SIMPLE PLEASURES
TEMPLO
98 Patrick St, Hobart Lunch Saturday to Monday, noon to 2.30pm. Dinner Thursday to Monday, first sitting 6pm, second sitting 8.30pm 6234 7659; templo.com.au
Gnocco fritto”, the man says, as he places a pair of salty ham doughnuts on our table for two, adding that they are a popular bar snack in Italy. He tells us “fingers are fine” as he takes his leave.
The delicious pillows of pastry wrapped in prosciutto are the first of eight shared courses at this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it eatery on Hobart’s city fringe.
The last time I visited Templo – tucked into a space barely larger than your average suburban living room – was just before New Year’s in 2016. A few efforts to secure a hasty table since have come to nought as it’s very much in demand after winning praise in gourmet guides across Australia – the latest a hat in the 2018 Good Food Guide. And, with only about 25 seats available per sitting, you have to plan ahead.
We are visiting for a 6pm sitting on a Thursday night as autumn finally yields to winter. Within 10 minutes past the hour, every seat has been occupied and two walk-ins swiftly walk out as there’s clearly no room at the inn.
Co-owner Chris Chapple, who opened Templo in late 2015 with head chef Matt Breen, is engrossed in service as a lone waitress is doing the rounds with a vivid yellow decanter filled with sparkling water.
The Italian-inspired menu, which shifts with the seasons, and the wine list are displayed on a chalkboard above a servery that allows a view through to the kitchen – once the cold store of a butchery that occupied the site in years past. The menu is a brief read: gnocco fritto; leeks, buttermilk; carrots, fennel; ravioli; swede, burrata; gnocchetti; snapper, cannelli beans; and tiramisu. For fear of missing out, we have selected the chef’s table – a taste of all the above – as have all but two of our fellow diners.
The leek, braised and then charred, sits on a tangy creme fraiche sauce with a bright splash of leek-top oil. Hazelnuts add some extra crunch. The chargrilled carrots that follow are accompanied by an orange and fennel salad with a walnut and cumin dressing. Carrots and cumin are truly meant to be together. And while I am not the biggest fan of swede, it’s beautifully sweet against the creamy burrata and spicy mustard greens.
Of the two pasta dishes, the ricotta-filled ravioli with butter, lemon and pistachio sauce is the pick for me. It takes considerable restraint to allow my other half to devour the final morsel on the plate. In recognition of my supreme sacrifice, he allows me to have a greater share of the red snapper atop cannelli beans and capers. The tiramisu signals the end of a most enjoyable meal.
It’s thoughtful, feel-good fare without frippery, allowing the primary ingredients to truly sing. And the small team at Templo has the pacing and the succinct culinary commentary down pat. The intimate space is also conducive to one of my favourite pastimes – people watching.
During our two-hour repast, I watch with interest the marked change in dynamics around the large communal table. What starts as four separate groups gradually merges into one, with conversation – perhaps lubricated by wine – flowing ever more freely. By the end of the night, they are toasting the arrival of winter, debating whether Hobart should entertain taking on an indigenous name, and even discussing fertility and past relationships.
“We’re all new best friends,” says the merry matriarch of the homogeneous group as we cross paths while heading out to make way for the 8.30pm sitting. It’s lovely what a cosy space and feel-good food can do.