Truffle Festival lunch at Senso Restaurant, Canberra

Head chef and owner, Jan Gundlach, breathes in deeply

EDIT: Senso Restaurant has closed.

Truffles. Is there are food more veiled with gastronomic intrigue and romantic mystique?

We headed to Canberra's first Truffle Festival to find out first-hand the allure of the truffle, a road trip that detoured via Berrima for scones, before arriving at Senso. for a four-course truffle lunch.


Pumpkin pickles with lemon and pepper

Senso. sits on new premises at the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets. Located above the hubbub of the square that contains fruit and vegetable shops, delicatessens, bakeries and butchers, Senso is a scene of tranquility, a large and narrow open space that has a dining area on one side, with an uninterrupted view into the kitchen.


The open kitchen

When we first sit down, the waiter presumes we want the Flying Buffet lunch menu, and at $29 for three courses, we're almost tempted. On the day we dined, $29 would've gotten you homemade breads with pumpkin pickles and goats fromage fraiche; fennel soup with orange; slow-cooked ocean trout with tarragon mustard sauce; osso bucco with herb polenta; and poached quince with lemon ice cream. The Flying Buffet menu changes daily, using ingredients sourced from the markets.

Despite the alluring menu, we're adamant we've driven 280km in search of truffles. The three course truffle menu is a very modest $75 and includes a glass of wine.


Salted and unsalted butters


Goat's fromage frais

The presentation of our appetisers is impeccable, a tear-drop shaped bowl of sourdough slices alongside serves of bright orange pickled pumpkin cubes and a snowy white mound of goat's fromage frais. Two types of butter necessitate intensive tasting (of course!). It's a pick-and-mix combination of flavours, and whilst I love the trail of salt flakes on the plank of salted butter, I'm enamoured by the pale sweet creaminess of the unsalted version.


Pots on the stove


The crockery shelves


Jann adds the finishing touches

The open kitchen provides a welcome show of gastronomic theatre. The plating is all done at the front counter, a sight that is both fascinating and mesmerising, making me a poor conversationalist amongst friends as I constantly desert our table for photo opportunities.


Fennel soup with orange and truffles



Our starter is a fennel soup with orange and truffles, a light and creamy soup topped with snow-white foam and garnished with straws of fresh truffle.



I find myself using the spoon to eat the truffles on their own, trying to preserve their flavour and relishing their slight stickiness. Their flavour isn't overwhelming, althought they do seem to add a slight earthiness to the soup.


Plating our entrees


Celeriac, chestnuts and truffle puree

Our entrees is a disc of baked celeriac, topped with toasted chestnut pieces and a quenelle of truffle puree. There's a interesting contrast of textures, the crunch of chestnuts against the smoothness of the truffle puree and the caramelisation and slight chewiness of the sweet celeriac.


Truffle and truffle plane in the kitchen


Pouring the beef stock at the table

Our main of beef tenderloin, cooked sous vide, arrives, a second waiter quickly stepping forward with a carafe of beef stock that is poured like a honey-coloured cascade over the top of our meals.



There's a lovely sense of sophistication and decadence associated with such personal service, not to mention the wonderful visual of steam and the heady aroma that bathes each diner, both from the stock as it's poured out, as well as the truffle and beef and the hot liquid is absorbed.


Beef tenderloin 'sous vide', beef stock reduction and truffles

The thick carving of beef tenderloin, cooked in a vacuum sealed bag in water, is incredibly moist and tender. The star of the dish is the truffle, thin shavings that showcase the spidery white lines inside for which the truffle is known. Eating the slivers of truffle is another revelation, its satiny texture and musty flavours much more evident.

Bright green buttons of edamame beans add colour and creaminess, and the earthy theme of the truffles is echoed in the slippery stalks of shimeji mushrooms.


Adding truffles to the pappardelle


Pouring over the spiced jus


Pappardelle, spiced jus and truffles

We conclude with pappardelle, spiced jus and truffles. I love the fat silky ribbons of pappardelle, roughed up with the dusting of shaved parmesan, the refreshing zing of lime zest, and straws of fresh truffle. The pasta is slinky and sensuous, and whilst some at our table aren't keen on the lime zest, I find it adds an uplifting counterbalance to the smouldering flavour of truffle.


Coconut macaroons and macarons


Macchiato

Complimentary petit fours include coconut macaroons and macaron, both delicious and made in-house. I'm impressed too, with the coffee, which has plenty of intensity and body.

Four courses of truffle later, I'm no expert on truffles but I can certainly see the allure. It's hard to describe the flavour of truffle, and whoever said they smelt like "old socks and sex" is not far off the truth. There is an earthiness to its flavour, a musty, sweet, mushroomy meatiness that exudes the cool dampness of a rainforest floor.

Oh yes, now I'm starting to see the appeal.

Read the next Canbera post: National Portrait Gallery, Fyshwick Markets and dinner at Mecca Bah




View Larger Map

The Capital Country Truffle Festival continues in Canberra until July 11, 2009. Check the events schedule as well as the list of participating restaurants for more.

Senso will be running a truffle cooking class on July 9, and Jan's Table Truffle Dinners on July 11 and 18. Contact Senso direct for more information or to make a booking. Truffles are available for sale from Senso whilst the truffle season lasts.

Senso Restaurant and Culinary Studio
EDIT: Senso Restaurant has closed.
Level 1
Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets
Corner Dalby and Mildura Streets,
Fyshwick, Canberra, ACT
Tel: +61 (02) 6295 7722


Opening hours
Thursday to Sunday 9am-11pm


Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Canberra Truffle Festival Part 1: Truffles for breakfast, scones from morning tea
Canberra Truffle Festival Part 2: Truffle lunch at Senso Restaurant
Canberra Truffle Festival Part 3: Dinner at Mecca Bah

Canberra - Le Rendezvous
Canberra - Pancake Parlour

Canberra Balloon Fiesta
2007 Canberra Balloon Fiesta Morning
2007 Canberra Balloon Fiesta Night

Truffled scrambled eggs, scones in Berrima and the Capital Country Truffle Festival, Canberra

Black winter truffles from Manjimup, Western Australia

Old socks and sex.

That, according to some, is the most accurate description of the smell of fresh truffles.

I'd never tried fresh truffles before which was why the first ever Capital Country Truffle Festival had me snuffling about the web like a truffle-hunting, errr... pig.

Truffles have been cultivated around Australia for several years now, and in the Canberra region there are now 30 truffle growers, on properties running from Robertson to Jindabyne. The lure of fresh truffles saw us organise a day trip to Canberra last weekend, a long drive that required an early start and a plan to congregate at my place for breakfast.


Scrambled eggs topped with black truffle and pain perdu

Mrs Pig Flyin texts me to advise that she and Pig Flyin will be bringing breakfast. I'm picturing takeaway crossiants or maybe a quick fry-up of bacon and eggs, so I'm taken aback when out comes a dark brown nugget of fresh truffle, a precious package delivered from Western Australia via Simon Johnson only the day before.

At $2,750 per kilogram, this truffle is not to be trifled with. I gladly surrender the kitchen to the expert hands of Pig Flyin and within minutes we're being served a breakfast of scrambled eggs with truffles, plus a pain perdu made with the Simon Johnson panettone, purchased on sale the week before.

Pig Flyin is still waiting on the arrival of his truffle shaver so we make do with a microplane. The truffle has an earthy musty aroma, and the fine shavings tend to melt on the tongue. The taste reminds me a little of black fungus, or cloud ear fungus, although the texture is completely different, all soft and velvety. The pain perdu, or French toast, is fluffy and light, like a pillow of eggy sponge. We also shared a fried egg, an egg which has been stored with the truffle for a subtle imparting of truffle flavour.

We pile into two cars, along with L and M, and head toward Canberra, a pit-stop planned at Berrima to break the journey.


The Old Bakery Tea Rooms

Somehow we always end up at the Old Bakery Tea Rooms.


The cottage


Inside the tea room


Old iron (it was really heavy!)


Crayons for the kids (and kids at heart)

Despite having barely digested breakfast, was I ever going to just have a cup of tea? Unlikely. The scones at The Old Bakery Tea Rooms are renowned. For good reason.


Devonshire tea $7.80
Two hot scones with fresh cream, jam and tea or coffee


Large flat white


Scones with jam and cream

The scones. They stand exceedingly tall and proud, their tops dusted with a light smattering of flour. The scones don't have the moist cakey texture one sometimes finds in recipes that include lemonade and cream. These are much lighter, more delicate and airier, clouds which we slather mercilessly with strawberry jam and then dollop with cream.


Jam then cream, or cream then jam?

As we tuck into our still-warm scones, I note that some of us vary in our jam and cream order. I've always thought one should spread the jam first so one can achieve an even layer, and then slap on spoonfuls of cream with carefree abandon. The jam on cream version seems a little trickier to manage although it does seem to make a prettier photo.

Is there a set scone etiquette for the order in which jam and cream should be applied?


Who's your Sugar Daddy?

Whilst the others make a detour via Mrs Oldbucks Pantry, I make a quick dash into Sugar Daddy's Cake Design, whose sign I'd casually noticed on our way to the Tea Room.


Printed muffin papers

It's a baking lover's dream. Cupcake papers, cookie cutters, icing tools and more...


Wedding cake kitchen timers on a cake plate


Cupcake stand


Clam shell stand for petit fours

I restrain myself to a snowflake cookie cutter ($3.90) even though there's plenty more I want to purchase. And we hit the road again, toward Canberra, and a four course truffle lunch at Senso.

The Capital Country Truffle Festival continues in Canberra until July 11, 2009. Check the events schedule as well as the list of participating restaurants for more. You can also join a truffle hunt and watch the truffle dogs in action!


View Larger Map

The Old Bakery Tea Room
Wingecarribee St, Berrima
Tel: +61 (02) 4877 1343


View Larger Map

Sugar Daddy's Cake Design
Armfield Cottage
3/13 Old Hume Highway, Berrima
Tel: +61 (02) 4877 2554


Read the next post: Truffle lunch at Senso

Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Canberra Truffle Festival Part 1: Truffles for breakfast, scones from morning tea
Canberra Truffle Festival Part 2: Truffle lunch at Senso Restaurant
Canberra Truffle Festival Part 3: Dinner at Mecca Bah

Canberra - Le Rendezvous
Canberra - Pancake Parlour

Canberra Balloon Fiesta
2007 Canberra Balloon Fiesta Morning
2007 Canberra Balloon Fiesta Night

Sydney Winter Festival, Cook and Phillip Park, Sydney

Sydney. Snow.

The two words seem at odds with each other, but for four days last week, locals had the chance to experience a winter wonderland at the inaugural Sydney Winter Festival.



For the first time in almost fifty years, an outdoor ice skating rink was erected in Sydney's CBD, set up on the forecourt of St Mary's Cathedral. Ice skating session tickets were offered online prior to the event and sold out almost instantly. Never understimate the novelty factor and the romance quotient.

When Chocolatesuze and I arrived at the festival, it soon became clear why the tickets had sold out so fast - the rink was tiny at a mere 15 metres by 14 metres. The skaters on the rink were undeterred, a happy huddle of nervous newbies, shrieking children, doe-eyed couples and the occasional enthusiastic figure skater.


Ice skates


Ice skaters

Snow machines created a sense of winter magic - all that was missing was a Christmas soundtrack and the sound of sleigh bells ringing!






Snow machine



Food stalls surrounded the mini ice rink - a great mix of cuisines with a particular focus on European winter fare. I was disappointed I couldn't find any poutine-- a Canadian snack of French fries smothered in fresh cheese curds and gravy--even though it was advertised on the website.


Paella from El Bulli

We arrived at about 11.00am on the Sunday and the quiet morning trade meant that many stalls were gladly offering samples to the wandering public.


Cassoulet from Etch Dining


Samples of organic grass-fed wagyu beef burgers from Plan B


Pretzels


Krusovice Czech beer


French crepe with Nutella from Chez Lulu


Mascot from Azuma and Ton Ton


Honeycomb Rocky Road from Voodoo Chocolate


Vietnamese snacks from Saigon Bay


Ghermez cupcakes


Ghermez cupcakes


Snowflakes

Snowflakes were the currency of the day on the cashless site, with money swapped for the blue ($10) and white ($1) discs at specific sales booths.


Hot non-alcoholic punch $5.00 incl souvenir mug

I wasn't quite ready for a breakfast of mulled wine and had the hot non-alchoholic punch instead. It tasted much like hot orange juice with cinnamon, cloves and vanilla, and was surprisingly comforting.


Hot chocolate from Voodoo Chocolate $4.00

Chocolatesuze went for the... surprise... hot chocolate. And she made a specific request for a pink marshmallow, not a white one. The stall keeper smiled, and confessed "I like it when people actually have a preference".


Warm marinated olives from Dal Forno $5.00


Prosciutto and rocket stone-baked pizza from Dal Forno $5.00



The photo of the baked brie fondue stops Suze dead in her tracks. There's a sharp inhalation of breath and in that instant, we know what we're having for lunch, a whole round of Charleston Woodside brie stuffed with herbs and baked in the oven until gooey.


Woodside Charleston Jersey cow brie (South Australian)


Stuffing the brie with rosemary and thyme


Baked brie fondue from Dal Forno $14.00

We prise at the skin of the brie to reveal a molten mass of cheese. There's not a strong flavour imparted by the herbs, and the cheese itself is quite mild, but it's a great idea I should do more often. I'm thinking it would make a perfect entree or dessert for my next dinner party.


Alpenhorn players

As we finish off the brie, we're entertained by two Swiss Alpenhorn players, a beautiful carved wooden horn that was traditionally used for communication in the alps (hence its name Alp Horn).



The notes are low and deeply resonant, a soothing sound that is calming and relaxing.

Can you say Happy Cheese Day? It certainly is for us, as we round off lunch by sharing a serve of the melted raclette cheese on offer from the Swissotel.


Raclette being grilled

The etymology of the word raclette comes from the French word racler, meaning "scrape". Half a wheel of raclette is placed beneath a special grill, heated until the top layer bubbles and turns a wondrous golden colour, before it is scraped off with a knife and eaten with boiled potatoes, gherkins and pickled onions.


Scraping off the grilled layer of raclette cheese




Swiss cheese raclette from Swissotel Sydney $8.00

The cheese is thick and stretchy, although it cools quite quickly into a pliable dairy blanket over the potato family. A dusting of paprika gives it a reassuring colour, the richness of the dish offest by the sour pickles and onions.



A great day out for young and old. Here's hoping the festival becomes an annual event that is even bigger and better next year.



The Sydney Winter Festival was held June 18-21, 2009 at Cook + Phillip Park, College Street, Sydney.