Circa 1876 Restaurant | Pokolbin, AUSTRALIA
From the outside, Circa 1876 looked like an old, rundown cottage house that a crazy haired granny and her 100 cats called home, but once you step inside, it’s like you’ve arrived at a country house somewhere in France that’s owned and decorated by an antique dealer. We were staying at The Convent and Circa 1876 was only a short stroll down the tree-lined driveway. I had read many good things about this restaurant when I was researching for our Hunter Valley trip, so I was really looking forward to our lunch at this one Chef Hat restaurant.
Compared to the other rooms in the cottage house, the main dining area of the restaurant was drenched in sunlight and an array of chandeliers sparkled above linen-clothed tables. Through the wooden window frames, I could see the flourishing kitchen garden, and a short distance away, a wedding was being set up. The restaurant is all about the paddock-to-plate philosophy, and the ingredients here are nothing but fresh and wholesome. I simply couldn’t resist the temptation of the smoked marrow bone, salt cured yolk, black truffle, mushroom & onion marmalade, baby leeks, bacon & chive crumb. It was definitely a good call ordering the dish as the bone marrow was incredibly rich and creamy, and the smoky aroma was delightful!
My main, two parts duck served pink, won my heart when it was placed on the table. The contrast of colours was like a work of art; perfectly portioned seared duck breast meticulously placed on a deep blue plate, surrounding a delicate duck egg which was topped with thinly sliced black truffle. It was absolutely beautiful. The other travel bunnie devoured his Hunter Valley Lamb Rump, made with King Brown mushroom puree, cauliflower florets, Circa garden heirloom carrots & greens, truffle caper vinaigrette and macadamia nuts. The lamb easily fell apart, every mouthful was a pleasure moment.
After we shared a dessert - truffle crème brûlée foam, truffle honeycomb, rhubarb, crème fraiche ice cream and truffle honey, we wanted to give the chef a big bear hug as the food was absolutely delicious. I know this may be a big call, but to me, this meal tasted better than our dinner at Muse Restaurant. Although they had forgotten about Minibun George’s dessert and charged us the whole $30 for George’s meal, I thought the experience was well worth it. ♥
Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $195
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