SA Weekend restaurant review: A beacon of sustenance and solace for 70 years, historic RAH kiosk reborn as Community at Lot 14

An historic, octagonal kiosk at the old Royal Adelaide Hospital that provided sustenance and solace for over 70 years is now showing a different side as a contemporary cafe, writes Simon Wilkinson.

A landmark CBD building has been reborn as a contemporary cafe that will be an asset to the local community. The charming octagonal kiosk at the eastern end of North Tce has long been offering a glimmer of hope, often in the toughest of circumstances.

Built in memory of Alice Francis Keith Sheridan in 1925, it provided sustenance and solace to staff and visitors taking a break from the realities of the Royal Adelaide Hospital for more than 70 years.

It then became headquarters for a volunteer group who, among other tasks, would sew old bed sheets into flannelette pyjamas.

Now, of course, the hospital has moved out and the surviving buildings and neighbouring precinct have been reimagined as Lot 14, a hub of innovation and enterprise, a beacon for the state’s future.

Even the brightest minds can’t work on empty stomachs and the little kiosk, thankfully, has been restored and adapted to become a contemporary cafe and wine bar known simply as Community.

Dirty yellow walls have been painted shimmering white which, along with the old pressed-metal dome of the roof, makes it look a bit like an observatory.

Sets of glass double doors have been installed to make the interior lighter and more accessible.

Dark timber features have been polished and greenery added. On a steamy summer day, you could just about imagine sitting in Raffles.

Salt and pepper squid.

Community owner Brett Hicks-Maitland, previously at Whistle & Flute, has worked with consultant chef Sam Worrall-Thompson to create a short but flexible all-day menu that, at this time of year, has a strong Asian bias.

In addition to the usual avocado toast and egg/bacon ensembles, breakfast options include prawns folded through chilli-spiked scrambled eggs with a tangy green paw paw salad.

Later in the day, a couple of specials are added into the mix.

That’s where we find a starter-sized serve of salt and pepper squid crowned with a fry-up of mild chilli, shallot and garlic. The crust on the seafood, unfortunately, has become quite soggy.

No qualms about the other special, an up-market bruschetta, in which a sturdy slice of toasted sourdough has been spread with a tartare sauce containing plenty of chopped dill, scattered with charred corn kernels and topped with a trio of prawn cutlets curled over to touch their tails.

Sri Lankan chicken curry.

Kingfish poke bowl.

Add a firm squeeze of grilled lemon and it will take you straight to a beachy resort.

A poke bowl, on the other hand, is more like a visit to the health retreat. Built upon a solid foundation of brown rice, it features cubes of raw kingfish, edamame, a slippery wakame (seaweed) salad, pickled ginger and two large stalks of grilled broccolini. The mild, savoury tang of a ponzu dressing and sprinkle of sesame seeds and togarashi (a spice mixture) take it an extra step towards Japanese.

A Sri Lankan chef, now departed, provided the inspiration for another bowl, based on a mild chicken curry. Pieces of thigh meat are roasted with a paste including ginger, garlic, cardamom and cloves, as well as fresh curry leaves. Riding shotgun are fried kale, a large dollop of yellow lentil daal and a disc of flaky roti that is best used as a scoop to pick up the rest.

Community has a wine list of unexpected depth and sophistication, matching local artisans with interstate visitors and a few Frenchies. When the doors are flung open and tables spread across the terrace, it is perfectly positioned for knock-off drinks when it stays open late on Fridays. That relies, of course, on workers returning to the city and, longer term, on the expansion of Lot 14. Hope, then, is needed at the little kiosk as much as ever.

For more reviews visit delicious.com.au/eatout