Chin Chin Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD

Chin Chin on Flinders Lane is just plain fun. It’s also number 34 of the 100 Top Australian Restaurants.

No bookings but the wait was useful. It gave us time to check the Instagram feed against the menu.

But it was still hard to choose.

We went for the Braised Duck Red Curry with Thai Basil, Son in Law Egg and Coconut Rice $35…

…..and the Green Papaya Salad with Chargrilled Red Chilli, Prawn Floss, Peanuts and Black Beans and Nam Jam $18.50

Good choices, but I suspect the Aromatic Yellow Curry of Roast Pumpkin, Chargrilled Tofu and Green Beans $23.50 with steamed rice $4.50 with perhaps the BBQ Cuttlefish Som Tum with Green Papaya Salad, pickled tomato, burnt green chilli, peanuts and Nam Jim might have been a better curry pick.

Popular was also the Salad of Shredded Chicken and Tom Yum poached prawns with Vietnamese slaw and coriander $24.50 and the Kingfish Sashimi with lime, chilli, coconut and Thai basil $23.

Movida Bar de Tapas, Hosier Lane, Melbourne CBD

Movida on Hosier Lane is number 24 of the 100 Top Australian Restaurants and famous for its tapas.

We were determined to work through as many tapas as we could.

ANCHOA $4.50 each – Hand-filleted Cantabrian Artisan Anchovy on Crouton with Smoked Tomato Sorbet

CROQUETA $4.50 each – Mushroom & Blue Cheese Croquette

ANGUILA $5.50 each – Smoked Eel with Celeriac Remoulade & Dried Jamon

CABALLA AHUMADA $6.50 each ( my favourite) – House Cold Smoked Spanish Mackerel with Pine Nut Gazpacho Sorbet

QUESO $4.00 each – Whipped Goat’s Milk Cheese Wrapped in Quince Paste & Brik Pastry

TOSTADA $5.00 each ( our least favourite) – Pressed Pork Sandwich, Tomato Jam & Quail’s Egg

While these small bites might seem costly for their size, they truly are worth it!

But there’s more….

Some lovely roasted mushrooms (about $18) ….

….and a special of pork meatballs in almond cream sauce (about $25).

Supernormal, Flinders Lane Melbourne CBD

Supernormal on Flinders Lane is very appealing. It’s also number 20 of the 100 Top Australian Restaurants

Even though I just dropped in to try their Miso and Pink Lady Icecream $9…

….I was warmly welcomed and seated at the bar. This actually turned out to be the perfect position for seeing the passion and dedication of the team. Their attention to detail was impressive!

The simplicity of the menu disguises what are quite complex dishes.

I’m looking forward to returning to try them out!

Cumulus Inc. Finders Lane, Melbourne CBD

Cumulus Inc. along Flinders Lane is my favourite Melbourne CBD spot for breakfast. It’s also number 15 of the 100 Top Australian Restaurants

The most popular brekkies were the Cumulus Inc. Breakfast $16 with boiled egg, toast, preserves, yogurt, orange juice and coffee and the House-made crumpets $10 with whipped ricotta and roof top honey.

But I loved my Hibiscus poached pears with sheep’s milk yogurt $12.

Exploring Melbourne CBD’s Top 100 Restaurants

Last month I was lucky enough to spend time in the Melbourne CBD. So I set about working through the restaurants on the 100 Top Australian Restaurants list.

While many visits were brief (one can only eat so much) I was impressed by how unpretentious these top eateries are. I was welcomed equally whether I was there for a meal with company or dining alone and dropping by for dessert. I was also surprised at how accessible the prices are, something for every budget.

This week I’ll be working through the list, but here’s a bit of a preview.

#15 Cumulus Inc.

My favourite for breakfast

#17 The Flower Drum

Not quite so accessible for the drop-in diner

#20 Supernormal

On my list to return – creating something special

#24 Movida

Must have the tapas

#30 Embla

Excellent for a drink

#34 Chin Chin

Fun dining

#65 The European

Mmmm…

And my verdict for the top…

Maha ( not actually on the list, but absolutely should be).

And I need to add in a great place to stay for this kind of project….

Hotel Grand Chancellor on Londsdale Street at only $103 a night.

Still on my dining Wishlist is Ginger Boy!

Pistachios, Torrens – perfectly portioned!

Pistachios Dining Rooms at the Torrens shops still have the best portion sizes I’ve ever had!

The wonderful Tasting Plate of three Entrées $19 and Tasting Plate of four Desserts $19 are still on the menu.

It’s my perfect way to enjoy seven different dishes and still leave feeling comfortable.

This week the Entrees were lovely and featured the ….
Seared Scallops, Black Sesame Seed, Rice Noodle, Yuzu, Avocado, Chilli (my favourite)

Goat’s Cheese Ravioli, Peas, Sage, White Truffle Oil, Smoked Bacon

Red Wine , Braised Lamb Shank Soup, Roast Root Vegetable

The four desserts were also very excellent ..

Vanilla Brûlée, Pistachio, Almond Biscotti

Chocolate and Hazelnut Blondie,
Dark Chocolate Mousse, Tia Maria Sauce

Apple, Blackberry Compote, Rolled Oat Crumble, Vanilla Ice cream, Caramel Sauce

Maha Sponge, Lemon Curd, Black Sesame, Cream Cheese, Chocolate ( my favourite)

It’s great value but there’s more…

BYO corkage is $7 per bottle.

Pistachios and delicious bread are complimentary.

If you have the Canberra Entertainment Card there’s also a 25% discount.

While it’s true that the ambiance is a little faded and with very little effort Pistachios could reinvent itself into a new young thing, it remains worthy of Canberra fine dining.

It’s soft furnishings make it excellent for conversation and parking is easy.

Yogi’s Kitchen – warm hospitality and a great thali in Barton

Yogi’s Kitchen opened up in Barton in July and clearly it’s a popular spot for nearby workers on a weekday.

It was hard to pick from the range of great lunch options – but really, it’s a no brainer the $15 Lunch Thali is the best!

With a choice of two curries, it came with rice, naan, pickle, raita, pappadom and a gulab jaman – perfect on a wet rainy day.

But the real stand out for me was the service. Nothing was too much trouble. There were no free tables, but I still felt welcomed and like a special guest as I waited.

As tables became free, the best one was worked out for us. The best thali combo was offered with the flexibility to add in a (more expensive) cheese and garlic naan, and then finally…

…a whole selection of take home containers were provided to pack the remaining delicious flavours for later.

Such hospitality is hard to resist.

But I’m not the only one, so next time I’m going to book.

Provini, Canberra City – a first look

Provini is new to the COCU Group that includes other Canberra Restaurants like Little Brooklyn, The Public Bar, Shorty’s and Edgars.

Filling the vacancy left by La Scala in Garema Place, it similarly specialises in Italian Food.

For a larger group, there is a private room available…

…and on offer is a $50 per person menu of antipasti with garlic and rosemary flatbread…

…. Rabbit ragu with Pappardelle

…and lovely beef steak with radicchio salad.

The house red is good value at $45 for 1 Litre (or $8 per glass).

La Cantina, Narrabundah – excellent food!

Narrabundah is overflowing with good restaurants – XO, D’Browes and…La Cantina.

On a Friday night La Cantina’s busy with couples and groups.

The pastas are popular – the review favourites are the Duck Ravioli and Gnocchi.

It’s easy to see why La Cantina attracts so many fans. The setting is stylish but cozy, lighting is relaxed and warm and the hosts are welcoming.

But I think the real standout is the food – it really is very good.

The Nanatta fritti $14 Crispy, baby white bait with lemon & aioli don’t look amazing, but they are.

The Beetroot Carpaccio $16 with gorgonzola, green beans candied walnuts & red wine vinaigrette is good too.

The Whole Spatchcock flattened, partially de-boned & roasted, served with roast potatoes & spicy lemon vinaigrette $35 has excellent flavours….

…and is probably only just ahead of the Grain-fed Hunter Valley eye fillet, Paris mash, baby carrots & porcini jus $36.

The desserts are wonderful…

Panna Cotta $5 Vanilla & orange infused panna cotta, red wine poached pear & crispy house made honeycomb

And a delcious flourless chocolate torte with vanilla bean gelato and orange and hazelnut soil $15

But the Cheesecake al Limone $15 Classic lemon cheesecake, with raspberry coulis & raspberry sorbet also looked like a good choice.

And there was also a Rosemary & Sea Salt Focaccia with aged balsamic & extra virgin olive oil $12 at another table that looked like a great way a meal to start too – a large and delicious serve, enough for two.

The only tricky part of dining at La Cantina would be deciding what to have, as the food is all so lovely.

BYO wine is $5 per person – which is helpful for budgeting.

Daana, Curtin – newly opened this week!

Daana, has a new home!

This week Sanjay and Sunita celebrated their re-opening in their new Curtin home, previously occupied by Silver Fox and Delissio.

There’s a wonderful new menu full of regional specialties.

New dishes like Street Chaat – Dahi Vada $12 (a dish served cold)…

…and a lovely traditional Kerala dessert Kei Paysam of rice cooked with ghee and jaggary, garnished with dried fruit and cashews $10.

But there’s still old favourites like Idli with Sambar and coconut and tomato chutneys $12..

…and those great prices that we love!

There are just so many new dishes to try – Bombay specials, Southern Delights, Daana Specials, Thalis, weekend specials and more, that it will take many trips to work through them all. I think I’ll just need to gather a group and order a bunch to share.

Next on my wishlist is the Kati Rolls, Samosa Chaat, Dosa and Kulfi Fulooda.

BYO wine is $6 a bottle and you can be relaxed and cozy inside or make the most of the sunshine outside.

Do watch out for the Karma nights too – a great time of community and generosity!

Parking is easy, close and free!

Address

83, Theodore Street, Curtin
Canberra, ACT 2605

Hours

Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 10pm
Sunday – 10am – 3pm
Monday closed.10% surcharge on Public Holidays.

Closed on Christmas Day.

Telephone

Sanjay – +61 429 945 500
Sunita – +61 435 849 970

Email

chef@daana.com.

Fine Eating

Hints Hacks and Highlights

Eat

Chin Chin Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD

Movida Bar de Tapas, Hosier Lane, Melbourne CBD

Supernormal, Flinders Lane Melbourne CBD

Cumulus Inc. Finders Lane, Melbourne CBD

Exploring Melbourne CBD’s Top 100 Restaurants

Pistachios, Torrens – perfectly portioned!

Yogi’s Kitchen – warm hospitality and a great thali in Barton

Provini, Canberra City – a first look

La Cantina, Narrabundah – excellent food!

Daana, Curtin – newly opened this week!

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