Nice slice of suburbia is still delivering

I’m a little envious of the West Hobart residents who have this popular eatery as their local, writes TasWeekend food writer Alix Davis

The dining room at Smolt Kitchen, West Hobart. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

There was a time in my late teens when my sisters and I would take ourselves to a certain well-known Sydney restaurant. Their usual clientele was couples in their 40s and 50s, so three teenage girls dining alone did tend to stand out a bit.

Did we care? No, we did not!

We were there for the sticky date pudding that was a fixture on the dessert menu. It was the very early ‘90s and this wonderful pudding, cloaked in hot caramel sauce and served with a large scoop of ice cream was heady stuff. And so it is with great emotion that I have been eating sticky date puddings at various establishments around town these past few months.

Not only are they delicious, but they also bring back memories of a certain time in my life.

I am happy to report that the sticky date pudding ($13) at Smolt Kitchen is one of the best. A large slab (more than enough to share, although I didn’t) of date-studded pudding sits in a pool of hot caramel sauce, topped with a scoop of rapidly melting vanilla ice cream. It’s rich yet light and was a wonderful end to a spontaneous Saturday night meal.

Smolt Kitchen's tasty lamb souv’ pizza which features slow-cooked spiced lamb, roast capsicum, olives, red onion, za’tar and a herb yoghurt. Picture: Supplied

Smolt Kitchen's potato pizza with rosemary, taleggio, smoked bacon and caramelised onion is another from the popular West Hobart eatery’s extensive pizza menu. Picture: Supplied

But let me start at the beginning … we arrived without a booking on Saturday night and were quickly seated with a drink in hand in mere moments. This is always a good start to any meal, as once you have a drink, you can relax a little and take your time perusing the menu. There’s an excellent selection of Tasmanian beers and mostly local wines. We skipped over the brunch options (although I’ll be back for the grilled halloumi, hummus and fried potato dish that is such a favourite with regulars that a couple of customers come in for it three times a week!) and headed for dinner.

An entree of three plump arancini ($13) is fragrant with the scent of truffle and oozing with three kinds of cheese all enclosed in a crisp, golden shell. Given how much we’ve ordered, we decide to eat one each, then cave and finish off the third as well.

Smolt Kitchen is known for its pizzas and there’s a steady stream of locals and delivery drivers coming in for takeaways. We order the pork sausage with fennel pizza ($26) and are rewarded with a thin crust, puffy edge and plenty of toppings. The pizza menu also has options with a white base (garlic cream and pepper rather than a tomato sauce) that definitely warrant further investigation.

Smolt Kitchen's fried pinkeyes, with hummus, halloumi, radicchio, vincotto, za’tar, is a big crowd pleaser. Picture: Supplied

Smolt Kitchen has been part of the West Hobart scenery for quite a while now and new owner Millie Tangpos has worked there since it first opened, and at the original Smolt in Salamanca Place since she was 18. “It’s great to be part of the neighbourhood and community,” says Tangpos, who took over as the owner in April. “We’ve seen people’s kids grow up and we really know our customers. It’s a nice vibe.”

On the night we visit there’s a family group with a couple of kids, a few tables of couples and a large group of friends spread across two tables. Chunky, brightly coloured furniture and bold candy stripes behind the bar give the venue a Memphis-style design aesthetic and there are plenty of window seats for people watching too. Despite the concrete floors, the acoustics are good thanks to ceiling baffles and we have no trouble talking at our table for two.

Smolt Kitchen's classic spaghetti bolognese which features slow-cooked beef, tomato sugo and parmesan. On a Tuesday the eatery also has a pasta deal which includes a free house drink with any pasta dish. Picture: Supplied

The menu changes regularly so the lamb ragu with pappardelle ($29) that I had for my main is not currently available, which is a shame, as it was absolutely delicious. Spiked with just a hint of chilli and some fennel, this meaty, slow-cooked ragu coated thick ribbons of dense pasta, cooked just how I liked. My husband ordered a porterhouse ($37) that came cooked to order (medium, which quite often arrives as medium-rare) and with a side of baby carrots and broccolini that were so tasty, he would have been happy without the steak (jokes!).

Smolt Kitchen's Warm sticky date pudding, vanilla bean ice cream, caramel sauce. Picture Supplied for TasWeekend Indulge

And so we arrive at dessert, I’ve already covered my love for the sticky date pudding and my husband is equally enamoured of the SK sundae ($13) – a parfait glass full of chunks of brownie layered with ice cream and passionfruit. It’s a sweet finish to a low-key Saturday night and I must say I’m a little envious of the West Hobart residents who have this as their local.

With its chunky, brightly coloured furniture and bold candy stripes behind the barm Smolt Kitchen’s interior has a cool Memphis-style design vibe. Picture: Mathew Farrell

SMOLT KITCHEN

107-109 Hill St, West Hobart

@smoltkitchen

Opening hours

Sun-Mon, 7.30am-3pm, Tues-Sat, 7.30am-8pm, and Fridays till 8.30pm. On Tuesdays there’s a deal which includes a free drink with any pasta meal.

On the menu

Three cheese and truffle arancini, $13, pork sausage and fennel pizza, $26, Lamb ragu with pappardelle, $29, 300g porterhouse steak, $37, sticky toffee pudding, $13, and

SK sundae, $13