Eating Tasmania

 To Whom It May Concern,

Thank you for returning after my hiatus of... well, being lazy. I hope to regain the passion I used to have for the pictures and the writing and the food that I had last year.

I wonder if I was more passionate when I was overseas? Every meal was so exciting and different, I wonder if that excitement can be regenerated in a country I have lived in all my life. I hope it can. I have quit smoking (6 days clean today), and according to my Quit App, I should have most, if not all, of my smells and tastes back. Here's hoping.

Once again, thanks for reading,

Beck



Now, back to the blog.

The last Tasmania post I wrote a while back and posted today, I would have posted it earlier but was having endless troubles uploading the pics.

This post is from the same March Tasmania trip with Miss C, but I now have substantially further time to cast my memory. We'll see how I go.

We rented the most wonderful cottage in South Hobart. Maybe 2km out of the city. By pure chance we stumbled across 2 of the loveliest cafe/coffee shops, which we made out regular morning haunts.

South Hobart looking toward Sandy Bay, from our verandah

One was called Ginger Brown Cafe: think recycled chairs and tables, back to basics, with the most sumptuous breakfasts in the world. Here I discovered fried eggs.

proper Chai Latte

Latte

 This was the most intoxicating, rich breakfast that my memory will recall. Two eggs, leek, cream and cheese, all baked in the oven til the eggs are cooked and the cheese goes golden. Served with sour dough.

Ginger Brown

The other was called The Macquarie Street Foodstore located at number 356. My first time here I was treated to a wonderful mushroom, spinach and cheese crepe served with a capsicum chutney. Many of the dishes had a faint Indian touch to them. I'm not usually a crepe eater, but I really should be, this was amazing.

A pot of tea

The Foodstore

Both cafes did perfect coffees and teas, great prices and fantastic customer service.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ginger-Brown-Cafe/251311604926180
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g255097-d1224883-Reviews-Macquarie_Street_Foodstore-Hobart_Tasmania.html

One of the great surprises of Hobart was how fantastic MONA was. I like a good art gallery as much as the next, but this one was an experience from the second you boarded the camouflage painted, military themed boat to travel down the Derwent to the museum itself. I would really recommend a visit to anyone headed to Hobart.

After a day of seeing (and being shocked by) the pieces on display, Miss C and I board the boat for the trip home, and having a cafe and bar on board, thought we should indulge.

A couple of glasses f bubbly, an orange and poppy babycake for me and an almond croissant for Miss C.
High tea on a boat!

We spent a day shopping and antique hunting in North Hobart, and the Rain Check Lounge was recommended to us by an ex-Brisbanite boutique owner, so we popped in for lunch.

The wine and cocktail lists were very impressive, as was the lavish interior with chandelears and darkly painted walls. Unfortunately the food did not come up to scratch.

My veggie burger was so dry, but even by looking at it I could tell it was going to be dry- the veggie pattie looks like an oat cookie!

Veggie burger with chips (I don't know why the photos are flipped- I can't change it without it changing itself back)

Miss C had the oven baked gnocchi, which if I can remember was very rich and decadent.

A belated birthday bottle for Miss C- a really lovely drop

We actually went into town and then decided to come back up to North Hobart for dinner, and I'm glad that we did, for we found the wonderful (and BYO) Midori Japanese Restaurant.

We both had combination dinners which I believe came to under $30 each. Carly had a mixed and I got a veggie and a sashimi as well.

Miss C and all of the food.

In the veggie combination was, tempura veg- fresh, hot crispy and in no way oily, spring rolls, salad with a stunning sesame dressing, rice, dipping sauce and tofu and the sashimi (below) was salmon and tuna, so fresh. Hobart's reputation for great seafood is dead on. Fantastic.

It was fresh, authentic Japanese food, and the prices couldn't be beat. The decor is minimal with seating for maybe 20 and takeaway from the service counter, but we were there on a quiet night, and were sat beside the window, and with all the food we had in front of us, and a lovely bottle of Pinot, we were as satisfied as two people could be.

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g255097-d3667414-Reviews-Midori_Japanese_Kitchen-Hobart_Tasmania.html

It should be noted that Hobart has the most amazing selection of patisseries, chocolatiers, bakeries, and all things wonderful and sweet.

EDIT: EXTRA PICS

Another night we walked down to the casino (the oldest in Australia) and to Sandy Bay in search of a pizza place with amazing reviews. Sandy Bay Beach Woodfired Pizza, sits tucked away, but I assume the locals all know about it.

We order a garlic pizza to start, it is delicious, but a slight critisism is that it was a teensy bit dry.

I had a half and half (no extra charge). The mushroom side lived up to all of the reviews and my expectations, the seafood side was delicious, but I was so gutted at how little seafood there was, and the fact I could tell it was not fresh.

Miss C had a half and half Mexican and pumpkin and feta.
Despite my critique, I still rate these pizzas very highly on Beck's Pizza Scale.

Sandy Bay Wood Fired Pizza can only be described as back to basics. Seating for maybe 10, flyscreen door, it's a little beach cafe. But they really do amazing pizzas.

http://www.yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/?action=venue&venue_url=sandy_bay_beach_woodfired_pizza

Before I left Brisbane, my mother was adamant that I simply had to try a Tasmanian curried scallop pie. I remember being a little bewildered by the sound of the combination, but it apparently, is a Tasmanian... thing... that you have to do.

It was getting to the last few days of my time in Tassie and I was starting to worry that I may get home having not tried the traditional pie- heavens, how could I face my mother?

There was a truck set up at the stop at Pirate's Bay (one of the most beautiful places on earth), and behold, they were selling the pie.

It's weird. It's somewhat indescribable. I suggest you just try it and make your own mind up. It's... weird.

Oh and Salamanca markets, I do love market food. I had high hopes of eating my way through the markets, but unfortunately after my giant German Bratwurst I was full. Devastated.

One place that I did not post about but enjoyed immensely was the Drunken Admiral. As soon as I spotted it I was quickly drawn in to it's nautical charm.

http://drunkenadmiral.com.au/

On one of our first evenings Carly and I decided early to head in, cause it just looked so naff.
It couldn't have been later than 5.45 and the place was packed. I felt silly walking up and asking if they had a spare table, having seen that the place was heaving, but the waitress informed us that a booking had not shown up, and if we waited ten more minutess and they didn't come, we would be welcome to their table.
We nervously waited and watched our clocks. At the 9 minute mark we headed back in, as the smiling waitress walks up to us with two menus, we were so happy, she leads us through what can only be described as the VIP table, set above everyone else in a faux captains quarters. We really did feel very important.
The oysters I had for my starter were brilliant. C had a salmon tagine that she raved about. My (in essence) fisherman's plate was huge, and I simply loved that they had a help-yourself salad bar.
The reviews on this place are mixed, but when you can pack out a restaurant that can seat 100 to 200 on a monday night, you must be doing something right.

EDIT
I found the picture on my phone:

Such a charming exterior, or course I would be drawn to such a place

Our amazing VIP lodgings

Pretty amazing menu

I giggled

Miss C's Battered olives, very salty but delicious!

Amazing fresh oysters

So... much... food

Miss C's tagine

Salad bar helpings

Mmmmm scallop

And that was Tasmania.

I will endeavour to post more frequently, and to get Beck's Modern Life on the road again.

Again, thank you for your continued support.

Smolt Restaurant, Hobart

I recently went to the beautiful Hobart, in Tasmania, Australia. What a slice of heaven it is. I was very strict with myself that I would take as many food pics as I could, and coming very soon is a full blog post on just about everything I ate there, from the gorgeous all-day breakfast cafes, just down the street from the house that we stayed in, and so-far-from pretentious it's ridiculous (take THAT Melbourne), to the renowned curried scallop pie, whose filling glowed like a radioactive keens curry powder.


That will come later, today I would like to do a special dedicated post to a wonderful "posh night out" restaurant Ms C and I dined at named Smolt, (and not 'Snork' as Ms C accidentally referred to it as one afternoon, to a hundred and one giggles from myself.)

Urban Spoon gives Smolt a plethora of wonderful reviews, but we weren't entirely sure we were going to eat there. On "posh night out" night, we got our prettiest dresses on and made our way to the beautiful and historic Salamanca area, filled with bars and restaurants and a wonderful historic feel. We wandered past steakhouses, Italian restaurants, Spanish and Greek and could not decide. We walked into Smolt to ask to look at the menu.

Salamanca

 

The attentive staff were more than happy for us to waste minutes blocking their counter with our indecisiveness. We walked back out to discuss our options. I had already made my mind up. We would go back in!

To get our taste buds going a beautiful freshly baked bread was brought to us with olive oil and balsamic. Delicious.

Thee wine list was wonderful, and out waitress, although dressed very casually, was a wealth of information on both the wines and the food.

I decided to start with the oyster plate ($21.90). 6 oysters: one jumbo, 2 medium and 3 micro oysters. Each different size was dressed differently and had a completely different taste to the meat. A wonderful starter. My dinner date chose one of the leek and three cheese arancini ($3.90) as her starter, and she was very happy with it.

The interior was a perfect balance of homely and decadent, the menu glorious with modern Australian selections. To look around the restaurant, it's dimly lit, but still seems open and airy. A huge wall fish tank as you enter the restaurant, an open kitchen, and the tables vary, from private tables, to a large central dining table for large groups, or smaller groups to sit together, and bench tables around the perimeter of the room. The blend of homely and comfortable with rich and divine some how work in absolute harmony.

For mains I had chosen the grilled Tasmanian venison, crab apple puree, quinoa, spiced cauliflower and almond salad, creamed garlic ($36.50). This meal was divine. The flavours so warming and wintery, I felt as I had just taken a meal back in Scotland. The meat itself was so flavoursome, cooked perfectly.

Ms C has a special of the day which was a steak.

To have with out meals, we shared a local bottle of Pinot Noir.

Feeling very full after our mains, we decided to share a Creme Catalan, (a creme caramel from the Catalan region of Spain), it was the perfect finish to our meal, with a glass of single malt for me and a dessert wine for Miss C.

I cannot fault this restaurant, everything was wonderful, from the staff to the menu options.Smolt certainly deserves every one of the amazing reviews it has received, and I hope to visit them again.

Boutique Brewery Tour

8.30am, three coffees and droopy eyelids, but I am waiting at the front of Roma Street station, in the rain for C and J and our minibus for a Beer fueled adventure.

At just after 9am Ben from Backyard Getaways showed up in his minivan, made his introductions and we were off.

We are informed that we will be visiting three Boutique Breweries around the Gold Coast area.

As we zoom down the Pacific Motorway we chat amongst ourselves and are treated to some of the 80s greatest hits.

The weather is foreboding but we don't let that get our spirits down.

Within the hour we have arrive at our first brewery, MT Mount Tambourine Brewery.

It is beautiful and certainly not what I had in mind for a brewery, more like a gorgeous country restaurant retreat.

While here we are treated to our first testers of preservative- and additive-free (pre-midday) beers.

The Rainforest Lager is everything I love in a beer, crisp and refreshing. Delicious.

We also sample the St Bridget Dubell, Cuvee Belgian Blonde, Black Cockatoo and Moderation Golden Ale.

I thoroughly enjoyed each and every tester but I think a special mention should be made to the wonderful alcoholic Iced Tea. The moment I tasted it I could imagine myself on a breezy back verandah sipping this poured from a jug. I was overjoyed when we were informed that Dan Murphys is now a distributor for this delicious tipple.

Also on site is the Witches Chase Cheese Company, and we were lucky enough to be able to sample some of their delicious produce.

It is beautiful, beautiful, flavoursome cheese. I will be sure to take a drive down here one day to pick up a carton of beer and also one of cheese.

Also, while here, we are given a walk though the business section, the brewing vats and bottling area and given a talk to about the methods, reasoning and mantra of MT.

What a fantastic first stop!

But we have 2 more to go. Back in the bus and down to the Tweed.

In not too much time, we arrive at the Pickled Pig Brewery.

The Pickled Pig is, as MT, focused highly on making beer as pure as possible with no preservatives, additives, and packing in the natural flavour.

I love how passionate our hosts are for what  is obviously very important to them, we learn more about beer, this time on a smaller scale.

Pickled Pig has a brew-your-own option, and I'm sure after the tastings we have here, there and some folk on our bus who are very seriously considering making the drive down.

Lunch is also supplied here. A simple BBQ lunch of steaks and rolls.

You can't go wrong with steak on a BBQ and the steak was wonderfully cooked and of beautiful flavour, but I would have loved to see a bit more of a spread here.

The highlights here were the ginger beer, and the Pale Ale.

Feeling now very rosy cheeked and jovial, we make our way to our last stop, and one we are all excited for, The Burleigh Brewing Co.

Home of Big Head, Australia's first no-carb beer and winners of 4 Gold Medals in the World Beer Championships, Burleigh has a well earned reputation and is now Queenslands largest Qld-owned brewery.

Husband and wife owners give us a tour and run us through the stories that brought them to being where they are today.

It's a great brewery with a great feel, and you can see from the numbers of other people here to the tasting and tour that this is a favourite tipple among many.

The FIGJAM IPA here is to die for, and may rival BrewDog PunkIPA for title of my favourite!

We stay here for maybe an hour after the tour finishes and enjoy each others company, and realise we have been sampling beer for close to 6 hours.

Then before we know it, we are on our way back to Brisbane.

Ben, the tour guide is friendly, funny and does his job amazingly.

Even for locals this is a great day out, and a way to see some of the most stunning scenery of SE Queensland that even folk that have lived here their entire lives have more-than-likely never seen. AND try some of the most beautiful beers around.

Tour cost, including all samples, cheeses and and lunch is $150 per person. And details and bookings can be made with Backyard Getaways here.

MT Mount Tambourine Brewery: http://www.mtbeer.com/brewery
Pickled Pig Brewery: pickledpigbrewery.com.au/
Burleigh Brewing Co: http://burleighbrewing.com.au/

Not Another Pizza Post

Just a quick one.

It's starting to look like I'm a massive pizza fiend, which is only partially true.

To be fair, I've been eating very boringly lately, and pizza is just my break from veggie soups and salads.

These are pizzas we made at home, with reduced to clear pizza bases from Woolworths. (3 for $3 down from 3 for $7).

Our first pizza we added pesto from a jar to the pre-sauced base, pine-nuts, chicken breast and spring onions, then topped with fresh basil and ripped pieces of baby bocconcini.

The middle pizza was salsa as the base sauce, fried bacon pieces, mushroom, small cubes of emmantal, topped with chili flakes, fresh basil and bocconcini.

And the end one was our mish-mash, which turned out to be the yummiest... pesto base, chicken, bacon, mushroom, spinach and ripped pieces of bocconcini.

I don't know how of why, but these were the tastiest at-home pizzas I have ever had. They were dead perfect.

Sushi, always Sushi

 "Sushi, always sushi", I replied to my housemate when she asked where I'd like to go for lunch.

There's not so many places that have the amount of choices, so many gluten free options, and that give you the opportunity to leave knowing that you haven't over indulged in saturated fat like sushi.

I still think that Japanese restaurants, and specifically sushi trains are over priced, but I keep going back, and there's always people lining the rails... so it's obviously on par with what the masses want.

This occasion I was killing time after a haircut at Sunshine Plaza, before meeting up with a friend, so I made my way to Cheery Blossom Tree located on the River Walk.

Since I have been back, I have been here four times I think. And I am continually impressed with the flavours, quality and freshness.

The service has a little to be desired, but hey... 4 out of five overall is acceptable in my eyes.

It was about 3:30 when I showed up, and the train was nearly bare, but I snapped up a crumbed chicken and avocado roll. Delicious. $4:80

I realisied I would have to order off the menu, which is something I never do at sushi trains... I think I like the gambling aspect of choosing off the train... but I perused the menu and made my choices.

It took me about 5 minutes to get the attention of the waitress... which isn't really okay in a restaurant with only 4 patrons, but I made my order and waited.

 This one is a favourite of mine: it's the vegetable tempura sushi nigiri, and it's a bit special and different in the fact that it is not a particular vegetable that has been tempuraed but a variety of veggies cut finely and all tempuraed together, almost like a veggie patty, in a way. It's very tasty and highly recommended. $4.50

Pork Gyoza: I LOVE DUMPLINGS! See my Harajuku Gyoza post here. This were only okay however, very watery and needed many dips in the soy. The gyoza stuffing was nice, but just under-seasoned in my eyes. $7.50.

And here are the prawn money bags (could not locate on online menu, but I believe they were $8). These are another favourite of mine, and came out hot and crispy, with a dressed salad and sweet chili sauce.

Cherry Blossom Tree have a good thing going, a nice escape from the food court with fresh, tasty food.

I think if you know that lunch will cost $15-30 and you are prepared for that, then nothing should stop you heading to Cherry Blossom Tree.

Cherry Blossom Tree - Maroochydore
Sunshine Plaza - River walk precinct
Shop 93A, 156-164 Horton Parade, Maroochydore, QLD, 4558
Telephone: (07) 5475-4988

Cherry Blossom Tree - Mooloolaba
"La Balsa" Building
Shop 101, 45 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba, QLD, 4557
Telephone : (07) 5444 7188