Eating Out - The Hills
Reporter: Jason Hodges
Eating Out Competition
You could be heading to the hills on me. I’m giving away a meal for two at the Secret Garden Café AND Mother India. All you’ve got to do to be in the running is call our competition line on 1902 55 77 08. And good luck! M.NET 55 cents max call cost. Mobile phones extra.
|
It's just like the song says – “The hills are alive” And they're alive with great food, terrific service and restaurants that are so good the city folk are getting jealous.
Secret Garden Café
What's not a secret at the Secret Café is the food, the wonderful informal, sort of Balinese atmosphere, their terrific staff and the way they look after their guests.
The Secret Café's menu is delightfully eclectic, leaps continents, is always changing and way too large to make life easy for the chefs as they prepare breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea seven days a week.
 |
Secret Garden food is unpretentious, honest, fresh and generous. If you can't decide, they have a bountiful platter of four tastes from across the menu and specials board that might include Asian flavoured corn cakes with marinated prawns and peanut coriander pesto; hand-made prawn and sesame ravioli; poached spring lamb rump infused with garlic and rosemary with smoky baba ghanoush & asparagus; or perhaps a serve of beetroot cured salmon gravlax.
 |
They also make seriously good hamburgers, steak sandwiches and naughty BLTs with deep-fried onion rings using their own mayonnaise and relishes. They also bake their own cakes, tarts and slices and their scones are fantastic.
The Secret Garden Café is one of only a couple of restaurants invited to be part of the Hawkesbury Harvest Trail and local produce is always in the kitchen. It looks like the secret about the Secret Garden is well and truly out!
 |
Some of the dishes you may find on the menu:
Entree
- Grilled Mediterranean Vegetables With Baked Ricotta & Tapenade With A Filo Hat - A Selection Of Grilled Vegetables Marinated In Extra Virgin Olive Oil Layered With Baked Ricotta, Dressed With Secret Made Tapenade & Finished With Filo Pastry
- Shredded Ginger Poached Chicken with Coriander, Sesame & Shallot Omelette Rolls On Chinese Cabbage Salad with our Peanut Sauce As Dressing
Main
- Asian Flavoured Corn Cakes with Grilled Marinated Prawns and Peanut Coriander Pesto
- The Secret Platter – a tasting plate of 4 entrée sized choices from across the menu. Comes with bread and a variety of dips.
Dessert
- Chocolate Mousse and Dural Strawberries
- Dural Peaches Poached in Sweet White Wine
 |
|
More Information
Secret Garden Café
31 Annangrove Road , Kenthurst Telephone: (02) 9654 3339 Open every day 8:30am – 4pm. Mains are from $22. |
Prices correct as at 23/02/08
Mother India
Everyone has their favourite spots to get Chinese, Thai and Italian food, but maybe you should rethink your regular Indian restaurant because in Middle Dural you'll find the mother of them all, Mother India.
Spice up your life at Mother India and get treated to the full experience of exotic flavours from the sub-continent. The chefs dish up authentic Indian meals and there's so much food around here that you'd better arrive on an empty stomach.
 |
Start at the very beginning with favourites like samosas; curry puffs; and of course, plenty of pappadams. Get stuck into mains with dishes like butter chicken; rogan josh; lamb zafarani; and kadai prawns. And if you're not sure what to go for, then try Mother India's most famous dish, the Bengali fish poppy, a barramundi curry that really hits the spot.
Because the chefs cook each dish the authentic Indian way, the food is so good you're going to want a taste of everything. So instead of stealing food off other people's plates, it's a good idea to bring your family and friends along and feast your eyes on the banquet menu.
 |
If you and your mates have a king-sized appetite then the royal banquet will be your crowning glory. You get a heap of dishes from the menu and you'd better believe that even though this is Mother India, no Dad will walk away hungry.
For traditional Indian cuisine with a huge flavour kick, head to Mother India because she's the queen of the kitchen. Mum's the word!
 |
Here are some of the dishes you may find on the menu:
Entree
- Mixed Tandoori Platter – Tandoori Prawn, Lamb Bori Kebab, Chicken Tikka, and Seekh Kebab
- Paneer Croquette – home made cottage cheese, ricotta cheese and cedar cheese flavoured with onion, coriander and mixed spices rolled in breadcrumb and deep fried.
Main
- Chicken 65 – chicken fillets cooked with ginger, garlic, tomato and yoghurt sauce with curry leaves and a splash of lemon juice. A dish prepared with 65 different spices, yet the taste is soft and refreshing to the palate.
- Elachi Gosht – Cardamon-flavoured Lamb
Dessert
- Mango Kufi – India 's own Alphonsa mango blended with milk, almonds and cream
- Gulab Jamun – a dessert of weddings… sweet dumplings soaked in a cardamom saffron and rose water syrup served hot
|
More Information
Mother India
1237 Old Northern Road, Middle Dural Telephone: (02) 9651 6555 Open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday and lunch on Sunday. Mains start at $13. |
Prices correct as at 23/02/08