Me and Mrs Jones

Name: Me & Mrs Jones
Type: Café/Restaurant
Location: Kingston shops
Meal: Late breakfast/early lunch
Food et: Steak burger

My sister and I decided to hit up Me & Mrs Jones for breakfast one Sunday morning. Apparently my sister knows friends of friends of the owners or something and wanted to try it out so she could report back that she had been there or something…I dunno, I was tired hungry and just went where I was led. This may have had something to do with the night before and because of said night before; we actually ended up getting to the joint at about midday, closer to lunch than breakfast.

The indoor seating area was packed, which was a shame because it’s a pretty cool space. It reminded me of a London train station, or somewhere in old America (Boston maybe?), with brick lined walls and industrial furniture. However, despite the industrial feel, it’s quite a warm and welcoming space. It reminded me of something you would find in a trendy Melbourne suburb, a welcome change to a somewhat stiff Kingston. The atmosphere inside was buzzing, with everyone seemingly happy to be there.

We ended up yoinking the last table available in their small outdoor seating area, which is enclosed (thankfully) and a little away from the main restaurant, to allow for street traffic in between.

I ordered a decaf flat white and a Cirtus Crush frappe – both of which came out promptly. The flat white was really tasty – something that is hard to achieve when decaf is involved (I’m allergic to caffeine, leave me alone coffee snobs!). The frappe was cold and refreshing, giving me the vitamin hit I sorely needed.

As it was nearer to lunch time and I decided that I needed something with salty, greasy chips, I ordered the steak sandwich. The steak sandwich includes steak (duh!), blue cheese, lettuce, tomato and aoli. Served with chips – huzzah!

Gotta say, this wasn’t the greatest steak sandwich of all time. The bread was crunchy, the meat was tender and the blue cheese wasn’t too strong (which can overpower dishes easily) – but there just wasn’t a whole lot of flavour. I think a tomato chutney or chilli jam would have really capped it off. The chips were crunchy and salty and everything I wanted, although they were a little bit oilier than I would have liked. (edit: I just checked the menu online and it said it has a “pinot noir jam” – but I don’t remember it, so it wasn’t a lot or it wasn’t very strong). The cute little jar of aoli for dipping was a nice touch, and the chips were delicious dunked in.

But then, mid bite in to my burger, I found this amongst the layers:

It was rolled up originally, so we figured it was a piece of glad wrap that had been covering salad leaves and had accidentally fallen in to the mix. Thankfully I found it before it went in my mouth, because that would have been an especially chewy mouthful. I informed the waitress about it and she was extremely apologetic and ran off to let the kitchen know to look out for any further pieces that may have escaped to green leafy freedom.

Apart from the plastic and the general lack of flavour, in the end I was full and happy – and wanted a nap.

K ordered the Smashing Avocado, which consisted of smashed avocado, Persian fetta, pine nuts and poached eggs on a soy and linseed bread.

As soon as this was put down in front of K, I automatically wished I’d ordered it too. It’s a simple idea that looks fantastic, is a perfect size and is a healthy but tasty option. K said that it was awesome and that she wanted to try her own variations at home.

The service at Me & Mrs Jones was great. The waitress who was running the outdoor area was polite, friendly and attentive. It took us a while to get glasses for the water on our table, but that was the only issue (and I’d ordered other drinks so I wasn’t desperate). All the staff I spoke to where really remorseful and concerned about the plastic I’d found and handled the situation well (short of comping my meal – but that would have made me feel guilty anyway).

Verdict: I really enjoyed my experience at Me & Mrs Jones. It’s a cool place, trendy but welcoming. The staff are friendly, the atmosphere is pleasant and the food is interesting but dependable. I've been back for dinner twice since I wrote this review and it's been great - try the Brulee. Try. The. Brulee.

My only gripe about this place is the price. It's quite pricey for a "everyday meal", and I think it's quite pricey for what you get - you pay for the trendiness. I would consider this place good for people who like food and are willing to spend a few extra dollars, but might be more suited to a date night or a special occasion for most.

Rating: 4 /*****

Silo Bakery

Decided to hit up Silo Bakery in Kingston, since I was in the neighborhood and I've always wanted to try it. Every time I've tried it's been packed or closed. Today it was busy and all the tables taken, but the service was fast and we were out of there in no time.

My sister and I shared a giant slice (two in one) of the Chocolate mousse tart with apple and berries, while sitting outside in the sun.

All I have to say is: GREAT GOGGALLYMOOGALLY!!!

I can't continue to blog due to my happiness induced sugar coma. Drool.

Maple + Clove

Name: Maple + Clove
Type: Café/Restaurant
Location: Hotel Realm, Barton
Meal: Breakfast
Food et: Avocado, Tomato and Basil $15

Like most Canberrans, I love me a Sunday breakfast. I’m always trying to find new places to try for breakfast, keeping my eye out for places that do more than the usual bacon and eggs, eggs benny and the standard big breakfast. When researching places for a friend and I to catch up for breakfast, I found Maple + Clove.

Maple + Clove ticked all the right Canberra breakfast boxes – nice area, interesting looking food, and it seemed just a little bit trendy. My friend, P, rang up and secured us a table for a late Sunday morning.

When we arrived we found that we were given a table outside, which I think would have been lovely – surrounded by the open and green park area, within the Hotel Realm - if it wasn’t such a miserable day! We were sat for about two minutes before the skies opened up and the umbrellas above the table could do little to protect us from the down poor. Thankfully there were a few seats left inside for us and the other poor outside schmucks, so we all shuffled inside.

Maple + Clove is decked out with a trendy, almost industrial feel. There’s cerement and dark colours in abundance. The area is open, with large doors opening out to the patio, where we had previously been sitting. Most of the cafe is taken up with tables, on the side is a breakfast bar and a place for coffees or take away (they do take away meals – including currys and tagines!!). The kitchen is up the back of the room, and it looks busy!

There were a lot of people there on this Sunday morning, which I thought was odd considering I’d never heard of the place. I suspect that their main customers are from the hotel, but also the niche clientele, that they have tapped in to with their organic approach, who make the trek to the weekend-quite part of Barton.

The menu consists of a lot of healthy alternatives and natural organic produce, some of which I had to Google. The bread is made with spelt flour, which meant Buckley’s to me until I found out that it is a healthier alternative to white flour. I even got a hypo-colour juice which had some vegetables in it. Look at me being all fancy and healthy. For once.

I ordered the Avocado, Tomato and Basil which was exactly what it says on the box, but with spelt flour sourdough and a cashew hummus.


I actually enjoyed this dish quite a lot…after I scrapped half the ingredients off. Too much tomato and (I never thought I’d actually say this), too much avocado – it was too overpowering and I got sick of the taste of both before I was even half way through the meal. Once I halved the vegies, it was a nice fresh dish and hit the spot. The cashew hummus was particularly tasty – I wish they’d had more of it! Sadly the bread wasn’t toasted enough and went quite soggy, which I’m not overly keen on.

P ordered the Wholemeal Spelt Fig + Walnut Toast, which was served with butter and a berry compote.


P confided that what was put in front of her was very different to what she was expecting. The loaf is cut in to two fat pieces and the butter and compote are put in to small jars on the side. The butter was ice cold and near impossible to spread, I’d nearly finished my dish before P had finished buttering! Po did say that she was quite let down by the berry compote, as she was expecting something a little less dense – to me it looked like it was stewed without sugar to break it down. Overall, P did like her meal, though. She said the loaf was tasty, and not as sweet or as dense as it looked.

The service at Maple + Clove was really good. They were very helpful moving us about outside to avoid the rain, and then again when we gave up and move inside. They were attentive and informative, and very friendly. Have no bad words to say.

Verdict: I think Maple +Clove is cool. It’s trying to do something different and I respect that angle. The place is well set out, in a great location, perfect for lazy guilt free breakfasts!

Peppercress

Name: Peppercress

Type Restaurant

Location: Southern Cross Club, Tuggeranong

Meal: Dinner

Food et: Slow roasted pork belly, Balinese style duck, Turkish and rose water mousse.

Let me start off by saying, my Dad is from the country. He lived there growing up, and moved back there last year. Dad’s idea of dinner out is a chicken schnitzel at the Peak Hill Bowling Club, of which he is a board member. Peak Hill is situated on the Bogan River – need I say more?

So, when Dad suggested that he wanted to go to the Southern Cross Club in Tuggeranong for his birthday dinner, I wasn’t surprised.

The Tuggeranong Southern Cross Club has a bistro downstairs, and I think that is what everyone pictures when they think of sports clubs and the like. Steak and chips, cutlets and vegies – that sort of thing. However, Peppercress is different.

We arrived on a Thursday night at 7pm, to find the restaurant, located on the top floor of the club, deserted. For the entire two hours we were there, only two other tables were filled. The waiter did say that they were busy the night before, and I hope for their sake it’s true. The space is large and elegantly decorated with lots of lush fabrics. The tables are spaced quite a distance away from each other, which is a marvellous idea for intimate dinners.

In edition to the décor not being what you expect, the food is an even bigger surprise. Modern, imaginative and so, so, different from your usual club fair of bangers and mash! Since it was Dad’s birthday, and since Dad was paying, we decided to go all out and get ridiculous amounts of wine to compliment our ridiculous amounts of food. The wine menu was a little more expensive than I would have liked, if I was paying myself. But I’m a cheap drunk. Literally. $5 for a bottle and I’m set.

The food however, is really well priced for what you get.

For entrée I got the Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Chardonnay poached apple, seeded mustard vinaigrette, herb salad – minus the mustard vinaigrette, because I am allergic to vinegar.

This was awesome. Really salty and a little fatty, just how I like my pork belly. I was extremely happy with this dish. It was the perfect size, so as to not fill you up for the main. Everyone else in my family was on the same wave length and ordered the Calamari and Chorizo salad, with pan-fried haloumi, and an orange dressing. They all loved it, and my Dad, who had never tried haloumi before, is now obsessed with squeaky cheese.

For the main course I ordered the Balinese Style Duck Breast with peanut and potato hash, and orange and chilli glaze (on the side).


The dish was good, but not amazing. I feel like there could have been, should have been, more flavour. The duck was cooked perfectly and had a light coating, but there was a bit too much fat for my liking. The potato and peanut hash was awesome and tasted fantastic with the orange and chilli glaze drizzled over it. All in all I enjoyed it, but felt it was missing something.

My brother, A, and his boyfriend, C, both got the Pappardelle Pasta with Lamb Ragu and Ricotta, which consisted of thick ribbon pasta, tossed with lamb ragu, Sicilian olives, fresh mint and ricotta cheese. I tried it, and it was deliciously rich and smooth and the olives gave it a salt hit that was just fantastic. The mint was great edition too, giving the dish a fresh taste. I preferred this over my own dish, actually.


My sister K, got the Couscous Strudel, which was a filo pasty parcel filled with couscous (obviously), chick peas, fetta, bell peppers and eggplant. This was a great dish, lots of flavour and character - and it’s a good vegetarian alternative to the usual ‘pasty’ type meal.


Dad got the Moroccan Lamb Rump, which was slow cooked and served with rosemary rosti, madeira jus and some vegetables. They call this one the ‘house specialty’ and I can see why. This was a perfect dish. The lamb was cooked to perfection, tender and coated in a mild spice that really complimented the flavours of the meat. One thing I would add, is some kind of yoghurt mint/cucumber sauce, as I always feel that goes well with spiced lamb.

For dessert, I couldn’t go past the Turkish and Rose Water flavoured mousse, which came with Persian floss and strawberries.


This was phenomenal. The mousse was creamy and smooth, the flavours really shining through but not over powering. The floss was a fun edition and was oh so pretty and tasty.

A got the house speciality of Soft centred warm Chocolate Pudding with vanilla bean ice cream rolled in crushed pistachio. The pudding was rich and chocolaty, a bit much for myself but my brother liked it. The stand out of the dish, though, was the ice cream. The crushed pistachio casing really gave a new dimension to the ice cream and just really worked.



K ordered the Apple and Rhubarb crumble, served with vanilla bean ice cream. This was a pretty standard, but tasty, crumble. The topping, which I always fail tremendously when I try to make myself, was crunchy and sweet. The filling was sweet without being sickly – it all came together for a hearty, soul cheering dessert.



The service at Peppercress was top notch, more what you would expect from some of Canberra’s fine dining institutions, than ‘the club’. We were shown to our table by a really nice waiter, who stayed with us most of the night and was just brilliant. Dad had been drinking and the waiter handled him perfectly, giving as good as he got – I think Dad thought they were best mates by the end of the night. And I think the waiter was glad to be entertained on a quiet night.


Verdict: It makes me sad that this place was deserted. It was brilliant. As soon as I left I said that I would write this blog post in the hope of boosting their attendance, because they deserve it. And Tuggeranong deserves a fine dining option, damn it!. Take your partner here on a date, go there with a group of friends, or take the whole family for a special celebration. Just do it!

Halal Pide House

Name: Halal Pide House
Type: Café, take-away
Location: Yarralumla Shops
Meal: Take-away lunch
Food et: Lamb kebab


My flatmate used to travel from Tuggeranong to Yarralumla to get a kebab from the Halal Pide House. Now, that probably doesn’t sound very far, but when you consider that there are at least 9 places in between Tuggeranong and Yarralumla where he could have gotten a kebab – it means that he travelled the 20 minutes by choice.

But, he’s not the only one. I’ve heard many a tales about the fabled “Yarralumla shops kebab”, about how it’s the best kebab in Canberra and nothing comes close. “But it is twenty minutes away, and there’s an Ali Baba at Erindale”, I would say. Oh for shame. Now I see the light.

I finished work at lunch time on a Saturday and had some time to kill, so I decided to make the trek over to Yarralumla shops to get this mystical kebab, to see what all the fuss was about. I drove up to the shops and found a park on the other side of the shops, near Bees & Co. I was a little confused because the whole place seemed deserted, but there were so many cars parked down side streets and around the back.

Seems everyone in Yarralumla was at the Halal Pide House.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the café/take-away is about four times the size of what I’d envisioned. There is ample seating, both inside and out, and the main area and counter is cleared for take-away orders. You can order at the counter and take a seat, which a lot of people seemed to be doing. It has a café atmosphere, with a Turkish twist. They serve all the usual Turkish fare including entrees (borek, falafel etc), bread and dips, Sis Kebab (and Tavuk and other spiced meats) and, as the name would suggest, Pides.

I wandered in and was greeted merrily by one of the many men behind the counter. I ordered a lamb kebab with hummus, tabouli, lettuce and tomato. One guy behind the counter does the salads, passes it on to a guy to do the meat and then the final sauce (garlic yoghurt for me) and next thing you know I’m paying and walking out the door. It costs only $9.50, takes 30 seconds to make and is the biggest kebab I’ve ever seen.

Service is great, the guys behind the counter are all lovely – I think I got more “loves” and “darlings” than any of my ex-boyfriends ever bestowed upon me, and all in the two minutes I was there.

I got home and tucked in to the kebab.


The bread is fresh and soft - made on site, I would think. It is divine. The meat is tender with a mild spice, putting the dry oily stuff at Ali Baba to shame.

The hummus is really good, and the garlic yoghurt is a great addition – it’s a much better idea than the usual garlic mayo, which doesn’t have the same authentic taste. And because they put the yoghurt on AFTER the meat, it covers the meat nicely.


My dog sat at my feet and watched, with hope, for some meat to fall out. To be honest there was so much meat, that I did end up giving him a bit. I actually only got about 2/3rds through the kebab, before I opened it up, took out the insides and just ate the bread. Seriously, that bread.

Verdict: I’ve been to Turkey twice, and this is the best kebab I’ve ever had (to be fair, kebabs in Turkey are nothing like they are over here). I will be making the trek whenever I get a kebab hankering, for sure.

Rating: 5/5 kebabs!

Cream

Name: Cream Café and Bar
Type: Restaurant, café, bar
Location: Civic
Meal: Before-hours dinner
Food et: Calamari (tapas) and steak sandwich

My brother (A) and I decided to hit up Cream for a quick bite to eat before an early movie session. Seriously, who starts a movie at 6pm – that’s too early for dinner, and then it’s too late for dinner afterwards (or if you’re like me, you’ve eaten every piece of popcorn in the vicinity and are too full for dinner).

There doesn’t seem to be many quick pre-dinner dinner options around the area, Babars is open with a limited menu (pizza) and Kingsley’s Steakhouse is not the kind of place you go to scoff a meal down. Usually Sammy’s or Wagamama’s would have sufficed, but we’d both OD’d on Asian food in recent times and wanted to try something tasty, but a bit more laid back.

Cream is nestled on the corner of Bunda and Genge streets, pretty much directly under the Dendy wing of the Canberra Centre. The café is modern in it’s lay out, with bar like benches and stools mixed in with the more traditional café setting. There is a coffee bar in the middle, underneath a beautiful feature light. The space is bright and trendy, but not too pompous.

Cream does good coffee and drinks, but I am partial to their cold drinks – specifically their fruit frappes. Tonight I decided on the “Passion Paradise” which is a blend of lychees, pineapple, passion fruit and lychee juice. I liked it, it’s really cold and refreshing, but it was a little sweet for my usual tastes.

Cream does a limited menu before 6pm, consisting of tapas and burgers. I’ve previously come here before an early movie, and a friend and I had shared the tapas tasting plate – something I highly recommend – but tonight A and I decided to get the burgers.

I ordered the steak sandwich, which has a tender sirloin, lettuce, tomato, free range egg, aioli, caramelised onions and is served with shoestring fries – however I opted to omit the egg. Seriously, Australia …


I used the word ‘tasty’ a lot when we were there and I’ll continue that trend in this post – this sandwich is tasty! The steak was tender and not too tough, which you see a lot on steak based burger/sandwiches. The onion was caramelised well, nice and soft, and had a nice flavour. The salad was crisp and plentiful – I hate it when you get one piece of lettuce! The bread holding the whole thing together was toasted Turkish bread that was fresh and hot, soaking up the juices from the flavoursome insides.

Shoe string fries are my very most favourite type of fries, so I was pretty much in chippy heaven! They were done perfectly - crispy, but not burnt, and with the perfect amount of saltiness. One thing my brother did suggest, and I agree, is that the chips be served with an aioli or some kind of dipping sauce – there are a whole lot of chips on that plate, and eating them plain can get a bit tiresome.

A ordered the Chicken Burger which has a free range breast with lettuce, tomato, bacon, pineapple relish, paprika aioli and is also served with shoestring fries.


A was really happy with his burger, and said “there was the right amount of sauces on the burger and it wasn’t too sloppy”.

We decided to get the calamari as a side, because when I’d had it in on the tasting plate previously, it stayed with me and I wanted to try it again. The calamari is dusted in spices and served with a mango lime relish.


The calamari was well cooked (not too rubbery) and the spices really gave it another dimension. The mango lime relish is a fantastic accompaniment to the dish, and is tangy and sweet. It can be quite strong, so don’t dunk your whole calamari piece in it. I think it would have worked better as an aioli than a relish/chutney.

The service at Cream is good, but not great. The staff are young and always seem to be busy, but after they seat you and take your order, that’s the last you’ll see of them - you pay at a counter and you’re on your way. The food was served quickly and, in fact, our entire meal took a total of 30 minutes from sitting down to walking out the door. Perfect for the pre-movie rush!

Verdict: I was really happy with our visit to Cream, the food was tasty and fresh, the menu was hip and inventive, and the place has a trendy, but welcoming atmosphere. I’ve heard some people call Cream “pretentious”, but I’ve never encountered an ounce of that. Hell, I was wearing thongs and I felt at home!

Rating: 3/*****

Tilley's

Name: Tilley's Devine Cafe
Type: Cafe
Location: Lyneham shops
Meal: Breakfast
Food et: Mushrooms on toast

Tilley's Devine Cafe is situated on the corner at Lyneham shops and is a staple of Canberra's weekend breakfast and brunch scene. It's a good, relaxing place to hang out on for hours, surrounded by the leafy trees of the Inner North.

The cafe is decorated in art-deco New York style, with dark and moody browns and maroons dominating the interior of the cafe. There is also an abundant outdoor area, where people with bikes and dogs while away the morning, sipping on lattes.

Tilley's is busy every time I come here. Getting to the bar to place your order is always a battle. As you take your drinks back to the table with you, people mull about the area.

We ordered Ice Coffees on this warm February morning and sat outside. Unfortunately the tables were sticky from past users and there were flies everywhere.

The iced coffees arrived quickly, but we had to wait 40 minutes for our meals.

We ordered two "The Lots" and I got the mushrooms on toast.


The mushrooms on toast was a huge disappointment - I'm sorry to say. The menu described the mushrooms are garlicky, but I could not taste even a smidge of garlic ... or any flavor at all, to be honest - no seasoning, just plain ole mushrooms. The mushrooms were served on baby spinach and some sourdough. The sourdough was crunchy and tasty - the only good thing about this dish. I also got a serve of hashbrowns on the side, which, thankfully, were crunchy and tasty.

In contrast, my brother (A) and his boyfriend (C) both ordered "The Lot" - eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, tomato and toast - and both were extremely happy with their meals. A was particularly excited about the hollandaise sauce which accompanied the dish.


The service at Tilley's is detached - you order at the bar and then they bring the meal out to you. In fact the only words you'll hear from staff after you've ordered is "who ordered the (insert meal here)". But if that's what you're after, then that's fine.

Verdict:I've always had a good meal at Tilley's, but I was disappointed today. It's a cool place, withn a great vibe but the food can be a bit hit and miss.

Rating: 3/*****

Smoque

Name: Smoque
Type: Fast Food/Restaurant
Location: Canberra City
Meal: Dinner
Food et: Turkey Burger and Buffalo Wings

Apparently this is the post everyone's been waiting for. 10's of people have asked me when I would be blogging about Smoque. And here it is, fine readers - Canberra's newest and coolest place to eat: Smoque

I've actually had the fortune of eating at Smoque a few times, and had been so happy with each visit that I've actually not known how to blog about it. A rare conundrum. I've been there for birthdays mainly, but I never feel like going out for someone's birthday is a true representation of a typical meal. Staff are always usually awesome for birthdays, because they know you'll "tell your friends". So, I've decided to blog about my last dinner there, which is more of a typical "Smoquesque" meal.

A friend and I hit up Smoque on a Friday evening, before an early movie. We turned up at 5:30pm and were shocked to see that there weren't many people in there - but that changed soon after, as the "after work crowd" started to rock up.

I do recommend you go early. Smoque only takes reservations for groups of six or more - so if you're under the limit, you're considered a walk-in and, in busier times, may be left waiting quite some time for a table (usually at the bar - which isn't so bad). The last time I had come on a Friday evening (around 6pm) it was packed to the rafters. Literally. They have a couple of tables upstairs...

Smoque is the brain child of Grant Kells, famous around the Canberra scene for his now-burnt-down, Flint (formerly housed in the Diamont Hotel). It is in the spot where Antigo's used to live (RIP), or at least when I say that to people it seems to be the only way they can grasp the location. The new restaurant is lively and decorated in sporadic splashes of Americana. A long bar takes up most of the space, surrounded by tables. It has a really welcoming atmosphere and when full of people, a lively feel.

Customer's order around the corner, get a table number and before you know it, you're surrounded by food (because you can't just order one thing - it's statistically impossible). It's like fast food, only it's decent fast food that you don't feel (as) guilty about consuming. And eating with your hands is a must - it's how you do barbeque, fool! The food is American inspired smoqued meats and southern fair. A smoquer works all day, preparing the meats - so the food is served quick, but made with time.

I ordered the Original Burger with Turkey and Coleslaw.

The meat was slow cooked and smoked to perfect, and really tender - blissful. The coleslaw was not over dressed and it still nice and crunchy. And the bun was toasted and buttered. All in all - a tasty mouthful.

I also decided to order some Buffalo wings - cos you know, when in (an Italian themed restaurant in Canberra) Rome...

The wings were spicy and well cooked, literally falling off the bone. Yum. Yum. Yum. Sadly, they defeated me - I did eat a whole burger before though. I can't imagine how the two lonely winners of the Wing Challenge (who have their on the wall) ended up after gobbling down 50 wings in 30 minutes!

My friend, J, ordered the Sloppy Joe with fries.

I've had the Sloppy Joe before and I can tell you that it's a meat lovers dream come true. Chili and brisket, with cheese, literally slopped on to a toasted bun. The meat is slow cooked tender goodness. The fries are crispy and hand made, with a delish seasoning.

We washed it all down by sharing a piece of Pumpkin Pie - which was creamy and spicy and (even though I was extremely full) I wanted to lick the plate.

The service at Smoque is top notch. I honestly couldn't name a better place in Canberra as far as service goes - which is amazing, considering they've only been open two months. They must not have gotten to the bitter "I hate customers" point yet. The staff are attentive, friendly and pretty hilarious. They have looked after us without fault, each time I've been.

Verdict: Smoque is exactly what Canberra needed - something to get people excited about food. Food that you can afford and delight in, food that will leave you feeling satisfied and put a smile on your face. I honestly could not not rave about this place - but I've been there so much in the last few months that it might be time for a break. For my arteries' sake.

Rating: 4/*****

Urban Pantry

Name: Urban Pantry
Type: Cafe/Restaurant
Location: Manuka
Meal: Brunch
Food et: Pancakes with banana, honey and ricotta

Keeping up with my urban theme (see last post) - some friends and I decided to meet up at Urban Pantry in Manuka for a late Brunch/extremely early lunch on a sunny Sunday morning.

The whole "Manuka Green" area was buzzing and everyone was out enjoying the fresh air. Thankfully, I'd had the hindsight to book beforehand - cos the place was packed.

Urban Pantry is nestled on the corner of the green, close to Bougainville Street, and has a good mixture of indoor and outdoor seating. The restaurant is simple and elegant, with a large bar/coffee counter the centre of the action.

We took our seats and ordered drinks (tea for me, thank you very much) and perused the menu while discussing some future holiday plans. It took us a long time to actually focus and read the menu, and the staff were quite obliging of our lack of concentration and came back a few times until we were ready to order.

I chose the Cinnamon toast with whipped coconut butter & maple syrup. However, having recently been diagnosed with a sulphur allergy (boo! hiss!), I had to ask the waitress if she knew whether they used real maple syrup, or "maple flavoured syrup" - she didn't know, but ran off to the kitchen to find out for me. Apparently they use the fake stuff, or as I like to call it - the rubbish stuff (it's full of preservatives - unlike real maple syrup, which only has the one ingredient).

I had to change my order and went for the Pancakes with banana, honey and ricotta.

The pancakes were light and fluffy, almost undercooked (you know when they go a little gooey) - but they were tasty. The bananas probably could have been cooked a little longer, to make them a little mushier - but that's a personal preference. The ricotta went well and cut through the sweetness. I was a little disappointed in the amount of honey on the pancakes, though, there really wasn't much. And I like to slop my pancakes in syrup, so I was even more depressed.

M ordered plain old eggs and toast and got...plain old eggs and toast. Although, the toast was a yummy sourdough - and I rate that.

J ordered Sweet corn & zucchini fritters with rocket, avocado, tomato salsa and sour cream. Definitely the best looking dish of the meal.

The service at Urban Pantry is good, the staff were very helpful and attentive - but not pushy or annoying. The atmosphere of the place is great, very chilled out and trendy.

Verdict: Reliable and good, but not amazing....which is some times all you need and some times all you want.

Rating: 3.5/*****

Urban Food

Name: Urban Food
Type: Cafe and store
Location: Acton
Meal: Breakfast
Food et: Hash with bacon and eggs, side of toast, juice, coffee

A friend of mine once told me that her favourite place to "hipster watch " was Acton. Colour me intrigued!

I dragged my friend J and her 14 year old daughter to Urban Food for a "relaxed girls brunch out" - mistake number one.

Urban Food cafe is spread out within the store of the same name, a grocery store stocking gourmet items (mind you I only saw normal stuff, like milo, on the shelf). Actually, spread out might be a generous term, more like 'squashed in'. There are tables of different sizes all over the space, and not much room to walk through it. The space echoes and you can't really hear each other talk, which is not ideal for people like J and I, who talk a lot.

The cafe is packed when we enter on a Sunday around 10:30am. Thankfully I know what Canberrans are like on a Sunday and had the hindsight to book a table. The line to order the food is nearly out the door and we had to line up for a while before placing our order.

If you've read this blog much, you'll know that I am a fan of fried potato - so naturally, I ordered the hash with bacon and eggs. But I'm also a huge sourdough slut, so naturally I also had to get that as a side.

Firstly the main attraction, the hash, was awful. Under cooked (raw potato is not a lovely thing), tasteless and full of onion (which is an ingredient they left off the menu). The hash was also supposed to have bacon in it, but I could only find three tiny pieces in mine. The eggs were fried, pretty standard and hard to get wrong. The toast was served plain with no butter or anything (seriously, who does that?). The best part of the whole dish was the tomato chutney that was served with it, and that was too sweet for my liking.

The meal actually made me feel ill and I was "onion burping" for the rest of the day.

J had the bacon and eggs (served with toast) with a side of mushrooms.

Randomly, mushrooms are not included in any of the meals but cost $5 as a side. They do give you a large portion, but they are cooked with NOTHING. No butter. No salt. Nudda. I like mushrooms, but a big pile of mushrooms can get somewhat bland after a few bites. J happens to be the most Italian person I know, and reacted as if cooking mushrooms without salt was worse than any form of blasphemy.

J's toast was also served without butter, which she couldn't fathom and we ended up grabbing a staff member to get us some butter - even though what they ended up giving us could barely cover one piece. And by the time we got the butter, the toast was stone cold.

J's daughter E decided to get the Tradie's Burger with mushrooms (added to the burger, not on the side.

Turns out simple is best, and this ended up being the best meal of the morning. The burger does what it says on the box, and E was pretty happy with it.

Ironically, the service at Urban Food is really good. Although there is no table service, the staff on the floor where friendly and helpful.

Verdict: Not the kind of place you go for a quiet, lazy Sunday brunch. If you're after a trendy healthy meal - then it's the place for you! Urban Food seems too concerned with what they think people don't want (salt, butter etc) that they end up serving boring food. If people don't want flavour - let them ask for the deductions, don't make everyone suffer!!! And with that sentence I know why I'm so fat. :)

Rating: 2/*****