The Source Restaurant - Hobart, Tasmania

Recently my husband and I went to Hobart, Tasmania for a mini holiday. On our first night in Hobart city, we escaped the winter chill by taking on an unforgettable culinary journey at The Source restaurant.

The Source restaurant is located at Moorilla Estate Winery, 15 minutes drive from Hobart CBD. Sitting atop the Ether Building, glass-walled, the views (from the restaurant) over the Derwent river and vineyard are magnificent. Unfortunately for us, we arrived after the sun has long set and had a slight difficulty in locating the restaurant as there was barely any visible signs/directions.

However, once inside the building and making our way up the stairs (to the restaurant) I cannot help but to admire the stunning 6m long painting on the ceiling. Apparently the restaurant is named after this painting by John Olsen.

The setting of the restaurant is very simple and contemporary, with an open kitchen near the entrance. This open kitchen concept allows us to take pleasure in watching the chef and his team work effortlessly and harmoniously together. The staff are very friendly and helpful, with one of them voluntarily baby-sitting a crying baby while the parents were having their meals.

We start by having the fresh oysters as an appetizer. These succulent oysters are served in two ways, natural and with wine & ginger. I much prefer the natural oyster as I can really taste the freshness of it. However, having the oyster infused with wine and ginger certainly enhances the oyster flavour.

Moving on to the entrees: (i) Crab, crab jelly, corn custard, almond, sauce verte and (ii) Lobster, herb and zest cous cous, almond milk, perfumed tomato.

The crab dish is served in a martini glass, with only the crab meat visible from the top and the smooth corn custard at the bottom. The dish is rich in sweet crab jus with cotton-soft crab meat and creamy corn custard.

The herb and zest (probably orange zest) cous cous beautifully partnered the fresh lobster. However, I have to admit it is the perfumed tomato that brings the dish to a whole new level of dining experience. As I bite through the tomato, it is bursting with sweet cherry tomato and mild perfume flavours.

For the main course, I ordered the Turbot fish, truffled macaroni, foie gras emulsion, jus. The turbot fish was flown from Spain for the Hobart Winter Festival which was to be held the next night at The Source. Turbot is highly prized for its delicate flavour, it has a firm and lean texture. To complement the mild fish flavour, the Chef introduces the intense flavour of truffle and foie gras. For someone who prefers truffle over fish, this dish is a delightful treat for me.

My husband ordered the Roasted duck, Belgian endive, salted caramelised apple, coffee sauce. The duck is very tender and the salted caramelised apple has a texture similar to creamy mash potato. The only thing that my husband struggled to finish from the dish was the Belgian endive; it got bitter with every single bite.

To end our lovely night at The Source, we order two(2) desserts to share.

Chocolate, olive oil, salt

Dark smooth chocolate ganache, drizzle with light olive oil and sprinkle of salt. What you get out of this unique dessert is a dark bitter chocolate, a nutty olive oil flavour and a salty taste towards the end. My kind of dessert!

Brioche pain perdu, perfumed egg nog, milk ice cream

Rich and tender brioche, sitting on a cream of perfumed egg nog and topped with milk ice cream. A stark contrast to the chocolate dessert, it is very rich, sweet and creamy.

The Source Restaurant
655  Main Road Berriedale
Tasmania Australia 7011
Tel: 03 6277 9900