CocoNine

On a cold and foggy night my friend and I ventured down to the foreshore to pick a Thai place for dinner – Coconine seemed welcoming and cozy, so in we went. The staff were so friendly and happily let us peruse the very long menu. We decided on two dishes to share – the Roast Duck Curry and the Siam Gem on Fire, a stir fry with beef and a tom yum sauce. Our coconut rice arrived with the mains – fluffy and with a distinct coconut flavour, this is my go-to accompaniment whenever it’s on offer. I started with the beef stir fry – there was plenty of beef on the plate and it was sliced really thinly for maximum tenderness. The sauce was packed with flavour and I definitely got the ‘tom yum’ vibe, even though the dish didn’t have mushrooms. I loved the lemongrass flavour and crunched happily on the giant snow peas (yum!). The duck curry had a lot more of a kick to it – the pairing of duck, lychee and tomato with red curry really can’t go wrong, and this version had very tender duck and extra sweetness from pineapple pieces. We left with very happy tummies.

CocoNine, 132/2 Trevillian Quay, Kingston ACT                            http://coconinekingston.com.au/

Miss Van’s

Oh, hello amazing Vietnamese food within walking distance of work! Yay! I was very excited to have a team lunch at Westside Acton on one of Canberra’s typically cold but sunny winter days. Whilst I was tempted by the pho, I used my friend’s food philosophy and ordered what I felt like, not what I thought I should have, and that was banh mi. For $8 you get a pork banh mi packed full of fresh ingredients. I thought the roll looked a bit small, but it was very full and actually turned out to be the perfect size for lunch. The incredible crispiness of the bread really stood out compared to other banh mi I’ve had – this one was just super crispy and delicious. I also really loved the fresh veggies – carrot, cucumber and pickled onion – plus the rich flavour of the pate. And the coriander. Everything was enhanced by the mix of mayonnaise and chilli sauce which lifted the flavours into something else. The pork itself was flavoured with five-spice, which helped build the layers of flavour. Even though I was full, I would have happily made stomach space for another. This place is seriously good.

Miss Van’s, 3 Barrine Drive, Acton ACT                    http://www.missvans.com.au/

Self Preservation

I met a friend from high school at Self Preservation for a quick breakfast – it was a lovely little spot to catch up. We sat inside at a low table with little stools, and I ordered the bacon and eggs and a Primavera green juice, which came out in a lovely little jar. The juice had kale, broccoli, silverbeet, cucumber, apple, lime and basil – it was smooth and light, without any one flavour dominating and was a good serving size, although it started to separate if left for too long. The food was beautifully presented and I couldn’t believe how thick the bacon was! It had a scrumptious honey mustard glaze and was very sweet – such a great combination! Unfortunately the eggs were only just runny, but the hollandaise was really rich and delicious. Whilst the meal was a bit salty overall, I particularly liked the super-juicy roasted tomatoes – the skins were blistered so you didn’t lose the juice when picking them up with a fork. The staff were very friendly – apparently I reminded the waitress of her best friend in Ireland! – and the cafe itself was a perfect setting for a long natter. (Note: sadly, this particular bacon and eggs doesn’t seem to be on the menu anymore).

Self Preservation, 70 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC                              http://www.selfpreservation.com.au/

That Gelato Place

As regular readers will know, I’m generally a sorbet kind of girl. I will always pick a fruity flavour over a chocolatey flavour. Well, almost always. On a warm afternoon I drove out to Weston specifically to try That Gelato Place, which a friend had mentioned was worth adding to my #icecreamthurs collection. When I got there, I was really impressed by the range of flavours, including two of my favourite sorbet flavours – blood orange and raspberry. But, but some twist of fate my eyes were drawn to the creamy, chocolatey end of the display cabinet. All of a sudden I heard myself ordering the Toblerone and then it was done – real gelato, all mine to devour. The chocolate flavour was quite light, but this gelato is all about the hazelnuts. There are lovely chunks throughout, contrasting with the smooth gelato. I would have liked some of the Toblerone caramel chunks, but otherwise it was super tasty. The cup portion ($4 for a single scoop) was great value and there were plenty of seats to relax and enjoy your gelato at the store. That Gelato Place also sells take-home tubs of their gelato – this could be dangerous!

That Gelato Place, Shop 10, Cooleman Court, Weston ACT                                 http://www.coolemancourt.com.au/stores/that-gelato-place/

Fujiya

Fujiya is another haunt I used to frequent as a student, which I revisited on this trip to Tokyo. On Kagurazaka-dori (my favourite part of the city), this is the only store in Japan that turns Fujiya’s mascot, Peko-chan, into cakes! Well, Japanese-style cakes. Peko-chan yaki are a play on taiyaki, the traditional Japanese sweet of a pancake-waffle like shell filled with red bean paste. Peko-chan yaki are available in a range of flavours, including mango, custard and chocolate, the latter of which I picked. There’s quite a lot of the cake shell to get through to reach the centre, but when you do, I can only liken it to the best chocolate fondant you’ve ever had – the chocolate was slowly solidifying, but was melty enough that once you bit into it you got both cooled and liquid chocolate. The quality is excellent, and makes you feel a bit less guilty for biting into that cute face! It’s quite a filling snack, so if you want to try lots of flavours I’d recommend getting them take away, but they’re definitely best when eaten fresh out of the store. A fun take on a traditional sweet.

Fujiya, 1-12 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, Tokyo Japan                                      http://pekochanyaki.jp/

Pod Food

Pod Food is one of those lovely places I keep meaning to spend more time at – I couldn’t believe that this was my first visit this year! A friend and I just scraped in for breakfast (last orders at 10:30), excited to try the truffle-enhanced menu. I started out with a pot of earl grey tea and picked the scrambled eggs with beetroot, gruyere and olive sourdough to eat. Plus truffles. The food took a bit of time to come out, but when it did, the waitress explained that the truffle had been cooked through the scrambled eggs to enhance the earthy flavour. The eggs were light and fluffy, and the rather generous flecks of truffle certainly lifted the entire meal. I loved the minced beetroot’s tartness against the rich egg, and the olive sourdough added a nice hit of salt. I am a huge fan of mushrooms at breakfast, and this one was particularly delicious. We weren’t rushed out as we chatted after finishing our meals, which is always appreciated. Oh, and if you can, ask the waiter about centaurs. I promise, it will make for great conversation to pair with the great food.

Pod Food, 12 Beltana Road, Pialligo ACT                     http://www.podfood.com.au/

Barrio

Some places just scream ‘Instagram me!’, and Barrio in Braddon’s Ori building has to be one of them. From the hexagonal tiles to the branded high stools, Barrio is a New York-style tiny cafe that I would love to while away an afternoon  in. A friend and I went for breakfast, so I started out with a dairy-free hot cocoa, which came out in a large camping-type mug and was made with nut milk produced in-house. I expected sweet but being cocoa, not hot chocolate, it was definitely not sweet. The nut milk has a dense froth, but it was warming and went well with the food. I had the rye with avocado and togorashi seasoning – it came out on bread you couldn’t cut with the butter knife provided, but oh the flavour! There was plenty of avocado and the seasoning was very generous – lots of sesame and just a hint of spice at the back of the throat. I loved the strips of nori on top too, but what really blew me away was the olive oil. Yep, not your traditional highlight, but the quality and flavour of the oil on that bread was out of this world. Give it a try.

Barrio, 59/30 Londale Street, Braddon ACT                                  http://www.barriocc.com/