Bookplate National Library, Canberra

Encouraged by Her Canberra to try the newly managed Bookplate at the National Library, it is clearly still a great spot for lunch or coffee.

The wonderful view of the lake form the terrace, the stained glass windows and a changing and interesting menu make it a winner.

Dishes are beautifully presented and well sized for sharing.
It works well to combine a tasty ‘large plate’ option with a side salad for extra greens for two people.

The Graziers Platter $21.50 is delicious and includes spressa salami, prosciutto, marinated olives, tuna and prawn pate (very yummy), giardiniera, buffalo mozzarella and tomato salad served with crusty bread.

It partners well with a Rocket and Parmesan Salad side with Balsamic Dressing $6

Another good combination that went past is the Spiced pumpkin, chickpea, mesculin leaves and labneh salad with house made dukkah $19.50 and a side of crusty bread and butter $6.

The bookplate also has a wonderful range of gorgeous cakes and desserts.

Taste of Bangladesh – another menu for five to six people

Taste of Bangladesh and India is one of Canberra’s best casual dining spots and great place to head with a few friends for a weeknight catch-up.

Start with the pappadoms ($2 for 4, but often complimentary) and a glass of BYO wine (free corkage).

Three dishes is just about the right amount to order for 5-6 people with modest appetites.

Palak paneer $14, Eggplant Marsala $14, Goat Curry $16, two serves rice, three serves naan cut in half.

The Goat curry $16 has an excellent flavour and the meat very tender. However, being on the bone, it can be a little harder to share in a group (but still doable).

The Palak paneer $14 is very good too

…as is the Eggplant Marsala $14 ( but it is similar to the excellent Fish Bengali dish, so be careful not to double up on flavours)…

2 serves rice is enough for 5-6 people

Naans are delicious and huge (half each is plenty for one person)…

If you still have room for something sweet, the mango lassi $3.50 is delicious.

And a mix of Gulab Jaman ($4.50 for two whole pieces, but also 3 for $6, halve them to share) and mango kulfi $4.50 for about 6-7 pieces, makes a great group dessert.

The coffee is not as good, being instant, but try the marsala chai instead.

While you can’t leave disappointed because every dish is a winner, the Dum Murgh ( chicken) and Fish Bengali are two dishes that are very hard to top.

Farmhouse Resturant, Pialligo, Canberra

The newly opened Farmhouse Restaurant on Pialligo Estate is really something special.

It is uniquely offers the rare combination of fine dining and open yet cozy, luxurious spaces, very close to the centre of Canberra. It highlights exactly what Canberra does so well – the best of relaxed rural living paired with city sophistication.

You can’t help but relax in the engaging rural setting and let yourself be spoilt by the hospitality and generosity of the Pialligo Estate team whose passion for beautiful fine food and wines and and elegant service is evident everywhere.

The Farmhouse Restaurant is the latest addition to what has been a working farm for nearly 200 years. It adds to the existing orchard, vegetable and herb garden, vineyard …..

2009 Pialligo Estate Riesling

Olive grove….

Extra virgin cold press olive oil

and smokehouse……

Smoked salmon, Smokehouse short cut bacon…

….smoked salt

….. and uses many of the products for its regional and seasonal menu.

Open for lunch Thursday to Sunday 12-4pm ( last orders 2:30pm) there is a choice of two courses $65 per person, 3 courses $80 per person or the 6 course chef tasting plate $110 per person.

And dinner Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm ( last orders 9pm) there is a choice of 2 courses $85 per person, or the 6 course chef tasting plate $110 per person.

The 6 course chef tasting menu may include dishes such as:

Starter/snack

Sabayon of salmon – Atlantic salmon, smoked salmon ( produced at Pialligo Estate), orchard apples, Chive oil and seaweed powder

Sea-weed cured bonito, green tomato, crispy chicken, radish and Dashi of it’s own bones

….or an alternate course for vegetarians ( and mums to be) Jerusalem artichoke, black figs, hazelnut, rosemary and tomato delta

Delicious sourdough bread and house made miso butter (don’t miss this, they are wonderful!)

New season Cipollini Onions, Pialligo Farm Chorizo, Nashi Paear and Young Mustard

Madura Valley Egg, Veal Sweetbread, Celeriac, Brioche and Pine Mushroom ( a favourite course)

Muscovy Duck, Musquee de Provence Pumpkin, Red Onion, Chestnut and Licorice

Valrhona Jivara Chocolate, Buck wheat, Caramelised Banana and Malted Milk

Coffee and Mignardises (strawberry marshmallow, dark chocolate with truffle, salted caramel ( fantastic)

There is also the option of wine pairings such as…

Ravensworth 7 month White Blend 2014 ( a Bryan Martin creation and excellent)
Pialligo Estate Reisling 2009 ( very good too)
Henriques and Henriques 10 year old sercial Madeira
Rippon Gamay Noir 2013
Domaine des Bernardins Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2012

…the Farmhouse Restaurant also offers canapés for other occasions such as….
Potato baskets with truffle

Quail croquettes with bacon, garlic and Chive mayonnaise ( delicious, like tiny kievs)

Soon there will also be other dining options that will be well worth considering…
…a Farmhouse Marquee in front of the vineyard, for up to 200 people that would be perfect for a wedding celebration….

….and the near completion Farmhouse Pavillions that will hold 20-25 seated guests, or 30 for cocktails, and offer a more casual experience. The team at Pialligo are flexible about how these might be used, offering a range of service and menu options to fit the occasion and the price range.

The Farmhouse Restaurant is the perfect place to show visitors how special Canberra is, showcasing Canberra’s great views, local produce, relaxed living, city culinary sophistication and elegant hospitality.

(Don’t miss the amazing bathroom decor either!)

If you don’t have time for a meal with visitors, the local produce is ideal as a very Canberra gift.

Canberra’s Vaisakhi Mela, Commonwealth Park – another Indian community festival with great food

One of the great things about living in Canberra are all the different community festivals offering tastes from around the world that are celebrated on our doorstep.

Last Sunday the local Punjabi community came together for their first Vaisakhi Mela at Stage 88 in Commonwealth Park for music, dancing and great food ….

…..like Samosas $5…

..Rasmalai $5….

…Jalebi $5…

And lovely hot Marsala Chai $2

A number of food outlets catered for the event including the Café Tandoor from Scullin that offered some delicious dishes like Choley and Bhaturey $5….

and Butter Paneer (with Rice $8)..

Definitely worth trying out more of Café Tandoor’s dishes in at their home in Scullin. They are also starting catering services and offering some great options at very reasonable prices.

Yarralumla Halal Pide House, Yarralumla – a great large group idea for an Anzac Day lunch

Ordering Turkish Banquets is an excellent idea for catering for a large group at home.

Adding a few extra touches and re-plating can give the meal a whole new look.

A Turkish lunch is particularly wonderful on Anzac Day to remember the special relationship between Turkey and Australia in the Great War. It’s a great way to get family or friends together after the formalities and share what is such an important time for so many.

Add a few special ANZAC traditions like vegemite on Turkish bread, a Gunfire breakfast (coffee with a shot of Bundaberg rum or condensed milk (whatever was available at the time)),Two Up, and of course ANZAC biscuits!

(Cinnamon Scrolls has a recipe for Anzac Biscuit Sandwiches with Coconut Butter Cream which sound very luxurious if you’re looking for something extraordinary to make dessert particularly special!)

There are several spots in Canberra to order from including the Yarralumla Turkish Halal Pide House who deliver free of charge within 15km – outside of that area a $25 surcharge applies.

Probably a good idea to give a minimum of 1 day’s notice if you will be ordering quite a number of banquets.

Yarralumla offers particularly nicely presented salads as well as the usual options included in most Turkish banquets.

Only order what you need. One banquet per three people may well be enough if you are adding your own dessert, extra vegetable crudités for the dips and perhaps adding a few extra garnishing ingredients to the salad.

Often the basic banquet is the best and most versatile.

For example, the Yarralumla Halal Pidehouse Banquet includes:

A selection of dips, pide bread , kabak, falafel, salad, rice, lamb skewers, chicken skewers and mixed pide – $40.00 for 2 banquets then $20.00 per extra banquet.

Cold starters:

Dips Humus • Beetroot • Carrot • Eggplant • Cucumber

with some extra Vine leaves stuffed with rice, onion, tomato and olive oil $1 each added for variety

…re-plated with torn turkish bread

Warm entrees:

Kabak Mucveri Fried zucchini puffs with yoghurt sauce

Falafel Deep fried chickpea patties with tahini sauce 6 per serve

with some extra Börek – Fetta cheese and spinach pastry rolls ordered and added

…re-plated with the garlic dip and tahini dip

Chicken and Lamb Skewers

…cut in half with kitchen scissors and re-plated..

Mixed Pide

…cut up with kitchen scissors and re-plated..

Salad

Salad re-plated with extra olives and nuts to garnish

Rice

…re-plated…

Sliced meat..as it arrives and re-plated

extra Turkish bread and some roast vegetables

CBD Dumpling House, Canberra City – DYI Banquet

CBD Dumpling House at the bottom of the Canberra Centre, is very popular and busy, even weeknights.

It offers many of the favourite dishes from the well known, well loved sister Dickson Dumpling House, that are well sized and well priced. There’s a range of banquet options that include great choices, making ordering easy and quick. (A minimum of 5 people).

Banquet B $25 per person (for nine people)

Entree:

Vegetable spring rolls (one per person)

Shanghai Pork Dumpling (12 pieces for 9 people)

Pan Fried Prawn and Pork Dumpling (2 x12 for 9 people)

Mains:

Honey King Prawn

Shan Tang Lamb

Shredded Dry Chilli Beef

Mixed Vegetables with Sesame Sauce

Seasonal Vegetable with Chicken (may not always be included)

Satay Chicken

Boiled rice

Chilli condiments

Dessert:

Vanilla Icecream and topping

There’s no doubt that the dishes are delicious, but the banquet is just way too much food for most people and includes dishes you may not really want (like vanilla ice-cream with topping) but end up eating anyway.

A good alternative to one of the set banquets, that still gives you the best dishes, but leaves you feeling still comfortable at the end of the meal, is the design your own banquet. It also works out cheaper.

Suggested DYI Banquet for 6 people

Entree:

1x Shanghai pork dumpling (6 pieces) $9.80

1x Pan fried Prawn and Pumpkin Dumpling (12 Pieces) $11.80

Mains:

1x Honey King Prawns $19.80

1x Shan Tang Lamb $15.80

1x Shredded Dry Chilli Beef $14.80

Steamed Mixed Vegetables with Sesame Sauce $11.80

6 serves rice $2.00 per serve

Total: $96 ($16 per person)

Corkage is $3 per bottle.

Serve is helpful and efficient.

However, for a group, like the Dickson Dumpling House, it’s very noisy making it quite hard to chat. Try to pick a table along the wall where the soft furnishing help to muffle some noise. The table closest to the bathrooms may be the quietest.

Wheat & Oats – going from strength to strength

Wheat & Oats, in Colbee Court, Phillip is quickly developing it’s menu and specials, making it a very welcome new addition to Woden lunch spots.

It’s excellent value, especially for holder of the Canbera Entertainment Book who are offered a 25% discount.

The regular menu includes a very excellent goat curry $13

..as well as a range of sandwiches, a chilli and chicken wrap.. $10…

…a burger, Raman noodle soup, bruschetta and vegan salad and all day breakfast options.

But perhaps it’s the changing daily specials that are the most interesting and tasty…

…including a Lamb Wrap $10…

…Chicken Schnitzel Burger $8.50..

…Quiche $4.50…

..Quiche with salad $10..

…Salad alone $7.50..

Treehouse Bar, Northbourne Ave, Thursday night special

Treehouse Bar on Northbourne Ave must be Canberra’s best value spot on a Thursday night for a casual dinner in the cooler weather. Now with another ‘tree’ full of lights, it’s sparkly and welcoming inside.

It offers $5 glasses of house wine, beer, basic spirits and sparkling wine until 7pm (also available Wed-Fri) and two for the price of one, gourmet burgers with hand cut chips and aioli ($9 each on Thursdays).

All burgers are good, but perhaps the best, surprisingly is the vegetarian option (lentil burger with tomato, rocket, avocado salsa, alfalfa and peanut sauce)

Double beef burger with tomato, pineapple, cheddar, wholegrain mustard and caramelised onions

Spiced lamb burger with grilled eggplant, baby spinach and hummus

Treehouse is also great on Wednesdays for two for one gourmet hotdogs and Fridays two for one tapas (all tapas and starters except the charcuterie plate for two $18 although another starter of tapas option ( Sourdough with olives and balsamic $12, chilli salt squid with fresh herbs, tomato relish and lime aioli $14 or sizzling honey prawns with shallots and ginger $14) would be free.

Dinner at CIT Reid Hospitality training restaurant – the April-May menu

Booking a table at the CIT Reid campus restaurant for lunch on Tuesday or Friday, or dinner on Thursday, is an excellent way to share a fine dining restaurant experience with friends, at mid-range restaurant prices.

At the same time, you will be supporting a great concept, creating a real-life environment for students to practice and hone their hospitality skills.

The seasonal menu, offering two courses for $20 or three courses for $25, changes every few months and is linked to on the CIT website. Each course offers three choices including a vegetarian option and plenty of gluten free options.

Entrees
Salmon carpaccio (GF) – Sliced Salmon with ginger, coriander, chilli, mint and apple vinegar dressing (GF) ( a favourite)

Seven spice smoked marinated duck – Seven spice smoked marinated duck breast with green apple salad in a plum sauce (GF)

Eggplant & smoked goat cheese – Baked eggplants with soy miso dressing served with smoked goat cheese (V,GF)

Mains
Coq au vin – Braised chicken with dry-cured, smoked back bacon, mushroom, eschallots in red wine and brandy sauce served with mash potato (GF)

Steamed Barramundi – Barramundi with ginger and soy broth with seasonal vegetables and soba noodles (GF) (a favourite)

Mushroom and Capsicum Couscous (V) – Mushrooms, capsicum and chickpea stew with couscous and tomato basil

Desserts
Self-saucing Chocolate pudding – Baked chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and pistachio nuts

Gula Melaka – Sago pudding with fresh berries and coconut palm sugar (GF) (recommended by other diners)

Cream Brulee- Lime and ginger cream brulee served with fresh berries (GF) ( a favourite)

Bookings of more than ten people are requested to pre-order to ensure everyone’s choice is available.

Three courses can be too much to be comfortable, but if you’d still like to try all the courses, why not share and entree and a dessert with a friend and both get main courses (i.e. two courses each at $20, but an experience of all three courses).

Drinks (including wine by the glass at $5) are available from the fully licensed bar.

The soft furnishings and patiently paced service are ideal for a leisurely, rich conversation, accompanied by beautifully presented and prepared food.

180 Degrees East, Canberra City, really an amazing special offer!

180 Degrees East is a small restaurant tucked inside the Casino Canberra on Binara Street near Glebe Park.

While it definitely has a ‘club’ feel, this is also balanced by some classic charm reflected in the decor, furnishings and tableware.

Service is warm and attentive and the atmosphere is quiet and great for conversation.

But the real strength of 180 East has to be the recent special offer, which is amazing and possibly still available.

Global Village Deals (previously The Privileges Card) has been offering, for $29.50, 2 glasses of Angove red or white wine….

…two entrees of your choice from the menu (which might be one dozen oysters, natural or Kilpatrick)….

… and two mains of your choice…the Grilled Eye Fillet Steak (200g) with steamed vegetables, mashed potato and sauce of your choice (mushroom is wonderful!) is very delicious, and highly recommended.

Other entree choices include Prawns and Vegetables Tempura – served with Japanese soy or plum sauce…(nice vegetable tempura)…

…but also Soft Shell Crabs – with chilli fish sauce or Asian Style Duck Salad – with Asian salad dressing.

…and other mains like 1/2 roast duck with asian greens and duck sauce…

…or Salmon Fillet – served with stir fried vegetables and steamed rice, BBQ Pork – with Asian greens and homemade plum sauce, Curry of the Day, Grilled lamb Cutlets – served steamed vegetables, mashed potato and mint gravy or and Malaysian Style Mango Chicken – with Wok-tossed vegetables and chicken mango sauce.

If the offer is still available, it’ well worth trying.

Up to 3 vouchers allowed per table (i.e. for 6 people). When you buy the voucher you pay $7 and then pay the balance ($22.50) at the end of your meal.

A good spot for parking is behind the Glebe apartments.