Top left photo by Denea

Lunch with a view, I can’t imagine a better way to spend a Thursday! If you’re following spicyicecream on Twitter, you may know that I spent a lovely long weekend in Orange with Denea to check out their fantastic Food Week. I’d never been to Orange before, but was pleasantly surprised at every turn. It’s a beautiful little town in rural NSW, only three hours from Sydney on the other side of the Blue Mountains. But on the drive there, we stopped to visit Sassafras Creek, a lovely café and shop in Kurrajong.

We decided to have some lunch, and I can’t imagine a more beautiful view. Or a better way to spend a Thursday, for that matter! We picked out a nice bottle of wine, a lovely Verdelho from Western Australia. Sassafras Creek had only just got their liquor license a few days earlier and were still working on putting a wine list together, so we BYO from a little bottle shop across the road.

We shared dips, olives and warm Turkish bread. My favourite of the three was the Taramasalata, although the hommos and baba ghanouj were delicious also. I don’t usually love olives, but these were some of the best I’ve ever had, with a little slice of roasted garlic slipped into each.

Denea picked the Crispy Skin Ocean Trout on Pumpkin and Basil Risotto with Rosemary and Basil Tuile ($24), which was delicious, perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. I think there might have just been too much risotto because I prefer to have a few more varying textures in a dish to really make it special.

I decided on the Char Grilled Pork Fillet with Kumera Mash, Sauté English Spinach and Plum and Cinnamon Ketchup ($24), although I must admit the choice was a tough one, the whole menu looked fabulous! I couldn’t believe how well cooked the pork was. The kumera mash was a little under-seasoned but I really loved the plum and cinnamon ketchup, and it really tied all the elements of the dish together in an interesting and unique way.

Of course we just had to get dessert too, another tough choice as the dessert specials all looked equally delicious. We finally chose the Apple and Rhubarb Crumble, because neither of us can go past rhubarb. It was absolutely fantastic and it was polished off so quickly, it was almost indecent.

Dessert board photo by Denea

What I loved the most about Sassafras Creek was that it was unfussy yet surprisingly delicious, and a great testament to the value of using fresh, local produce. It was like the best home cooking you’ve ever had, with an interesting twist to each dish, like the parmesan tuile or the plum and cinnamon ketchup. The service was warm and friendly and that view was absolutely incredible! It would be a fantastic spot for brunch or lunch with friends. Kurrajong is only about an hour from the city but it feels a world away.

Sassafras Creek – 83 Old Bells Line of Rd, Kurrajong