The Glass House, Hobart: restaurant review
In the bar of a newish mod-Asian wine bar/lounge/restaurant/thing at the end of the Brooke Street Pier that night, I bump into friends from the mainland having a bite, wine and a mini-break. They’ve been to MONA and Battery Point. Of course. And now they’re dining at Glass House.
Tasmania’s visitation has changed in the past five years. Prime location restaurants like Glass House, which effectively cater to wine-savvy aspirational visitors, weren’t really possible in Hobart pre MONA. In fact, a mini-explosion of eating places has occurred in the capital this year, kicked off by this place at the end of a “pier” floated in after construction elsewhere. With its excellent Pilgrim cafe at the shore end, the new pier is something of an instant hub.
At the Port Out, Starboard Home end are the eateries. Aloft just opened; Glass House has around eight months’ trade under its belt. And despite an anecdotally impressive launch, the signs of fatigue are showing. Let’s call it Consultant Chef Syndrome.
Glass House opened with Japanese chef Arakane Ikuei, from the mainland, directing proceedings. Whatever his contract, he wasn’t there on this night. Even if he was, would it have made any difference to the lack of rigour on the floor?
Oysters – natural – arrive before a lovely, expensive cocktail. No mention of provenance. They come on a glass stand, on rock salt, with two miserly wedges of citrus. That’s it. “Any bread and butter?” I ask. “Or maybe a pepper grinder?” The alarming response is that “we don’t have any bread”. I can’t help myself. “A restaurant without bread?”
This faintly sarcastic remark elicits a baby dish of ground pepper and ongoing attention from another member of staff. The cynical might call it Critic Recognition Syndrome. The first waiter disappears; a more mature wine guy takes me under his wing; later, more oysters appear as if by magic with a variety of culinary bling: Thai style; vodka granita; and tomato “consume” (sic). It’s not the only spelling mistake on a snack/sharing menu that does a bit of Japanese this, Korean that and… Well, what do you call Chinese flavoured meat in a croquette?
The lonely oysters, as must be the case in Hobart, are very good. Thick fronds of buttery salmon are good, too, served sashimi-style with salmon roe and a soy dressing.
Soft shell crabs (again, no suggestion of where they might be sourced) are large, dusted with some kind of starch, fried. The kimchi-flavoured salad they come with is fresh, non-aggressive. I’d like more acid; it’s a big portion.
The dish to eat here, the one that rises beyond predictability to the memorable, is what they call a “Korean” beef tartare with “crostini”. That suggests plural in the bread wafer department, doesn’t it? I get one. They weren’t kidding about a bread shortage. However, there are sweet strands of beef, viscous egg yolk acting like a sticky, rich sauce, baby pine nuts, nashi strands, radicchio, fresh and pickled cucumber, white sesame seeds… It’s a beautiful dish. The kitchen buys good raw materials.
“Dessert” is an okonomiyaki – Japan’s answer to the frittata or savoury omelet – slavered with mayo, nori, shaped bonito. It’s a delicious umami-bomb, and cheap ($10).
And then there’s the view. An impressive panorama of the Derwent, the bridge and everything; it counts for something, as does the wine guy’s knowledge and enthusiasm for local stuff. I just wonder if we would have met if it weren’t for the smartarse bread comment?
Would the Americans have liked it? We’ll never know.
Address: Brooke Street Pier, Franklin Wharf, Hobart
Phone: 0437 245 540 Web: theglass.house
Hours: Lunch, dinner daily
Typical prices: Starters $18; mains $25; desserts $11
Summary: Just a little at sea
Like this? Try… Sake, Brisbane; Izakaya Fujiyama, Sydney
Stars: 3 out of 5
Source: The Australian, John Lethlean, 7th November 2015
Originally published as: The Glass House, Hobart: restaurant review
