Winter Feast worth plunging into the night for, again and again
There’s too much to eat in one visit to this year's Feast so I’m going again, to sample the nonna-made pasta, tempura mushrooms and one of Waterloo Inn’s roast pork rolls, writes Alix Davis
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If there’s a dessert that’s more Winter Feast than an incredibly lifelike antler made of deer milk ice cream that arrives attached to a deer skull and is then served with caramelised beetroot and honey ‘blood’, I’m yet to see it. The dramatic, and delicious, dish ($15) is courtesy of this year’s guest chef, Vaughan Mabee of Amisfield restaurant in Queenstown, New Zealand. Mabee is known for his commitment to innovative and ethical food, an approach he shares with Mona’s executive chef, Vince Trim, with whom he worked to create his Winter Feast menu.
We take a seat at Mabee’s outdoor restaurant – fueled by a “fire temple” – and take the first, eye-rollingly good mouthful of fire-roasted Brussels sprouts ($26). I’m a fan of almost any permutation of roasted sprout, but this version is several levels beyond next-level.
The sprouts, still with a bit of bite to them, are glazed with mirin and miso then served on a bed of cauliflower and koji cream. A flurry of sesame-roasted seeds on top provides an extremely satisfying crunch and a dusting of powder that includes scallop, squid ink, long spine urchin and more adds a powerful umami hit.
This is a dish that’s best described as being full of flavour.
The two mains are just as tasty – Bennett’s wallaby ($28) has been cooked over the flames and is served with a perfectly roasted wedge of pumpkin (read, very tender – I do not like a bit of bite in my roast pumpkin), a risotto of barley and green wheat, and delicate pink pickled onions. I could lie and say that I wolfed this so it wouldn’t go cold in the crisp winter air, but honestly, I probably would have gobbled it down if I was sitting inside a well-heated room. At least here, my erm, enthusiasm was somewhat covered by a cloak of darkness.
As the Hobart Pipe Band marched past and rusty towers belched flames we noshed on Tasmanian wild fallow deer ($36) that was paired with a prawn and blue cheese bisque. This is not a flavour combination I would have thought of (which is why I’m not a three-hatted chef), but it worked superbly and I’m glad to see Tasmanian deer (a very sustainable meat) on menus here.
On any ordinary night, that would have been dinner, but this is the Winter Feast and there are 75 stallholders (including 25 first-timers) to explore so I adjust my elastic-waist pants and plunge into the night. No matter what you feel like eating, there is bound to be an outlet that will hit the spot. Outside, there are various seating areas by firepits and performance spaces for musical artists. Your best strategy is to snag a seat and then send party members off for various food-finding sorties. Inside, it’s a vast hall of candle-lit trestle tables and benches and again, I recommend finding your spot first rather than walking around with a plate of food and nowhere to sit.
Chef Lily Trewartha is offering katsu sandos ($20) – don’t let the name put you off – these Japanese-inspired fried pork sandwiches are easy to eat, completely delicious and so moreish, we contemplated a second one.
Thick-sliced white bread (from Cripps, who were able to slice it to Trewartha’s desired dimensions) envelopes a thick fried pork patty, crispy coleslaw and curry mustard.
It sets a new bar for sandwiches and there’s a potato-based, vegan option ($18) available as well.
Needing to warm up a little, we head inside and help ourselves to a maple cruller ($8) from Trophy Room – slipping in behind the enormous queue for Basque cheesecake, which we heard had sold out by 7pm on the first night.
A flight of Italian liqueurs from Goodwood-based micro-distiller Osare has us dreaming of the Amalfi coast and the tapu (pepperberry) and leatherwood honey icecream ($6) from Palawa-kipli is chilly but worth it.
There’s far too much to eat in one visit, so am planning to go again this weekend and sample the nonna-made pasta (cheese wheel cacio e pepe – $26 – I’m looking at you) at Pizzirani’s Cucina, a stick of crispy tempura mushrooms ($16) from Yuzuka and a roast pork roll from The Waterloo Inn (also a good chance to warm myself by their fire). Of course, I’m not limiting myself to those options, there’s wine and beer to drink, Tasmanian spirits to try and so many more dishes I haven’t discovered yet. See you there tonight!
WINTER FEAST
PW1, Salamanca
Opening hours: Fri-Sun, 4pm-11pm
Entry fee: $15 Friday, $20 Saturday,
Sunday is free
On the menu
Vaughan Mabee’s Brussels sprouts, $26; and Bennett’s wallaby, $28; Lily Trewartha’s katsu sando, $20; Trophy Room’s maple cruller, $8; Osare’s digestivi discovery flight, $12; Palawa-kipli’s pepperberry ice cream
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