Launnie fine dining establishment is still absolutely fabulous

There are few things in life more pleasurable than eating at a fabulous restaurant and then making your way up a single flight of stairs to a well-appointed room in the same establishment, writes Alix Davis

STILLWATER

2 Bridge Rd, Launceston

Opening hours: Monday-Sunday from 8am for breakfast and lunch, Tuesday-Saturday for dinner.

On the menu (3 courses for $95). Tiger prawn and ginger dumplings, heirloom beetroot with smoked goat’s curd, Tasmanian octopus with udon noodles, koji-aged Cape Grim eye fillet, market fish with brown butter carrots, vacherin meringue with brambleberry sorbet. Breakfast: wagyu chilli con carne with polenta chip, $26.50; poached eggs with mushrooms and bacon, $30.

The interior of Stillwater’s simply, elegant restaurant. Picture: Lusy Productions

There are few things in life more pleasurable than eating at a fabulous restaurant and then making your way up a single flight of stairs to a well-appointed room in the same establishment’s accommodation quarters to enjoy a blissful night’s slumber.

Pleasingly, that’s exactly what’s on offer at Launceston’s Stillwater and Stillwater Seven.

We arrived salty and windswept after a week’s kayaking on Flinders Island and the hospitality of Stillwater was exactly the soft re-entry to the real world we needed.

Stillwater on the banks of the Tamar. Picture: Anjie Blair

Originally built in the 1840s, the former mill is now a well-appointed restaurant catering to locals and visitors.

Accommodation was added in 2019 and is ideal for a luxurious weekend getaway from Hobart.

When we arrive for dinner on Saturday, the dining room is full but careful table placement and some handy architectural features mean it never feels like you’re sitting too close to your neighbours.

Service is impeccable with drinks, and then our food, arriving in a timely manner via friendly waitstaff.

Rather than being individually priced, the menu is set up for two courses ($70-$75 per person) or three courses ($95 per person) with the option of ordering additional sides (you know we did).

Stillwater’s Tasmanian octopus with udon noodles was rated by food reviewer Alix Davis as the dish of the day. Picture Jamie Mackrill.

We begin with an entree of Tasmanian octopus and udon noodles. A rich dashi broth slick with chilli oil and roasted garlic is an umami-packed base for tender chunks of octopus and slippery udon noodles. Studded with fermented bok choy and topped with togarashi oil it’s a dish that has us both groaning with gustatory pleasure and yes, there was some subtle broth slurping involved.

Our second entree is a soothing counterpoint to the chilli – creamy goat’s curd matched with roasted baby beetroot and a linseed crisp. It’s simple yet effective and allows top-quality ingredients to shine.

My husband’s main course of koji-aged Cape Grim eye fillet is tender and cooked perfectly to medium. He’s a little mystified by the garlic custard but thrilled that the kitchen is happy to provide additional mustard.

Stillwater’s Koji aged Cape Grim eye fillet.

Our side order of miso-roasted pumpkin ($10.50) is a luscious wedge of goodness with a smear of hung yoghurt on the side.
I’m tempted by all the options but go with the market fish (hapuka) served with caramelly brown butter carrots, freekeh spiced with vadouvan (a French interpretation of an Indian masala spice blend) and tender, finely sliced green beans. Each element is delicious and the fish and carrots together is a forkful worth repeating.

The chop salad ($10.50) was a simple yet effective dish of fresh lettuce, pickled onion and crunchy seeds. This was the second time in a week that I’ve had pickled onions in a salad and I’ll definitely be adding them to my rotation.

Dessert was a shared affair and the vacherin meringue did not disappoint. A delicate nest of meringue was filled with a wonderfully light lemon curd and accompanied by a richly hued quenelle of brambleberry sorbet on a bed of what I can only describe as deconstructed coconut ice (a childhood favourite of mine). Bramble berries are actually any berry that grows in a bramble (a tangled, thorny vine) and can include blackberries, raspberries and Arctic berries.

One of several dishes on Stillwater's breakfast menu. Picture: Anjie Blair

As we wandered upstairs to our lodgings, the dining room was still buzzing – including a small wedding party in the private dining room housed in the original cellar – but all was quiet as we settled in for the night.

Sunday morning dawned a little rainy, but before we headed to the Evandale markets we enjoyed breakfast at Stillwater. Like dinner, breakfast is open to the public, and the dining room and window-walled bar was bustling. Coffees were swiftly ordered and dispatched and I decided to go hard with a bowl of wagyu chilli con carne ($26.50) that came with fried eggs, a serve of crisp-fried polenta wedges and a delicate corn salsa. The chilli was full of flavour and spice without heat and was a protein-packed start to the day. My husband’s simpler start of poached eggs, bacon and mushrooms was well executed, with the bacon cooked crispy as requested.

Every element of our meals and stay at Stillwater was executed with real care and attention to detail, and we are already planning our next northern mini-break.

The new spice is right at new NoHo eatery - April 9

Bite me

285 Elizabeth St, North Hobart

Opening hours: 12 noon til 9pm, seven days a week.

On the menu: Satay chicken, $6.90; massaman bao, $9.90; signature curry, $19.90;

char kway teow, $14.90; pepper and garlic beef, $17.90; stir fried vegetables, $15.90

Soaking up the last rays of a recent sunny afternoon while enjoying a few quiet beers in the garden at the Salty Dog, it was hard to believe it was late March. Queensland visitors had just arrived to join us on a much-anticipated trip to Flinders Island and we were thrilled that Hobart weather was so glorious for them. However, while we enjoyed the warmth, our northern friends shivered and asked for extra jackets. We finally took pity on them and headed to North Hobart for a warming curry at the recently opened Bite Me.

We tumbled in the door to a busy dining room that’s a mix of larger tables and cosy booth-style tables created by some simple screening.

A larger group is finishing up while tables of four and two are just settling in. Large laminated menus arrive promptly and a hush falls over our group as we take our time reading the extensive line-up. And then flip to the other side for more – there’s certainly plenty to choose from! Consensus reached, Tiger beers and a Frogmore Creek riesling are on the table and it looks like the Queenslanders have stopped shivering.

Bite Me’s Satay Chicken Skewers feature tasty, tinged-turmeric satay sauce. Picture: Chris Kidd

Satay chicken with housemade peanut sauce ($6.90) is the first dish to arrive – fat chunks of chargrilled chicken are tender and the turmeric-tinged satay sauce is so good we eat the leftovers with a spoon.

There’s a variety of bao buns on offer and we’re pretty happy with our choice of massaman beef ($9.90). The classic, slightly sweet Thai curry is enveloped in a soft steamed bun that makes eating with your hands a must-do. There’s enough curry in the bun to feel generous without spilling everywhere – well played!

Crispy fried calamari ($7.50) is served in chunky fingers rather than rings and comes with a tangy jalapeno mayo. The calamari is tender and the dipping mayo delicious, although it’s not a traditionally Asian dish that I’m aware of.

Bite Me’s soft bao buns, which envelop classic, slightly sweet massaman beef curry pieces. Picture: Chris Kidd

A crispy eggplant salad ($14.90) is less successful, though it could be tweaked fairly easily.

We clear the decks in anticipation of our mains – a selection of items from Malaysia, Thailand and China. Bite Me’s signature curry ($19.90) is a must-order. Large chunks of chicken in a creamy, coconutty curry that has a generous hit of chilli (a bit too much for my non-chilli-loving husband but just right for the rest of us).

I also like the sound of the beef brisket clay pot with fermented bean curd ($22.90) and will be ordering that on our next visit.

Rice and noodle dishes span the south-east Asian region with influences from Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. We’re torn between classic nasi goreng ($14.90-$17.90) and char kway teow ($14.90). We opt for the Malaysian hawker dish of char kway teow and, while I wouldn’t have minded a little more char on the noodles, the flavours were delicious, the noodles satisfyingly thick and slick.

Bite Me’s signature curry, which features large chunks of chicken in a creamy, coconutty sauce. Picture: Chris Kidd

Earmarked for next time is the kimchi fried rice with deep-fried pork belly ($15.90). Garlic and black pepper beef ($17.90) is another popular selection (narrowly edging out cashew chicken) and it delivers – deep peppery flavour that one of my fellow diners describes as “intense”. The beef is tender and studded with crisp chunks of capsicum. Every dish is delivered piping hot and the ingredients are wonderfully fresh.

Roti is usually a wonderful accompaniment to curries – perfect for wiping up sauce, but this roti is crisp like a cracker – OK for dipping, but not for wiping.

The interior of new North Hobart Asian eatery Bite Me. Picture: Chris Kidd

Bite Me is a great addition to the city end of the North Hobart restaurant strip and there are plenty of items that I’d like to try on another visit. It’s good value and the extensive menu means there’s sure to be something to suit everyone if you’re dining in a group. The friendly and attentive staff made the experience a good one and our Queensland visitors even forgot about being cold. I’m calling that a successful evening all round.