We discover the best ever chilli crab pasta
One standout dish can make your night. “Best ever,” declares the chilli crab pasta connoisseur dining with us at The Lion Restaurant.
One standout dish can make your night. “Best ever,” declares the chilli crab pasta connoisseur at our table. It’s a classic that some order again and again, and, relish the comparisons.
It can be so good when seasoned fresh crab is simply tossed with garlic, chilli, tomatoes and ribbon pasta. Here, a creamy rendition looks plain, yet tastes lavish.
There’s uncommon depth in its silky sauce finished with wine, super subtle hits of chilli, ginger, hints of lemon, leek, and sweet flakes of crab.
This restaurant has long given the historic Lion Hotel an elegant side. It has a softness, in cool colours, fabrics, well-dressed tables and hanging lamps, a few steps from an open kitchen. The mood is romantic, although at 9pm this Friday night the intimacy is jarred into liveliness as the adjoining bar’s din ramps up.
There are casual spaces where you’ll find pub staples, fish’n’chips, burgers and steaks. In the restaurant we have a menu of more interest, through snacks and shared dishes, to mains.
Styling isn’t always a match for the setting.
The pork terrine starter looks a crumbly wreck, but the flavour is good enough, with caperberries and an on-trend dusting of cured yolks more for colour than substance.
Better-looking black bao buns gape widely to house crispy fried barramundi, soundly kicked into moreishness by fermented chilli and a sticky pineapple relish.
That crab pasta remains centre stage in a field of solid mains.
The Black Angus scotch fillet is spot-on, as ordered. It’s a meaty pleaser, with a delicious jus, and potato puree but heavy on onion relish.
From the rotisserie, a Murray Valley pork rack is seared and tender. Again it’s good eating, if not up to the promise of black vinegar, yes, coconut yoghurt, yes, but little evidence of Malaysian sambal and kimchi.
In a pleasing flourish the crème brulee is fine, with a very toasty tap-tap toffee top. And, pretty chocolate marquise is adorned with blobs of housemade gooey marshmallow, nicely charred.