LiloTang, Canberra: restaurant review

It’s an omen. Annabel Crabb just sat down nearby. If anybody knows this city’s eating spots, it’s her, right?

TWAM-20160402 EMBARGO FOR TWAM 2 April 2016 NO REUSE WITHOUT PERMISSION FEE APPLIES Lilo Tang, Canberra snapper sashimi dish Pic : Stefan Postles

I’m calling it a good omen. Annabel Crabb just sat down nearby, and the girl knows her food, right? This is Crabb territory. I’m figuring the political junkie knows this city’s eating spots, so maybe a few preconceived ideas are about to be dashed.

Preconceived ideas? LiloTang is the latest string to the bow of a prominent restaurant group, and having eaten at a few of their places (one right here at the Burberry Hotel), I’m figuring “modest” is the best I can hope for. There are exceptions, of course, but multi-concept groups often resemble soggy tempura; a nice idea that loses a bit in the execution.

LiloTang – all concrete floors, die-cut plywood room dividers, funky lanterns – is a modern sort of place that would probably benefit from a noisy, Tokyo-like crowd of post-work drinkers. Strangely, there is no music and the place is empty when we arrive for a pre-dinner rice beer in the bar. “It’s Wednesday night in Canberra,” says my loyally local eating buddy when I say the restaurant’s quiet. It shouldn’t be; there’s good stuff happening here.

Lilo’s menu has a western structure: starters one side, mains and sides the other, although our menu is designed to share, says a waiter whose enthusiasm makes up for a rather by-the-numbers group of colleagues. Luck of the draw.

After complimentary togarashi-dusted edamame with that delicious beer, the ordering begins: a subtle, dried chilli piquancy, it transpires, is a leitmotif to the food here. The kitchen sets the bar high, early: “Umami-jime snapper sashimi” is a dish of outstanding rough-hewn raw fish with soft fresh tofu, just-poached and peeled small heirloom tomatoes with great flavour, pieces of white peach and a slightly acidic/peppery dressing. Everything about it works.

Snapper sashimi. Picture: Stefan Postles

The ubiquitous kingfish – also done here sashimi-style – is more refined, the flesh responding to the chef’s knife to create the “silken” feel on the tongue you’d expect of a serious sushi chef. Presented with a few Japanese plums and finely sliced shallot, the real foil here is a ginger-infused moro miso sauce with soft, fermented barley through the paste.

Both of these excellent dishes are unsurprising, but “sardine namban” is another kettle of… fish. Looking like prehistoric lizard creatures on a rich, piquant tartare with plenty of ground sesame and nori on the plate for Japanese accent, the fishies are cured before frying, we’re told, and soused with a sour/savoury/salty vinegar. The result is an almost meaty/stringy texture, a delicious flavour, and a slightly slippery exterior. I ordered another. Just to be certain.

Main courses are more predictable. A take on the evergreen Nobu standard of malty saikyo miso-cured cod sees two pieces of excellent (but inevitably frozen) roasted American fish served with pickled daikon and carrot and a sweet/malty yellow mirin-spiked miso sauce on the side. It’s simple, but the presentation adds impact.

Wagyu sirloin, served sliced with a savoury herbed miso, fine shallot and fried herbs for crunch is similarly spare. The meat is nicely cooked but not particularly marbled and at $48, expensive. A soy-grilled mushroom side dish (enoki, king brown, shiitake) is worth having; I’d leave the chargrilled cabbage with anchovy and garlic dressing to the Italians.

Desserts are fun, and outside the box. A steamed custardy pudding flavoured with houjicha (charcoal-roasted green tea) is served with candied sweet potato; roasted Fuji apple comes with yuzu ice cream, toasted walnuts and honey-infused umeshu “sauce” (impressive); and sweet/sticky tofu made with mochi (a Japanese glutinous rice cake) is served with a light caramel and proper green tea ice cream.

I like their effort to avoid clichés. And with a bit more verve, a bit more get-up-and-go from the staff, I reckon I could like LiloTang too. Those starters, particularly, are wonderful and the wine prices fair. Wonder what Annabel thought?

Address: 1 Burberry Close, Barton ACT / Phone: [phone] Web: lilotang.com.au / Hours: Lunch, dinner Tue-Sat / Typical prices: Small dishes $17; large $35; dessert $14; set menu $80 / Summary: Could use a little extra tang / Like this? Try… Saké Hamer Hall, Melbourne; Ume, Sydney / Stars: 3.5 out of 5