Ochre, Cairns

When we stepped into Ochre, the restaurant was nearly empty; the waitstaff couldn't be more excited to see us. So naturally, I questioned: Had we picked the right place for our two year anniversary dinner? Was this evening going to be special? The silent restaurant offered a resounding no.

But then we were guided to our candle-lit, linen-dressed table, where the table setting couldn't be more romantic.

The restaurant interiors at Ochre are stunning. A long bar lines the eastern wall, a peeping hole into the kitchen graces the backend of the restaurant and tall windows overlook the quiet road to the west. The colour theme exudes warmth, with orange, reds and browns painting the walls and rustic wooden furniture. Perhaps most alluring to the eye is a spiral of wooden slats that line the roof. To me, Ochre has an agrarian quality to its interiors and this is very fitting, the restaurant's focus being on game meats and Australian bush foods.

The waitstaff are attentive and have that friendly-yet-not-overly-friendly-as-to ruin-the-restaurant's-sophistication, quality. The waitress that serves us is well mannered and wearing neat, clean attire. She does, however, seem a bit nervous, but throughout the night proves herself to be informative and prompt.

Nathan and I order drinks to start: a frozen mango daiquiri from the specials menu for $10 and Nath's favourite beer, Western Australia's Little Creatures Pale Ale. Our drinks take a while to arrive, but are elegantly presented in a cocktail glass and goblet respectively. My daiquiri is heaven. It lacks a strong alcohol flavour (just how I like it) and is the perfect solution to a humid evening in Cairns.

Ochre has an extensive menu with a focus on local seafood, game bush food and Australian produce and regional cuisine. The menu offers an array of meticulously thought out tasting plates, speciality platters, mains and vegetarian dishes. Their game platter has received many accolades ($48/pp, with a minimum two people) as has their "Australian antipasto" (starter $23; main $35)--kangaroo terrine with sunshine lime relish; crocodile wonton with red pepper jam; lemon aspen ocean trout gravlax; duck liver pate with bust tomato chilli sauce; goats cheese and roast capsicum roulade. The menu is punctuated by ingredients native to Australia, including lemon myrtle, macadamias, bush tomato, quandong and wattle seed; and there's even an index to such ingredients at the back of the menu.

As for Nathan and I, didn't quite feel game enough to try wallaby or crocodile (I have had kangaroo). Predictably, Nathan chooses the beef with tomato tart tatin, bush tomato and balsamic sauce and baby spinach and I decide on the duck.

Our meals arrive shortly and are very cleanly, yet not exactly creatively, presented. (I apologise for the tungsten tinge to the photos; we have not yet mastered the art of the Canon 600D). Nath couldn't give his beef tenderloin with tomato tart tartin, bush tomato and balsamic sauce and baby spinach more praise. The meat was tender and arrived in a very decent portion. It was moist and melted in the mouth, cooked as requested and enhanced by the accompaniments; in this case juicy bush tomato, fresh spinach and an exciting tomato tart tatin. It did cost $36, but the experience made the cost worth the while.

Wow: one word and a very accurate description of my five spice slow cooked duck leg, roast breast, native tamarind and orange glaze and green vegetables ($33). I loved that I had both five spice duck leg and roast breast to whet my appetite with. The five spice was incredible: it gave the leg a crispy skin as well as a bit of bite. To crunch into the skin and be met with the delectably moist meat created a hell of a sensation in the mouth. Moreover, I'm not a fan of orange and yet the orange glaze only bettered the meal. Like Nathan's beef, the serving was quite generous for a fine dining restaurant.

Now I must note, we went to Ochre with a voucher for a free dessert with every main purchased. Had I not had these vouchers, Ochre may have been out of the question. It is definitely not a budget-friendly restaurant with the cheapest main being $28 and the dessert $14. Needless to say, I am beyond glad that we came across the voucher. Dessert at Ochre really shouldn't be glanced over.

Nathan's lemon myrtle panacotta, rosella jelly and hazelnut tuile ($14) was a dessert unlike all others. Served in a martini glass with hazelnut tuile, rosella jelly, shortbread and an assortment of fruits that I can't identify, the dessert instantly catches the eye. The panacotta itself had both an immaculate lemon myrtle flavour and spot on consistency. The tuile was a bit soft, as opposed to crisp as expected, but the shortbread was a nice surprise considering it didn't appear on the menu description. The assorted fruits that complimented the martini glass were extremely odd to me, in texture, flavour and appearance; I'm not dying to try any of them again. (But if you could help me name them for future reference, that would be great). Overall, Nathan was quite pleased although a bit put out by the sweetness of the dish. As for strongly-sweet-toothed-me, it was more than fine.

I most definitely have a weakness for creme brulee, and with good reason. The quandong creme brulee with toffee macadamias and vanilla shortbread and I were meant to be. The contrast of the crunchy caramel and melt-in-your-mouth custard, the no fuss plating and variety of flavours makes the dessert a choice that hardly ever disappoints. This occasion was no different. Everything was as should be bar caramel that was slightly on the burnt side of the fence. And there were also added extras: addictive (and native!) toffee macadamias and beautiful vanilla shortbread. The quandong made the creme brulee different to all others, although I still prefer the strawberry or white chocolate alternative. Nevertheless, at $16 (again, we didn't pay for desserts), I'm not sure the brulee was worth the price tag. It was, however, damn good.

Ochre is the most highly awarded restaurant and catering company in Cairns; so much so that it's bordering on a foodie institution. The fresh and creative restaurant has a focus on Australian products and native foods making it a delight and a must for tourists and locals alike. As for Nathan and I, it was the perfect location for our two year anniversary dinner.

Ochre, 43 Shields Street, Cairns