Eating: Pilgrim Coffee, Hobart

Tragedy struck on day two of the Tasmania break, the cellular network left me without wifi. So to console me, we decided to indulge in some fancy breakfast at Pilgrim Coffee.

We weren't disappointed. The decor is edgy and modern, with the feeling of being underground in a mining tunnel. The polished gold tables adds to the allure of searching in a gold mine. The exposed wood beams of the ceiling, the muted singular curl of the corrogated iron wall lights give an interesting vibe.

Pilgrim surprises diners with complimentary pilgrim popcorn flavoured with salt, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and chipotle. The flavours meld well together.  It isn’t super crunchy but it's all about the flavours. View this popcorn like pilgrim introducing themselves and handing you their business card. Here is what we do: flavour.

Pirates bay octopus with chilli, octopus, potatoes. Great zingy citrus flavour with strong notes of pepper. Potatoes are crunchy and creamy in the inside. The octopus is very soft, which suggests that it has been in brine then cooked. The preserved lemon gives so much zing. The colours really remind me of a Mexican dish. Unfortunately it doesn’t have the same lightness as a mexican salad based dish, but the combination of the pickled pepper, preserved lemon and octopus is a great mouthful. With each chew, the flavour keeps giving. I’ve recently noticed a trend over the past half a year that restaurants are incorporating more pickled or home preserved elements. This gives their dishes more flavour than just simply adding spice or salt. This process takes much more time and preparation. A great example of a restaurant doing it so well is Provenance, in Beechworth.

The coriander is a good lift to the dish, as all the other elements are more intense in flavour, the coriander is that "fresh" component. I think I would have liked a little more, maybe some basil as well. At the time my dish arrived the heat from the other elements had wilted it, but i’m sure it couldn’t have been helped.

The Better Half went with the french toast with maple butter and bacon. The bread was rich and creamy, which in itself was a nice bread, but when made into french toast it went squishy and mushy. The BH struggled also in eating the caramel due to the way it hardened once it came into contact with the cooler dish. There were a few pieces of the caramel, that the better half just couldn't chew through. The contrast between the mushy bread and the hard chewy caramel, makes for a complicated mouthful.

Service here is prompt and friendly.

In conclusion:

Pilgrim coffee is a friendly relaxed way to the start the morning in the middle of Hobart’s CBD.

I heartily enjoyed my Pirates Bay Octopus but would think twice before ordering the french toast. Their more savoury dishes have more promise due to the way they love to play with flavours.

Pilgrim Coffee

48 Argyle St

Hobart, Tasmania

03 6234 1999

Eating: The Westend Pumphouse, Hobart

Dinner at the Westend Pumphouse is a busy affair. The large, repurposed industrial space is now an open plan dining hall that is filled with the energy of bustling patrons, either dining or grabbing a post-work drink.

Service here on a weeknight was excellent, taking into account the busy turn out they hadn’t been expecting. We were one of those pleasant surprises. Hi, surprise! Can we have a table for four please? All delivered with a slight tone of pleading and food desperation, while maintaining my cool aura, of course.

We were quite keen on the lamb shoulder but were told that it would take about forty-five minutes to an hour for it to be done. The Lamb here is cooked fresh, because the people here are serious about their food. After being told this how could we leave Hobart without eating this? So we settled in to wait and filled our time with some choice sharing plates.

The night did not start out strong unfortunately. Our first plate consisting of duck rillettes and pickles, which was disappointing to be honest. The smoky smell and taste was there, but other than that there wasn’t much flavour to the meat. Not one of our favourite rillettes. I would have liked some more pickles to help balance the meat a little more.

The evening started to improve with the arrival of the charred octopus, dried olive, lemon and potato. The texture and flavour of the octopus was superb, with a slight chewy texture but still very tender. With each mouthful you really got all those smoky charred aromas and flavours.

The star show of the night was the lamb shoulder. When the lamb came out it justified it’s own waiting time, even with just the smell it wore like a cloak. That lamb shoulder had it’s own confidence. Listen to me wax lyrical over a lamb shoulder!

The lamb was tender to the very bone. The sinew and tendon gave no resistance when any pressure was placed on it, it allowed itself to be dominated into a buttery soft mess. A spice rub consisting of cumin had been applied to the surface of the lamb, which enhanced the meaty fatty flavour of lamb. There was a slight char and crisp to the outer layer of the lamb.

There was pure genius applied to the lemon zesty sauce that was probably a reduction of the meat juices with added pepper. The flavours of the zesty sauce, the spice rub, and the fat in the meat melded well into a harmonious mouthful that very quickly became several mouthfuls. The coleslaw itself had it’s own fair share of secrets, with a friendly pairing between the pumpkin seeds and barley.

I would love to come back Hobart, especially if it includes a visit to the Westend Pumphouse. Our portion of the lamb shoulder was generous on the night, and four grown adults couldn’t finish it. Be warned that there was a definite wait for the lamb, but armed with a glass or two of wine, the time does pass. Not that I’m saying you should get drunk while waiting for the lamb. That’s completely not what I’m saying at all.

The large open design with it’s exposed ceiling beams can lead to the noise level growing loud quite quickly. But it’s a place with great character and filled with a young crowd who probably don’t mind the noise at all.

In conclusion:

If you’re looking for a great place to chill and socialise at the end of a long day. If you’re looking for a place with great character and great food, then this is a good place to start. I would come back for the charred octopus and lamb shoulder if I had ample time. I’d still come back to try out all the other share plates and snacks. Be aware of the long-ish wait for the lamb to share, but the great vibe and cool people will distract you.

The Westend Pumphouse
105 Murray St
Hobart, Tasmania
03 6234 7339

Travel & Eating: Petty Sessions Cafe, Franklin

Travel: Tahune Airwalk, Geeveston, Tasmania
Eating: Petty Sessions Cafe, Franklin

Our time in Hobart was just too short. After our brunch session in Hobart we decided we needed to make the most of the little time we had. We were here for the Better Half’s, sister’s wedding. So we really only had one and a half days to ourselves before we got swept up in the pre-wedding preparation, wedding day, and post wedding clean up. But all that was still to come.

We spent the earlier part of the day at the Tahune Airwalk. The drive to Geeveston is stunning in itself, as you come through the Huon valley. The way the edge of the water is a meter away from the edge of the road in some places, as it winds its way through Huonville, Franklin and Geeveston. How the yachts and boats moored on the water float as if they’re suspended on a world of liquid clouds. The Tahune Airwalk is well maintained with easy tracks, and cleared paths. We exhausted ourselves with traipsing over the airwalk, awkwardly pirate-leg swinging over swinging bridges, and noisily admired our way through the pine walks. We couldn’t wait until arriving in Hobart for our late lunch, and were fortunate enough to give this Franklin cafe a go.

Petty Sessions is a beautiful cafe, renovated from an existing family home. It is nestled in the lush orchard filled Huon valley next to the Huon river.

For the few hours we had spent in Tasmania, I’d heard the concept of the scallop pie advertised from multiple menu of the day blackboards around Hobart, so I decided to satisfy my curiosity.

The scallop pie is comfort food at its best, with its large succulent scallops. The scallops themselves are tender, with their roe still attached. The choice to leave the roe on reinforced the scallops flavour, and helped it pair beautifully with the creamy curry based sauce. The instant-curry-powder style curry  definitely had a little kick that stopped you from ever getting sick of this taste. The pastry is soft and a little flakey, but just the way a pie should be. I remember a baker uncle once telling me that the butter should be mixed well into the pastry but not too well that it becomes tough, but just enough that it helps it flake. I never really understood what he meant, I presume this must be a good example. The chips were perfectly fried with the right amount of seasoning, crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. This was definitely a generous serving.

The Better Half chose the seafood linguini, which also had a lovely chilli kick to it but without the burn. The seafood is cooked well with plenty of flavour, that does not let the freshness of the seafood down. Another perfect comfort food dish, and what you see pictured is actually the entree size.

In conclusion:
We stopped here on a note of desperation for a late lunch, and were pleasantly surprised. The hour was quiet and the lunch crowd had come and gone, so the natural beauty surrounding the cafe made the dining experience soothing. Service was tad slow, but owing to the odd hour we were eating at we couldn't fault them.

The food was generous in both size and taste. Everything was cooked well with none of the seafood being overcooked. My favourite was the scallop pie with the curry based creamy sauce, matching well with the scallop roe flavour. I already miss this comfort food dish.

Petty Sessions Cafe
3445 Huon Highway 
Franklin
Tasmania, 7113
03 6266 3488