tasting tassie

I had heard a lot of good things about Tasmania and the food they have on offer.  So on a recent short trip to “Tassie”, I was looking forward to the beautiful scenery and of course the chance to sample the food, glorious food. 

The first stop was the small seaside town of Bicheno.  Located on the east coast of Tasmania, it is approximately a two-hour drive from both Launceston and Hobart.  I had heard of the Sea Life Centre and was concerned that it was a tourist trap.  The lovely man at our accommodation assured me that it was not just another tourist trap and that he often frequents this restaurant.  So with a hunger for seafood, we headed there.

We started with the sourdough bread with whipped garlic butter.  I was looking forward to warm fresh bread oozing with delicious butter.  The bread was definitely warm and fresh, however we were not sure that it was in fact sourdough. It tasted more like a plain baguette which was a little disappointing.  It did however fill the spot and we now had the mains to look forward to.

I had the Sealife Seafood Platter for one, this consisted of a combination of fresh seafood including freshly crumbed flake, battered prawns, salt and pepper floured calamari, cold marinated Tasmanian fish, and avocado rolled horseradish salmon, served with sauces, chips and salad.  It actually also contained two raw oysters which were deliciously plump, fresh and perfect with a squeeze of lemon juice.  That was definitely the highlight of the platter.  The rest of the platter can simply be described as fresh and good, but nothing stuck out as amazing.

My companion had the Ocean Trout which was Oven baked, served on egg noodles with steamed vegetables and topped with a peach, mint and ginger salsa.  This dish was fresh and healthy. So healthy in fact, that my companion said it’s the healthiest dish he has ever ordered in a restaurant. The trout was fresh and perfectly cooked as were the vegetables (sometimes they can be terribly overcooked and mushy). It was also so healthy that I don’t think the vegetables and noodles had any seasoning on them.  Fortunately, salt can always be added and I am a firm believer that food is better under seasoned than over seasoned.  With full bellies, there was no room for dessert and on the whole it was a pleasurable experience on a cold rainy night by the sea. 

The Freycinet Marine Farm near Wineglass bay offers fresh seafood in a casual dining environment or for takeaway.  We opted for half a dozen natural oysters - $10 and Tasmanian salmon served with a bread roll for $14.  The oysters were fresh but not as plump as the ones from the Sealife centre however the salmon was again, perfectly cooked and tasty.  This was a perfect meal washed down with a Tasmanian Pinor Gris after a long five-hour hike to Wineglass Bay and the Hazards.

The Salamanca markets is what I would call Hobart’s most famous tourist attraction. We left Bicheno early to try and get to these markets that are only once per week on a Saturday.  We left without a proper breakfast to give us room to devour the delicious market food.  Strolling past the stalls of the markets, there was nothing really that appeared so appetizing even though we were past the hungry phase and nearing the “hanger” (hungry-angry) phase!  I had heard of the famous scallop pie and therefore had to try one.  They were $7 which is understandable being on the pricier side for a pie, since they contained seafood.  The first few bites were delicious.  They had a mild curry flavour and the scallops were cooked well and fresh, however by the end of it, it became sickening.  Perhaps it was too creamy or heavy or both.  It is definitely a pie that needs to be shared.

Dessert at the markets was the next thing I searched for.  There were the usual donuts, pastries and the like, but I had never seen individual pavlovas before.  Not only that, you could choose different flavours.  I opted for the double espresso which also included chocolate chunks on top.  In hindsight, it was probably not a good idea to opt for such a creamy dessert after having a creamy pie, however the cream on the pavlova was not even the real deal.  For $8, this dessert was disappointing.  Even the pavolva was not light and fluffy as you would expect it to be.  Maybe the Aussies should leave the pavlova making to us Kiwis!  Unfortunately this famous tourist attraction of Hobart disappointed and we left unsatisfied.

Being Kiwis, we love our fish n chips, and on numerous occasions we have been disappointed by the quality available in Melbourne.  So on this trip to Tassie, we used the opportunity to try what Tasmania had to offer. We were not disappointed with Mako Seafood on the Hobart waterfront.  The oysters were fresh and the blue trevally fish was meaty and flavoursome and we left feeling pleasantly satisfied.




There is a little suburb called Battery Point south of the city, and it is here where a mind-blowing bakery  - Jackman & McRoss sits.  There are just so many choices that a second visit was required.  On the first visit we had a salt-crusted salmon with fennel on a risotto cake served with a side of rocket.  We also had chorizo sausage, gruyere, caramalezied onion wrapped in puff pastry.  Both were equally decadent and divine.  For dessert we had the chocolate éclair and a brioche filled with crème anglaise.  The chocolate éclair was soft and light with just enough cream and icing to top it off.  I may even add that it was the best chocolate éclair ever!!!  On the second visit, we had a simple ham & cheese croissant, a beef pie and a pork sausage roll. All three staples of most bakeries however they were all perfectly cooked and very tasty.  A cream donut finished things off nicely and needless to say for any trip to Hobart, this place cannot be bypassed!

And finally to end a wonderful few days of eating, a steak was on order from Roaring Grill.  They pride themselves on offering Cape Grim beef from Tasmania’s North West therefore we wanted to try the Tassie beef.  We ordered the eye fillet served with mash and coleslaw, the sliders served with a side of fries and also an extra side of Mac n Cheese.  This was the perfect amount of food for two with no room for dessert.  The eye fillet had great flavour and was cooked on point at medium rare.  The sides of mash and coleslaw were creamy, well-seasoned making great accompaniments.   The sliders were tasty, juicy and a satisfying choice from the menu.  On the whole Roaring Grill was worth the visit for a great steak and away from other tourist attracting steak houses on the waterfront.

On the whole, tasting Tassie was an enjoyable, satisfying experience. After being there, I have put it down to the fresh available produce available, together with the clean fresh air, a trip to Tassie is definitely worth it and provides a feel good factor.  With so many great places to choose from or revisit, another trip is definitely imminent.