The Independent, Gembrook by Obelix

A few weeks ago, my sister, Kiddo and I went for a little jaunt to Gembrook.  It was one of those aimless drives with no other purpose than to admire the scenery and stop to eat when hungry.  We came across this relatively new addition to Gembrook, The Independent which served Argentinian fare.  Excitedly we pushed on in.

My sister opted for their two course lunch special which came with an entree, main with sides for $25 inclusive of a drink.  This was very much the way to go in terms of value for money and ensuring you get a smattering of dishes to try.  Kiddo and I being "sometimes pescatarians" couldn't opt for the $25 special as the choices within that were very meat-centric.  So instead, Kiddo and I ordered a couple of dishes to share tapas style.  It ended up roughly $25 each.


We started with some comp bread which were so cute and warm in their toasty linen basket.

My sister started with her entree of pork croquettes.  These little nuggets were filled with pulled pork.

Her salad was a beetroot salad with a few zingy bits of cress, soft cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Kiddo got things started with a very very very creamy cauliflower soup.  It was generously blanketed with truffle shavings.  OMG.  I was hovering around like a sea gull whilst she daintily sipped it, waiting to catch a crumb of truffle.  It was a very rich soup and guaranteed to fill you up.

Next Kiddo and I shared an octopus dish.  The texture was very tender and I suspected it may have been lovingly slow cooked.  It was served with a paprika oil, toasted almonds and a sprinkling of parsley.  I wished it had some more of that bread left to mop up the sauce.

Kiddo and I also shared these roast potatoes.  These were recommended to us by the waitress.  As The Independent didn't have a kid's menu, she suggested this as a great alternative for Kiddo.  The potatoes were super crunchy and it was a fav of Kiddo's.

My sister's main dish was a slow cooked beef cheek.  She reported it was melt-in-the-mouth.  

To finish things off, Kiddo and I shared a wild mushroom gratin.  This was my pick of the day.  There was an abundance of mushroom varieties and the flavours were woodsy and intense.  The gratin part had three cheeses melting into the mushroomy mix.  I loved it.  I could quite happily have this on its own with a crusty baguette.  This was on their specials board.

Instead of wine with her lunch special, my sister opted for a cup of tea.

Meanwhile, Kiddo had a soda.

Verdict:  We loved it.

Overall
The Independent was a great serendipitous find.  It was well executed food with friendly staff.  Argentinian flavours are a pleasant change from the usual cafe style fare for lunch.  We would definitely be back for more.