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Are cafes the adolescents of the Sydney dining scene - and restaurants
the adults? In the case of Bondi's stridently well regarded Blue Orange,
in only two years this venue has achieved its coming of age. Popular
and vibey cafe by day, at night Blue Orange seamlessly plunges into
a casual luxury where the word "cafe" seems all wrong - this
is now definitely a slick, mature contemporary dining adventure. Low
lights, chic yet comfortable, Blue Orange becomes an intimate, not intimidating
place to explore some subtly progressive world cuisine. Other media
have described the food as "Modern Australian",
but while the presentation matches it with the best of that foodie genre,
the truth explodes on the palate with a wisdom far more worldly. Chef/owner
Shane Lurie started Blue Orange in early 2003 as a virtual unknown,
but he rapidly bewitched the locals and food reviewers alike with a
cuisine which meets Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. While barely
into this own-restaurant caper, he became regarded as not just one of
the best in Bondi, now they're coming
from all over Sydney to enjoy his beguiling blends of almost taboo flavour
encounters. Just the names of the mains tell a lot about the adventurism:
Seared Venison, Wasabi-Crushed Potatoes, Baby Bokchoy and Soy Truffle
Dressing is hard to pass, and indeed I didn't. My dining companion,
who'd been angling for another trip to Blue Orange for longer than I
care to admit, didn't take her eyes off the Honey-Glazed Duck Breast,
Melted Onion Tart, Baby Fig, Pomegranate & Hazelnut Salad -
but then, satisfied as we were with our very savvy choices, we started
ruefully when later informed that Blue Orange's signature dish is the
Slow-Cooked Shoulder of Flinders Island Lamb (cooked for 9 hours),
Roast Eggplant, Fetta, Mint & Green Beans - bugger, another
time! But don't fix your eyes too inflexibly on the above delights,
because Lurie is known for his dexterous twists and turns in the menucasting
department. The venison will change from the loin to osso bucco, or
the shank, and the kitchen is a slow reflection of the man's constant
experiments, always taken in consideration of the diners' feedback,
or the change of the seasons, or whatever's worked somewhere in some
part of the world before (he's cheffed rangily planet-speaking) ...
but we'll throw in a bit of this, and just a hint of that ... What else?
Desserts? Couldn't fit them in, in part because the entrees set the
tone for contentment: Peking Duck Salad, Five Spiced Pancakes, Baby
Caramelised Figs and Sesame Hoi Sin Dressing is in fact just ONE
dessert! And the Scallops en Papillote, Baby Fennel & Sauce
Verge was pretty darn unique. Throw in a round of cocktails (they're
fully licensed but also BYO - wine only)
and a refreshing Rocket Pear Parmesan Salad (delicious but trying to
finish it finished us off) and I guess you'll have to excuse us for
writing about the desserts another time. - Stewart Dawes.
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