Aloft, Hobart

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 Hobart is one of the most under-rated cities in Australia, in my humble opinion. Combining culture (MONA is my favourite museum / art gallery in Australia), natural beauty, excellent whiskey and creative cuisine showcasing local produce, it is a city I could revisit again and again. 

Aloft is on the wharf, overlooking the vast expanse of water carrying fishing boats out to sea. It is what modern high end Australian cuisine is all about: fresh ingredients, superb technique, and a little East-meets-West. 


The set menu starts with sashimi sitting on a bed of parsley buttermilk. It certainly lives up to the name of the course - an amuse bouche. The interesting texture, unexpected flavour (creamy yet so fresh) and tiny portion tickle one's fancy and awakens the taste buds. 


Wallaby is meat I don't often see in Sydney, but in Hobart, most good restaurants would at least have one course that serves this unusual meat. Here we have a wallaby tataki with miso and macadamia. The meat is incredibly tender, and the miso macadamia mixture is fantastic. 


When one is in Tasmania, one must have some oysters. The oysters in Tasmania are generally Pacific oysters, which are plumper and creamier than the Sydney rock oysters. The meyer lemon ponzu dressing brings out the salty, minerally goodness of the oysters, and paired with a beer, it is unexpected, but works perfectly. 


Pork belly is served with nam jim jaew and nasturtium. I had never heard of nasturtium before, let alone seem it used in cooking. It is fresh, fragrant and herbacious. Balancing the pork belly beautifully. Pork belly didn't come in large chunks, but is delicately sliced. 


My favourite dish of the evening (and there are some very tough competition) is this crispy eggplant. I have no idea how Aloft managed to get the outside so crispy and the inside so soft and melt-in-your-mouth. Wonderfully flavoured with fermented chilli, this deceptively simple-looking dish truly won me over. 


Market fish is served with sichuan chili and accompanied by zucchini pickle, which is sweet and tangy. Needless to say, the fish is cooked to flakey perfection.  

The most tender, pink beef cheek is served with kunzea (another plant I do not recognise) and accompanied by a side of charred brocollini. It appears that the beef was cooked sous-vide to achieve that perfect texture, and the sauce is subtly savoury so as not to overpower the beef, yet still be memorable. 


The meal ends with coconut sorbet, fig, honeycomb and strawberries. It is a delicate end to the meal - despite appearance, it is quite light and not too sweet at all. 

I would also highly recommend getting the wine pairing - they do half pours for those who need to drive or prefer to drink less. 

Score: 5/5
Cost: $90pp for food, $70 for full pairing. Compared to Sydney prices, this is truly incredible value-for-money. 
Address: Brooke Street Pier, Hobart waterfront 
Website: https://aloftrestaurant.com/ 


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