Ruby Chinese

For a long time, tourist guide books insisted on referring to Dickson as "Canberra's Chinatown". Yes, there are lots of Asian eateries and a few Asian grocers on this strip, and yes, it's very close to the Australian National University and the attendant crowds of international students. But Chinatown? Surely the nickname is more a slightly cringeworthy reflection of how white-bread the rest of Canberra actually is.

But perhaps the guide books were swayed by the presence of Ruby's, that graceful stalwart of Cantonese cuisine on Woolley Street. Here's a restaurant that's quietly elegant, with white draped tables, rows of fish tanks and plush seating. Tonight, slipping in to the dining room, the chill and rain of a Canberra night are discreetly blocked out. 

Ruby's is classic rather than old-school – it's the kind of place where the art of carrot sculpture lives on. There's live seafood on the menu, plenty of specials, and a long, long list of everything from Mongolian lamb to flaming pork to sea cucumber with duck feet. There's quite a bit to wade through, giving rise to a fair bit of FOMO (fear of missing out) when you're trying to narrow your dish choices down. 

But let's start with something simple – a couple of serves of sang choy bao ($26). These are pretty meaty, a generous heap of diced chicken on a bed of lettuce the size of your palm. And they're juicy, messy to eat but a good little starter for the meal. 

A firecracker steak ($26.80) comes to the table sizzling with crisp fried dough on top and topped with a pile of mushrooms and cashews. The sliced steak itself has that joyously soft feel of perfectly cooked medium-rare beef. A great dish, well worth coming back for, with plenty of heart.

A platter of pork rib tips ($26.80) are a slightly more conventional Asian restaurant dish but they're very easy to eat, that happy mix of exterior crunch, tender meat inside, and a sticky soy sauce. They are the kind of dish that's particularly good to pick at during animated moments of conversation, while the rest of your friends are distracted and won't remember that you said five minutes ago that you were full.

Phu pi vegetarian rolls turn out to be a layered mix of lettuce, carrot, cabbage and wood ear mushrooms in a glass dish, which are perhaps less successful, though they do exactly what they say on the tin.  

The wine list is serviceable, mostly South Australian, and a mix of thoroughly affordable ($6 moscato) and bottles of Moet for those auspicious occasions.

Service is quick and gentle, and plates flow fast from the kitchen – hot pots to a large family by the window, fried rice to the couple who've come from drinks at the Dickson Tradies and just want a quiet chat. 

There are no desserts to speak of but a simple plate of sliced fruit comes to the table alongside a little container of toothpicks. An old fashioned touch that's a little warming to the heart and cleansing to the palate. As one of Dickson's original restaurants, Ruby Chinese carries on pretty much untouched by fad or fashion.