Jasper and Abbey showcase The Dock’s new summer menu. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The Dock at the Kingston Foreshore has released its new summer menu. With a range of healthy bowls and salads, it’s leading the way in what I hope to be a trend of healthy meals available in pubs.
I like a pub. Over the years, some might say a little too much. The camaraderie, the banter and sense of community, it always has the ability to draw me off the couch for a quick one that turns into three. And when it comes to dinner, the pub has always got your back.
Opening its doors in 2014, the team at The Dock has served Canberra well. Now with its eye on a shift in the habits of Canberrans, it’s shaking up the menu to cater for it.
“Canberra’s becoming really health-focused. Our community at The Dock is very diverse, from locals, sport lovers, families and tourists,” says co-owner Glen Collins.
“The team wanted to deliver some lighter and fresher options without losing the pub classics. Striking a feel-good balance and keeping everyone happy when coming for a pub feed.”
The halloumi nourish bowl is an excellent healthy choice on The Dock’s new summer menu. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Canberra has always had an active population, but heading to The Dock on a recent Sunday, I was impressed by the sheer number of customers who had popped into the pub as a bookend to their morning exercise. Having uncharacteristically just come from a bouldering gym myself, I pondered there must be something to this trend.
Not wanting to risk my gains (because the fitness world tells me it’s all about the gains), I pursued the new healthy options and liked what I saw.
The summer bowl is a mix of summer fruits and fresh veg, including strawberries, cherry tomatoes, toasted pecans, basil, baby spinach, balsamic vinaigrette and avocado.
The Caesar salad is made with cos lettuce, crispy prosciutto, croutons, shaved parmesan, a poached egg and housemade Caesar dressing with optional grilled chicken breast and anchovies.
The burrito bowl is a flavourful addition to The Dock’s menu. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
We chose the halloumi nourish bowl and burrito bowl. The nourish bowl is packed with quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, parsley, mint, red onion, pistachios and cranberries and the star of the show, the halloumi, is warm, golden, sweet and stretchy. It’s all topped with a champagne vinaigrette.
You can add more protein with grilled chicken breast or grilled salmon. I hear you can never have enough protein, so it’s fitting for our new-wave Canberrans.
The burrito bowl has a cilantro lime rice surrounded by black beans, sweet potato, smashed avocado, charred corn salsa and shredded cheese. The fried shallots and lovely smoky chipotle mayo come on the side so you can choose how much to include. I found the best approach was to stir it all together so each mouthful came with a little bit of everything. I recommend the optional grilled chicken breast to bulk this one up.
Although I’m normally inclined to have a beer with my meal, the mocktail menu caught my eye and I grabbed a pink frosty fruit slushie. The pretty pink number came in a tall cocktail glass complete with umbrella and dual stripey straws. The icy raspberry, pineapple, mango and orange concoction really hit the spot. It was like going on a tropical holiday without the hangover.
A perfect summer spread at The Dock. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
If all this sounds a little too healthy, there are plenty of pub classics, including pizzas, nachos, fish and chips, and burgers to choose from. Sometimes, even after a good gym session, nothing goes down better than a burger.
I had gone in thinking the dishes might be ‘healthy adjacent’, but was quite taken with the real care for fresh produce and a balance of ingredients. I’m pretty sure if I were inclined to count macros, I’d be satisfied. Just to clarify, I’m not there yet.
Glen says head chef, Pony, has focused on fresh ingredients, colour and flavour.
“It’s about leaving feeling healthy and happy, perfect for a post-walk or post-run meal.”
In addition to walking away feeling healthy, I felt a little virtuous too. All kudos to The Dock for making that happen.
The Dock is located on the Kingston Foreshore and is open six days a week – Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 am until midnight and Tuesday from 4 pm until 10:30 pm. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
The Wednesday meal special that aligns with the weekly Running For Resilience run is available from 6 pm and now includes a naughty and nice option of a chicken schnitzel or chicken Caesar salad for $20.
