Burnt Orange Café in Chatswood is a spin-off from the upscale dining and homewares store of the same name in Mosman. Located in Chatswood Chase, Burnt Orange Café has a simplified menu that is interesting and accessible.
The miso roasted salmon with soba noodles, eggplant, oriental mushrooms, asparagus, sesame and ginger is particularly good. Light and fresh, they have used sesame infused seaweed to impart a distinct oriental flavour. The salmon is flaky and the noodles cooked to perfection.
The gluten free Green Goddess chicken salad comes laden with avocado, bacon, corn (fresh from a cob) cherry tomatoes and Persian feta. It’s one of those hearty salads which is a pleasure to eat for lunch and will keep you full of energy all afternoon.
I liked the Alaskan king crab eggs Benedict served on a toasted brioche bun and just a dab of salmon roe to finish it off. There was plenty of crab and a zesty hollandaise sauce over two perfectly poached eggs, and that makes this dish a winner. This would be perfect for a lazy brunch on the weekend.
The real crowd pleaser is the antipasto platter with tuna. Served with pickles, smoked capsicum chermoula and chutney. Accompanied with a freshly seared slice of good quality bread this makes a great meal to chat over between forays in to the shops at Chatswood.
Burnt Orange is not housed in some funky little terrace or groovy little shop, it is out there in the middle of the aisle on the second floor of the shopping centre. A brave move, particularly when serving dishes that take preparation and care. But they have pulled it off and the place serves a lovely meal which is a great break from the everyday in Chatswood.
At the moment, the staff are very new to the venue and although the meals are timely and well presented, several members of staff still had the look of unconfident terror on their faces. That will change as they sink in to the routine and realise that they have a good product to sell, which their customers enjoy.
Expect to pay $25 for a dish plus drinks.
Burnt Orange Café
2nd Lvl Chatswood Chase
Tel: 02 9411 7200
