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The Hungry Buddha Nepalese Restaurant, Curtin – uniquely offering half serves!!!

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The Hungry Buddha is possibly Canberra’s oldest Nepalese restaurant. located in a cozy warm spot down the stairs at the Curtin shops.

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Serving a range of both Nepalese and other Asian mains, the best pick is possibly the delicious Goat curry $20 – 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.

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But the very best thing about Hungry Buddha is that it offers smaller 1/2 serves of any dish you fancy.

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This is great for smaller appetites or for trying a range of different dishes when there’s only a couple of you.

It also leaves room for the amazing ice-creams!!!

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Worth also trying the Makkai tareko – corn kernels sautéed with onion, ginger, garlic and other herbs served with lemon wedge and garnish $8.50 that looks good…Or a Daal Bhat $24 a traditional Nepalese set dinner of rice & daal served with a choice of meat together with a traditional vegetable dish, homemade pickle & a papad.

Dishes include:

Momo ( 4 per serve) $9 – traditional nepalese steamed chicken dumpling served with homemade tomato sauce – quite spicy.

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Jhinge Tarkari – $22 – tiger prawns simmered in the paste of traditional Nepalese spices, lemongrass, lime leaves & coconut milk.

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Roti $4 (2 serves shown here)

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Rice $3 per serve (1 serve and 2 serves shown here)

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Golbheda Ko Archer side of tomato pickle $2.50 (very good)

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Corkage $6 per bottle

Service is welcoming and friendly. Plenty of room, but it can be noisy for conversation.

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25% discount offered to Canberra Entertainment Book Holders.

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Whisk Bakery & Patisserie, Phillip – good for a quick work day lunch

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Whisk  is a very popular southside patisserie for delicious and beautiful fruit flans ($18-22) and other baked delights.

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However, it’s also a good place to grab a quick coffee and toasted foccacia, roll or sandwich or a hot pie.

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Coffees ($3 picolo -$4 mug) are well priced…..

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……as are the pies ($4.50-$5) and the sandwiches ($6-$7), which are full of well chosen tasty fillings, large and easily shared.

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Chicken, cheese, avocado, ham, mayo and baby spinach on foccacia (very tasty and satisfying) $7.

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There is plenty of close parking just outside the door, making it a good pick in cold or rainy weather.

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Dinner for 100 at Pride of Siam

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It can be difficult to find a restaurant that has a pleasant setting, is willing to close it’s doors to take a private booking for 100 people and still offer BYO wine ($4 per bottle) and a three course meal (suitable for special dietary requirements) for $20 per person.

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Pride of Siam, co-located with the Croatian Soccer Club behind the Deakin shops is a gem.

Food is good, service is efficient and Addie is happy to accommodate special dietary requirements and other special needs.

$20 menu for a large group

Entree   

Vegetable fresh spring roll (Gluten free, vegetarian, peanut free, dairy free, non-spicy) (omit peanut sauce for peanut free).

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Main course   

Green curry with chicken chicken   (Gluten free, vegetarian (if required), peanut free, dairy free)

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Stir fried bean curd with chilli basil (Gluten free, vegetarian, peanut free, dairy free)

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Pad cee iew chicken (Gluten free, non-spicy, peanut free, dairy free)

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Rice (Gluten free, vegetarian, peanut free, dairy free, non-spicy)

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Thai Dessert  

Black bean with coconut milk (Gluten free, vegetarian, peanut free, dairy free, non-spicy)

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The main dishes are especially tasty.

Parking is easy.

Contact Addie though the restaurant for more details about a large booking.

The only issue can be the noise as the is no carpet making it a bit difficult for conversation.

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Saigon Restaurant, Pearce

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The Saigon Restaurant at the Pearce shops has long been a favourite with southside Canberra families. Along with Rama’s and Ethiopia Down Under, it’s one of the restaurants that spill out tables and diners onto an open paved area that’s lovely for casual dining in the warm evening weather.

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Saigon is excellent value with corkage only 50 cents per person, four spring rolls for $4 that are delicious for entrée, rice for $2 per serve, desserts for $5 and a large range of dishes for $14.50 (vegetarian dishes start at $13).

The lemongrass and chilli options are very good as are the caramelised dishes. Chicken, pork and beef are all good options.

The ginger dishes and the curries with coconut cream and potatoes are worth considering too.

Up to six people can share one dish and about 2 dishes per three people with one rice per person is a good amount to order (along with a spring roll each).

If including one dessert per couple, the total bill including corkage is around $15 per person. (The mung bean cake with icecream /coconut cream looks inviting.)

Décor is basic but the atmosphere is pleasant (especially when filled with fellow happy diners) and service is friendly and efficient.

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Vietnamese spring rolls (4 for $4) full of taste.

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Chicken with lemongrass and chilli $14.50

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Caramelised pork and prawns $18

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Beef stirfry with fresh Vietnamese Mint and Peanuts $14.50 (not as good as the other two choices).

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San Churro Chocolateria, Woden – great for coffee

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San Churro Chocolateria in Woden is a great spot to go for coffee. It’s a fun décor and a special experience to be surrounded by so many delicious, beautiful chocolate options.

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The coffee is good and includes some special options like Spanish latte and iced Spanish latte ( a little like the coffee you find in countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos).

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But one of the best things about San Churros is that you can choose as little or as much chocolate or dessert as you desire, to have with your coffee. The options range from the tiny chocolate taste that comes with your coffee to delicate individual chocolates for $2 each, up to large pieces of San Churro chocolate Cake $8.95.

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And for something a little less chocolate, there’s a range of churros and also some very nice looking icecream.

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Breakfast churro $4.95                 Churro for one $8.95

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Vietnam House, Westfield, Woden

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Vietnam House on the restaurant strip of the Westfield Mall in Woden is very popular for lunch on weekdays.

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Most diners are ordering noodle soups which are a great choice for a cold day.

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Pho Tai – rare beef noodle soup $12.50 small ($13.50) comes with accompaniments

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Pho Ga – Chicken noodle soup $13.50 small ($14.30 large) is an alternative

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Serves are large but sharing is not really an option as there is a minimum charge of $10 per person.

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Blu Ginger, Canberra City

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Blu Ginger is a Canberran favourite for Indian cuisine.

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Staff treat you like returning friends, BYO wine corkage is low ($2.50 per person), serve sizes are generous and holders of the Canberra Entertainment Book are offered a 25% discount.

It’s centrally located near the Canberra Centre, making parking easy in cold weather. It’s also open for lunch and dinner, 7 days!

Being so popular though, it gets busy, and noisy, so it can be tricky to chat.

One dish with one bread and rice is just right for two people.

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The menu offers plenty of choice including:

Jahingiri Lamb/Beef/Chicken – A chefs special meat simmered in coconut milk, fresh and ground masala and finished in rich gravy of brown onion and fresh spinach $18.90

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Keema Naan – Bread stuffed with grilled minced lamb $4.50

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One serve Basmati rice $3

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Other popular dishes include Palak Paneer $16.90, Malai Kofta $16.90and Butter Chicken $17.90.

Also worth trying is the cheese and spinach naan $5.

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Taj Agra Indian Restaurant, Belconnen

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Taj Agra Indian Restaurant in Belconnen is a great spot for a group meal when you want easy parking and a pleasant, quiet place to chat over a good shared meal.

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Soft frunishings and thick carpet, make talking very easy.

Service is friendly and efficient and mid-week the restaurant is quiet and provides a lovely private feel.

The Taj Agra Banquet is $32.50 and includes:

Pappadoms and raita

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Entrees

Aloo Tikka – potato patties with mint sauce

Chicken Malai  Kebab (very good) boneless chiciken matrinated in cream cheese, fresh chilli and mint and cooked in a clay oven with tamarind sauce

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Mains:

Butter Chicken (really very good)

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Lamb Rogan Josh

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Vegetable Korma

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Naan and Rice

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Dessert

Gulab Jaman and Icecream

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Corkage is $5 per bottle and the restaurant offers a 25% discount for Entertainment Card holders making the Taj Agra banquet aroudn $24 per person.

It can also work well to design your own banquet and order fewer serves of your preferred dishes to share. This can be a more comfortable amount of food and more budget friendly. It also ensures you get the dishes that you like best.

The mains with an extra dish not usually included in this banquet Alu Palak – potato and spinach curry with spices

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The Scholar, Yum Cha, Dickson 

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The Scholar, in Dickson is clearly very popular for Yum Cha which it offers daily Mon-Fri 11:45-3:00pm and Sat – Sun 10:30-3:00pm.
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It’s a good idea to book a table. Nicest tables are near the window.
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Dishes include:
 Scallop dumpling $8.80
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 Steamed Prawn combo dumpling $7.30
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Sui Mai (Pork dumpling) $6.30
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Pan fried Chive dumpling $7.30
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 Combo dumpling $6.30
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Vegetable in oyster sauce $8.80

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Steamed BBQ pork bun $4.80

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Coconut Jelly $6.30

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Mango Pudding $7.30

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Sesame Ball ( with red bean) $6.30

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 While all choices are good, they aren’t as good as Akiba’s Yum Cha, and the setting is not as nice. It can also be more expensive at the Scholar, as it’s hard to keep track of what dishes cost or how many you’ve had.

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Lava Expresso Bar, a cozy spot in Phillip for coffee and light lunch

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The Lava Expresso Bar, in Colbee Court Phillip and within walking distance of Woden is a cosy spot for coffee and a light lunch.
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The coffee is good and it has a long sunny table at the front strewn with newspapers for relaxing and offers some interesting well priced, well sized toasties and fresh sandwiches (also good for sharing between two modest appetites).

Toasted options include sourdough fruit toast for $4.50, smashed avocado and Persian feta on sourdough $9….

…pulled pork burger (usually on a brioche) $11, but here on bread.

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Fresh options include Tarragon chicken with mayo, semi dried tomatoes, cheddar and watercress $9 and vegetarian $8.50 with artichoke, roast capsicum, beetroot tzatziki and cheddar.

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