Never mind the Tasmanian jokes. When it comes to food, drink and culture, the once-sleepy island state has plenty to commend, not least the pride of Murray Street, Garagistes. Fun, unpretentious and deeply committed to local farmers and ingredients, it’s a space that chimes with the bistronomy and New Nordic movements that have indelibly altered the global dining landscape. What’s it like to cook, drink and live in Hobart? As he prepares to make his first trip to Perth for Tuesday’s Riesling Rocks! Restaurant Amusé dinner, Garagistes head chef and partner Luke Burgess waxes lyrically on the lot of a young Tasmanian restaurateur.
There seems to be a real energy in Hobart at the moment: is this something us mainlanders are just imagining or is there change in the air?
There is an energy is in the air and the power plant generating that pulse is without doubt “the MONA effect”. It’s single-handedly attracted hundreds of thousands of people here and given businesses like ours a platform to push forward. The potential of Hobart is only just beginning its realisation. Minds are being opened and a new generation is taking new-found risks in their stride. The best is yet to come.
Few people would have predicted something like Garagistes opening somewhere like Hobart. What have been some of the benefits of setting up shop in the Tasmanian capital?
You can exclude us from that few: we simply saw an opportunity in its rawest form and went for it. Naive intuition, creativity and graft all came together. We built the site from the ground up, incorporated the ideas and passions of the collective and put our livelihoods on the line. It had to work and it still has to. Inexpensive rent, easy access to arable land, its proximity to Sydney and Melbourne and small community are immediate benefits that spring to mind. For every benefit comes a counterpoint, but owning and operating a hospitality business is challenging no matter where and I think Hobart was the perfect place to start out.
Conversely, what have been some of the challenges – particularly of the unexpected variety – you guys faced setting up shop in Hobart?
Although Hobart is a capital city, it’s still a big country town and with that goes the limitations of operating in regional Australia while maintaining a global focus. Logistically, getting the best Tasmania has to offer is harder than it really should be. It’s a conservative place with a strong culture of pride. Offering “non-Tasmanian” product can draw a lot of criticism and angst from people. The biggest challenge has been to find suppliers that have the same standards as those you may find in Sydney or Melbourne. A huge gap in staff skills and quality supplies exists and with Hobart thrust into the spotlight, people come here expecting way more than what can realistically be offered. I fear Tasmania will suffer from a “subprime” crisis in the ensuing years if these issues aren’t addressed. The tourism department has to stop selling the sizzle and make sure it produces that exceptional steak.
You guys have a killer natural wine program: tell us about what got you into natural wines?
Some may say killer, others may think differently, but it’s simple, really. If we want to gather all our food from people who care for their land, then why not apply the same to our wines? This is not to say that anyone who doesn’t have their wine on our list is falling outside these parameters, but those that we have selected are the ones that we feel we best identify with and, equally important, they work with the food we serve. The menu is written based around our wines and the ingredients our suppliers have. It’s something we are passionate about. A dust storm is what got us into natural wines, literally. Seven years ago after one of the most depressing services one could have, friends invited us back to their house for a drink. A “natural” wine was poured and that was that.
What’s Luke Burgess’s definition of good riesling?
That’s such a difficult question. I have no definition for what good riesling is, but terroir and the variety’s astonishing diversity from youthful juice to elegant aged gold all resonate with me. This is good.
If you could spend a week anywhere eating and drinking on someone else’s dime, where would you go?
I’d like to revisit Japan. I was last there five years ago and what I’ve learnt since then will only enhance the experiences I might have. I’m deeply interested in saké and I love a culture that has produced so much through countless, unwavering generations. It’s inspiring stuff.
You cooked alongside fellow Aussie James Henry at Omnivore in Paris earlier this year. What was that like?
We had a great time. Cooking with James Henry at his little juggernaut Bones was so satisfying. We met a few years earlier in Tasmania before either of us had our own places and we share the same philosophy about wine and food. It was a chance to see what we could cook with in another city and we weren’t disappointed. A well rounded experience that I was very grateful to be invited to.
What sort of food can people in Perth look forward to from you and Hadleigh at Amusé?
Honestly, I have no idea. I can tell you it won’t be red wine friendly.
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