Abell's Kopi Tiam

Coming from Melbourne, this is the kind of small Asian restaurant you expect – but rarely find – in Canberra.  It blends good-humoured waitstaff and non-feral décor with excellent ‘modern Asian’ food.  The restaurant is a manageable size – seats maybe 25 – and has a tasteful, simple and colourful ambience, though like most Canberran restaurants the lighting is probably too bright.

Laziza House

 

I dare say many Canberrans have never visited the Melba shops. Tucked up in north Belco, it’s probably not the first place most people think of spending their Saturday night. I had heard about Laziza House and so, GPS in hand, we navigated our way up there for a quiet weekend dinner. The moment we walked through the door of the restaurant, an amazing aroma of rich, spicy curry struck me.