The Canberra Times' food and wine year in review for 2022

Around this time of year, it's the norm to churn out awards, name our top 20 restaurants, and list all the best places we've eaten at during the year. But by this time of year, I'm done with the idea of being judicious. I just want to celebrate all the good things I can. Sure, our favourite restaurants, but also our favourite places to shop, the best meals we've cooked at home, where we go to eat on our own dime, that one dish that stopped us in our tracks.

My fellow reviewers, Chris Hansen and Amy Martin (as well as Tash Shan who dropped us a note from London, and thanks to Kirsten Lawson too, who moved on mid-year) were more than happy to follow my lead. I'm not one to pull rank, but they agreed that there is so much to celebrate in the nation's capital.

So instead, we're wrapping up the year with a list of things we loved. Let us know what took your fancy too.

As we head into a new year, may your dining tables be surrounded by friends and family, may you be kind to those serving you food when you eat out, may you find a nice local tipple to say cheers with, and may you grow something you like to eat. And most importantly, find pleasure in all these things.

OK, let's get our lists out of the way. Not that we give hats, but wasn't it great to see the largest contingent of Canberra restaurants listed in the Good Food Guide Awards for 2023? Pilot was awarded two hats for the first time - with guide editor Callan Boys calling it world-class. Nine other restaurants picked up one hat - six of them for the first time. Their list was Pilot, on two, with Onzieme, Pavilion Dining, Raku, Rebel Rebel, Terra, XO, Bar Rochford, Italian and Sons and Mu Omakase all picking up one. Also featuring in the guide, but just short of the marks required for a hat, were Corella, Miss Vans, Wilma, Lamsheds Food + Wine, Rizla and Grazing. We agree with all of that.

But on our list we had Temporada, Les Bistronomes, Alcove, Table at the Truffle Farm, Inka and Chairman and Yip all on or above 16 points during 2022.

Other places we loved were The Boat House, Lanterne Rooms, both 86 North and South, The Italian Place and Akiba, Beirut Bar and the newly opened Marion.

The Carrot Swirl @ Pilot: This spiral of beautifully textured orange deliciousness has been caramelised on its edges with coffee and butter before some little Tinkerbell-like fairy has then come along and sprinkled it with zaatar composed of sesame seeds, sumac and dried basil. Perhaps I have been cooking carrots incorrectly for some time now, but the creativity behind this dish is remarkable.

Issarn beef larb tartare with bone marrow @ Morks: This is Mork's take on a classic beef tartare, and he has seriously taken on a classic. Mork serves a half osso bucco marrow in the bone and the diner mixes the marrow in with the tartare at the point where the classic French dish would traditionally use a raw egg. A highly creative and potentially very addictive dish!

Tasting menu @ Mu Omakase: Although I didn't review this restaurant, they have taken Japanese cuisine in Canberra to the next level. I was not surprised to see them with a chef's hat on the door within their first year. Manager Jasmine Choi is a delight and a guru with the sake matches as well. Go for the 13-course tasting menu at $165, much of which is cooked over the robatayaki but you'll also end up drinking cherry blossoms, umami bombs and nashi pear essence. Amazing.

Patatas bravas @ Saint Malo: It's hard to go wrong with potatoes in any form but there was something about the patatas bravas at Saint Malo that has me constantly thinking about them. The perfectly crispy roast potatoes, paired with the garlic sauce and the slightly spicy, tomato-based bravas sauce, it's a must-order next time you're at Saint Malo.

Prawn and scallop toast @ Chairman and Yip: When you think of prawn toast, you think of the flat piece of toast topped with a small amount of prawn that you get from your local Chinese takeaway. But Chairman and Yip has taken that idea and elevated it to a level that you didn't know it could go. The prawn and scallop mixture is wrapped in the pastry, and looks like a cross between a spring roll and a sausage roll. But you bite into the crispy coating to get a burst of flavour in the middle. Simple but delicious.

Chocolate, hazelnut, mint and Fernet-Branca @ Rebel Rebel Dining: A perfectly balanced dessert, with a thin layer of chocolate mousse topped by a rough hazelnut crumb and a quenelle of ice cream featuring the Fernet-Branca, which is an aperitif popular in Argentina, known for its bitter taste and combination of spices. It makes a great ice cream, it is a little bitter which offsets the sweetness of the chocolate. Kind of like a posh rum and raisin.

Duck breast with pickled cherries and beetroot @ Pavilion Dining: I can hardly believe I hated beetroot once, sliced, from a can, forced into a hamburger. Here, the estate-grown beetroot served two ways, little wedges, roasted, and this most amazing puree, a luminous magenta, sweet and smooth. And the duck is perfectly cooked, all topped with a cherry pickle, also made from estate-grown fruit. It's what a good plate of food should be about.

This beautiful and unique destination at Regatta Point has been a white elephant in Canberra since Chris can remember. "For the NCA to award the contract to a Sydney operator was in my opinion, risky, but the investment in the architecture made by Grand Pacific Group is impressive and will stand the test of time," he says. "They have spent serious money here and the emphasis is on quality, which they completely nailed when we visited for lunch in just their second week of opening. I asked how could they be getting it so right, so early? The Marion is off to a sensational start. And like Mahony Griffin herself, it looks like they are going to play the long game and make a high-quality, permanent mark on this city."

We've all wondered why we don't better celebrate the mass of water our city surrounds. It's been great to see some lake-side venues open or upgrade. We love the refurbed Snapper & Co at the Yacht Club in Yarralumla and the team at The Boat House has elevated the seasonal Armada Bar for the summer. Then there's The Jetty too. All are a must-do.

If there's something that fills you with optimism, it's discovering a new venue. It's something we find ridiculously hard to keep track of (but something we'll do a better job of in 2023).

Here are a few places that opened their doors in 2023 and made a mark.

From the Spanish influence of Saint Malo, the playful menu of Kodiak in Kingston, and the recent opening of Taki (giving us a hint of what to expect from the rest of Tiger Lane in the new year), there have been plenty of new flavours taking over Canberra's dinner offerings.

"Meanwhile, places like Sandoochie - with their fresh take on the grab-and-go sandwich - and Pulp BookCafe have added something to the casual dining space," says Amy, who gets out and about much more than me, "and Leyla has added drinks with an unbeatable view to the capital's foodie offerings."

Meanwhile, the Ramen Daddy team opened Canteen out at Dairy Road, serving their iconic bowls alongside an elevated Japanese menu.

Frank Sinatra would feel right at home at Blue Eyes, a new luxe bar in Garema Place with a signature range of cocktails.

Canberra Raiders legend Terry Campese opened a Burrito Bar in Tuggeranong (and put his face to the Raiders' commemorative gin via Underground Spirits).

Happy Ending was my favourite headline of the year, but, jokes aside, the cafe is doing an excellent trade in Fyshwick on the site of a former brothel.

And we can't wait for the Pilot team to open Such and Such in Constitution Place in the city.

Ben Willis closed Aubergine in October after 14 years at the helm of Canberra's finest diner. For so many years he was our only two-hatted restaurant (And the cynic in me did ask if Pilot would have won theirs had Aubergine still been open, could the Sydney judges give us two two-hatted places?). But his contribution to the food scene in Canberra reached beyond the restaurant doors, so many chefs, sommeliers and wait staff trained under his eye. We're not sure what he's up to yet, but he hasn't finished cooking, he told us.

Neither has Venkatesh Ramachandran who closed Indian Accent in late November and Amy Lo, who served many a politician over the years at China Plate, might have a few duck pancakes in her yet.

Did anyone else miss The Canberra Times Night Noodle Markets? Because we sure did. After two years, March saw the market's triumphant return. In its new location of Parkes Place West Lawns, this year's event - while getting off to a wet start - did not disappoint. Canberrans feasted on a selection of sizzling, sweet and spicy meals and morsels from an exciting mix of popular local, national and interstate eateries - proving once again why it's a highlight on the foodie calendar. We're already counting down the days until next year.

In this (almost) post-COVID world, we have a new appreciation for lunch. Not just the quick meal to break up the day, but a lunch that is worth making a fuss over. Something that you stop and take notice of. The weekends are obvious winners for this - there are few better ways to spend a Sunday than with a set menu, a few glasses of wine and some friends. But it's leaked into our work days as well, with places like Miss Van's and Meat and Wine Co giving options for that same experience, fit for a one-hour lunch break. We're calling it the key to keeping a work-life balance.

There are a few things we love about the Canberra drinks scene.

Chris Hansen loves what Rob O'Dea and AJ Murphy have done with Cork and Glass at the Yarralumla shops. "The selection of wines is focused, with great Australian classics as well as some hard-to-find bottles on the shelf from Italy, France and Spain and some with plenty of age as well," he says. It has evolved this year into a true "enoteca" and most afternoons it will be full of locals having a glass or two and some hand-sliced charcuterie or perfectly ripe cheese from the cabinet. There is also a Soprano's-style dining room out the back, but that's a secret. Not anymore.

Paranormal, in Campbell, opened in 2021, but it's continued to refine itself. Interesting wines, an expanding food menu, and this year they've had a few event dinners with winemakers. The mid-winter dinner with Bryan Martin from Ravensworth sold out too quickly.

We heard more about Venus Vinifera too, a community where women - including those who are female-identifying, non-binary and have trans experience/history - can come together and learn more about drinks. They've had some super sessions during the year and the experts they get to speak are top-rate.

Chris Hansen thinks Bar Rochford is a true bar for grown-ups. Amy and I agree. I love that I can go by myself and sit at the bar and just ask for a wine and they'll offer something I never would have ordered.

"The Wakefield Room in Ainslie is also a great extension of Edgar's with some delicious snacks to boot," says Chris, "and Pialligo Estate is, without doubt, the best sunset in Canberra."

If you're out of town, say hi to Chris at the Broulee Brewhouse. "We usually drop in there at around 4pm for two or three and it doesn't taste any fresher than when it's brewed just 100 metres from the ocean."

Chris says, "I usually go for Asian during the day and will often grab a ramen from either White Chaco or Ramentic if I'm in Braddon. Or for a big French night out, we love Les Bistronomes or Ondine. Not to be confused with Onzieme, which is always exciting and Louis Couttoupe has a knack for creating food which makes you think."

Me? I like eating at my dining table. Am I the only food editor in the nation (look at that fancy title I just gave myself) who prefers to eat in rather than out? One of the best meals I made was a slow-cooked goat salad of sorts. Goat! I know! A producer was selling little legs of goat at the Canberra Farmers' Markets, it looked good, so paired it with dried Davidson plums and some cauliflower. And I can't go past chicken marylands (the single woman's roast dinner). How good they were roasted with baby potatoes and lots of garlic, grown in my own garden. Home-grown garlic! I know!

READ OUR TOP REVIEWS OF 2022

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