Sheltered quietly away behind manicured hedges and shady evergreens on what would otherwise be the noisy corner of Girrawheen and Northbourne, lives a small family run restaurant which has established itself as much a part of the Canberra landscape as roundabouts and winter frosts. Nestled contently in its cosy nook, The Haig Italian Restaurant filled a pretty big hole in my Monday night routine. A long day in an office followed by near freezing temperatures and overcast skies, sent looking presentable enough to go to a restaurant and sustain coherent table manners right to the bottom of my priorities. Upon crossing the Threshold of the Haig, however, every grumble I had simply vanished.
The classic styled wood panelling along walls quirkily dressed by gilt gold frames and vintage Italian movie posters emanated such a comforting glow I immediately regretted thinking twice about venturing to dinner. The relaxed atmosphere wooed me towards an intimate table setting alongside expansive windows, complete with a set of miniature salt and pepper shakers, single flickering tea-light and wine glasses glinting seductively from their pedestals. With the soft easy music and sensationally kind hospitality from husband and wife owners Leslie and Rob (also head chef), I bathed in the contentment of watching people outside rush mindlessly through the seasonal chill to get somewhere neither as warm nor comfortable as my table at The Haig.
Even a quick peruse of the delicious menu will show you the emphasis here is on quality local produce, sourced and prepared freshly to maintain the integrity of colours, flavours and textures present in the ingredients.
No Italian meal would be complete without some pre-entree carbohydrates. The moreish round of smoky sweet garlic, heat blistered cheese and softly pounded dough which graced the table didn’t disappoint – further stimulating my appetite for the much anticipated mains.
Entrees consisted of a goats cheese ravioli dressed with roast capsicum, olives, baby capers and a bowl-licking balsamic drizzle, as well as seared scallops resting on a tomato and garlic confit drizzled with zingy dill and lime dressing, presented attractively and conveniently in white sip-sized spoons. A new contender for the menu, the ravioli achieved textural Zen with its combination of lively crunch, rustic roasted flavours and mellow cheesy softness, whilst the scallops packed a really surprising flavour hit for their misleadingly dainty size.
The best was yet to come however, with pork presented for the main meal which I’ll be raving about for the next 6 years at least. The Menu describes it as a “Grilled Pork Steak served on a Potato and Bacon Cake, topped with Dried Fruit Chutney and an Orange and Bundaberg Rum Reduction.” Whilst technically the description is spot on, I need to add a few key elements to do the dish further justice. The pork steak was the most succulently juicy, salivatingly flavoursome piece of any kind of steak I’ve ever had the pleasure to sample and, the “Dried Fruit Chutney” is a thick, sweetly satisfying coagulation of figs and apricots, taken to a higher level by the delectable addition of mustard seeds popping with smoky flavour. The dish was presented beautifully as a balanced amber tower on a simple white plate, and I was very sorry to see the end of the meal. A Kamberra Wine Company Sparkling (selected from a very well balanced wine list once again featuring wonderful local fare) bursting with soft citrus notes complimented the meal perfectly.
A tender, medium rare eye fillet of Beef stuffed with house made pesto, resting calmly on a bed of asparagus spears and port reduction also found its way to our table – and at the risk of sounding clichéd – the pesto/port combination is to die for.
Dessert encompassed a flawless and velvety smooth panacotta crowned with fresh strawberries, as well as a strawberry lasagne (the brain child of Leslie), consisting of 3 circular layers of wafer thin sweet pastry, blushing pink cream, strawberries and a delicate dusting of superfine icing sugar. It provided a very satisfying crack under the pressure of my eager silver spoon…
Overall, The Haig provided a warm, unobtrusive yet friendly atmosphere with amazing food reflective of Chef Rob’s 32 year international career. The venue itself is both immaculate and homely, offering intimate seating options for dinner for 1, expansive settings for bigger parties, or anything else in-between.
Both the food and beverage menu’s provide options for all tastes, appetites and preferences, and happily the toughest part of my night was deciding whether to relax with the seductive red, spritzy white… or a little bit of both.
