Hailing from New Zealand, with restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, Botswana Butchery has opened in Canberra (which I later find out was with a little nudge from our ACT Chief Minister). My friend and I try it out for lunch as part of birthday week. Pull on the chopping knife handles of the restaurant door (they must mean business!) and the interior is plush and spacious with large comfy chairs, hues of tan and teal, and a few little hidden spaces and intimate dining rooms.
The lunch a la carte menu is split into raw bar items with a caviar service, charcuterie, entrees and light mains, the butcher’s block with a range of very expensive red meats, the ocean, salads, sauces and butters (I was surprised we had to pay extra for sauces), and sides.
The wine list has a section for non-alcoholic cocktails with 4 to choose from. We both order the Smashing Pineapples mocktails ($14) with pineapple, grapefruit, orange and falernum.
The tuna cones ($8 each) are a hit with me. These are tiny but it is a delicious morsel with wasabi mayo, capers, chives and pops of salmon roe. The presentation is also gorgeous.
Next we try the prawn crudo with watermelon, pistachio in a citrus dressing ($32). I don’t know how they do it but the prawn itself is so creamy. I love it with the fresh watermelon and citrusy yet sweet dressing. A beautiful light starter.
For the main, we have to order something from the butcher’s block. We decide to share the 200g Black Opal wagyu flank with marbling of 4-5 ($51) with mushroom sauce ($6). This is the cheapest steak on the menu. It comes out already sliced into four thick slices. It is perfectly medium rare and darn good. The other cuts are up to $170 or $390 for the tomahawk! I do find it a little outrageous at having to pay $6 for a sauce though.
We also order the dauphinoise potatoes and raclette ($14) which is enormous and easy to share between two. Think multiple layers of oven baked thin crispy potato with raclette cheese poured over the top. More please.
Dessert is the flourless chocolate gateau ($21) with orange marmalade sandwiched between the gateau and chocolate cream on top. It’s served with crème fraiche gelato. The gateau is soft and rich, with an equally soft and rich creamy mousse on top. I don’t think I would’ve been able to finish it on my own, so I’m very glad we shared it.
Overall, we both enjoy every single item ordered. Everything was cooked perfectly, looked wonderful, and tasted just as good. It is on the expensive side but a good option if you’re looking for something a bit upmarket for a special occasion.
Check out my reel of the experience below:
Botswana Butchery (opposite Inka)
Bunda Street, Canberra
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