Fish 349- North Hobart

"There are plenty of fish in the sea, but none I've found to be as tasty as thee"

After finishing work this afternoon, I met with my mother in North Hobart for lunch at Fish 349 on Elizabeth Street.

It had been quite some years since I dined here, but based upon my experience there today, I will be returning much sooner next time.

Being lunch time I skipped the entree and went straight to the main (unless you could count eating a nibble of Mum's Thai Fish Cakes as an entree!) I ordered the Grilled Trevalla, that had been marinated with fresh chilli, ginger, corriander and lime. This dish was served with an Asian salad- perfect compliment to the Thai style flavours in the fish.

The fish was grilled skin off- cooked to perfection. The fish simply felt apart from the touch of my knife, and all the juicy Asian flavours burst out with each bite. Even writing about it is making my mouth water! For those who don't know my personally this may not mean much, but to those who do- the fish was so beautiful that not a single drop of lemon juice or vinegar touched my plate, which is truly astounding.

The salad was so zesty and exciting- you didn't feel like you were eating a salad. You felt instead like you were eating the fresh, or "live cd" version of all the flavours that were included in the fish marinade- I've never enjoyed a salad to such a degree as I did today. It wasn't like having a meal with a salad, the salad was more like a "fresh vegetation" variation of the fish course- simply remarkable.

I snuck a few of my Mum's chips (quite a few in fact!) and they were scrumptious! I couldn't stop at just one! These nice wide flat chips were golden and crispy on the outside, and white and fluffy on the inside- sea salted to perfection.

For a very busy "fish and chip" place- they do well to prepare such high quality seafood without having to wait for ages for it to be served. Seafood is generally very fast to cook, but I can tell that not only is the Chef very innovated and the kitchen staff competent, but the whole restaurant is well run and it appears to me that they properly prepare for the work they have to do.

After seeing through recent Facebook photos that I have stacked on a bit of weight, I said no to the Hot Fudge Sundae, and opted instead for an Affogato (slightly better!). And I can tell you all that their coffee is sensational- so please stick around for icecream and coffee once you have finished your meal!

Fish 349 is home to what I believe is the best icecream in Hobart. It has all the elements of a dock-side Fish and Chips restaurant, but tucked away in North Hobart- which adds great variety to that wonderful strip of restaurants on Elizabeth Street.

THE VERDICT

FOOD & FLAVOUR- thumbs up

EXECUTION & PRESENTATION- thumbs up

SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE- thumbs up/sideways- the service was good for the style of restaurant that it is. It's nothing memorable, but it doesn't need to be

OVERALL: thumbs up

Magic Curries- Battery Point, Tasmania

"Indian Cuisine with nothing to fault"

Magic Curries in Battery Point is one of the lesser known Indian restuarants that Hobart is home to- but it is certainly one of the best.

From the moment you walk in, you feel at home in this charming little cottage with log fires throughout the winter months. I have made it a challenge to sample each Indian restuarant in Hobart, and in the process I have been learning a little about the different flavours and styles of Indian cuisine.

Magic Curries is run by a family from Punjab, Indian and their style is Northern Indian- especially Punjabi style.

For starters was the cheese pakora with mint sauce, which was a nice start to set the scene for a delicious meal and excellent experience.

In order for me to compare each of the Indian restaurants in Hobart, Chicken Tikka Masala is the chosen meal to benchmark from.

The Chicken Tikka Masala from Magic Curries was just bursting with a variety of different flavours- the familiar tomato style base with spices, it was absolutely perfect.

For dessert the Mango and Pistachio Kulfi was sampled, and the Mango was a winner in my books. The Kulfi was served on a stick and bared a somewhat phallic resemblance- which would either make for a conversational piece or awkward moment- depending on whom you were dining with.

The Mango Lassi was simply perfect and the Garlic Naan did not disappoint. All in all, an excellent experience.

THE VERDICT


FOOD & FLAVOUR- thumbs up

EXECUTION & PRESENTATION- thumbs up

SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE- thumbs up

OVERALL: thumbs up