Frugii Dessert Laboratory

You guys! It’s truffle season! And, of course, being Frugii, Frugii decided to add a Black Truffle flavour to their menu. How could I resist? It was a tough call – pair it with Dark Chocolate or Fig? – but in the end I opted for Fig, noting that truffle is an excellent flavour-enhancer. The Black Truffle icecream ($6) has a really clear, distinct truffle flavour, which isn’t for everyone – it’s hard to describe, but there’s a real complexity to the taste that I loved. I tried the Fig on its own, and was so impressed by the authenticity of the flavour, but when paired with the Black Truffle in one mouthful, all my taste buds activated and my mouth started watering! I was particularly excited by the texture of both the icecream and the sorbet. There really wasn’t that much difference between them (such good sorbet, not icy at all) and the creaminess was absolutely beautiful. Frugii portions are always great value (no extra charge for two flavour choices) and the service remains impeccable. Definitely get down to Braddon and try the Black Truffle flavour (with any pairing – let me know what you try) while it lasts!

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

3seeds

I dined as a guest of the Truffle Festival; all opinions remain my own. Following an incredible truffle hunt (see my Instagram for the full story), we returned to Tarago Truffles for a 3-course truffle lunch by staff from 3seeds Cooking School. First up was the most delicious cauliflower, parsnip and truffle soup – I went back for seconds (and thirds – shh, don’t tell anyone!). The soup was beuatifully creamy and had a generous amount of truffle inside; enough that you could distinctly taste the truffle itself. This was paired with a slice of bread with truffle butter on top. If you haven’t tried truffle butter before, get on that bandwagon now! The folk at 3seeds really know how to make the most out of this magical ingredient. The second course was the divine portobello mushroom tart, topped with truffle salt. The pastry was so buttery and rich, and the whole portobello mushroom was really plump and tender. Finally, we indulged in a sticky fig pudding, served in a caramel sauce with truffle butter – again, the truffle just lifted all the flavours, while still being present enough to taste. We were also treated to some insider tips on how to make the most out of a truffle; the perfect way to end a truffle-themed day!

3seeds Cookng School, Fyshwick Markets, corner of Dalby & Mildura Streets, Fyshwick ACT, http://3seeds.com.au/

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/