We’ve seen blackboards chalked with ‘cronuts’, menus emblazoned with ‘quinoa-everything‘ and afternoon tea seekers fall for the ever-popular ‘bejewelled macaroon’.
In 2014, Paleo dishes screamed onto the Canberra scene. From the quiet that I now hear, the hype has calmed right down. We had a surge of molecular gastronomy that drained wallets and left folk feeling just generally hungry; and, still trumpeting on with enthusiasm – the all-hail-kale bandwagon.
Recent times, though, have seen a small shift in Canberra food trends. Locals are experiencing more back-to-wholesome-basics and venues are hearing the growing demand for what I’ve coined ‘patch-to-plate’ dining options.
Chefs are getting savvy in their kitchens and gardens with ‘housemade’ ingredients and, emerging at a rapid rate, beautifully made (and damn tasty) classic pastries worth blowing calories and the extra $$$ on.
If you talk to Lauren of Little Lauren Catering and Ricardo’s, the secret to pleasing today’s diners is crafting a meal. “That’s the next level up from preparing it yourself at home, but that’s not too food-sciency or too far away from being real, wholesome food.”
We’re done with the likes of ‘olive oil foam’ or ‘frozen Parmesan air’ (Good Lord!). Take, for example, Belucci’s in Manuka. Lauren says, “This place does great rustic, wholesome dishes. They’ve nailed the ‘step-up-from-home’ on the head.”
The call for more choice in interesting, nourishing, meal-sized salads is always on the rise. “Move on, boring old Niçoise,” Lauren says with a laugh. “There’s so many other yummy leafy options to get stuck into.”
Head to Double Shot in Deakin for leafed-plates of borlotti beans with sunflower seeds and pomegranate or Sweet Bones in Braddon for bowls of greens with marinated tofu and cashew tamari. In September, Woden will see the opening of a new Ricardo’s and one signature dish is bound to nourish bellies: Lauren’s Miso Chicken Salad.
Salads, like any other food or dish, taste ten times better when you know the ingredients have been cultivated locally or picked with a little love and care. Chefs know this too, and there are many throughout Canberra who are now utilising all sorts of commercial nooks, rooftop spaces and even their own back yards to plant beets, groom carrots and take up the fantastic art of beekeeping. Capital Bar & Grill in NewActon has an apiary on the rooftop so, come morning, breakfast goers can scoop their own honey from a slice of comb on display.
Kim is the owner and chef from Ink Bake Grill – the newest café on Deakin’s block. Kim grows her own mizuna (Asian greens), baby cos, and decorative kale in the courtyard entrance. She can literally pluck from her patch, rinse off and plate for lunch the very same day. Kim produces a lot in-house – including developing stocks, making a 16-hour sourdough, curing her own bacon and constructing her own chocolates.
For me, it’s her pastries that, for want of a better line, take the cake. They rival many of the sweet and flaky options that Knead Patisserie in Belconnen do so well.
Knead’s Lemon Ricotta Poptart is a fabulous mouthful, but in my opinion, Kim’s simple, traditional croissant is probably the best I’ve had in the years since leaving Europe. Tear it in half and dunk an end in your coffee or simply eat it straight. It really is the best croissant in Canberra.
Kate Walker
AGreenBean
