PappaRich

I haven’t been to PappaRich in years, but on a chilly day I stopped by on a whim for lunch. It took a while for me to attract attention to order, but when I did, went for the Roti Canai with Tandoori Chicken ($15.90), plus a lychee soda ($4.90). The lychee soda came out first in a huge glass with a few whole lychees inside. This is quite a sweet drink, with refreshing lime and a nice fizz to it. The roti arrived shortly after, with a reasonable-sized portion of chicken, the roti itself, and two dipping sauces – one a spicy sort of chutney, the other a cooling raita. Let me say, the roti is to die for. Soft, fluffy and easy to break apart, this was a pure delight to eat and next time I might just order a tonne of roti. Yum, yum, yum. The chicken had a great tandoori flavour, without being very spicy, and whilst the piece looked big on the plate, there wasn’t a huge amount of meat on it. Both the chutney and raita were fabulous, well-matched and served in just the right quantity for my liking. But really, the roti was the highlight.

PappaRich, Canberra Centre, 148 Bunda Street, Civic ACT http://www.papparich.net.au/

Vincent

Barton has really started coming into its own with the opening of the Macquarie Place centre – I had a long lunch at Vincent with a friend, taking advantage of their share plate menu. We started with the Pork Croquettes with Gribiche ($14 for 3) – these were perfectly crumbed on the outside and utterly delightful on the inside, with really tender pork and plenty of flavour. The gribiche (like a tartare sauce) was the perfect match and we devoured these greedily. Dish two was the Pork Belly with Cauliflower, Fennel and Currant ($20). Basically this was autumn on a plate, with sweetness from the currants, tang from the pickled fennel and a rich, earthiness from the pork paired with the cauliflower. The flavours were pefectly balanced and the pork fat was nicely rendered. Finally, we enjoyed the Lamb Rump with Date Chutney, Aubergine and Fetta ($26). The lamb was cooked to perfection and everything with it was a sensory delight. I loved the rich flavour of the pureed aubergine, the sweetness of the chutney and the quenelle of creamy fetta. Sophisticated, seasonal food perfect for sharing.

Vincent, 48 Macquarie Street, Barton ACT, http://www.vincentrestaurant.com.au

Paesano

I think my friends and I confused the staff at Paesano – we stopped by for dessert one night and asked a tonne of questions about their options, dietary requirements and pricing (Instagramming all the while) that might have looked (and sounded) something like a foodie whirlwind. Regardless, we eventually managed to order and sat outside. While most of the group ordered gelato, I was sucked in by the pretty dessert in a jar. Yep. It was a raw vegan cheesecake (continuing the Adelaide trend of awesome raw foods), created by Sweet Lola. The jar looks small, but once you get stuck in, there’s a lot in there! Topped with apricot, raspberry, cacao nibs, coconut and other delicious things, the berry-flavoured ‘cheesecake’ (no dairy actually contained) had the lovely texture of all raw cakes – and was surprisingly filling. I found every mouthful to be a delight and was sad to reach the bottom of the jar. The cacao nibs in particular were interesting – not sweet, but well-paired with the sweet apricot, they added a lot of flavour. The staff happily let us sit and chat until late – a nice place to while away an evening and enjoy dessert.

Paesano, 81 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide SA, no website

Frugii Dessert Laboratory

You guys! It’s truffle season! And, of course, being Frugii, Frugii decided to add a Black Truffle flavour to their menu. How could I resist? It was a tough call – pair it with Dark Chocolate or Fig? – but in the end I opted for Fig, noting that truffle is an excellent flavour-enhancer. The Black Truffle icecream ($6) has a really clear, distinct truffle flavour, which isn’t for everyone – it’s hard to describe, but there’s a real complexity to the taste that I loved. I tried the Fig on its own, and was so impressed by the authenticity of the flavour, but when paired with the Black Truffle in one mouthful, all my taste buds activated and my mouth started watering! I was particularly excited by the texture of both the icecream and the sorbet. There really wasn’t that much difference between them (such good sorbet, not icy at all) and the creaminess was absolutely beautiful. Frugii portions are always great value (no extra charge for two flavour choices) and the service remains impeccable. Definitely get down to Braddon and try the Black Truffle flavour (with any pairing – let me know what you try) while it lasts!

Frugii Dessert Laboratory, 30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT, http://www.frugii.com/

Devon

I was so very excited to see that one of the breakfast/brunch options at Devon was salmon. It’s quite rare to find a Japanese-style breakfast, so we were happy to wait for nearly 30mins to get a table. Seated in the back courtyard, we ordered right away, tummies grumbling from the wait. I chose Breakfast with the Sakumas ($25), clearly a staple menu item, of miso-grilled salmon, smoked eel croquette, 63 degree egg, radish salad and kewpie mayonnaise. The plate was beautifully presented, and I broke open the croquette before cutting my egg, so there was something to absorb the perfectly runny yolk. The croquette was delightful – don’t be put off if you’re not a seafood fan, the eel flavor is subtle, and the brown rice inside makes this a surprisingly filling portion. But the main game is definitely the salmon, which shines brightly amongst all other salmon dishes. Perfectly flaked and tender, and topped with a crisp seaweed and spice crumb (amazingly good), this was a complete delight and something I would go out of my way to eat again. The radish salad broke up the rich flavours of the rest of the dish, bringing perfect balance and sending me right back to Tokyo breakfasts past.

Devon, 76 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, NSW, http://www.devoncafe.com.au/

Suke Suke

Suke Suke is the coolest new kid on the block, bringing a bar-like feel to the idea of a Japanese izakaya (drinks and little bites to eat). We started with cocktails – I ordered the Hello Kitty Sour ($16), with lychee, yuzu, lemon and peach bitters. This was really well-balanced, with strong citrus tones and just enough sweetness. Next were the gyoza ($8 for 4), which were probably our favourite – perfectly charred bases, thin skin and great pork and prawn flavour inside, these were great with the accompanying dipping sauce. Dish 2 was the takoyaki ($8 for 5) – these were tasty, but seem to have been crumbed and fried, rather than cooked traditionally, and only had tiny pieces of octopus inside. However, the toppings were on point with heaps of bonito flakes and sauces. The popcorn chicken kara-age ($13) was fabulous, with perfect morsels of lightly battered chicken and heaps of mayo for dunking. I also really enjoyed the agedashi tofu ($8), but would have liked less spicy togarashi seasoning and more seaweed. Finally, we tried the beef yakitori ($11 for 4 skewers). Sadly these were lukewarm, but the beef was tasty and topped with sesame, which matched well. A tad pricey for the serves, but with great service and atmosphere, I’ll be back.

Suke Suke, Verity Lane, Sydney Building, Civic ACT, http://www.sukesuke.com.au/

A. Baker

I haven’t been to A. Baker for quite a while, so when I had to pick a venue to meet a friend about to move overseas, I took a risk and went for it. Luckily, the standards at A. Baker have remained high, leaving my foodie reputation in tact. We both ordered the slow cooked eggs, served with local mushrooms, smoked ricotta, soldiers and lemon ($17), and I added avocado ($5). Firstly, the bread here is fantastic, and the three soldiers were an utter delight to eat – they were also quite filling. This dish is all about the mushrooms, which were plump, fresh and full of flavour. I kept getting these hits of saltiness from what I presume was the pan juices from the mushroom, which went perfectly with the creamy ricotta, although I found the smoked flavour a bit subtle. I had expected the eggs to remain runny when slw cooked, but the yolks were soft but not runny. The crumb on top added great texture, and I really enjoyed the added avocado. I also ordered a fresh orange and apple juice, which was exactly what I wanted at the start of the day. A perfect setting to wish my friend bonne chance.

A. Baker, Unit 2, 15 Edinburgh Avenue, Acton ACT, http://abaker.com.au/