Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

WHERE TO DINE 595
Victor Lodge Value Backpackers, parliamentary staff, and budget travelers frequent
this friendly place, situated right next to Kingston shops and about a 15-
minute drive from the city center. Rooms vary from dorms with three, four, or five
beds, to modern, simple doubles. There are communal showers and toilets and a
courtyard. The staff picks up guests from the train and bus stations daily and drops
off guests in town every morning. It’s a nice place overall, but you’ll have to decide
whether or not you want to put up with the short trek into the city.
The owners also own the reasonable Best Western motel next door, which has
standby rates of A$89 (US$58) for a double. Apparently, long-suffering parents
often dump their teenage kids at the lodge and live it up at the motel.
29 Dawes St., Kingston, ACT 2604.& 02/6295 7777. Fax 02/6295 2466. www.victorlodge.com.au. 29 units,
none with bathroom. A$59 (US$38) double; A$23 (US$15) dorm bed. Rates include continental breakfast.
MC, V. Free parking. Bus: 38, 39, or 50. Amenities: Bike rental; tour desk; coin-op laundry; TV room; nonsmoking
rooms; Internet facilities. In room: A/C, TV, iron, fan, wash basin.
4 Where to Dine
Lemon Grass THAI This is perhaps one of Australia’s best Thai restaurants,
and is well worth the visit if you are seeking some spice in your life. There are
plenty of vegetarian dishes and lots of seafood. Try any red curry, or the Tom
Yum soups. The food and the service are consistently good and the prices
shouldn’t break the bank.
Melbourne Building, 65 London Circuit, Civic. & 02/6247 2779. Main courses A$14–A$17 (US$9–US$11).
AE, MC, V. Mon-Fri noon–2:30pm; Mon-Sat 6–10:30pm.
Little Saigon Value VIETNAMESE This spacious restaurant has minimalist
decor and floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the city center. Tables are
set up on either side of an indoor pond, and there’s a bar in the back of the
restaurant. The menu is vast, with lots of noodle dishes as well as spicy seafood,
duck, chicken, pork, beef, and lamb. The top seller is the lemon grass and chili
chicken.
Alinga St. and Northbourne Ave., Civic. & 02/6230 5003. Main courses A$12–A$15 (US$7.80–US$9.75).
Daily 10am–3pm and 5–10:30pm.
The Palette Café CAFE/MODERN AUSTRALIAN This is a great choice
for lunch, especially because it’s in the same building as Canberra’s largest private
art gallery. You can either eat inside, surrounded by artwork, or claim a table outside
in the sunny courtyard. Standout dishes include grilled asparagus spears with
Japanese scallops and almond hollandaise, and the chili-salted baby octopus. The
Caesar salads are particularly good, as are the field mushrooms with a sauce of
soy, Japanese rice wine, honey, and coriander. The etchings, paintings, and sculptures
on display are of high quality and are reasonably priced.
Beaver Gallery, 81 Denison St., Deakin. & 02/6282 8416. Main courses A$12–A$18 (US$7.80–US$12). AE,
MC, V. Daily 10am–5pm.
Portia’s Place CANTONESE/MALAYSIAN/PEKING A small restaurant
serving up excellent traditional cookery, Portia’s Place often fills up early and
does a roaring lunchtime trade. The best things on the menu are the lamb ribs
in shang tung sauce, the King Island filet steak in pepper sauce, the flaming pork
(brought to your table wrapped in foil and bursting with flames), and the
Queensland trout stir-fried with snow peas.
11 Kennedy St., Kingston. & 02/6239 7970. Main courses A$9.80–A$19 (US$6.40–US$12). AE, DC, MC, V.
Daily noon–2:30pm; Sun–Wed 5–10pm; Thurs–Sat 5–10:30pm.