West Hobart’s Lansdowne Crescent Cafe’s new owners rise to challenge
The new proprietors of this much-loved West Hobart cafe have slowly been making a few tweaks while not messing with customer favourites, writes TasWeekend’s Alix Davis
Food and Wine
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Enjoying food that is new to you is one of the great delights of travel. Recreating a recipe, or being inspired by the ingredients, place or people, when you get home is another of travel’s benefits.
My Greek salad at home never tastes quite the same as the ones I eat while the Mediterranean is lapping at my toes, but it’s still a wonderful reminder of a fabulous trip.
It was Minh Tran’s travels to Cambodia that inspired her to create the forbidden rice ($23.50) at the Lansdowne Cafe.
It’s deceptively simple when it arrives – grilled chicken, sliced avocado and diced tomato. However, the addition of the lime and pepper dressing inspired by Cambodia elevates this salad, which includes a mound of black rice and gently sauteed kale, to something that is far more than the sum of its parts.
The ingredients are fresh, the dressing sings with flavours and it’s perfectly sized for lunch on a hot day (hello, recent Hobart heatwave!). The striking colours also add to the appeal of the dish – black “forbidden” rice is so called as it used to be eaten exclusively by ancient Chinese emperors for longevity and health.
Tran and her brother Jerry Nguyen (who previously worked as a barista here) took over this much-loved neighbourhood cafe about six months ago and have slowly been making a few tweaks while not messing with customer favourites.
The menu is full of dishes with all-day appeal and I’m looking forward to a weekend brunch visit to try the green machine ($21.90) toasted Pigeon Whole Bakers sourdough loaded with avocado, halloumi, spinach and salsa verde.
That dish, as well as the corn and zucchini fritters ($22.90) are firm favourites with the locals, says Tran.
While the bread and croissants are supplied by Pigeon Whole Bakers, the other baked goodies are all created onsite and Tran is especially proud of the banana bread ($5.50), which is flavoured with fragrant spiced chai.
As I’m dining here during the aforementioned heatwave, I’ve taken a seat outside under the generous awning – it’s the perfect place for some people watching and has a quintessentially Australian feel to it.
Inside, the decor includes paintings of the local area – including one of the phone booth opposite the cafe.
Dried botanicals hang from the ceiling and the vibe is friendly and laid-back.
My second dish is a New York-style Reuben sandwich ($23) with fries.
It’s a towering event, with thick slices of sourdough around housemade pastrami, brightly hued sauerkraut, sweet gherkin and the traditional Russian dressing – all showered with finely grated cheese. It’s an excellent sandwich – I especially like the thick-cut pastrami – and the accompanying fries are outstanding.
Perfectly crisp, fluffy on the inside and sprinkled with chicken salt.
The history of the Reuben varies, but it’s a distinctly American diner sandwich that has become a classic for good reason – it combines crispy, creamy, salty and tangy in every delicious mouthful.
The Lansdowne is another classic neighbourhood cafe – tucked away off the main street, but well worth searching out for a quick breakfast, relaxed brunch or lunch under the awning with friends.
Lansdowne Cafe
68 Lansdowne Cr, West Hobart
Open: Mon–Fri 7:30am-3pm, Sat 8am – 3pm, Sun 8am-2pm
On the menu
New York Reuben, $23; Forbidden rice, $23.50, chai banana bread, $5.50.
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