Monster

It’s been a while since I last went to Monster, but I was equally impressed on this visit. Stopping in for a solo lunch at 3pm (as you do), I went for a share plate which I was told would be equivalent to a main. The pulled lamb shoulder ($29) was calling my name, so I placed my order, and basically 5 minutes later had my meal. I am convinced their chef is actually The Flash. Wow. The meal itself was beautifully presented, with a very generous scattering of pistachio nuts and pomegranate seeds on top of the hulking pieces of lamb. Propped up and hiding the dollops of fresh yoghurt were several fried (not battered) vine leaves and a new flavour for me – brik, a Tunisian pastry which was salty and crisp. You guys, this was super classy lamb. The pieces were so melty and delicious, and there was an (I love being able to use this word) unctuous sauce that I mopped up with my complimentary bread. All the textures you could ask for were there – crunch from the pistachios, juice from the pomegranate, crisp from the vine leaves and brik and creaminess from the yoghurt. The cross-cultural flavours were utter heaven. Absolutely perfect comfort food I will be back for.

Monster Kitchen and Bar, Hotel Hotel, 25 Edinburgh Avenue, Acton ACT, http://www.hotel-hotel.com.au/eat-and-drink/monster/

The Front

Canberra has some lovely quirky places, and The Front in Lyneham is one of the funnest (that’s totally a word). With friendly staff and a relaxed vibe, it was the perfect place for a breakfast catch up. The menu has some great classic options, mostly with eggs, and I chose the white bean cassoulet with a poached egg ($14) as something a bit different, with a side of avocado ($4). The dish was beautifully presented on a tin plate, with the cassoulet served in a ramekin, served with fingers of toasted bread and pesto drizzled on the side. I loved this dish. Seriously. It was pretty much the ultimate comfort food, warming and hearty (so probably better suited to winter, but whatever). The poached egg on top was perfectly runny and added greatly to the rich tomatoey sauce. The pesto had such an intense flavour that it was clever to serve on the side – it really brightened up each mouthful and I wished there was more of it. The avocado was a good accompaniment choice – it was nice to have something cool and fresh to contrast the cassoulet. We even stayed to play a few hands of cards afterwards – such a lovely, relaxed morning!

The Front, 1 Wattle Place, Lyneham ACT, http://www.frontgallerycafe.com/

Sage Dining Rooms

Part one is here. The second main was agnolotti with mushrooms, truffle, pine nuts and a creamy bone marrow sauce, and this was my favourite of the two. I loved the rich cream sauce and the pairing of truffle with forest mushrooms. The pasta was clearly house-made and had a lovely bite. Looking at the dish, I just wanted to dive right in, with all that beautiful grated parmesan on top! By this point we were getting very full – I sipped at my mocktail (strawberry and mint lemonade – uttery divine and something I will go back for) and enjoyed the Autolyse bread with butter and salt, topped with a truffle crisp (the strongest truffle flavour of the day). The first dessert was the sweet and it was at its best with a mouthful capturing all of the elements – the sweet waffle, the not-very-sweet icecream, the shaved truffle and the salty popcorn. Everything worked perfectly to create a complex, sophisticated dessert. Finally, we finished with truffled brie, served with thyme-infused leatherwood honey and a neutral, very thin crispbread. The thyme made the honey almost savoury – again, trying the dish with all the elements in one mouthful yielded the best flavour. Sage, you sure know how to make a first impression! The Sage truffle lunch is on until the end of July as part of the Canberra Truffle Festival.

Sage Dining Rooms, Batman Street, Braddon ACT                     http://www.sagerestaurant.net.au/

Sage Dining Rooms

This was my first visit to Sage, and what better occasion than the Truffle Festival? Sage is a fine dining restaurant and the service really reflected that – the staff were wonderfully attentive but not intrusive, and happily slowed down the pace of our courses when we lingered over each one. My friend and I tried all of the 6 dishes offered for the truffle lunch.  We were delighted by the perfect amuse-bouche to start – a ‘salt and vinegar’ custard with truffle. It was the lightest custard I’ve ever tried and the salted, crispy top had me salavating! First course was a cauliflower veloute (French-style soup) with hazelnuts and truffle – I could have eaten this all day long. It was thick, rich and had the perfect balance of textures. Entree two was a 63 degree hen’s egg with polenta, with fun pops of chives and corn with the oozy egg yolk. The portions were really generous, as was the amount of truffle on each dish. Main number one was chicken breast with crisped pumpernickel and a divine sauce (where I suspect the truffle was hiding). The chicken was perfectly tender, although I think this dish was less strong at showcasing the truffle than the rest. Part two of this review to follow.

Sage Dining Rooms, Batman Street, Braddon ACT                     http://www.sagerestaurant.net.au/

Mr Shabu Shabu

This is probably my favourite place to eat at when it’s cold in Canberra. Mr Shabu Shabu offers consistently delicious, hearty and inexpensive Japanese food. This visit was a cold Friday after-work dinner, so I ordered my standard (a serve of takoyaki and the beef shabu shabu) without hesitation. I love the takoyaki here, even if there isn’t much octopus, because it is covered in the right sauces and lots of bonito flakes (mmm). They also don’t fill you up too much before the main event – paper-thin raw beef, enoki mushrooms and glass noodles to cook in a beautifully flavoursome clear broth. While your beef (or other selection of pork, chicken or vegetables) cooks, you can enjoy the seaweed salad, spring roll and rice with peanut sauce. But the best part by far is drinking the broth with the wooden ladle provided – after having cabbage and meat cook in it, it’s infused with fantastic flavours, the ultimate comfort food. I think I’ll have to visit in summer to try any of the other menu choices (ramen, udon, etc), because I can’t go past the shabu shabu otherwise!

Mr Shabu Shabu, 6/35 Childers St, Canberra ACT, no website