Once you've had your fill at The Canberra Times Night Noodle Markets, check out what's on the menu during Good Food Month.
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Returning for its sixth year, Good Food Month boasts experiences, as well as dinners, lunches and brunches at some of Canberra's top restaurants.
The Young Chefs dinner at Aubergine is already sold out, as is one of two Louis Tikaram event at Lanterne Rooms.
Tikaram, a former Good Food Guide young chef of the year winner, returned to Australia last year after spending five years feeding the VIP West Hollywood crowd at his lauded LA restaurant E.P. & L.P.
His latest project is running the two-level, palatial Cantonese restaurant, Stanley, at Brisbane's Howard Smith Wharves precinct.
Tikaram will bring together the fire from his Southeast Asian menus at Longrain and E.P./L.P., the refined delicacy of Cantonese cuisine from Stanley and the authentic Nyonya flavours that dominate the menu at Lanterne Rooms to create a six-course banquet that will take guests on a flavour-packed culinary journey.
Other key events include:
GOMA chef Matt Blackwell at Monster, putting the party back into dinner party, with Monster's own executive chef Travis Goodlet. There'll be alternate dishes from each chef, all set to a soundtrack of feasting tunes.
At Rebel Rebel Alanna Sapwell, from Brisbane's ARC Dining, joins forces with Sean McConnell, for a multi-course menu that champions ethical farming and native produce as well as McConnell's personality driven style.
As well there is a series of Friends of Good Food events, where restaurants can host their own unique event. From a bottomless Black Opal brunch at the Duxton to a wagyu dinner at Raku, there is something for everyone.
Capitol Bar and Grill is taking its kitchen out to Four Winds Vineyard for one night only. Guests can expect exquisite seafood, Capitol's famous premium cuts grilled on wood fire, fresh sides and of course, unforgettable Italian desserts - all prepared in the vineyard's enchanting surroundings.
Four Wind's Sarah Collingwood said it was exciting to team up with the Capitol executive chef Josh Smith-Thirkell.
"This is a great chance for people to sample some of the local produce and see what skilled chefs produce from the oven and grill. As Four Winds is a small, boutique vineyard, events like this give people the chance to enjoy the vineyard for a relaxed and fun evening."
At Braddon Merchant, chef Andrew Morrow is celebrating his south coast suppliers, by inviting both them and you to dinner.
"I don't want it to come off as a fire relief dinner," he says, however acknowledging that many of his suppliers have had a rotten summer.
"It's really about the opportunity to showcase the south coast and the producers we've been using since we opened, and highlight the amazing stuff they produce."
Morrow is committed to using regional produce and the challenge is working out the menu with what is available.
"I work with Hayley Abbott from Narooma Seafood Direct, for example, and with the rain and storms she hasn't been able to get the boat out, so much to my general manager's chagrin, I pull fish off the menu," he says.
"I'd prefer to say to our customers, look my fisherman can't get out so I have no fish so we've got this beautiful beef, or these wonderful vegetables, from here or there, rather than go I can't get Hayley's fish I'll just go to the markets and get some generic stuff.
"If you don't stick to your brand, if you don't stick to the story what is the point of having it?"
Morrow is hopeful many of the producers will make the dinner. Steve Feletti from Moonlight Flat Oysters is a likely starter, and his oysters will be on the menu.
He's extended a special invitation to Mark and Steph Powell from Nelligrow Hydroponics who lost their farm at Nelligen in the recent bushfires.
"It's the saddest story," Morrow says. "They've decided not to rebuild the hydroponics but Mark is continuing to grow some sprouts and micro greens for me.
"One of the items we worked together on were the sunflower shoots, little sunflowers we harvest and collect when they're about three weeks old, they're just a shoot but they're super succulent, full of water, full of flavour, so tasty and interesting compared to say a snow pea tendril or something like that."
Another highlight of the Friends of Good Food program is a dinner at the National Arboretum with legend Maggie Beer.
Executive chef at Ginger Catering Janet Jeffs worked with Beer during the early 1980s and has always held the national icon in the highest regard.
"She instilled in me a love of produce that was regional and seasonal, at a time when this was an idealistic concept," Jeffs says.
"I remember growers of fresh vegetables, rabbits and yabbies arriving at the kitchen door. I brought bunches of basil from my own kitchen garden, exotic in those days, when pesto wasn't a go to ingredient, boxes of velvety wild mushrooms and bunches of wild watercress.
"She's now an Australian food ambassador and icon, her success over the years has spread not only throughout the Barossa, but across the nation through our television screens as she is often appearing as a guest judge on MasterChef. She also co-hosted ABC TV show The Cook and the Chef.
"In 2010 Maggie was named Senior Australian of The Year and she has spent almost a decade campaigning for better nutritional standards in aged care and the provision of high-quality meals that are also a pleasure to eat. The Maggie Beer Foundation charity has been running face-to-face training courses since its inception in 2014. Maggie says when chefs and cooks finish the course and return to their aged care workplace, there are always dramatic changes in the engagement of staff and the well-being of the residents.
"Our Maggie Beer Foundation Dinner on March 19 is to raise funds in support of this worthy project."
Other Friends of Good Food events include:
TERRA x Andy Bowdy (SAGA): For one exclusive evening, pastry chef extraordinaire Andy Bowdy will be collaborating with the TERRA kitchen. The evening will consist of seven courses - three from the TERRA team as well as two savoury and two dessert courses from Bowdy showcasing his craft.
Daana's South Indian Culinary Heritage Trail: Rediscover the culinary heritage of South India at Daana, exploring dishes from the Royal Houses to the humble kitchens of Southern Indian ancestors that have been lost in time using traditional exotic ingredients like tender jackfruit, banana blossoms and wild black rice.
Agostini's Italian-Asian Fusion Dinner: Join the team at Agostinis for a special dinner as executive chef Francesco Balestrieri cooks alongside his sous chef Junho Koh from Korea. This skilful team will intertwine their individual passions and cooking styles to create intriguing, mouth-watering Italian-Asian fusion dishes.
Sushi Omakase at Lilotang: Lilotang is delighted to present for the first time an omakase style sushi tasting menu developed and prepared by master sushi chef Shinya Nakano (Kisume Melbourne, Nobu Melbourne, Sushi Idugen Kyoto). Chef Nakano's menu will be expertly paired with premium sakes by the Lilotang team.
For a full list of events head to goodfoodmonth.com