This was published 6 years ago
Seven dishes you must try in Canberra and surrounds: Sean Mawbey, head chef, Podilato
Sean Mawbey.
MANCHEGO CROQUETTES, PODILATO
If you, like me, believe there cannot be too much of a good thing, you need to experience our manchego croquettes, featuring semi-hard, goat's, cow's and sheep's milk cheese grated into velvety charlotte potatoes, crumbed and fried served with sweet sour capsicum jam. See podilato.com.au
SLOW COOKED LAMB SHOULDER, BICICLETTA
The sister restaurant of Podilato, Bicicletta is renowned for serving up authentic Italiano. While most dine here for its incredible house-made pasta, I can't go past its melt-in-your-mouth slow cooked lamb shoulder with carrot puree and silverbeet. See bicicletta.com.au
TRUFFLED EGGS, CHATTERBOX ESPRESSO BAR
It's often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and, if we're talking about Chatterbox's truffled eggs (poached free-range eggs on herbed potato rosti with pecorino cheese and drizzled with truffle oil), I'd have to agree. No website, 40 Cameron Avenue, Belconnen, ACT.
PORK STICKY RICE AND PORK PATTIES, WHAT THE PHO
Popular The Hamlet food truck, What The Pho, dishes up the finest Vietnamese street food. On the menu, you will find a selection of traditional favourites … but my go-to is its pork sticky rice and pork patties. No website, 16 Lonsdale Street, The Hamlet, Braddon, ACT.
NEGRONI, BLACK MARKET
A simple cocktail but hard to do well. Black Market has perfected the art of the negroni, a classic cocktail which perfectly matches its 1970s New York-style cocktail bar vibe. See bmbar.com.au
GREASY BURGER, GREASE MONKEY
Born and bred in Canberra, Grease Monkey is the place for burgers served the way they should be – simple and done well. My favourite is the greasy burger (beef patty, lettuce, cheese, onion, pickles, GM relish and Greasy's sauce – which is a kind of mayonnaise). See greasys.com.au
CAPRICCIO PIZZA, 10" CUSTOM PIZZERIA
For some of the finest, you guessed it, 10-inch pizzas, we head to 10" Custom Pizzeria at The Hamlet in Braddon. I like a little heat in my wood-fired pizzas, so I add chilli to the capriccio pizza, while my wife opts for the pepperoni. See custompizzeria.com.au
Head chef Sean Mawbey, formerly of La Cantina in Narrabundah, serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes designed to share, at Podilato in the new Mantra MacArthur Hotel, Canberra. See podilato.com.au
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