Have you heard of the Sunday Supper Club? It is held once a month at the Winning Appliances showroom in Kingston. Hosted by HerCanberra’s Amanda Whitley, a different eatery cooks up a multi-course supper for roughly 24 guests. I got to go on the night that Eightysix was cooking with fellow foodie friends.
I step inside and am greeted by Amanda. There’s a makeshift bar set up and I’m encouraged to get a drink. Non-alcoholic beverages on the night are ginger beer and orange juice, but there is also wine, beer and champagne. There’s a clothing rack with hangers where I can hang up my coat. And there’s a local Canberran musician playing guitar and singing to set the mood.
Two long tables have been set up in the show room, covered in a white table cloth, vases of fresh daffodils, plates, cutlery and glassware, bottles of tap and sparkling water, as well as the four-course printed menu for the night.
The Eightysix team are setting up the first course on the bench, in the Winning Appliances demo kitchen. I’m seated with my friends next to and across from me. After some chit chat, other guests take their seats and Amanda is at the front with a microphone. We’re introduced to the Eightysix team Gus Armstrong (owner) and Michael Rees (chef), and the Winning Appliances manager and team. After some housekeeping rules, the first course arrives.
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Course 1 – truffle and parma ham crouton. Think bruschetta but with a slice of salty cured parma ham, truffle oil and topped with generous shavings of truffle. So moreish.
Course 2 – yellowfin tuna with grapefruit crudo, and topped with fingerlime. The deconstructed style dish incorporated each ingredient in different Bison bowls with the goal to mix everything together. This is accompanied with a black sesame cracker.
Really simple but absolutely packed with flavour. Delicious.
Course 3 – lamb shoulder, tabbouleh and baba ganoush. Deliciously tender lamb which easily slid off the bone paired with a simple Israelian cous cous.
After the third course, microphones are handed out and the chefs talk about how it all started for Eightysix, winning a chef’s hat and their journey. I find it amusing that they want to change up the menu but diners keep asking for the original dishes like ghetto beef to stay on the menu. We also get a tour of the Winning Appliances showroom.
Course 4 – Chocolate Bavarian. This is the newest dessert on the Eightysix menu. Rich but so moist and soft, and paired with a yoghurt ice cream (which unfortunately slid right off the top).
This is the pro shot from the Eightysix Instagram account
It was an informative intimate evening with the chefs of Eightysix. If you’re interested in hearing about the story behind a restaurant, and a Q&A session with the chefs, this is a concept of dining you may like.
Tickets are $50 per person including matched wines. I left feeling not too full but satisfied with the supper. It is great value if you drink alcohol to take advantage of the wine and champagne.
To get tickets, you need to register your interest. I believe there is now a lottery system as tickets sell out so quickly. Read more about it on the HerCanberra article here.
Sunday Supper Club
Winning Appliances, 80 Giles Street, Kingston, Canberra
You can read my last blog post on Eightysix here.
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