Bites: Michael Chatto is executive chef at Chifley's Bar & Grill in Hotel Kurrajong.
Canberra-born Michael Chatto is executive chef at Chifley's Bar & Grill in the newly refurbished Hotel Kurrajong. After starting in the family catering business, he worked alongside Greg Doyle and Stephen Hodges at Sydney's legendary Pier, before co-founding Darlinghurst's Fish Face. His return to Canberra includes several awarded and hatted restaurants, most recently heading the kitchen at Italian & Sons. See tfehotels.com.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE TABLE IN CANBERRA?
My favourite table would have to be Les Bistronomes restaurant in Braddon, Canberra. I like to sit in the back corner looking out over the manic Mort and Elouera streets at lunchtime, enjoying Head Chef Clement Chauvin's amazing French cuisine. See lesbistronomes.net
THE LOCAL FOOD DISCOVERY OF THE PAST YEAR?
I stumbled across Pialligo Farm smoked salmon. Perfect colouring, firm texture, and the flavour is bang on. I've also been using Pialligo Farm bacon at Chifley's, which recently took out a Gold Medal for Australia's Best Artisan Bacon at the Australian PorkMark awards. See pialligofarm.com.au.
WHAT IS CANBERRA'S BEST-KEPT FOOD SECRET?
Snapper on the Lake. It's a fish and chip shop under the Southern Cross Yacht Club at Yarralumla. I like to get takeaway and have a picnic down by the lake with a bottle of wine (they sell it too), let the kids have a run around and watch the sun set. Delicious food at a reasonable price, and on the weekends they have live music. See cscc.com.au/snapper.
PLACE TO GO ON A DAY OFF?
My wife and I like to take our son up to the National Arboretum Canberra. It has a great park for the kids to play, and you can bring a picnic, or eat in at Sprout Café or The Conservatory Restaurant, run chef Janet Jeffs of Ginger Catering. That's of course if we can't escape to the South Coast. See nationalarboretum.act.gov.au; gingercatering.com.au.
FAVOURITE INDULGENCE IN CANBERRA?
Sunday yum cha is one of my biggest indulgences. After Soccajoeys with my son, it's straight to Ginseng at the Hellenic Club for some serious dumplings. See hellenicclub.com.au/hc_dining/ginseng/.
WHAT SHOULD A VISITOR AVOID, FOOD-WISE, IN CANBERRA?
As with everywhere, fast junk food. There are so many great options out there, like pop-up food vans on Lonsdale Street, Braddon, and the Capital Region Farmers Market every Saturday at Exhibition Park. The capital's food offering has really come of age in the last few years, just about every area in Canberra now has something good to offer.
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