tasmania

A fair bit of time has passed since my last Friday Delicious on FBi Radio and for those who don't stalk me on Twitter or Instagram, I didn't die. I've been busy getting my hands dirty in Tasmania while the amazing Myffy Rigby, food editor at Time Out Sydney has been filling in for me, along with a host of brilliant Sydney chefs including Jared Ingersoll, Darren Robertson and Dan Hong.

Why did I leave Sydney for wilder climes? To put it plainly, Sydney really got to me, and not in a good way.

Don't get me wrong - I love this place. It has a dynamic food scene, some nice people and some tasty drinks. But every once in a while, we need a reality check - our view of produce and how hard it is to cultivate/rear/kill/process/deliver is pretty screwed up at times. That's no surprise - we live in a city where we can pretty much access anything we want, whenever we want it and without it costing a whole lot. I'm not knocking urban apiarists, restaurant kitchens growing their own herbs or inner city community gardens, but  this isn't really where the real industry happens. 

I know it's disgustingly trendy these days to go foraging and stuff but more seriously, it seemed disingenuous to talk the talk day in and out [about high end restaurants and brilliant produce], without walking the walk... at least for a little while (a mile in someone else's shoes, and all that). So I ended up being taken in by some pretty generous folk in that tiny, stunning island we call Tasmania.

People like the crew from Ethos Eat Drink in Hobart, for instance. For those who don't know Ethos, it's a truly beautiful restaurant operation who honestly express food and drink in a seasonal context. They are proud and loud about what makes produce from their great state tick, and their relationships with their suppliers is genuine. They talk regularly about what's going on, what's growing, what's eating well and get excited to talk to customers about what's on the plate. Almost every Monday when the restaurant is shut, a number of the team get in the car and go to visit a grower, or go scrumping for anything growing wild that can be put on the menu. 

I also managed to crash with the good people at Grandvewe Cheeses down in Birchs Bay, about 45 minutes south of Hobart. The only organic sheep dairy in the country, Grandvewe produces some pretty crazy and delicious cheeses, made by Diane Rae, her wonderful team of WWOOFERS and her equally cool family. God knows why, but they let me milk sheep, pour yoghurt, make cheese, learn about affinage first hand, and hello - the holes in their Sapphire Blue cheese? That was totally me.

...and that's just the tip of the iceberg. From working in an abattoir to picking chestnuts, I've been blown away by the warmth and complete lack of bullshit offered up by the good people of Tasmania and I'm the better for it. 

This is not an advertisement for Tourism Tasmania, by the way. But if you do love food, I encourage you to occasionally consider where it comes from and if you're able, go out there and discover how the hell it gets from the ground, into your face. You'll find that producers are genuinely pleased to show you, and who knows - you might learn a thing or two.

So what have I learnt? Well, a lot. In part, where's good to eat, shop and play. So below is an evolving list of places I've responded to friends with, upon receiving the "So, I'm coming to Tasmania...where should I go?" email.

These kinds of emails from friends are what made me decide to start a blog all those years ago when I was working in advertising and trying to decide what content I'd use to see how blogs tick. And while I have massive issues with blogging, bloggers and how that whole can of worms squirmed its way into a more distasteful place than I could ever have the stomach for, occasionally I still hope I can use what remains of mine to share the odd (spell checked, somewhat edited) thought.

Thank you John Susman, Kate Walsh, Jared Ingersoll, Lenna Boord, Daisy Turnbull and Emily Bosler for asking me what I reckon about stuff, I wrote this for you.*

Restaurants:

Garagistes (World class. Luke Burgess' food is nuanced, sensitive and intelligent)
103 Murray St, Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6231 0558
www.garagistes.com.au/‎

Ethos Eat Drink (seasonal, beautiful, honest)
100 Elizabeth Street Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6231 1165
ethoseatdrink.com/

Me Wah (modern Cantonese, yum cha on weekends)
16 Magnet Ct Sandy Bay TAS 7005
(03) 6223 3688
www.mewah.com.au

Piccolo (Italian comfort food)
323A Elizabeth St North Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6234 4844

Other food places:

Rin (cute Japanese lunch spot)
167 Harrington St, Hobart TAS 7000
0427 634 574
www.facebook.com/pages/RIN/194593720673778‎

Crumb St Kitchen (unapologetically Tasmanian take on American BBQ)
144 Harrington Street, Hobart, TAS
(03) 6234 7002
www.facebook.com/CrumbStreetKitchen

Written on Tea (handmade dumplings and noodles)
Shop 8/236 Sandy Bay Rd Hobart TAS 7005
(03) 6223 3298
www.writtenontea.com

Sawak Cafe (Malaysian cafe styles)
131 Collins Street Hobart, Tasmania, 7000
(03) 6234 3622

Hejo's (a smattering of Sichuan and a few dumplings for good measure)
80 Elizabeth Street Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6234 6131
www.hejos.com.au

Cafes:

Ginger Brown (solid coffee, great breakfasts)
464 Macquarie South Hobart, Hobart, TAS
(03)6223 3531
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ginger-Brown-Cafe/251311604926180 

Pigeon Hole (coffee, panini, smiles)
93 Goulburn St West Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6236 9306

Tricycle (Salamanca coffee fix)
77 Salamanca Pl Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6223 7228
http://www.sac.org.au/eat-drink

Ecru (not just a shade of beige)
18 Criterion Street Hobart
www.facebook.com/ecrucoffee 

Pilgrim (pre/post Farmgate caffeine fix)
48 Argyle St Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6234 1999

Pulp Friction (vegetarian, green smoothies, nourishing things and stuff)
Shop 5, 110-114 Collins Street, Hobart, TAS
0400 252 506
https://www.facebook.com/PulpFrictionJuiceBar  

Bars and pubs:

Sidecar (Hobart is richer for it. Americanos, great snacks, banging wine list)
129 Bathurst Street Hobart
(03) 6231 1338
http://www.garagistes.com.au/sidecar/ 

The Winston (Americana food in a pub environment with a nice beer list and occasionally live music)
381 Elizabeth Street, Hobart, Tasmania 7000

Grape (forgive this winebar for being in Salamanca)
55 Salamanca Pl Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6224 0611
www.grape.net.au

Nant Whisky Bar (whisky sours a-go-go)
Shop 3g/63 Wooby's Lane Salamanca, Battery Point Tas, Australia, 7004
nantdistillery.com.au/‎ 

Lark's Distillery
14 Davey St Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6231 9088
www.larkdistillery.com.au

Produce:

Farmgate Markets (Sundays, look for Paulette Whitney for Provenance Grown)
49 Melville St Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6234 5625
farmgatemarket.com.au/hobart-2/‎

Grandvewe Cheeses (organic sheep's cheese, watch cheese making on Tuesdays)
59 Devlyns Rd Birchs Bay TAS 7162
(03) 6267 4099
grandvewe.com.au 

The Agrarian Kitchen (brilliant whole day cooking classes run by Rodney Dunn)
650 Lachlan Rd Lachlan TAS 7140
(03) 6261 1099
www.theagrariankitchen.com

Hobart accommodation:

The Residences

137 Macquarie St Hobart TAS 7000 

(03) 6224 8917 

www.theresidences.com.au

The Islington
321 Davey St South Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6220 2123
www.islingtonhotel.com

Outside of Hobart, but nearby:

The Stackings at Peppermint Bay (chef David Moyle knows a thing or 17. Catch the boat from Hobart for a long, boozy lunch)

3435 Channel Hwy Woodbridge TAS 7162 

(03) 6267 4088
http://www.peppermintbay.com.au/food_pb.php 

Lotus Eaters Cafe (Get here bang on 9am if you want a snowball's chance in hell of getting breakfast)
10 Mary St Cygnet TAS 7112
(03) 6295 1996
https://www.facebook.com/pages/the-lotus-eaters-cafe/123892878401

Masaaki's (worth the drive to see how incongruous this place is. Great sushi)
20B Church St Geeveston TAS 7116
0408 712 340

Shopping: 

Oyster & Pearl (local designed clothes, beautifully sourced fabrics from around the world)
Level 1, 147 Liverpool Street, Hobart TAS 7000
http://oysterandpearl.com.au

Belle & Paige (Australian designer)
147 Liverpool Street, Hobart TAS 7000
www.belleandpaige.com

Hello Gorgeous (well curated vintage threads)
43 Barrack Street, Hobart, TAS
0403 946 484
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hello-Gorgeous-Vintage/107033342673026

Luxe (Jac + Jack, and a few other fine threads)
134 Liverpool St Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6236 9898
http://www.luxestore.com.au/

...and of course, there's MONA, which predictably fits into pretty much all of the above categories in some way.

651-655 Main Rd Berriedale TAS 7011
(03) 6277 9900
http://www.mona.net.au/

*this is an evolving list of places I like, which is somewhat limited to Hobart and south of there. I haven't neglected other areas I've visited...I just haven't had the time to write it all down yet. So chill, ok?

chui lee luk: in conversation

Want to know what chefs think? Most of the time, trust me, you probably don't. Where Chui Lee Luk* is concerned however, you're in safe hands. This one time lawyer-turned-chef is arguably one of Australia's most talented and intelligent chefs. Articulate, thoughtful and not afraid to say what she thinks, she will be appearing at Eveleigh's Carriageworks this Saturday with Aaron Seeto from Sydney's 4A Gallery, to explore sense memory and how it relates to food, as well as recollections from her hometown of Sabah in Malaysia, where she recently visited.

The catalyst for this talk is the incredible work by artist Song Dong. A collection of over 10, 000 objects from the artist's family home, it was conceived following the death of his father and represents his mother's process of mourning and remembrance. For those of you, like me, who witnessed the work without knowing the story behind it, this is a way of striking new meaning into this expansive piece, and perhaps, it'll allow you to reflect upon your own experiences of life, loss, and memory.

Where: Carriageworks (grab a Crooked Madam from @birdcowfish at the markets and head on in)
When: Saturday 23 February, 11-12pm
How much: FREE

More info:

The work
The gallery
The chef

*Chui Lee Luk and Claude's is a much loved and respected client of fooderati, though we'd be telling you to go and check this out regardless. 

gong hei fat choi

Tomorrow evening bangs the gong on yet another Chinese New Year eve. It's the day us folk (Chinese, not bloggers, though one could argue most of the time it's one and same) we celebrate the beginning of the new lunar calendar. It's done with plenty of colour and movement...and shitloads of food. In order to start the year off well, it's important to have an abundance of food, family and friends to represent and set an intent for prosperity in the next twelve months.

The good news for curious spectators who haven't found an Asian to adopt them for the holidays - there's plenty of action happening around Sydney, from Burwood to Chinatown and everywhere in between. From markets to dragon boat racing and even a DRAGON BALLZ, check it all out on the Sydney Chinese New Year website.

In years past, we've focused our little FBi radio program on what action is taking place, but this year, I thought we'd look at a couple of crucial CNY foods and their traditions, so you can integrate them into your own weekends. The year of the snake brings with it potentially turbulent times...but also transition, change and transformation. So let's just focus on the important stuff, shall we?

Foods you need to have on Chinese New Year #1: Pineapple tarts

It's all about the symbolism. You eat sweets on Chinese New Year so you have a sweet new year. Geddit? While there are a few crucial sweets you see around on CNY, including the ubiquitous red bean soup which usually sends white people running for the hills, pineapple tarts are cute, butter laden and a fun and accessible way to ease into CNY delights. Starting with a buttery, short bread-like base, it's crumbly, rich and terrifyingly bad for you, if it's made the right way. This is cut into a circular flower shape and topped with a pollen centre of sticky, tart, pineapple jam. They're small, completely moreish and will have you in a diabetic coma by the end of the box. So naturally, Chocolate Suze has an awesome recipe worth trying if you want to make them yourself. 

Foods you need to have on Chinese New Year #2: Noodles

Long noodles, long life. While there's no specific noodle recipe attributed to CNY, the important thing to remember is this: Don't cut them. Cutting noodles off with scissors or chopsticks when you're serving them at the dining table during CNY is a recipe for getting you excommunicated, as the superstitious regard it as a bad open for longevity. DO toss them high and make a mess when you serve them up though...like that saying 'the higher the hair, the closer to god', so too, should your noodles follow suit. 

Foods you need to have on Chinese New Year #3: Whole fish

Head on, tail on. A whole fish represents the wholeness of the family unit. Plus, cooking a fish whole adds to the drama when you bring it to the table..and then you can always fight over the cheeks and eyeballs. Kylie Kwong does an amazing steamed whole snapper with spring onions and ginger...it's simple, easy to sub in almost any firm, white fish you like...and delicious. A classic Chinese dish worth mastering. 

So eat up, share the weekend with good friends and family..and have a fantastic year of the snake! 

winey, foody, eaty

Usually October is the month we think of when it comes to major food happenings in Sydney, but it seems February may just put in a good effort this year so far as new and interesting food and wine events.

Summer of Riesling

First cab of the rank, the Summer of Riesling festival is upon us. A project thought up by some zany cats from Terroir Winebar in NYC in 2008, the festival, designed to make people rethink this rather remarkable varietal, has spread across the world. Now in its third year in Australia, the festival (comprising of wine dinners, tastings and other restaurant-based events), culminates in a huge laneway event. This year, Nithsdale Lane plays host to a huge event, comprising over 50 Australian vineyards and winemakers specialising in Riesling, food by Longrain, music, art and much more.

The best thing is that you don't even need to know anything about Riesling to enjoy it. In fact, you just might learn a thing or two about wine in general, as well as enjoy all the best that summer in Sydney has to offer. 

Tickets cost $25 and get you unlimited tastings, and $5 Riesling dollars to spend on food, product and merch. Head to summerofriesling.com.au for more information, or click here to book (online bookings only).

Where: Nithsdale Lane, Surry Hills
When: Sunday 10th February 2013 from 1.30pm - 6pm

...and here's a cheat sheet on Riesling.

Rootstock

The words 'sustainable' and 'artisan' get thrown around a lot. I challenge most people to explain precisely what that means and why it's important to us right now. Some pretty outspoken and amazing people in food and wine who know EXACTLY what these words mean, have launched a festival called Rootstock, which takes place on the 17th of February, 2013.

Held at The Italian Forum in Leichardt, it's a day of excellent food and wine, with a focus on doing things the hard way - because making things by hand, and with a conscience, never goes out of style. Focusing in biodynamic and natural wines, there will be wine makers and sommelliers in abundance to chat to..who says learning isn't fun?

There will be over 25 food stalls run by some very special Australian restaurants and their chefs, including Luke Burgess from Garagistes (Tas), Aaron Turner from Loam (Vic) and Ben Greeno from Momofuku (Syd). There will also be demonstration workshops on natural wines, cheese making, food and drink matching and more - including Bluejuice playing live!

Tickets are $40 on the day or $35 online and can be purchased here.

Where: The Italian Forum, Leichardt
When: Sunday 17th February, 2013 from 10am - 5pm
Hit up rootstocksydney.com for more information about the event and special dinners during the festival.

...and though this isn't quite a festival, I know y'all like FREE STUFF, so:

Intrepid Travel are celebrating the launch of their new international food tour series, so they're sending their Intrepid Travel Food Truck around Sydney, dishing up tasty treats from around the globe...and it's FREE!

Over the next few days, they'll be:

Day 2:                    Friday, 1 February, 12pm – 2pm
                               Fiery Indian outside Customs House, Albert St, Circular Quay

Day 3:                    Saturday, 2 February, 12pm – 2pm
                               Fragrant Vietnamese @ Belmore Park (near Central Station), CBD

Day 4:                    Sunday, 3 February. 12pm – 2pm
                               New Orleans nosh @ Oxford Street Mall, Oxford St, Bondi Junction

Day 5:                    Monday, 4 February, 12pm – 2pm
                               Zesty Mexican @ Taylor Square South, Cnr Oxford & Flinders Sts, Surry Hills

So if you're hungry, hit 'em up. Winner.

ceviche

It's currently 43 degrees and everyone' complaining like we've never experienced this kind of thing before. These people were either unconscious last week, or drank it from their memory. Either way, it's clearly less spaghetti Bolognaise weather and more Splice time. In the event that you DO need to eat, I suggest ceviche.

What is it? Originating in the Latin Americas, cerviche is known as the national dish of Peru and is popular throughout that part of the world, as well as being adapted throughout many coastal nations around the world, including Polynesia and Fiji. The main principals are this: fresh, raw fish, cut into pieces (usually cubes), citrus juice, herbs and spices, and sometimes coconut milk. When you marinate meat in citrus juice, the acids start to cook the flesh, resulting in a change in the proteins.

Why eat it? It's a bit different to sashimi, the flavours are bold, fresh and zesty and therefore perfect to eat in hot weather.

Where can I get it?

The Fish Shop in Potts Point's Challis Avenue (formerly Lotus) currently has a Polynesian raw kingfish dish served up on salad greens, while The Eathouse Diner's version comes in the form of citrusy slices of barramundi, topped with shredded chillis and spring onions, served up with a side of kumera chips (there's also an albacore tuna tartare served atop middle eastern-spiced eggplant - another winner). But if you want to go to the source, check out Morena, a piece of modern Peru, right in the heart of Surry Hills. Chef Allejandro serves up a ceviche of pink snapper, served w/ cancha (a kind of toasted corn) & caramelised sweet potato.

Morena
15/425 Bourke Street  Surry Hills NSW 2010
www.morena.com.au/
The Eathouse Diner 
306 Chalmers Street  Redfern NSW 2016
(02) 8084 9479
www.eathousediner.com.au/
The Fish Shop
22 Challis Ave  Potts Point NSW 2011
(02) 9326 9000
merivale.com.au/thefishshop