Chef Stefano plates up the dry-aged duck. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Coming back to Pialligo Estate feels like a blast from the past, but the new owners aren’t here to talk about history. While acknowledging that the previous owner’s foreclosure left a lot of people in the lurch, this is a new chapter for the business and they have their eyes firmly set on the future.
New operator Anthony Whitehouse has grand plans.
“You wouldn’t believe that this is just 90 seconds from the airport,” he told Region, looking at the view across the paddocks to Parliament House.
“People could fly down from Sydney just for lunch!”
Relax with a drink at the new Pavilion. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
On a superficial level, the space hasn’t changed a great deal, although there is a new deck going in at the Playing Fields site and a few Chesterfield sofas in the Pavilion’s dining area. In addition to encouraging customers to come and have a meal, the team is hoping to lure folks out for casual drinks at the bar or al fresco cocktails in the warmer months.
Region had a sneak peek at the Pavilion menu ahead of their opening week.
Executive Chef Stefano Mondonico has brought Head Chef Aoife Sugrue down from Sydney with him. She’ll be running the pass while he floats between Pavilion and a new venue in Surry Hills, also owned by Whitehouse.
Head Chef Aoife Sugrue and Executive Chef Stefano Mondonico have put together a team of Canberra locals. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
They’re both excited by the prospect of the on-site market garden, owned and operated separately but working closely to supply the restaurant. The menu is protein-heavy with several vegetarian options. We start with braised wild mushrooms topped with a perfectly poached egg and shaved black truffle. Aside from being spot-on with seasonal produce, it’s hearty and delicious, with the mushrooms firmly the star of the show.
“Working at Pavilion gives me the chance to cook things I couldn’t do in Sydney,” Stefano explained.
“It’s a real Farm to Table style menu … over 70 per cent of the ingredients come from within a 200 km radius.”
Venison tartare with pecorino foam sounds like it might be a heavy dish, but it’s surprisingly light and beautifully tender. Fried saltbush leaves, a quail’s egg yolk and smoked hazelnut grated over the dish are all nice touches, and there’s a citrusy quality that lightens up the dish as well.
Native ingredients and local produce feature on the protein-heavy menu. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Chef Aoife hails from South West Ireland and trained in Modern European dining before coming to Australia. She’s enjoyed the transition to Modern Australian food, working in Asian fusion restaurants and learning about native Australian ingredients.
“The opportunity to play around with new ingredients like finger lime and saltbush has been really great,” she said.
“I really enjoy the ethos of local produce. It’s a bit more of a challenge. In Europe, a lot of things are imported.”
Backstrap lamb is served with nutty romesco sauce and charred leeks and onion. Perfectly pink dry-aged duck comes with cavolo nero, orange and anchovies. As a lover of anchovies, I enjoy this combination, but the anchovies do threaten to overwhelm the dish.
General manager Royston Lau is curating a list of local Canberra district wines. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
The bar is overseen by general manager Royston Lau, who is returning to Pialligo Estate after a stint here in 2017. In the interim, he’s worked at other fine dining joints like Inka and Koto. He’s bringing local wines like Clonakilla, Collector and Ravensworth to his drinks list. Mixers and syrups for cocktails will be made in-house, and garnishes will be picked fresh from the gardens.
The menu isn’t cheap, but a true focus on local produce and high quality makes the experience worthwhile.
Pavilion Restaurant is located at Pialligo Estate, 18 Kallaroo Rd, Pialligo. They are open for lunch and dinner from Thursday to Sunday.
Visit the Pialligo Estate website to book, or follow them on Instagram.
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