Eat Like Ushi

After living in Canberra for 2 years I could finally realise the quality of some of the local products. There are the truffles, the wine, the bacon and (even though I don't think it) the coffee. The owner of ONA (and thus Cupping Room) was awarded the best barista in the world. Quite an accolade especially when you think about all the coffee wank in Melbourne. Not only this, I had heard the same guy submitted his coffee bean to some kind of international judging panel and won that too. The world's best barista using the world's best beans? That's going to be pretty hard to beat.

Even though I'm sure the super barista himself rather (if ever) served mortals his coffee, I'd always been told the coffee at Cupping Room was by far the best in town. Considering it was also the same place that created my ever favourite cherry chocolate coconut king shake, it was an appropriate final brunch before leaving town (forever...)

- Smashed avocado, two poached eggs, tomato & olive salsa, whipped goats cheese & rye sourdough toast  with Pialligo Estate bacon $25 - I don't like reading the words "smashed avocado" anymore however when it comes with Australia's best bacon it becomes a necessary evil. I didn't get a chance to get back to Pialligo Estate to pickup some dry cured and smoked bacon so had to make do with this. And it was extraordinary - salty, strong, crisp and made of dreams. The eggs were well cooked, avocado and cheese combined well and tomato & basil completed the meal with sourdough. Outstanding;
- Cured salmon, a soft boiled egg, wasabi pickled daikon, pear & ginger gel, enori, radish, green tea aioli & rye sourdough toast $20 - there's a LOT of salmon on the dish and only a small amount of bread. It was a beautifully presented dish and equally satisfying.

My favourite shake hasn't made a return as it was part of the previous year's summer menu, so many again in a few months time. In the meantime there's the pistachio & chamomile which is nearly as incredible. I like pistachios, especially as gelato, so that was an easy choice. The chamomile flowers added an extra flavour and texture element which was unexpected and great similar to a sweet chewy popcorn. I'd tried the dark chocolate and honeycomb version a couple of months earlier also which was ok but only a poor cousin to the cherry version.

The menu is full of things I'd want to try - what is compressed watermelon? Octopus and squid ink salad, roasted pork belly or the mythical huevos bollo roll with Pialligo Estate bacon...

It was a fitting farewell to a city that has surpassed my culinary expectations.

(I also decided to upload a picture of a chickpea salad with kataifi egg and flatbread from the meal a couple of months earlier just because it looks nice.)

After the initial scallop pie at Smith's in Salamanca Market (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/salamanca-market-and-smiths-specialty-pies-hobart-01-2016) and then earlier that morning at Jackman & McRoss (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/jackman-and-mcross-hobart-01-2016), I couldn't decide whether to remain happily full or go the full hog and try the final scallop pie on my list.

I walked through Salamanca Place and past the Bakehouse back and forth deciding. In the end I decided to reign down my greed and in the name of food research just do it.

The $7.50 had good thick scallops, similar to Smith's. The inside was very creamy curry but the pastry was a little soft unfortunately.

For the convenience I'd be happy to have the pie here especially considering the place is open 24/7?? On a Saturday, Smith's is so close that I'd go there inside. For a slightly more sophisticated pie with vegetables and good pastry I'd consider the detour to J&M. But let's face it, I'd eat any of them that was available.

One of the things I anticipated most about the trip to Hobart was the market, specifically the Saturday Salamanca Market. I'm always a fan of the local markets, to see and smell the cooking foods, the noises and bustle of people (hopefully not too many) and to look at the local produce available. I'm less inclined by trinkets and wares but I suppose you need something for everybody.

There were some nice truffle products, a stand that sold fresh wasabi paste (they wouldn't sell the actual root to the public unfortunately), but I most was looking forward to the Tasmanian scallop pie. This would be my first, and Smith's seemed a great start.

I thought a $7 pie was a little much, but scallops aren't cheap, they are the local delicacy, and now it's probably partially a tourist thing also. After eating them elsewhere, I realised this was actually cheaper than the others (given it's a food van I'm not surprised).

The pie contains 3 thick scallops, really meaty and impressive and a mild curry sauce with (what I think is) a light sprinkle of curry powder on top of the pie to engrave the name. It was a fine start especially straight after breakfast at Pigeon Hole.

Right at the end of the market, a mother and her two young children sold ginger beer. Extra zingy and gingery was the way to go and washed things down nicely.

Walking from the harbour up towards the other restaurant front along Elizabeth Street, you'll come across Mako Fresh Fish. Apparently it's quite well known for its fresh seafood and the Chinese tourists seem to like it. Not sure about the second part, but the first seems to be true.

There are two counters within the same store - a fresh seafood spot and a cooking area where fish and chips etc. can be purchased. Given it was around 4pm and I just needed something to tide me over until dinner, it was mainly a snack I was after. Of the fresh counter, the oysters seemed best.

When reading menus online, Hobart restaurants charge about $35-40 for a dozen oysters, even natural. By contrast, the same ones are around $14 at Mako. I sat down, paid $1 for a lemon (which was unnecessary in hindsight) and enjoyed the large, creamy, moderate strength delicacies at the central table. I also bought an arancini ball with cooked salmon inside. They were kind enough to microwave it for me but unfortunately the outside was hot but inside still cold. I won't make that mistake again.

It'd be a great spot for a full lunch (or dinner) - oysters from the counter, fish and chips (which is a bit pricey) from the cooked area.

In Hobart there is Pigeon Hole Cafe and Pigeon Whole Bakers. It is a little confusing but I suppose the silver lining (if there is one for the more confused persons out there) is that both are well rated and so ending up at either is probably ok. They are in quite different locations (perhaps 20mins walk) so it's not the biggest deal if you are supposed to meet someone at the other.

Because I was looking for a full brunch, Pigeon Hole seemed to be more appropriate and better rated for this. It was an early morning exercise walking across town to get there, but meant it was an easy and scenic descent straight to the parks and to Salamanca Market.

The menu is actually very small. Considering the cafe is too this is probably not a bad thing. Funnily enough Pigeon Hole serve Pigeon Whole bread. I wonder if they are linked somehow...

Chai tea was served with soy milk. There were visible spices in the pot but even after steeping the flavours weren't very strong. It tasted quite similar to black tea with milk in the end.

- Pigeon Hole slow baked beans, raclette & sourdough $13 - a warming dish of beans, cheese and bread. The dish could have used some kind of vegetable or other element to contrast;
- Soft baked eggs with jamon, smoked paprika, greens, grana & toast $12.9 - a good mix of ingredients with softer than usual baked eggs. The greens were quite distinctive in flavour. I couldn't really tell much paprika.

On both dishes the bread was actually very nice. Very nice crust, good centres and enriched with butter. I may not visit Pigeon Hole next visit (as there isn't really anything else on the menu I particularly want to try) but I'll have to make a bread journey to Pigeon Whole Bakers. For a cafe experience, I'm keen to try Machine Laundry Cafe which is in Salamanca Plaza and a much busier piece of real estate.

After the disappointment of having to sell my Friday MOFO ticket and fly out, I had a good couple of hours to spare before the airport bus came. After looking at my Google map starred locations, I decided the way to end the trip was with a scavenge for scallop pies. I'd only had one so far at the Salamanca Market and considering how little information there is about places in Hobart to get these, had to scrounge to every little piece I could find.

With my backpack and roller hand luggage, I walked through Salamanca, up some stairs, and uphill to the large corner building of Jackman & McRoss. Walking toward the place you can smell the bakery aromas out on the streets. Once inside I had a difficult time controlling myself as to order only things I could realistically take with me. It's a shame I didn't get to order some of their loaves.

The Scallop & Wakame Pie $8.2 had smaller scallops, mild curry, carrot, potato and corn, and encased in very good pastry. The Duck, Cranberry & Walnut sausage roll $5.9 was an excellent mix of less common fillings with a multitude of textures.

I also impulse bought their chai tea mix as well as a takeaway chai with soy. Their version was probably the most complex I've had. Thankfully not too sweet with a fennel/aniseed aftertaste I couldn't quite put my finger on and a hint of chilli spice. Unfortunately when I've tried to brew from their mix, the taste was quite plain and not nearly as exciting. I'll have to keep trying.

They have sit down space but I'm not sure if they serve more than their outstanding bakery fare.

It's a real shame I didn't get to sit down and eat at Daci & Daci. I visited on two separate occasions for takeaway and the range and quality were impressive. Honestly the main reason I sought it out was after reading that they have a fantastic rocky road (which is sitting waiting for me in the pantry).

I do think that charging an extra $5 for a sandwich to be eaten in rather than taken away is a little excessive. Maybe that's a good reason to get takeaway and go sit in a very nearby park or down by the harbour.

The first item I had was a sandwich (with smoked free range ham, Tasmanian smoked cheddar, rocket & spiced pear chutney). Because of the takeaway, I had it a day later after the bread had become stale. But nonetheless the serve was large, ingredients and flavours were nice and quite satisfying overall.

The second takeaway adventure was for a pissaladiere (with caramelised onion, roast tomatoes, black olives, feta & basil) and a tart (roast pumpkin, thyme, caramelised onion, goat's cheese & walnut). Both were sensational with the pissaladiere having strong flavours, the tart plenty of textures, and both good pastry.

It's quite a pricey place but the quality is excellent. I'll definitely be back, particularly to try some sweets (like a black cherry and pistachio tart).

03-2016

Unfortunately my rocky road went mouldy. I opened it around March 3rd (and the "best before" date was March 31, not a "use by" date) which was greatly disappointing. The mould was on a few surfaces as well as filling the crevasses made by the chocolate. I still cut a few samples just to try (which were fine but nothing overwhelming) but had to throw out a good 90% of it.

I emailed to provide feedback and it was suggested I should have put it in the fridge. Considering chocolate isn't typically refrigerated, the rocky road in store isn't refrigerated and nothing written on it suggests so, I thought that was an odd justification. In any case without my asking I was offered a replacement, and when I replied it was unnecessary as I live interstate, they offered to mail out. After a few weeks I received a Belgian cocoa hazelnut brownie which is sensational warmed and eaten with ice-cream. Thanks a lot!

After an evening of seafood dining at Drunken Admiral, the walk home up Elizabeth Street was briefly interrupted. Dessert? I don't mind a good dessert these days much more than I used to, although it's usually a pretty specific set of things that appeal to me such that I'll order it.

Gelato is one of those, rarely from a restaurant, almost always from an artisan. In Europe, the word artiginale means homemade and interpreted as more likely to be good.

Despite looking like a standard fluoro gelato place, Pel seriously impressed me. My baseline standard of pistachio was at a very high level. The gelato is extremely nutty and strong with much less sweetness than other versions. The servers also fill the cone such that gelato goodness is edible all the way to the bottom.

The other flavours are good and I can't be more specific, but the pistachio is fantastic for a connoisseur. I went back a few days later and this confirmed my memories.

Over the Christmas period, my brother was really keen to try a new brunch spot called Archie's. The first time we tried it was closed. Hmm. We ended up at Addict. The second time we tried, he was convinced it would be open - "it says so on the website". It was closed. We ended up at Arcadia.

This third time (without my brother) I walked down Gertrude Street and coincidentally saw it open for business and ready to try. I was hoping the name was a tribute to Archie comics (Betty, Veronica, Reggie and Jughead etc.) but I fear not.

The menu looks to have a few different items to most cafes I see these days. This is always a good sign.

- Huevos sucios (dirty eggs) (with tater tots, jalapeno spiked Monterrey Jack, avocado and tomatillo salsa, black beans, fried eggs, chipotle mayo) $17.5 - for some reason I missed the words tater tots and ordered hash browns as well. The potato overload was delicious with crisp outsides and lots of flavour (both taste identical btw). The rest of the items were fine, although I couldn't really taste any jalapeno, spiciness or cheese. As a carb person, I would've liked it (and I thought it was going to) come with bread;
- Dark chocolate, raspberry smoothie $9 - a very nice rendition, not quite as fantastic as Cupping Room's cherry version, but still hit the spot.

There's a few more dishes I'd like to savour here - crispy poached eggs with kimchi & enoki or Godmother chilli scrambled eggs in particular. I'll be back.

05-2016

During a late afternoon stroll along Gertrude Street, I was peckish. There was a dinner coming up so at 4:30pm not only did I feel like something small, most places would be closed by then.

Luckily Archie's was serving and I suppose I recognise the All Day reference since I didn't know they also stay open through to dinner. My great first impression a few months back was reinforced along this visit.

The same dark chocolate and raspberry smoothie washed down an excellent croissant they filled with gruyere cheese and really flavoursome ham ($9.5). Salad of roasted cauliflower, salted zucchini, golden raisins, mint, quinoa and tahini ($16.5) was also a great combination of textures and flavours with tangy sumac spice to layer it.

I didn't get to try so many of the dishes I wanted from last visit so this was just a brief boost to keep my interest up.

I was there at the start. That's what the hipsters say apparently. Well considering I lived above the cafe there aren't many who can say they were there before me. Before the crowds. Before the next door area opened. Before the staff changed over (however many times). All the way back in 2009 when my housemate said "the cafe downstairs is actually quite good" and I'd then stop in for a meal after night shifts (I'd usually hold off passing by Proud Mary, Fatto Mano, Arcadia, Birdman and De Clieu but succumb by the time I got home.

Does anyone remember the blonde guy with curly hair who kept a pen behind his ear?

In any case, over the past few years away, I think I'd noticed the standard wasn't as good. Perhaps the menu hadn't progressed whilst so many other new cafes had come. They still served the best chai latte full of ginger flavour but the food was less inventive.

During mid-2015 I found myself returning there. Eggs in Hell (grilled polenta, spicy chorizo ragu, poached eggs, fior de latte & basil) $19.5 was a nice new dish with clean flavours, nice chorizo sauce and polenta serving as the new bread. It was good and may have reigned in a new chapter.

Fast forward to January, when an unexpected visit to Melbourne left me needing a pick-me-up breakfast and another new dish caught my eye - Chilli Scrambled Eggs (fried chilli & soybean scrambled eggs on toast, pickled shiitake mushrooms, crispy shallots, chilli oil, fresh coriander & pork belly) $23. Now this dish is sensational - strongly flavoured oils, salt and chilli rolling together and complemented by coriander. The pork belly is crisp, tender and full of flavour. I had it twice within a week on two separate visits to Melbourne and both were memorable. Considering the dish is relatively Asian inspired, I'm not sure how the bacon option would go.

I'd only order this dish if you like strong flavour - I've heard it may be too potent for others with more sensitive palates.

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