The funky, punky younger sibling of Canberra’s renowned Pilot knows how to have fun. That might mean setting off flavour explosions by chucking well-seasoned steak tartare on an excellent anchovy and sage cruller. Or creating fusion sensation with the tzatziki-esque tartare sauce served with fried prawn cutlets. Or staffing the joint with servers as humorously eccentric as they are efficient. Eclectic interiors heighten the mood – terrazzo floor, coloured lights, witty art, green bouclé and timber detailing – as does the drinks list, amusingly annotated and packed with treasures from the organic, low-intervention wine world and thoughtful non-alc alternatives. The section of the menu loosely dedicated to pastas and dumplings (carbolicious pierogis plump with potatoes, chicken-stuffed momos) deserves a standing ovation, as do the crumpet-like sourdough flatbread smeared with salty toum and the pork cutlet, perfectly cooked over charcoal and amplified by a sweet and sour sauce. Good times, big flavours, happy campers.
Cassie Abraham
