Ink Bake Grill

Ink Bake Grill does a roaring lunch trade – on arrival, we joined a long queue so had plenty of time to decide on what we wanted to eat from their blackboard menu. I’d decided on the beef stroganoff pie, only to find that they’d sold out. Instead, I ordered the lamb and chardonnay ‘doggie’ (hot dog), served with honey mustard, tomatoes and sweet potato crisps ($11.50). Our food came out fairly quickly, considering how busy they were, and I was delighted by the pile of chips and jam-packed hot dog roll. It’s the kind of dish you can’t wait to get stuck into. I started with the chips, which were liberally seasoned with chicken salt, with just the right balance between crispy outside and soft, fluffy inside. Yum. The hot dog was equally delicious – the sweet potato crisps added a great contrasting crunch to the sausage, which had a great lamb flavour. The honey mustard was well complemented by gooey cheese, and everything was freshened up by the slices of fresh tomato. This is a really tasty, hearty meal on a cold day – I’ll be back for sure.

Ink Bake Grill, Shop 3, 7 Geils Court, Deakin ACT, http://www.inkbakegrill.com.au/

Genki Roll

Genki Roll has a special place in my heart – I used to eat lunch there quite regularly as a student, so on this visit I tried my old favourite, the hot udon soup, to see if it’s still as good as I remember. The answer is yes. For a great value $5.20 you can get a regular sized udon, and I added tempura vegetables for an extra $2.50. The bowl was still a good size, and the tempura was going nice and soggy in the broth (yum). The noodles remain beautifully springy and given the different widths, I wonder if they’re made in store (does anyone know?). New is the pile of not-very-authentic greens on the side, which I avoided. The tempura vegetables did seem to contain prawns (maybe a communication error?) but was fabulously fried and full of onion and other good bits. Soaked in the broth, they were perfect. The prawn was a bit ho-hum, but as always, the broth is the real star and it was just like I remember -salty, and with that proper Japanese flavour that udon broths should have. Sure, it’s not exactly healthy, but on a chilly afternoon, this dish will warm you to your bones.

Genki Roll, Adelaide Central Plaza, Rundle Mall, Adelaide SA

Buvette

Buvette’s Petit Feast has become the hottest new thing for Canberra foodies to indulge in – and what a treat! My friend and I booked a few weeks in advance and were delighted by the whole experience ($65pp). I’ll post about the sweets separately, but on arrival you start with the savoury course, served with a glass of rose and a separate plate with your oyster. The oysters were huge, although they had probably the strongest oceanic flavour of any oyster I’ve ever had, so it might not be to everyone’s tastes. We started with the finger sandwiches – the top two were salmon, the bottom two tomato and cheese – which had been made fresh and were both light and tasty. Next up was the spinach and zucchini quiche, which had very short, sweet pastry and a luxurious, silky-smooth filling. Yum. The tiny beef pies were elegant and flavoursome, but I was particularly excited for the cold meats. The jamon definitely stole the show (my friend’s pick of the whole feast) and was closely followed by the guyere cheese, which was so tasty we kept our leftovers for the doggie bag. The manager came to check on each table (very classy) and told us it was imported from France. The olives were also a nice respite from the richer items. Stay tuned for the sweet course…

Buvette, Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton ACT, http://buvette.com.au/

Hoi Polloi

I may have forgotten that stopping in at Hoi Polloi requires one to take a long lunch from work…oops. Anyway, my friend and I dined in one long weekday lunch, both keen to try something we hadn’t eaten before on the menu. I was sorely tempted by the burger (created by the awesome Bec), but instead I was drawn in by the sandwich option – essentially a reuben, with corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. The sandwich came out and I realised what a task I had ahead of me. It was huge! Not only that, but it came with a large serve of chips, which I can’t resist. To be totally honest, I found the sandwich a bit disappointing. The beef was rather bland, leaving the cheese and the sauerkraut  to do all the heavy lifting on the flavour. I know that corned beef can be like this, but I found the blandness exacerbated by the weirdly homogenous, smooth texture of the meat – it was clearly broiled. I did appreciate the good quality bread, but I probably wouldnt order this again. The chips were really tasty though, and my friend enjoyed a noodle special with tuna; one for two on this visit.

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

Two-Bit Villains

Hey you guys, have you heard about Two-Bit Villains? I am probably a bit slow to catch on, but this soda bar & diner (est. in 2011) is secreted away in the upper balcony of the Adelaide Arcade – and it’s vegan! I was fascinated to try one of their ‘beef’ (soy) burgers and see how it measures up, so on the waitress’s recommendation I ordered the Baron, with the soy patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese and smokey BBQ sauce – plus I added pickles ($12, plus 50c for the pickles). The burger came with fries, and let me tell you, the herbed seasoning they use is actually amazing! When I asked what was in it, I was told it’s the chef’s special, so they’re not giving up any secrets! First bite of the burger is all about the BBQ sauce – yes, it is smokey and has that rich, savoury-sweet thing that a good BBQ sauce should have going on. Yum. The soy patty was delicious, and I’m not just saying that. I really enjoyed the lighter texture, which matched well with the fluffy bun. All the ingredients were fresh and the portion was perfect for lunch, not to mention the friendly service. A lovely experience all around.

Two-Bit Villains, Adelaide Arcade Balcony Level, Rundle Mall Adelaide SA, http://two-bitvillains.com/

Blacksmith

I’d been past Blacksmith on a previous visit to Surry Hills and put it on my to visit list – I managed to stop by recently for an early lunch. The space is definitely true to the theme, with assorted ironwork and more rivets than you can poke a stick at. The menu has some exciting options, but, being me, I decided to try the wagyu beef burger ($22), plus a side of sweet potato chips to share ($8). The burger came out on a large platter with a smattering of chips and a small dish of aioli. The burger was piled up so high, and when I squished it down, a whole lot of creamy mayonnaise oozed out – definitely not in the ‘elegant to eat’ burger category. But that mayonnaise was worth saving from the platter, as it was utterly delicious! The patty was a bit diappointing – there were small bits of gristle and the outside wasn’t charred or crisp at all, as I had expected for the price – but the mayo certainly brought the level up a notch. The sweet potato chips were probably the highlight and were generously portioned, to the point where we needed a takeaway bag. I’ll be back to try some of their fun-sounding brunch items.

Blacksmith, 116 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills, NSW, no website

Rice Paper Scissors

I must say, I did judge the book by its cover with this one – I was enchanted by the décor at RPS, so we stopped in for a very late lunch-snack, grabbing a seat at the bar before the kitchen closed. The menu is an exciting exploration of South East Asia, and I couldn’t go past the temptation of soft shell crab mini banh mi ($13 for 2), plus a house made lemon iced tea ($4.50). Served in a fashionable jar, the iced tea had both lemon and lemongrass, but both were well balanced and not overpowering. The staff here are friendly and chatty, creating a welcoming atmosphere that we enjoyed. The food came out fairly quickly, and it definitely confirmed our order choice. Served on soft brioche buns, the banh mi were utterly delightful – the generous portion of crab was just the right blend of crisp and soft, bringing great flavour and texture to the dish. The house made pate added a creaminess to each mouthful, and I particularly liked the addition of pickled vegetables, which, with the fresh coriander, lifted this to a whole other level. I will definitely be back!

Rice Paper Scissors, 19 Liverpool Street, Melbourne VIC, http://www.ricepaperscissors.com.au/