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You know how much we love food—and recently the HerCanberra team has had our palates set alight with some winter-y delights.
Here are eight dishes that have been warming us from the inside out.
Emma Macdonald (Associate Editor)
Bar Beruit’s Fried Cauliflower with Sumac Crème (City)
We always hit up Bar Beruit for truly exceptional cocktails (owner Soumi, is of course, a world champion mixologist). But we also cannot resist this little Middle Eastern gem’s incredible menu, which pumps out fragrant, spice-filled and sophisticated dishes.
The Fried Cauliflower with Sumac Crème, Bhar Aswad (black pepper) and Chilli is probably the best version of this humble vegetable that we have eaten. Using a secret mix of oils to get the perfect amount of crisp, the cauliflower is nutty and the heat of spices cuts through the oil. Honestly, you’ll become a cauliflower convert in an instant.
Beatrice Smith (Online Editor)
Tasting Menu at dada (Woden)
Dark and moody with just the right ‘hidden bolthole’ vibe for a winter’s night, dada in Woden is causing a lot of noise at the moment, for all the right reasons. I went with friends for a casual Friday night dinner which levelled up the moment we chose to order the $86 Tasting Menu. Featuring a fun mix of tasty Korean-inspired dishes like rice cake skewer (dada’s take on street food favourite tteokbokki) and fresh share plates like Beetroot with goat’s cheese and raita, it was a delicious and unexpected ride. Killer cocktails and mocktails too.
Soft Shell Crab Taco at Roy Jr. (City)
There’s a lot to be said for having a fun new café a stone’s throw from one’s office and for the HC team, new arrival Roy Jr. has been just that. The menu feels elevated enough for team lunches and special occasions but casual enough for a quick catch up or solo lunch date. Last time I visited I forced myself to order something other than the tacos (lest I have them three times in a row) but honestly, would that be so bad? Crispy, lightly battered crab perfection paired with zippy, crunchy salad and sauce. Are we in Spain? Maybe not. But it’ll do for now.
Fried Eggplant at Louis (Barton)
The newest feather in DOMA’s Inner South cap, newly-opened fine diner Louis was made for date night (and really any special occasion). Focusing on Provencale style French fare in a luxuriously appointed cave of a restaurant, make sure you order a starter of the Fried eggplant with mozzarella, capers, tomato and olive. “Fried” doesn’t really do this tasty, crunchy yet light dish justice—it’s truly the best way to slide from work day to decadent evening—glass of crisp French champagne optional.
Erin Cross (Editorial Coordinator)
Chilli Scramble Eggs from A Bite To Eat (Chifley)
I’m the kind of person to put chilli sauce on everything—and I mean everything. So when I sat down on a very cold, rainy morning at A Bite To Eat in Chifley and saw Chilli Scramble Eggs on the menu I knew I had to try it. And with balsamic glaze cherry tomatoes, pickled radish, char-grilled sourdough, chilli sambal with fried enoki mushroom (and the choice to add chorizo OR halloumi) I wasn’t disappointed.
The perfect mix of spicy, slightly sweet, and crunchy it’s truly a sensory experience for anyone who loves something with a bit of a kick. And it’s worth noting when the fried enoki mushroom hit my tongue, my eyes rolled back into my head, I saw stars and questioned everything I knew about life for a solid five minutes. I’ve been back twice for this meal alone.
Roy Jr.’s Good Life Bowl (City)
If you haven’t noticed, I love any kind of breakfast-y/brunch-y kind of food (eggs? Protein? Toast? It’s just so versatile!). So when Roy Jr. opened around the corner from my office, it felt like the perfect opportunity to taste test some new day-time eats. For me, the current stand out is the Good Life Bowl—it’s literally a goody with all the goods (think kale, spinach, broccolini, minted peas, quinoa, corn, avocado, halloumi, toasted nuts and seeds, turmeric vinaigree and poached eggs). Warming and incredibly filling, paired with a coffee it’s the perfect mix of comforting and healthy.
Literally the entire Winter Menu from Capitol Bar & Grill (City)
Sometimes the best thing is a simple dish done well—and the new winter menu at Capitol Bar & Grill is all that and more. Serving elevated classics with a twist, everything from the Spanner Crab Salad (served with Espelette pepper, chives, celery seed and toasted focaccia and hot sauce) to the mushrooms slow roasted in lemon myrtle butter caused the HC team to spend the night bickering over what is the best dish (this is still up for debate, so if you’d like to watch us get heated feel free to bring it up).
But what really made my night fantastic? The fact that the wonderful staff went above and beyond to mark on the menu what can be made gluten free—which is about 90 per cent of the offerings, including the tiramisu! I had to roll myself into the car to get home but it was worth going back for seconds. And then thirds.
Rob Thomas (Contributor)
Spiced Baked Eggs from RYE Café (Greenway and Braddon)
Warm up your winter with a combination of spice and heat with the Spiced Baked Eggs from RYE Café. A contemporary take on this classic breakfast dish; the eggs are baked with chickpeas, black beans and the capsicum provides a flavorful base complemented with pangrattato, goat’s curd and a slice of crisp garlic bread and a wedge of lemon to add zest to a delicious mix of textures and flavours. Combined with your choice of coffee it makes the perfect way to start the day on a cold winters’ morning.