Terra: Celebrating a food culture rooted in fresh produce and flavour. Photos: Supplied.
Set amongst a growing collection of food and lifestyle venues in the quirky No Name Lane between Canberra City and Australian National University, is the newly opened canteen-style, produce-driven food destination: Terra. Offering an ever-changing breakfast and lunch menu that features straight-off-the-spit smoked and charcoal meats, gourmet lunch rolls, seasonal roasted vegetables, fresh salads, juices, healthy breakfast options, and Duke’s specialty coffee, you can smell the goodness of what Terra has to offer long before you walk in.
Canberra’s fresh produce aficionados, brothers Anthony and Marcus Iannelli of The Food Forum; the fresh produce and butchery shop at Belconnen, joined forces with acclaimed Sydney Chef Sung Son on the venture and it is a marriage made in food heaven. Together, the threesome has combined their shared passion for using local, seasonal produce to create a menu that features inspiring and innovative dishes.
The menu is kept interesting and dynamic depending on the best possible products that can be sourced. Thanks to the long-standing relationships the Iannelli brothers have built through The Food Forum, Terra has unparalleled access to the finest quality seasonal produce from the best local growers and providores.
Fresh produce aficionados, brothers, Anthony and Marcus Iannelli.
Anthony says: “The Terra menu is a collaboration, stemming from what we enjoy eating and would like to see more of in the Canberra food scene. It’s about utilising the produce when it’s at its best and letting the natural flavours do the talking. If it looks great at the markets, it will be on our menu.”
Head Chef Son agrees, saying, “We are all foodies who love to experiment with flavours and host people for a great meal. We’ve made our own pickled vegetables, jams and chilli sauce fresh in-house and ready to serve. We want to create food that’s healthy enough to eat a few times a week, and delicious enough to want to.”
The food philosophy of Terra also extends to its name, shared Anthony. “The name comes from the Latin word meaning ‘earth’. We thought it was the perfect fit for our concept because we are basically just taking whatever earth and nature is throwing at us at the time, and running with it.”
The light-filled canteen-style dining space complete with earthy green and raw concrete finishes has beautiful reclaimed timber tables and bench seating, all of which are reflective of the venue’s focus on natural resources. The stand out features though are the three-metre custom-made charcoal spit and rotisserie that cook mouth-watering selections of charred meats plus the four-and-a-half metre island bench which displays a changing daily section of an abundance of fresh market produce.
For breakfast on the island bench, there is a range of easy grab-and-go options including freshly baked pastries and muffins, protein snacks, plus unique fresh juice and smoothie combinations. At lunch, the bench comes alive with guests being able to build their own lunch boxes. Tempting lunch options include the signature Terra charcoal chicken, smoked brisket, and slow roasted lamb shoulder plus an abundance of freshly roasted vegetables and beautifully flavoured seasonal salads.
For those wanting a more leisurely meal, there is also an in-house a la carte menu featuring signature versions of breakfast favourites like the ‘bacon sanga’ on ciabatta bread with cheddar cheese, hash brown, house-made cucumber pickle and Terra BBQ sauce. For lunch, Anthony says, “I would recommend guests to try the Terra Cheesesteak roll, I’ve had a lot of people already hunting me down after they finish one to tell me about how good it was. That with a side of poutine would be my choice!”
Terra is located at Shop G2, No Name Lane, 40, Marcus Clarke St. City West.
Open Monday – Friday, 7.30 am – 4 pm and Saturday, 8 am – 4 pm.
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