My thanks must go to Anon2 for providing us with this glimpse of this years Taste....
After running into Rita today and having been requested to make my comments on THE TASTE, I will do so!
Readers of last year's lively comments on this blog, will be well aware that Rita, as well as many regulars here, are most definitely not fans of this annual event.
I have always loved it though I would be the first to admit that it was getting a bit ragged around the edges over the last couple of years and needed to be freshened up.
Although by no means ideal, Marti and his crew have given it quite a facelift with some new features, better use of space and attention to traffic flows, and more seating. The down side is the lack of cover for the increased outside seating, a problem when those frequent showers persist and shortly after the brilliant sunshine starts to fry you! Also, there doesn't seem to be a disability carpark this year.
The stalls are better than ever with more vegetarian options, $7 max tasting plates at most stalls and more reasonable wine prices (generally $5 - $7 per glass).
My recomendations so far - the wonderful Bruny Island Cheeses, the 9th Island Sauvignon Blanc, the scallop and lemon wood fired pizza, Island berries panna cotta, the Blue Nile's tasty Ethiopian food, Huon Manor's lovely cajan calamari. Three day's down, four to go.
I accept and understand that many people don't like the crowds but I love the atmosphere - the impromptu wine tastings, the cooking demonstrations (caught up briefly with Paul Foreman) and some of the music. I arrive at 11am when everything is fresh and crowds smaller, heading for a table in the marquee, and am out of it by around 2pm. I think people who arrive at 12:30pm expecting to immediately purchase what they want and find ample seating are mugs!
Cheers and a happy New Year to all!!
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
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63 comments:
Well Anon2, I am sometimes ``out of it'' by 2pm also.
But at home after a few drinks!
The taste gives me the shits and only spoils carparking round the docks.
Taste, taste? Poor taste, bad taste and not my taste.
But someone will tell me I'm a tightarsed old bastard who should open his wallet and shut his trap.
Apart from the missus that is.
Sir G - I hope you didn't mind my moving your comment on Anon2's Taste review? Thanks - Rita
Very logical, Rita
To all those people who aren't fans of Taste, can you please tell me why? I understand the seating and the parking but what are your issues with the event exactly?
I went last night for the first time ever and will withhold my comments for a little while.
Hi Sami - please give us your comments. We are all equal here, and everyone's opinion welcome.
The seating and parking are major issues, but as well, speaking for myself only, the following things annoy me:
the noise (especially of the 'entertainment') when you're trying to have a conversation
the way that your food is never hot when you get to eat it
the plastic-covered tables
the number of people present at any time
till now, the generally average food. I stand corrected regarding this years food, and there have been a few stand-outs in previous years but in general I haven't found anything that was delicious enough to make me return there.
The concept behind the whole festival is laudable. I love the fact that as a community, we have the opportunity to all get together and eat, en masse. Being more of a solitary person, I choose not to be part of that, but can appreciate that most actually feel the opposite. I feel it takes us straight back to the old caveman days where we all sat round the fire in the cave, devouring our fire-baked bison and throwing the bones over our shoulders!
I also prefer to eat in places whereby my circumstance is more predictable. That means a restaurant or cafe or friends house of my choosing. I prefer to be assured of hygiene issues, comfortability and provenance issues.
Hi Rita, I didn't find the issues of crowds, temp of food or seating worried me at all. I expected it so wasn't dissapointed.
However, desperate for a true Farmer's Market in Hobart I live in hope of finding foodie Nirvana and Taste is not where it is at. While there were some stand out and out standing stalls, it reminded me of a giant shopping centre food court.
With the quality and 'excitement' of the majority of foods on offer lower than our everyday eating I found it all just a bit ordinary. And I just had to shake my head at people eating fish and chops - why?? Can't you be a bit more adventurous than that - or maybe they were!
To me, Taste seems to be a great place to introduce the below average adventurous eater to things other than meat and three veg, but to me it was all very ordinary.
I wanted excitement, adventure, challenge.
Yes, the horrible shed, the food court mentality, the mess, the chaos, the queues, the uncertainty, the sticky tables, the lack of tables, the whole HCC cynical mentality, selfish people hogging tables, the lack of beer choice....
Not my idea of fun or great eating.
They should call it The Waste.
don't get above your station, mr.grumpy. it sounds like the perfect place for your 'burpin' ' and 'fartin''.
It beggars belief that some of you mean-spirited and whinging no hopers just can't stand the idea of sharing a communal experience with your fellow human beings. Some of you are so ivory tower in your attitudes and contemptuous of others that you seem to be in continual flight from the rest of the human race.
I reckon that some of you would not be very pleasant company in the swankiest of restaurants with your elitist attitudes, and I bet some of you profess the most politically correct of champagne-socialist beliefs. Shame on you! Try reconnecting with the rest of humanity.
It beggars belief that some of you mean-spirited and whinging no hopers just can't stand the idea of sharing a communal experience with your fellow human beings. Some of you are so ivory tower in your attitudes and contemptuous of others that you seem to be in continual flight from the rest of the human race.
I reckon that some of you would not be very pleasant company in the swankiest of restaurants with your elitist attitudes, and I bet some of you profess the most politically correct of champagne-socialist beliefs. Shame on you! Try reconnecting with the rest of humanity.
Oh have a Bex & a lie down for crissakes anon 4.18!
LOL silver fairy! Sir G would be quite comfy burpin & fartin amongst the Hoi Polloi
Look, what are we supposed to do? Just because they throw an event, are we supposed to just turn up like robots?
No, we are discerning human beings.
It is a commercial venture. You pay, therefore you choose. I have given my reasons for not liking it. Big deal. You may love it...good.
Go, enjoy.
I know we have lots of great grub and cooks and I don't mean to demean them in any way.
I'd rather see them in their natural habitat and enjoy.
I think the bunch on this site are warm and supportive. But we don't agree on everything and we reserve the right to say.
Okay, sermon over, open a bottle and think, ``relax''.
Hi Rita, I went on Sunday for the first time since we moved here six years ago, I've always worked so I've missed out.
Well I thought it was OK. I cant really see what all the negative fuss is about really.
One would expect that with a large gathering of customers & many different operators there will be queues, hit or miss service & patchy food at times.
I read today that there have been some improvements with seating, the flow of people & the arrangements of stalls this year.
I hate crowds at the best of times but I knew that this was a facter before I rocked up.
We ate at the Persian Kitchen & drank at the Josef Cromy stall.
Both were good.
Overall, knowing myself how taxing outside catering gigs can be, I felt that the whole thing was quite impressive actually.
Indeed it is impressive. There is so much good food if you look hard enough. Lots of good wine too from a reasonable price.
The changes are excellent and I sat next to the water with some old friends for a few hours. Nice new table, a plastic free area Rita! And none of those stupid chairs everybody used to tilt up. Well not where I was.
The big umbrella did a great job coping with the periodic liquid sunshine through the evening.
Best new concept were the small tables that you can stand at. Just enough room for a couple of plates and a couple of drinks. And that's all you need.
I have been a mild critic over the years but the Taste is getting a lot better and that's all you can really ask!
If you don't go you will never know!
P
A group of us attended last night and had a thouroughly good time.
The taste is what it is.
Take it or leave it, love it or loathe it.
Hard to park, hard to sit, but we all know this and either choose to attend or not.
Having worked there last year it was nice this year to sit back and relax.
It is probably more of a social experience for us. Meet all the friends, spend the afternoon grazing on whatever takes our fancy.
I know we can do this anywhere any time, but it's become something of a tradition.
We sampled a tasting plate from Mures{excellent}, a tasting plate from the Persian place,{pretty good but the worst falafel I've ever had, had to spit it out, into my napkin of course!}, and heaven forbid trevalla and calamari from the Fish Bar{yummy}, Phil and Jake had the best burger in the world{lovely bun and burger but a bit dry}, and my personal favorite a rollito from Marypin chilli stall, plus I stocked up on their outstanding chilli sauce.
A couple of bottles of 9th Island pinot didn't go astray either.
I personally missed the entertainment in the main shed, but others I spoke to thought it was good that it was absent as we could talk without shouting or sign language.
Phil's teenage children are flying in from Sydney as we speak and we are looking forward to taking the whole tribe later in the week. His youngest Blake, being a foodie in the making will love it I'm sure.
I reckon as long as you know what to expect and are ready for it, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Fine dining it aint, but fun and laughter is how we find it.
Love all the revamps, but as always, can't please all the people all the time.
We will return, if only for the kids, plus I DO want to try the Blue Nile. Looks great.
Happy New Year Rita.
Hey Whitey - are you economising by not going out for NYE?
Happy New Year to you too. Thanks for dropping by. I've only ever noticed you participating during office hours!
Happy New Year Rita - I'll reserve my grumble about the taste for another day..suffice to say I THINK I know where you were working...but wasnt sure....is it a wine stall?
taste? bloody terrible. i don't want to eat in asbestos paradise thank you very much
anon13
one thing happened this year that has set a new parameter for where the event can go in future years. the stall voted to be the best representation of "a taste of tasmania" was thorpe farm. why? everything they are serving is from their property in bothwell. salsify, potatoes, bread made with flour they grew and milled and lamb which they reared. imagine if we had 30 stalls like this with the people really producing the raw product there to serve, talk and receive feedback on their hardwork and dedication? this is the only way forward to remove the idea of a food court and to actually get people thinking about where their food comes from and what it takes to get it to the table. for the interstate and international guests, what better way to eliviate the feelings of disappointment of traveling all this way for such a flimsy event (this information is taken from a series of polls.), which by the way is marketed as a much more premium festival.
it's time to get serious about food. but have fun too!
It would appear from the majority of commenters, whom I would call reasonably discerning, that this years Taste truly is one whereby it is going in the direction which I originally thought it was meant to be going when it first started. I'm overjoyed if this indeed is the case.
I agree wholheartedly with Anon 11.30 above. It IS time to get serious about food, have fun, and most importantly use the festival as a focus for the way we want the rest of Australia (and the world) to view us - as a first class food and wine producer, and destination for all things excellent in those.
The 'food court' mentality are the words that sum it up for me too, and that simply isn't aiming high enough. I could never work out why they called it Taste of Tas when in reality it wasn't a true taste of Tas, but just the taste of whoever happened to be running it at the time.
What Anon 11.30 describes Thorpe Farm as seems to me to fit perfectly into the genuine category of a Taste of Tas.
Well done Thorpes.
TG - I ended up not working there, so, no, I wasn't at a wine stall.
While I am all in favour of ongoing improvements and refinements to the Taste, and while also applauding the enterprise of of Thorpe farm, it should be remembered that the Taste is first and foremost a party, an event for the whole community and not just food snobs and food industry folk.
Does that make Sir G a Food snob or a food industry folk?
Anon2 - wouldn't it still be a party if it encompassed all those attributes for food snobs and food industry folk as well? Hating parties as I have all my life (even to the extent of refusing to attend fellow kids birthday parties as a child), I have found that people will look on any situation which calls itself a party or festival or carnival to attend, no matter what. They won't give a toss whether or not the foodie snobs are in attendance, or approve of it, or not.
Earmuffs - in all my wildest dreams I couldn't call Sir G a food snob, and he definitely isn't a food industry folk! Maybe he actually is an inverted food snob?
Be careful with me in those wildest dreams, Rita!
What is an inverted food snob? Some of the food I had at the Taste years ago could have given me an inverted colon, but.
Rita perhaps Sire Grumpy is on to winner - Waste not Taste.
My thoughts on the taste.
Taste = HCC double standards.
No air curtain or fly screens on doors.
Sparrows and Seagulls flying around inside the venue shitting from on high whilst below stall holders continue on with food prep.
Not the required amount of toilets for a licenced eatery.
No floor coverings on 'kitchen floors'.
Now if what I have just described happened in any food store in the HCC boundary my guess is they would be closed down.
Why does the HCC Health inspector allow it to happen - (perhaps a vested interest on the HCC behalf ????)
Is it sufficiently 'special' to turn a blinded eye to it? Or is it yet another reason to redevelop the site and bring it up to HCC health department standards.
Cool Room
but? But what? Don't leave us hanging .
Sir G - an inverted snob of any kind acts the same way as a snob, only in reverse. So the snobs don't approve of something because they're snobs, whereas the inverted snobs DON'T approve of it in an attempt to be the total opposite of the snobs!
Get it? Reckon you qualify?
Cool Room - great to hear from you again. I take your comments on the duoble standards of the HCC. I know they're hell bent of ensuring everyone meets the health standards in regard to food, and have often wondered what hidden by-laws the Taste meets in order to exist and practice in the fashion it does. I assumed there was no way they could turn a blind eye to some of the blatant variations in food hygiene standards at Taste, but given what you say, maybe they do?
FOR anon2:
this is exactly the point i'm making, good food is a right and is for everyone. is a food snob someone who wants good,clean and fair food? if you think, as the powers that be approve, that food is the majority
of products that grace the shelves of most retailers, then think again.
thorpe farm embodies the mindset that
allowed us to evolve to the "modern era of food" and is exactly where we should be heading back to.
for some cold hard facts in relation to the supply of food and how it effects our "globalized" society, not just the food snobs.
with the increase of grain prices by 35% in 2008 an extra 280 million
people have now been pushed to starvation by multinational food producers who have bought the
quota in reserve of grains to produce the cheap, non snobby food that sits
indefinitely of the shelves of all the big box retailers. we have at current levels about 2 months worth of grains left for the WHOLE world to consume, the lowest levels ever!
if crops fail this summer and spring ones have in tassie, it will fall to three weeks supply. scary eh? or maybe beyond the grasp of people who see endless shelves stacked with products and no connection to a single externality.
thorpe farm may well supply you your flour one day, when we have no means to trade and nothing to sell after we have fed ourselves. it's that serious and the taste is one way to educate people about the realities of food production, not just stuffing our faces for nix. ot's because of cheap food that this problem is now a major dilemma. it has to change and then we can party all we want!
The standard of spelling, grammar and sentence construction on this blog is appalling. Don't any of you understad how apostrophes work? By crikey, you all need a smack. Plural verbs with singular nuns ... argh
anon13
Anon13 - thanks for that. Can you please explain the laws of apostrophes for the enlightenment of us all?
singular nuns??! isnt that how god intended it to be. i don't really understad that?!?!?!?!?!
anon 13 set your spell check up prperly.
I thought Bruny Island Cheese got a gong for their stand. I saw Nick Haddow beaming at me from the 6.00 o'clock news one evening this week.
I didn't go the The Taste but love the BIC range. Apparently they do great bacon and snags as well. But you can only get these at Salamanca Markets (if you get there early). The bacon they sell at their outlet on Bruny is actually sourced from the most excellent Cygnet Butchers as they usually sell all their own-produced stuff at the markets.
Come to think of it maybe this comment should have gone on the famous Bok's Bacon post.
Let's keep granmar out of it. We are mostly all just VERY ordinary tie pisseds.
And frank zappa's apostrophe was a decent album. I've got it on vinyl and cd.
Firstly, I am a fan of the Taste. I think it's a great event, popular with a lot of the community, and exposes people to some foods and products/producers that they otherwise may not realise exist. It's perfectly suited for the sociable and festive time of year.
Yes, it has it's faults- the crowds do get annoying (and I wish there were a ban on prams!) but that's simply a product of the event's popularity.
They could easily charge entry to this event if they wanted to - I am thankful that it's free!
The focus on rubbish reduction, recycling and compostable materials is commendable.
I think there is a bit of tall poppy syndrome with the event. It's popular, therefore it's not 'cool' for those 'in the know' to like it.
For those that don't like it, I have some questions:
- have you seen comparable events run elsewhere that are better? If so, why? And could this be applied to the Taste?
- would you rather we simply didn't have the event? I'm sure it's great business for the stallholders, as well as other businesses in the surrounding Salamanca area. We would lose this economic gain otherwise - people even come from interstate.
I enjoy the conversations that you strike up with others sitting nearby. I have had several with interstate people that are very impressed with the event (not so much the weather!)
Today I sampled some of Thorpe Farm's wonderful produce-the lamb-and chatted to the hugely enthusiastic Will Bignall about his products and goals - a very encouraging experience!
His and Bruny Island Cheeses are certainly the pick of the bunch this year, specially when these shallholders so readily communicate their passion for their products. While there are some stalls that that are disappointing, the majority offer good quality at a price most can afford.
The big thing for me is the opportunity to sample such a diverse range of product at one setting.I suspect that NOTHING could EVER turn such an event as this into an enjoyable occasion for those unable to enjoy the communal atmosphere and the buzz of unexpectedly running into old friends and acquaintances and meeting new ones. Long may it continue and prosper!
Why is it those who love the Taste think they are the friendliest, most gregarious people in the whole world and those who don't like it are anti-social?
Such sweeping generalities.
I'm sure those on this site and out there generally who choose not to go are just the same as everybody else as fare as community-mindedness is concerned.
Come on, it's just a choice thing.
They could offer free food and drink (and a cab home) and I still wouldn't go to the taste because it is not my thing and past experience showed this over and over.
I think you've missed the point entirely here, sir grumpy. Even I'm not so presumptious to suggest that! What I am suggesting is that those who don't like big events with crowds, for whatever entirely legitimate personal reason, will not like them no matter what other virtues can be found elsewhere re food quality, access etc. I apologise for being too enthusiastic for you in conveying the pleasure I obtain from this event each year, in spite of its faults.
you stay, for tHis ?
Yes Anon2, I know people who love it and you have a point.
It has good things in its favour. But taken as a whole, the negatives outweigh the positives (for me) and I stay away.
I probably do miss out on some great little things there and I am glad the taste exists to showcase the state.
My problem is with that bloody shed, and the whole shoddy tables, poor toilets thing.
Give me a taste with a view and some decent seating etc and I dare say I'd venture back.
I hate concrete and grey and in a state that has cooler weather, I wish we could learn to soften edges with grass and trees and even a bit of whitewash on raw surfaces.
I hate the concrete cave mentality of the HCC. So, I do think it through.
When you think of our beautiful harbour setting and mountain views, then look at a plastic table in a shitty shed serving up fish and chips (yes, I know...worst scenario) you can get right round the area all-year round, I think there has to be more. Without pushing away from people towards the elitist crowd.
Maybe it doesn't matter, all this hand-wringing over whether it is good or bad.
From what I read, it seems to be thriving, so it is obviously hitting its target.
I am not a fan but I do like to see Tassie succeed.
Don't cushion the truth with jingoistic rhetoric Brother grumpy. Aesthetics bring you closer to your god.
my study is imPerative.
See if I could go to a taste made up of ppl like Thorpe farm, Bruny Cheese, etc I would probably more likely go and enjoy it. Almost like a large try before you buy farmers type market. Thats what would get me back to taste. I know that many of the other stall holders are also probably passionate foodies but do they truely show what tassie has that is unique? Could you imagine, a Cape Grimm Beef burger on rolls made by Jean Pascal using Thorpe farm flour? Now THATS a true taste of tasmania! I think that Anon has it right....
Sir G, I feel the opposite to you.
I feel a little looked down upon by others because I DO enjoy the taste so much. A bit like I felt when I dared to admit I'd watched one season of big brother.
I agree some, but not many, of the stalls are a waste of space, but if you are selective and dare to think outside the box, there are some great places.
Dare I admit I attended again on Thursday. I went with a restaurant owner friend and his mate. While they sampled the array of beers, Dale steered me in the right direction with Joseph Chromy pinot.
Oh talk about nectar of the Gods. I could bath in the stuff.
So while we spent the next few hours sipping and talking, we also took turns to go out and find a plate or two to share.
The wursthaus platter Russ bought back was by far a stand out, as was the Bruny Island cheese platter with pickled cherries that Lee first got me on to.
After a couple of trips though I must say we exhausted our "must try" list and ended up repeating oysters a few times. Lush and beautiful from Cremorne.
Any way, it's great to have any feedback at all, and the opportunity to put our views across. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Christina - I'm really proud of you for a) admitting that you really like the Taste, and b) feeling confident enough to say so openly here on the blog, and thus potentially setting yourself up for a public flogging!
It took me SO long after reading blogs over a period of time to get the courage up to even make an Anon comment! I well remember how scared I was actually publicly saying what I genuinely thought about a topic on a blogsite (I think it was Food Kitty's).
It seems so silly in hindsight, but it was so.
So - I applaud the way you love Taste, and the fact that you're prepared to back it up sheerly because it's YOUR opinion.
I'm now tempted to go along on this final day! Just to see how different it is this year.
For a real ToT get down to D'Entrecastreux Cherries at Birch's Bay - they are selling the freshest cherries you will find.
Did you end up making it along, Rita? I'm sure that people would be very interested to hear your opinion if so.
Thank you Rita for your comments.
I nearly didn't leave it, unsure as I was, but I am glad I did.
After all, you have this wonderful place where we can share our opinions on various subject, and I glad we all make use of it.
I too would be interested to hear your opinion of the Taste, but I can nearly put money on it not having changed much.
Some people are more suited to the style of the Taste than others.
As we've said so many times here before, it's hard to please all of the people all of the time.
If you are allowing spruiking Rita (as in the cherry comment) Let me suggest a a true 'Taste of Tassie' also.
We are 'The Apple Isle' but also the 'Potato Isle' apparently.
So how many places actually make their own chips these days? Honestly, how many ACTUALLY DO?
Well we do at the Red Velvet Lounge & have been doing so for months now.
We get our spuds from Malcolm Dance in Middleton, they are Pink Eyes & apparently a fair to middling chipper in the eyes of the Tasmanian potato authority.
I must dissagree wholeheartedly.
They are magnificent.
Washed, chipped, blanched in low temp oil then crisped to golden in higher temp oil, they emobody the chip of yesteryear, though they are a hell of a lotta work.
Again, how many places out ther actually source & chip their potatoes for chips in Tassie, I would really like to hear about them?
For a 'True Taste of Tassie', please try these chips whilst they are on the menu
Unabashed self promotion only happens in the worst of times. There's no-where better, so support Steve for lack of thinking.
Spruiking is normally conducted by the purveyor of goods.
I have no connection with D'Entrecasteux Cherries apart from having purchased a kilo of their produce. I thought a foodie blog was a good place to share my enjoyment of same. Click here for further Farm Gate vendors.
"To Do List" now includes "sample Steve's chips".
Anon 10.31 - no I didn't manage to get there for the final day of Taste as I had something else come up to do that day. I'm actually sorry about that because reading all that was written on this blog about it made me think that it actually was better than past Tastes.
Froot Loop - thanks for the tip - I for one will whizz down there to check them out. Would that be at the former Domeneys Fruit Farm?
Steve - we're more than happy to have you spriuk your chips. Froot Loop, you won't regret going to RVL for some of aforementioned chips. I sampled some the other day, and they were as Steve said - just like the 'good old days'.
Yes, Steve I hanker after the old-style chips. But just cutting them up from local spuds isn't enough.
You have to fry them in beef dripping, or second best, lard.
Then it's wow.
Yep you are dead right Sir G. Tallow maketh the best-eth chips.
Try marketing that message to the fat police out there though!
I will put this out there again, even though using the local spuds & cutting them isnt quite Nirvana for you, how many places even do that?
Please ask, I would be very interested to know.
My bet is that not a single place would do EVEN that! Not a chippie nor a cafe.
If this is the reality, surely then even you might cut us some slack EVEN though we dont fry in Tallow!
Cheers Steve
I've got all the places round me using local spuds and frying in tallow, Steve.
Then I woke up.
But thanks from the general chip-loving punters for going down that road.
I see cases of frozen ``fries'' going into takeaways all marked ultrafry etc. I think those places lost the (sim)plot on locality, freshness and pricing a long time ago.
With the obesity crisis in aus at the mo I don't think it would would be responsible to market lard chips to the fat police. i also think it is a little unkind to poke fun at over weight police officers.
Hey last anon, get over yourself, are you the anti-fun police chief or something?
Actually, I think someone making local chips, such as Steve, AND doing them in tallow would clean up.
Call yourself REAL CHIPS and tell the food police to piss off.
Come on, someone shoudl cash in now...
you're just not getting it grumblebum. australians are more simpatico with asian and european tastes(no-one counts britain as european when it comes to culture). do you really think anyone would want tallow coating their tastebuds? second world war sentiments were discarded by all but the insecure and unimaginative.
Simpatico eh!
Chips ain't asian, silvia, so make the most of them. Ask the chinese about tallow. Or the french and italians about lard.
They lap it up old boy and good on them I say.
I love it when someone just says something like ``Australians are more simpatico with asian and european tastes...''.
Talk aboutr pulling ``facts'' out of your arse.
But then if you're away with the fairies.....
This has ceased to be any kind of exchange with relevance to the original post about Taste of Tasmania.
I have deleted the rest of this exchange.
Coolroom, the HCC and their Health inspectors don't communicate, trust me. I was aprty to a function held down there, (not in the shed but close proximity) and when the health inspector turn up he went spare at the organisers. I think there is a great power at play here and it is most likely $$$$$. I would be very choosey as to where I ate down there.
Hey Steve, we also make our own pommes frittes, the proper way but sorry, no tallow.
Well they are not ``old-school chips'' if tallow isn't used.
Go the whole hog, guys!
Hello All,
As an ex-Tasmanian (currently in Perth) I thought I'd give my opinion from both an insiders and outsiders point of view.
My wife & I both enjoy the taste, and have done so on two occasions so far. We also enjoy fine dining too, but as some have already mentioned (and some have, it seems, failed to grasp) this is not what the taste is about.
Look, it is what it is - a seething mass of humanity, noisy, bustling, plastic tables, etc. To complain about that is churlish because, frankly, what are you expecting? It's a chance to indulge in dishes from a dozen different places that would take months to get around individually and cost a fortune to boot. Sure there's dross there but plenty of treasure too. A stall that offers good food will get our custom at a later date; one that doesn't, won't.
Each to their own and if you're turned off by the environment of the taste then so be it. But from a person who loves diving into places in Asia such as chaotic food halls, wet markets and 'suicide cart' vendors, the Taste is mild in comparison and I wonder how some of you would cope overseas.
Leave it be, if you don't like it then don't go, I can appreciate that it isn't for everyone. But some of the elitist snob criticisms I've read here are, well, laughable.
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