Da’ Nunzio is a Gungahlin cafe with a lovely outlook over the lake and nice outdoor seating.
In nice weather, this is a great spot in the north for breakfast or brunch or coffee.
In addition to a full a la carte menu, it has specials, gelati and some baked goods to go with coffee.
Staff are friendly and warm.
Calamari salad $19 Gnocci with porkbelly and veal ragu $26
What Phnom Penh may lack in appearance, it quickly surpasses in friendliness and delicious dishes.
Cambodian cuisine differs to Thai and Vietnamese in it’s unique and liberal use of pepper, with great effect.
Phnom Penh is well worth a visit, just to experience the difference.
Dishes are well sized and ideal for sharing (around one dish per person is about right) and rice ($2.50 per serve) and corkage $5 corkage is inexpensive.
My favourites were:
Fish Amok – fish cooked with coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, crushed peanuts and chilli (Cambodia’s national dish) $19
Crispy soft shell crab with chilli – soft shell crab tempura with garlic,black pepper, spring onion, fresh chilli served with lemon and pepper sauce $25
Ginger fish on vegetable crown – pan fried fish fillet with ginger and shallot sauce on a crown of tomatoes and cucumber $28
Crispy calamari – tempura calamari with lime juice and pepper (main size $17.50) (this photo is only part of the dish)
Others particuarly liked the:
Hot pot pepper and caramelised fish – fresh fish in caramelised sauce with pepper $20
Cambodian BBQ special lamb sizzling – marinated lamb with lemon grass on a hot sizzling onion bed $20
Least liked was the:
Special lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and chilli stir fry with pork $18
Easy to find as it overlooks the roundabout on Luxton Street from it’s upstairs location next to Taj Agra Belconnen.
Parking is easy below where there’s also conveniently a bottle shop, if you need it.
The Xchange, while busy and catering well for city workers, still has a good feel to it and plenty of style. The menu is interesting and varied and meals are nicely presented, especially the Chicken Ceasar Salad with a crumbed boiled egg and a crisp pita and cured meat for crunch and a salty flavour. The pulled lamb baguette is also good.
Chicken Ceasar Salad $22.50 Pulled Lamb Baguette $24
If you have the Canberra Entertainment Book, there’s a two meals for one offer in it for the Xchange.
This cosy, relaxed long time Italian restaurant offers good service, nice atmosphere and BYO wine ($4.50 per person).
La Scala also offers a range of specials and discounts (such as 25% off for Entertainment Cards) making it good value.
The eye fillet with porcini and field mushrooms is a little too creamy but the eye fillet with a balsamic and port sauce is lovely.
Filetto di Manzo ai Ferri 250 gms Victorian highlands eye fillet. $34
Served with choice of:
Balsamic, mushroom, bacon and port
Peppercorn
Porcini, field mushrooms, sage and cream
Spaghetti Con Polpette Al Rosso Beef and veal meatballs in a traditional Napolitana sauce $22
Pappardelle al Gin Sautéed Qld tiger prawns, flamed with Gin in a cream and Fontina cheese reduction with a sprinkle of gremolata $29
Risotto con Pollo e Funghi Porcini alla Crema a Chicken and porcini mushrooms risotto
with white wine, garlic, chilli, English baby spinach with a splash $23
Salmone Infornato Crispy skin Atlantic Salmon served on grilled asparagus and truss tomato $27
finished with a saffron, anchovy, caper and cream sauce $30.
Scaloppine La Scala Veal scallops, bacon, garlic, chilli and cream. $33
Kipfler potato and string beans. A virtual sin in every mouthful. (A chilli dish)
Good reasons for dining at the recently opened Pheast in Manuka include large serving sizes and excellent value for money on Mondays and Tuesdays when meals are two for the price of one and include a choice of two sides (chips, creamy mash, salad, vegetables).
In warm weather there is pleasant, relaxed outdoor seating and the restaurants is open for breakfast. lunch and dinner, 7 days.
Pan fried crispy skin salmon with chardonnay garlic cream sauce $26, Chicken kiev with sundried tomato pesto $24,
Chicken breast schnitzel 280gm $21 Single slow braised lamb shank $24
Whole sole grilled (special) $20 T- bone (special) $20
However, if dining as a group it is worth considering sharing dishes. This helps accommodate the large serve sizes and still stay comfortable and also assists the kitchen who may find it difficult to keep track of a large number of orders.
For a group of six the smoked salmon linguini, prawn & chorizo linguine. pheast deluxe pizza and smoked salmon & avocado pizza with sides of vegetables and salad (two sides are included with each meal) would work well.
On a Monday or Tuesday night this shared menu would total $46 ($8 per person).
No BYO, but glasses of wine start at $7 each.
Cream is located in a prime spot in the city centre and is an excellent choice for lunch in the city.
The salads are attractive, interesting and flavoursome but relatively small serves.
Yuk sung cream’s twist on san choy bau – wok fried chicken w/ hoy sin, sage & pine nuts served on cos lettuce w/ crispy rice noodles $19
The chicken burger was well sized but the brioche bun lacks flavour $19. The vegetable burger and steak sandwich are probably better options.
Close to UNSW and easy to find, opposite Alison Park, this very popular cafe-restaurant offers exceptional value, with a wide range of attractive, delicious breakfasts or brunches under $10.
Breakfast tortilla $9 (Homemade baked beans, avocado salsa, eggs on sourdough)
Melted cheese breakfast $9 (on grilled sourdough with grilled bacon, avocado. mozzarella, and two poached eggs
With good service, Isabella’s is also helpfully open every day for breakfast lunch and dinner. Hard to beat.
Bella Vista, on Emu Bank Road, overlooking the lake is open for lunch weekdays and dinner Monday to Saturday.
Service is attentive and efficient, BYO is offered at $4.50 per person.
For a group dining together, it’s worth considering one of the lunch banquets ($17.50 /$24.50) that may also be available at dinner, by prior arrangement (minimum 10 people).
Lunch Banquet Menu B $ 24.50
Entree
Calamari Fritti
Crumbed calamari rings fried and served with fresh lemon wedges, Tartar sauce and chips.
Frittata Toscana
Vegetarian omelette bites grilled with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. (This is very delicious).
Pizzettine – Thin pizza fingers with bacon and cheese on tomato base with herbs. (Needed a little more flavour).
Mains
Farfalle Medici – Toasted button mushrooms, bacon, onion and garlic in a creamy sparkling white wine sauce.
Tortellini panna – Sautéed beef pockets with bacon and fresh ground black pepper in a creamy parmesan flavoured
sauce.
Pasta Primavera -Seasonal vegetables simmered with olives, capers and sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy “Pomarola”
sauce.
Fusilli Arrabiata – Mildly spicy tomato, garlic and basil sauce studded with pitted “Kalamatta” olives. (A favourite)
Penne Casa – Pan-fried ham pieces with garlic and chilli then tossed through a tomato and cream sauce.
Serve sizes of the pastas are very generous, and it’s possible to take any extra left, with you.
Desserts are beautifully presented and very generously sized, ideal for sharing between two. (These are not included in the $24.50 banquet)
Jamie’s Italian is one of those places that needs to be tried, just to see what all the excitement is about.
But having said that, it’s hard not to feel the effects of the ‘scripted service ‘ and end up ordering (and eating) too much. So go armed with some strategies. Unless you have a big appetite, three full courses may well be too much.
Sampling across the whole menu may be better in a few visits, or try sharing some of the courses, or under ordering. For example, the planks are great (especially the meat plank) but one serve between two ($14 per serve) with a bread tin ($1.50), may be enough if you are having three courses.
Bread tin $1.50 Meat plank for four ($4x$14)
The planks are also much more interesting and better value than the small plates.
Fried Three Cheese Gnocchi $10 Baked Mushrooms $15.50
If you are planning to have a few courses then an entree sized pasta dish may also be enough.
Entree sized pasta dishes
Trifle $10 Epic brownie $10
Tiramisu $11
In the dessert space, everything looked beautiful, but I suspect the best tasting dessert was the trio of icecreams (serve size is small).
No BYO and though caraffs and bottles of wine are available, it’s a similar price to buying by the glass.
PJ O’Reillys is conveniently centrally located, on the corner of West Row in Civic, Canberra City centre.
Meals are well priced ($18 – $27 approx) and serve sizes generous. Wine by the glass is also well priced starting at $6.
In addition to the menu, there are blackboard specials. The Lamb Shank special was delicious and a bargain at $23 for two shanks.
Weeknights also have regular specials (e.g. Monday is Atlantic Salmon with Sav Blanc night $20 (usually $24).
The Eye Fillet at $27 (not as good value or as nice as some other meals). Atlantic Salmon $18
PJ O’Reillys also offers two meals for the price of one, in the Canberra Entertainment book (but not on the weeknight specials).
However, it has to be said, that it’s noisy (footy on TV, trivia night, drinkers after work) and you never forget that you’re in a pub.
Fine Eating 