New Hobart restaurant Sacred Bites is currying flavours
The latest addition to Hobart’s food scene is a mix of traditional Indian dishes, along with the chef’s own modern Australian creations, inspired by South Asian flavours.
Tasmania
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We celebrated my daughter’s second birthday a few weeks ago. As if by the flick of a switch, gone is the cherub-like bundle of cheeks who sat obediently in her pram slurping on noodles while we hopped around Tokyo from one ramen bar to the next. That trip around Japan made us a bit cocky with regards to taking kids to restaurants. We fancied ourselves as laid-back parents, the cool kind who wouldn’t think twice about throwing the kids over our shoulders and carrying on with everything we did pre-children. It was this level of (misplaced) cockiness that led me to book a table for the whole family, two-year-old included, at Sacred Bites in
New Town one Friday night. I made sure to email ahead and check the restaurant was OK with kids and booked the 5pm sitting, reassuring them we would be out by 6.30pm, in time to make way for members of the population who weren’t asleep on the couch by 8pm like us.
The friendly staff at Sacred Bites were welcoming and accommodating from the outset, letting me know a highchair was available and they had reserved us a table with space for a pram.
With those ducks in a row, we arrived at the restaurant naively optimistic about the hour and a half ahead of us. Alas, the two-year-old had other ideas, refusing to sit in her highchair before deciding the plush bench seat along one side of the restaurant was the perfect spot to practice her jumping. Sigh. Completely mortified, my husband and I resorted to eating in shifts with one of us taking her for a walk outside so the other could eat in peace. Our unfazed waiter was incredibly patient and good-humoured making us feel totally at ease, a credit to the team’s professionalism and empathy.
The interior of the restaurant matches the demeanour of the staff — warm and inviting with an open kitchen that gives the space an energetic buzz.
The menu is a mix of traditional Indian dishes like Palak Paneer, Vindaloo (chicken, beef or prawn), and Butter Chicken along with the chef’s own modern Australian creations inspired by Indian and Asian flavours. We opted for the Tacos Chicken Tikka as a starter and they were very good. Soft palm-size tortillas filled with shredded Chicken Tikka, crunchy lettuce, coriander, a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkle of chilli. The chicken itself is full of flavour thanks to a marinade of ginger, turmeric, garam masala and garlic. The Chop Chop Lamb is equally flavoursome and the individual lamb chops make for a filling, easy-to-eat starter.
A fully licensed venue, Sacred Bites has a great wine menu featuring some of Tasmania’s best drops along with a selection of beer, cider and spirits. There is also espresso coffee, soft drink, and even Milo available. Partial to a lassi myself, I ordered the coconut and mango version (there is also orange and honey) and it didn’t disappoint. Cold and thick with a pleasantly sour bite to it from the yoghurt, it is my perfect accompaniment to food with some heat to it. Speaking of heat, if you have a preference in terms of level of spiciness, owner and chef Karan Vinayak and his team will tailor most dishes accordingly — just ask for mild, medium or hot.
The standout dish for me is the Kofta Palak, a combination of beautiful spinach koftas perched atop a spicy curry tomato sauce. It is a truly unique dish and a wonderful combination of flavours and textures. This paired with the house-made cheese naan is a real treat. The Madras lamb is also a lovely curry with a mild heat to it, but for me it’s the vegetarian dishes that truly sing.
On another evening we ordered from the takeaway menu, and the Vegan Burmese Eggplant Long Bean Curry was another standout. There is actually a dedicated vegan section on the menu, making it easy to navigate for those who prefer to avoid animal products.
There is, of course, rice available to eat alongside your curry but I recommend saving your carb quota and instead going hard on a selection of the impressive house-made breads (each priced at $4.90 a serve).
From the “stuffed section”, filling options include walnut and manuka honey, minced mushroom and garlic, spinach and cheese, cheese or chilli cheese, and unstuffed options include green chilli roti, plain roti, butter roti and mint or green chilli paratha.
Mid-way through our dine-in experience I did what every responsible parent would do to combat an unruly toddler: ordered ice-cream. With three generous scoops of chocolate, vanilla and salted caramel the entire table was quick to dive in for a spoonful. I eyed off the white chocolate, mango and chilli popsicle covered in gold leaf and made a mental note to order next time we visited (sans kids, of course).
Originally published as New Hobart restaurant Sacred Bites is currying flavours