New restaurant offers an authentic taste of Tasmania

Tasmanians and visitors to the Apple Isle have a new venue in which to taste the state.

The Pooley family, among Tasmania's leading wine producers, this week launched a new restaurant identity in their Prospect Country House hotel in the Coal River Valley. 

   

The eatery has been re-named Buscombe’s Restaurant, in tribute to the estate’s historical origins and builders James and Elizabeth Buscombe, who established the elegant Georgian homestead around 1830 and were regional farming pioneers.

“The new name reflects Prospect’s commitment to honouring its heritage, while continuing to deliver elevated, regionally focused hospitality in the heart of the Coal River Valley,” hotel manager and family member Lisa Pooley said. 

Chef James Paul Miller (ex Peppina and Van Bone) leads the kitchen brigade at the historic and gracious mansion with an aim to showcase flavours from around the Apple Isle to be served alongside award-winning Pooley wines. 

Most of the ingredients will be sourced from local farmers, and some from the property's own kitchen garden.

Starters may include Tasmanian scallops on the half shell with celeriac cream, nori butter and toasted almonds.  

Think mains like local orange roughie with saffron potato fondant, confit cherry tomato, snow peas and fish veloute, or mouth-wateringly tender Central Highlands of Tasmania venison backstrap with parsnip cream, roasted root vegetables, toasted walnuts and chocolate jus. 

“With over 17 years of experience in some of Australia’s most respected kitchens, [chef] James brings a refined yet grounded approach to contemporary dining,” said hotel owner John Pooley.

Lisa Pooley (pictured above with chef Miller) said the restaurant menu aims to showcase a farm-to-table experience that reflects both the estate’s heritage and Tasmania’s seasonal bounty.

“Buscombe’s is not only a tribute to our past, but it also showcases the very best of our state," she said. 

The wine list features not just Pooley Wines, but also a selection of bottles from across Tasmania. 

Buscombe's at Prospect Country House, Richmond, and is open seven nights for dinner and Friday-Sunday for lunch. It is 20 minutes from Hobart CBD and 15 minutes from Hobart Airport. 

The hotel has 11 rooms but dining is open to non-residents all year round. See https://prospectcountryhouse.com.au/buscombesrestaurant 

Date clash a serious stuff up for Hobart's winter tourism industry

The Tasmanian capital of Hobart is extremely quiet for virtually every weekend of winter.

Hotels have empty rooms; restaurants bemoan empty tables.

So the announcement on November 3 that crowd-pulling Dark Mofo, Australia's mid-winter solstice festival, would return to Hobart from Thursday June 11 to Monday June 22 universally welcomed.

Alongside the festival’s large-scale public art installations, will be live performances and exclusive musical acts.

Dark Mofo 2026 will also include familiar rituals: Winter Feast, Night Mass, the Ogoh-Ogoh burning and the Nude Solstice Swim.

Hotels will be full; bars and restaurants heaving.

That only leaves a dozen other weekends when Hobart's tourism operators would welcome some help from other events.

What a wasted opportunity then that after the hapless Tasmanian Government paid a million dollars for Richmond to play one home AFL game in Hobart in 2026, the AFL last week announced its fixture list.

Sure enough, the AFL chose Sunday, June 14, for the Hobart match between Richmond and reigning AFL premiers Brisbane.

Accommodation will be at a premium; many flights will be full with Dark Mofo attendees and any remaining seats will be priced stratospherically.

So who stuffed up? Jane Howlett, minister for tourism and events will plead ignorance. Dark Mofo will say it had announced its dates well in advance.

The AFL, one of the most arrogant sporting bodies on the planet, is unlikely to give a damn.

There will be two victims. The Tasmanian tourism industry. And interstate fans of Richmond and Brisbane. Just another stuff up. A shrug of the shoulders, Just move on.      

Top chef signs up for new Tasmanian cellar door eatery

One of Tasmania's newest cellar doors has pulled of a coup by signing one of the island state's star chefs.

Caledon Estate this week announced that chef Paul Foreman will be joining the team at its recently opened Richmond cellar door from Saturday, April 26.

Foreman will be in the kitchen Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays producing a menu of share plates that will be designed to match the Caledon wines.

Foreman, formerly of Gondwana, Marque IV, and Kalis Group Hotels, brings a wealth of local knowledge and experience to the kitchen and has built relationships with Tasmanian producers and growers.

Daytime dining will be the initial focus at the cellar door with the possibility of dinner service in the future. The Caledon cellar door is also currently taking bookings for weddings and other events.

Those visiting the Coal River Valley and the Caledon cellar door will enjoy an architecturally designed building that showcases sandstone from the property.

The large windows give all seats an extensive view from kunanyi/Mt Wellington over the Coal River Valley. The building features an open fire, ensuring comfort whatever the Tasmanian winter weather brings.

I've tried a couple of the wines - and they are impressive. 

For more information and bookings, visitors can call the vineyard on 0490 498 776 with an online booking system coming soon.

Out of the black and into the pasta

Hugely experienced Irish-born chef Peter Roddy has launched a new dining concept, Pastarami, at the former Noir Restaurant site in Melbourne.

Roddy has worked at Gordon Ramsey’s Amarylliss in Glasgow and Michel Roux Jr’s Le Gavroche in London, and also done a stint in New Zealand.

Roddy - along with partner Ebony Vagg and former Noir head chef Jonno Phillips - is looking for a "simpler, brighter and lighter" vibe at Pastarami after closing Richmond favourite Noir in March.

The spotlight will be on freshly made pasta crafted daily by Roddy and Phillips using an imported Italian pasta machine.

Sauces are made on-site and can take up to two days to prepare.

With a move away from all black, the venue has been renovated with the fit-out (below) designed by Brandworks.

Menu highlights include snacks such as crostini with miso tuna or Calabrian anchovy, ricotta and dill.

Small plates will feature beef carpaccio, capers, lemon and Parmesan, and stracciatella, pumpkin panzanella and kale pesto.

In addition to pasta dishes priced from $20-26, main attractions include the confit duck with cavatelli, smoked cinnamon and mushroom.

Diners can opt for a la carte (with a recommendation to share three pastas between two people), or the the Chef's Choice Pastarami Party which includes six shared plates including focaccia, snacks, two pasta and a salad for $49 a head.

Roddy has put together the wine list himself and cocktails are also set to star.

Pastarami is at 175 Swan Street, Richmond. www.pastarami.com.au.

Meet a Melbourne sandwich shop with a spicy difference

 

Sometimes simple ideas are the best ideas.

Like pairing the humble sandwich with some tasty Indonesian flavours.

And creating a cool, café vibe that just about anyone can afford to enjoy.

That's what happened when owners Barry Susanto (a fine dining chef, top image) and Erwin Chandra (a barista) created Warkop during Covid.

The initial outlet in Richmond dates back to 2021 while 13 Little Collins Street in the CBD opened its doors in May.

Along with house-made sweet and savoury dishes and fresh salads, the CBD sandwich menu offers Susanto’s roast pork with sambal burrata, salted lettuce and black garlic on Shokupan bread; and tempeh, tofu, sprouts, lettuce with gado gado sauce on a toasted focaccia.

Both outlets quickly became popular pitstops for local workers, and for tasty takeaways.

Now there are more Warkop outlets likely to follow - as Melburnians growing to love slightly off-the-wall dishes like smoked duck sandwich and sambal bawang (fried shallots).

Or more recent sweet additions like a cruller with kaya (Indonesian coconut jam), or a pandan lamington (below).

 Warkop, which translates to coffee shack in Bahasa Indinesia, recently unveiled a new menu with lighter breakfast dishes and refreshing summer drinks like Matcha Lemonade and a Calamansi Fizz (below).

For breakfast think sausage and egg muffins with Barry's zingy bazzinga (spicy mayonnaise) sauce, or a smoked beef dabu dabu (chilli condiment) sandwich.

Chef Barry is very much hands-on. He was manning the kitchen, and the front counter, when I stopped by on a recent Sunday.

He told me everything is house-made and the menu constantly adjusted to match Australian palates with Indonesian heat.

A small but impressive team takes turns in everything from sandwich making to clearing plates with craft taken seriously. You'll hear frequent calls of "Yes Chef". 

Warkop was recently named in the Good Food Guide's Top 40 Cafes of 2023.

Prices are very reasonable and a visit is certainly worthwhile next time you want to add some sunshine to your sandwich.

Think possibilities like beef brisket rendang with house-made pickles and cheese in light rye, or Warkop fried chicken with kohlrabi, pickles, bazzinga sauce and cheese on a potato roll (super tasty).

To finish, perhaps a sambal matah cheese cruller, or maybe a coconut and jackfruit friand. There is a selection of coffees.

“We wanted to do our bit and contribute to the revival of the Melbourne CBD’s lively foodie scene," says Barry.

 I think they have succeeded. Such a fun spot - and nothing costs over $17. 

Trading hours are Monday-Friday 7am-3pm and weekends 8am-3pm. 

See https://www.warkop.com.au/

The writer was hosted by Warkop CBD