The Potting Shed

I promised part two, here it is! Before the delicious pistachio cake, Dad and I had lunch at The Potting Shed – part of The Grounds of Alexandria.  The greenery here is spectacular, and there were delightful decor elements everywhere – little ceramic gumboots on the counter, trowels attached to the menu, beautiful glazed plates and even a live macaw! On to the food. We ordered the buttermilk popcorn chicken, pork belly sliders and pork & fennel mini hot dogs. And that was the order we ranked them in, from best to last. The chicken was without a doubt the most delicious deep-fried thing I’ve ever eaten, tasty mouthfuls dunked in mustard-spiked mayonnaise = bliss. I would have devoured this three times over if I could have! Next were the sliders, which came out in black buns (squid ink?) – the pork belly was tasty and the coleslaw worked well, but they were very small. Finally the hot dogs, which sadly had far too much bread relative to filling so were a bit disappointing. We were lucky to be here on a weekday to get a table – go and eat some chicken for me if you can!

The Potting Shed, 4143 Bourke Road, Alexandria       http://groundsroasters.com/

Capitol Bar and Grill

I was looking forward to this dinner for quite some time before it happened. The QT hotel in New Acton has only recently opened under that brand, and with it came the Capitol Bar and Grill, promising excellence in steak. Challenge accepted. I went with three friends who are equally appreciative of a slab of beef, so we each ordered something different and decided to share a range of sides. I chose the 200g Eye/Ox Fillet from Tasmania, which I ordered medium-rare, along with a serve of the garlic and rosemary potatoes. We munched on a range of tasty breads while we waited for our slice of beef perfection. When the mains arrived they were worth the wait – my beef was so tender and flavoursome, and was perfectly enhanced by the horseradish cream picked out from the range of condiments on offer. The highlight of the side dishes was the mac and cheese, quite possibly the best I’ve ever eaten out. Despite being stuffed full, we pushed through for an apple tarte tartin to share for dessert – again very much worth the pre-warned 20 minute wait. Not an inexpensive meal, but we weren’t rushed and could savour every delicious mouthful.

Capitol Bar and Grill,  1 London Circuit Canberra, ACT   http://www.qtcanberra.com.au/food-drink/capitol-bar-grill/

Shoya

A lot of my friends are foodies. This usually works out well for me, especially when I visit cities they’ve lived in. Shoya was a fancy dinner choice booked by a colleague, and I feel like I now owe him a very good Adelaide recommendation in return. For me, the dinner at Shoya was all about the sashimi. Yes we had other things, including some excellent ageashi tofu, my first taste of abalone and some very tender, tasty beef.  But having visited my favourite sushi bar in Japan recently, finding some good quality, well-sized pieces of raw fish in Australia was such a delight. Each piece was perfectly cut and melted in your mouth – the tuna was a particular highlight and I think I ended up eating more than my fair share. In fact, when it came around to ordering dessert, I looked at my friends and meekly suggested another sashimi plate instead. Luckily they agreed, and we all left with very happy tummies.

Shoya, 25 Market Lane, Melbourne VIC                                         http://www.shoya.com.au

Gryphons

I can’t help but think of Alice in Wonderland when I come here, even though the pub’s name is the only link to Lewis Carroll.  I’ve only eaten here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner, but both times I’ve been unable to resist the same item on the menu  – the American pulled pork burger. Mmm. There are a lot of places to eat pulled pork in Canberra – it seems to have become fashionable since Smoque opened – but this one is still one of my favourites. The pork is so flavoursome and not overly greasy/oily as others can be.  The colesaw is fresh and crispy (the way I like it), and the chips are crunchy on the outside and soft inside – although they could do with some sauce.  The staff were very friendly and the pub has a warm atmosphere with a mix of comfy lounges, raised tables with stools and formal dining tables. My friends ordered two pizzas to share between two, and the large size defeated them – luckily takeaway boxes were on hand.  Maybe I’ll have to try something different next time – curiouser and curiouser!

Gryphons: 16 Barker Street, Griffith ACT                 http://gryphons.com.au/home

Hopscotch

I actually can’t keep up with the number of new places in Canberra. It’s like there’s something new opening every week, which is fabulous for the city and concerning for my waistline. Nevertheless, when a friend mentioned there was a new meat-and-scotch place in Braddon I jumped at the chance to try it. We went for dinner on a Monday night, and whilst the music was a bit too loud, the staff were friendly and it was no trouble getting a table. I ordered the bulgogi, lured by the prospect of kimchi ‘slaw (yes please), and wasn’t disappointed! The pork was melt-in-your-mouth tender and cooked in Hopscotch’s Argentine wood-fired grill, which gave it a beautiful smokiness that the pickled ginger cut right through. My friend had the jerk chicken – showing the diverse range of eating traditions the menu draws from – which looked beautiful and came with delicious corn bread.  Apparently they’re planning to roast full pigs in the firepit out the front in summer, which could make Lonsdale St feel like someone’s back yard/street party. No complaints here.

Hopscotch, 5 Lonsdale St, Braddon                    http://www.hopscotchbar.com.au/

Kong BBQ

I was a bit confused when I first saw the sign for Kong BBQ – it was half written in Japanese, but when I approached the menu looked like Korean fusion. Ok, I don’t mind a bit of cultural confusion, as long as it’s tasty! Luckily despite the language/cuisine conflict, Kong has some very tasty offerings, many of which come with my favourite form of cabbage – kimchi! As a takeaway lunch from the pop up stall in the city, I started with two different buns – the smoked brisket and the spicy pork belly.  Both are served in a soft bun and are packed full of flavour and spice (and kimchi).  Bring your tissues for runny noses and oozy sauce – not elegant, but when food tastes that good who cares? To finish, I shared a chicken roti roll with lemon and (you guessed it) kimchi – this was far and away the highlight, and I would have eaten two more of them if there was any space left in my stomach.

Kong BBQ, Rue and Co (pop up), 80 Collins Street, Melbourne            http://www.kongbbq.com.au/

Monster

Monster on any given day is a cool place to be; located in the Hotel Hotel part of the Nishi building in New Action and full of exotic flowers, Monster is the epitome of modern dining in Canberra. But Monster on a rainy day is especially cool – they have these circular panels of glass in the ceiling over the seats where you can see the water-drenched ferns and rain coming down while you stay cozy at your diamond-shaped table inside.  My friend and I were drawn in by the unusual menu – yabby jaffles, you said? – and so we ventured out in the rain to try these treats.  The jaffles didn’t have chunks of yabby in them as I’d imagined, but they did have a rich creaminess from creme anglaise and chives.  The pork neck bao was surprisingly filling and enlivened by the cucumber kimchi served on top.  But the dish of the day was without a doubt the cured kingfish, served with smoked avocado, pickles and jalapenos.  Incredible flavour and texture, with a real kick from the chilli.  A good place to hole up for a classy feed, rain or shine.

Monster, at Hotel Hotel, NewActon Nishi, 25 Edinburgh Ave, Canberra    http://www.hotel-hotel.com.au/eat-and-drink/monster/