First Look: The G-Spot relaunches
Posted on
When her father Andrew asked her to take over his beloved food van, The G Spot, Laura Dale knew she had some big shoes to fill.
The iconic van, located in the Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club car park, has been drawing huge crowds from near and far since its beginnings in 2001, notorious for its cheerful service and cheekily-named late-night meals such as the Fat Bastard (burger with eggs and bacon) or the Boob Tube (chicken and bacon wrap).
After struggling to find a chef to take over when he and wife Lee-Anne were ready to step down, Andrew turned to his daughter, who had already carved out a name for herself as a chef at AKIBA, Ginger Catering and CoCu.
“At first, I was thinking it was a step back—I mean, this was the place I grew up reading Harry Potter books as a kid while Dad and Mum were working there,” Laura says.
“But the more I thought about it, the more I felt like it was the future. Casual eating has become a massive part of the way we eat now, and there’s lots of flexibility.
“Along with that you have to have charisma and be willing to have a joke when you’re working at The G Spot—it’s so much more than just cooking.
Laura Dale
“I was actually offered a job as a chef in the city around the time Dad asked me, but I ended up turning it down because this just felt right.”
This month Laura officially took over the reins with her partner Sophie, and says she’s never felt more comfortable going back to her roots.
“A lot of people say ‘what are you doing here, aren’t you some big-time chef in the city now?’ But I tell them I’m back, and I’m back for good with a vengeance,” she laughs.
Sophie and Laura
“It’s come at a really good time. Sophie was the house manager at AKIBA and I was the head chef there, that’s how we met. We work well together, and I think Dad is more secure knowing the business is being kept in the family.”
And while there will be a few changes to the menu including a nod to Laura’s Asian cuisine background, such as the Mr Miyagi (a delicious pork Asian-inspired roll, loaded with Asian slaw) – the old favourites will remain.
“The customers will kill me if I change too much, there’s a really loyal following for so many of our meals so it’s more about introducing a few new things rather than taking anything away,” she says.
“We’ve also introduced a vegetarian burger with mushroom called the Mr Fun Guy, so we’re trying to attract a broader audience.
“There’ll be some improvements to the way we serve – we used to handwrite our orders but now there’s a system in place to do things more efficiently.”
Either way, Laura assures us it will be the “same awesome food, same van, and same wacky service.”
the essentials
What: The G Spot
Where: Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club, Gungahlin Drive, Ngunnawal
When: Open Tuesdays 5 pm – 11 pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays 5 pm – 12 am and Fridays and Saturdays 5 pm – 1.30 am
Web: facebook.com/TheGspotCanberra
Photography: Tim Bean Photography
Leave a Reply