The Lion Richlands has upgraded some of its restaurant menu and I had the opportunity to taste test some of the delicious new items.
The Lion Richlands boasts a café style experience and a restaurant, with both areas being able to access the café and restaurant menus.
The restaurant was buzzing at lunchtime with a mixture of retirees and tradies taking up the lunch specials.
The staff were exceptional, ensuring that I was taken care of throughout the meal.
For entrees, we tried the new Szechuan Peppered Calamari with lime mayonnaise and Truffle and Porcini Arancini with aioli and shaved parmesan.
The calamari was perfectly cooked with the Szechuan pepper spice blend coming through with each bite. The lime mayonnaise was delicious and complimented the calamari well.
The arancini was incredible and the truffle and porcini was a melt of flavours in my mouth with each bite. I genuinely felt like I was eating in a high-quality Italian restaurant.
For the mains, we tried four new dishes – pan fried barramundi, baked lemon and pepper chicken Maryland, Moroccan lamb skewers and homemade potato and parmesan gnocchi.
The pan fried barramundi was cooked to perfection and the choron sauce (a tomato and bearnaise sauce) was a delightful addition.
The baked lemon and pepper chicken Maryland was incredible, and the chicken was moist and full of flavour. I had a bite of the chicken with the mashed potato and garlic mustard cream sauce, and I was in love.
The Moroccan lamb skewers were perfect and felt like I was at an upscale Sunday barbecue with friends. The Mediterranean dish was incredible, with the saffron rice pilaf and the mint yoghurt complimenting the lamb skewers.
Last but not least for mains, the homemade potato and parmesan gnocchi was an absolute dream to eat on a cold day. This was by far my favourite meal of the day and it warmed my soul. From the rosemary pumpkin and blistered cherry tomato to the basil pesto cream sauce, everything about it felt like a homecooked meal (probably why it’s called homemade).
Finally, dessert came with a passionfruit crème brulee and a tiramisu. Now, I am not the biggest dessert person, but these did look quite appetizing.
The passionfruit crème brulee had a fantastic sweet punch and the cinnamon crumble with almond biscotti offered some taste bud explosions.
The tiramisu was fantastic with the coffee and chocolate mocha ganache not competing for your tastebuds. A great finish to the meals.
Overall, the experience at The Lion Richlands was exceptional. The new menu offers something for everyone and I would highly recommend anyone looking for a memorable dining experience to head to the Lion.
