LOCATIONAlong the restaurant strip of Woden plaza.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThere is a strange pretence surrounding seafood restaurants in Canberra. On the outside they appear to be calm, serene corner store dives not frequented by many. Inside, however, they reveal a whole world of sophisticated, modern chic where diners can enjoy good quality produce sourced locally. Fittingly, at Noble Palace a spacious tiered dining arena with kingly embellishments (notably extravagant chandeliers) welcomes eaters from far and wide.
Revellers come to feast on fresh lobster, barramundi and crab of all varieties, while coral trout and blue eyed cod also stand as favourites on the menu. If one is not indulging in Yum Cha or a royal banquet, all seafood comes at market price, which is more often than not incredibly reasonable. Yet despair not land-lovers, Noble Palace also delivers great Chinese staples. With a wealth of selections like hotpots, roast duck, Szechuan beef and Shantung chicken, the Palace certainly serves up a feast. But don’t expect just to be let in; to Noble Palace you must be cordially invited. Or so it seems. Upon arrival the queues to the Palace seem endless and I’m almost certain that there were as many people eating as there were those who lined up and got turned away. Of course this may have just been due to a renewed appeal in weekend Yum Cha, but with the finest selection of fresh seafood who could pass up such a palatial opportunity?
Nick Hadland, December 2009