The Independent

Gembrook’s The Independent provides many good reasons to eat your veggies.

Charred broccoli, chilli cashews and avocado.

79 Main St, Gembrook

[phone]

theindependentgembrook.com.au

Gembrook’s The Independent provides many good reasons to eat your veggies. Flame-licked broccoli decorated with creamy piped avocado, iceberg lettuce pimped-out with mustard and shaved American cheddar, and smoked carrots drizzled in sticky maple bring the wow-factor to plant-based cooking.

Don’t worry, head chef Mauro Callegari caters for carnivores, too, at his home-style Argentinian diner found in a converted old garage near where Puffing Billy runs out of steam in the Dandenong Ranges.

Start small with empanadas, pastries filled with either beef or broccoli and glazed on a bench to the side of the dining room.

Larger plates include a hefty and delicious chicken ragu on ricotta gnocchi, and pork belly topped with a sweet gelatinous barbecue glaze.

Ideal for relaxed Sunday dining with the kids, there’s great value in two set menus, which are also available with drinks.

A glass of something tasty paired with friendly service – and that broccoli – provides every good reason to head for the hills.

Must-eat dish: Charred broccoli, chilli cashews and avocado

Cuisine: Argentinian

Chefs: Mauro Callegari, Manuel Santeiro

Price: $$

Bookings: Yes

BYO: No

Open: Lunch Fri-Sun; dinner Thur-Sun

Instagram: @theindependentgembrook