I have to admit, I don't think of Manuka as a dining option as much as I should.
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I could say that it's because I live northside, but I've also lived southside and didn't really think of it then, either.
It's not that I don't go to Manuka - the suburb's pronunciation was the first Canberra tip I received when I arrived in the capital (It's "Ma-nu-ka" not "Ma-noo-ka" my friend promptly informed me). But this evening's dinner at Oh No! is one of the first times I have ventured out that way for dinner, and I am surprised at how quiet it is. Sure people are sitting in restaurants, enjoying their meals, but it feels like we only pass a handful of people as we walk up to the restaurant.
Oh No! itself is packed this evening, the three-room venue buzzing with activity and conversation. It's a stark contrast to the street outside - something that we can observe to its fullest as we're sat by the corner window with a perfect view of the street outside.
The waiters for this evening start the night off attentively. Our drinks and food orders are taken relatively quickly - with a dash of advice about how much food will work for two people - and when we notice we're missing some chopsticks from our place setting, they are quick to fix it.
The meal kicks off with the beef tartare with flavours of pho and served with prawn crackers ($24). What surprises me about this dish is the heartiness it has. The pho take on what is traditionally a French dish gives this earthiness that usually is reserved for something slow-cooked, not raw. And with just a hint of coriander, there's a slight brightness to the dish as well. The meat was a little chewy in parts, but otherwise a great start to the meal.
Landing on the table next are the pork wontons with chilli oil, shallots and sesame ($18) and two sesame prawn doughnuts with prawn head kewpie and prawn salt ($9 each).
The wontons could have used a little more filling but were cooked well. The caramelised shallots were a nice idea but seemed to get lost a little with the dumplings themselves. The heat was there with the chilli oil, warming the back of the throat, and there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on that lingered a little - perhaps cardamom?
The prawn doughnuts were a little fun though - and perhaps something my colleague Karen Hardy should try after she recently revealed she had never tried prawn toast. This is a fresh take on the classic Chinese dish, where it's rolled up like a cigar rather than laying flat (or shaped like a traditional doughnut, as the name suggests). The coriander was a little overpowering with this one - it almost drowned out the flavour of the prawn itself. It was there - the cigar-shaped toast was filled with meaty goodness. I just would have liked the prawn to be a little more present. I really loved the generous amount of sauce on the side, the massive dollop of kewpie meant I could put as much as I wanted on the prawn doughnut.
We had our hearts set on trying the barramundi when we saw it on the menu, but it seemed like everyone else did as well as they had run out for the night. We instead opted for the crispy pork belly salad with snake bean, green mango, tomato and chilli peanuts ($36) with a side of the pressed watermelon salad with shiso, jalapeno, sesame shallot and ginger ($17).
The pork was diced into small bite-sized pieces before cooking so it was beautifully crispy on the outside and tender inside, with every bite. And the marinade on the pork itself was sweet and sticky like every good pork marinade should be. The green mango, tomato and chill peanuts worked well together, but the snake beans were a touch overdone. They just needed to be blanched a touch to keep them bright and crisp for the salad, but they felt out of place with the rest of the fresh ingredients.
I was a big fan of the watermelon salad though. The sesame-covered pressed watermelon was a delightful combination, and when paired with the thinly sliced jalapeno, it felt like an exciting summer's day in one bite.
We decided to end the night by sharing a dessert. It's at this part that the service seemed to drop off. It took a while to get someone's attention to get the dessert menu, but once we did, we settled on the pandan cheesecake with lemongrass gel, ginger and lemon balm ($14).
If you decide to order this, do not expect a traditional cheesecake to appear. It's instead a buttery biscuit base with the cheesecake filling and lemongrass gel piped on top. It was a surprising presentation in the best way possible. The flavour of the pandan was a tropical, coconut-like taste, fit for a beach holiday somewhere, and the lemongrass gel added a lovely floral element to the dish.
And I think this fresh take on traditional ideas is what Oh No! is trying to do. And when you look at what else is around in Manuka, there's nothing like it. There were a few missteps tonight, but I also think that they're on the right track to creating something lasting, that will continue bringing people in for a great night out.
Oh No!
Address: 13 & 15 Flinders Way, Griffith
Phone: 5112 2497
Website: oh-no.com.au
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm to 11pm.
Chef: Hoa Tran
Dietary: Plenty of options
Noise: Quite loud