With our Cradle Mountain plans cancelled due to poor weather conditions, we suddenly had to find a nice spot for dinner (the original plan was Mcdonalds 😂). And after yesterday’s dismay at Mudbar Restaurant LINK, getting a reservation at hatted restaurant Grain of Silos was a blessing. This is a modern Australian restaurant located inside Peppers Silo Hotel and delivers food from paddock to plate.
entrée
Mick is in a potato obsession right now and I’m all for it 😍. This potato and onion gratin with black garlic emulsion for $10 each was exquisite. It had more texture than Mudbar’s potato, but it still was not anything like Heston’s layered potato. The crispy batter was done well, and the black garlic and salty flavour was delicious.
The flavours of this pigs cheek croquette, fermented cabbage, apple and green sauce was balanced and amazing. For $12, we got a smack of savoury fatty pork, sour cabbage and refreshingly sweet apple.
We shared a beef short rib roll, gem lettuce, house pickle and mayo for $15. The bread was a soft ‘brioche’ texture, with the fluffiest bed. The beef short rib was tender, with a generous amount of jus sauce.
This was the beef tartare, truffle emulsion, shallot, pear and Jerusalem artichoke chips for $26. The tartare was chunky, with a hint of lemon. The chips were crispy, and a good salty balance to the creamy layers. The truffle flavour was subtle.
The market fish crudo, salted turnip, grape, strawberry kosho and buttermilk was market price ($27) and presented beautifully. The fish was very fresh, elevated by the creamy butter sauce and highlighted by the sweet pieces of grape and crunchy turnip.
This was a white asparagus dish that I cannot see on the menu anymore, but it had parsley and bread crumbs on top, with a creamy emulsion that tasted cheesy and savoury. It was so good, we were licking the plate clean. And it was our first time trying white asparagus. It was a lot more mild and did not have a strong bitter aftertaste like its green counterpart.
Main Course
For our mains, we got the market fish, asparagus, mushroom, watercress, cider butter sauce. Again, the fish was extremely fresh with the softest texture. I don’t think we could get fish any fresher. The accompanied vegetables and sauce complemented the protein well, with earthiness, savouriness and a touch of bitterness.
When in Tasmania, always get lamb because the grass is greener. This was the lamb rump, garlic yogurt, farm green, chimichurri and jus. This lamb lived a good life because it was sooooo tender. There was a nice smokey flavour to the bite, and it was not gamey at all. Paired with the bright chimchurri, the tart of jus and the richness of the yogurt, this was simply an amazing dish 🤤.
Our last main dish was this pork chop, potato cream, shallot, cimi de rape, jus for $52. The pork was flavorful and tender, with a finely crispy crust (no surprise on quality). The mash potato was soooo creamy, I couldn’t get enough of it.
Dessert
We got the earl grey tea cake, whipped lavender panna cotta, preserved apricot, toasted buckwheat for $16. This was fruity, mildly sweet and delicious. The earl grey flavour was moderate.
Service
The service was great. The staff were very friendly, with light-hearted attitudes and helpful recommendations for our Tasmanian trip.
Review
We were so glad we stumbled upon Grain of the Silos for the last part of our Launceston trip because this dinner made our experience a whole lot better (bad weather, cancelled Cradle Mountain, average Mudbar experience). Overall, we loved the flavours, quality and service and recommend this restaurant!
Thanks for reading! Happy eating!
Thanks for reading! Happy eating!
