Flavours, Port Macquarie

Crispy skin duck with mushroom and beetroot risotto and red wine jus ($34)

Steak with prawn cutlets, spinach and gravy ($34)

I have been a bit slow with posts because I am officially on "holidays" and am doing a lot of catching up in good old Port Macquarie. This meal was eaten two weeks ago and so I have forgotten the exact details of the dishes, but, of course, not so much the taste.

Nathan and I, as well as his mother, her boyfriend and friend, picked Flavours for an evening meal somewhat last minute as fusion seven and Zebu were both full. First thing I noticed was that the restaurant wasn't as busy as usual. Flavours (not so recently) underwent an expansion that saw it almost double in size and included the removal of the woodfired pizza oven. Many argue that the quality of the pizzas has since declined. I still think they are delicious.

Anyway, this one experience was a bit of a let down. Apart from the two pizzas our dinner group ordered,  every dish received a complaint. The risotto and jus that accompanied my duck were so full of flavour, with the roasted beetroot offering a sweet touch to a savoury dish. The risotto was also the perfect consistency; not gluggy or dry like some I have had in the past. The skin of the duck, on the other hand, was not crisp as advertised on the menu, and the meat itself was overcooked and chewy. Nathan, who consumed the steak with prawn cutlets, said it was slightly overcooked and lacked zeal. According to this steak enthusiast, places like Hog's Breath offered much better and larger meals for two thirds of the price. Our table also ordered two roasted beetroot salads at $16 each. They were appalled with what they received. Rather than roasted beetroot, they were served raw beetroot that seemed to have come from a can and, apart from the beetroot, the salad was mostly assorted lettuce leaves. For them, the $16 price tag was very very steep and displeasing.

I would go to Flavours for the pizza, gelato and not much else. They recently started to compete with other restaurants and cafes in the area by extending their menu, and they now serve breakfast and lunch offering an alternative to next door (Bitter Sweet). But, from my experiences, these new menus are uninspiring, expensive and can't compare with other veteran Port Macquarie restaurants like Rivermark, The Corner and fusion seven to name a few.

Flavours, 48 Watonga St, Port Macquarie (Lighthouse Beach area)