Sunday in Canberra launches its weekend Dough & Dolce nights!

Fresh new greenery greets us in the entryway. Photo: Kazuri Photography.

We are sitting at a table at Sunday in Canberra and, get this, we are ordering dinner!

As of a couple of weeks ago, this popular Gungahlin brunch spot is spruiking its Dough & Dolce nights, serving dinner from 5:30 pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

Dough and Dolce dinners are all about pasta, pizza and dessert.

Sunday's Dough & Dolce menu. Photos: Kazuri Photography.

Topped with pico de gallo, seasoned corn avocado, sour cream and tomato salsa.

My robust cappuccino.

Maple-glazed French toast.

It's pretty ... and pretty homely lighting.

Co-owner Ali says that Sunday’s new head chef brings vibrance and fresh ideas to the kitchen.

“He loves spicy, but I don’t like spicy, so I think we found a middle ground,” he laughs.

“He makes a wonderful beef rendang as a special and is working on refining some of our staple dishes. Our new French toast is beautiful. It comes with a scoop of ice cream and house-made custard between brioche toast. Our omelette is on another level. It is our biggest selling item. It’s big and cheesy with turkey bacon.”

The omelette sounds particularly delicious; however, we are here to order dinner. Being so new, the dinner menu is concise. A specials board adds a handful of tasty dishes to the mix.

As we ponder our dinner choices, a family walks in and as they take their seats. They remark how good it is to find a place that serves quality coffee beyond mid-afternoon.

Our pesto pasta pairs creamy pesto and parmesan with spaghettini. Photo: Kazuri Photography.

We settle on three of Dough & Dolce nights’ best sellers: pesto pasta, a prawn pizza and an open kebab.

The food arrives without too much of a wait. Our pesto pasta is the classic pairing of creamy pesto and parmesan stirred through al dente spaghettini with tender pieces of chicken.

The Garlic Prawn Pizza is butterflied, marinated prawns and mozzarella on a tomato and herb base, then drizzled with chilli oil and parsley. We find the pizza base to be tender and blistered. I appreciate that the tomato sauce isn’t overly sweet and the cheese does not dominate. The chilli oil brings some fragrant heat and enhances the succulent morsels of marinated prawns.

Garlic Prawn Pizza is butterflied, marinated prawns and mozzarella on a tomato and herb base. Photo: Kazuri Photography.

We especially enjoy the open kebab – a chicken shish kebab.

The wrap lies flat on the plate, spread with a rich tzatziki sauce, then piled high with pickled red cabbage, cucumber slices, generous helpings of Southern fried chicken with Korean-inspired gochujang sauce and fries. It is playful and the gochujang sauce brings a zing of heat and cream. The wrap is spongy, tender and substantial.

An open chicken shish kebab. Photo: Kazuri Photography.

The substantial fried chicken pieces are everything you look for in Southern fried chicken: well-seasoned crunch and juicy mouthfuls of fragrant chicken.

The Dough & Dolce nights are a fun and innovative idea, and another feather in the cap for Sunday in Canberra. And how convenient it is to pop in for dinner after a Friday work commute when the cafe is steps away from light rail!

Sunday in Canberra is located at 54 Ernest Cavanagh St in Gungahlin. It is open Monday to Sunday from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm, and on Fridays and Saturday evenings it reopens for dinner from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Check out their Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to whet your appetite!