What's happening in the Canberra food scene in August 2023

Book early, book often.

Always a highlight of the truffle season, Raku's special dinners take the fungi to the next level as executive chef Hao Chen presents an exquisite menu. The menu, which showcases Terra Preta truffles across several courses, is available on August 7, 8 and 9, with sittings at 6pm and 8pm.

Think scallop with nashi pear, apple, plum paste, miso cream, white ponzu jelly and truffle; blue-fin tuna with eggplant and sesame miso mousse, spring onion, Nori cracker and truffle; and a "kurmu kashi", butter pastry with butterscotch and truffle cream, macadamia oil and truffle ice-cream, with walnut and macadamia crunch and caramelised pecan.

$320pp with matching wines, $220pp without. Bookings via rakudining.com.au

Braddon Merchant and boutique wine merchant Bibendum Wine Co are hosting a special dinner that sounds more like a World Cup football game.

"Spain v Australia" will feature a curated menu of individually plated dishes, carefully paired with fine wine from small-scale producers. In a guided evening with guest speaker Jonathon McDonald, guests will explore the parallels between the two respective countries and their acclaimed wine regions. Think Priorat in Spain to Frankland River in Western Australia.

Friday, August 11, 6.30pm. $170pp. Bookings: opentable.com

Parliament House executive chef David Learmonth has created a bespoke, six-course truffle degustation menu for a one-off dinner in the Members and Guests Dining Room on August 4.

Sample the region's finest truffles, handpicked from Macenmist Black Truffles, and hear from Learmonth as he shares the journey of menu design and the techniques he uses to infuse the truffles into the region's finest produce.

Enjoy a variety of classic dishes including heirloom vegetables, wagyu beef, Australian cheeses and warm chocolate pudding that highlight Australian native ingredients alongside the truffles.

$179.50pp for dinner only, $230 for dinner with wine pairings.

Book at events.humanitix.com/truffle-degustation-dinner-at-parliament-house

Dave Young and Andrew Duong aren't giving much away about the menus for their two-night collaboration series. On August 9, Young will be cooking at Miss Van's, on August 16, it's Doung's time to swap kitchens.

Young did admit he's keen to do a deep-fried ice cream - "the most quintessential Aussie/Chinese restaurant dish" - but there's still plenty of experimentation going on in the kitchens.

The four course dinners are $110pp. Bookings here: https://temporada.com.au/

Wine merchant Christophe Rebut, from French Flair la Boutique in Manuka, is a mad rugby fan and he's co-hosting a World Cup-theme dinner at Ondine European Brasserie in Deakin on August 9.

The five-course menu, prepared by chef Keaton McDonnell and his team, consists of dishes from the participating nations as well as French Flair's unique wines to match.

Canapes from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales will kick the night off, followed by mains from South Africa, Italy and France. Dessert is the true Trans Tasman battle with pavlova on the table.

Might be the only chance us Australians get to demolish the opposition. Favourite rugby jerseys are optional for an evening of fun with prizes galore.

Tickets $175pp with matching wines. Book here frenchflair.com.au

Rutherglen in the City returns to Canberra on August 26 for a showcase of one of north-east Victoria's most vibrant wine regions.

This year's festival - which has moved to the centrally-located National Convention Centre Canberra - will feature 15 Rutherglen wineries, all with something to taste, sip and discover.

Over the course of the day wine lovers, and those that are wine curious, will have the chance to discover some of the region's most sought-after wines including Rutherglen icons durif and muscat as well as a host of emerging and on-trend varieties such alvarinho, fiano, grenache, sangiovese and tempranillo.

Winemakers of Rutherglen executive officer Annalee Nolan said they were delighted to be returning to Canberra.

"The new central location that will provide the ultimate experience for wine lovers from the nation's capital to get even more up close and personal with our award-winning wines and the many personalities that make Rutherglen so special," she said.

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This year there are two tasting sessions throughout the day (10am-1pm and 2-5.30pm) with festival goers receiving a premium take-home Plumm tasting glass, and unlimited wine tastings from across the 15 pop-up cellar doors.

But feel free to stay all day, with live music, a range of gourmet food options and award-winning wines available for purchase by the glass.

For those with a thirst for knowledge, there's a variety of learning opportunities including

Intimate masterclasses with some of Rutherglen's most revered winemakers and personalities. Admission to each tasting session costs $45 or $50 at the door if not sold out prior. Book here explorerutherglen.com.au

Master sommeliers, authors and wine importers Jane Lopes and Jonathon Ross are heading to town to promote their fabulous book, How to Drink Australian.

It's a compendium of sorts, divided into sections based on the states, and then regions within that, then producers within that. Lopes and Ross recommend a "what we're drinking" from within each regional section, Clonakilla's O'Riada from the Canberra District, a Hunter Valley Six Degrees semillon from Thomas Wines.

But it's so much more than that. There's a focus on history and sustainability, an acknowledgement of Country, it discusses terroir and climate and the general "hubbub" about the region.

They'll be at Such and Such in the city on August 4 from 2.30-5pm. Bookings are encouraged via @and.suchandsuch

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