The Dining and Co, North Ryde

The Dining and Co is well known for being a suburban gem in North Ryde for breakfast/lunch. More recently, they have decided to open for dinner.  Matt and I decide to check it out on a cold Thursday night.

The usual casual cafe is transformed at night time with table service, white table cloths and little touches such as lighting, flowers and new dinner menu. There are only a few dinner options in North Ryde, mostly casual. The Dining and Co. would be the only modern Australian venue in North Ryde that's a little bit more refined then the usual fish and chip shop, Thai or Indian. 

For entrees, while I am tempted by a few different dishes, I first order the Kingfish Cerviche with fresh and Confit Fennel, pink grapefruit, pomegranate and mint ($22). This dish is ideal if you are looking for a fresh dish as there is fresh cubed kingfish with a citrus dressing and there is an added sweetness from the sweet grapefruit and pomegranate.

Matt goes for the Slow roasted Pork Belly with pickled daikon, yuzu, crackling dust, lemon balm ($20). The pork belly is sliced and is very flavoursome. My favourite part of this dish is the tangy pickled daikon with that crackle dust. The crunchy crackle is full of flavour and contrasts well with the tart taste of the daikon.

I anticipate that the signature will quickly be the Pan Fried Duck Breast ($33) with confit duck leg dumplings, wild mushroom broth, bok choy, black sesame seed, crispy kale. This duckbreast is very succulent with crispy skin. The duck dumplings had tender meat with a slight sweetness which paired well with the savoury sauce.

I also order the Mexican Surf and Turf ($34) 200g Sirloin steak with grilled king prawns, mole sweet corn salsa, fried jalapeno and lime cheek. Surf and Turf is a traditional dish and I ordered this dish out of curiousity to see how the Dining and Co would make this modern.  I get my steak cooked medium and it is cooked perfectly. The prawns are buttery and smooth which strangely works really well with the steak. The corn salsa is jam packed full of flavour and becomes quite rich after a quite. This is definitely a big dish and I am very satisfied. 

For dessert, Matt orders the Cheesecake which is served up with mango sorbet and a side of berry compote. This cheesecake is very light with a thick biscuit base which I love. I am strangely addicted to the mix of flavours between the mango sorbet and cheesecake even though I am quite full, I keep eating. Also, Matt eats most of the sticky date pudding which is such a warm and traditional dessert. The pudding is also drowned in vanilla ice cream. He demolishes the sticky date pudding and looks very satisfied.

Summary: Overall, Matt and I really enjoyed the dinner experience at The Dining and Co. I thought the food was of high quality so I think the real question for me is whether the locals will embrace a more up-market modern Australian restaurant in the area. The stand out dish is definitely the Duck Breast which I anticipate will be a signature dish for the Dining and Co. I recommend! Check it out.

Price: Mains are approx $30-35

Location: 11 Avon Rd, North Ryde

Opening Hours: 
Monday to Wednesday 7am to 4pm
Thursday to Friday 7am to 4pm, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Saturday to Sunday 8am to 4pm; 5:30pm to 9:30pm

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of the venue or their representatives. All photos, opinions and words are my own.