Chef Luke Burgess serves elegant Japanese-inspired dishes at new small but mighty Hobart eatery

If you’re up for a shared table meal with a small group of strangers who might become friends by the end of the evening, then this new Hobart diner is the place for you, writes Alix Davis.

Froknacke + albacore from new Hobart eatery Schole. Picture: Luke Burgess

If you’re looking for a date night restaurant where the two of you can have a private conversation in a dark corner, away from other diners … please move along.

If, however, you’re up for a shared table meal with eight other strangers who might just become friends by the end of the evening, then highly regarded chef Luke Burgess’s new diner, Schole, is the place for you.

Situated on Liverpool St, Schole is a tiny jewelbox of a restaurant where Burgess serves elegant Japanese-inspired dishes for just 10 diners at a time. It’s intimate, but in a good way.

Luke Burgess at his new wine bar and restaurant, Schole, in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Once a confectionary shop, the building also served time as a casket showroom, and the small dining room is lined with timbers left over from that venture. The result combines sauna vibes, with the clean lines and efficiency of Japanese architecture, a country from which Burgess draws much inspiration.

The menu is short and sweet and, while it is a la carte, at the time of booking, you are requested to acknowledge that there is a minimum spend of $100 per person. Which, given the quality of the food, service and experience, is entirely reasonable. We order one of everything, which is the perfect amount to share between two.

We begin with a hemp seed froknacke (a sturdy cracker) topped with a generous wedge of albacore tuna and a smear of espalette peppers ($16). The tuna is melt-in-the-mouth tender and the peppers provide a wonderful flavour contrast.

Plate of pickles at Schole. Picture: Luke Burgess

A plate of colourful pickles ($16) includes white asparagus, tomatillos, baby cucumber and bright carrots with a delicate shiso vinaigrette. A grilled rice cake ($28) is wonderfully dense and chewy, topped with a chunky spring onion sauce, thinly shaved celtuce and flurry of bright yellow bottarga.

Celtuce, also known as stem lettuce or celery lettuce, is not a vegetable I’d encountered before but I’ll be keeping an eye out for it from now on.

The salty pop of the bottarga (salt-dried fish roe especially popular in Sardinia and Sicily) is a counterpoint to the rice and celtuce.

Burgess made his name when he opened Garagistes in Murray St in 2010 and was the first restaurant in Australia to serve natural wines. The groundbreaking and much-loved eatery gained two hats, before closing in 2015.

Since then, Burgess has teased us with various pop-up ventures and his many fans are thrilled he’s found a permanent home.

Schole is a new wine bar and restaurant in Liverpool St. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The timber interior of new wine bar and restaurant, Schole. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

In addition to the 10-seat restaurant, there’s an elegant private dining room upstairs and on Tuesday nights the table disappears and a Tachinomi (a wine bar) rises in its place.

There’s an extensive wine list featuring European and Australian wines as well as sakes and spirits. I enjoyed a wonderful alcohol-free carrot-based martini (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it) and would love to see a zero beer added to the list.

A dish of venison carpaccio ($36) is both visually appealing and palate pleasing. The ruby-hued, thinly slice venison is served with roasted poblano peppers and bulls horn peppers in shades of red and green, with a slightly sweet vinegar dressing.

One of the other guests confided that he doesn’t usually like corn or eggs as he finished a traditional tamoyagoki (rolled Japanese omelette) ($30) topped with sauteed shiitake mushrooms and a velvety sweetcorn sauce. It is indeed a beautiful dish - perfectly executed and well balanced.

Mutsu apple Pachiugo at Schole. Picture: Luke Burgess

Our final savoury dish is meaty swordfish ($48), served with a smooth tomato veloute and finely shaved fennel. By this stage in the evening, ably abetted by smooth and efficient service from manager Millie Oxley, the table is talking together and, by the end of the evening plans are being made for pub catch-ups and restaurant recommendations are being traded.

And finally to dessert – we’ve seen them coming out and they look so good that we order one each.

It’s basically stewed apples with cream, but in the expert hands of Burgess this Italian-influenced dessert becomes a cloud-like cream, with delicately cooked apples, an amarena cherry or two (I could eat a bowl of these) and a quenelle of vanilla gelato ($18).

It’s refreshing and palate-cleansing and the perfect note on which to finish a meal that has been low-key, subtle and absolutely superb.

Froknacke + albacore. Picture: Luke Burgess

ON THE MENU

SCHOLE

275 Liverpool St, Hobart

Opening hours: Tues, 4pm - midnight (tachinomi), Wed - Sat, 6pm - midnight

On the menu: Hemp seed froknacke with albacore, $16; seasonal pickles, $16; grilled rice cake with spring onion sauce, $26; Doo-town venison carpaccio, $36; swordfish al pil pil, $48; mutsu apple pachiugo, $18