Tipo 00

I spent a Christmas with family friends in northern Italy many years ago now, and it was a truly memorable culinary experience. Whenever I go out for Italian now, memories of those meals set the bar. Tipo 00 is the closest to those unique flavours that I’ve been able to find in Australia thus far. We went for dinner and got a table without a booking – our waitress persuaded us to try the local G&T, with Four Pillars gin made in the Yarra Valley – the tonic wasn’t carbonated (which I usually prefer), but the overall flavour was light and refreshing. We started with the polenta chips, which were so filling! Only get them if you’re really hungry – we couldn’t finish the five fingers of perfectly fried polenta. I ordered the pappardelle with braised rabbit, hazelnut and marjoram. The pasta was silky and handcrafted, the rabbit was tender, the hazelnuts added spetacular texture and flavour, and the sauce sent me straight back to Trento. I was in two minds on cheese (which we weren’t offered) – I wanted some parmesan to add bite, but it could have overpowered the subtle flavours. Authentic Italian – you won’t leave hungry.

Tipo 00, 361 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC                      http://www.tipo00.com.au

The Botanist

I will find pretty much any excuse to go to The Botanist, and staying in Kirribilli for a week gave me the perfect one to go back. We went for dinner and I started with the Strawberry Mule, which was a perfect blend of gin, ginger beer, frangelico, strawberry and lime. It was served in a tall glass and was incredibly smooth and beautifully sweet. To eat, we started with a serve of marinated olives, which were a mix of black kalamatas and green sicilians, both of which had really intense flavours. Next up was the beetroot cured salmon, which was served with avocado puree, radish and croutons – the presentation was perfection and each element worked so well together, bringing out the best in the salmon. The crispy duck with pear chutney and sesame caramel was not crispy as advertised, but the duck was moist and the pear went so well with it that we didn’t mind. Finally we had one each of the steak and chicken tacos – the steak was smokey and went beautifully with the corn and spicy sauce. The chicken was equally delicious and well-matched with the avocado and tomato. The Botanist never fails to impress.

The Botanist: 17 Willoughby St, Kirribilli NSW              http://thebotanist.com.au/

Chuckle Park

I’d wanted to visit Chuckle Park’s lantern-strung alley since I’d wandered past in 2012. It took me a while, but I got there for dinner one fine Melbourne evening – another of my solo dining experiences. I was lucky enough to get a table, and went up to the caravan to order. Sadly they’d run out of the meatball soup I’d wanted to try, but offered to make a meatball wrap instead. I ordered that with a cider, and took my number back to my table. The wrap came out fairly quickly, and it looked hearty and warm. On first bite this was confirmed – the wrap itself was a bit crispy and the filling, whilst a bit oily, was piping hot. The meatballs had a great kick to them and were not stingy on flavour. There was plenty of oozing, melty cheese inside, along with spinach and, of course, the meatball sauce. Each mouthful was delicious and the whole serve was so filling that I couldn’t quite finish it. My only criticism is that Chuckle Park allows smoking, which I felt detracted from my dining experience, otherwise I’d be back in a heartbeat.

Chuckle Park Bar and Cafe, 322 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC                http://www.chucklepark.com.au/

Lonsdale Street Eatery

Lonsdale Street Eatery (LSR’s alter dinner ego) is one of the many serious meat-offering establishments of Canberra. They offer BYO (no corkage charge – we also had to BYO bottle opener!) and have a lovely outdoor seating area, perfect for warmer nights. We went on the first night of their new menu, and the waitress was really lovely about tracking down details for us when we had questions. In the end, we chose the buffalo wings, the ‘pitt bull’ hot dog and the royale with cheese burger, all served in fun, branded, disposable packaging. The wings were amazingly crispy and whilst they didn’t have as much meat on them as other wings I’ve had, the flavour more than made up for it. Caution – the spicy dipping sauce was too hot even for my chilli-loving Dad. The ‘pitt bull’ hot dog was quite good – I enjoyed it more than the one I’d had at Broddogs – with a good kick from the horseradish slaw and jalapeno salsa. But the pick of the bunch was the royale with cheese – this is the mother of all cheeseburgers, with a pillowy soft bun, dense, meaty patty and oozing melty cheese. So, so good.

Lonsdale Street Eatery, 23 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT                         http://lonsdalestreetroasters.com/

Brodburger

Brodburger is another Canberra institution, and one that locals either love or hate. Love for the incredibly fresh, filling and flavoursome burgers, or hate for the outlandish wait times, even after it moved from a dodgy caravan by the lake to a proper store at the Glassworks. I’m firmly in the love camp, and Brod is one of the Canberra must-visits I recommend to visitors. The classic Brodburger is a thick beef patty with the most delicious aioli, tomato, lettuce and a choice of blue, brie, swiss or cheddar cheeses. It’s incredible that such simple ingredients can be so tasty! Another favourite is the Brodchicken, which includes a moist chicken breast, bacon, avocado, and of course the aioli – this has become by go-to order, and on this occasion I ordered it with a side of chips. Note, make sure you’re really, really hungry if you plan to eat it all! I would also recommend either planning for around a 40-60 minute wait at peak times, so going when you’re not in a hurry, or pre-ordering by phone about half an hour in advance. Brod is a Canberra favourite for a reason, and most locals agree that the food makes the wait well worthwhile.

Brodburger, Canberra Glassworks, 11 Wentworth Ave, Kingston ACT   http://www.brodburger.com.au

Soju Girl

We had the banquet dinner at Soju Girl for my friend’s hen’s night, and started out with cocktails. I had The Mandarin – gin, mandarin, ginger liquer, lime and ginger beer. The flavours were subtle and well-balanced, making a smooth, tangy drink that I’ll order again. We started with the betel leaf smoked trout – a fusion san choy bao-style mouthful which was a delicate explosion of flavour and one of my favourites. The zucchini flower was surprisingly filling, packed with sticky rice, and the creaminess of the eggplant pickle dish had me going back for seconds. The handmade gyoza were perfection – just the right amount of crispiness and perfect with the dipping vinegar – and the sauce accompanying the king prawn skewers was some kind of magic. We finished with the chicken katsu, which again was quite filling, and rice, so whilst all the portions were small, we didn’t leave hungry. The staff were attentive but not intrusive, and my only criticism was that the meals came out too quickly in succession, rather than being well-paced. Despite this, the banquet had great variety and flavour – I will be back again soon!

Soju Girl, 41-43 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra ACT                                               http://www.sojugirl.com.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