Pork Barrel Cafe, Old Parliament House, Friday after work specials

At the end of the week, it’s great to enjoy drinks and some tasty nibbles after work on a Friday.

Set in the gardens in front of Old Parliament House, the Pork Barrel Cafe is a good place to try for it’s Happy Hour drinks (daily 5-6pm) and two for one pizzas on Fridays (also on Mondays and Tuesdays).

Glasses of Secret Garden Cab Sav or Sav Blanc/Sem are $4 and generous during happy hour (usually $6).

The pizzas are delicious and about $15-$16 for a small size ($23-25 for medium, $28-32 for large).

Fungi – button mushrooms and (plenty of) blue cheese

Pommodoro – pancetta, provolone and semi dried tomatoes

Straight cut fries with three condiments (lovely hot and crisp) $8.50

Take home what you don’t finish for $1 a pizza box.

Holders of the Canberra Entertainment Book are offered a 25% discount (but not on specials).

Taste of Bangladesh, Manuka – great with young children

Tucked away upstairs in the Style Arcade, Manuka, Taste of Bangladesh is quiet, well carpeted, spacious and very family friendly, making it ideal if you’re looking for somewhere to head for lunch or dinner with young children.

The food is also delicious and very reasonably priced and the hospitality of the hosts is very welcoming and gracious.

It’s hard to beat the Dum Murgh $15.50…

….and Fish Bangali $16 …

with Naan $2.50 and Rice $3

…as the top picks…but the Goat Curry $15 is also very good.

While the plain naan $2.50 is excellent, the cheese and spinach naan $3.50 is particularly special.

And it’s always good to try some new things like the Beef Marsala $15…

…and the Saag Chicken $15.50.

Good too to explore some of the side dishes like the smokey flavoured, spicy Eggplant Bhorta $5 with fresh coriander…

…and don’t miss at least a little bit of Mango Kulfi $4.50 to share, it finishes the meal off perfectly!

BYO wine with free corkage and complimentary pappdoms are also a pleasant surprise and also makes the meal excellent value.

If you have young children, do head to the more spacious, quieter area out of the way of the kitchen and wait staff.

Little Brooklyn, Kingston – a first try

Little Brooklyn is a recent arrival to Green Square in Kingston and a newcomer to the Canberra Entertainment Book for 2015-16, offering a complimentary main meal, when two are ordered.

It’s specialties are the American styled gourmet burgers, but it also has some attractive looking salads.

The 1⁄2pound american style cheeseburger with house pickles, mustard and relish is tasty and popular ($20 served with fries and aioli…

Other popular burgers include the Grilled chicken burger $20 with bacon, cheese and ranch dressing and the Reuben sandwich on rye with corned beef, cheese, chipotle and sauerkraut $19…

… but the Southern smoked pork shoulder burger with, slaw, capers and mayo ($20 with fries) is also good and worth a try.

Outside seating is attractive for warm weather, and indoors it’s cozy when it’s cold.

Happy hour drinks weekdays 4-6pm

Caphs, Manuka

While Caphs in Manuka has a long history and is well known by locals it has recently become part of the 2015-16 Canberra Entertainment Book program, offering a complimentary main meal if two are ordered, or 50% off if you’re dining alone.This provides a good opportunity to try Caphs, if you haven’t already, and to also enjoy excellent value.

Another reason to try Caphs is that it’s open 7 days, from 8am until late, and very helpfully even serves breakfast all day (even for dinner if a particular dish takes your fancy).

It also offers BYO at $3.50 per person corkage.

Both indoor and outdoor seating is avaiable.

Breakfast dishes include:
Caphs Haloumi Special – $19
Two poached eggs on a bed of rocket and mixed olives, served with smashed avocado, grilled tomato and grilled haloumi on artisan toast

Mains include:
Sirloin Steak (400gm) $33
Char grilled and served with fresh lemon and Diane sauce (Pepper sauce, Mignon and Mushroom Sauce are other options)

Veal Saltimbocca -$32 with bacon, sage and shallots in garlic and white wine sauce

There is also an interesting range of Paninis on offer ($15.50 served with fries),as well as Burgers for about $16 (all served with lettuce, tomato and fries)like the Steak Burger – $16 Eye fillet marinated in dijon mustard with caramelised onion.

It might also be good to choose one of the salads:

Caphs Smashed Avocado Salad – $15.50 on Italian toast with grilled haloumi, grilled tomato, mixed olives, rocket and lemon dressing (Add Grilled chicken $5, Poached eggs $3, Crispy free range bacon $3.50) (sounds not unlike the Caphs Haloumi Special breakfast dish?)

Greek salad – $15.50 With kalamata olives and Kytherian fetta
Calamari Salad -$25 Grilled calamari, chorizo and chick peas
Avocado Seafood $20 Fresh cold seafood with mixed iceberg, tomato, cucumber and French dressing

Warm Thai chicken salad -$23 Stir-fried chicken with fresh salad and chilli sauce

Warm Lamb Salad $24 Marinated lamb fillet served with honey mustard dressing

…And combine the salad with another dish to share such as the Peking Duck Risotto – $22 Peking duck with mushrooms and steamed bok choy.

Wine by the glass starts at $6.50

Taste of Bangladesh – a menu for six larger appetites

Taste of Bangladesh is such good food and warm home-cooking hospitality at great prices, that it’s an ideal place to pick for a family with active, rapidly growing members or group with larger appetites.

While pappadoms won’t fill much space, they are great to nibble on with a glass of BYO wine (free corkage) while you reach a consensus on the ordering.

Choose one dish each to share between up to six people, or one dish less if also planning dessert, along with one rice and one naan per two people.

3 plain naan, cut into quarters.

One serve rice

Two serves rice

The Dum Murgh $15.50 is always a winner

So is the Fish Bengali $16 (with eggplant and tomato)

The Goat Curry $15 has lovely flavours

But then every dish is good, including the Kadai Prawns $16.50

And Kadai Vegetables $14

Also interesting to try are some of the side dishes, like the Fish Borta $5. This little extra can be shared between six and adds a little extra spicy (very, but you can ask for less heat) crunch to the meal. It’s ideal to order as an extra, if there are just two of you sharing one meal with rice and naan.

There are three desserts, all $4.50 per serve which are good to share as a tasting experience.

The Pesta Kheer (Milk pudding with Sultanas and Pistachios, served warm) is nice..

But it’s heard to beat the Gulab Jaman..

(halved for sharing)

and the Mango Kulfi

Two serves pictured here.

Great Canberra breakfasts from HerCanberra

Some delicious ideas for breakfast by Her Canberra. Worth keeping handy.

Farmer’s Daughter, Yarralumla

Farmer’s Daughter at the Yarralumla shops is looking a bit different these days. It’s less busy and the menu has changed, but it is open daily (except public holidays) (7-3pm weekdays, 8-2pm weekends) and is still a great spot for breakfast or lunch within an easy distance of the Woden business district.

The atmosphere is inviting and there is plenty of seating. The dishes are good value and well sized for sharing.

The salads are interesting and beautifully presented and if teamed with a side of one of the Artisan breads ($2.50 per slice of toast/bread), could even be a light lunch for two modest appetites.

The Grilled Lamb Salad ($14.50) is particularly delicious with rare roasted leg of lamb, rocket, zucchini ribbons, pearl barley (just the right amount), and the fresh peas,
pine nuts. mint and pomegranate really make it special.

The Vegetable Salad ($14.50) is a little sweeter but also lovely with roasted sweet potato, baby spinach, lentils, feta, toasted almonds, parsley, dried cranberries and pepitas.

Both are served with the house dressing which is pomegranate and blood orange vinaigrette.

For a more substantial dish, the Spring Chicken ($18.50) is good with a lemon and thyme chicken breast with fresh panel salad of tomato, spanish onion, cannelloni beans, crunchy bread, basil and parsley.
It would be particularly good for sharing.

Interesting breakfast options are also available all day and the include:
Smoked Trout Roesti ($18.50), Grilled Field Mushrooms with a cress and rocket salad, toasted pearl barley, feta and salsa verde ($16.50), Swey crepes served with passionfruit curd, fresh strawberries, toasted coconut ice-cream and spring flowers ($16.50).

There are also delicious sounding sandwich options like a BLT with dijonaise on handmade caramelised garlic bread $14, Salmon Bagel with cream cheese, dill and capers $12.50, Grilled vegetables with fresh rocket, tomato and olive tapenade on dark artisan rye $9.50.

Service is very quick (great for a workday lunch) but if you are really in a rush, there are ready to go options that include salads, frittata, pies and sandwiches as well as a range of macarons $3.50 and sweet delights $4.50-$7.50 in the display case.

It is also possible to BYO wine ($2.50 per person, but free corkage on Fridays).

Flavour of India, Woden, $10.90 Lunch Special

Flavours of India on the corner of the Westfield Mall is a convenient lunch location for Woden workers.

It is carpeted and quite, usually not crowded and has a pleasant setting and atmosphere.

Currently it offers some good lunch specials starting at $10.90 for two curries (chef’s choice, one veg one non-veg) and either rice or naan.

$10.90 lunch special with vegetable korma and chicken chettinad.

If two or more people are dining it can be good to get one with rice and one with naan and share the naan and rice.

BYO is $8 per bottle of wine and house wine is available at $6.50 per glass.

Treehouse Bar, Northbourne Ave, City – Friday night special, two for one tapas and starters

The Treehouse on Northbourne Ave, has plenty of great specials. There’s $9 lunch (and $3 wine) specials (Wed-Fri), Wednesday $10 gourmet hotdog and beer/cider/or maybe wine, the Thursday two for one gourmet burgers, and $5 wine/beer/house spirits 4-7pm Wed – Friday.

On Fridays there’s a two for one tapas and starters special, choose two dishes from the menu and pay only for the most expensive…

Team that with some happy hour drinks $5 each and it’s a light dinner for two.

A good combination is the charcuterie plate for two with a selection of cured meats and accompaniments $18….

…..and the sizzling honey prawns with fresh shallots and ginger $14…($18 total)

The chilli salt squid with fresh herbs, tomato relish and lime aioli $14 and the sourdough, olives. balsamic and persian feta $12 (total $14) would be another couple pairing to try.

The upstairs booth overlooking the downstairs bar, is a good spot to relax and enjoy.

Fine Eating

Hints Hacks and Highlights

Pork Barrel Cafe, Old Parliament House, Friday after work specials

Taste of Bangladesh, Manuka – great with young children

Little Brooklyn, Kingston – a first try

Caphs, Manuka

Taste of Bangladesh – a menu for six larger appetites

Great Canberra breakfasts from HerCanberra

Farmer’s Daughter, Yarralumla

Flavour of India, Woden, $10.90 Lunch Special

Treehouse Bar, Northbourne Ave, City – Friday night special, two for one tapas and starters

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