On a busy Tuesday night, I slipped into the warm and inviting Kingsleys Steak & Crabhouse.
Upon entrance into Kingsleys, you may feel as though you’ve walked out of Bunda Street and into a classy cattle ranch (unusual thought I know). The warm timber tones and subtle lighting makes for an instant welcome.
Kinglseys opened here in Canberra in 2007; however the menu has recently undergone an overhaul. According to the very efficient, friendly and knowledgeable Manager, Kelly Gaudron, Canberra diners are well informed and particular, wanting more than meat on a plate (albeit it, in Kingsleys case, very very good meat). As a result, a new, fresh and full menu is on offer. A range of interesting and varied items sit side by side, resulting in some very difficult decisions having to be made.
Entrees vary from chilli prawns, to oysters (including the delicious bloody Mary oyster shot) to a beetroot and pear salad. There’s also lots of great things to share with your companions, or hoard for yourself.
Tonight, we chose to share the fresh Alaskan King Crab with mayonnaise and lemon, and the Louisiana Crab Cakes with lime aioli. The King Crab was presented simply, chunks of fresh, cool crab on a dish with a side of mayonnaise.
Nothing else was required. The freshness and tenderness of the crab spoke for itself and left me understanding why crab is a part of the restaurant’s name. The Louisiana Crab Cakes were crispy balls filled with crab, corn… and did I mention the crab? Delicious, served with the side of lime aioli.
Next up were the mains. Now let’s be honest, the steak here is a big reason to visit Kingsleys. They vary in weight, how many days they have been grain fed and their marble score. With everything from the 600g T-bone to the king of all steaks, the Waguy rib eye with a marble score of six to seven, choosing is not simple. Luckily, Kelly and her team are very adept at explaining.
Don’t like steak? Perhaps you are a vegetarian or a piscatorian? Never fear. As part of the revamped menu there are plenty of other choices. A range of chicken and fish now sit on the menu below the steaks; kingfish, barramundi, mussels and the chefs’ pie all looked great. Kelly assures me they can do a range of vegetarian dishes (and most dishes are gluten free if you are that way inclined).
Unfortunately my diet enforces me to only have one main meal per dinner, so I eschewed convention and instead of ordering a steak, I go for the unusual BBQ duck salad. The soft, juicy chunks of duck tossed in a sweet corn, iceberg, pink pomelo, blood plum and vinegar salad – absolutely delighted me. It was a great choice and something quite different to what you find in most Canberra restaurants, and definitely not what I expected from a steakhouse.
My dining partner chose the succulent 350 gram, 120 day grain fed Riverine Premium Rib Eye Steak, served with crispy, chunky cut steak house chips. This steak was magnificent. With a marble score of 2+ it was juicy and tender and cooked to perfection. There really wasn’t much more to say about this. It was everything you want it to be.
The Kingsleys wine list is long and varied. With over 105 options to choose from we were spoilt for choice. With wines from the local region right up to top of the range French drops, there really is something for everyone. We decided, under staff recommendation to go with a glass of the 2008 Gem Tree Shiraz from McClarenvale and a glass of the interesting 2008 Tar and Roses, a pinot grigio from Strathbogie in Victoria- both complemented our meals perfectly.
We finished up with dessert- not that we had a lot of room left. My dining partner chose the Kingsleys signature dessert, the Key Lime Pie. It was beautifully soft and fluffy with a great crunchy pie base. The citrus flavours were subtle, not over-powering. Overall it was a really well balanced, classic dessert.
For me? A beautiful and slightly unusual Raspberry and Mango Fool was placed before me in a martini glass. You might remember this dessert from one of those old trusty woman’s weekly recipe books, but I am so glad Kingsleys Head Chef Marcus Irwin is giving it a well deserved comeback. For those uninitiated, a fool is a crumbled mess of meringue and delicious fruit flavours. This one used lovely fresh mango and succulent raspberries muddled together with large chunks of meringue. It was devilishly sweet, a wonderful way to end a great meal.
My lasting impression of Kingsleys? It’s not necessarily what you think it will be- there is more to it than meets the eye. The steaks are magnificent, and the crab is out of this world, but there are plenty of other interesting and tasty treasures to be found in this remarkably different eatery. It should definitely be next on every Canberran’s dining out list.
Kingsleys Steak & Crabhouse are offering OutInCanberra readers a complimentary bottle of sparkling to get your night started! …redeem
