Saloon fires up smoky bit of magic

Is it a small bar? Wine bar? Restaurant? Hot sandwich shop? This discreet, hip new Adelaide joint is all that and more.

FOOD - Ploughman's platter at Pink Moon Saloon, Adelaide, SA. Kylie Fleming Editorial Reporter

The wizards behind Cheeky Little Tailor in Adelaide’s Peel Street have teamed with chef Matthew Standen to create Pink Moon ­Saloon, a … well, it defies description really. Small bar? Wine bar? Restaurant? Hot sandwich shop? Chargrill? It’s all of those things and a bit more.

Named for the final album by Nick Drake — patron saint of hipsters — Pink Moon ­Saloon promises “romance and adventure” wrapped in the kind of kinfolk lodge aesthetic that wouldn’t feel out of place in the ­Pacific Northwest or the Outback.

THE REALITY: PMS is a little bit of magic in Leigh Street, the church city’s cobblestoned lane of restaurants and cafes, leather goods and dusty map shops, hair and tattoo studios linked through alleys of pubs and wine bars to Peel Street between the sleaze of Hindley and business of Currie streets. Just 4m wide, this former rubbish bin area has been transformed into two blackbutt-lined hunting/camping/bush cabins with an interconnecting courtyard. Just like the bar in Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, its discreet entrance is signage free; swing the door and you’ll find a front bar packed to the gunwales with Those In The Know hunched over foaming craft beers or wines from a tightly-curated-by-the-glass list.

Beyond the courtyard, glimpsed through waist-height ­bi-fold windows, there’s a dining room/kitchen with concrete benching and a custom-built wood-burning iron range emitting an intoxicating aroma of wood smoke and barbecue. Narrow saw-hewed benches and low stools line the walls; just two tables have park picnic benches cushioned in lea­ther configured for six each. Decoration is minimal: just a few vases of dried grasses in earthenware jugs, some Native American arrow heads and a proud eagle.

THE CUISINE: The simplicity of the menu structure is impressive: small snacks, sandwiches, ploughman’s, salads and “The Daily Chops”, which means whatever protein is happening that day in the smoky oven. It’s a restrained approach limiting choice to two or three dishes in each category. But it works. Stan­den delivers outstanding quality, carefully considered and executed plates of food built around the wood oven. Sure there’s a down-home hokey smoky joe vibe here but another southern fast food joint it ain’t. Preparation is precise, flavours and textures balanced, ­ingredients selected with care and attention.

HIGHLIGHTS: Everything coming out of that oven is juicy, smoky and desirable. Salads are complex exercises in sweet, salty, creamy, nutty and mealy textures. Kingfish, “The Daily Chops”, is plump, just set, beautifully seasoned and roasted perfectly. It comes with grilled witlof and a slightly sweet emulsified tartare, crunchy toasted almonds, brined Australian caper leaves and finely chopped herbs. The toasted club sandwich is a meal of more smoky/juicy protein. And the smoky peach and pumpkin crumble with molten cream cheese is delicious. The imagination in ­repurposing this site, the fitout and the collaboration between landlord and proprietors is an ­inspiration.

LOWLIGHTS: You’re here for a good time not a long time. The menu and seating is designed to get lunch diners in and out in under an hour. With food, drinks, service and hospitality this good, you’ll want to linger.

WILL I NEED A FOOD DICTIONARY? No, it’s a boundary crosser, but in a good way. The menu is short and full of classics that everyone ­understands.

THE DAMAGE: Entirely reasonable and excellent value.

Pink Moon Saloon: 21 Leigh Street, Adelaide, SA

Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-late, Sat 4pm-2am

Style: Smokey, wholesome, real

Rating: 4 out of 5