The Clover Dining Team co-owners Vitawat ‘Vit’ Srichaiket, Patricia ‘Pat’ Terbio, Rachataphol ‘Mo’ Kraitrudphol, Saralee ‘Joy’ Wongkaeo and co-owner Ton Supwonakit. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
When I heard that the concept behind Clover Dining was Italian meets Japanese, I was intrigued but not convinced. But the more I thought about it, the more I started to see how these two distinct cuisines actually had a lot in common. Both have strong culinary traditions with wide-ranging regional specialties and a focus on letting seasonal ingredients shine.
And speaking to the Clover Dining team – Pat Terbio, Ton Supwonakit, Vitawat ‘Vit’ Srichaiket, Saralee ‘Joy’ Wongkaeo and Rachataphol ‘Mo’ Kraitrodphol – it’s clear that this concept isn’t just fusion for fusion’s sake.
“In Japan, the mix of Italian and Japanese is quite common. It’s quite interesting,” Vit told Region.
“We wanted to take that concept and create our own thing. The Canberra hospitality scene has really kickstarted, so there’s a lot of room to grow and do something new and different.”
The four friends are also behind Rosemary at Kingston but wanted to bring a new concept to life for Clover, a name chosen for the plush green furnishings that came with the space.
Italian classics like burrata and tomato are given an umami boost with dried miso. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Mixing Western dishes with Japanese ingredients is known as ‘wafu’ cooking in Japanese.
“We love creativity and doing something new, and Japanese and Italian are two of our favourite cuisines, so we’ve loved putting those flavours together,” Ton said.
“Wafu is a style of Japanese food that uses Japanese ingredients in Western dishes, so we’re putting Japanese techniques and flavours in Italian dishes.”
I was lucky enough to have a sneak peek of the menu, which manages to be approachable while still refined. Fancy enough for a date night or special occasion but relaxed enough for a hotel guest to have a midweek meal.
The location is perfect for pre-theatre drinks or dinner, and the team are hoping to bring some more life back to this corner of the city. Located at the base of the Sebel Hotel, Clover also offers breakfast daily. While I didn’t try any of the breakfast dishes, I did get a quick look at a couple of menu items that looked fabulous.
Oysters come with a smoked oil and pops of citrus. The sweet, smokey and sour garnish balances the beautiful salty liquor of the oyster. Creamy burrata with lovely ripe heirloom tomatoes feels very Italian, but there’s a surprise extra pop of umami with shards of dried miso, and gorgeous prawns are split down the centre and grilled to perfection. Grilled steak is perfectly tender and served with a sticky soy sauce.
The beverage offerings also take on the Clover Dining wafu concept. The eponymous Clover Club cocktail is beautifully balanced. A traditional gin base is given an Asian influence with chamomile and finished to a creamy foam with egg white. It’s bright pink, but it’s a properly grown-up cocktail.
“We want to use the beverage program to lift up the food and bring out the potential in each dish.”
Drinks include classic cocktails with a Clover twist, as well as low and zero ABV options. The space will also be available for events and private functions.
Desserts haven’t been neglected either: a moist and moreish olive oil chocolate cake is served with a brandy sauce and light-as-a-feather cream. Miso adds complexity, and I have no trouble polishing off the whole thing (I’m even a little tempted to lick the plate).
Chatting with Ton, Mo, Pat, Joy and Vit, it’s clear that this is a group of young, passionate, energetic hospitality professionals who are bursting with potential and itching to show the world what they can do.
With a little luck on their side, Clover is set to become a very exciting dining destination for Canberra.
Clover Dining is located under the Sebel Hotel at 197 London Circuit, Canberra City. They are open daily for breakfast, lunch, bar snacks and dinner from 7 am until late. Follow Clover Dining on Facebook or Instagram.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
