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Chifley’s Bar and Grill at the Hotel Kurrajong

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Gary Avatar
Gary
A photograph of a plate with one third occupied by untouched plant material plus a small copper pot containing béarnaise sauce. There is also a small piece of tenderloin steak in the frame. It's been cut with a steak knife and it is edge-to-edge pink reflecting medium rare doneness.

This week, I had a meeting in Canberra and had to spend a night there.

I’m privileged to be employed and to have my travel and accommodation provided.

The meeting was held at Old Parliament House, so I was accommodated at the Hotel Kurrajong.

A photograph of a fire in the fireplace of the Hotel Kurrajong.

The Hotel Kurrajong’s restaurant is named Chifley’s Bar and Grill. It was named after Ben Chifley, the 16th prime minister of Australia. I have no idea if Mr Chifley was fond of a steak and a drink.

On the evening of my arrival, I asked for a table for one and was seated at a table in the middle of the floor.

I declined drinks apart from tap water.

I asked for the 200-gram tenderloin steak cooked medium rare and the grilled king prawns. I also asked for a béarnaise sauce. After waiting fifteen minutes, the steak arrived with the sauce and plant material that wasn’t mentioned anywhere on the menu. It took me about five minutes to get the attention of a waitstaff member. I asked about the prawns, and after a short wait, I was told they didn’t make it to the notepad. I was offered complimentary accompaniments, which I declined.

A photograph of a plate with one third occupied by plant material plus a small copper pot containing béarnaise sauce. There is also a small piece (200-grams) of tenderloin steak in the frame. It has not been seared much.

The steak was tender and easy to cut with the steak knife. It was bland, though, as was the sauce. The steak was edge-to-edge pink, so I assumed it was cooked in a water bath. Unfortunately, the searing tasted like it was waved in a flame rather than having high heat applied to the surface to get a Maillard reaction. There was no crust. While the steak was tender and easy to chew, it was bland and didn’t have the mouthfeel I hoped for.

A photograph of a plate with one third occupied by untouched plant material plus a small copper pot containing béarnaise sauce. There is also a small piece of tenderloin steak in the frame. It's been cut with a steak knife and it is edge-to-edge pink reflecting medium rare doneness.

The following day at 7 am — after a restless night — I sat at a table near a floor-to-ceiling window. I ordered a cappuccino, a plate of eggs Benedict, and an extra side of grilled bacon. Having been spoiled by the quality of coffee in Adelaide, I was disappointed; the coffee was milky and weak. The eggs, ham, and bacon, though, were good. The breakfast was filling and tasted great. I got through the entire day without eating anything after breakfast.

A photograph of eggs Benedict and an extra serve of grilled bacon. The poached eggs are atop a piece of ham on half of an English muffin. The eggs are topped with Hollandaise sauce.
A photograph of a plate with empty English muffin halves and some leafy green plant material. The remnants of softly poached egg and hollandaise sauce cover the rest of the plate.

After thoughts

I’m not a qualified chef, and I’ve never been trained to cook. I’m sure I would not cope with the requirements of working in a restaurant. That said, I prefer cooking and eating my own steak. It tastes better and it’s cheaper.

I need to eat more bacon and eggs and make more Hollandaise sauce.

A photograph of a fire in the fireplace of the Hotel Kurrajong.

Home cooked steaks

Compare the restaurant steak with what I cook and eat at home.

A photograph of a scotch fillet steak. It's been sliced and seasoned with flaky salt. The slices are on a white cutting board. The photograph includes a bit of butter and a wedge of lime.
A photograph of a scotch fillet steak. It's been sliced and seasoned with flaky salt. The plate has a multi-coloured pattern with pomegranates.

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Comments

11 responses to “Chifley’s Bar and Grill at the Hotel Kurrajong”

  1. Mabel Kwong Avatar
    Mabel Kwong

    It sounds like you know your steak very well, Gaz. I would have been wondering like you where were the king prawns, and disappointed it was missed with the dish. The breakfast looked fantastic. I like it when I can have a filling meal to start the day, feels like nourishing myself from the start. Your home cooked steaks look fantastic.

    I also like to cook at home and eat meals at home. The good thing about cooking at home is if you do it enough, you know how to make a meal taste just the way you like it. And you know what goes into it, balancing healthy and tasty.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Gary Avatar
      Gary

      Thanks, Mabel. That’s how I feel now about going out. Unless I have to because of circumstances or because I’m doing something with others, I’m happy cooking for myself and eating what I like to eat.

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      1. Mabel Kwong Avatar
        Mabel Kwong

        Cooking for yourself is so underrated. These days I prioritise eating and cooking nutritional food at home. I enjoy reading your recipes as always. They are very inspiring and easy to follow.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
        1. Gary Avatar
          Gary

          Thanks, Mabel. Preparing, cooking, and enjoying good food makes living enjoyable.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply
  2. Economy scotch fillet steak – Yummy Lummy Avatar
    Economy scotch fillet steak – Yummy Lummy

    […] I shared some photographs already in another post (Chifley’s Bar and Grill at the Hotel Kurrajong). […]

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella Avatar
    Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

    What a shame about the steak. That’s why we prefer cooking it at home because you’ll know what you’ll get that way.

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    1. Gary Avatar
      Gary

      One of the greatest gifts my mother gave me was teaching me to cook. I will forever be grateful.

      Like

      Reply
  4. ckennedy Avatar
    ckennedy

    We’ve been so disappointed by restaurant-quality steaks, lately. They cost way too much. The ones we prepare at home are cheaper and taste better.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Gary Avatar
      Gary

      …and often, the ambience at home is just as good if not better than a restaurant.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. Eha Carr Avatar
    Eha Carr

    Gary – I hope you will forgive me a Saturday morning smile alongside my black coffee! Being way older than you – yes Ben Chifley did like his steak and booze :) ! And I don’t think most restaurants would quite ‘dare’ to serve what you order the way you these days prefer! To my eye, both dishes were plated very nicely and that breakfast would have kept me going to dinnertime! And, many people would object to a crust on their steak . . . horses for courses . . .

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    1. Gary Avatar
      Gary

      Thanks, Eha. It’s a good thing I enjoy cooking and eating at home.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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