SNUFFLES, the truffle dog, has been at it again. It’s the season for this special, highly trained American cocker spaniel to be on the hunt for the rich – and very expensive – black fungus that is the centrepiece of dishes being created by many restaurants around town during this year’s Canberra and Capital Region Truffle Festival.

The festival will continue until July 31, or before if participating venues run out of this highly prized, exotic fungi. So Snuffles, who is a valuable member of the team at French Black Truffles, has a busy schedule for a few weeks yet.

Many establishments are running degustations offering the full truffle experience and others a dish or two created with great care given that one razor-thin shaving of this fungi can cost around $10 (or $125 or more for a small piece, depending on quality). In Canberra, participating establishments include 3seeds, Benchmark, Dieci e Mezzo, Mezzalira, Pod Food, Pulp Kitchen and Redsalt. The National Press Club is also truffling, with a seafood twist. And it was a twist we wanted, so that’s where we headed.

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Chef Daren Tetley is the club’s “truffle man”, having joined the team last year after stints at Canberra restaurants, including the Boat House by the Lake and the Hyatt Hotel.

Our truffle seafood degustation began with rolls and delicate truffle butter followed by a sensational forest mushroom and white truffle thickened soup topped with tropical lobster mousse and micro tarragon. We were greeted at the table by a waiter sporting a super clean, white glove and holding (for dear life, no doubt) a black truffle. He spoke for a moment about the mellow and intoxicating truffle and then shaved a bit on to our soup before we indulged (it was truly wonderful).

The Press Club’s degustation is $115 for six courses with wines matched (100ml glass with several local labels on the menu) or $88 for food only.

Our second course was an assiette of cured seafood, including Tasmanian salmon gravlax with passionfruit and mandarin dressing, baby herbs and a truffle brioche. Then Alaskan king crab and Italian truffle tortellini. Then pink peppercorn crusted Yellowfin tuna, with truffle honey glazed, baby root vegetables.

The blackberry and Perigord truffle granita was a commanding colour, but some of us found it too “pucker power” coming after a series of more subtle dishes.

And the piece de resistance was Les Coulommiers truffle brie, Tasmanian honeycomb, Cognac poached baby fruit, lavoche and ciabatta. My only “complaint” was that I was too full to finish every single bit on my plate (there is no rule dictating this, but I really, really wanted to).

So go forth Canberrans and truffle your way through the next several weeks. You’ll love it.

 www.trufflefestival.com.au