JANUARY: FIVE VENUES TO KNOW
A sample of the best flavours in South Australia right now...
TRAK
New to Adelaide, Mediterranean restaurant Trak combines contemporary dining with classic flavours. It’s set in the bones of the former Grimaldi’s restaurant which occupied the space inside the now defunct Trak Cinema for almost three decades. Reinvented in warm timber and olive green, it feels like a breath of fresh air in its busy Greenhill Road surrounds. As for food, Trak is the brainchild of hospitality masters Ben McLeod and Paul Tripodi, who are responsible for acclaimed restaurant, Herringbone. The menu, however, doesn’t follow the flavours and style of its sister venue – instead, expect light and bright Euro ingredients (think sweet tomato and gorgonzola tart or spring risotto with broad beans) and dishes designed to be enjoyed by a sole occupant. Delicious. Did we mention there’s dessert, too? Yes Please: Beef carpaccio with vincotto grapes, parmesan, fried anchovy and garlic.
Where: 375 Greenhill Road, Toorak Gardens
KUTI SHACK
Kuti Shack isn’t new to South Australia’s dining scene, but if you haven’t visited the ocean-facing timber restaurant, we strongly suggest you pack your car and head south this summer to try its famed Fleurieu flavours. What started as a test kitchen for Goolwa Pipi Co., Kuti Shack has become the home for seafood paired with regional, Indigenous and sustainable ingredients. (Kuti is the Ngarrindjeri word for pipi, which have been harvested in the area for more than 19,000 years!) And for our coeliac friends, there are plenty of gluten free options too! Roll through for breakfast or a long lunch between Thursday and Sunday. Yes Please: Kuti (pipis) tossed in lemongrass and warrigal chilli jam, served with thick cuts of sourdough.
Where: Goolwa Beach Carpark, Goolwa
SPREAD DELICATESSEN & BAR
Adelaide loves a humble sandwich deli. So, when the minds behind Bar Lune, Dolly and Fettle announced they’d be throwing their hat into the ring of Adelaide’s ever-growing sando specialists, crowds were keen. Since opening, their fresh paninis have lived up to the hype, but The Note also loves that Spread brings something different to the delicatessen game – evening hours where slices of bread are swapped with small plates. Grab a sando-to-go in the morning or enjoy late- night snacks inside the forest-green restaurant on Fridays and Saturdays. Yes Please: #23, the Spread Friday special: steak frites, café de Paris butter, horseradish and salsa verde.
Where: 5/246 Unley Road, Unley
FOUR SIDES BAR AND KITCHEN
At Four Side Bar and Kitchen, modern Australian cuisine is reinvented with the flavours, styles and cultures of its owners’ home countries. This neighbourhood bar opened part-way through 2023 and has remained firmly on The Note’s list of venues to rave about. A neutral colour palette, green booths and warm, overhanging lights create a cosy atmosphere for countless courses to share. Indulge in smoked potato dumplings and battered barramundi, or taste your way through the impressive wine selection. There are more than 20 tapped wines poured through an argon gas system – how cool! Yes Please: Blue crab beignets and seaweed mayonnaise
Where: 165-167 King William Road, Hyde Park
TIKI’S THAI CUISINE
This new Semaphore Park eatery is the result of owner Phatsachon ‘Tiki’ Ritnayom who craved the explosive flavours of her homeland. Resident in Adelaide for 15 years, she struggled to find a venue that did Thai food justice so she decided to open her own restaurant. Teaming up with kitchen guru Jukkit Suwannakhot, Tiki has transformed a Military Road hole-in-the-wall into an authentic Thai restaurant that honours the culinary depth and diversity of the country. Expect traditional courses like tom yum soup and pad Thai, as well as crispy pork bao buns and wagyu beef salad. Yes Please: Pla goong: prawns tossed in Asian herbs, lemon juice and fish sauce served with mixed salad and Tiki’s signature sauce.
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