Executive Chef, Ian Farnsworth of University House is behind Boffins new, inspired spring menu, encompassing a European twist and the nostalgia of a lifetime’s cooking.
“It’s a retrospective. There is a French twist to it which was influenced by my first few years of training in England. Everything we did was in French, we spoke, took orders, everything,” Ian said.
He’s most proud of the Duck Breast Fillet, served rare with Cured Speck Cassoulet & a Fresh Cherry Sauce. Ian first made this dish for Raymond Blanc while he was Cheffing at Le Manoir Aux Quat’saison’s.
If you’re after a fresh catch, I recommend the Bouillabaisse; Fresh Market Fish and Shellfish served in a Rich Tomato and Fish Stew, served with Fresh Potatoes and Gruyere Croutons.
“Bouillabaisse is the first thing I cooked when I went to France, it holds a lot of memories for me, and I’ve always loved it.”
English bred, Ian steers the culinary ship at ANU, Executive Cheffing Boffins, 11 function rooms and a café – all at University House.
His Cheffing background reads like an accomplished biography, having been appointed to prestigious kitchens in Spain, Evita, Greece, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.
“My training took me through the art of peeling vegies and being shouted at, all the way to rubbing shoulders with some of the worlds most well known and respected chefs, like Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay.”
Ian has also fed the bellies of celebrities and the entire cast of both The Matrix and Mission Impossible 2.
Now proudly Canberra based, Ian is turning things up a notch at Boffins, with an extensive refurbishment on the cards and the addition of extravagant new dishes on his menu.
“We have items on our menus that you can’t get anywhere else and everything is so fresh. A lot of effort is put into making each dish just right. ”
The attention to detail; white linen and traditional front of house dress, is just the extra baileys sticky sauce on the house-made Banana Pudding for this Canberra restaurant.
