Aubergine

Ben Willis's reputation as Canberra's chef-to-watch continues. His seasonal menu brings a wide range of ingredients to harmonious heel in a succession of highly orchestrated dishes. Take his buckwheat risotto, a soupy pool of buckwheat flecked with corn and shreds of blue swimmer crab and topped with sweet, sauteed sand whiting. It's a beautiful play of delicate against earthy and yielding against robust. Sparks fly when bright green pea mousse, tart green tomato jelly and crunchy pumpkin seeds meet the crunch of a fried zucchini flower filled with goat's cheese; and blackberries pop against rich duck sausage and breast, bedded on a soft puree of red cabbage and piped parsnip cream. A dessert platter arranged with parsley ice-cream, slivers of ripe, aromatic peaches, toasted almond cream, batons of rich financier and fresh blueberries is compulsive viewing. Like the food, the elegant tiered dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows is perfectly suited to special occasions, and makes any occasion special.