Although I have moved away from Belconnen, I am still filled with #Belcopride at times. So it was that a friend and I were back at the Belconnen Mall over a cold, windy Mother’s Day weekend on a foodie adventure. It was so busy! We struggled to get a car park before using a Law of Attraction trick to visualize our perfect spot. It felt like half of Canberra was at the mall.
Belco mall has expanded with new dining areas but its central heart is still the Hoyts movie cinema. I have seen many movies there with friends over the years. Once upon a time there weren’t many pre-dinner options nearby. There is the food court around the corner for fast food and some restaurants hidden in the industrial-like buildings behind, but not much within the mall. But Rashays is changing that with its digestible, family-friendly approach in a location conveniently only a few doors down from the cinema.
We visited the day before Mother’s Day for lunch, and it was so busy we wondered if we would get a table. There were orange Rashays balloons everywhere signalling group parties. This would be a perfect venue for a meal with extended family, and the word seems to have already spread. For Mother’s Day they are giving a free special edition mug to the first 100 people who book.
The menu has something for everyone in your family – whether it is pizza, pasta, burgers, steak or desserts such as waffles there is likely to something that someone in your family will like.
The best way to get the best value of the Rashays experience is to become a member. Membership costs $10 a year, and includes several benefits including 10% for every visit, kids eat free every Sunday, $10 Pizza/Pasta every Monday and $10 Schnitzels every Tuesday. Kind of like a pub food deal except classier.
But even without membership specials, Rashays has several value options in its menu. It also embraces children by providing some options that are more than just tokenism. It has a whole ‘junior’ menu just for kids, including a special kid’s freakshake type milkshake with a kinder surprise on top. Its $9.90 Junior meals come with a drink and a Sundae Slam.
We were instead having a rare sans kids ladies outing, so opted for the more grown-up items on the menu. First stop, an almost mocktail for me in the form of strawberry lemonade.
My friend had a coffee and a pot of hot water (like me, she likes to drink warm water and she is warding off a cold).
So far this hit the spot on a cold Saturday day.
My friend (Evangeline Lam of nilbarcodefood.com) ordered the Barramundi with herb chimi churri and tartare sauce with two sides – in her case salad and onion rings ($29.90).
It was served on an impossibly large plate, a substantial and impressive meal. Yes, I got to taste test a little. The barramundi was sweet and flaky, and the tartare sauce was better quality than the usual goop in a jar.
Meanwhile, having just finished a challenge of eating only $2/day to highlight the issue of poverty, I wanted the steak. What better way to break the fast than a 300g piece of New York steak served with a mushroom sauce and choice of two sides (salad and mushrooms in my case) – $34.90.
Although I am trying not to eat fried things, I must admit that the onion rings disappeared quickly, and maybe they were dunked into some of the gravy. Ahhh, perfectly cooked steak and onion rings on a cold day. Heaven!
We were full by this point quite full so passed on dessert but not before we paused to take a photo of this luscious berry waffle, served with fairyfloss that was being plated up ($14.90).
Rashays is a fun, casual restaurant that is good on service and delivers good value food. Even if you don’t live in Belconne, why don’t you stop by to try some of the good value food and fun and relaxed service?
Disclaimer: Downunder Dreaming and Nilbarcodefood dined at the invitation of Rashays Belconnen.
What: Rashays Belconnen
Where: Belconnen Mall, near Hoyts
Website: https://www.rashays.com
Social media: @rashaysbelconnen
Entertainment Book: 25% off up to $45
Suitable for: Family birthday, work lunches, pre-movie or cinema meals, and dining out with kids.
downunder-dreaming 
Love their Ceasar salad with grilled chicken too! In the old or new EB?
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