It’s been a long day at work, you collect the kiddies from school and get home only to realise there is nothing for dinner! If you’re not keen on cooking up a storm, put that pineapple pizza back in the freezer and head into Marketplace Gungahlin for a plethora of cuisines. Marketplace is arguably one of the most multicultural centres in the suburbs; think Korean BBQ, Turkish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Mexican and Thai all a stone’s throw away from each other.
There’s something about a family run business that makes you feel right at home; at Zehni’s it’s definitely the type of home where you can’t help but eat and eat and eat. Here you can take the pressure off what to order with a simple yet incredibly filling choice of a banquet. Marketplace is all about feeding the entire family and this is one place you will always have leftovers. We started with some traditional dips, fluffy Turkish bread and an entrée platter consisting of the much-loved zucchini puff, feta spring rolls, falafel and garlicy yogurt sauce – a vegetarian’s dream! The next course is all about succulent grilled meats. Lamb in the form of cutlet’s and shish kebabs, chicken shish tawook and meat balls with a side of salad and rice. Onto the doner kebab plate, yes all that shaved meat from vertical rotisserie one would usually enjoy in a Shawarma only in this instance lamb and chicken is layered on a plate and smothered in a trio of sauces. Another great value option is the Turkish Pide. With nine flavours to choose from, there is a Turkish pizza for everyone in the family. If you are having troubles deciding why not go customary and try the Turkish Salami – it is usually a crowd pleaser; or the Ottoman Pide, a traditional lamb mince, egg and cheese combination.
Jade Dumpling House has made a name for themselves for having the juiciest dumplings in town. On our visit there we experienced that yes, they have mastered the bite size balls of goodness, but on the other spectrum of their 100 item menu they go very big. We were privy to trying a whole barbecue duck, usually reserved for special occasions or to slice up for their hotpot of authentic dishes. We were drawn to the crispy duck Chinese pancakes. Six deconstructed pancakes come in a serve and can be shared in the middle of the table with the family. Though if you love the look of the glazed duck you may want to keep them all for yourself. The duck has a glowing skin and a delightful crunch to it. Build the Chinese pancakes yourself with the BBQ duck, cucumber, spring onion and a sweet Hoisin sauce, then wrap up that moment of glory. When you’re all done treat the kiddies to some deep-fried ice cream, it’s always fun cracking open the golden skin and watching the cold ice cream seep out. Everyone’s grown up with a local Chinese restaurant, plan your next family outing at Jade Dumpling House and adopt it as your families own.
Walking into the The Tongdak /Doo Ri Korean BBQ restaurant we knew we would leave happy. We were about to eat one of the most on trend foods – Korean Fried Chicken – literally served to us on a silver platter and in three different flavours. It’s the type of place you could bring the entire family down for a reasonably priced and incredibly tasty feed or catch up with the friends over a combination platter. You’ll find a mix of chicken drumsticks, thighs and wings all bursting with flavour. We shared original fried chicken with a golden skin, sweet chilli chicken with a spicy kick and the sweet soy chicken. A side of chips and pickled radish slaw accompany your platter to offset the tender chicken. Everyone knows fried chicken is best enjoyed with bone in and that rang true at this Korean BBQ restaurant with every mouthful of chicken bursting with flavour. Tie your hair back and get ready to get your hands dirty at The Tongdak /Doo Ri – they even supply wet wipes, so you have no excuse not to!
