Second ACT
An intriguing new restaurant in Canberra, led by the trio of culinary stars behind Pilot, is all set to soar,
Dining at this new venue by Dash Rumble, Ross McQuinn and Mal Hanslow – the team of titans behind two-hatted Pilot in Ainslie – feels very civilised, thanks to the warm wood tones, bespoke Tassie blackwood tables and shelving, and bottle-green banquettes. And it’s not just its location that makes the chic space perfect pre- or post- show at Canberra Theatre. There’s a lot that appeals about this all-day venue as a destination in its own right. Take the ingredient-led menu by executive chef Nick Petersen (ex-Porteño, Sydney), which today features fresh, plump oysters from nearby Narooma and a sensational starter of school prawns crusted in a cashew crumb and doused in 666 – dubbed ‘the devil’s spice’ – to add wallop. Cucumbers arrive both fresh and pickled in a creamy pond of tahini miso flecked with Bulgarian sheep’s feta and garnished with sprigs of dill. It’s a zippy little salad. But not as zippy as Zippy 2.0. The OG cult salad features on the menu on Pilot; this version pairs beautifully with a glass of vibrant Sijnn White, which is complex, refreshing and fragrant. You can choose wines by the glass of the current favourites, or dive deeper into the 25-plus page wine list, both of which feature drops from lesserknown regions around the globe.
But back to the main act: the food. You’ll want to lick your bowl clean after your last mouthful of blue-eye cod in crazy water, made memorable for its impeccably sourced fish and mussels served in a beautifully seasoned bone broth with sun-dried tomato and cannellini beans. It’s a satisfying riff on an Italian fish stew prepared with acute attention to detail and reason enough to book a return trip to Canberra. It’s a dish to build a dream on.
Swap out the more decadent desserts for the kiwi cup, the contents of which have been hollowed out and reimagined into a scoop of cooling kiwi sorbet cut with kiwi pieces, a dusting of tart black lime and fennel and a delicate shard of white chocolate. It’s more savoury than sweet and perks up when paired with a glass of COS Naturale Orange Vermouth.
The term ‘such and such’ refers to something you don’t want to name or say exactly. It’s an apt name for this exciting new eatery, which, like the fine-dining Pilot project, is impossible to pigeonhole.