Restaurant review: Corella in Braddon one of Canberra's best, with the use of native Australian ingredients at its core

There's an element of "never knowing what you're going to get" and the use of native Australian ingredients at the core of the menu are thoughtfully and most importantly, skilfully executed.

The feeling inside is almost Parisian. A fully loaded bar backed with an oxidised mirror. Clever recessed, hanging and mood lighting. Black bentwood chairs with a peppermint banquette running along the wall, and shiny black timber tables wrapped with gold rims. There are three large Play School-esque arched windows which peer into the night sky and the feeling is warm, cosy and intimate in this 30-seat bistro. So intimate that we get a pretty decent earful of the slightly heated exchange between what looks to be sisters on the next table, but that's kind of what you expect in a full box of assorted chocolates.

The menu is composed of six "by the piece" dishes, three entrée-like share dishes, four mains, three sides and three desserts. The plates are ellipse shaped and the cutlery and crockery high quality.

Our first piece is a couple of voluptuous scallops bathed in lemon myrtle ponzu and sprinkled with pickled chilli ($5 each). Warmed slightly but close to raw, these little babies are delicate and fresh as a bush daisy. Forrest Gump could eat "about a million-and-a-half of these".

Chicken liver parfait with caramelised onion and rosella jam on brioche ($12 for two) come next and this is spot-on, with the same flavour combinations as when I last dined here 18 months ago. The parfait is very rich, but the jam, which is made from hibiscus flowers, cuts through with a touch of sweetness to create great balance of flavours, all floating gloriously on a pillow of brioche.

Corella was nominated for best new restaurant in the country this time last year and these early dishes indicate that they might be a nominee for best one-year-old restaurant should such a title exist. The drinks are also on point. A "Wax On" cocktail made with Archie Rose sunrise lime gin, Geraldton Wax and cold milk clarification ($22) almost causes a "why don't you drink your own drink" heated exchange.

Corks are popping in the bar and the table next to us appears to have made up, when the chunky little lamb ribs with bush spice and yuzu yoghurt ($12 each) hit our table. They are slow-cooked and rolled in smoked redgum salt, and the bones are clean as a whistle just 30 seconds later.

Carrot tartare with native pickled zucchini, mustard, confit yolk, baguette ($18) is the only dish that I don't get tonight. The concept is good, with a little angel-dust-like sprinkling of mustard seed powder on top of a perfectly plump egg yolk, but the acid in the dish is very high once mixed, and the fat in the egg just isn't enough to mute the sourness. But there's always someone who doesn't like the random chocolate that they choose from the box.

Beef short rib with pickled kiss chilli and sugar snaps ($48) are sublime. The beef is very slow-cooked, braised in rich stock by a chef who knows just how long. The side bowl of just four little sugar snaps seems a little peculiar. Sure, it's nice to have a few greens with your beef, but a few should probably amount to more than four?

Duck a l'orange with fresh Terra Preta black truffle ($36) is cooked to a treat and is indeed a treat, with the generous slices of Braidwood-harvested truffles proudly garnishing the top of the medium-rare canard. The balance in the sauce is perfect, reduced to a powerful burst of jus with just a hint of sweet orange centred goodness. I'd take it without the truffles just as happily, but it pays handsomely to book a table just a few days after an end of winter truffle degustation.

The side dish of bitter leaf slaw, fried onion, bush tomato balsamic, feta and almonds ($15) is also a beauty. It feels like the influence of Ottelenghi is everywhere these days and this does go down well with a bit of Lupe Fiasco on the speakers.

Apple tarte tatin, with coconut macadamia ice cream ($15) is possibly my favourite dessert and it's a good sign that it takes 20 minutes to prepare as the small kitchen knocks it out from scratch.

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Our waitress has been excellent tonight, but I feel like she doesn't really sell it to us as, you know, it takes, like, 20 minutes. And she's right that people prefer a much quicker sugar hit these days. It may not be a bad idea just to harvest the dessert orders at the same time as the main course. Just an idea, as why would you want to miss caramelised butter, sugar, crushed macadamias, apple crumble ... all swirling in a spiral of fresh glazed chunky apple and tucked into a buttery shortcrust pastry with hand-churned macadamia ice cream? Have mercy.

Salted chocolate ganache tart with strawberry gum ice cream ($15) is almost as perfect. It's made with rich, dark chocolate and it is deluxe and indulgent. Who would have known that strawberry gum ice cream is just that much better than plain old strawberry.

I think that someone should nominate Corella for "best not quite new restaurant". Their box of chocolates is diverse, creative and extremely well made.

Address: 14 Lonsdale Street, Braddon

Phone: 6189 0757

Website: corellabar.com.au

Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 5pm til late; Friday to Sunday, noon til late

Chef: Leon Pan

Dietary: Options available

Noise: Small room and tables very close

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