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Canberra Today 17°/20° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Dining in the Public interest

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Pop by and absorb the character; the tiles, the floor, the photographs, the overall old fashion, rustic 1920s feel. It’s absolutely delightful.

Public has been hopping since it opened just before Christmas. The space is divided into a restaurant and a pub, each with their own feel and own menu with a glorious atrium in the middle.

I dined in the restaurant area the first week and was amazed the kitchen staff survived the massive opening. The menu features raw tastes and we shared the sashimi plate ($25) and king salmon pastrami ($18), which were to die for. We accepted the strong recommendation to share the grilled Leader prawns with shellfish oil, citrus salts and lemon ($24) and agreed this is an outstanding dish, packed with flavour.

Mains start at $29 for spring veg risotto and head up to $36 for confit duck and seared kingfish. Steaks are grain fed for 200 days and dry aged for 30 and range from Tasmanian pasture-fed eye fillet (250 grams) at $36 to grain-fed rib eye (600 grams) for $54. You choose from a range of sauces or a selection of mustards.

The eye fillet was undercooked for the order, but tasty and tender, with a tangy and garlicky chimichurri sauce. The linguine, tossed with yummy spanner crab, plump cherry tomato and spicy prawn oil ($35) was fab.

My Kurobuta pork loin ($36) was a match made in heaven with Tassie apple and grilled kumara (sweet potato). I was expecting blue cheese, as promised on the menu, but didn’t discover it – apparently it’s in the miso sauce. If so, it was too subtle. The pork was overcooked for my liking, but I would give this dish another go for its mix of elements.

I haven’t fully explored the pub menu side, except for the veal-shank pie with pearl onions ($23). There wasn’t a lot of veal to be found, but loads of onions, some of which were undercooked.

If you’re thinking pub-like prices at Public think again. It’s a bit exxie on some fronts to become a true local for many, with most white wines in the mid-$40 range and above ($2 surcharge if you use a credit card) and several by the glass at $11 and above (for not wildly exciting wines, some would argue). I’ve heard grumblings about beer prices (Corona $9.50) and would like the staff to chill a bit when clearing glasses – it’s okay to wait until everyone has finished before whipping the glasses away. It can be distracting and disruptive.

The only other bummer about Public is some of the stool seating. Not exactly comfy or inviting for a lengthy visit.

Public, Flinders Way, Manuka. Call 6161 8808. Open seven days.

Photos by Silas Brown.

 

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Wendy Johnson

Wendy Johnson

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