Old Parliament House

Friday drinks at OPH were something of a myth when I moved to Canberra – they’d been all the rage but had since stopped, so I never got to go. But good things come to those who wait – once again OPH is opening its courtyard to those seeking end-of-week beverages. We headed over for a friend’s farewell after work, emerging into a lovely green space full of benches and beanbags. The bar is set up under a pergola and offers wine, beer and cider, and alongside it is the food. For $6, you could choose to eat 1. a bratwurst with sauerkraut, 2. tandoori chicken skewers or 3. a green paw paw salad. I went for the bratwurst, after seeing that it was DIY condiments (yes!). I heaped my hot dog up with bacon chips, sauerkraut, diced pickles, aioli and cheese – it was definitely the right choice. The roll was just the right thickness and held everything together without dominating the flavours, whilst the sauerkraut and pickles really complemented the  sausage. The cheese didn’t add much flavour, but the bacon chips were crispy and worked well with the whole combination. No better way to send a friend off in style.

Old Parliament House, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes ACT   http://moadoph.gov.au/events/friday-night-drinks/

Ganbaranba

When I saw that Ganbaranba wasn’t just a ramen shop or a noodle restaurant, but a ‘noodle colosseum’, it was pretty much compulsory to eat there.  Though I swore to try and gladiator my way through all of the ramen on the menu, I only managed to get there twice. On both occasions we shared some gyoza to start, and they were incredible – beautifully pan-fried with extra crispy bits hanging off each dumpling and a soft and tasty filling. Round one was the traditional tonkotsu ramen – I found the broth to be a bit oily, and the pork was quite tough, but the ramen had just the right amount of bite. Round two was all about the shoyu – the best ramen of my life was in Kyoto in 2009 and it was a shoyu ramen. It’s not as common to find soy-based broths in Australia, and so I always try them when I can. Whilst it wasn’t Kyoto-standard, this shoyu was really tasty, full of bamboo shoots and again perfectly bitey ramen. Ganbaranba’s staff were super friendly and made us feel welcome, so they get the thumbs up from me.

Ganbaranba Noodle Colosseum, 12/20 Spence Street, Cairns QLD, no website

Parlour Wine Room

I remember watching the smoke pillar rising up into the air when Parlour, amongst other venues, caught fire in 2011. I was disappointed, having heard great things about it, but never having been, so was pleasantly surprised when it re-opened in late 2013. It took me another eight months to get there, but I did for a Sunday lunch catch up with a friend. We had the lunch deal, $16 for a meal and glass of house wine, which is very good value in Canberra. On this occasion I chose comfort food – the pappardelle with pork belly and sofrito (which is apparently a red sauce). The pasta was handmade and silky, and the pieces of pork were tender and full of flavour, although spread a little thinly. The parmesan had a good amount of bite to it, and the glass of house red matched reasonably well. My friend ordered the calamari, which was beautifully presented but appeared to be a much smaller serving than the pasta. We were impressed by the cozy atmosphere, and were considerately seated away from the four or five other diners. Definitely one to come back to.

Parlour Wine Room, 16 Kendall Lane, Newacton Pavilion, Canberra ACT http://www.parlour.net.au/

Kutchi Deli Parwana

A friend of mine introduced me to Parwana many years ago and I fell in love with their home-style Afghani food, so when I heard that they’d opened a deli outpost in the city I had to try it! I love that it has remained a family-run business with the expansion, and they’ve upped their decor anti with incredibly vibrant blues and teals at the Ebenezer Place location. There are no reservations, so we planned to arrive as they opened for lunch on a Sunday. The strategy worked – we were the first to arrive behind a couple of locals who clearly know the staff (always a good sign). I’d already decided to order the mantu, Afghani dumplings served with lamb mince and yoghurt, and we added a lamb mince bolani to our order to be adventurous. Both dishes were mind-blowingly good. And I mean, lick-the-bowl, write-home-about good. The mantu were soft and beautifully balanced – stuffed full of onion and carrot, coated in a tomato-based sauce with mince and lentils. The bolani, an Afghani flat-bread, was filled with mince and veggies, and came with a divine mint dipping sauce that brought the whole thing to life. Let me repeat: incredibly, incredibly good. Please eat there.

Kutchi Deli Parwana, No. 7 Ebenezer Place, Adelaide SA http://www.parwana.com.au/html/kutchi_deli.html

Cafe Comme Ca

¥1000 is a lot to pay for one piece of cake, and when I was a student in Tokyo I could only bring myself to do it twice – once with friends and once in a train station when I’d arrived three hours early for my train (oops). Both times it was from Cafe Comme Ca, and both times it was worth it. So when I went back to Tokyo I made sure to stop in again and try another slice. Each cake is sculpted with fresh fruit into rosettes or other incredible arrangements – I recommend taking some time to look at the display cabinet before making a choice (fair warning though – the staff, sadly, won’t let you take pictures of the whole cakes). This time I went for the blood orange and raspberry cream cake, which came out on a plate with cocoa dust in the shape of bluebirds (swoon). The fruit was juicy and covered in a sweet glaze, and the cream was light and not too rich. Western-style sweets in Japan are often sickly sweet, but Cafe Comme Ca gets the balance (and the beauty) just right.

Cafe Comme Ca, 5F Comme Ca Store, 3-26-6 Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku Tokyo  http://www.cafe-commeca.co.jp/ (Japanese only)

Molly

There’s a real sense of adventure arriving at Molly, Canberra’s own speakeasy. I’d agreed to meet my friend there on a Friday after work as we’d both heard good things but never been. When you do a google search, all that comes up are co-ordinates to put into your GPS. It’s like going on a treasure hunt, except you find a big wooden door instead of an ‘x’ to mark the spot. The temperature drops going down the stairs, but you emerge into a gem of a bar. The tables are close and cozy, the bar is the only well-lit section and there’s a charcutrie for high-end snacks in the back corner. The vibe fantastic – the low lighting and small space does make you feel like you’re back in the prohibition era, and the fitout is fashionable without being cold. I ordered a mint julep and a toastie to snack on. The drink was small but packed a punch – garnished with fresh mint and well-crushed ice, the amount of bourbon in there isn’t for the faint-hearted. The toastie was more of a gourmet sandwich made to perfection with jamon and pickles amid the oozy cheese. Highly recommended for a classy night out.

Molly, undisclosed address, Hobart Place, Civic ACT                     http://www.molly.net.au

Dolce & Salato

After lunch at Bent Spoke, we went into town in search of icecream to make the most of a sunny spring afternoon. Wanting something a bit more special, we opted for Dolce and Salato over Gelatissimo in the Canberra Centre. I’d never had anything from D&S before, and was pleasantly surprised by the range of gelato and sorbet flavours available. I will always pick fruity over chocolatey, so went with the peach sorbet and raspberry sorbet, wanting something refreshing. It was a good choice – the raspberry was nice and tart, but the peach was the standout, somehow managing to convey a really strong peach flavour.  The sorbets had substantial texture – they weren’t too smooth, and were just what we wanted on a warm arvo. A friend chose the most exotic flavour on the menu – prickly pear – and was rewarded with what was probably the nicest flavour. Definitely a place worth being adventurous at. Note – their website claims that a ‘woodfired breakfast menu’ is coming soon. One to keep an eye on.

Dolce & Salato, 108 Bunda Street, Civic, ACT          http://dolceandsalato.com.au/