Sage Restaurant (Canberra, Australia)

There are many quality fine dining restaurants in Canberra and Sage Restaurant is one of them. Dining at the establishment was a surprise to me since York organized this night as a secret date night for our first night in Canberra. I was unaware of the awards won by this restaurant initially( AHA Awards: Australia’s best stand-alone restaurant 2013), but as soon as I stepped into complex, I was mesmerized at the heritage garden and the ambiance produced by the fire stick heating that was warming up the place.

The outdoor “Mint Garden Bar” is pretty popular in summer

The restaurant is located at the back of the garden. When I first stepped into the establishment, I was surprised at how cramp the restaurant was. There was a huge table right next to the entrance where they accommodated a large group of guests. I wasn’t sure if the table is normally there or not, but I think for a restaurant at this level, there should be sufficient floor space for customers to feel comfortable as they walk into the place. Luckily York insisted on a window corner seat when he made the booking, so we were able to avoid the crowdedness. I love the decor inside the restaurant, they use many plants in their decoration to reflect the use of organic ingredients and production of their own food in a nearby farm.

The interior is heavily decorated with plants to reflect the use of organic ingredients

The 5 course tasting menu is AUD$95 per person while 3 course selection is AUD$75 per person. York and I have come to a conclusion that if we go for 5 course tasting menu for each one of us, we will end up trying 5 different courses. However if we order 3 courses each, we get to try 6 different dishes and at a lower cost too! That was what we did that night.

Our first fine dining experience in Canberra

We ordered “Sugar cured ocean trout, Avocado, Wasabi, Olive , Citrus” and “Confit baby beets, Smoked goats curd, Mushroom crumble” for our entrees. I loved the ocean trout and was amazed by its portion, especially in comparison to the baby beets entree. The trouts came in two pieces so it was perfect for sharing. I was surprised at the fish roes on the trouts since it was not mentioned on the menu, nevertheless fish roe is one of my favorite food so I was in food heaven when I was having this dish. The baby beet entree was just like any other normal entrees you would find in other fine dining restaurants.

Sugar cured ocean trout, Avocado, Wasabi, Olive , Citrus

Confit baby beets, Smoked goats curd, Mushroom crumble

The mains we ordered were “Pressed lamb neck, gnocchi, charred broccoli, quince, pecorino” and “Ashed pork loin, clams, garlic, parsley, leek, molho de salsa”. I was too busy eating my ashed pork loins, I forgot about trying York’s lamb. The ashed pork was a bit hard to chew, however the texture of the ashes on my tongue when tasting was interesting. I was very happy with the size of the clams since I have only eaten calms of this size in Asia. The whole dish was de-constructed which made it enjoyable to try each ingredient in its original form.

Ashed pork loin, clams, garlic, parsley, leek, molho de salsa

Pressed lamb neck, gnocchi, charred broccoli, quince, pecorino

Our booking was at 6pm and we had to finish by 8pm. The amount of food was just right for the amount of time we were given. The waiters were very friendly, explained each dish to us in detail and took nice pictures for us (sometimes it is hard to find a waiter who can take nice photos when out on a dinner date!). Since this is probably the only fine dining experience I will be having in Canberra, it is hard for me to say whether or not it is best in town. However judging from its popularity and no.1 rating on Tripadvisor, I think it definitely is a special place for Canberra people.