5 October 2008

Pulp Kitchen - Restaurant Review

| johnboy
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As I am, for the time being, an Ainslican (Note the the hate mailers: no longer in Turner, haven’t been for some time now, please update your records), I went to Pulp Kitchen for dinner last night when I had an event to celebrate.

They style themselves as a “European Brasserie”. While I’m not entirely sure what that means, I can tell you what you get.

They do relatively simple, but excellent quality, ingredients, well chosen, and well cooked.

I had lamb shanks (off the bone) with beans and mash. My date had a beef salad with walnuts, pear, and gorgonzola.

Both were superb.

For desert we had saffron custard trifles with plum jelly which were both novel and delicious.

With a $29 bottle of Taltarni Brut the whole dinner for two came to $110 (but we did skip entrees).

Almost everything on the menu is available as either an entree or a main, which makes ordering nice and easy.

But where they really shine is the service.

No-one hassled us as we ate, and yet whenever we needed anything someone was there to take down our order and deliver it. I can’t, off the top of my head, remember getting such flawless service anywhere in Canberra.

The toilets, however, are a bit of an adventure. But everyone came back alive so no harm done.

If you like your food simple, and yet well executed, if you like your service crisp, but not obsequious, then Pulp Kitchen is well worth a go.

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i can’t say i was impressed either time i went, and agree the noise levels are too loud, but it wasn’t at all bad, just not as good as the pricetag would have me expect… will go back, though – or at least, won’t knock back an offer, if one comes along, especially outside, now daylight savings has arrived with almost warmer weather…

i much prefer rubicon and the price isn’t significantly different. (though i can stroll to p/k, so it gets a tick there!) but good review, jb. well done…

Holden Caulfield9:54 pm 05 Oct 08

Another highly satisfied Pulp Kitchen customer here. 🙂

The creme brulee for dessert is my pick.

I’ve strapped on the nosebag at Pulp Kitchen a couple of times. Now that Sage has changed hands (still good, but I preferred the original recipe) I’d have to put it at the top of my “Favourite Canberra Restaurants” list.

Agreed. It’s a lovely place – relaxed, fantastic service and the food is imaginative and superb. They will also substitute ingredients in most dishes if you have an allergy or dislike to a certain ingredient.

Sounds like the French provincial style of food? There used to be a few of those around in the 80s, The french kitchen being one. Quite different from the “creative” french nouvelle cuisine of the time.

Hard surfaces look great but the noise factor gets to me, too. I simply can’t hear the conversation! In Pangaea the other week, there were two women a few tables away literally shouting at each other (they were evidently conversing) and I could hear them, but not people at my table.

One reason why we originally went to the Pide House in Jammo, it’s all carpeted.

You can get a good result with baffling and things though, maybe as the baby boomers age, there’ll be more demand for conversation-friendly restaurants.

Definitely going to check out Pulp Kitchen though, sounds worth a visit.

As noted above it’s not a quiet joint.

But they do have outdoor tables.

And on cold nights I’ve heard they provide blankets.

JB sounds great – before I give it a try, what was the noise level like? Was it busy when you were there? That premises used to have hard shiny surfaces (when it was a vegetarian restaurant) and the clattering and voice noise level was pretty extreme at times …

Well, the logo’s a bit of a worry, but everything else sounds wonderful.

: )

Will definitely try it.

Loquaciousness12:24 pm 05 Oct 08

I’ve never heard of it (what rock have I been under?) but it sounds just like my kind of place. And anyone that can cook a lamb shank to perfection is bound to become a favourite!

L

I’ve also had some really enjoyable meals at Pulp Kitchen. There are always a few interesting blackboard selections, as well as their regular menu selections. And I appreciate the fact that you can get entree sized serves of many of the dishes. However, I’m determined I’ll only go there in summer – when I can comfortably sit outside. I find indoors incredibly noisy, particularly if they have a booking for one or two groups.

Why can’t some of these fabulous restaurants add some sound absorption into their interior design???

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