Pistachio Dining

The phenomenon of the fine dining restaurant tucked away on a suburban shopping strip is not exclusive to Canberra, but we do it in a way all our own.

The Torrens shopping centre has a very distinctive style best described as pebble-mix brutalist (Soviet-era grey with an Aussie pool-surround twist).

Tiered stairs lead up to a sweep of rather unprepossessing looking glass-fronted shops, but appearances can deceive. And once inside Pistachio the stark exterior quickly retreats.

Pistachio has been steadily building a solid reputation since opening at the start of 2009, with James Mussillon-trained chef David Keeley at the helm. The interior is simple and unthreatening, with plush chairs, well-spaced tables, and blissfully little background noise. Good napkins and glassware hint at a classy meal ahead.

We are quickly greeted by the only waitress working on the night we visited, and have our drink orders taken and delivered. The food menus take a while to arrive, and a slight slowness pervades the evening, but none of the guests seem to mind terribly.

The succinct menu offers help for the indecisive, with a taster plate ($19) of three options hard to resist. Scallops, crispy pork and goat cheese ravioli look ravishing laid out on their long dish, in generous portions.

The two fat scallops are golden and surrounded in a lovely light, herby bright red broth. A nicely balanced dish, it sets the pattern for the night - fine, unfussy food, beautifully presented with clear flavours and textures.

The poaching and then roasting of the pork belly results in a terrific dense, crispy outer shell, containing succulent and flavoursome pork flesh. Of the dozens and dozens of pork dishes on restaurant menus around Canberra in recent years, this is one of the best - not over complicated and making the most of a sweet meat that crisps to perfection if treated right.

Our waitress tells us a treat is in store atop the ravioli - a little truffle left over from the chef's weekend demonstration work. The aromatic fungi certainly adds a little luxury to what is already a very good dish, tender pasta surrounding wonderfully smooth and tangy cheese, with lovely flavour and texture contrast from sweet peas and crisp smoked bacon.

Alongside us is a long table of elderly couples who look to have made Pistachio their regular treat restaurant. The conversation is flowing and the absence of intrusive background music means they can hear each other.

Many are sharing the grain-fed scotch fillet for two ($60), great tender slices of juicy beef.

We are lured however, by another classic, with a slight twist - salmon shepherd's pie ($29).

This is the dish of the evening, with plenty of tender pieces of pink salmon pulled together in a luxurious creamy sauce that heightens the fish rather than smothering it, all under a great thatch of mash. A generous baton of crisp pastry helps to soak up all the remaining sauce.

Duck risotto ($29) is rich and good, topped with a lovely scattering of contrasting elements - translucent parsnip chips and bright green brussels sprout leaves and crunchy parmesan tuilles.

The wine list is nearly all from the Canberra region and this is a nice idea. Even nicer still, owner/chef Keeley has managed to keep the prices quite reasonable, with the most expensive bottle $55, and many well below that.

The Nick O'Leary Shiraz ($13 a glass) works well with the duck, as does a Ministry Series "The Whip" Riesling ($10) with the salmon pie.

At dessert, a taster plate saves us from hard choices once again, with a little bit of everything offered. Dessert at Pistachio is worth saving space for, and a taster plate is a good option. An inverted cheesecake is creamy and light, with great crumble on top and terrific honeycomb and vanilla ice-cream to complement. A tiny creme brulee is easy to scoop up in a few mouthfuls, with lemon sorbet adding a zing at the end.

Dessert provides a lovely ending to a meal in which the food has been consistently good. The service is competent, if somewhat lacking in flair, but, overall, Pistachio is a very pleasant place to spend an evening.

Catriona Jackson is chief executive of peak lobby group Science and Technology Australia and a food writer.