When Hao Chen first came down from Sydney to inspect the site for what would become his restaurant Raku he wasn't sure what to think.
It was the middle of winter in 2016, that side of the Canberra Centre along Bunda St was dark and uninviting.
"There were empty shops, no lights were on anywhere and it was so cold; I wondered if I was making the right decision," he says.
But ever the optimist, he had faith in the business development team of the centre owners, the Queensland Investment Corporation, who had asked him to visit Canberra with a proposal to open the first fine-dining restaurant in the precinct.
"In a lot of ways it was a unique site and once we could all see the vision, we leapt at the chance," Chen says. Raku opened mid -2017.
How things have changed in seven years.
Now Bunda St could well stake a claim on being Canberra's "eat street".
Restaurateurs Matt Moran and Chris Lucas are new tenants.
Moran opened two venues in mid April, the upmarket Italian steakhouse Compa and the more casual sandwich shop &Sando.
Lucas, who's one of Melbourne's hospitality visionaries, is opening Carlotta, a Mediterranean-influenced restaurant this spring.
We could probably go further back to the opening of Inka, in 2021. Specialising in nikkei cuisine, with its blend of Peruvian and Japanese, the restaurant opened to much fanfare. Much of its fitout came directly from Peru with a hanging quipus, a traditional piece that uses a variety of strings, colours and knots to record information, and a wall of unglazed terracotta cuchimilco figurines which are commonly found in burial sites on show.
And then there was the buzz around the opening of the Tiger Lane precinct in mid 2023, with its mix of hawker-like shopfronts and restaurants Mrs Wang, Taki and Inari.
The high-end steakhouse Botswana Butchery didn't last very long. It opened in February 2024 and we were impressed early on, with Canberra Times reviewer Chris Hansen awarding it 15/20. We're glad we got to sample it because the doors shut on May 14, after going into voluntary administration in March. But we're not blaming any of that on the Bunda St site.
You only have to look at the crowds outside Anita Gelato, which surprised everyone by opening mid-winter of 2023. Ice cream in a Canberra winter? But from day one people were queuing down Bunda Street for a scoop of "Cookieman", its crunchy mix of chocolate, hazelnuts, meringue and biscuit. On opening day, it sold 36kg of the pistachio flavour.
In 2021, renovations started on Scotts Crossing between Cooyong and Bunda streets and it has now become a focal point of the precinct. Carlotta, if our guesstimates are right given where the construction is happening, will be at the western edge of Scotts Crossing, bringing in even more people - which is what it's all about.
Top chefs dine at each others' restaurants
Canberra Centre general manager Gary Stewart says QIC believes vibrant, accessible dining precincts are critical to creating culture within a community.
"Canberrans love to dine out, it's one of our favourite pastimes," he says.
"Which is why we want to make sure we're providing Canberrans, and visitors alike, with a precinct that is accessible and has great options that serve all tastes, budgets, and occasions."
He says the Canberra Centre is thrilled that people such as Moran and Lucas see the value in operating in Canberra, and that the precinct gets to be a part of that.
"The food culture in Canberra is vast, with some of the best restaurants in the country residing on our doorstep. Restaurateurs like Chris Lucas and Matt Moran don't just see value in operating in Canberra, they are so excited to be a part of it and draw inspiration from its vibrancy. It's testament to the burgeoning food scene in Canberra, and we are thrilled that Canberra Centre can play a part."
One wonders how Moran must have felt when he heard Lucas was opening up across the road, both menus will draw inspiration from Italian cuisine.
But it seems that Canberra's collaborative hospitality scene has already rubbed off on Moran.
"I welcome Chris and the Lucas Group with open arms," says Moran.
"It'll be great to have them join us in the area, I'm looking forward to dining at Carlotta.
"Canberra has long had some really exciting restaurants and talent. It's fantastic to see the nation's capital continue to grow and receive the recognition it deserves."
Chen also welcomes the likes of Moran and Lucas to the area. Both dined at Raku when they were in town, giving rave reviews. Apparently Chen, who's known for a little bit of celebrity shoulder rubbing, sent Moran flowers to welcome him to the neighbourhood. We're sure Lucas' will arrive once Carlotta opens for service.
In the meantime, Chen grabs the occasional sandwich from &Sando.
"I'm just glad that all the people queue for lunch up the other end of Bunda Street and don't get in the way here for Raku."
