Fab new Eastern Shore eatery well worth the trip
This Bellerive Quay eatery/winebar is a fabulous addition to the Hobart dining scene and my only regret is that they didn’t open a little closer to (my) home, writes Alix Davis
Food and Wine
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If you don’t already live on the Eastern Shore, get your visa stamped and pack your bags. Marla Singer is Bellerive’s newest arrival and she’s most definitely worth travelling for. Housed in a freshly re-furbed shopfront, with views out to the marina, this neighbourhood eatery offers a simple but chic brunch and lunch menu by day then morphs into a must-visit wine bar-cum-restaurant in the evenings.
The evening menu is tightly curated and we immediately decided to order one of everything. The beer list is eclectic but my husband is happy with a Last Rites’ Red Ale ($12) while I enjoy a strawberry and kunzea soda ($6). First up is three fat slices of dense and chewy sourdough that’s made on-site by the in-house baker, who also rustles up danishes, baguettes, tarts and other pastries. With a slick of kefir butter, it’s inevitable that we fight over the third slice.
Suppose you’re just in for a glass of wine from the impressive wine list that has a focus on low-intervention and natural wines. In that case, I’d recommend both the lardo and piccalilli doughnut ($6) and the parmesan custard profiterole ($6). The doughnut is an ever-so-slightly sweet bun stuffed with crunchy, bright yellow piccalilli and topped with a thin slice of pork fat. The large profiterole is full of dense custard that punches a powerful parmesan punch. It’s rich and decadent but I couldn’t put it down. The next dish is also perfect as a nibble with drinks – thin slices of housemade coppa ($17) speckled with fat and topped with crisp, pickled guindilla chillies. These are tangy rather than hot and wrapped in a slice of coppa, it’s a delicious mouthful.
Marla Singer is named for the main female character in the 1999 movie Fight Club, and chef/owner Jonathan Kincaid tells me that his business partners said he could choose the name and that he “wanted a strong feminine energy, especially as partner Pete Ladyman owns Audrey [coffee]”. Kincaid founded New Town’s popular Ruckus Fried Chicken and has also cooked at Fico, Franklin and Mona.
Here, he’s created a vegetable-forward menu that’s very much informed by what’s available at the markets and from local growers. A good example is a dish of oca, fried brussels sprouts, comte and croissant sauce ($16). I’m pretty familiar with most vegetables, but oca has me stumped – it looks a little bit like a Jerusalem artichoke and Kincaid tells me it’s also known as a New Zealand yam (which I had seen in supermarkets everywhere on a trip to NZ last year). It’s only available for a week or two and in very limited supply here, so by next week, this dish will feature Jerusalem artichokes instead. I feel fortunate to have been here for the oca – its creamy texture pairs well with charred Brussels and a bread sauce that’s been made with their own croissants.
Kincaid’s partners in this new venture are his partner Brianna, her mother Annette Clancy, and Pete Ladyman. All have years of hospitality experience and that’s evident in their friendly manner and the quality of the food and service. It’s a family affair with friends and relatives pitching in, in the early weeks of the venture, which has been popular since day one. I’m not surprised.
Our next innovative dish is sugarloaf cabbage with chicken fat “taramasalata” ($18) – wedges of cabbage have been charred and sit atop the thick and creamy sauce. It’s all topped with chicharrones – traditionally small pieces of deep-fried pork belly but here made with chicken. It’s crispy and delicious and in Kincaid’s capable hands, vegetables are very much the star. A dish of house-made tortellini ($28) is stuffed with scallop mousse and swathed in a rich, dried scallop sauce that’s buttery and umami-packed. The pasta is dense and cooked to just al dente.
Obviously, we make room for dessert and order both the basil ice cream with candied rhubarb ($10) and a slice of the best vanilla custard tart my custard tart-loving husband has ever eaten. The bright green ice cream is wonderful and if they sold the strands of candied rhubarb by the bag, I’d definitely buy some to take home.
Marla Singer is a fabulous addition to the Hobart restaurant scene and my only regret is that they didn’t open a little closer to (my) home.
MARLA SINGER
34-36 Cambridge Rd, Bellerive
Opening hours: Wed-Thurs, 8am-3pm; Fri-Sun, 8am-late
On the menu
Lardo and piccalilli doughnut, $6; parmesan custard profiterole, $6; coppa with guindilla,$17; sugarloaf cabbage with chicken fat taramasalata, $17; tortellini with dried scallop sauce, $28; basil ice cream with candied rhubarb, $10
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