Raku Dining wins Restaurant and Catering Awards restaurant of the year 2021

And now he has been named ACT restaurateur of the year in the Australian Restaurant and Catering Awards and Raku Dining has been named restaurant of the year.

Raku Dining also won best Asian restaurant.

Raku general manager Nic Clarke said the secret to Raku's success can be put down to the quality of the product, the care with how it's prepared and the consistency in how it is delivered.

"We're just so grateful that we're able to trade in an almost normal capacity, given what's going on in the rest of the country at the moment," Clarke said.

"We're very lucky that we've managed to retain our team of amazing chefs and front of house staff.

"Most of all we're honoured to be chosen as the winner, amongst a continually growing, evolving and competitive hospitality scene here in the ACT."

Pasquale Trimboli of Italian and Sons won the inaugural lifetime achievement award. Damian Brabender, of Otis Dining Hall, won chef of the year.

Hotel Realm took two top Awards, including best function centre caterer and ACT Caterer of the Year

Doma Hotels director of hotels, Patrick Lonergan said the win was a testament to the hard work and dedication of his team.

"Winning these prestigious awards highlights our outstanding commitment to delivering exceptional service, food and beverage," he said.

"We are overwhelmed and delighted with the recognition of achievement."

Capitol Bar and Grill won best restaurant in a hotel for the second year in a row.

General Manager of QT Canberra Shannon Craig said she was proud of her team.

"It's been another tough year for all hospitality venues in Canberra and the ACT, but I am proud of the team who are well-deserving of this offer as they continue to make the impossible possible every day," she said.

"Driven by a pure passion for culinary creativity, executive chef Josh Smith-Thirkell and the entire Capitol Bar and Grill team have used our unplanned moments of hibernations to innovate and thrive."

Daana in Curtin won three awards: best Indian, best tourism and the consumer vote. Chef and co-owner Sanjay Kumar was also in the running for chef of the year.

"It is once again a great win for the entire team at Daana, our fourth consecutive year as best Indian restaurant and third consecutive year winning the consumer vote, and it is possible only because of our supportive guests who have always trusted us in providing them an exemplary quality dining experience, every time,hef and co-owner Sunita says- "it has been a tough 18 months for all businesses especially hospitality. Despite this we

keep challenging ourselves to continuously innovate and create new unique concepts and experiences for our guests. The

team has worked hard, and partied hard at the awards night, we will savor our success of the three award wins, and then

start working towards innovating and creating our 2021-22 Spring-Summer Menu to launch in September and celebrate

Daana's sixth birthday with a surprise for our guests!

Restaurant and Catering chief executive officer Wes Lambert recognised the significant contributions to the ACT hospitality sector by all winning venues.

"We are tremendously lucky to have so many absolute gems in the hospitality sector spanning the width and breadth of the ACT," he said.

"After suffering so much over the last 18 months from the Covid-19 Pandemic, it is incredible to be able to bring the industry together for such an iconic night despite so many adversities."

The Restaurant and Catering Awards are the only industry awards with an independent judging system with more than 280 judges reporting to state judge chairs and a national chief judge.

READ OUR REVIEWS:

Asian Restaurant: Winner, Raku Dining, Canberra City; Lilotang, Barton.

Breakfast restaurant: Winner, 34 Cafe, Queanbeyan; Ricardo's Café, Macquarie; Space Kitchen, Philip, Stella's by the lake, Belconnen.

Café dining/patisserie: Winner, Café Gather, Braddon; Queen's Terrace Cafe, Canberra; Ricardo's Café, Macquarie; Space Kitchen, Philip; Stella's By The Lake, Belconnen; 34 Café, Queanbeyan.

Contemporary Australian restaurant - formal: Winner, The Boat House, Barton; Otis Dining Hall, Kingston.

Contemporary Australian restaurant - informal: Winner, Ginger at the Arboretum, Molonglo Valley; Ostani, Barton; Tipsy Bull, Braddon; Trev's At Dickson, Dickson; Westering, Lake George.

European restaurant: Winner, Les Bistronomes, Campbell; Blackfire Restaurant, Braddon.

Indian restaurant: Winner, Daana, Curtin; Blu Ginger Indian Restaurant, Canberra; Chalisa Indian Restaurant, Greenway.

Italian restaurant: Winner, Mezzalira on London, Canberra; Molto Italian, Kingston; Italian and Sons, Braddon; The Italian Place, Braddon.

Restaurant in a club: Winner, Chatham House Restaurant, National Press Club Of Australia, Barton; Federal Golf Club Restaurant, Red Hill.

Restaurant in a hotel/resort: Winner, Capitol Bar and Grill, QT Canberra, Canberra; Monster Kitchen and Bar, Ovolo Nishi, Canberra; Buvette Bistro, Hotel Realm, Barton.

Restaurant in a winery: Winner, Pavilion Dining, Pialligo Estate, Pialligo; Olleyville Restaurant - Shaw Vineyard Estate, Murrambateman; Café Lerida, Lerida Estate, Lake George.

Tourism restaurant: Winner, Daana, Curtin; Blackfire Restaurant, Braddon.

Function convention centre caterer: Winner, Hotel Realm, Barton; National Press Club Of Australia, Barton: Federal Golf Club, Red Hill.

Venue caterer: Winner, Ginger Catering, National Arboretum of Canberra, Molonglo Valley; APH Catering, Australian Parliament House, Canberra.

Wedding caterer: Winner, Ginger Catering, Molonglo Valley; Hotel Realm, Barton.

Consumer vote award: Winner, Daana, Curtin; Tipsy Bull, Braddon; The Italian Place, Braddon; Raku Dining, Canberra City.

Chef of the year: Winner, Damian Brabender, Otis Dining Hall; Darren Tetley, National Press Club of Australia; David Learmonth, APH Catering and Events; James Titheradge, Westering; Jason Gould, Tipsy Bull; Sunita Kumar, Daana.

Manager/Supervisor of the year: Winner, Aaron Gray, Lerida Estate; James Barker, Otis Dining Hall.

Product supplier of the year: Winner, Alpha Fresh, Hume; Design Print Canberra, Gungahlin; Prohibition Bottle Shop, Kingston.

Restaurateur of the year: Hao Chen, Raku Dining.

Lifetime achiever: Pasquale Trimboli.

Caterer of the year: Hotel Realm, Barton.

Restaurant of the year: Raku Dining, Canberra City.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: