NewsBite

Advertisement

The Independent

A decade in, still as strong as ever.

The Independent in Gembrook.
1 / 7The Independent in Gembrook.Supplied.
Ceviche at The Independent.
2 / 7Ceviche at The Independent.Supplied
Croquettes.
3 / 7Croquettes.Wayne Taylor
Smoked carrots with chilli and peanuts.
4 / 7Smoked carrots with chilli and peanuts.Wayne Taylor
Lime cured scallops, shallots, green chilli.
5 / 7Lime cured scallops, shallots, green chilli.Split Vision
Beef short rib, salsa criolla.
6 / 7Beef short rib, salsa criolla.Split Vision
Crispy calamari with hummus and aioli.
7 / 7Crispy calamari with hummus and aioli.Split Vision

Good Food hat15/20

Argentinian$$

There’s an art to straddling the destination-worthy yet accessible divide, and it looks exactly like this. A dining room in a former workshop, made intimate by local artist portraits. A crackling fire and kid-friendly courtyard. And a Yarra Valley-rooted menu processed through the lens of owner-chef Mauro Callegari’s Argentine roots.

Lime-licked scallop crudo on bubbly cassava crisps shows confident restraint. Ditto the crystal-clear spices punching through lamb or cauliflower empanadas. Sticky beef cheeks are infused with subtle smoke, and fudgy maple-roasted carrots are crunched up with peanuts and coriander.

Callegari sets a high culinary bar with low barrier to entry. You can have excellent crumbed morcilla (blood sausage) and a glass of Argentinian torrontes, if you like. But the space is ultra-welcoming even if you’ve just rolled in off Puffing Billy in a puffer. Independent indeed.

Continue this series

Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs
Up next
Indochine in Box Hill.

Indochine

Special-occasion restaurant for generations of families.

Julie’s menu is built around produce from the surrounding gardens.

Julie

Simple pleasures in a picture-perfect garden setting.

Previous
Sheng jian bao (pan-fried pork buns) are a signature at Hong’s Dumplings.

Hong’s Dumplings

Bona fide buns in bare-bones surrounds.

See all stories

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/vic-good-food-guide/the-independent-20240311-p5fbkt.html