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Kimchi Jaffle. Photos: Sophia Brady.
Japanese fusion, disruptive flavours and speciality coffee in a sleek minimalist venue. That is the simple but elegantly executed premise of Campbell 5 precinct’s first cafe and eatery: INTRA.
As an all-encompassing destination village and park side living quarter, Campbell 5 precinct is located just minutes from the CBD. Flanked by Lake Burley Griffin, Mount Ainslie and the new purpose-built award-winning Hassett Park, once fully complete, the precinct will offer unparalleled amenities and proximity to the city’s most iconic outdoor spaces.
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This ambitious project of JWLand consists of five sites with a total land area of 22,000 square metres. Each of the five individual buildings in the development draws inspiration from global cities and precincts renowned for their atmosphere and neighbourhood charm. The first four (of five) stages of release include Parisian-inspired Saint-Germain, New York-themed Greenwich Park, Danish-designed Køben and Italian-inspired Siena. Saint-Germain and Greenwich are now complete and residents along with commercial tenants are moving in, establishing their homes and building a strong community.
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Coffee sourced from local Canberra roastery, KYO Coffee Project.
Chris Antos, Sales and Leasing Executive at Laing & Simmons Commercial has been working at attracting the right mix of commercial tenants to Campbell 5. “The ceilings are all 5 metres or higher, so it’s got a sense of grandeur and potential to be really opulent if the retailers get the fit out done right,” said Chris.
INTRA, located on the bottom floor of Greenwich with a beautiful view out to Hassett Park, has set the bar high with their impressive unique minimalist interior. Eighteen months in the making with meticulous attention to detail, the space is set to become a haven for locals and the nearby Russell Offices workforce.
Walking in for the first time, the distressed dark concrete walls set the minimalist atmosphere. Owners, friends and local Marist graduates Sean Baker and Nick Wood, both have strong hospitality backgrounds and were clear about what they wanted to create. “The menu was inspired by Japanese flavours, Australian simplicity and the excitement around local produce,” Nick said.
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Sean Baker and Nick Wood.
“We have created a really tight fresh menu with plenty of punch and unique flavours. The must-try item is definitely our Poké salad with Tuna and Kingfish, or the very popular Kimchi Jaffle with special sauce,” said Nick.
For our mid-morning visit, we opted to start with a coffee which is sourced from local Canberra roastery, KYO Coffee Project. The attentive table service and beautifully handcrafted cups used to serve were a great start to the meal.
The menu, along with the interior, is minimalist but enticing, with just a few items available to order from the kitchen. Tempting options included a Japanese twist on the popular smashed Avo, with Avocado, Yuzu, Kibbled Wheat and Ricotta or the warming Granola with Poached Pear & Spiced Brown Sugar.
In the end, we picked the intriguing Kimchi Jaffle which was simple in presentation but packed with ingredients. Containing house-made kimchi, pickled red ginger, tangy-sweet pickled baby cucumbers, provolone and Swiss cheddar served with an addictive house-made spicy mayonnaise. It was a flavour combination I was dubious about, but upon the first bite of the jaffle doused with a generous dose of the mayonnaise, I was an instant convert and now very eager to try the other items on the menu.
INTRA is located at 30/12 Provan Street, Campbell ACT 2612. Opening times: Tue-Fri 7 – 3:30 pm and Sat-Sun 8 – 3 pm.