David Laris presents laid-back and contemporary dining in vintage Australian style, Donna Mah discovers.

Anight out used to involve a great deal of time spent choosing an outfit, careful application of makeup and accessorizing with the right handbag, shoes and jewelry. For a lot of people nowadays, a night out is a much more relaxed event, and a new wave of casual and comfortable dining rooms, where one can show up either dressed up or dressed down, are a welcome trend.

The BellBrook, Bistro Oz by David Laris is in the former location of Laris restaurant in Central. While the former was a fine-dining establishment, the BellBrook is a relaxed place where no-fuss food is served with some indigenous Australian specialties and daily blackboard specials on offer.

The space features a small bar at the entrance and a large enclosed balcony where you can dine and watch the action on Wyndham Street below. A good selection of Australian beers, ciders and wines are served, as well as some Australian-style cocktails.

The cocktails sounded fun and tasty, so we started with what was referred to as "Christmas in a glass" - the BellBrook Pina (HK$68) ($8.77) - and the Homemade Bourbon Cherry Coke (HK$68). The cinnamon-infused rum used in the pina colada is what reminds you of Christmas. It was good, but the cherry Coke with the bourbon-soaked muddled cherries was even better.

A quick glance around the packed dining room revealed that almost every table had ordered the twisties (HK$78) from the menu. Twisties are a fried thin-sliced whole potato coil on a stick, like a long string of potato chips. We tried the truffle-salt twisty: a good snack with a cold beer, but not essential to the meal.

The "table bites" section of the menu features dishes meant to be shared. We tried the potted chicken-liver pate (HK$118) and the butter-fried cauliflower (HK$128). Both were good choices. The sweet and slightly acidic onion jam that was served with the plate was the perfect complement.

From the table salads section we ordered the smoky eggplant and burrata salad (HK$158). The cheese was very fresh, as burrata should be, and the smokiness from the eggplant and beef-tomato chunks made this a refreshing and filling salad.

The "bigger bites" section is where the mains are. We had the Barramundi cooked in aboriginal paperbark (HK$298) and the grilled kangaroo loin on smoked hay (HK$298). The fish was served with charred carrot and finger lime. The bright pinkish lime flesh made this dish stand out with just the right amount of citrus edge. The smoked hay under the grilled kangaroo was still on fire when it arrived at the table and we were told to "make a wish".

Kangaroo meat is very lean and therefore should be cooked to about medium-rare. This dish was served with a raisin-chocolate sauce that lent a bit of richness to the lean meat. My dining companion did not like the bush wild thyme used on the meat, but I thought it was a good combination. The roasted potatoes were slightly crispy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside, and were a hit with everyone.

One of the most popular desserts is the sticky-date pudding. Served with a warm brandy caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream, this is a lovely comforting dessert and was a good end to the meal.

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 02/15/2014 page12)