Good news: you don’t need to pack your suitcase for Provence to enjoy five star dining among the lavender fields! Skip the passport panic for a short road trip through the Queensland countryside to Kooroomba Vineyard and Lavender Farm, just an hour drive from Brisbane on the outskirts of Boonah.
If the thought of six hectares of grapes and beautiful purple lavender fields aren’t enough to entice you, their restaurant, The Kooroomba Kitchen, most certainly will. There’s nothing quite like fine dining in a farmhouse, and foodie fans of the “paddock to plate” philosophy will have a field day (pun intended) when they see the menu on offer.
Entrees include soft local bread, corn chowder and small renditions of their main ravioli and risotto. The scallops are a clear winner here, seared to perfection and paired with thick house smoked bacon and the most creamy cauliflower purée this side of Masterchef. Our pick? The Kooroomba Scotch egg, laid by the restaurant’s own resident hen, wrapped in sausage meat and complimented with a curry aioli sauce with chamomile raisins. Clucking brilliant.
Mains have a contemporary French Australian flair, and with dishes like lamb breast with parmesan polenta and pine nuts, pork belly with butter poached mushrooms, and sirloin with black garlic and parmesan, you’ll definitely have trouble deciding (just do what we do and order everything – the food coma is worth it). Our recommendation is definitely the spiced duck breast – aromatically spiced and super tender duck breast with crispy skin, paired with silky pumpkin purée, tart plums, crunchy macadamia nuts and locally grown Swiss chard. You’d be quacking mad to look past it!
Dessert is a must-try, if just to drool over their signature lavender ice cream with berries and polenta tuille (can you say cravings in bloom?). This creamy, crunchy, sweet and tart dessert should have a place on every foodie’s bucket list. We promise not to judge if you order the passionfruit soufflé with chocolate, too – it’s baked to order and will transport your tastebuds straight to Paris.
As for the dinner-side drops, you’re in good hands. Kooroomba’s unique wines will delight and surprise anyone who thought Queensland’s only culture involved thongs, Milton Mangoes, and State of Origin. The Kooroomba Alba is one of their signature crisp whites – it’s delicious (and dangerously easy to drink), and definitely warrants a take home bottle or two for wine time with the girls.
Skip the south of France and say ‘oui’ to a drive to the countryside, where pretty plates and purple plains await! The Kooroomba Kitchen at Kooroomba Winery and Lavender Farm is open for lunch from 11:30am to 2pm and all day dining until 8pm on Saturdays, with a $65 five course tasting menu also available on Saturday evenings.
Words by Kat Gridley
