Racine

42 Lake Canobolas Rd, Orange NSW, Scandi/Spanish.

Racine restaurant, in Orange, NSW, is not for everyone. Picture: Seth Buchanan

WHAT'S boudin noir?" asks someone behind me, on a table of 10 retirees out for dinner en masse.

"What's freekeh?" inquires another. "What's cavolo nero?" asks a third.They're clutching menus which lack any descriptions whatsoever, in favour of mode-ish component lists.

For example, dish one on the carte, which makes no delineation between entree, main or dessert (three courses $65, great value) is simply: "Mushroom, swede, egg, granola." You get the picture.

This is a nightmare for waiters who must explain everything. Within minutes, my neighbours have their smartphones out. "I wish I'd brought my iPad," says one. Who needs focus groups? This well-to-do group is today's reality when it comes to technology. A "senior moment" with this lot might be forgetting their Apple account password.

Actually, the menu at Racine - part of La Colline vineyard, on the outskirts of Orange in NSW's central west - is not a difficult document if you have the right vocabulary; the food, on the other hand, is difficult, or at least complex. Very modern.

I thought the neighbours would hate it; quite wrong, as it turns out, although it was a little sad to listen to them scoring every dish (TV has a lot to answer for). But I reckon some would find Racine's rubbly, asymmetrically plated, grains-and-emulsions-scattered cuisine not quite their cup of quinoa. It's quite uncompromising. Me, I rather enjoy this Scandi/Spanish-inspired stuff, done well - and most of what comes out of the kitchen here is.

You get an amuse, naturally, as part of the three-course deal. Tonight, in this elegant, muted little country dining room with only a modest collection of fellow travellers to eavesdrop upon, it's a faintly Latin American combo of fresh corn kernels, subtle green chilli, toasted almonds and a frothy corn veloute. It's a smart introduction to the style.

That "Mushroom, swede, egg, granola" dish is slippery mushrooms, ribbons of swede, savoury "granola" of oats and seeds, a cold, slow-poached egg and little flavour bombs of crumbled soft cheese and cheesy "froths", like the suds left in the sink after washing up. I'd have served the egg warm, but it's earthy, wintery and full of harmonious textures.

Another dish has quinoa served with oyster mushrooms, firm white asparagus, baby corn, baby root vegetables, gnocchi, a slightly sweet, yoghurt-like curd and cheese "crisps".

A ridiculously tasty pan-fried pressed duck terrine ("Duck, carrot, orange, parsnip, turnip") that comes with saffron/orange gel, a little duck jus, nashi pear, baby veg and parsnip puree sails the same seas. There's salty richness and leaner, more acidic sidebars.

The only jarring note is a trout dish with that cavolo nero, chopped almonds, lots of lemon and an out-of-place assertiveness to the garlicky emulsion that lays foundation to it all. Too much.

They are all what you'd call mid-sized dishes. So are desserts - outstanding modern presentations such as lemon curd, mandarin sorbet, tangerine sherbet, meringue, pink grapefruit gel and a buttery, caramel biscuit dough. Or the simply irresistible notion of rice pudding sorbet teamed with steamed spice cake, lemony meringue, macadamia crumb and salty oats. I love the flavour of rice in iced confections, like gelato. It's clever stuff.

The wine list is proudly district-centric and the professional staff, who do a lot of explaining for each dish, seem clued up. Racine, judging by its website, has poured a fair bit of fuel on the fires of progressive cooking lately. It's a zeal that needs monitoring. But done well, it can have cross-generational appeal.

I heard my neighbours' scores.

Racine, 42 Lake Canobolas Rd, Orange NSW, [phone]
Hours: Lunch Fri-Sun; dinner Thu-Sat
Typical prices: $65 three-course a la carte; $80 five-course set menu; $95 seven-course set menu
Summary: Progressive food that won't appeal to everyone
Like this? Try ... Town, Bangalow; Vasse Felix, Margaret River
Rating: 3.5 out of 5