Eat Like Ushi

After living in Canberra for 2 years I could finally realise the quality of some of the local products. There are the truffles, the wine, the bacon and (even though I don't think it) the coffee. The owner of ONA (and thus Cupping Room) was awarded the best barista in the world. Quite an accolade especially when you think about all the coffee wank in Melbourne. Not only this, I had heard the same guy submitted his coffee bean to some kind of international judging panel and won that too. The world's best barista using the world's best beans? That's going to be pretty hard to beat.

Even though I'm sure the super barista himself rather (if ever) served mortals his coffee, I'd always been told the coffee at Cupping Room was by far the best in town. Considering it was also the same place that created my ever favourite cherry chocolate coconut king shake, it was an appropriate final brunch before leaving town (forever...)

- Smashed avocado, two poached eggs, tomato & olive salsa, whipped goats cheese & rye sourdough toast  with Pialligo Estate bacon $25 - I don't like reading the words "smashed avocado" anymore however when it comes with Australia's best bacon it becomes a necessary evil. I didn't get a chance to get back to Pialligo Estate to pickup some dry cured and smoked bacon so had to make do with this. And it was extraordinary - salty, strong, crisp and made of dreams. The eggs were well cooked, avocado and cheese combined well and tomato & basil completed the meal with sourdough. Outstanding;
- Cured salmon, a soft boiled egg, wasabi pickled daikon, pear & ginger gel, enori, radish, green tea aioli & rye sourdough toast $20 - there's a LOT of salmon on the dish and only a small amount of bread. It was a beautifully presented dish and equally satisfying.

My favourite shake hasn't made a return as it was part of the previous year's summer menu, so many again in a few months time. In the meantime there's the pistachio & chamomile which is nearly as incredible. I like pistachios, especially as gelato, so that was an easy choice. The chamomile flowers added an extra flavour and texture element which was unexpected and great similar to a sweet chewy popcorn. I'd tried the dark chocolate and honeycomb version a couple of months earlier also which was ok but only a poor cousin to the cherry version.

The menu is full of things I'd want to try - what is compressed watermelon? Octopus and squid ink salad, roasted pork belly or the mythical huevos bollo roll with Pialligo Estate bacon...

It was a fitting farewell to a city that has surpassed my culinary expectations.

(I also decided to upload a picture of a chickpea salad with kataifi egg and flatbread from the meal a couple of months earlier just because it looks nice.)