Ricardo's Cafe, Macquarie

"Flower of this purple dye, Hit with Cupid’s archery, Sink in apple of his eye."

- A Midsummer night's dream

Like many other interesting little haunts in the Capital, word of mouth is definitely more potent than any other advertisement. 

J was eager to show me this little patisserie/cafe nestled in a rather unassuming corner of Jamison Plaza.

Upon entering the rather busy cafe on a Thursday afternoon, I was immediately entranced by the beautiful display of cakes and pastries glistening on display by the front counter. 

Cakes and pastries on display

"Is that really a cheesecake?" I asked J in awe. 

The cakes and pastries looked amazing. Almost too surreal and perfect to be edible. I was torn between the irresistibly hipster cronuts and the incredible cakes on display. 

"You could always get both," J offered. 

Ah, maybe for another day then.

We decided to get some real lunch under our belt first. I ordered the open lamb sandwich, which sounded fantastic on the menu, but unfortunately was a bit of a let down in terms of taste. It was definitely generous in its proportions, but it just wasn't quite as tasty as it sounded. In my opinion, it was a bit lacking in contrast of taste and texture. Maybe it needed a proper salad on the side to cut through the rather homogenous tasting dish. A few sprouts sprinkled on top really did not do much for its flavour. Its presentation also left something to be desired.

J's gourmet burger looked more appealing and was quite substantial in size. (Although arguably, it is quite pricey for a burger) The burger was served in focaccia bread and had a side of undercooked fries. 

Top: Gourmet Burger $14.90 (with chips $17.90). Bottom: Open lamb sandwich $9.90.

Well, I guess Ricardo's Cafe is really better known for its pastries and dessert.

We ordered an Apple cheesecake to share, although we had to fork out a bit extra for the ice-cream on the side.

Not sure if it was due to hyped up expectations, but the taste of the cheesecake seemed rather ordinary next to the sheer spherical perfection and technical complexity of the cake. It was quite nice, don't get me wrong. And it's definitely something worth trying at least once. It's certainly impressive looking enough to show off on Facebook or Instagram, but I'm not sure if the taste was good enough to make me crave it enough to make it a regular event.

The inside of the cake had a small layer of rather soft biscuit 'crumble', a substantial amount of cheesecake-y filling to make the bulk of the 'apple' and a gooey cinnamon and apple layer that tasted a bit like cold McDonald's apple-pie filling (mind you, I do like a good Maccas apple pie.)

Above: Apple Cheesecake $8.90.

Perhaps I was unlucky with my order choices this time. Who knows, surely the crowd knows something I don't?

I'm still keen to try a cronut one day though :).

~~
Jamison Plaza 
Bowman Street
Macquarie, ACT 2614

 http://ricardoscafe.com/

Hana Hana, Sydney CBD

 I thought I'll make a quick mention of this little cafe/restaurant on the outskirts of Chinatown/ Haymarket. Hana Hana is the quieter younger sibling of a number of other Japanese outlets in Sydney including Wagaya and Takeru. It is located at the corner where once upon a time, the French Riviera ice cream shop used to sit perched on the edge of one of the many entrances to Darling Harbour.

Downstairs, the restaurant serves Japanese food (mainly bento box sets). But our usual haunt was upstairs where they serve dessert :). 

The place was quiet when we arrived (despite it being late lunch hour), and we made our way upstairs to another seating area decorated with pretty patterned fabric and simple wooden furniture. The upper level seating area seemed equally empty with only a mother and her toddler enjoying ice cream near the windows. A lone waitress was preparing desserts at the little open plan preparing area whilst we scouted out the ice cream display, which included all your classic Asian flavours such as green tea and black sesame.

However, we were quickly entranced with the idea of a Green tea parfait.

Left: Patterned lighting. Right: Green tea parfait $5.90.

The parfait consisted of an interesting combination of flavours and textures. There was a modest sized scoop of green tea ice cream, a chocolate wafer, some chewy mochi, crunchy cornflakes (an interesting touch, totally Japanese :)), sweet red bean paste (anko), and cream and green tea pudding at the bottom. Yum! Although, I'm not a huge fan of the mochi (which was chewy, but didn't have that much taste when compared to the rest of the parfait), the parfait was pretty satisfying overall. The dessert was not overly sweet (and may not satisfy people who like their sugar), but rather subtle, light and pretty refreshing.

Great place for your green tea ice cream fix!

~~

5/209 Thomas St
Sydney, NSW 2000

http://yesfood.com.au/hanahana.html

Umi Sushi, Darling Quarter

If there is one cuisine which I've missed most since I've moved to Canberra, it would have to be good Japanese food. Not the teriyaki or udon/ ramen , but rather good quality sushi and sashimi.

Granted, ever since I visited Tsukiji fish markets in Tokyo a couple of years ago (pre-radioactive fish era), sushi has never been quite the same in Australia. But, comparatively speaking, the fresh seafood in Sydney is excellent (I've just been spoilt), and I have been craving it since moving 3 hours inland.

Thus, I was super excited to hear about a new sushi train at the Darling Quarter. 

To my knowledge Umi sushi has another sushi train just inside the George Street Event cinemas, but I must say that this location is much better.

The new Darling Quarter has become quite a busy little foodie strip located beside the playground. Umi sushi sits nestled amongst the throng of new restaurants in the area and appears to be one of the more popular ones there, handsomely furnished with a moody dark wooden interior with subtle Japanese style accents.

When we arrived around Thursday lunch hour, the place was packed  with people sitting at the sushi train, sitting outside and ordering a la carte, and standing at the top of the train packing take-away boxes of sushi. 

It took a little while, but we finally managed to get the attention of one of the staff to put our name 

for the waiting list. The poor waiter looked extremely harassed, scribbled something down before shoving a ticket stub in my hands and hurrying off. We waited for a good 20 or so minutes before one of the side tables jutting out of the sushi train was available. It seemed like the place was a bit understaffed though, as it was incredibly difficult to grab the attention of a waiter just to get a glass of water (and later to get the bill), and when they did, the service was abrupt and a bit distracted. 

I spied a notice on the wall saying that as a lunchtime special, all sushi were $3.60 Mon-Thurs (excluding sashimi). So we ignored all the plate colours and went straight for the rather impressive range of sushi.

There was quite a wide selection (not skimping on the good stuff, unlike some sushi trains where their range of pricier/ fancier sushi are restricted when they have a set price special). The sushi was all beautifully presented and fresh, although they were not particularly large. (I've seen larger scallop sushi for $3.60) But it is Sydney CBD, so I'm not particularly surprised at the price.

Overall, Umi sushi served some pretty delicious sushi, although it is a bit on the pricier side, even with the lunch special. Service is sparse, but the atmosphere was busy and lively.

~~

Shop TR10 Darling Quarter, 

1 Harbour St
Sydney, NSW

https://www.facebook.com/UmiSushiRestaurant

Khao Pla, Chatswood

 "There's no place like home"- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Now, I'm pretty sure that I've walked past this place a couple of dozen times before I actually tried it. Perhaps it was due to it's out of the way location. It is located just off the main street of the very multicultural hub of Chatswood, in a street that is more of a thoroughfare for cars shuttling between the two major shopping centres rather than a place with particularly high pedestrian flow. 

The few times I went past it, I thought it looked small, dark and not particularly busy (guess it must have been the time of day) so it took me quite some time (after starting to get a bit bored with my usual haunts) before I finally decided to give it a shot. 

My own fault for judging by appearance.

Khao Pla is not Newtown Thai. It's purpose is not to fill up hungry uni students with cheap and copious amounts of Pad Thai and Pad See Ew. In a way, it reflects what I find Chatswood is slowly becoming since I last visited.

Fast, Vibrant, simple, tasty, nicely presented Thai food (in hipster black crockery) in modest serving sizes with a pretty good value lunch menu (Monday to Fridays).

The decor is dark and industrial, broken up by bursts of colour in the form of yellow metal stools. Black and white snapshots of a land so far removed from Sydney's North Shore span like a mural across the far wall in a teasingly "Wish you were here" way. The entry area is divided from the seating by what seemed to be a wire fence. At the back of the small restaurant, you can peak into a neat and bustling kitchen where the chefs churn out steaming bowls of Tom yum (wow, $5 for a small bowl? Wonder how small...) and plates of stir fried noodles. It was a bit stuffy however, with undetectable air-con, despite it being a moderately warm Spring Sydney day, so I wonder how the place will be in the Summer.

The staff were efficient and cheery, rapidly ushering us into a table near the windows at the front with views of the street and setting down cutlery in a tin bucket, menus and a bottle of water and glasses without prompting. 

Top left: Signage. Top middle: BBQ Pork with rice ($10). Top bottom: Pad See Ew with Beef ($11)

The food came out quickly, still warm from the wok. The BBQ Pork was delicious with a slight smokey, char-grilled flavour that was nicely complemented with the tangy dipping sauce. The Pad See Ew was also very tasty, and generous with it's beef and veggies. Overall, the food (and the fairly small bill afterwards), left us pretty satisfied.

No wonder really. It turns out that the head chef here has their own share of accolades having worked at other well known Sydney establishments such as Spice I am, Mr Wong and Ms G.

Looks like I've stumbled across a winner here! Hitting myself for not discovering it sooner.

~~
Shop 7 -
 370 Victoria Ave 
Chatswood, NSW

https://www.facebook.com/KhaoPla

August 2013 - Adore Tea, Nicholls

“'Yes, that's it!' Said the Hatter with a sigh, 'it's always tea time.'”

- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

I have always loved a good cup of tea and heard many good things about this little tea house on the outskirts of Canberra (about a 20 min drive from the city centre), so when the occasion arose, I quickly jumped at the opportunity to visit this place.

The tea house is situated just around the corner from the Cockington Green miniature gardens, in a little market/square area across the road from an adorable little chapel and other unique shops selling various nick-nacks.There is both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a gift shop selling their range of teas and various tea making paraphernalia.

It was a lovely sunny winter afternoon when we arrived, so we opted to sit outside in the sunshine. It did end up being a bit too hot for us after a while, but the very obliging staff were happy to lower the blinds of the little plastic cafe shelter when we asked. 

The staff were friendly, attentive and had a contagiously upbeat attitude. They were very knowledgeable about their menu and tea (I think the waiter said that there's something like 300 types!) and were happy to offer their recommendations and give us an idea of what the various teas tasted like.

We ended up ordering a pot of tea each from their extensive tea menu, and a few nibbles to share. There was a high tea option, but I believe you need to book beforehand for that and it's only available on certain days.

Clockwise from top left: White Peach Black tea and a Pina Colada fruit infusion. Dutch Poffertjes with whipped cream. 

Blackberry tasting plate. Scones with clotted cream and jam.

The tea arrived first on their little tea-light burners. As this was our first time there, the waiter gave us a quick 'Tea-brewing 101' lesson on how long to infuse for and when to fish out the metal infuser with the loose leaf tea leaves. 

My White Peach tea definitely smelt of lovely sweet peaches, but it tasted more like normal tea (but I guess that's expected with many of these 'flavoured' teas). I still enjoyed it, although it did seem like a lot of fluid to chug down in one sitting (I think I managed to get a good 4-5 cups out of the teapot). The Pina Colada tea had a very pretty reddish colour and had a slightly sour aftertaste, which was not really my cup of tea (pun intended), but my friends quite enjoyed it.

After seeing other tables ordering beautiful pyramids of poffertjes served with butterscotch syrup, we were expecting great things from it. It tasted alright, but were a little small and did not quite live up to what we were expecting based on its very enticing appearance.

Similarly, we were expecting a lot more from the Blackberry tasting plate based on its menu description. It came with a spoonful of berries in syrup, a shot-glass size of jelly (that tasted a bit like the aeroplane jelly), a tiny little berry cheesecake and a small scoop of blackberry sorbet. Unfortunately nothing here really tasted special.

But the scones were the saving grace and definitely the highlight of the lot. They were soft, crumbly and slightly warm and served with delicious strawberry and raspberry jam and clotted cream. Prior to this, I was never really a huge fan of scones or jam, but this has definitely made me a convert.

Overall, we did enjoy our visit although we may give the tasting platter a miss next time. Have heard good things about the high tea service here, but I think it's best to come with a nice empty stomach for that (and an empty bladder :P).

~~

Adore Tea

Shop 6, Federation Square One
18 O’Hanlon Place
NICHOLLS ACT 2913

http://www.adoretea.com.au/Adore-Tea-Gold-Creek-26.html

 

August 2013 - Pod Food, Pialligo

"If you look the right way, you can see the whole world is a garden"

- The Secret Garden

One thing that I quickly learned about Canberra since moving here, is that you can feel a world away after a very short drive.

 It was chilly and overcast Canberrean morning, when I first visited Pod Food for a nice long brunch and a long overdue catchup with friends.  

"Are we lost?" said K. 

Indeed, it did seem like a fairly bizarre place for us to have brunch. 

Pod Food is located in Pialligo, in a little turnoff just before the airport. As we drove along, the road got narrower and bumpier as it curved through a series of nurseries, orchards and garden supply shops. 

At last, we turned into what seemed like another nursery into a small rubble-strewn parking area and parked under a cherry blossom tree, just on the cusp of budding. 

Leisurely, we made our way down the garden path to the little restaurant nestled peacefully amongst the plant-life. It's like we're completely removed from all the industrial starkness of nearby Majura Park and have stepped into a lush, green slice of country-side.

We had made a booking online previously, so we were quickly ushered in upon arrival by an attentive waitress who also hung up our coats on their little coat rack by the door. The restaurant is pretty small, but cozy and well lit. Beautiful long stemmed red roses adorned each table in simple vases.

With thoughtful prodding, we concluded yep, they're definitely real.

Coffee was decent and arrived soon after ordering, but we had more trouble deliberating over what to order from the menu. 

Normally, I'm a sucker for a good salmon eggs benedict, but the smoked river trout and its promise of avocado caught my eye this time.

Above left: Beautiful fresh roses. Top right: M's Salmon Eggs Benedict ($18). 

Middle right: Smoked River Trout, avocado, beetroot, onion, radish, soft free range eggs, miche bread ($18).

Bottom right: Gooey eggy goodness.

The service wasn't particularly fast, just long enough for people to chat and catch up. But not a place to go if you're in a hurry to get elsewhere.

When the food came, to be honest, I was a bit surprised at my dish. It was very artistically arranged, but I ended up staring at it for a while, trying to figure out where the trout went O_O. 

Turns out the trout was in mousse form next to two (very nicely gooey) eggs (took me a little while to figure out). It was very nice in all, although I was hoping for some actual smoked trout slices based on the menu description. The caramelized onion was sweet and tasty and played well with the creaminess of the egg and avocado, but the trout mousse was a bit light on the trout flavour. But I am definitely a fan of that nice, just set egg :)

Had to google what 'miche' bread was. Turned out to be a type of French sourdough. I found it alright, although a bit tough, but K wasn't that much of a fan. 

M had the Salmon Benedict that she said was pretty good as well. It looked a bit small and compact on the large plate though. 

But then, we did eye some of the other tables ordering what looked like a very nice brioche french toast with berries and ice-cream :P. 

So this is definitely a place we'll visit again!

~~

Pod Food

12 Beltana Rd,

Pialligo.
www.podfood.com.au/

 

The Beginning

Ok.

I've done it.

Really shouldn't have.

But I did. So there. 

I'm joining the vast legion of food-snappers in cyberspace.

...

This is a food blog about the sleepy little capital of Australia called Canberra. I've moved here a short while ago from a place a lot bigger, busier and with much more traffic to seek knowledge and glory in a place with much more breathing space. Hence, I hope to document some of my little culinary adventures and perhaps prove to skeptics that there ARE in fact a few redeeming features of 'the Can'. 
 

My name is...actually, I really cannot tell you.  

Thus, this blog, like myself, shall remain nameless.

  

Innominate- (Latin: Innominatus) adj. Having no name. Nameless. Anonymous.

Innominate bone - Hip bone. Where the food would end up if I don't get off my butt and exercise.