TasWeekend: High point on Hill St

THERE seems to be no stopping the Smolt team, writes Graeme Phillips

For TasWeekend. Review for Graeme Phillips. Smolt Kitchen at West Hobart. Lamb and currant meat balls, yoghurt harissa. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

THERE seems to be no stopping the Smolt team of Scott McMurray, Kif Weber and Scott Heffernan, who is also head chef. No sooner had they added Frank to the ongoing success of Smolt, they needed a preparation space for the rapidly growing high-end catering side of their business.

Thus the appropriately named Smolt Kitchen in what was the Hill Street Grocer.

Smolt Kitchen’s colourful interior. Pictures: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

And if we’ve got a kitchen, why not attach an eatery? And since West Hobartians for too long have had limited choices as their locals, why not make it colourful, welcoming and family friendly, catering to anyone who cares to drop in?

And that’s what we’ve got – a bright, breezy, informal space with colourful tables, kids’ tables, chairs and toys, see-through portholes into two kitchens – an a la carte kitchen and an enormous catering prep kitchen – and decor they describe as “Memphis bellissimo” with a “European Continental cafe” atmosphere.

My reaction was it was neither, that the delightful space and decor spoke for themselves without the need for any such hype. In much the same way, I wondered why one of the evening’s specials of smoked duck was called “duck carpaccio” and what “cacciatore crumbs” were.

But such pedantry and a few niggles about the noise from the catering kitchen – busily preparing for three large weddings the following weekend – disappeared with the arrival of our food.

The lamb and currant meat balls with yoghurt harissa.

Gnocchi with garden peas, dill, fetta and cacciatore crumb.

The a la carte chef for the evening was Esther Rupenovic, back in Hobart after cooking in London, including in one of the Ottolenghi family’s restaurants. Yotam Ottolenghi is the author of the internationally celebrated cookery book Jerusalem and there are Ottolenghi touches in the menu.

For example, the pomegranate molasses and date syrup saucing of the aforementioned duck carpaccio, which was delicious, as were the lamb and currant meatballs with yoghurt and harissa.

The parsley, lemon and pomegranate flavours of the day’s fish and a wonderful Persian love cake dessert with caramelised rhubarb were other examples of Middle Eastern influences.

The basics SMOLT KITCHEN 107-109 Hill St, West Hobart Open daily 8am-8.30pm Licensed; 6231 0828

In the truly multicultural menu, Japan got a nod with an enjoyable dish of rare beef flavoured with miso soy; the southern US was represented with fried chicken and charred chilli sauce; and Italy made an appearance in a beautifully presented dish of gnocchi with garden peas, copious mint and the cacciatore crumbs. Tassie entered the picture with a grass-fed porterhouse steak.

The service was excellent and, while there’s a critical shortage of restaurant staff at all levels in Tasmania, the boys from Smolt are to be congratulated on the way they have retained staff and trained them up to fill senior management, kitchen and front-of-house roles as their businesses expand.

There’s a well-selected list of Tasmanian, French and Spanish wines, all available by the glass and bottle, and an impressive range of ales, lagers and ciders.

There’s also a small but appealing breakfast menu served until 11.30am, as well as a kids’ menu that is much more interesting and healthy than chicken McNuggets.

Lunch and dinner mains $16 to $19, with the gnocchi $25 and steak $36; sides $7/$9; salads $12/$18