There is a lot to like about Aubergine. Every time I walk up to the corner of the Griffith shops, I wonder why we don't dine here more often. Canberra's only two hatted restaurant is not just for special occasions. It's casual enough to not require a dress code, yet formal enough to feel like a fancy night out.
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After an interior update late last year, the dining room has been acoustically improved with striking dark grey fabric architecturally draped from dowels on the ceiling. Sheer black floor to ceiling curtains temper the window silhouettes, and the lighting creates islands of intimacy. It softens the space, making you want to linger just that little bit longer.
Some things haven't changed though, such as the format of the menu; four courses for $105. The first course is set (though they normally have no problems accommodating dietary requirements), and there are four options for the other three courses, which always include one vegetarian option.
The wine list has always been one of Aubergine's core strengths. It's extensive without being annoyingly so; simply separated into old world and new world then sorted by region. The sommelier tonight is worth a mention - for example, did you know that Ravensworth winemaker Bryan Martin is also the winery manager at Clonakilla? It's no wonder the Ravensworth Shiraz Viognier ($18) is an excellent example of a local wine. It's things like that Aubergine excels at - sourced with good contacts in the industry, this vintage is already sold out on Ravensworth's website. But back to wine, if you're so inclined, there's also a $60 standard wine pairing, and $100 will get you the premium wine pairing.
Canapes are quick to arrive. It's one of my favourite parts of dining here, there's always an element of surprise to the trio of canapes which gets me excited for the courses to come. Tonight, it's a trifecta of citrusy, umami and salty deliciousness in the form of sugar snap peas and lemon myrtle, duck rillette cigars with truffle and ocean trout mousse.
For the entrée, we start with albacore tuna and celeriac. Like all the best dishes, it's almost deceptively simple - diced tuna that's slightly salty and tastes of the sea with the freshness of shaved celeriac, finished with crème fraiche and crunchy sesame seeds. In the background, there's the hum of the almost wasabi-like mustard oil, threading it all together.
The additional truffle course ($15) is excellent too. Yeasty, deep fried beignets are served with whipped potato, sweet corn and freshly shaved truffle. It has all the warmth of creamy, deep-fried comfort food executed by the experienced hand of a fine dining chef.
My weakness for pork belly is rewarded in the next course. The pork belly is a perfect balance of meat and fat, lightly glazed, served with semi-dried carrot and a little carrot and native muntrie salad. It's at this moment, halfway through this course, that I regret the 50-50 deal I made with my dining partner.
This is one of the great things with Aubergine - it's so fine dining that they use silverware to hand you napkins, but casual enough that you don't feel self-conscious when swapping plates across the table midway through a course - something we do every single time we eat here.
The quail and the beef flat iron are iterations of fine dining classics - well-executed in their own right but more traditional in their approach. It's almost impossible to fault any of the food here, so I know that I'm being really particular when I say that I feel like it's lacking that trademark Aubergine flair.
Maybe it's the service, which is more transactional and less warm than it normally is. The wait staff are a little younger, lacking the experience of seasoned front of house staff - empty plates linger a little too long and at the end of the night, my coat is forgotten. But neither of those things really bother me, it's something else that's a little short tonight - a sense of excitement about food and wanting to share it with the diner. One of the best things about dining here was that staff normally told us little tidbits about food; how an element in the dish was made, where the pork was from, where the inspiration for the dish came from. That's the magic that always made me want to come back and eat here and tonight it's strangely absent.
The lamb rump is a bit of a surprise to me too. The bold middle eastern flavours of spiced eggplant, currants and tahini yoghurt seem strangely out of place here, out of kilter with the courses that came before.
Between the white chocolate mousse with confit native fruits and the coffee and caramel delice, it's hard to pick a favourite. It's always nice to see native ingredients being utilised on a menu, but while both desserts are good, neither are particularly memorable.
It's tough to be the top restaurant in Canberra. You have to constantly push the envelope on innovation, chase margins on food and go out of your way to recruit the best staff in the game. I have no doubt that Aubergine is still Canberra's best because on a good night, eating at Aubergine is an exhilarating dining experience - better than some of the top Michelin restaurants that I've eaten at. Eating here reinvigorates my love for cooking, and for food. Tonight, it's a little less dazzling than usual, a little flatter somehow. While the food can't be faulted, it's missing some light and shade and the service could do with a bit more attention.
Aubergine
Address: 18 Barker Street, Griffith
Phone: 6260 8666
Hours: Monday to Saturday, from 6pm
Owners: Ben Willis and Andrea Willis
Chef: Ben Willis
Wheelchair access: Yes
Vegetarian: At least one good option per course
Noise: Not a problem
