Soju Girl
41-43 Northbourne Ave
Canberra
I was dining alone and thought I'd head over to Soju Girl as it had been recommended by a friend. It was a good recommendation and I'm glad I went there.
Soju Girl has extremely good food and very interesting options too. The service was excellent and its a great place.
I thought I'd try a few smaller dishes to get more variety so I started with betel leaf with smoked trout, coconut and chilli dressing. These can be ordered individually for $6.50 each. It was extremely tasty - a great combination of subtle flavours blended together.
Next up was the tiradito of kingfish with yuzu, white soy, radish and finger lime for $17. It was a light delicate dish that again had amazing texture and flavour - but it was all so subtle.
Third to the table was the zucchini flower stuffed with sushi rice and soy mirrin for dipping. Again this was $6.50 a piece and you can order them individually. I loved it - but I love soy mirrin anyway. This was a bit more substantial than I expected too - the flower was reasonably big and very full.
The meal ended with the best for last - soft shell crab with som tom salad and avocado puree for $18. This was amazing. The crab crunched but melted. The flavours were great and it was a decent sized serving (although it was so nice I could have eaten another one).
It was all washed down with some 2009 Tim Smith "bugalugs"shiraz from the Barossa Valley at $9 per glass.
Soju Girl has several dining options available - including the bar area, the dining room at normal tables or the dining room at a shared table (pictured).
Soju Girl is one of Canberra's better meal experiences. The food is innovative, subtle and exciting. The service is equally good and its a pleasant place too. Its not cheap - but quality comes at a price.
