There are some places I visit only to leave with wistful thoughts of an identical establishment magically opening its doors on the corner of my street overnight. The venue fairy does little to indulge my fantasies, but it doesn’t stop me hoping all the same. Leaving Black Pepper Cafe in Belconnen after a mid-week lunch had me slipping their business card under my pillow, willing my selfish fantasies of a venue fairy into fruition.
That rare cafe combination of good mood, good brew and good food was shining brilliantly for my visit, with many places I’ve dined at in the past only achieving an unsuccessfully sparse combination of the golden three, in that tricky equation of casual dining experience.
The neutralising organic hues of creamy chocolate, olive green and red-centre ochre are given a balanced contemporary edge courtesy of the geometric use of space and varying bright but welcoming tones of warm and cooling whites. Chilled out lounge tunes, a leafy tree lined facade and the largest painting of an aubergine I’ve ever seen were the cherry atop the icing of a rather appealing cake.
Whilst I’d love to continue praising the highly considered decor, there is another element more pressing to illuminate – the coffee. A former barista and general self-confessed coffee snob, finding a good Jo in Canberra is nigh impossible with the quest for seeking one fraught with shudder inducing abominations and genuine terror at the lack of crema in my latte. Not here, however. The Piazza D’oro cappuccino served to me was sensational. There was that essential but subtle hint of roasted bitterness, a thick crema strong enough to last the entire cup, perfect ratio of creamy foam to liquid achieving that utopian temperature of being pleasantly drinkable without downably tepid and, was finished lightly with a uniformed dusting of quality cocoa.
The quality of lunch ran along similar lines. Offering a fantastically varied menu inclusive of extensively considered gluten free and vegetarian options, as well as pastas, breads, seafood, salads and carnivorous concoctions designed to make Ogg the cave-man drool, I was stuck for choice. After a few apologetic “I’m not quite ready yet” glances at the very patient waitress, we decided on the Black Pepper bread selection, the Mediterranean Vegetable Stack and the Seared Beef and Bacon Farfalle.
The delicately textured wedges of fresh Turkish bread spread with a selection of semi dried tomato pesto, roast garlic and rosemary or green olive tapenade exuded such divinity I would (and will) happily make the pilgrimage back to Belconnen just for another hot and flavoursome hit of aforementioned carbohydrate heaven.
The Mediterranean Vegetable Stack of roasted field mushrooms, grilled eggplant, zucchini and capsicum on charred pumpkin bread with rocket, tahini, and basil lemon dressing arrived presented as a glistening tower of vegetarian delight, encompassed by a moat of pristine porcelain and modest stack of beer battered chips to one side. The perfect meal for those on a superficial health kick, you can consume your life extending essential oils, artisan bread, pesto’s and grilled to perfection vegetables without the unavoidable corollary dissatisfaction often associated with the healthier choice, driving you to dive at your dining companions steak, chunky fries or double chocolate thickshake the moment they turn their back. This dish is moreish, satisfying and comes complete with emergency supply of beer battered potato goodness, keeping all those little starch deprived endorphins happy for the day.
The Seared Beef and Bacon Farfalle combined caramelised onions and rocket in a cream, wine and tomato sauce finished with parmesan and extra virgin olive oil. The beef was seared to a warm, tenderly pink softness and compounded with the salty sweet bacon pieces, bowl-licking grade of creamy coagulated sauce and peppery lightness of fresh rocket leaves – it was a pasta equation I’d dearly love to attempt a re-creation of at home.
Although I had strictly put aside only 40 minutes to enjoy the offerings of Black Pepper, 2 hours later I was still sitting there considering a third coffee and wondering if any of my fellow diners would notice if I did actually stick my head in the already spoon-scraped clean pasta bowl. It is a wonderful destination for a scrumptious breakfast, blissful brunch or rebelliously over-extended lunch.
