Tasty new Hobart Asian eatery to get hung up on

The latest addition to cool Hobart cultural precinct, In The Hanging Garden, offers diners classic Korean flavoured food with a modern twist, writes Alix Davis.

ALIX DAVIS

3 min read

September 16, 2023 - 5:00AM

Traditional Korean barbecue combined with modern tapas is on offer at new Anju Food. Photo: Dearna Bond, courtesy of DarkLab

Food and Wine

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When chef Dong Chul Lim (known as Chef DC) first launched his Korean food truck in Hobart, the concept was so unusual that he had to import a vehicle from Norway. Times have certainly changed, food trucks are a common sight around town and DC has recently put down roots at In the Hanging Garden, the city block-cum-cultural precinct between Murray and Liverpool streets.

Here, among the lush plantings, honey bees darting through flowering rosemary and tiny finches creating their own inner-city apartments, you’ll find DC dishing up Korean food inspired by his mother.

It’s a winter day that feels like spring when I meet friends for lunch – yes, In the Hanging Garden is weather-dependent, but on the right day, it’s glorious.

An insider tells me that Mona’s David Walsh went back for Chef DC’s 3 cheese kimchi melt ($14) five times over the course of Dark Mofo’s Winter Feast and, after my first bite, I can see why. Golden and crisp on the outside, the inside is filled with perfectly melted cheese and classic Korean kimchi that has just enough chilli to make you sit up and pay attention. It’s topped with a flurry of finely grated cheese and although it’s big enough for all three of us to have a piece, I’ll admit that I did pull the last remaining quarter to my end of table so no-one else could eat it. No, I’m not proud of myself, but I did get to eat the rest of an incredible toastie.

Anju's Korean fried chicken burger includes a tasty burger with cheese, pickled daikon, cos lettuce and gochujang mayo. Picture: Dearna Bond/ DarkLab

“Anju” literally means ‘main and side dishes traditionally enjoyed with alcohol’ in Korean, so everything on the menu pairs well with their selection of Korean beer, soju-based cocktails, soju (a grain-based spirit with about half the alcohol of vodka) and sassy soft drinks like Chilsung Cider (Korean lemonade).

A burger and fries are an ideal accompaniment to drinks of just about any kind and the Korean fried chicken burger ($19 with fries) here is a classic. A tender chicken fillet is wrapped in a craggy, crunchy crust and joined in its soft burger bun with a slice of cheese, lettuce and Korean barbecue sauce. It’s easy to share, but you probably won’t want to. The fries are crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside and perfectly salted. Korean fried chicken – known as chikin – gained popularity in the 1970s when cooking oil became widely available and there are now estimated to be about 36,000 fried chicken joints in South Korea.

Anju's Sweet Corn Kimchi Fritters dish features delicious, light and fluffy sweet corn kimchi fritters, teriyaki and Kewpie mayonnaise. Picture: Dearna Bond/DarkLab

Anju’s menu changes slightly for dinner, with larger dishes on offer – including the share plate ($26) which includes classic bulgogi beef, corn fritters, kimchi, sesame rice and lettuce leaves to wrap it all in. Make a mouth-watering parcel or taste individual items – every bite is delicious. The corn fritters (available as a plate – $15) are light and fluffy - not stodgy like some I’ve had. They’re spiked with kimchi, studded with corn kernels and wonderfully easy to eat.

Anju's delicious and nutritious Korean Rice Bowl. Picture: Dearna Bond/DarkLab

Our final dish is a Korean rice bowl ($18), known as bibimbap. Bibim means ‘mixing’ and bap means ‘rice’ so the idea is that you mix everything together in the bowl and enjoy. Warm white rice is topped with pulled barbecue pork, kimchi (yes, the fermented cabbage is ubiquitous and utterly delicious. Bonus – kimchi contains probiotics that offer a number of health benefits. I’m practically doing a gym session!) and a fried egg. If I worked nearby I’d be eating this for lunch as often as possible and the table of real estate agents sitting near us obviously agree.

“Our food is inspired by my family’s history,” says DC, a former Tasmanian Hospitality

Anju's more-ish Kimchi 3 Cheese melt. Picture: Dearna Bond/DarkLab

Association’s Chef of the Year, who runs Anju with his work and life partner Michelle Newell. “My aunty has a fried chicken store in Korea, and I used to work with her, while our signature pork belly sauce came from my mum’s tradition, which she would make every Sunday. So Anju is inspired by my childhood memories, what my mum taught me, but I give it my own touch. It’s classic Korean flavour with a modern twist – we try to make that balance with our food.”

Mission accomplished.