Well, we made it! On the last day! Glad we made it and we had heaps of fun. And, love the revamped venue. Good for Hobart. Looking around at the crowd – everyone seems to have fun. We even spoke to a couple visiting from New Zealand. Their first and have great review on the Taste and Tasmania. So folks, if you have not been to The Taste Festival, you better jog it down for 2011 festival. You will love it. It is nothing like any bigger city festival. It has a nice casual charm. It is busy but not overly crowded that you feel like you have to fight with the crowd. There were plenty of food and wine stalls to sample and “taste”. There were two live band stages – one band played rock and loud music, the other stage had a jazzy band! There were “hippie chicks” (well, my partner’s own word. He can be funny and rude at the same time which I have learn to ignore) swinging their hips to the music.
We did not plan to stay long, but ended staying there for the entire afternoon. The weather was perfect. We even cross patched with Penny Wong, Australian Minister of Finance. She was with her partner. When we crossed patch, our eyes met. I told my partner that was Penny. The good thing about Australians is that we are polite. We do not stalk the celebrity or the high profile politician. But, I have to admit that I had the urge of walking to her and say hello since we share a couple of things in common – born in Malaysia and having same sex partner. I felt like turning back and walked up to her. But then that will be stalking her! Guess the sun and drinks have “almost” got into me. LOL.
I sampled quite a few variety of food at this year festival – Pork Belly with Huon Valley Apple Pickle with a strip of Pork Crackling from Restaurant 373, Fish Cake from Flathead which we had the previous year, Chicken Curry Puffs from Vanidol, Taste plate of Scallops and Calamari from Waji, Taste plate of Tempura Mushroom, and Passionfruit Pana Cotta from Island Berries Tasmania. My favourite had to be Restaurant 373 and Flathead.
The Venue – Princes Wharf No. 1 at the Hobart Waterfront. Stunning. Absolutely stunning.
The Food – Restaurant 373, Pork Belly with Huon Valley Apple Pickle with Pork Crakling
and, Waji’s Scallops and Calamari tasting plate, and Vanidol’s Chicken Curry Puffs. The puffs were just made – fluffy and puffy. Lovely.
and, finally a wonderful dessert of Passionfruit Pana Cotta from Island Berries.
That was another year of The Taste Festival of Tasmania.
We are now looking forward to the next festival – MONA FOMA (or affectionately known as MOFO) which start on 14 January 2011 and the opening of MONA on 21 January 2011. It is a great time to be in Hobart.
FOODTRAIL 