BANGKOK CITY

2/40 Elizabeth St, Hobart

Looking for a quick Thai lunch special? Bangkok City serves up a wide selection of freshly made Thai street food dishes. For a very reasonable $12.25 you first choose steamed rice, fried rice or noodles, then your dishes. The pad kra pao or pork mince basil stir fry is super, as is the crispy chicken cashew nut and massaman curry. It’s buffet style (they serve up your dishes for you) and the spread is colourful, fresh and full of vegetables. You can eat in or takeaway.

ALL THAI

Shop 12 / 236-244 Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay

Having a good Thai takeaway in your armory is critical. All Thai in Sandy Bay, across from Coles, hits the mark with simple but good quality Thai dishes. A marker of a good outlet is how they make their pad thai (thin rice noodles with egg, vegetables and sweet soy sauce) – the All Thai version is spot on with generous meat and vegetables and the perfect amount of sauce. Other highlights here include the fish cakes ($11.90), stir fry chicken with cashew nuts ($20.90) and massaman curry ($22.90). Feeling fancy? Add coconut rice to your order and level up your rice game.

OCHA THAI

349A Main Rd, Glenorchy

Tucked at the entrance of Glenorchy’s shopping district on Main Road, Ocha Thai is quietly confident: an unassuming storefront that masks high quality Thai cuisine and friendly service. The tamarind sauce in their pad thai (from $16.99) has a unique taste, slightly more sour than similar restaurants, while the green curry (from $17.59) is rich with a healthy helping of bamboo shoots. Their basil fried rice (from $16.99) is a standout – crispy, flavourful, and perfectly spiced, it’s hard not to scoff it down. A nice cold accompaniment to the hot meals is their freshly made Thai lemon iced tea ($6), aromatic and refreshing.

WINE: JOHN DUVAL 2022 CONCILIO GRENACHE

I’d never heard the word Concilio before when I tried a glass of John Duval’s Concilio Grenache ($34). I’m the kind of wine drinker who loves a bit of backstory with my glass because let’s be honest, the tale behind a wine can be just as capti­vating as its flavour profile.

So I pulled out my trusty friend Google, because really, what is a Concilio? I wondered if it might be an Italian brand of concealer. Far from it, though the word is indeed Italian. A Concilio is a council meeting, particularly a religious one. And I’ve got to say, this wine definitely calls for a council of sorts – one to sing its praises!

This bottle, which is 86% Grenache and 14% Shiraz, hails from the Barossa Valley in South Australia. The grapes are grown on the Duval family’s five-generation farm, and the result is a wine packed with black fruit, blackcurrant, and blackberry flavours. It’s on the bold side and unapologetically delicious. The Grenache’s pure fruit character really shines through. A fun fact about John – he was the head win­emaker at Penfolds for many years and was responsible for making their super premium Grange label each vintage.

If you have any interesting wine recommendations for us please let us know at editor@thehobartmaga­zine.com.au. For research purposes, of course.

Set the vibe:

Wine: Concilio Grenache from John Duval

Music: Sympathy is a knife by Charli XCX

Food: Chinese-style slow-braised beef

When: Dusk