Little Oink

Three friends and I adventured out to Cook in Belconnen to try Little Oink, known for its cute decor and pork-themed menu. We sat outside, and my seat had company – a lovely life-sized pig statue leaning on the bench, joining the conversation. We started with drinks – coffee for my friends, a soy hot chocolate ($5) for me. Whilst not Surry Hills-good, the hot chocolate did taste of chocolate rather than just soy and came with two marshmellows – yum! After admiring the fun menu item names (om-nom-nomlette, for example), I opted for the Jordo – a brioche roll with bacon, two eggs, cheese and tomato relish ($12), and added extra avocado for $3. The food took a while to come out, but they did serve all of our meals shortly after one another, so we didn’t mind. I had to chase up the extra avocado, and when it came out it was a reasonable serve, probably half of a small avocado. The bun was packed full – there was a lot of bacon inside and it had a really great flavour. The eggs were fluffy and cooked through, and the brioche was just the right amount of sweet. We lingered afterwards and weren’t rushed – a lovely quaint spot.

Little Oink, 22 Cook Pl, Cook ACT, no website

Little Brooklyn

Merry Christmas!  Here’s some #burgerweek goodness to help the celebrations! Little Brooklyn is one of those lovely places I always mean to spend more time at but rarely end up visiting, so I was excited to go back with friends for a catch up lunch on a Saturday afternoon. We started with a jug of sangria ($25), which was reasonably sized and packed full of fruit (oranges, blueberries and strawberries plus mint). I found it a little bit weak, given the amount of ice, but it was refreshing and tasty. For lunch I ordered the Big Brooklyn Burger, with angus beef, bacon, cheese, pickles, caramelised onion & brooklyn ketchup. I do love a good burger, and this didn’t disappoint. The beef patty was really thick and cooked to perfection (slightly pink inside, lovely!). Adding to the flavour, there were plenty of pickle slices (one of my favourite things), loads of ketchup and even more tastiness from the bacon. I also really loved the chips, which came with a small bowl of aioli, and the meal was so filling that I couldn’t quite finish my burger. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere relaxed – keep doing your good thing guys.

Little Brooklyn, 14 Jardine Street, Kingston ACT, http://www.cocu.com.au/little-brooklyn/

Hoi Polloi

#burgerweek continues! After seeing the incredible burger Bec from inexplicable wanderlust created at Hoi Polloi, I had to stop in to try it! We went on a weekday for lunch (they’re open from 11:30am-2:30pm daily), and I went straight to the burger specials menu. There are three options, designed at Hoi Polloi’s media launch, each inspired by a former Australian Prime Minister. Bec’s creation had some of my favourite burger ingredients – beetroot, pineapple, caramelised onion, cheddar cheese, beef and lettuce, served on a milk bun. We did have a bit of a wait for our meal, so I would recommend visiting when you’re at leisure to enjoy your lunch. The Full Yard burger ($19.90), inspired by Bob Hawke, was beautifully presented on a chopping board, served with a huge pile of chips and tomato sauce served in a jar. The chips were heavenly – perfectly seasoned and just the right balance between soft and crisp. More, please! The burger was equally satisfying – I loved the combined flavour of the ingredients, although I felt like the beef patty was a bit thin and commercial for the price (especially compared to somewhere like Parlour). Overall the balance of flavours was brilliant and I couldn’t believe how much beetroot was packed in there! Yum.

Hoi Polloi, Old Parliament House, King George Terrace, Parkes ACT, http://www.hoipolloioph.com/

Grease Monkey

To celebrate this week of Christmas, I’m celebrating my favourite foodie thing – burgers! Welcome to #burgerweek! I adore Grease Monkey. I really do. When my friend came to visit from Adelaide I took her straight from the airport to Braddon for a solid Canberra burger experience. On my quest to try all of their burgers, I picked the Pitt Stop ($15), stacked full of BBQ pork brisket and apple cider coleslaw and spiced up with a habanero mayonnaise. As always, Greasy’s didn’t disappoint, with the food coming out quickly and obviously freshly prepared. There was a huge serving of their delicious chips, which I’m not ashamed to admit I devoured – yes they were salty, but man, that seasoning is so good! The burger itself was also perfection – the BBQ pork paired with the milk burger bun was surprisngly and delightfully sweet, and the pork just melted in your mouth. I’d added pickes to the order (an extra $1), and they were chopped up and mixed into the coleslaw, which was perfect. The coleslaw was actually really great to balance the huge amount of meat. Every mouthful was a bite of happiness, and I seriously wished for a second stomach to be able to eat more. Nom nom nom.

Grease Monkey, 19 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT, no website

The Flute

Given Flute is only open from 8am-3pm on weekdays, I only manage to get there when I have the day off work. Yay, rejoice, day off work! Off I went to Flute, excited to try a new pastry or cake. I couldn’t go past the caramel and pecan cake ($7.50), which turned out to be the most magical, delicious piece of baking I’ve had in a very long time. The top of the pyramid is full of gooey caramel, which isn’t too runny, and is full of little balls of chocolate that add some crunch, and a couple of mini pecans, to whet your appetite. Next is the hazelnut mousse layer, which is utterly heavenly. I mean, give-me-a-big-bowl-full-and-leave-me-alone-for-my-life-will-be-complete heavenly. YUM. But it gets better. In the bottom layer, which is cake guarded by a pastry wall, there are hidden pecans inside!!! They’re incredibly sweet and are probably at the ultimate potential that any self-respecting pecan would aspire to achieve. The whole thing was very filling, so I ended up saving the second half for later (future me is going to be very happy). Basically, my advice is to drop everything and get one of these.

The Flute, 8 Barrier Street, Fyshwick ACT, http://www.theflutebakery.com.au/

Ginseng

I met up with friends at Ginseng for dinner before a night at the movies, and we each picked one dish to share. We started things off with a serve of the crispy duck pancakes (normally a serve of 6, we asked for 8 to split evenly). I was impressed with the service – they were prepared freshly on the table next door for us on individual plates and the duck pieces were plump, tender and generous. The pancake wrapper was thin and there was a slice of cucumber and a small sprig of spring onion, plus the hoisin sauce. Yum. The three mains came out shortly afterwards – honey prawns, Szechuan beef and sizzling Mongolian lamb. The sizzling lamb was really tender and the sauce was to die for – the right balance of sweet and salty. The beef had a great sweet and sour flavour and plenty of vegetables packed in, but I think the dish of the night was the honey prawns. Yes, I know they’re really unhealthy, but wow they tasted good! The batter was light and crisp and the prawns were so juicy, their seafood flavour enhanced by the honey. Yep, I’d definitely order like that again. Yum!

Ginseng, 15 Flinders Way, Manuka ACT, no website

Urban Pantry

Urban Pantry has undergone a refresh – both to its decor and its menu. The fresh, clean-looking space has made presentation a priority (as its Instagram account attests), so I met a friend visting from Melbourne there to try the new offerings. I ordered the Chef’s Pan ($18), with a poached egg, haloumi, spinach, roast tomatoes, asparagus and mushroom, which sounded like a delicious and healthy way to start the day. Our food came out quickly, and I was smitten with my dish before I took one mouthful, it was so pretty! I broke open the egg, which was dotted with quinoa, and the perfectly runny yolk oozed out to coat the assorted vegetables – mmm. I started with the good stuff – hello haloumi! It was lightly grilled, and had a nice, strong flavour without being overly salty. Winner. Next the tomatoes, which had also been perfectly seasoned and tasted like summer. Tick. I am a huge fan of asparagus and I adored this amount, steamed just right for me (not totally soft) and cut into bite-sized pieces. The mushrooms had a really deep, earthy flavour and it was great to lighten things up with some spinach. The fancy toast served on the side was fabulous too. So, delicious all round really!

Urban Pantry, 5 Bougainville Street, Griffith ACT, http://www.urban-pantry.com.au/