Sammy’s Kitchen

I haven’t been to Sammy’s Kitchen in such a long time, so I was excited when we organised a work lunch there. On arrival, you notice the lovely plates with Japanese words for fruit and vegetables on them – I had persimmon on mine. We went for the $26.50 per person banquet option, starting with spring rolls and prawn toast. Guys, this is one of the biggest prawn toasts I’ve ever had, and it was amazing – entirely covered in sesame seeds and with heaps of lovely prawn meat inside, I’d come back just for this. But then we had the shantung chicken, and it got even better. Oh hello crispy skin and tender meat and unctuous sauce – get in my belly! Also a dish to come back for. Repeatedly. The beef rendang again had very tender meat and wasn’t overly spicy, and the sizzling prawns in XO sauce disappeared quickly – delicious! We were all getting very full by the time the bean curd and vegetables came out, but again this was a winner, with everyone making just that bit more stomach space to fit it in. The banquet was amazing and great value for the price.

Sammy’s Kitchen, 9 Bunda Street, Civic ACT http://www.sammyskitchen.com.au/

Robyn Rowe Chocolates

As part of the Weekend Bliss package for the Summerside Festival, we had lunch at Four Winds Vineyard before heading on to Robyn Rowe chocolates for dessert. The $36 package included a hot chocolate (your choice between milk or dark) and one of six desserts, all with a chocolate theme. I picked the ‘chocolate cup’, with a chocolate cup filled with chocolate and vanilla icecream, plus a chocolate spoon and a choice of any two truffles. I was delighted by the chocolate butterfly perched on top of the icecream; both icecream flavours were luscious and creamy and perfect for a hot day. I particularly enjoyed the chocolate flavour, which had great depth and was very moreish. I chose the milk hot chocolate and dissolved my chocolate spoon inside – mmm, so much chocolately goodness! The truffles were a real highlight – I picked the Clonakilla muscat and the orange cream truffles. Both were beautifully tasty, the muscat sweet and rich, the orange light and fluffy. Although I still had order envy over the cassata my friend chose (next time). Robyn was very welcoming, talking us through everything and explaining that the store hosts local art exhibitions (how lovely!) – we left in happy food comas all.

Robyn Rowe Chocolates, 1153 Nanima Road, Murrumbateman NSW, http://www.robynrowechocolates.com.au/

Butterbing

I love Canberra’s food community – we’re a friendly bunch, and no more so than when queuing for exciting delicious things. Butterbing, the purveyor of fine cookie sandwiches stuffed full of buttercream, stopped by with a one-day-only pop up stall in front of Barrio yesterday, and while in the line I had a lovely chat to another food afficionado who had been working out to earn her cookie sandwiches. I had no such excuse, but proceeded to order 4 flavours – almond crunch, orange, peanut butter and the flavour developed especially for Canberra, golden gaytime. I then invited my best friend over for a tasting. First thing to note – the cookies themselves are like eating the best brownie you’ve ever had, slightly crispy on top and soft and rich within. I started with the almond crunch – the buttercream had a lovely salty kick to counteract the sweetness and there were plenty of almonds within – this was my friend’s favourite. Next up was the orange, with a true citrus flavour – sweet, but not sickly sweet. The peanut butter was delightful – chocolate and salty peanut butter belong together, especially when they are both of this quality. Finally the golden gaytime, which had to be my favourite, tasted exactly like the icecream, just without the biscuit crunch. Heaven. Butterbing, please #cometocanberra to stay!

Butterbing, sadly not yet stocked in Canberra, https://www.butterbing.com.au

Four Winds

Canberrans, clear your weekends! My friends and I took advantage of the Weekend Bliss package as part of the Summerside Festival. For $36, you receive a glass of wine and a woodfired pizza from Four Winds Vineyard, and a hot chocolate and dessert plate from Robyn Rowe Chocolates – what more could you want? Four Winds has a lovely restaurant space; spilling out onto the lawns in front of the vines are tables on the porch and more tables covered by shadecloth. I chose the 2015 Riesling, which was a great match for the pizza – light, not overly acidic and fresh, it was perfect for a warm summer’s day. There were four pizza choices, but I couldn’t go past the February special of fresh tomato with fennel and garlic sugo, topped with slices of mozzarella (usually $15). The wood oven sits outside so you can watch your lunch cook – our food took a little while to arrive, but was fresh out of the oven when it did. The pizza I loved the charred effect and the fresh burst of flavour from the tomatoes. I would have liked a touch more salt, and the base wasn’t crispy the whole way through, but the subtle fennel and garlic sugo was divine and the mozzarella was a great cheese match for the flavours. A nice part one to our bliss package! Part two to follow on Monday.

Four Winds, 9 Pateman Lane, Murrumbateman NSW, http://fourwindsvineyard.com.au/

Weekend Bliss packages are available every weekend in February, available at the cellar door or online at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-weekend-bliss-package-tickets-21103984586

Ruby Red Flamingo

Ruby Red Flamingo (RRF) is a lovely hideaway in North Adelaide and was packed out when we went on a Friday night. The staff here are really friendly and welcoming! I started with a mocktail, the Cicciolina, with pineapple, orange, lemon and soda, packed with fresh orange, lemon and lime wedges for extra freshness. Dish one was the beetroot cured salmon carpaccio; elegant and fresh, although I would have liked a stronger salmon flavour. The fresh fennel on top went well. Things only got better with dish two – the BEST ARANCINI I’VE EVER HAD. Seriously. The perfect balance between crisp, moist, tasty, cheesy and with a really moreish flavour combination. Please go and eat many, many of these for me. Next up was the utterly heavenly eggplant pasta – thick, flat tubular pasta doused in a rich tomato-based sauce with perfectly-cooked pillows of eggplant throughout, and plenty of parmesan for bite. The only thing that could have made this better was some kalamata olives, for a salty boost. Last up was the whole chicken, splayed and served with amazing roast veggies. The chicken was tender and succulent, whilst the veggies (especially the potatoes) were super tasty. I know I over-ate, but when the food’s this good, I dare you to try and stop!

Ruby Red Flamingo, 142 Tynte Street, North Adelaide SA, rubyredflamingo.com

Il Portico

I always like visiting people’s favourite places – it usually means they’ve scoped out the menu, which is exactly what my friend had done at Il Portico. He recommended the Boscaolia pasta (available at lunch and dinner, $20), with porcini mushrooms, Italian bacon and a creamy truffle oil sauce. I picked the Proscuitto pizza ($21), with rocket, proscuitto, parmesan and olive oil. Always trust the local. Both dishes arrived together a short interval after we’d ordered. The pasta dish was utterly divine and definitely my favourite. Silky smooth pasta (although not house-made), utterly perfect, salty Italian bacon and seriously the creamiest, loveliest pasta sauce I’ve had in a long time. The truffle oil would have had something to do with that, but I also loved the way that the mushrooms were cooked without shrivelling up or drying out – yum. The pizza was delicious too, with plenty of paper-thin slices of proscuitto, generous amounts of rocket and parmesan, and a not-too-cheesy-or-tomatoey base. The base itself was fairly thin, and had a nice amount of crisp to it. The service was attentive and friendly – this is a lovely spot just back from the Foreshore for a quiet, quality meal.

Il Portico, 71 Giles Street, Kingston ACT,

Mint Rd

I’ve been meaning to visit Mint Rd at the Narrabundah shops for quite a long time, and finally took the opportunity one warm Saturday morning. This is clearly a place that has its regulars – staff were happily chatting away to customers on a first name-basis, and the small space has a welcoming, community feel. The breakfast menu is comfortingly simple – no chefy pretensions here, just straightforward, good food. I chose the bacon and egg roll ($6.50) and a Noah’s apple and peach juice ($4) – sadly no fresh juice option. My roll didn’t take long to come out, and I was impressed with the size. Served on a round Turkish bread roll cut in half, the fried egg was perched atop a good sized portion of bacon, with just the right amount of my choice of BBQ sauce slathered on the bread. On first bite, I was delighted to discover that pepper had been sprinkled on the cooked-through egg, elevating it from ‘good’ to ‘awesome’. This may not be the place for crispy bacon lovers, but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this breakfast – I’ll be back to try the lunch menu soon.

Mint Rd, 59 Boolimba Crescent, Narrabundah ACT, http://www.mintrd.com.au/