Canberra – TALES OF A CONFECTIONIST (2024)

I know I am late to the game. Kokomos have been open for a few months now but I have never gotten around to trying it until last night. I had heard that it was ‘pricey but tasty’ so when we spotted their island banquet option, it was a good excuse to try it out.

Island banquet8 most popular dishes ($49.00) you can add a key lime pie tothe banquet and at $1.00 pp, why wouldn’t you?

Salt and vinegar taro chips. The taste of vinegar isn’t too strong; nice and crispy but there were more interesting things to eat.

Mullaway cevichecoconut, ginger, cherry tomato, Thaibasil, tostadas.

Fried chicken bunbread and butter pickles, hot sauce. Succulent crispy hot chicken with all the right trimmings. I was really sad when I finished the bun and had none left.

Prawn toastlime and sweet corn, smoked chilli mayo.

Lamb ribssweet and sour glaze, puffed wheat. This was so tender and had a really nice glaze.

Udon noodlesseared beef rump cap, egg yolk, crispy eschalot, kombu butter. I might be biased because I really love udon noodles, but this dish with its egg yolk creaminess reminded me of a creamy pasta dish without the heaviness. So delicious!

Iceberg saladpickled red onion, sunflower seeds, creme fraiche, dill. I thought it sounded boring because it had iceberg lettuce, but surprisingly this dish works!

Smoked beef ribmolasses glaze, puffed rice, roast eggplant puree. Another really tender protein.

Rotisserie Huli Huli chickenlemon butter gravy. I loved the flavours of this chicken; the meat was juicy and the lemon butter provides just the right amount of tangy flavours.

Dishes were coming thick and fast, it was almost a shuffle game to fit everything on the table. Just as we adjusted plates and cups to move out of the way for one dish, another dish would appear almost straight away. We were served all the savoury dishes within the hour, but I would have liked a slower pace.

We really enjoyed everything and it was hard to choose a favourite but the pick of the night wouldhave been between the fried chicken bun or the lamb ribs, but the udon noodles were a close second.Key lime pie – this was a pretty decent serve per person and I did enjoy the unusual green colour. The base by itself wasn’t very nice but the pie with cream altogether had a nice balance of sweetness, creaminess and tart flavours.Added on topYes, my greedy eyes couldn’t help but order a few more items that weren’t included in the banquet.

Lobster lollipopskombu, sesame bonito mayo ($18.00 4 pcs). This was disappointing and fell really flat. You couldn’t really tell it was lobster and as tasty as the mayo was, it didn’t save this dish at all. I wouldn’t bother ordering this again.Pecan pieburnt butter ice cream ($10.00). I didn’t think this was sweet enough and instead, I was getting bursts of salty flavours. The ice cream reminded me of a creme brulee with the torched sugar crust. I would not order this again.It was a shame that the extras we ordered were a disappointment but if you stick with the Island banquet and it has those dishes, you can’t go wrong.

The staff were friendly and attentive, although there was some confusion with the dishes as one of us had dietary requirements but it was eventually clarified. I can imagine this place getting loud as the nightlife and bar begins to take over, but on a weekday we were not rushed, could talk comfortably and enjoyed our food.

Venue:Kokomo’s

Address:1 Genge St, Canberra ACT 2601

Phone:(02) 6171 2092

Yes, I ate there last night and wrote this post quickly out of spite because TimmyC didn’t think I could get it done.

Stop the press! Run, don’t walk. Hannara Korean BBQ cuisine is now doing ‘all you can eat’ Korean BBQ.

I had dragged my friend to Hannara at the beginning of the year when they had just opened but nothing really stood out from other Korean restaurants. We tried a variety of dishes including japchae, fried chicken and bulgogi but what made me have food regrets was smelling other people’s Korean BBQ sizzling away. So when I read that Hannara was now doing an ‘all you can eat’, it was the perfect excuse to go back.

There are three buffets to choose from: ‘Premium Wagyu and seafood buffet‘ ($69.00pp), the ‘Wagyu BBQ buffet‘ ($59.00pp) and the ‘standard BBQ buffet‘ ($49.00pp). The whole table ordered the Wagyu BBQ buffet which included Wagyu meat, some deep fried seafood and bibimbap as well as everything from the standard BBQ buffet.

There are some terms and conditions attached: The menu you request can be sold out. Age under 10 is $20 pp. There is a penalty fee for leftovers. ALL food’s quality is the same as the single menu. Take out not available. Limited to 90 minutes from the first serving.

Ordering the Wagyu BBQ buffet meant that we could have delicious Wagyu meat as well as all the Korean fried chicken, japchae and corn cheese that we wanted!And so it began, our ‘all you can eat’ adventure included some very delicious Wagyu meat, crunchy fried chicken, some judgment from the neighbouring tablesand ended in a lot of belts being undone.It might not look very pretty, but the meat was delicious.Korean BBQ is the perfect winter warmer and a fun delicious way to catch up with friends.I’m a huge beef fan so the Wagyu beef was my favourite, the Korean fried chicken was nice because the sauce came on the side and came with the perfect pickled vegetables. I thought the bibimbap was a little sad looking and disappointing but I would definitely come back again! I had lots of fun and didn’t leave smelling like charcoal (their extraction fans work quite well).

The service was prompt as there is a bell on each table, the meat didn’t take long to cook and 90 minutes is ample time to order, cook, stuff your face and repeat as many times as needed.

Venue:Hannara Korean BBQ cuisine

Address:Shop 1,2&3 – 16 Moore street, Canberra ACT 2601

Phone:(02) 6193 3016

I had such high hopes for Agostini’s, the latest Italian restaurant to open in the Canberra dining scene. The lure of their pink sign and the promise of handmade pasta and authentic pizza easily convinced me to have one of my birthday celebrations there with some close friends.When I had booked two weeks ahead for a Monday night, I thought I was being super organised. It caught me by surprise when I saw that we were expected to leave after two hours for the next booking. I assumed they were super busy and I would endeavour to eat as fast as I could. It turns out that we weren’t rushed at all, there must be a two hour allocatedseating time for bookings through Dimmi.

I liked the spacious dining area, it allows for larger groups and even as a table of four, I didn’t feel that we were sitting on top of each other.Entrees~

Calamari frittilightly fried calamari served with an aioli of grilled lemon & mint ($15.00). Not chewy but nothing special and a tad too salty for my liking.Fricoa typical dish from the Friuli region of Italy. Paper thin layers of Montasio cheese & potato, oven roasted to form a heavenly, crunchy, chewy morsel ($10.00). We were all curious to see what this would look like and was surprised to see it so flat despite the description. I think the reason why I enjoyed it so much is that it reminds me of the crunchy part of a lasagna- think a thicker parmesan wafer.Margherita bufalapizza bufala mozzarella, Agostinis’ spice & basil ($22.00). Their pizza bases are really good with good quality toppings. We really enjoyed this.Mains~

Napolitanapizza anchovies, olives, capers, Fior di Latte mozzarella & basil ($22.00) with a request to top it off with rocket ($2.00). My friend really enjoyed his pizza, I think the rocket helpedbalance all the salty components.Lasagne al ragu classic Italian lasagne with slow cooked wagyu beef, sandwiched between handmade pasta sheets & topped with grated Reggiano Parmigiano($25.00).I was very disappointed with my lasagne, it had no flavour. Frankly, I’ve had better lasagne from my supermarket.Fusilli funghi corkscrew shaped pasta with mushroom ragù with scamorza cheese & thyme ($22.00). The most flavoursome out of all the pasta dishes on the table but I thought it needed a lot more sauce and ingredients to cover the pasta as some mouthfuls seemed like I was eating plain pasta.Spaghetti alla marinaravongole, prawns, fish, vino bianco, cherry tomatoes, chilli, garlic & parsley ($28.00). This seriously lacked flavour. No salt, no chilli, no garlic; it was just bland and disappointing. The spaghetti felt a tad too thick and it was over cooked therefore it almost had the consistency of tinned spaghetti. Shame, I had high hopes for this dish.Desserts~

Affogato House-made vanilla gelato served with an espresso & your choice of digestivo: Cafe Patron XO Tequila, Frangelico or Grappa ($15.00). My friend requested to omit the digestive and we were still charged the full amount. That is one expensive coffee shot!Gelati choice of 3 flavours – vanilla, coffee liquor, chocolate peanut butter ($10.00). They had some strange choices (cherry salted caramel?) but we opted for these flavours, which were very nice. It is probably best to clarify the flavour choices as we thought there was a cherry flavour and a salted caramel flavour, not one flavour with cherry and salted caramel combined.Agostinis’ tiramisu made to order… savoiardi biscuits, freshly brewed coffee, mascarpone & chocolate mousse ($12.00). This definitely made your eyes widen as your hit that base that started to pool with coffee. Being made to order meant that there were some crunchy parts of the tiramisu which Ithought was a bit odd. My friend and I ordered one each andif you add the part that I had eaten with the part that she had eaten, we wouldn’t have even finished one portion. It was too strong, too much mascarpone and too OTT.

I found the service really terrible. No one was rude or unpleasant but they needed constantly prompting. Can we have more water? Can we get cheese for the pasta? Can we get more wine? On top of that, we found ourselves needing to ask more than once because no one came back for almost 20 minutes. For a restaurant that wasn’t terribly busy, I felt that we were forgotten about A LOT.

I won’t be rushing back here in a hurry, but I would come back for their pizza and hope that their pasta and service improves.

Venue:Agostini’s

Address: East Hotel, 6/69 Canberra Ave, Griffith ACT 2603

Phone: (02) 6178 0048

It was pointed out that Lolo and Lola have only done four pop up dinners since their humble beginnings and it dawned on me that I had been to three of them. I would stop hogging but it is so good; I am not willing to give up my seat!You really need to get yourselves to one of these events if you’re lucky and fast enough, December is already sold out and the next one is in February (now that is sold out also!) . Each month has a different theme and November’s dinner focused on one of the main islands of the Philippines- Luzon.Lolo and Lola November pop up dinner ($65.00pp).

It was hard to choose a favourite from the menu (apparently not so hard for some, TimmyC loved the crepes), everything was so different but at the same time everything was so delicious.

This is more of a food p*rn post as I have not seen anyof the dishesrepeated in subsequent dinners.

Tinapay ensaymada bun served with liver spread.Check out how fluffy that bun is and how beautifully whipped that butter turned out.

Lumpiang sariwa savoury crepe of sauteed vegetables served with soy-caramel peanut sauce.

Kinilaw Filipino ceviche: melange of seafood in spiced calamansi dressing.

Half time drinks: the taste reminded me of banana lollies.

Habhab “Lucban” noodle dish with chicken, vegetables and spiced vinegar. We were encouraged to eat this with our fingers, needless to say it got messy really fast.

Bicol Express tender pork belly and butterflied prawn in chilli-coconut sauce.

Caldereta grilled beef sirloin and vegetables served with rich “caldereta” sauce.

Ice scramble streetside ice blended treat topped with powdered milk and chocolate sauce.

Sapin-sapinpurple yam frozen parfait, jackfruit leche flan, pandan sponge, toasted coconut and coconut “latik” caramel sauce.

Jay and Kim have always been wonderful hosts and they take great pride in their cooking. It has been so amazing to be exposed to the delicious flavours from their origins.

Good luck trying to get into their next dinner. I might see you there.

😉

While casually shopping in Costco, I walked past the freezer section that I don’t often venture past only to find myself slowly reversing and pressing my face up to the glass. Do my eyes deceive me? Was that really what I thought it was?

Yes ladies and gentlemen. Costco Canberra (for now) is selling The Cheesecake Factoryoriginal cheesecake ($21.89), complete with graham cracker crust and the smooth cheesecake filling that we all know and love. Upside: it is all pre-cut and equally portioned for your convenience with a paper dividers; it’s the original cheesecake so you can dress it up however you like it (I had mine with berries, passionfruit, my friend added Nutella) and it tasted like I never left Hawaii.

Downside: the serving suggestion was to thaw it in the fridge for 8-12 hours (ain’t no body got time for that, I just left it on the counter until I was ready to eat it); our pineapple isn’t as sweet so I can’t replicate my favourite flavour.I take no responsibility with what you do with this information.

It’s finally getting warmer in Canberra and with it comes all the social activities involvingfood! Get excited Canberra!

5th November ~ Beer Day Out

For all the beer drinkers out there, Beer Day Out is happening again!

Beer Day Out is going back to Thoroughbred Park in 2016. Saturday Nov 5 will see some of the best breweries Australia and New Zealand have to offer along side some of Canberra’s top eateries.This year we are introducing The Festival Bar which will pour a special beer supplied by each brewery attending. We are also introducing the BDO beer paddle; so you can try even more delicious brews. The BeerDiva is back running her acclaimed beer masterclasses alongside all round TV personality Paul Mercurio who will hosting cooking with beer masterclasses. DJ’s, beer games, trivia and roving entertaimant will round an awesome day of hops and happiness!

12th November ~ The Forage

Its the last one for the year folks, better get yourselves down there. There will be a live dessert demo by Ali King from Zumbo’s Just Desserts

Our next event will be held onSaturday the 12th of Novemberat The Little National Hotel in Barton. Come and join us for the last Forage of the year starting at 2pm until 7pm. Come by for some of THE BEST Street Food, Beverages & Live Music Canberra has to offer.

18th November ~ The Forage will have food on Friday night at the Undercurrent Design Market

The market kicks off 5pm Friday 18 November with live music and a night feast with food from The Forage. The market runs onSaturday 19th November 10am – 5pm and Sunday 20th November 10am – 3pm.

18th – 19th November ~Food and Wine in the Laneway

If you love wine, you better buy your tickets ASAP!

The Canberra District’s wineries are coming to the heart of the city so that over two evenings you can enjoy the region’s best wine and food without leaving the city limits. The event will be lit with festoon lights, local musicians will provide the soundtrack to the evenings and the great street art in Tocumwal Lane will provide the backdrop. This 18-19 November head to the city to enjoy all the region has to offer.

9th – 18th December ~ The Commons Street Feast is coming!

And boy, the line up looks spectacular! Did you see their butler option? Oh my!

Indulge your sensesatThe Commons Street Feast inCommonwealth Park this summer.From the 9-18 of December you’ll be able to feast your way through The Commons with someof Australia’s best food trucks, artisan chefs, craft brewers and more.

Canberra will be The Commons national debut feast, opening for dinner each night across the ten days plus lunch on weekends from 12pm.

The Commons is a free event and is open to all ages, with licensed 18+ bar areas on site.

Explore the very best food, wines and craft beer at The Commons this December.

16th – 17th December~Burgers, BBQ & Beer Markets

I like two out of three of those things! Count me in!

Calling all Burgers, BBQ and Beer lovers, mark Friday 16 December and Saturday 17 December in your diaries!In the City Canberra will be turning Civic Square into a foodies dream – something you won’t want to miss! This will be the first food theme of our new series of food festivals that are being held as part of this year’s Christmas In The City.The Burgers, BBQ and Beer Markets will be under a canopy of Christmas Lights that will be replacing the Lights Tunnel that ran along City Walk in 2015, and will raise vital funds for Red Nose and their important contribution to our community

I also have heard multiple whispers of Goodberry’s opening in Gungahlin(??). It’s all happening in the capital!

It had not been 12 hours since we arrived home when TimmyC asked me if I wanted to eat breakfast at home or out. After 13+ years together, you’d think he would know the answer to that question. I had the exact place in mind of where I wanted brunch as soon as I was back in Canberra; the newly opened Teddy Picker’s in Campbell.

As we drove past roads lined with parked cars, it wasreminding me of the almost impossible car parking situation in Braddon but we eventually found a spot a short stroll away. We were met with a relatively short line and we were told it was going to be a 10-15 minute wait until a table for two was available. With that, TimmyC ordered what appeared to be a very tiny small coffee ($4.00) and a Dream Cuisine croissant ($5.00) for whilst we waited outside.I love the funky interior setting of the cafe, the natural light through the windows makes it the perfect place to take food photos.Brunch is ready!Large flat white ($4.50). TimmyC said it was a nice smooth coffee but not the nicest one he has ever had.

The coffee hadbeautiful latte art before TimmyC dumped all the sugar on top.Vermont Chai infused tea recommended with soy ($5.50). I didn’t think the taste of chai was very strong but it was very milky and frothy.Pressed French toast blueberry custard, lemon yoghurt, macadamia ($17.50). There is an ever so slightly crunchy exterior of the French toast before you hit the squishy soft almost pudding-like centre. I like the subtle sweetness on the surface of the toast but I felt that the blueberry custard didn’t add anything except for visual effect. We really enjoyed the yoghurt + fresh blueberries + toasted macadamia combo.How soft and squishy does that French toast centre look!Eggs Benedict Christmas ham, smoked hollandaise, rye muffin, poached eggs ($16.90) + Teddy’s hash brown ($4.50). I think the Teddy’s hash brown makes everything better; add it to yourbenny,whopper, heck even your oats! I love how it was crunchy on the outside and soft and potatoey on the inside. TimmyC substituted the Christmas ham for Pialligo Estate bacon whichaccentuatedthe smokiness of the hollandaise. The rye muffin was a little tough to cut through but I really enjoyed this breakfast.

The big plate makes it look like something is missing from the breakfast.The eggs were cooked perfectly.This hash brown is what you need in your life right now!Double points to Teddy Picker’s for an awesome extensive tea menu and their collaboration with local businesses such as Tea Garden Co and Red Brick Espresso.

Once we were seated, the wait staff were very attentive, friendly and efficient. There wasn’t a long wait time for our food after ordering and our water bottle was never empty. I cannot wait to go back and try more of their menu.

Venue: Teddy Picker’s

Address:53/65 Constitution Ave, Campbell ACT 2612

Phone: no phone number- don’t bother booking, they only take walk ins

Facebook://www.facebook.com/teddypickersest2016/

They even have a cute ‘dog bar’ area for your furry companions.

After coming home from a holiday, one of the first things you have to do (besides mountains of laundry) is re-stock the fridge. For this and nearing the end of my toilet paper supply, I found myself at Costco- the little slice of America we have here.

While we were at Kauai island, it was suggested to me to visit the Costco store to see all the items that we wouldn’t see in our stores back in Oz. Here are just some of the random things I saw as we made our way through the store.BBQ beef brisket sandwichUSDA choice beef brisket, BBQ sauce, coleslaw($4.99). I ordered a beef brisket sandwich and it came out really oily, the bun was way too sweet for my liking and I didn’t finish it. The sausage in the hot dog was nicer and bigger than ours but the cheese pizza tasted exactly the same as back home.

It looked nice on one side and dripping with oil on the other.I swear the Home Alone movie has made me addicted to cheese pizza.Our Australian membership got us into the store.We get chocolate pandas and they get ‘chocorooms’.Nothing really weird about this product, I just found the name amusing.‘Stranger things’ fans can squeal like I did.Croissant or sausage and egg for breakfast? Why not have both?This made me stop in my tracks… A whole roasting pig. What the?!Different versions of poke salad.They sell massive chicken pot pies! I want this is Australia.What I found very useful as a tourist in the store were their deals on Mauna Loa macadamia nuts and Hawaiian Host chocolate, both recommended to me by my Mum when she went earlier this year. They were cheaper than buying them at other stores and made for a convenient souvenir for family.Despite the food area being outside, the layout of the Costco store in Hawaiiis very similar to ours. At times it didn’t feel like we were in another country, until we came across some of these unusualitems.

Of course it did…As soon as I left Canberra, all these exciting things open/happen.

1. Orexi– the new Greek restaurant inside the Hellenic club in Woden had a soft opening recently, so the restaurant shouldn’t be too far off from opening (or has? I can’t seem to see anything on their instagram account)

2. Eat Canberrais launching ‘Eat Canberra Food Tours’. This sounds pretty awesome and I can’t wait to see where the guides take people to showcase the best of Canberra’s dining scene

3.The Hungry Buddha is opening their Belconnen restaurant! They have a soft opening on the 20th but they have a great deal for all those who are interested in trying their new Belconnen ventureat a discounted rate: enjoy dinner for two for $50 until 30 June 2017 (save $56!). To participate, purchase an opening special voucher here before the 31st October 2016:www.deals.thehungrybuddha.com.au

4.The Duxton is hoping to re-open its doors later this month to show off their newly renovated bar which will include a roof top terrace!

5. The Forage– 22nd October 2-7pm I’m missing out on the last one of the year 😦 **update- due to bad weather The Forage has been postponed until 12th Nov 2016!

6. Molto down in Kingston foreshoreare finally doing wood fired pizza again!

7. Another bar across the border has also recently seen renovations. The Tourist Hotel in Queanbeyan offer a number of specials across the week but they have ALL YOU CAN EAT bourbon rubbed chicken wings EVERY DAY for $15!!!This has my name written all over it and I left to go on holidays. 😦 I will have to go ASAP when I get back

I’m home in time for-Lolo and Lola‘s next pop up dinner 16th Nov
I’m still waiting for-Oscy’s burger and charcoal and Le Bon Melange to open

I know I’m probably not going to get any sympathy for missing out but I hope you all enjoy what is on offer in Canberra while I’m away.

A follow on from my previous post “What? When did that happen?“, I amstill finding myself uttering these words as my grip of the Canberra diningscene seems to slowly be slipping through my fingers.

1.Buttermilk and bourbon fried chicken with waffles is coming to Woden. “Seriously, when did that happen?”

Okaythat was just a menu item, their actual name is No. 10 restaurant and bar.According to their Instagram account, the first week of October is when they plan to open. There are plenty of things on the menu that have caught my eye, check them out here.

2.Turkish Pide House City has now closed. “Seriously, when did that happen?”

Apparently forages!I drive past itall the time and always assumed it was there but now something new is taking itsspace. Hopefully not long to go.

3. Damian Brabender is finally opening his restaurant Otis . “Seriously, when did that happen?”

Technically this hasn’t happened yet for the public, but my friend was lucky enough to attend a soft launch and I cannot wait to eat one of everything from the menu. See a sneak peek from Michelle here.

4.Shannon’s BBQ is now closed. “Seriously, when did that happen?”

Or not paying their phone bill, I can’t tell sincetheir phone line is disconnected. This was also on my ‘to eat list’ but I never got around to eating there and now it looks like I never will. Does anyone know what happened to this place?

5. Rockin’ Ribs has now closed.“Seriously, when did that happen?”

I never made it to Rockin’ Ribs after Victor died but now the whole place iscompletely empty and available for lease. All the BBQ places seemed to have closed up shop in Canberra.

6. Fried Korean Chicken is coming to Dickson.“Seriously, when did that happen?”

I recently walked past and saw signs for Rogane Chimac opening next to Kingsland. I don’t know when it will open (or if it has already), but it didn’t look like it was far off. They have more than fried chicken, but does it really matter?

7. Gus’ is now closed.“Seriously, when did that happen?”

Now this is starting to show how little I venture into Civic and I’m probably the last one to know about this, but Gus’ cafe has been closed since around June(?!?). Gus’ has been around for so long, I was shocked to hear that it closed.

8. Mills and Grills is providing ribs and pizza to Canberra. “Seriously, when did that happen?”

According to my friends Mills and Grills have been open for ‘a long time’, which really means I need new friends or a better radar. They are loving their pizza but I want to try out their ribs. Check out the menu at here.

9. There is a restaurant out near the airport.“Seriously, when did that happen?”

It is called Helix bar and dining and located inside the Vibe hotel and a lot of reviews say it is over priced and the service is sub par. It doesn’t sound like a place that I want to rush out and try.

Has there been anything happening aroundthe Canberra dining scene that has got you asking “seriously, when did that happen?”

Get your diary and cross out whatever you thought you were doing this weekend and write ‘CURRY FESTIVAL’ all in caps.

The World Curry Festivalwill kick off this Friday 8th from 5:00PM with free entry. There will be curries (obviously) from around the world, curried beer and spiced cider,entertainment and of course you will have to check out what unusualice creamflavours Frugii has concocted for this event.

Venue:World Curry Festival

Address: City Walk, Civic

Dates and times:

8th July 5:00PM – 8:00PM

9th July 11:00AM – 8:00PM

10th July 11:00AM – 6:00PM

In the case of bad weather the event may be postponed, please click attending on the Facebook event for all the latest event updates.

It has been a few years since I had last been to The Polish White Eagle Club in Turner. Back then, the restaurant was called Kopernik and it was run by an older European couple. Fast forward a few years and the restaurant inside The Polish club is now Polo, the menu is more extensiveand the dining room ismuch busier.

Eating with foodie friends means ordering half the menu- tee hee!Pierogi – Polish dumplings in bacon and caramelised cabbage ($13.00). We chose ‘pork and chicken’ and ‘cheese and potato’ dumplings. I loved the added touch bacon and the caramelised cabbage but a dollopof sour cream would have been awesome. I preferred the pork and chicken between the two dumplings flavours.Crunchy kale new season kale crisps with slivered beetroot, crumbled goat cheese and plum dressing ($13.00). Technically it wasdescribed as ‘crispy kale’and crispy it was but it was cooked beyond being edible. As soon as I saw this, I knew the kale was over done and would be terrible andI suggested that my friend take it back but hejust ate some of the goats cheese and avoided the kale leaves.Blintz and mushrooms mushroom ragout with re-fried potato blintz and sour cream ($13.00). I found the blintz a bit bland by itself and it definitely neededthe sour cream and the delicious mushrooms. It was nice to share this with others but I wouldn’t orderjust this for my main.Veal schnitzel Polish style pan-fried, crumbed in sourdough rye, served with mashed potato and beetroot salad ($17.00).I didn’t mind the schnitzel but in comparison to other dishes, I probably wouldn’t order this again.Pork knuckle mash, baked apple, caramelised cabbage and salad ($24.00). Don’t be put off by its size, it is mainly bone; most people should be able to finish it easily. I liked the tender meatand the baked apple was a nice pairing.It is definitely ahearty meal during the colder months.Ricotta fritters cinnamon tossed ricotta dumplings with chocolate soil and mulberry sauce. yum ($10.00). We all decided that we had enough room to squeeze in one dumpling each (conveniently there were 5 doughnuts and there were 5 of us). I was really surprised how light and fluffy they were and probably could have had the whole plate to myself. It wasn’t until after we finished eating the dumplings did we notice that there wasn’t any chocolate soil but it didn’t need it. These were definitely worth ordering!Served hot and fresh, I think you could convince anyone to stay for dessert with you.The next time I come back, I would order the pierogi, pork knuckle and ricotta fritters.

Don’t forget that Polo does Pierogi and Polish pint deal on Wednesdays.Full menu available Thursday to SaturdayVenue: Polo Restaurant

Address:38 David Street,Turner, ACT 2612

Phone:0422 898 617

Opening times (from the website):The Polish White Eagle Club (Polo Restaurant and Polish Club bar) is now open Wednesday – Saturday eveningsfrom18.00. We’re also openevery second Saturday for lunchfrom11.00 on Continental Deli days or by appointment.

I was lucky enough todine as guest at a food blogger ‘Lunch by the lake’ at Molto Italianthanks to a lovely friendSerina (go check out her awesome blog here) and the very generous owners of Molto Italian.They offered us an Italian feast and although our meals were complimentary, all opinions are my own.

If anyone was a sceptic of Molto Italian, it would be me. My friends and I went to Tosolini’s many times and if it wasn’t the mediocre food, it was the very poor service which lead us to leave and eat dessert elsewhere . I was not a fan. So to hear that Carlo Tosolini had a new venture and it was another Italian restaurant, I was torn between my love of Italian food and being burned so badly before.Anyway, fast forward to present day- it is anew restaurant, new venture, new chefs and new beginnings; I was willing to give Molto Italian a chance. First came the ‘stuzzichini’ or finger food and then the food never stopped coming. It was truly an Italian feast.Stuzzichini

Mixed olives marinated in thyme, orange zest, garlic and extra virgin olive oil ($8.00). Delicious olives but the green ones were my favourite.Assortment of breadrosemary or garlic Tuscan flatbread sea salt schiacciatina with Sicilian extra virgin olive oil ($9.00). This was beautiful bread served warm. There was enough flavour on the bread already but I really enjoyed dipping my pieces into the EVOO.Zucchini flower stuffed with buffalo ricotta and served on a pea puree ($6.00). The zucchini flower was cooked perfectly leaving a crisp delicate batter over the flower encased with a well seasoned ricotta filling, all without bring oily.Suppli stuffed with asparagus andtallegiocheese ($16.00). During my first bite, I thought the filling was a bit bland and I wished it came with more sauce but the second bite- BAM! I got hit with a strong taste of cheese. Tallegio is a stronger cheese than I’m used to with a sharp taste and I’m not sure everyone would like it.Beef carpaccio truffle oil, testun barolo cheese and micro herbs($19.00). I love a good beef carpaccio; it is a fine line to balance the flavours of the beef, oil and cheese. There was a lovely flavour from the oil but italmost over powered the beef and the cheese.Swordfish carpaccio withpomegranateand fennel. The first thing I could taste was the delicious oil and then it had a subtle dish aftertaste. I liked that it was paired with the sweetness of pomegranate but I found all the flavours were too subtle for me and I preferred the beef.Pizza ~ are currently only available on weekendsSan daniele tomato,fior di latte, proscuitto crudo, rocket, shaved parmesan, and cherry tomato ($26.00). This was the first pizza that I tried and I fell in love. I really liked the base, the way it was cooked and the mozzarella was perfecto.Capriciossatomato, fior di latte, ham, artichoke, olive and mushroom ($25.00). I loved the flavour combination but I think I preferred the saltier notes in the San daniele with the proscuitto and parmesan.Regina margherita tomato, buffalo mozzarella, parmesan and basil ($20.00). Just when I thought the San danielle was the best, I then tried the classic marghertia; the most simple pizza and this was my absolute favourite hands down. Every ingredient had to be at its premium because there wasn’t much to hide behind. I would have loved a little more even basil placement though.Pasta

Spaghetti cacio e pepe (made at the table ($28.00). I felt sorry for Carlos as he served all 11 of us at the table really slowly so we could take photos; it looked like a huge wheel that would have been heavy to hold. After eating more pizza than expected (damn that was good), I had to have smaller amounts of pasta so I could taste all three, while also saving room for dessert.Now I love cheese more than the next person but man this was intense. I’m glad that I only had a small portion because the cheese flavour almost becamemonotonous and I am most surprised that I’m saying that (TimmyC would be shocked).I think I would have loved it if it had pieces of speck or some cured meat to go with it.These wheels of cheese are replaced every 3-7 days.House made ravioli with spinach and buffalo milk ricotta in burnt butter and sage ($28.00). I am usually sold on anything in a burnt butter sauce with sage and I would easily order this next time I’m here.I wish there was a tad more sauce to this pasta but I loved the crispy sage leaves.Squid ink seafood pasta. The chef had been working on new dishes for the upcoming winter menu (to be released soon) and this was one of them. After all the heavy rich cheese dishes, this had a refreshing chilli bite and I really enjoyed the crunchy texture on the top.They import what they think is the best squid ink pasta from Italy but I think the star of the dish was the accompanying seafood.Dolci

Nonna’s tiramisu ($15.00). I can never say no to a tiramisu and it is sad to say I’ve had more disappointments than good ones. This was nice but not the best I’ve had, it tasted more like whipped cream rather than a rich mascarpone mixture.The two ‘gripes’ that I’ve heard from others about Molto Italian were about the prices and about the noise.I know that Canberra’s dining scene can seem more expensive on an international scale as well as interstate, but all along the Kingston foreshore it seems to be next level.I had written my impressionof each dish before including the prices from the menu in my blog, but I felt that the prices were fair considering their import the best produce in their opinionto ensurequality authentic ingredients.We were lucky enough to have an early start before a busy lunch period butI didn’t notice a noise problem. This might be at night when the foreshore gets crazy busy.I would not have enjoyed as many dishes if I was coming with friends unless I invited 5+ people. Through this invitation, we were able to taste a large variety of the menu as well as preview some upcoming dishes from the winter menu and I am able to say that I enjoyed almost all the food that we were lucky enough to experience. I am excited to go back and try their upcoming winter menu.

Venue: Molto Italian

Address: Element Building, Eastlake Parade, Kingston Foreshore

Phone: (02)6140 7039