Newcomer in Hobart dining scene among best of the brunch

This new Hobart cafe features excellent food and service and is the ideal spot for a solo breakfast, quiet brunch with friends or a working lunch in calming surrounds, writes Alix Davis.

ALIX DAVIS

2 min read

April 13, 2024 - 1:00PM

Erda’s owners Mick Lairatana, left, and Min Ratthanakun in their new Harrington St cafe. Picture: Caroline Tan

Food and Wine

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You don’t need to be a TikTok user (I’m not) to be aware of the various food trends that surface there. Think baked feta pasta, lazy girl dinners (or “dinner” as I like to call it) upside down puff pastry tarts and butter boards, to name a few. Another one that’s gained about 200 million views is “tornado eggs”. This new spin on a traditional Japanese dish – omurice – was given a new look and a new name by a Korean restaurant and took to TikTok like a whirlwind. Basically, a simple omelette is twirled while cooking and then draped over a mound of rice. Of course, TikTok makes it look easy, but it’s not (ask me how I know), so I was excited to be served a perfect example of this dish when I ate at Erda recently.

New Hobart brunch spot Erda in Harrington St. Picture: Caroline Tan

A beautifully swirled omelette ($18), that looked like a buttery yellow rosette, was laid over a portion of tomato fried rice and surrounded by a moat of silky beef demiglaze, which had been reduced and reduced to create a rich gravy. We added sauteed greens ($6) that brought vibrancy and crunch to the plate. The dish tasted as good as it looked – warm, comforting and full of flavour. It’s simple, but beautifully executed, which sums up Erda to a tee.

This cafe, which opened six weeks ago at the northern end of Harrington St, has a calming fit-out of exposed plywood and white-painted brick walls. Cosy booths share the space with larger tables and the vibe is light, airy and Scandinavian. Erda came about during Covid when owners Min Ratthanakun and her partner Mick Lairatana were stuck at home, thinking about what they wanted to eat. The result is a menu that’s small, but perfectly formed, drawing from Japan, Thailand and France. Having worked in hospitality for 10 years, Min and Mick also

Erda’s Bangkok-style honey butter toast. Picture: Caroline Tan

knew they wanted a cafe that was a bit smaller and less stressful than their previous ventures. And with a new baby, they wanted to have more time to spend together as a family.

Our next dish is a galette complete ($25), a classic from Brittany in northwest France. A delicate buckwheat crepe is topped with truffle bechamel, thinly sliced ham, a fried egg and a scattering of grated gruyere. The edges are then folded in to create a neat square. This is the classic version served in Brittany, but the galette saucisse is also popular – a pork sausage wrapped in a buckwheat crepe and often enjoyed at football matches. Erda’s version is excellent – delicate flavours and a perfectly cooked crepe make it an excellent brunch or light lunch choice.

Erda’s Chashu Soba which is a classic Japanese dish. Picture: Caroline Tan

Chashu soba ($25) is another classic Japanese dish. Rolled pork belly is gently simmered then sliced into thin rounds and pan-fried before being laid over a bed of glossy buckwheat soba noodles. Diced cucumber, dressed in koji, adds a fresh crunch and an expertly poached egg glistens on the side. You could stir the egg through the noodles, but that’s not my style and I didn’t miss a thing. The pork is wonderfully moist and tender and the slippery strands of soba are chewy and delicious.

Erda’s tasty Omurice with grilled beef. Picture: Caroline Tan

We had room for something sweet and, while my husband was leaning towards lemongrass and coconut rice pudding ($18), I couldn’t resist the honey toast ($19). This is no ordinary piece of toast spread with honey. This is Bangkok-style toast. A 5cm-tall slice of brioche that’s been pan-fried in butter (fried toast is the best toast) before being doused in honey, topped with creamy mascarpone and finished with a blueberry compote. Each mouthful is a wonderful combination of crisp toast, creamy mascarpone, sweet honey and the pop of blueberries. I’d eat it again in a heartbeat and it’s nice to know I don’t have to travel to Bangkok to do it.

Erda is an ideal spot for a solo breakfast for quiet contemplation, a brunch with friends in a stylish environment or a working lunch in calming surrounds. Food, service and atmosphere are all excellent and I suspect another serve of honey toast is in my near future.