Launceston Food Trail 2024

Launceston Food Trail 2024

These were the places we visited and ate at, as regular paying customers, on the Launceston Food Trail 2024 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.

Day 1
The Basin Cafe
Mudbar Restaurant
Rupert & Hound

Day 2
Canton Restaurant Launceston
Jailhouse Grill

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Day 1
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The Basin Cafe
@ Cataract Gorge Reserve, 74 - 90 Basin Road, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia
Opening Hours: Daily 9am – 4pm
https://thebasincafe.com.au/

Located within the Cataract Gorge Reserve near its entrance and main chairlift, The Basin Cafe serves all-day breakfast, lunch, and desserts. Established in 2019 and offering spectacular views, The Basin Cafe offers a relaxing refreshment point while you enjoy the natural surroundings at this tourist attraction.

Ambience at The Basin Cafe is casual and picturesque. The spacious area boasts good natural light and gorgeous views through its glass-fronted facade, with decently comfortable furnishings for lingering meals. Service at The Basin Cafe is mostly self-service, with ordering and payment over the counter, though some orders are served while others are self-collect. Staff have little opportunity to demonstrate product knowledge, and cleaning up is done more slowly than expected. Food at The Basin Cafe is Modern Australian cuisine, featuring fresh seasonal ingredients. Dishes are of good quality and decently executed. Portions are large for individuals, and can be shared. Prices are slightly higher than elsewhere, budget about AUD $38 per person.

The Basin Cafe Facade

The Basin Cafe Menu

The Fish And Chips (AUD $26) features Blue Grenadier fish that is lightly crumb battered and deep-fried, resulting in a crisp exterior, a moist tender flaky interior, and a delicate sweet salty savoury flavour. Served with medium-cut chunky potato chips that are fluffy crisp with starchy salty savoury flavour, and a fresh crisp mesclun salad (baby spinach, rocket leaves / arugula, red onions, mizuna, sorrel, cucumber, cherry tomato) with vegetal sweet earthy herbal bitter flavour. Good!

Fish And Chips (AUD $26)

Fish And Chips

Fish And Chips

The Raspberry French Toast (AUD $22.50) features egg-coated oven-baked brioche bread that is soft fluffy with bready sweet savoury flavour, stuffed with chunky raspberry coulis and topped with fine coconut crumbs, which combine for fruity earthy floral sour sweet flavour. Garnished with a thin white chocolate mousse with milky chocolatey sweet flavour, and a medley of juicy fresh fruits (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, red apple) with fruity sweet flavour. Highly recommended!

Raspberry French Toast (AUD $22.50)

Raspberry French Toast

Raspberry French Toast

Loved the Zucchini And Corn Fritters (AUD $27), with its wholesome taste, tender chunky texture, and bright vegetal sweet earthy savoury salty flavour. The poached egg on top lends a semi-runny silky feel, and good eggy sweet flavour. Highly recommended!

Zucchini And Corn Fritters (AUD $27)

Zucchini And Corn Fritters

Zucchini And Corn Fritters

Zucchini And Corn Fritters

The Chocolate Mud Cake (AUD $9) here has a dark, dense, and gooey texture, with rich chocolatey sweet bitter flavour. Good!

Chocolate Mud Cake (AUD $9)

Chocolate Mud Cake

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Mudbar Restaurant
@ 28 Seaport Boulevard, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia
Opening Hours: Daily 11:30am – 11:59pm
https://mudbar.com.au/

Established in February 2004, Mudbar Restaurant is the in-house restaurant and bar of the Peppers Seaport Launceston. Overlooking a marina and featuring live music on weekend nights, the Mudbar Restaurant is a casual and relaxed dining destination for catching up with family or friends.

Ambience at Mudbar Restaurant is beautiful. The outdoor seating faces the marina, getting both sun and sea breeze. The live music and DJ performances take place here too. The indoor seating is cozy and intimate, befitting a luxurious restaurant. Service at Mudbar Restaurant is warm and friendly, with staff according each table good personalised attention. They demonstrate good product knowledge, and clean up efficiently after diners leave. Food at Mudbar Restaurant is Modern Fusion, but it's confusing and underwhelming in taste, with average execution, at least for the few we tried. Portions are small for individuals, poor value. Prices feel expensive, budget about AUD $74 per person. Personally, I'm not keen on returning to Mudbar Restaurant.

Mudbar Restaurant Signage

Mudbar Restaurant Entrance

Seating

Water With Lime

The Hot Chocolate (AUD $5) is rich and medium-thick, decent enough with chocolatey milky sweet flavour. Worth ordering!

Hot Chocolate (AUD $5)

The Lemon Lime Bitters (AUD $6) is suitably lively and refreshing, with fruity sour sweet zesty tangy bitter flavour, yum. Good!

Lemon Lime Bitters (AUD $6)

We enjoyed the Mudbar Fat Chips (AUD $12), served hot and properly crisp outside fluffy inside, with starchy salty savoury flavour. Good!

Mudbar Fat Chips (AUD $12)

Mudbar Fat Chips

Mudbar Fat Chips

Didn't like the Soy Garlic Chicken Wings (AUD $16) personally, too saucy, over-fried, small in portion for a sharing plate.

Soy Garlic Chicken Wings (AUD $16)

Soy Garlic Chicken Wings

Soy Garlic Chicken Wings

An average Lemon Cake (AUD $9.50), dense with an sharp sour sweet flavour. Meh.

Lemon Cake (AUD $9.50)

Lemon Cake

Lemon Cake

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Rupert & Hound
@ 30 Seaport Boulevard, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia
Opening Hours: Wed - Sun 11:30am – 4:30pm (Lunch), 5pm – 9pm (Dinner), Closed Mon - Tue
https://www.rupertandhound.com.au/

Opened in December 2019, Rupert & Hound is a casual, inclusive, family-friendly restaurant that overlooks the North Esk River waterfront, backed up with a cozy ambience, warm service, and delicious food at reasonable prices. No surprise that we loved our visit to Rupert & Hound, returning again, just like many of their other repeat customers.

Ambience at Rupert & Hound is cozy and intimate, with the warmly lit space cleverly segmented to offer good privacy for each section. Furnished comfortably, the place lends well to lingering meals. Service at Rupert & Hound is warm and friendly. Staff accord personalised attention to each table, demonstrating good product knowledge in their interactions, and they clean up efficiently when diners leave. Food at Rupert & Hound is Modern Australian cuisine, boasting fresh seasonal produce and ingredients. Dishes are well executed to restaurant standards, taste great, and are presented beautifully. Portions are large for individuals. Prices are reasonable for a restaurant, budget about AUD $57 per person.

Rupert & Hound Signage

Rupert & Hound Exterior

Rupert & Hound Interior

Rupert & Hound Projected Logo

Rupert & Hound Menu

Lighting Decor

Seating

Table Setting

The Stone Baked Ciabatta Bread (AUD $4 per piece, pictured 3 pieces for AUD $12) features small rounds of ciabatta bread, crispy firm outside and spongy soft inside, with distinct bready sweet flavour. Served with a house made sun-dried tomato butter, creamy and bursting with vegetal sour sweet buttery flavour. Interesting start to a meal. Good!

Stone Baked Ciabatta Bread (AUD $4 per piece, pictured 3 pieces for AUD $12)

Stone Baked Ciabatta Bread

The Scottsdale Pork Pancakes (AUD $19) is a unique Western Asian fusion appetizer. The base begins with chewy thin wheat pancakes with grainy sweet flavour, over which is spread a sticky hoisin sauce with earthy sweet salty flavour. Stacked with twice-cooked Scottsdale pork belly cubes drizzled with chili caramel and Japanese mayonnaise, resulting in a tender crispy juicy bite that bursts with smoky meaty salty savoury spice sweet flavour. Finished with crisp fresh spring onions and cucumbers for a juicy crunch that carries vegetal herbal sweet flavour. Wrap it all together and enjoy. Good!

Scottsdale Pork Pancakes (AUD $19)

Scottsdale Pork Pancakes

Scottsdale Pork Pancakes

The Tasmanian Scallops With Capsicum Aioli (AUD $25) features bouncy rounds of pan-seared Bass Strait scallops, carrying lovely smoky sweet savoury flavour. Served over a bed of chunky chorizo jam and creamy capsicum and chili pepper aioli, bursting with meaty vegetal salty spice sweet flavour. Finished with crisp micro greens for a visual freshness and vegetal herbal sweet flavour. Highly recommended!

Tasmanian Scallops With Capsicum Aioli (AUD $25)

Tasmanian Scallops With Capsicum Aioli

Tasmanian Scallops With Capsicum Aioli

Featured on the new seasonal menu, the Rannoch Farm Coal Valley Quail (AUD $24) has a locally-sourced quail, char-grilled till tender and juicy with smoky meaty savoury salty flavour. Served over a bed of thick sweet potato puree, which lends pleasant vegetal earthy sweet flavour, and crisp soft house made potato rosti, which lends bold starchy salty savoury flavour. Completed with crumbly goat's cheese with mild milky cheesy sweet flavour, a Chinese 5-spice jus, and crisp micro greens for a visual freshness and vegetal herbal sweet flavour. Worth ordering!

Rannoch Farm Coal Valley Quail (AUD $24)

Rannoch Farm Coal Valley Quail

Rannoch Farm Coal Valley Quail

The Scottsdale Pork Belly (AUD $38) features a large Scottsdale pork belly slab twice-cooked in the house stock till it achieves a tender crispy juicy texture, carrying smoky meaty salty savoury flavour. Served with tender confit potatoes with starchy sweet salty flavour, a bed of creamy smooth mashed potatoes with starchy savoury sweet buttery flavour, and tender roasted carrots with vegetal sweet earthy flavour; the latter 2 being seasonal ingredients that deviate from the menu description. A jar of red wine jus is served on the side, meant to be poured over to lend earthy bitter sweet savoury flavour to the dish. Completed with fresh crisp micro greens. Good!

Scottsdale Pork Belly (AUD $38)

Scottsdale Pork Belly

Scottsdale Pork Belly

The Saffron & Tomato Beef Ragu (AUD $38) has minced beef slow cooked in tomato passata and saffron till tender and juicy, infused with meaty savoury vegetal sweet spice flavour. Served over wide flat fettuccini pasta noodles, chewy with grainy sweet flavour, picking up the beef ragu well. Garnished with fresh parsley, shaved parmesan cheese, and crumbly pangrattato / bread crumbs, lending combined vegetal cheesy salty bready sweet herbal bitter flavour. Good!

Saffron & Tomato Beef Ragu (AUD $38)

Saffron & Tomato Beef Ragu

The Grass-Fed Beef Eye Fillet (AUD $52) has 250g of grass-fed beef eye fillet steak char-grilled to your choice of doneness; we opted for medium-rare and it was perfect, tender chewy juicy in texture with deep smoky meaty savoury salty flavour. Placed over a house made crushed potato cake, which was tender soft in texture with starchy salty savoury flavour. Completed with firm crunchy grilled broccolini with smoky vegetal earthy grassy sweet herbal flavour, and crisp potato strings with starchy salty savoury flavour. Highly recommended!

Grass-Fed Beef Eye Fillet (AUD $52)

Grass-Fed Beef Eye Fillet

Grass-Fed Beef Eye Fillet

Grass-Fed Beef Eye Fillet

Loved the Fisherman's Favourites (AUD $36), which is a basket of crumb-battered fried seafood, comprising tender flaky gummy shark, bouncy salt and pepper calamari squid, and springy scallops, all with respective sweet savoury salty spice flavour. The fresh crisp house salad on the side is a medley of mesclun and coleslaw, with bright vegetal milky sweet bitter herbal earthy flavour. Completed with medium cut potato chips, crisp fluffy with starchy salty savoury flavour. Highly recommended!

Fisherman's Favourites (AUD $36)

Fisherman's Favourites

Fisherman's Favourites

Fisherman's Favourites

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Day 2
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Canton Restaurant Launceston
@ 203 Charles Street, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia
Opening Hours: Tue - Fri 12pm – 2pm (Lunch), 5pm – 9pm (Dinner), Sat 5pm – 10pm, Sun 5pm – 9pm, Closed Mon
https://www.cantonrestaurant.com.au/

Established in 1961 and run by the 3rd generation of the family today, the Canton Restaurant Launceston is the city's longest-serving Chinese restaurant. Well-known for their veritable range of dishes and heritage taste, Canton Restaurant Launceston is a dining destination of choice for many locals.

Ambience at Canton Restaurant Launceston is traditional and functional. The brightly lit place has decently comfortable modern furnishings, with simple touches of oriental decor. However, the facade looks plain and unassuming. Service at Canton Restaurant Launceston is friendly, with staff greeting and seating guests quickly, demonstrating keen insight on the menu. I note they clean up efficiently when diners leave, and manage queues well. Big thanks to our server Evelyn, who was polite and kind, very helpful! Food at Canton Restaurant Launceston is mostly traditional Chinese Cantonese and Chinese Mandarin cuisine, though they also have a small selection of modern fusion dishes as well. Dishes are well executed using time-tested family recipes, and are consistently tasty. Portions are sized for communal group dining. Prices are reasonable for a restaurant, budget about AUD $48 per person.

Canton Restaurant Launceston Signage

Canton Restaurant Launceston Exterior

Canton Restaurant Launceston Interior

Seating

Their Hot And Sour Soup (AUD $11) is thick and gloopy in texture, properly tangy zesty sour savoury earthy spice in taste, though it's not as spicy as I'd hoped. I note their rendition of hot and sour soup includes tender bamboo shoots, crunchy black fungus / wood ear fungus, wispy chicken eggs, soft tofu bean curd, toasted sesame oil, black vinegar, corn starch, and spring onions. Worth ordering!

Hot And Sour Soup (AUD $11)

Hot And Sour Soup

The Egg Flower & Tofu Soup (AUD $10) is so comforting, with its thick gloopy texture and bright eggy sweet savoury vegetal flavour. Appears that their rendition of egg flower and tofu soup, or egg drop soup, includes wispy chicken eggs, soft tofu bean curd, juicy corn kernels, tender carrots, bouncy peas, corn starch, and spring onions. Good!

Egg Flower & Tofu Soup (AUD $10)

Egg Flower & Tofu Soup

The Satay Beef (AUD $30.50) carries lovely nutty savoury sweet meaty vegetal flavours, with combined tender crunchy textures. The seasoned beef strips, sliced bell peppers / capsicum, sliced white onions, julienned carrots, and spring onions, are well coated in the thick satay gravy. Good!

Satay Beef (AUD $30.50)

Satay Beef

The Stewed Duck With Mushrooms (AUD $39) is a hearty and full flavoured dish. A half duck is braised with bouncy shiitake mushrooms and crisp bok choy / Chinese cabbage in soy sauce and herbs till the duck meat is tender and fall-off-the-bone, carrying robust meaty salty herbal sweet vegetal savoury earthy flavour. Good!

Stewed Duck With Mushrooms (AUD $39)

Stewed Duck With Mushrooms

The Salted Fish, Chicken And Tofu Claypot (AUD $29) is a soulful, comforting dish. Features cubes of soft silken tofu bean curd, tender sliced chicken breast, crunchy julienned carrots, and chewy salted fish chunks, served in a claypot with a garnish of spring onions. Combined, this hold robust salty savoury grainy vegetal sweet flavour, pairs well with white rice. Highly recommended!

Salted Fish, Chicken And Tofu Claypot (AUD $29)

Salted Fish, Chicken And Tofu Claypot

The Stir-Fried String Beans (AUD $23) features fresh crunchy string beans simply stir-fried with garlic, resulting in bright vegetal sweet spice flavour. Generous sharing portion, enjoyed this with white rice. Good!

Stir-Fried String Beans (AUD $23)

Stir-Fried String Beans

Stir-Fried String Beans

The Steamed Snapper Fish In Superior Soy Sauce (AUD $36 for 500g, Market Price) was decent enough, but as this was a special order, it appears the kitchen doesn't have ample practise executing this, as it was steamed too long. The snapper fish also feels slightly older, with the fish meat clinging to the bone. The soy sauce gravy was tasty though. Could be improved.

Steamed Snapper Fish In Superior Soy Sauce (AUD $36 for 500g, Market Price)

Steamed Snapper Fish In Superior Soy Sauce

Steamed Snapper Fish In Superior Soy Sauce

The House Special (AUD $31.50) is a combination platter of 3 of their most popular dishes. The Sweet And Sour Pork has tender chewy juicy battered boneless pork, glazed with thick sticky sweet and sour gravy, carrying an addictive sweet sour savoury flavour, extremely tasty. Highly recommended!

The Cashew Chicken features tender boneless chicken slices, tender carrots, crunchy celery, juicy baby corn, and firm cashew nuts, glazed with a gloopy chicken stock gravy, resulting in a bold meaty sweet vegetal bitter savoury salty nutty flavour, yum. Highly recommended!

The Fried Rice is a house favourite, saw so many people ordering it. But it didn't quite appeal to me.

House Special (AUD $31.50)

Sweet And Sour Pork

Cashew Chicken

Fried Rice

House Special

Loved the Deep-Fried Ice Cream (AUD $12), a rare find of a dessert. The creamy smooth ball of vanilla ice cream is enveloped in a crispy crumb batter that's deep-fried till golden. Bite in, and you first get the bready savoury flavour of the crust, then the floral earthy milky sweet flavour of the ice cream. Utterly delicious, would return again for this. Highly recommended!

Deep-Fried Ice Cream (AUD $12)

Deep-Fried Ice Cream

Deep-Fried Ice Cream

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Jailhouse Grill
@ 32 Wellington Street, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia
Opening Hours: Daily 12pm – 2:30pm (Lunch), 5pm – 9:30pm (Dinner)
https://jailhousegrill.com.au/

The bastion of a 140-year old tradition, the Jailhouse Grill continues to offer locally-sourced beef steaks and seafood, set in a restored 1800s building constructed with bricks hand made by convicts of old. A popular steakhouse renowned for their charcoal-grilled steaks and free-flow salad bar (with any mains purchased), the Jailhouse Grill naturally requires advance reservations, else, it's difficult to get seats just by walking in.

Ambience at Jailhouse Grill is cozy and intimate, the cramped space packed with large wooden furnishings and booths, lit low and warm. There's a playful convict theme feel. The place is almost always packed, and the atmosphere is buzzing. Service at Jailhouse Grill is polite and attentive, the chirpy staff engaging diners and demonstrating good insights on the menu and drinks list. They introduce dishes as they serve, and clean up efficiently when diners leave. Food at Jailhouse Grill is traditional British English cuisine, focused on beef steaks and seafood, as well as salads from the free-flow salad bar with any mains purchased. Portions are large for individuals. Prices are reflective of a fine dining restaurant, budget about AUD $63 per person.

Jailhouse Grill Signage

Jailhouse Grill Exterior

Jailhouse Grill Interior

Seating

Jailhouse Grill Menu

Salad Bar

Grilling

Grilling

Grilling

Brought our own Whisky Taverner's Tasmanian Honey Mead ($6 per bottle BYO corkage), an award-winning mead made from a blend of single malt Tasmanian whisky and 8-year old Tasmanian honey mead featuring locally-produced Tasmanian honey, produced by Australian Honey Products & Sheffield Honey Farm in Sheffield, Tasmania, Australia. Always served chilled, this mead has a thick viscous smooth mouthfeel, a copper bronze brown colour, with aromas and tastes of honey, muscat green grapes, orange peel, and caramel, a beautiful bouquet of fruity candied honeyed sweet boozy flavours. A fantastic whisky to drink neat, or paired with ice cream.

Whisky Taverner's Tasmanian Honey Mead ($6 per bottle BYO corkage)

Whisky Taverner's Tasmanian Honey Mead

Whisky Taverner's Tasmanian Honey Mead

My personal Selection From Salad Bar (AUD $Complimentary With 1 Main Dish Ordered Per Person). There's Waldorf Salad, with juicy red apples, crisp lettuce, crunchy celery, and firm walnuts, dressed in creamy mayonnaise, carrying fruity sweet vegetal bitter nutty flavour. There's Lettuce & Bacon Salad, with fresh crisp lettuce and crispy pork bacon bits, resulting in a vegetal sweet meaty salty savoury flavour. There's Potato Salad, with chilled boiled tender baby potatoes coated in a light creamy mayonnaise, having lovely starchy milky sweet savoury flavour.

There's crunchy fresh Coleslaw, a blend of julienned purple cabbage, carrots, red onion, and cabbage, with vegetal sour sweet flavour. There's Burrata Salad, with a small round of creamy burrata cheese with milky cheesy sweet flavour and a bed of fresh crisp rocket leaves / arugula with vegetal bitter herbal sweet flavour. There's Pasta Salad which features al-dente chewy penne pasta tubes tossed in oregano, white vinegar, and creamy mayonnaise, resulting in grainy milky sour sweet herbal flavour. While the free-flow salad bar features about 25 or so varieties of salads, these 6 salads I tried were all delicious, and I enjoyed every bite. Highly recommended!

Selection From Salad Bar (AUD $Complimentary With 1 Main Dish Ordered Per Person)

Selection From Salad Bar

The Beef Scotch Fillet (AUD $49) or Beef Ribeye steak, is a 300g cut that has equal parts meat and fat, chunky and thick. Grilled to a perfect medium-rare doneness by compressing it over the charcoal fire grill with a cast-iron meat press, the beef ribeye steak is tender and juicy and succulent, carrying smoky meaty savoury salty flavour. Served with tender roast potatoes on the side, carrying smoky starchy salty savoury flavour. Finished with a knob of creamy garlic butter, which lends an addictive milky savoury salty spice flavour. Highly recommended!

Beef Scotch Fillet (AUD $49)

Beef Scotch Fillet

A traditional but increasingly uncommon dish, the Carpet Bag Steak (AUD $55) features a tender juicy succulent beef scotch fillet / beef ribeye steak that's stuffed with fresh seafood, in this case, juicy oysters and bouncy scallops. Steaming hot when you cut in, the combined smoky meaty savoury salty briny sweet flavour is tantalising. Served with tender roast potatoes on the side, carrying smoky starchy salty savoury flavour. Finished with wispy alfalfa sprouts for added vegetal herbal bitter flavour, yum. Highly recommended!