The 'new' Ori menu

After being away for three years it is always good returning to a restaurant you have always known and loved in your home town. The place that feels like a second home. Where you know the staff, you know which seats catch the  morning sun and which table under the trees will guarantee a bird christening your new woolen jumper before you finish your coffee.

For myself and my family this has always been the Ori in Springwood. It has become a refuge for the housebound university student, the wind down for weary teachers and the meet and greet for everyone in between so it was the obvious choice for our farewell dinner last week.
Whilst being a quiet Tuesday night I couldn't help notice it seemed a little quieter than I remembered. The new bowling club down the road appears to have stripped this small business of many of its customers. This is perhaps more notably reflected in the significantly reduced menu. With one side of the A4 menu outlining the various no-alcoholic beverages available the other boasts a selection of pub meals largely disguised as modern Australian cuisine by the exuberant prices. With little available for vegetarians the meat and three veg format is a far cry from the interesting menu I remembered.

Although most of us did enjoy our meals and had a wonderful time it may have been due to the company and paired wine as opposed to the food. This is the beauty of food- the resulting enjoyment from stimulating conversation and time spent with friends can often erase the memory of a disappointing meal. The peppercorn sauce with my perfectly cooked veal was a highlight and the barramundi was fresh and well cooked but the prices for such simple food is inexcusable. It pains me to judge a place I feel so fondly for so harshly but it is confusing as to why the ori  has moved in such a simplified direction. Springwood has always lacked an exciting food scene but the once named best restaurant/cafe of the year was always a rose amongst the thorns. Has the competition from the newly refurbished Springwood Bowling Club really pushed this once popular establishment into the overpriced pub category? I'm sorry Ori, the "if you cant beat them join them" theory has not worked in this case. You will forever be my local retreat for coffee, wine and crepes but shape up the dinner menu or I fear you will lose the remaining dining customers you have and then where will the exhausted teachers go to revive?

x laura

- Stay tuned for my upcoming blogs on aeroplane food and the sights and tastes from our stop over in Hong Kong.