Elemental

After reading a couple of fellow blogger reviews, I was excited to try the bone broth at Elemental. I know it won’t appeal to everyone, but being a noodle soup/broth nut, I figured this beverage would be perfect for me. Sadly, on arrival, it was the first thing we were told wasn’t available from the menu. Cue sad face. Instead, I ordered an earl grey tea and the brisket sub, with sweet potato, shaved fennel and lemon aioli. The tea was loose leaf and a bit more fragrant than I like my earl grey, but you could remove the infuser to stop overbrewing. My dish was served on a giant stoneware plate, the fennel and beef piled high atop a roasted half-sweet potato with a rocket and tomato salad on the side. The naked burger and the quesedilla my friends ordered looked a bit dwarfed on the large plates, but they assured me both were filling and delicious. Whilst the brisket wasn’t as tender as others I’ve had, there was a lot of it, and a mouthful with all of the elements (beef, aioli, sweet potato and fennel) was perfection. I guess I’ll just have to come back to try the bone broth!

Elemental, Ori building, 30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT                                  elementalcafe.wix.com/elementalcafe

The Cupping Room

I met a friend visiting from Sydney for breakfast at The Cupping Room for the first time in a long time – I love eating there at breakfast time when the sunlight is streaming in! Our waitress was very friendly and happily directed me to the fresh juices to start – I chose the strawberry, apple, basil, and lime – when it arrived it looked like summer in a glass, and tasted just as refreshing. There was probably a bit too much ice for my liking, but the flavours were well-balanced and worked really well together. I chose the Heirloom Tomatoes for a lighter breakfast, and my it looked incredible on arrival – shiny, fresh tomatoes on a bed of quinoa, corn, craisins (cranberries crossed with raisins), fetta, and pepitas. The serving was large but everything was quite light and I was full but not bloated by the end. There was a great mix of textures and the craisins added lovely sweet highlights, while the pepitas had the crunch factor. The tomatoes weren’t particularly tasty themselves, but in combination with the other ingredients, including the raw onion (beware those going straight to work afterwards), they contributed to a fresh, light, dish that I would happily order again.

P.S. congratulations to Sasa Sestic for his victory in the World Barista Championships!

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

My’s Restaurant

On recommendation from Snow Crab Nebula, three of us decided to take a long lunch and check out the pho at My’s Restaurant in Weston. I’d never tried pho before moving to Canberra, although now it is one of my favourites and I’m always keen to try it at Vietnamese restaurants. My’s was busy but not crowded, and we were shown to a table promptly. We all ordered the rare beef pho, which came out together with a shared plate of things to add (bean sprouts, lemon, basil and chilli). Whilst the wait was a bit longer, it was considerate of them to bring all of our meals out at once. The beef was indeed just rare, and sliced perfectly thinly – there was also quite a large amount in the bowl. The noodles were soft and chewy, there was plenty of raw and spring onion and, most importantly, the broth was incredibly tasty. I am a huge fan of drinking noodle broths, and I devoured this one, although I did find myself drinking quite a lot of water for the rest of the afternoon. Definitely a new favourite and a must-visit for pho fans.

My’s Restaurant, 35 Brierly Street, Weston ACT, no website

10″ Custom Pizzeria

Four of us headed out to the Hamlet in Braddon for lunch one weekday, and I was determined to try something different this visit. After much deliberation, I picked 10″ Custom Pizzeria, on the menu item the Napoletana. It sounded like a perfect pizza dream – tomato, anchovies, basil and black olives. Yes please! The lovely lady behind the counter made it in front of me and I watched it go right into the wood-fired oven. We dined in and so my pizza was served on a chopping board after being freshly cooked. It was heavenly. The base was beautifully thin and puffed up at the edges, with a lovely balance between soft and crisp. The anchovies were the star of the pizza, adding incredible flavour and saltiness that tasted better than any other pizza topping I’ve had in Canberra. I loved that you could appreciate the simple, distinct flavours of each ingredient, in authentic Italian style. I then spotted another customer with an icy drink (I’ll have what she’s having!) – a strawberry granita, served in a huge takeaway cup and full of strawberry sweetness. My friend had the pineapple and coconut one and loved it as just as much. Simple, fresh and tasty pizza, highly recommended.

10″ Custom Pizzeria, 16 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT, no webiste

Frugii Dessert Laboratory

Frugii Dessert Laboratory made a splash when it first opened, and I thought it was high time to check out what all the fuss was about. Dad and I went on a Saturday night and we arrived just before the crowds – there were about five icecream flavours and two sorbets on offer – I picked the passionfruit, orange and apple sorbet, and Dad chose the salted caramel icecream. We picked the small size, and whilst the portion looked quite small, I don’t think I could have eaten any more. The sorbet was really refreshing, with a good balance between the sweetness of the orange and apple and the tartness of the passionfruit. The fruity flavour was quite strong and didn’t lose its intensity the more I ate. I did find the texture a bit icy compared to other sorbets, but not unpleasantly so. The salted caramel was probably the best I’ve ever tasted – rich, creamy and with just the right amount of salt, I’d definitely order it next time, along with one of the delicate cakes on display. A fun additon to Canberra’s dessert scene.

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

On Flinders

Autumn is my favourite season in Canberra. The days are sunny and golden, and there are plenty of lovely spots to sit outside and enjoy the changing leaves while eating good food. The newest place to fit into this category is On Flinders, the new breakfast/lunch/dinner restaurant, funnily enough, on Flinders Way. I was too late for breakfast, but I picked a lighter-sounding lunch option (I’ll have to come back for their pizzas). I started with a huge glass of fresh orange juice (great value for only $4) and the New York Prosciutto Bruschetta, which the waitress mentioned she hadn’t tried yet. It was a good choice – the serving was massive and beautifully presented with kalamata olives, fetta, tomato ribbons and onion piled on top of the cooked prosciutto. The Turkish bread underneath was very moreish – I could have eaten a full loaf – and despite appearances was soft-centred and easy to cut. Mmm. There was plenty of everything and whilst it was an oily dish, the flavours were fresh and vibrant, and I didn’t feel bloated afterwards.  The table service was friendly and prompt and best of all I could sit and enjoy the sunshine. Perfection.

On Flinders, Shop 5 Flinder Way, Manuka ACT, no website

332 Manhattan

I’ve never been to New York (it’s next on my list), but somehow I don’t imagine it to be anything like the lovely cosy space at 332 Manhattan. We went for breakfast on a weekday and were delighted by the warm wooden furniture, the shelves piled with cookbooks and local produce, and the yummy-sounding breakfast menu. I started out with a fresh-squeezed orange juice (enjoyed to the sounds of my friend bragging about the role reversal of her being on time and our other friend arriving later), which was served in a good sized glass bottle and wasn’t overly sweet. I picked the prosciutto and fried eggs dish, which was the first to come out – we hardly waited any time at all and whilst our meals didn’t come at the same time, they were obviously fresh from the kitchen. My fried eggs had beautifully runny centres, the proscuitto was fresh (not fried) and there was plenty of it: tick, tick! There were also roasted tomatoes and garlic and rosemary potatoes, two of my favourite things on a big breakfast plate. Everything was tasty without being heavy on the stomach – I can’t yet compare to a real Manhattan experience, but for Canberra this is a very good feed.

332 Manhattan, 240 Bunda Street, Civic ACT, no website