often the best).
The Takoyaki Octupus dumplings ($7 for 6), Yakisoda bread ($8 each), and Okonomiyaki – Savoury Pancake ($9 each),Strawberry Daifuku ($6.50 for 2) were all popular and excellent choices.

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Yakisoba bread $8 (really very good)

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Okonomiyaki – Savoury Pancake ($9 each) (bacon, onion, BBQ type sauce, Mayonnaise type sauce – delcious)

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Green tea ice-cream $4 (quite strong flavour)

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Assorted red bean paste desserts $6.50

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Soba noodles $9

7.  But don’t overlook the old favourites like Sushi and Gyoza.

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Sushi  $3.50 (very good)

8. Use the sharp knife the serve foods in hors d’oevre  size pieces so that everyone can taste and try everything.

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9. Enjoy the entertainment (don’t miss the Narrabundah College dancers, they were great).
10. Have a wander around the exhibits.

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Taj Mahal Indian Restaurant, Canberra City

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The Taj Mahal Indian Restaurant, on Northbourne Ave, offers a good value lunch special that includes a samosa, main dish, rice, 1/2 naan, and raita and banana sides for $23.
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It also has a private function room, that is ideal for a group with very flexible booking conditions. Staff were friendly and warm and very accommodating.

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The raita is delicious and serve sizes of curries are generous.
The chicken dishes, especially the creamy chicken dishes (butter chicken, chicken korma) are better than the lamb which can be a bit chewy.
The Taj Mahal is a good spot for sharing dishes as a group particularly if the group needs to keep to a budget.
Taj Mahal Indian Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Treehouse, Northbourne Ave, Canberra City – $10 Wednesday night hotdog and beer/cider/wine special

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Beef dog with chilli beans  (quite good) Haloumi dog with basil and Hummous (even better).

The Treehouse Bar has great lunch and mid week evening specials. Recently the Wednesday night special changed from a $10 roller and beer/cider special to a $10 gourmet hotdog and beer/cider (wine if you’re lucky) special.

Not quite as good as the rollers, but the hand cut chips and aioli are still there and the chilli bean, pork, chicken and haloumi options still feature.

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Booking the booth upstairs overlooking the bar, is a great spot for a group.
Treehouse on Urbanspoon

iPho Vietnamese Cafe – Garema Place,Canberra City

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iPho is has a central location in the city and is helpfully open late and 7 days. It’s a great spot to get a Vietnamese street food ‘fix’ if you’re missing Vietnamese style coffee with condensed milk, Vietnamese rolls or pho.
Corkage is only $3 per bottle, there’s indoor and outdoor seating (cosy with gas burners in the cold weather).
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Chicken & prawn fresh spring rolls (the best pick)       Vegetarian spring rolls ( second best pick)

Staff are very relaxed and obliging, making it a great spot to start a city street food progressive meal with an entree of fresh spring rolls with a glass or two of BYO wine.
Two large fresh spring rolls are $5 with a very tasty satay style dipping sauce. The chicken and prawn rolls are the best, followed by the vegetarian rolls and lastly the pork and prawn rolls.
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If what you need isn’t ready to go, it can be quickly created in a few minutes.
IPho on Urbanspoon

Diwali in Canberra – another spring festival with food!

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Diwali, the festival of lights held each October/November is such a special time to be in India.
Lights are strung up across streets, traditional Indian sweets are everywhere, families visit and exchange gifts, new clothes are worn and there are plenty of fireworks!!
So it’s a great annual spring opportunity to join with the local Canberra Indian community to help capture a little of the excitement.
And what better way to share celebrations across cultures and engage in warm conversations, than through food.

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At the Albert Hall last Sunday there was a full program that included a cooking competition, a concert of dance, fashion, music and a quiz and some enticing food stalls.

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Samosas                                                                                  Marsala Dosa

Cooking competition

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Burfi                                                                                             Rasa malai

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Carrot Halwa                                                             Vegetarian biryani

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Double ka Meetha Dessert

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Beautifully dressed families enjoyed the fair like atmosphere and the joy of celebrating their shared heritage together. It’s a pleasure to be included and to experience a little of India right on our door step.

Food Stalls

 

I Love Thai – Manuka ACT

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I Love Thai in Manuka specialises in takeaway Thai food. However, it frequently offers special deals and has a small indoor seating area, if you’d like to eat in.

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Service is friendly and helpful, and corkage is free, but still, there definitely is a ‘takeaway’ feel to the ambiance.

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Chicken Meang entree $7.50                Black Sticky Rice with Coconut Cream $7.50
However, the Chicken Meang entree is delicious and good value at $7.50 for two large serves. Likewise the Black Sticky Rice with Coconut Cream is a delicious and generous dessert at the other end of the meal.

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Stir fry Chicken in Peanut Sauce ($15.50)

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Stir fry Chicken with Cashew Nuts ($15.50)

In between, the Stir fry Chicken in Peanut Sauce ($15.50) has a nice flavour and is a better pick than the Stir fry Chicken with Cashew Nuts ($15.50).

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Thai Coconut Gelati $7.50 (not as good as the Black Sticky Rice)

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Noodle and Fried Rice dishes, like Stir fries, are $15.50, but other dishes like Thai salads, Seafood, Curries and Chef’s Specials range from $17.50 to $19.50 making them similarly priced to other Thai restaurants better designed for ‘eating in’.

And I Love Thai is happy for any extra to be taken home to enjoy later.

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I Love Thai on Urbanspoon

Sharing a Platter at Palace Cinema, New Acton

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If you have early evening tickets to a movie at the Palace Cinemas in New Acton, Canberra it’s worth thinking about arriving early to share a platter and wine in the attractive bar area.

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There’s no problem with taking it into the theatre if the movie starts, but it’s better to leave enough time to savour the flavours and enjoy the delicacies while you can see them.

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It can be tricky to balance the board on your knees and fumble in the dark for a caper to go on your smoked salmon.

Aperitivo Board $20 – Tasmanian smoked salmon, artisan cheese, cornichons, spiced hommus, fire-roasted capsicum, turkish bread (and water crackers).
Wine starts at $9 a glass.

The Merchant Deli & Cafe, Kingston Foreshore

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The Merchant is a very welcoming, friendly and relaxed newcomer on the Kingston Foreshore helpfully open 7 days for breakfast lunch and dinner.

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It’s great strengths are it’s honest, accommodating and attentive staff, it’s key corner location and it’s value for money menu options.
But it is also stylish and food is beautifully presented.

There is nothing pretentious about The Merchant. Staff are happy to answer and respond to all kinds of queries and requests making it a very good spot for sharing dishes and ordering to suit your appetite.

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The menu changes daily, but there is a pattern to what’s on offer.

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The sharing platters $28 are great for two people for lunch and I’m told that extra complimentary bread is available to go with all those lovely dips, cured meats, cheeses and pickled vegetables.

Some dishes make a great light meal for one person. The baguettes, soup and salad were all generously sized, and well priced making them excellent value. The pancetta and cheese baguette ($12) had plenty of filling, the soup of the day ($12) serve was large and came with bread and the salad of the day $14 was also a good sized serve.

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Likewise, dessert from the cabinet offered well sized serves for $8.

The lamb, lemon and rosemary skewer $25 was large and served with salad.

The pan fried salmon fillet $25 did not come with accompaniments so it made a smaller meal.

The chilli spanner crab linguine $22 and braised lamb shoulder pappardelle $22 were more modest serves as well, but looked delicious.

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The Seared Canadian Scallops -served with pea puree, chorizo and olives $14, was a small entree sized serve.

The chicken liver mushroom parfait $20 was a very generous serve and ideal for sharing with some other dishes. (Extra bread available on request at not cost).

BYO wine is available at around $4 per person, but if you purchase your wine from the nearby sister store ‘Prohibition’, corkage is free.

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(Prohibition is on the corner behind Local Press and has plenty of good option in the $10-$15 range).

In a nutshell, The Merchant has plenty going for it and is well worth trying out. It could easily become a favourite.

The Merchant Deli & Cafe on Urbanspoon