HERCANBERRA.COM.AU
TAKEAWAY tradition W O R D S
AMANDA WHITLEY
P H O T O G R A P H Y
TIM BEAN
Canberra’s food scene has exploded in recent years, and these days it’s as much about the fit-out as the food. But at the humble suburban takeaway, flavour is still king—and so is community.
GROWING UP, an after-school snack of potato scallops fresh from the deep fryer was my daily ritual. Crispy, salty, served up in a plain grease-stained paper bag, these golden morsels were the ultimate comfort food.
Formica the universal textures of the local milk bar. There were no designer touches, no carefully considered colour schemes, no Instagram account. The focus was on producing simple, flavourful food.
Burgers were big—laden with beetroot, bacon, egg, pineapple and more—and came with the compulsory splash of Rosella tomato sauce on a sesame seed bun.
Our tastes have become somewhat more sophisticated in recent years, but one thing has remained the same—our appetite for fare prepared with love.
Practicality was foremost, aesthetics an afterthought—stainless steel and
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We met the people behind three Canberra takeaways that show good food never goes out of style.