FourthChild – Ipswich, Australia

Devastation swept through the City of Ipswich when FourthChild announced it was closing. Its modern, casual décor of exposed brick, communal tables, haphazardly placed cutlery tins, and contemporary menu saw it cement its place in the expanding café market. News of new owners ignited excitement and everyone eagerly awaited its reopening. Their choice to operate under the existing name was questioned: Would it live up to the well-established high standards?

A Friday brunch provided the perfect opportunity to try ‘the new FourthChild’. I entered the café and was surprised by how formal it looked. The tables now pre-set with white linen napkins and glasses. Did I step into a fine-dining restaurant, or café? I chose a seat and realised something was missing – music – ambiance. Presented with a menu – a clipboard containing four pages – I sat silently pondering my options.

My date arrived and we exchanged thoughts about the visible changes (and lack of music). A waiter arrived to take our coffee order. “Yes of course, certainly.” Even the service has become Michelin star-like.

We deliberated over the menu – smoked salmon omelette, wild mushrooms with poached eggs… I was disappointed by the lack of basic options: Where is the trusty eggs and bacon? Flicking to the last page I noticed a children’s offering – brilliant idea to entice all the mums around town! And there it was, eggs and bacon on toast. I was having food envy from toddlers! I decided not to make a scene and chose the mushroom dish (sourdough, mushrooms, marinated feta and poached eggs) and my girlfriend ordered the potato galette (poached eggs and potato galette on an English muffin, as clarified by the waiter).

Our coffees arrived, minus one teaspoon; lucky we don’t mind sharing. We were pleased with their choice of coffee provider, Campos. But would the barista do the legendary beans justice? I looked down to see a layer of silky crema on my long black. Minor victory.

Our meals arrived in a suitable timeframe. I picked up the polished cutlery and cut through my breakfast tower. Sigh… my presumably toasted sourdough had turned to mush. The juice from the mushrooms had soaked right through. Rookie mistake. My girlfriend’s choice presented rather oddly; a meal advertised as ‘potato galette’ turned out to be your standard eggs benedict with a slither of galette on the side, and fanned avocado. Fanned avocado? Didn’t we stop fanning in the ‘80s?

Final thoughts? The food was satisfactory but I wasn’t blown away. Have they lived up to the name? Regrettably no. The previous “hip” FourthChild has been catapulted back to the dark ages with its formal appearance. Will I go back? Maybe…for the silky coffee crema.