Allerina M.
Yelp
What a great little find in Orange! It was tempting not to do a review so we could keep this gem a secret for a little longer.
We visited Orange for a day trip from Sydney and had lunch at Charred. They have a great wine list and a surprisingly extensive Beer and Cider list. I couldn't go past tasting one of the oatmeal stouts they had on offer (it was the last bottle!) which was a great start to our meal.
Their dishes are made for sharing and every single dish we had, I mean every - single - dish - was super delicious. For some reason I've found this pretty rare these days. We started with the chicken liver parfait with elderflower jelly and house baked bread and crackers. The jelly paired wonderfully with the creamy smooth parfait. It was also served with some amazing pickles.
I wanted to order every single one of the Medium plates but settled for the pork belly and two bone marrows (you order them per piece). The pork belly was tender and delicious and came with a thai dressing that cut through the fattiness of the pork. The bone marrow was delicious, I spread mine on the their warm home made bread. The parsley and caper salad was a great combination for the marrow.
For our main, we skipped the large plates and got the Venison shanks which was one of their specials. There is a local venison farm where the venison is sourced. Oh my. The meat was fall off the bone tender. The sauce was sticky and rich. The serve was huge (they did say the main or large plates were, well, large). We also ordered a side of the moroccan carrots which we probably didn't need as the venison was served with roast carrots and roast potatoes... but then we would have missed out on that gorgeous almond cream.
We were so full that we had to take some of the venison and carrots home in a take away container (which the staff were more than happy to oblige). We didn't think we could fit any more in, so decided to just order a *few* doughnuts.
What a fabulous meal. I was so happy afterwards that I couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear. We were seated near the kitchen and I overheard a group say that they came up from Canberra just to try the restaurant. I would do the same!
They bake their own bread and also sell loaves to take home. I couldn't resist taking a loaf home, if only to extend the dining experience.
We are already planning a return visit and we'll be bringing some friends with us.