Hunter Valley part 3 - Cracked pepper restaurant

Cracked Pepper restaurant would be a perfect place for casual and relaxing lunch on a lazy weekend. The whole restaurant just really reminded me of an artist called Margaret Olley, whether it was the paintings on the wall, the tables and chairs, the lighting or the fresh produce. They created that "Still-life" feeling like a beam of sun light shining on the surface of many fresh fruits and flowers (similar to the mood from the painting below).

Above: Margaret Olley- Calendulas and Bush Lemons (image sourced from http://www.savill.com.au/2007ArtisticVisionsofNature.html)

Seared local quail with thyme and garlic on crunchy olive polenta, jus and aioli $22.50

This dish was like the best thing we ever tasted, it was succulent, flavoursome, and perfectly cooked. You will immediately be immersed into the heavenly aroma, and then indulge in this mature, softened and pleasant taste in your mouth.


Warm salad of garlic and chilli king prawns with black sticky rice, avocado and hot sour dressing $21.50 (entree size) / $37.00 (main size)

I have picked an entree size for this dish and it was actually good enough to keep me full. The combination of black sticky rice and prawns has fascinated me, so I have anticipated for a surprise. The chilli and the warmth of the black sticky rice created a strong contrast, where it initially sting your tongue a little and then followed by a smooth heal. The prawn was fulfilling for each bite, and the avocado added a little freshness.

Banoffee - Fresh Banana, salted caramel, choc pistachio crumble and cream layered in a tall glass $15.00

We loved this dessert, as it was presented in different layers containing different textures. After the cream, there were pieces of bananas dipped in salted caramel. It wasn't as saccharine as we thought, and the other layer of choc pistachio crumble certainly balanced well with the syrupy texture.

We could just call this restaurant "Miss little sunshine", it was adorable. Not only because of the relaxing atmosphere, the quality of the food, but also the lovely people. If we can go back to Hunter Valley again sometimes, we'd definitely want to stop there again for another round of lunch or even brunch.



Address:
1616 Broke Road, Pokolbin

Phone number:
(02) 4998 7076

Opening time:
Fri and Sat - Dinner
Fri to Wed - Lunch
Sunday brunch - 10am to noon


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