Dining Out: A. Baker, New Acton precinct, Canberra

A. Baker has received a lot of negative press since opening in the New Acton dining precinct in late 2013, and I must confess that my first experience dining there was not ideal. From reading every available review I could find, the majority of people weighing in seemed to feel like the food was impressive, but that the service was severely lacking. I have to concede that this mirrors my own first dining experience with A. Baker in late 2013.

However on Monday last week my friend was visiting from Sydney and had not yet tried A. Baker; so I found myself returning and giving Canberra's latest problem child of dining a second chance.

And I am so pleased that I did.

The New Acton area is stunning. I personally believe that development of the Lake-front area is woefully lacking, and so the New Acton precinct with its beautiful architecture, bars, salons and restaurants; is a much needed injection of life to the underutilised space. A. Baker is right in the thick of this development, in a beautiful 'industrial chic' fit-out with plenty of space and plenty of understated character. Dining on a Monday evening I thought we'd be the only ones there, but there were plenty of other diners enjoying their meals in a surprisingly chilly Canberra summer evening.

All in all it was actually a really lovely dining experience, with really attentive wait staff for the majority of the evening, free (delicious) bread served multiple times, and a really relaxed atmosphere. And, free Wifi from HotelHotel, which was fantastic! I think A. Baker really has taken the public's harsh critiques on board and have endeavoured to improve their service, and I think that things will continue to improve as the restaurant matures.

If you tried A. Baker and didn't have a great experience in 2013, I'd really encourage you to go back and try again now. And if you do, order the spaghettini. You'll thank me for the recommendation.

The dishes that my friend and I selected were:

Spaghettini – cured and smoked lambs liver, free range egg yolk, silverbeet, parmesan

Can I just say that my 'Small Plate' (entree) the Spaghettini is not something I would ordinarily order, because despite loving heart as a meat, I’m generally squeamish with offal. I was tossing up between two other dishes when the waitress came to take our orders, and I panicked and picked it in haste. It is the best decision in haste I have ever made. This dish. THIS DISH! Heavenly! It was a deep, richly flavoured dish with perfectly cooked pasta and a complex, creamy taste sensation undercut by the tang of the liver and parmesan. I wish I had ordered this for my main as well.

Ceviche – grapefruit, avocado, black lemon, scallop crumb and fennel

The Ceviche was quite nice, but they're just not a dish that I enjoy. I've tried them several times at several different places, and I just don't get or like them. The fish was very tender, which was nice, and the inclusion of fennel and pink grapefruit were nice flavour notes, but I can't do this dish justice in a review because of my personal bias. It was, however, the most beautiful dish of the evening.

Slow poached Eden veal rump – albacore mayonnaise, capers, mojama and green beans

The veal was an odd dish, and I'm not really sure that it was the best choice to be offered as a main. It had very delicate flavours which were quite nice at first, but that somehow became overwhelming as you ate. There was also a surprising amount of it, which I guess you want in a main, but it took the both of us to finish most of it off. The cool sauce also chilled the meat somewhat, which I didn't enjoy at all. I think a smaller version offered as a small plate would be much better.

Smoked Dutton Park duck breast – maple, Nicola potato, black cabbage, pickled apricot

Finally, my 'Large Plate' (main) was the duck breast, and it was very nice if a little generic. The duck was, again, cooked perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised when I bit into what I assumed was pumpkin, and it turned out to be apricot. The tangy fruit was a delightful foil to the fatty deliciousness of the duck.

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