The Final Curtain

It has to be the old Ali Babba himself and his  40 brittle plastic pots. This photo is very deceptive. Some people out there might mistook him for an elderly voluminous Vegetarian. But in fact this old Ali has had enough! He is going to call it quits after having gone through some sickness and what's not. As he suddenly realise that he is getting old he is finally pulling the curtain. Here goes Forever, and forever farewell. If we do chance to meet again why we shall smile: if not lets make this a good one whilst it last. The countdown begins...

Pudding or Dessert- Its Your Take

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. By a small sample we may judge of the whole piece. —quote Miguel de Cervantes. It is always nice to end your meals especially the spicy and hot ones with a contrasting sweet note . Though we have not much dessert range on our menu the selected type of sweets we offer generally goes down well with our customers.

Dom's Teahouse By Night

ot everyone has been to the Teahouse down at Blackman's Bay in Hobart. But if you do you'll soon realise just how small the dining room is compared to all the other premises which I have operated over the years. Considering the demand pull of our small outlet's service to the residents of the ever sprawling suburb down here chances are by the weekend we shall be running out of room if you don't book early enough for your table or if you turn up at our eating house in an impromptu manner. You might feel like you have wasted your movement since you have done your commuting distance or disappointed because your nightout or dining time fail your planned expectation. Perhaps you will find this tidbits of information useful; our restaurant telephone number being 62297633. Generally speaking you will find us here around 3 p.m. in the afternoon because we just trade at night. The only exception being Monday because it is our only day off from work.

Everlasting Memories

his is really a tribute to all those in the public young and old that gave me their unrequited and full support over the years that I were down at Salamanca area. It is the sort of overwhelming support and warmth that gave me a cause for its continuance to what is the type of Teahouse today. These are not the high profile celebrities or the ever attention vying tactical politicians . Neither is it the prominent public figures nor our self-appointed ever 'know all' luminaries and media anointed food critics but really this is just the ordinary daily common folks like you and me that ultimately formulates the success of a place or perhaps many other places all over Australia. Many a history has been born and buried. But there is no better a time than now to reminisce and recapture the sweet memories. Sweet as they are an aching void the world would never fill...the pictures say it all...

Have A happy Easter

Nearly all restaurants depend on weekend trade especially on Friday and Saturday nights being the main bulk of their trade activity for the week. This is here where you can conserve and perhaps convert that weekend surplus to cushion and cover for the other slacker and leaner odd weeknight’s trade But on a night such as the ‘Good Friday’ night and nights like Christmas Eve I know for a fact that most eateries will do Zilch or ‘bugger all’ trade as they said in Australia unless there are lots of tourists about. If I let my calendar be dictated by the social events of the day I’ll very soon be paddling up the wrong creek.

When it comes to Easter I know for a fact my sisters abroad were being religious. They observe Ash Wednesday. Then they strictly observe Good Friday by attending masses fasting and abstaining from having meat. And on Palm Sunday they will celebrate and rejoice over the Resurrection. About the only Easter eggs I have ever seen were their real hard boiled eggs that they painted in red colour. But that’s all I understood from my past.


Over here in Australia it is quite different. It is perhaps particularly interesting to note that the trend nowadays is not to abstain from meat but to have a change in a choice of taste. They go for fish, seafood and vegetarian dish. Fishmongers and supermarkets over the place do make a brisking trade this week. Congregation do not count a lot. I once had a real estate salesperson that approached me for a sale of a disused church in West Hobart. Some brokers come to think of it will sell you anything ranging from grandmothers to a kitchen sink. What on earth would I make use of a church for? Another nightclub in the pipeline perhaps? That means I have to employ more bouncers. Or some town pad condominium. But the ceiling would be too high. Think of the next heating bill in a place like this.

For the children the hunt is for the Easter eggs and bugs bunny marshmallow and perhaps a bite or two of the hot cross buns. Usually the goods will be packaged on Saturday evening and hunting for them comes earnest on Sunday morning, by which time they have been mysteriously hidden all over the house and garden.
According to the children's stories, the eggs were hidden overnight and other treats delivered by the bunnies in an Easter basket which children find waiting for them when they wake up. The more grown ups will attend musical rock concerts and Royal agricultural shows. The parents will probably take a holiday in their holiday shacks or visit friends and relatives interstate. And others well, they will go fishing.

Yet there is another exciting hunt that is really going on in Tasmania. Rumours had it abound that Tassal Tasmania one of the big aquaculture type of Fishery company in nearby Dover southern suburb of Hobart that breeds live Atlantic Sea salmon had in place sizable stock earmarked for the markets over the Easter week. Before they’re ready for sale the stock has to be flushed with fresh water in their enclosed reservoir. But during the process of flushing the net enclosure became entangled and got ruptured on the adjoining reef and soon it was discovered that more than 50,000 of the company’s full-grown size Atlantic salmon had swam towards their freedom into the open seas.

Tasmania is an island state surrounded by water and it is estimated that nearly one out of every five householders have a boat or watercraft of some sorts and fishing has been such a popular hobby locally and especially this time of the year when the weather is still reasonable before the fall. But if fish is becoming more popular with Australians regularly purchasing a wide variety of fish species for consumption and as demand increases put pressure on wild fish stocks then whether inadvertently or not releasing of some fresh water stock may truly be a blessing. A sizeable catch indeed if the rumour is right then this Easter’s treasure hunt may well turn out to be more than a ‘finder’s keepers’ game by anyone’s judgement.

Small Fry But A Quick One Nevertheless

o many times I have tried in the past month to upload this series of kitchen photos before I lost them again that today I feel a sense of relief and joy when I did finally put some sense of order and finishing touch to a simple recipe which I have meant to share with my readers . This is but just a simple recipe one that requires a few minutes quick stir-fry over a hot gas stove so long as the preparation stage stays right on course. It is a step by step photoguide to an end dish called chicken crushed pepper with garlic and ginger. It is intended for busy working people who do not wish to waste too much of their leisure time in their kitchen students with their conscious budget and what is more refreshingly suitable for home host entertainers who are out to impress their guests with their new addition to the eclectic collection of their dishes.

Country Simplicity

Downsizing has never been part of my vocabulary when it comes to organisational matters. Rather I prefer this to be treated as a proper 'right sizing' of my own situation values. It is merely a matter of taste and control , a control of my own destiny. I have never been comfortable with larger premises any more than the ones down at Salamanca Place nor the one at the ex RSL Club at 6 Victoria street in the middle of the city. I know what it takes to run just a small personalised but labour intensive industry a simple eating house such as this. I do dread the idea of being carried away by imposing Body Corporate with its Chairman,a President,a Treasurer and a paraphernalia among other things including the much detested Annual General Meeting .