REAL KITCHEN WIZARDRY FROMOZ

Roo’s Leap, Montrose

Abusiness lunch with colleagues from Dundee and a suggestion to meet halfway between Aberdeen and Dundee to save on travelling seemed like a sensible idea.

The coastal town of Montrose sounded the ideal location and we were recommended Roo’s Leap.

I had eaten there before when my children were younger and I remember the food being good, but as it is a very popular family restaurant would it be okay for a business meeting?

I needn’t have worried; the young lady who took my booking said she would make sure of a quieter table and we wouldn’t be asked to leave straight after our lunch.

Roo’s Leap is situated right next door to Montrose Golf Club near the beach. The restaurant has an Aussie theme and the impressive entranceway has 3D kangaroo statues and splendid aborigine décor.

The eating area is upstairs, but unfortunately there are only a few tables from where you can admire the fabulous view as the restaurant stretches quite far back.

However, the room is big and bright with funky lime and orange seating and more colourful artwork featuring beach huts and Australian landmarks as well as a stunning white ceiling light featuring kangaroos. They have a small lunch menu or you can choose from the extensive main menu, but they can also do a half portion of anything from the main menu for a reduced price – choices galore!

We were glad to see there was no ostrich or kangaroo on the menu, but they have so many mouth-watering dishes on offer from salads to gourmet burgers, Mexican to steaks.

The menu states that they cook all of their burgers and steaks on a special jasper grill which ensures the meat retains moisture and flavour as it cooks with charcoal at temperatures over 400 degrees centigrade.

To put this oven to the test, a few of us chose the Dirty Spaniard burger from the lunch menu which comes topped with Spanish Manchego cheese, sweet candied bacon, crispy fried onion strings and spicy mayonnaise.

My other colleagues went for a Caesar chicken wrap and a half portion chicken satay.

If you have ever been to Florida on holiday there is a well-known Aussie steak restaurant called the Outback Steakhouse and their speciality “Aussie-tizer” is a bloomin’onion which is an onion hand-carved then cooked until golden. I was delighted to see that Roo’s Leap has a similar offering called an “awesome onion blossom” and we ordered it to share

Supervisor Leanne Hampton with The Dirty Spaniard burger

Halloumi fries, minty yoghurt and pomegranate molasses

Chicken satay with peanut satay sauce, vegetable rice, chillies and crispy kale