For anyone who read my previous review on Muse Restaurant but felt like it was too fancy for your taste, there is still hope out there for you.

When you want something classier than the usual pub feed or the drive through at Micky D’s, but not quite as fancy as the five-course meal at Muse Restaurant, why not try Muse Kitchen.

Located in Pokolbin on the Corner of Hermitage and Deasys Road at the Keith Tulloch Winery, Muse Kitchen is open for lunch Wednesday till Sunday and open for dinner Saturday 6pm – 10:30pm.

Turning off from Hermitage Road, you find yourself at Keith Tulloch Winery. Here you will find the Keith Tulloch Wines Cellar Door, Cocoa Nib Artisan Chocolates, a beautiful grassy courtyard, and of course, Muse Kitchen.

Cocoa Nib Artisan Chocolates makes and sells uniquely handmade chocolate creations, such as their colourful bon bons which are incredibly shiny for chocolate.

Enough of my digressing about chocolate – delicious, sweet chocolate – and on with the review.

Muse Kitchen has been proudly serving delicious food prepared with quality ingredients sourced from local farmers and producers for 12 years.

As soon as you are seated you are greeted by the warm and friendly staff who offer you a glass of still or sparkling water and patiently give you time to peruse the menu.

The menu offers a choice of 2 or 3 courses with optional extras such as starters and sides. For the starters, entrée, main, sides, and dessert there are four different choices of each to choose from depending on your taste.

For drinks we tried the non-alcoholic Strangelove Soda served on the rocks with fruit, grapefruit and yuzu, which is a Japanese lemon. As we sipped the delicious concoction, we enjoyed some seeded bread and spiced butter to kick off the meal.

My partners entrée consisted of fermented barley dosa served with spanner crab, bouillabaisse and roe, while I had the Warroo kangaroo served with macadamia satay, pickled cucumber and wild rice. That’s right, Skippy was on my plate and he tasted great.

For main my partnered chose the milk braised pork shoulder served with gnocchi, white beans and stracciatella, while I had the duck breast served with Szechuan carrot, radicchio and chestnuts with a side of crispy potatoes, aioli, and shallots.

Dessert for me was dark chocolate cremeux, served with yuzu, sesame, and sorrel while my partner had the baked pear, with caramelised white chocolate, hazelnut, and ricotta.

Both of are meals were fantastic. Delicious, filling and the service and location made for an enjoyable experience. It’s good to step out of your comfort zone and try something new, eat something you never considered that you would, and taste food that didn’t come with drive thru!

So, if you find yourself in the Hunter Valley, visit the beautiful wineries of Pokolbin and experience Muse Kitchen for yourself, and don’t forget to pick up a box of Cocoa Nib Artisan Chocolates for the drive home.