His Excellency will host this exclusive truffle dinner at his residence in Canberra, for just 42 guests, as part of the Canberra Region Truffle Festival.

Not only will the dinner promote local produce and wine, but will raise money for local charities through ticket sales and the auction of the dinner and other special items.

Thomas, the embassy chef, will be joined in the kitchen by Luffy Koh, sous chef at Agostinis, and Kim de Poorter, owner of Fine Terrines and Pate (who you can find at the Canberra Region Farmers' Markets at EPIC) - all magicians with truffles!

There is a limit of 42 tickets available for this event which are $215pp for five courses with matching local wines.

Some changes have been taking place at Constitution Place with Chairman Group's Mu Omakase and Cicada Bar reflecting the turn in the weather.

Things are heating up at at Mu Omakase, where it's all about fire, transforming into a "robatayaki" for the winter, with the Binchotan charcoal grill taking centre stage.

Smoke and flame enhance the quality ingredients, marrying with the flavours to create a feast for the senses.

Highlights on the current menu include the return of the popular chawanmushi, here with porcini reduction, scampi and persimmon; rich and creamy patagonian toothfish with Davidson plum and saikyo-yaki; hokkaido scallop with crispy XO sauce and salmon roe; and a MBS 8+ wagyu flank steak with wasabi salsa.

Over at Cicada bar they've added some winter cocktails to complement the extensive range of sake and Japanese wines.

Try a fragrant and soothing Cicada hot toddy with whiskey, hojicha and osmanthus) or a Tamago Hot Spring which is a Japanese twist on an eggnog with junmai ginjo, chai, yolk and nutmeg.

Mu Omakase is opening for one sitting at 7pm, Tuesday to Thursday and two sittings, at 6pm and 8pm, Friday and Saturday.

Cicada Bar is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 5pm.

We can't wait to see where chef Matthew Bentley takes the inaugural truffle dinner at Monster, with their all vegetarian take on things.

There'll be four courses, and snacks, showcasing a different truffle from Hidden Valley Farm, Goulburn, in every dish.

Start with bites of Jerusalem artichoke, truffled brie and honey; and a pumpkin doughnut with cheese and truffle, Following courses include mushroom parfait, grated truffle and Three Mills sourdough; salt-baked celeriac with Granny Smith apple, hazelnuts and grated truffle; Yukon gold potato pithivier with truffle and taleggio; finishing with truffle and white chocolate for dessert.

Tickets $150pp for four courses with snacks; add $59pp to have matching truffle drinks. Bookings essential.

There's plenty in the gardens at Pialligo Estate and what better way to celebrate winter's bounty than a long lunch.

Start with some charcuterie from the award-winning Smokehouse accompanied by estate-grown pickles from harvests past to warm up your appetite.

The main event is braised winter greens from the gardens with almond burnt butter served alongside roast sirloin, Estate-grown herbs, celeriac and a rich red wine jus.

Finish with a Pialligo pavlova made with toffee and a zingy lemon curd to cut through all that smoky, sultry richness.

Includes a two-hour regional wine package.

Sunday, July 10, 11.30am-2.30pm. $89pp, kids under 10 $30.

thepialligoestate.com.au

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While riders tackle the mountainous French countryside of the Tour de France, esteemed French chef Guillaume Brahimi will take viewers on a culinary journey, as SBS's food accompaniment Plat du Tour returns for its third year.

Airing during SBS's coverage of the Tour de France, the series will feature 21 recipes that originate from different regions of France, Copenhagen, Switzerland and Belgium and correlate to the different tour stages. Squeezed into 10-minute episodes, Guillaume demonstrates quick, easy methods for viewers at home to have a crack at creating their own little taste of Europe.

Recipes include langoustine and truffle pasta from the ancient city of Saint Gaudens; raclette savoyarde, a cheesy treat from the Alps; Le Welsh (Croque monsieur du Nord) a French take on the "Welsh rabbit"; and Tourte des Pyrénées aux Myrtilles, a blueberry torte from the heart of the Pyrenees.

Plat du Tour segments will be available for catch-up on SBS Food Online and SBS On Demand and will air as special episodes on SBS Food after the 2022 Tour de France is complete.

If you're escaping the cold and heading to the coast, check out The Patch, a revitalised space at the Tomakin sporting club just metres away from the beach.

The vast space can accommodate 118 guests inside and 108 guests outside and there's a fantastic kid's area just in time for the school holidays.

Hospitality group Tully Heard is behind the project. Its portfolio includes The Growers, Shoalhaven, The Fernery, Mosman, and the Greens, North Sydney.

The new design will accentuate the natural environment with an alfresco dining area that overlooks the lush garden surrounds.

There will be an array of entertainment to complement the venue such as Sunday acoustic sessions; curated chefs' dinners; and a purpose-built interactive children's playground.

Tully Heard group director John Tully said he hopes The Patch becomes a community space after a tough few years on the coast.

The Tomakin community endured the relentless fires of 2019, and the Tomakin Club became the central place for the community to gather, to be fed and watered through extremely challenging times.

The Patch offers a much better reason to head there now.

The winter celebrations continue for the whole family at Westfield Woden, with "snow" falling outside the centre at Let It Snow, and warming sweet treats to enjoy at the Bradley Street Dining Precinct throughout both weekends of July.

The exclusive gin tastings in the dining dome have sold out but there's still plenty on offer. Discover the must-visit food and drink destinations at Bradley Street, including recently opened restaurants Super Bao Woden, Grease Monkey, and Hanok Korean BBQ.

We like the sound of free mini hot chocolates with marshmallows at San Churro or free beer with any purchase at Grease Monkey. July 7-10 and 14-17.

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