After a day touring around Toowoomba, we entered the warmth of GPO for our dinner. The setting was simple, lightings were lovely and very cosy indeed, especially under the blaring flames of a large hanging heater.
Our waiter was gentle and extremely friendly, service was impeccable throughout. We were well taken care of without being intrusive.
Mr food hunter had the entree of Braised Oxtail Gnocchi with side horseradish. The gnocchi was pillowy soft with a stronger potato flavour than what Mr food hunter has had previously. The oxtail ragu had a strong meaty flavour and after stirring through the horseradish, the dish really lifted.
The soup of the day was Pumpkin and Yes, Miss food hunter loves her pumpkin but she usually does'nt order a simple type dish in a finer establishment. This time, the cold weather pushed her for it and she was hoping to get a bowl with perhaps an extra-factor? Sad to say, it was just plain but still gd ole' 100% pumpkin made with love and served with a toasted walnut sourdough slice. This was a textured soup and not overly creamy.
Mr food hunter's oven baked Lamb Rack was cooked to perfection and had a spice rub that complimented the flavour of the lamb beautifully. Little pieces of sweet roasted garlic dotted the plate and tasted delicious but don't expect any kisses after consuming these :-P. The Parsnip Fritters were covered in a sweet batter which made it taste even sweeter, which were nice but too much with also, the potato mash on the plate. A complimentary side of seasonal greens; long beans, snow peas & broccoli were so fresh & sweet and cooked to a perfect bite.
Miss food hunter's main of Grilled Atlantic Salmon with Scallops & Finger Lime salad was huge! It was so colourful and the medium-cooked, moist salmon sat atop a smooth mash. The scallops were cooked beautifully and were sweet. The salad was composed of different varities of micro herbs and leaves (rocket, mizuna, corriander). The pink finger lime pulp was not as citrusy nor juicy as thought and so overall, there lacked this refreshing zingy-ness to counteract the oiliness of the fish.
Although, we were so full we thought we had to try a dessert at least, as the dishes have shown the great, fresh produce that is around. The dessert menu was simple; there was a sticky date pudding, a chocolate fondant, apple & rhubarb crumble and a selection of 4 petit fours. We settled for the Apple & Rhubarb Crumble served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. This dessert was made pretty healthy as the crumble was made of plenty of oats and muesli and it didn't have that buttery sweet crumble. The warm softened rhubarb and apple were well-balanced in sweetness... YUM!
The experience was indeed an enjoyable one at the GPO. The prices of entree and desserts are considered a couple dollars lower than other restaurants of similar standards which is a plus! We'd recommend it!
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