Queanbeyan's Royal Hotel has won Australia's Best Pub Steak in a national competition run by Yak Brewing. The steak - served with your choice of chips, vegetables or salad, and a sauce - is the culmination of a carefully managed journey from paddock to plate. The beef is locally grown and sourced from the Bungendore Butchery, with each cut aged for 100 days and professionally cut to portion size.
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Owner Anthony McDonald - who's a medium rare man himself - said he was proud of head chef Beat Etlin and the entire kitchen team at the hotel.
"The bistro is the cornerstone of our business and we're not only extremely proud to take out first place, but we're proud our customers took time out to vote for us," he said.
"We're just an everyday NSW pub, we could never have imagined that our humble little steak would receive so much attention. We're stoked that it's been recognised on the national stage."
Throughout the campaign chicken parmigiana dominated the public vote as the most popular dish, followed by steak, burger, pork ribs, then fish and chips.
As part of the competition, the chefs behind the nation's best pub meals will visit Melbourne later this month where their winning dish will feature at pop-up restaurant, The Hungry Yak.
The Hungry Yak will be taking a week-long residency at Melbourne's iconic Riverland Bar from October 30 to November 6 and is a first of its kind experience for diners, bringing Australia's five best pub meals together under one roof.
Lanterne Rooms reopens
You could be mistaken that you're in a fancy hotel somewhere in south-east Asia at the new Lanterne Rooms. There are white stucco walls, archways, wicker furniture, palms, exotic flowers. And the food of course.
Since they closed the doors at the Campbell shops venue in early October it's been full steam ahead at the new location in the Iskia building on Constitution Avenue.
As well as Lanterne Rooms, there'll also be sushi bar and a wholefood cafe, due to open in March, in the same courtyard area.
Chef Daniel Mark and manager Adrian Law have brought the same team across, and all are looking forward to the new location.
A few of the favourite menu items have come across too. The slow-cooked Kampung style beef curry and the popular tom-yum infused prawns with rockmelon and apple but new dishes such as a Thai-style deep-fried whole barramundi will get new followers in.
It's open to the public now.
The foodie's fete
Long known as "the foodie's fete", Telopea Park School's La Grande Fête will reach new heights of deliciousness on Saturday, November 2. A variety of stalls will be serving up French essentials with raclette, saucisson, rillettes, crêpes, pastries, boulangerie and more - all ready to be washed down with a glass or two of French wine or a Zierholz brew. Fête-goers will also be able to indulge in shakes, a True Blue BBQ, German Bratwurst, and gourmet salads; with fairy floss, sweet pastries and a bounty of homemade sweets from the cake stall to finish. Principal Kerrie Blain said La Grande Fête brings a strong French polish to the traditional Australian school fête, combining multicultural fun, food and entertainment. From noon to 6pm at Telopea Park School, Barton.
Wine dinner
Winederlust is hosting a fun lunch showcasing a selection of sauvignon blanc and chardonnay alongside four courses at the Pavilion Hotel, Dickson on November 2.
Two local winemakers are collaborating, Gallagher Wines and Sholto Wines. Childminding will be available (what a super idea), in a separate room, but close to the dining space, with a qualified early childhood educator and lots of arts, crafts and games. Babies and children of all ages are welcome at this event. Tickets are $99 per adult or a group of five is $430. There is also a food only ticket for $65. Childminding for three hours is $40 for one child, $60 for two, which includes a two-course lunch.
Check out winederlust.com.au for some other interesting events they host.
Best rieslings
It's a mouthful in every sense of the word, a 2018 Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese VDP Grosse Lage from German winery Weingut Georg Mller Stiftung won the Best Wine at the recent Canberra International Riesling Challenge.
More than 500 rieslings from nine countries - Australia, New Zealand, USA, Germany, France, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic and, for the first time, China - were judged at this year's challenge which was held at lbert Hall.
The trophy for the Best Riesling from the Canberra District was won by the Hunter Valley's Brokenwood Wines with its 2019 Brokenwood Four Winds Vineyard Riesling which is made with grapes sourced from Canberra District's Four Winds Vineyard.