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/

Patissez

There should be a special category of foodie award for people who get out of bed and manage to successfully leave the house when it’s -6 degrees outside for the sake of food. Just saying. Four brave souls, this one included, met for a 9am breakfast at Patissez on an icy Canberra morning. I started with a soy hot chocolate (probably sits around the middle of the Canberra pack, needed a bit more chocolate flavour) and picked the ‘Porky’ sandwich to eat. I’d heard the portions were big, but I wasn’t prepared for the GIANT BURGER that turned up. The brioche bun was quite crumbly so I ended up eating with cutlery. The overall flavours were great – super morish bacon jam, fried egg, fresh rocket and tomato sauce – but the pulled pork itself was a little disappointing (it didn’t have a lot of flavour). Unfortunately my meal arrived long before the rest, and my friend who got her meal last then had to wait another 5 minutes for a spoon to be able to eat said meal, which dampened the otherwise warm and friendly service experience. With a few tweaks this could be an excellent breakfast destination.

Patissez, Shop 2/21 “The Lawns” Bougainville Street, Manuka ACT, no website

Bourke Street Bakery

Ah Bourke Street Bakery, it has been some time! On my last visit I couldn’t go past the soup of the day, and being another wintery day, I just stuck with what I knew (although I had some order envy about Dad’s reuben sandwich, which looked fantastic!). The cauliflour soup came out in a large bowl with a garnish of parsley, chives and pepper, all of which complemented the soup perfectly. Cauliflour soup is something that everyone should try at least once – there’s a lovely creaminess and heartiness that comes from its unique texture, and Bourke Street Bakery knows how to put that flavour on show. It’s also not a perfectly pureed soup, so there’s still some texture in there, and with such a generous portion size, you won’t leave hungry. The soup was served with a wedge of sourdough bread and a little tray of butter (such a luxury!) – it was perfect both by itself and dunked into the soup. I picked the homemade lemonade to have with my soup and it was really refreshing and not sickly sweet. Perfect for a chilly winter’s day.

Bourke St Bakery, Shop 7/19-25 Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay, NSW http://bourkestreetbakery.com.au/

Terrace Cafe

On the hunt for a close by, warm place for lunch, my colleagues and I stopped in at the newly refurbished Terrace Cafe at Old Parliament House. Their menu offers great value, with most items between $10-$15. There are some fabulous new artworks up of the building, including a striking one taken at night, and little terrariums on the indoor tables. I ordered the curry of the day for lunch, which was a lamb Indian curry. Our food came out quite quickly and it looked beautiful – the curry was full of meat in a bowl, and the serve included flatbread wedges, rice and yoghurt, as well as some finely julienned carrot. The lamb was melt-in-your-mouth tender and had clearly been slow-cooked to perfection. I found the curry had just the right amount of heat, although it was a little bit oily for my preference. The sauce had a tomato base but I couldn’t quite pick the type of curry. The flatbread was great for mopping up the sauce and whilst I didn’t eat much of the rice, it was good to have on the plate. I also really enjoyed the fresh carrot and would have liked more! Looking forward to trying more of the menu next time.

Terrace Cafe, Old Parliament House, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes ACT http://moadoph.gov.au/visiting/cafe/

The Cupping Room

I am a firm believer that we eat with our eyes. As a general rule, I try to avoid eating sweet things for breakfast, especially before going to work (hello food coma!), but on this visit to The Cupping Room, I really couldn’t go past the incredibly beautiful ricotta hotcakes. If a plate looking like that went past you, would you be able to resist it? I didn’t think so. I was blown away by the flavours on this plate. First up, the burnt honeycomb was to die for – it added a sweet but burnt flavour with an almost sticky texture, which helped cut through the sweetness of the rest of the dish. As did the pomegranate seeds scattered atop the hotcake pile. I particularly liked the fresh strawberries and would have liked more to enjoy with each mouthful, but the stewed rhubarb was a nice addition too. Down to business – the hotcakes were incredibly light and fluffy, although surprisingly filling. The creme fraiche was a bit much for me, but I loved the citrus syrup drizzled over the top of everything (more please!). Overall, I would suggest eating this only if very hungry. But eat it. It’s delicious.

The Cupping Room, 1/13 University Ave, Canberra ACT  http://www.thecuppingroom.com.au/

The Copper Pan

On a stop at the St Ives shopping centre to pick up a few bits and pieces, Dad and I decided to grab a snacky lunch. We wandered the food court, and then discovered The Copper Pan – hello! The setup here is so lovely – lots of pot plants and a nice mix of metal and wood in the decor. The staff happily let me just order a juice, while Dad had a beef pie. My juice came out quickly in a huge mason jar with a handle and had the excellent combination of watermelon, apple and orange – it was so refreshing and the fruit had obviously been freshly cut. I do love a frothy juice and this one had plenty. Dad found his pie a bit lacking on the filling, but with a nice pastry. We didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy our snack-lunch, but I’d happily come back here for a more leisurely meal. It seemed quite family-friendly too. We picked up a couple of pastries on the way out and the caramel slice was to die for. Yep, will definitely be back!

The Copper Pan, 166 Mona Vale Rd, St Ives NSW, no website

Double Drummer

My colleague wanted to schedule a working lunch and so we went to Double Drummer, snapping up an outdoor table that had plenty of sunshine despite the chill in the air. I usually order something hot, but I decided to be a bit adventurous this time and try the chicken parmigiana roll from the sandwich bar. The staff kindly toasted it for me and brought it out to the table quite quickly, considering how busy they were. The bread was beautiful and crusty, but not teeth-breakingly so, and every bit of the roll was packed with filling (yes!). The chicken parmi hadn’t been warmed from the toasting, but was crispy and golden nonetheless, although not quite as tender in parts as I’d hoped. It went perfectly with the shaved parmesan cheese, thick tomato sugo and – my favourite – the grilled eggplant layered on top. The fresh spinach leaves added some nice crunch and I only just managed to finish the whole roll. Double Drummer’s food is great value in the Parliamentary Triangle – try it for tasty cafeteria-style meals.

Double Drummer, Ground Floor Courtyard, 4 National Circuit, Barton ACT http://thedoubledrummer.com.au/