Where to eat in Orange this winter, NSW at the moment: chef Richard Learmonth

Now that our days start with the crispy crunch of frosts and our sunshine is setting sooner each day it's a great time to recognise and celebrate our region's true seasonality. This is the moment to throw off any reluctance about turning the page from autumn to winter and embrace the cooler months for their own specific joys.

Slowly braised meats, hearty root vegetables, nourishing starches, rich flavours and deep aromas have their moment in the spotlight now and the Orange restaurant scene has you well covered with some great winter dining options. Here's a non-exhaustive list of a few spots I'll be seeking out for some wintertide comfort.

The newest kid on the block adds a vital element to the rich tapestry of Orange's South East Asian cuisine; Malaysian street food. Chef Julian Ooi has settled into the Trang's Kitchen site on Summer St with an expansion of her post-Covid business producing authentic Malaysian sauces and sambals, to now offer delicious Malaysian meals for dine-in or takeaway.

Combining imported Malaysian ingredients with locally sourced produce Ooi does things the hard way with undeniable results. Sambals are pounded by hand, broths and karis are slowly simmered for some of the best bang for your buck meals around. If you get as excited about roti canai, nasi lemak or hainanese chicken rice as I do you'll know exactly what to do.

Chef Liam O'Brien has long led the way in Orange for innovative fine cuisine and the holder of a SMH Good Food Guide chef's hat has an exciting new development in the works for early July.

Restaurant space is being allocated to a dedicated bar where elevated snacks will be offered in concert with David Collins' extensive drinks menu. With plans to open the doors a little earlier for the bar menu O'Brien is excited to offer something fun and different, particularly for locals.

"It'll be 'fun dining,' a chance to cook a lot of things I've always wanted to but haven't been able to fit onto the Charred menu," he said.

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While we're snacking it's hard to go past the venue that seems to be most Orange foodlovers' current obsession.

The intimate wine bar squeezes loads of cosmopolitanism into a small space and it's not uncommon to find hospitality workers, winemakers and farmers jostling for room at the bar. Leigh Oliver's drinks list oscillates from trailblazing newcomers to established favourites and chef Hugh Piper does great justice to it with a menu of tasty treats that reflects a contemporary Australian style of dining.

Cured meats, imported cheeses and tinned seafood a huge cut above any supermarket varieties are fixtures while an evolving seasonal menu keeps regulars coming back to try new things.

Piper's beef tartare with burnt eggplant and Block 11 gems is already an Orange icon and his soul-warming bowls of handmade pasta are the perfect fix for any winter blues.

There's no better time than winter for indulging a few guilty pleasures and as far as comfort foods go Korean fried chicken is pretty hard to beat.

The team from Leaf Cafe have recently taken over the former Spudz site in Glenroi Ave and are now churning out some of the most satisfying fingerlicking chooks you'll find.

Juicy boneless thigh pieces are cooked in a crispy batter and are sauced with choices from a spectrum of spicy, soy, sweet or smokey.

An eclectic selection of sides range from the more traditional pickled radish cubes to crunchy seaweed wrapped vermicelli rolls to punctuate your chicken chomping with extra fun. Just beware, these birds are addictive!

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In a beautiful purpose built space on the slopes of Mount Canobolas the Printhie team have put together the winery restaurant that locals and visitors alike have long clamoured for.

Chef Jack Brown's food is the undoubted highlight in this stunning venue and he draws on his kitchen experience at Berowra Waters Inn, and Nomad beforehand, to craft his own menu of outstanding seasonal cuisine.

With a small but strong team quickly developing around him the menu continues to evolve with the chef finding a world of inspiration in his indigenous heritage.

At Printhie Dining, refined technique combines with abundant, yet suitably restrained, use of native ingredients to create a special dining experience beyond compare.

For nearly four years now diners have been returning again and again to the Union Bank for flavoursome unpretentious fare consistently executed to the highest of standards.

Large swathes of the menu have developed such a cult following that they can't come off, from the legendary Farmer Doug's potato scallops to my favourite steak in town, the chargrilled sirloin with miso butter sauce.

However, the housemade charcuterie options provide a great chance to shake things up and sous chef Chris Tudor is a master of the craft having trained under Romeo Baudouin at Victor Churchill.

Current favourite, chicken liver parfait with mulled wine jelly, is an exercise in refinement and deliciousness that ticks all the winter boxes.

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