PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAIt isn’t your average cafe that shares a colour scheme with the Senate and the House of Reps, but then again, Ironbark is definitely not your average cafe. Situated along the sunny strip that is Franklin Street, this funky, modern place is giving the old favourites a new polish with its interesting, native twists. While the menu features all the regular mod Oz favourites such as fish and chips, Ironbark has a definite focus on organic, native ingredients, all of which are smoothly adapted into modern recipes with surprising ease and success. The lemon myrtle cheesecake, for instance, served with riberry (peppery, cinnamon flavoured berries native to NSW) and rosella flower confit has been a long running favourite.
So have the selection of dampers with different accompaniments, such as lemon aspin and crocodile fillet, bush tomato and barramundi, and (for the less adventurous) tender chicken schnitzel. Sounds rustic, but the meals are elegant and stylish in both looks and flavour. The cafe takes advantage of seasonal ingredients, and has been featured recently by a few international news groups for its brandy-flamed Bogong moth and boab root (like potato, but nuttier) frittata. The cafe does take-away for those in a hurry, so there’s no excuse not to drop in for a meal and discover a menu that isn’t just a curiosity – it’s delectable.
Stephanie Wang, October 2007
