Clover hitting all the high notes in Wafu Italian dining

Posted on 27 June, 2025

If you had to make a choice between Japanese or Italian cuisine, could you do it? Happily for Canberra foodies, we no longer need to.

Clover may be just two months old, but it is already converting diners to the concept of “Wafu” (meaning Japanese-inspired) Italian.

The finesse required to deliver on this concept is more than you might expect, but the culinary team behind Clover loves nothing more than a challenge.

Burrata – Oxheart Tomato, Orange Blossom Honey, Miso Crumb, Basil. Photography: Ben Calvert.

Rachataphol “Mo” Kraitrudphol has come to Canberra from Sydney’s fine dining scene and brings classic Italian flair to the kitchen, while Vitawat Srichaiket knows Japanese food, having had plenty of experience putting a cultural twist on it during his time heading the kitchen at Canberra’s Japanese/Peruvian fusion restaurant Inka. They are joined in the kitchen by Joy Wongkaeo, the former head chef at Supa Love in Tiger Lane.

Meanwhile General Manager Ton Supwanakit brings some hefty experience to the project, having previously run Monster, Parlour and High Jinks, while front of house is managed by Patricia Terbio. Together, the team spent more than six months using their other restaurant kitchen – Rosemary by EightyTwenty in Kingston – to experiment with concepts to bring Clover to fruition.

Rachataphol ‘Mo’ Kraitrudphol, Vitawat ‘Vit’ Srichaiket, Patricia Terbio, and Ton Supwonakit. Photography: Ben Calvert.

Sitting unobtrusively on London Circuit directly opposite the ACT Assembly and next door to the Sebel hotel, Clover is a surprising discovery on many levels. Once you walk through the door, you are immersed in a moody, dark and elegant dining room. Emerald green velvet chairs and booths are anchored by a large black marble bar. Brass feature lighting keeps things muted and relaxed while grey sheer drapes keep the London Circuit bustle to a minimum.

The name choice reflects the deep green accents in the room, while keeping with the botanical theme of their other restaurant Rosemary and also injecting a bit of four-leaf-clover “luck and love” into the venture.

Clover’s sophisticated interiors combine emerald, black and gold tones. Photography: Ben Calvert.

While Clover has just introduced an express lunch for surrounding office workers (more on that in a bit) and will also cater specifically to the pre- and post-theatre crowd, its heart is in considered and unhurried dining where the table can fill with dishes which will confound any previous expectations on flavour profiles and combinations.

For instance, the simple edamame gets a makeover which exemplifies the Wafu Italian concept–soaked in a heady emulsion of anchovies, lemon, chilli and parmesan. You will never look at this humble Japanese legume in the same way again.

Similarly, oysters are elevated with a fragrant mix of bonito extract and finger lime. You won’t stop at half a dozen.

Edamame are given the Italian treatment, with delicious results. Photography: Ben Calvert.

Which brings us to the very reason Clover has risen in the capital. Vit, Mo and Ton wanted to do something new for themselves, stretching their experience and delivering a unique dining concept to Canberra in the process. While it seems to make a lot of sense to bring two imminently popular food cultures together, it takes more than adding cheese to sushi to make it work.

“We experimented a lot over six months to test recipes and refine all of our dishes. There is no other way to do it other than experimenting,” says Ton.

Clover’s Patagonian Toothfish is a standout. Photography: Ben Calvert.

They didn’t know at first just how perfectly the Patagonian Toothfish would meld with the yuzu beurre blanc foam with saikyo miso, lime and ikura caviar. But the dish is truly a standout. Sweet, unctuous, yet light and with a touch of zest – confounding to the mind and delightful in the mouth all at once.

For veggie lovers, the roasted cauliflower is also a reason to go back for a second visit. Caramelised with tahini and pistachio gremolata, it’s cooked to tender, melting perfection. Even the charred broccolini with roasted chilli, which is technically a side, is elevated and complex. Carnivores may prefer to serve it alongside a perfectly rare Black Onyx Angus Scotch Fillet with a burnt garlic and ponzu emulsion.

Black Angus Onyx Scotch Fillet. Photography: Ben Calvert.

But if you want to see Clover really hit its stride, order the seafood. Arguably, this is some of the city’s best. The King Prawns with arrabbiata and shellfish oil, Pan-Seared Scallops with a cashew-jalapeño emulsion and dill oil, and Unagi Risotto combining ndulja, Japanese eel, parmesan and sansho pepper show that the curiosity in the kitchen is matched by the skill of the chefs. Suddenly, the Wafu Italian ideals seem to make perfect sense.

Clover’s seafood dishes truly shine. Photography: Ben Calvert.

While it is early days, and the Light Rail works around London Circuit make it challenging for businesses in the area, Clover is starting to garner a reputation for elevated and inventive dining worth finding a carpark for!

Meanwhile, it has just introduced an Express Lunch Menu to cater for busy office workers in the precinct. This is not only a beautifully-executed set menu of five dishes, but is incredible value at just $29. You can choose from Soy-Glazed Chicken or Miso-Baked Salmon which comes on a wooden tray, accompanied by a steaming bowl of miso soup, rice, Agedashi tofu and some of that divine caramelised tahini cauliflower. There will be no need to raid the office snack cupboard in the afternoon once you have enjoyed all of this. And it is fancy enough to invite the boss, too.

Express dinner and drinks options will also allow theatre-goers to have a beautiful meal before or after their show. Priced at between $35 and $45 depending on how hungry you are, the menus include a cocktail or glass of wine.

Clover’s cocktails are as impressive as the food/ Photography: Ben Calvert.

The bar staff behind Clover’s impressive black marble bar are adept at cocktails (check out your hand-stamped ice cube for finesse), and the wine list, just like the menu, has an eclectic range which will complement the new flavours of the dishes.

Some of the most inventive cocktails include the Noix de Coco which combines Grey Goose Vodka, pandan, pineapple, mixed citrus and coconut. The Chanel No’7 uses Bombay Sapphire Gin, Earl Grey, sakura and rose, bergamot, vermouth, Aperol, grapefruit and orange bitters, while the Espresso Drift combines Bacardi Carta Blanca Rum, coriander seeds and espresso bean with pineapple, brown butter, Amaro, spiced bitters and salted caramel. There is also a fine selection of sake if you want really embed Japanese flavours into your meal.

Clover’s Social Hour (4–6 pm daily and 9 pm til midnight, Friday to Saturday) is the perfect opportunity to imbibe and also enjoy half a dozen oysters for $22.

Tiramisu – Lady Finger, Mascarpone, Zabaglione, Marsala. Photography: Ben Calvert.

Clover has decided to do a breakfast menu to enable Sebel guests to stay and eat without going too far from the hotel, which means is open seven days from 7 am through to a 10 pm end of dinner service. While it is the sort of restaurant deserving of a booking and the anticipation that that brings with it, it can cater to walk-ins.

We suggest all Canberrans interested in supporting committed and inventive restaurateurs try their first Wafu Italian experience here. You can thank us later.