Tucked away in Adelaide, Orana holds the title of one of Australia’s best-rated restaurants. Boasting vibes of authentic Australia, the restaurant’s look and feel has never failed to amaze dinner guests; and the food is an even bigger delight. What makes Orana stand out as a restaurant is Chef Jock Zonfrillo’s unique and distinctive philosophy that brings together the purpose of the restaurant and an understanding of the cuisine.
Orana’s menu uses a lot of indigenous elements as well as adopts a strong connection of the importance and respect for the land and for Australia’s food history. The seasonal dinner tasting menu offers just over 16 courses as well as matching wines to compliment the dishes. Some of the standouts from a large number of courses that are listed this season are potato damper & roast lamb butter; white aspen, trout roe & Cape Moreton scarlet prawn; macadamia & native thyme; Murray River cod, warrigal greens & eucalyptus; and Soup Soup’ – Crocodile with Australian botanicals. The unique array of produce displayed in the menu really does put Orana on the culinary map, as well as win bonus points for fantastic fusion of ingredients. The last two on the list of courses on the dinner tasting menu for this season are some very eccentric sweet treats; paperbark, macadamia & native honey, and set buffalo milk, strawberry & eucalyptus.
A key part of Scottish Chef and owner Jock Zonfrillo’s concepts of Orana is the “curiosity and respect for the Aboriginal people, the oldest surviving culture on earth. Zonfrillo celebrates all elements of Australia – from the ancient to the modern – and in the process has created a cuisine that is uniquely his own.” The philosophy is both remarkable and pure. In terms of Zonfrillo’s ‘culinary philosophy’, he believes in the Aboriginal belief of ‘healing and being healed by the land’.
Both Jock Zonfrillo and Orana have been very popular in the press. Orana won the 2018 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Award, has been featured in Fool magazine, has been reviewed in The Adelaide Review; the list goes on. All media is positive; the articles and reviews celebrate and recognise the genuine talent of Chef Jock Zonfrillo, and the entertaining ‘extravaganza’ of Orana restaurant. The consistent praise and adoration for the unique menu and overall experience poured within the media is definitely a key part as to how Orana has won an award for best restaurant in Australia. The hype is real and sincerely not overrated; guests are repeatedly impressed by the level of heart and input, and the intimate customer experience.
Jock Zonfrillo’s Bistro Blackwood is sister to restaurant Orana and holds the same culinary philosophy. The difference? The bistro has a more animated atmosphere and expresses open arms to a more family-oriented vibe. Two standouts from the dinner menu are the Jerked Organic Eggplant & Sweet Potato w/ lardo & herb crumb, and the Chargrilled Squid Salad w/ potatoes, chilli, fresh herbs & crispy chickpeas. Bistro Blackwood does also have a kids menu which makes the bistro the perfect spot in Adelaide for a family outing with some overly delicious food.
To eat at one of Australia’s best, visit Orana, or sister restaurant Bistro Blackwood, in South Australia.
———————————————————————————————————–
Orana
Upper level of 285 Rundle Street, Adelaide SA 5000
P: (08) 8232 3444
E: info@restaurantorana.com
Dinner: Tuesday – Saturday from 6PM
Lunch: Friday from 12PM
—————————————————————————————————————
Bistro Blackwood
285 Rundle Street, Adelaide SA 5000
(08) 8227 0344
info@bistroblackwood.com.au
By Claudia Siron