By Vivienne Pearson
Jerome Clarke at Poinciana
Poinciana’s new chef Jerome Clarke comes to Mullumbimby with a wealth of local experience, having worked at Rae’s on Wategos, Top Shop, The Roadhouse and Brunswick Heads Milk Bar. ‘I’ve done pretty well,’ laughs Jerome when I comment on his great choice of workplaces.
Jerome was born in Trinidad and Tobago, islands in the Carribean far enough south that they escaped the wrath of recent hurricanes. ‘People joke that God is a Trinidadian, as the islands are always spared destruction,’ says Jerome.
It may be that the same ‘God’ was responsible for Jerome’s arrival in the Byron area. After completing his cheffing apprenticeship in Brisbane and Melbourne, he was driving between the two when his Kombi van broke down. ‘I knew a chef at Rae’s and he offered me a job,’ says Jerome. It was a case of farewell Kombi and hello Byron.
Jerome is introducing his melting pot of cultural background and travels into the menu. ‘I’m a world citizen,’ he says of his Carribean-Negro-Asian-Portuguese-French Creole ancestry combined with extensive travels. ‘I take ideas from each country, especially street-food style,’ he says. This influence is visible in dishes served, which range from Thai curries, Chinese steamed bao, Caribbean sweet potato and bean-based dishes, to Middle Eastern schwarma and Spanish fish dishes.
Jerome is blending these ideas with local ingredients. ‘I’m getting local farmers in, such as Munch Crunch Organics, Farmer Foster and Joel Orchard. They bring boxes of what they’ve got – it’s like a mystery box – and I plan the specials accordingly.’
Breakfast and lunch are menu-ised, with highlights including grilled spray-free avocado with fresh tomatoes, sprouts, herbs, seeds, sauerkraut, organic sourdough toast and lemon. Lunches are similarly fresh with a Caribbean influence showing in a spice-rubbed sweet potato served with coconut turtle beans, jungle salad and side pickles and ferments.
Dinners (Thurs/Fri/Sat) are purely specials based. Examples include lamb schwarma with zaatar flatbread, hummus, tomato, cucumber and tahini or steamed bao (barbecue pork or tempeh) with pickled cucumber, mint and ginger or fish escabeche with vinegar, saffron and paprika marinade. On dinner days, a grazing menu sees afternoon visitors through between lunch and dinner.
Owner Monique Emilio is very pleased to introduce Jerome to all the regulars and visitors to Poinciana. She is proud of the influence of all her current team, saying: ‘Our team have been drawn to our philosophy and work to create and enhance this direction’.
She adds: ‘We remind people that where they put their money creates strength and empowerment. Shifting the flow and direction of what is successful now will affect the future of community, and in this case, health.’
The philosophy is based on health and one that Monique says drives all business decisions. ‘We come from a perspective of supporting human existence. There are no sulphates, nitrates, fluoride, chlorine, processed sugars, preservatives or colourings.’
This is perhaps most strongly seen in the drinks menu, with the wine-tasting notes emphasising the sustainability, sulphate-free, minimal-intervention style of wines. The cocktail list is appropriately titled ‘Alchemy’, with sprits combined with herbs to continue Poinciana’s search for the elixir of life!
Poinciana Restaurant, Coffee House, Beer Garden, Cocktail and Wine Bar: 55 Station Street, Mullumbimby. Sun–Wed, 8am–3pm and 8am–evening Thurs/Fri/Sat.