Well. This was my inauguration for my time as a member of the Darwin Foodies team. And what an introduction it was. Tuan's first proclamation as we stumbled out onto Mitchell Street , clutching our stomachs was "Don't get used to that!". I know better than to believe this would be the norm for a Darwin Foodie; this was what a food tragic like me imagines the life of Matt Preston or Alan Richman to be: days full of delightful morsels and charming food chatter. We were greeted by The Hilton and Doubletree Darwin's bubbly Marketing Executive, Rebecca.

The experience started right away as we were whisked into the new Mitchell's Bar & Grill (previously known as Red Salt). We were promptly introduced to the Food & Beverage Manager for The Hilton. We later learnt that he is an import from the UK, the home of silver service; evident in his disposition. He took our umbrellas and drink orders and ushered us to an immaculately set table, resplendent with white napery and a candlelit centrepiece. Robert, The Hilton Darwin's personable Operations Manager soon joined us and lunch was underway. Rebecca and Robert explained that their new local seafood menu is filling a gaping hole in the Darwin food scene. A long-term local who is a self-confessed fish-snob, I agree that there is a huge opportunity for good quality, local seafood. I don't even mind how much I am paying for it, but value for money is definitely a must-do.

Mitchell's promises a range of local NT and Australian seafood. Here goes. A nice touch was the involvement of the Head Chef, Akash and Sous Chef, Gaurang in presentation of the dishes, along with an explanation of the elements on each plate. They were beaming with pride, which was just lovely to see.

First up was a towering tasting plate of NT Local Seafood Soup ($15), Grilled NT Banana Prawn Salad ($15), Tasmanian Smoked Salmon Terrine ($16) and Barramundi Fish Cakes (not on the menu). Each element was presented beautifully, individually and as a whole. The soup isn't my kind of thing, but it had a delicious, rich yet fresh seafood and tomato flavour. The adaptation of the prawn salad was the highlight of the starters for me. Perfectly cooked prawns and a gorgeous zingy aioli. The barramundi fish cakes were a pleasant adaptation of the familiar thai fish cakes. They were packed with flavour and perfectly cooked.

The smoked salmon terrine, is exactly what you would expect. A classic combination of smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers, matched with a lovely fresh housemade rye bread.

Salivating, we were eager to move onto the next course. After a short wait, out came the next three dishes. The Australian Calamari Salad ($16) was light and tasty. We agreed neither of us had ever had such well cooked, tender squid. Gaurang let the secret slip, but don't worry - it's safe with us! The papaya, coriander and mint salad accompanying the perfect calamari was a little underwhelming. I'm used to the power punch of a market-style paw paw salad, and this was a much more delicate flavour. That said, we were quite impressed to hear that Mitchell's are attempting to source all ingredients locally - if not in the NT, definitely Australian.

A standard for any good seafood menu is seared scallops. Mitchell's Seared Australian Scallops ($19.50) was a great example of this staple. The scallops were seared to perfection and the salsa verde with corn and capsicum were an interesting pairing. I'm not a huge fan of corn kernels, but there was a nice fresh-Mex flavour to this dish.

Grilled NT Tiger Prawns ($29) were huge and juicy. Perfectly cooked and I was pleased to see them served with their heads and tails still intact. A super simple dish, but no need mess with the perfection of prawns, right?

I gathered my belongings, expecting to be heading out the door after two splendid courses. Uh-uh! Here comes a third seafood course. The main event. The fish! This is what I really came for. I have grown up with a fisherman Father, and struggle to eat fish that is anything less than perfect. I am absolutely, 100% a fish snob, as one should be, growing up surrounded by a bountiful supply in the Top End. I can hardly say that they beat Dad's cooked-on-the-day-they-were-caught Golden Snapper, but I was definitely impressed.

The Seared Atlantic Salmon ($25) is the only item on the menu the Chef concedes is non-Australian. However, a genuine commitment to delivering the best quality seafood on offer is a good enough explanation for me. The skin was absolutely snap, crackle and pop. Divine. Tuan and I joked that Salmon skin, when done correctly is the "crackling of the sea". If we're using that analogy, this crackling is comparable to the crunchiest, most flavoursome pork crackling you could find. I don't normally eat fish skin, even when it's crispy, but this was exceptional. Give me a bowl of that skin and a n ice-cold beer on a Sunday afternoon and I would be a happy lady! The sides of mash potato and peas were tasty, though if I'm being picky, the peas could have done with a tad more seasoning. Tuan commented that it was slightly overcooked for him, but it was still juicy nevertheless.

The Farmed Humpty Doo Barramundi ($26) was just as good. I'm not much of a Barra fan myself *running away from pitchforks*, but this was a wonderful surprise. And again with the skin!!! A second helping of the crackling of the sea. Really lovely, well-cooked fish with delicious ratatouille inspired vegetables.

The Whole Farmed Humpty Doo Barramundi ($28) was the last item from the seafood menu we tried. Robert explained that they had contemplated using wild-caught Barra, but wanted to support local sustainability in their menu, so selected Humpty Doo farmed Barra instead. A great choice. Unfortunately it was the least inspiring dish of the meal, as the poor little fella spent a little bit too long under the grill. That said, if we hadn't been full from the dishes that came before it, there would have been nothing stopping me from chowing through the whole fish. If whole cooked fish is your thing, it's probably worth a shot. It's worth mentioning that the fish course was accompanied by a bowl of beer battered chips and salad. The chips were devilishly crunchy and tasty. We really struggled to listening to the voices inside telling us we were full - they were really good! And there was more!

Last but not least we were served a dessert tasting plate - a selection of dishes from the Mitchell's menu. We were already so full, but unable to say no to dessert, we tucked in. And we weren't disappointed. I'm all too familiar with the scungy, crusty fruit salad hotels are known for serving in their breakfast buffets, and I needed to make sure this fruit wasn't leftover from this morning. Nup! Yummy, sweet and juicy watermelon, orange and pineapple. Haha! As if I stopped there! We also had a white chocolate and raspberry mousse and a rich chocolate mud cake. Both were delicious, but the mousse was something special. The raspberry was subtle and delicate, but definitely there. A traditional creme anglaise, it was heavier than your usual mousse, but the flavour sat nice and lightly on the palate. The cake was exactly what you would expect. Rich and fudgy, with a hint of indulgent liqueur.

I am left reflecting on a fantastic afternoon spent with The Hilton's staff and my new Darwin Foodies crew. Between courses we chatted about the changes The Hilton is making to its service here in Darwin. Amongst other things, including an updated decor, I am expecting big things from this hotel, who sound committed to providing their famous hospitality here in the Territory. With some strong local talent on their team, and a daring attitude to give things a go, I think they will do well. So, the million dollar question! Did Mitchell's Bar & Grill deliver a quality local seafood experience? Yep, they did. I can't ignore the fact we were given VIP treatment, but I feel that I would probably have enjoyed the food here even if I was paying.

If you're not a seafood fanatic, not to worry - there are some other fantastic-sounding land and garden based delights on the menu. Darwin is in desperate need of good quality, fresh, local seafood - maximising the best of the produce we have available in our beautiful part of the world - at reasonable prices. With ample supply of sustainable produce here in the Territory there is really no excuse. Mitchell's Bar & Grill has definitely set a standard, which I hope to see replicated at other favourite spots around the Top End.  

Contact details

Address: 32 Mitchell Street, Darwin (inside The Hilton hotel)
Phone: 8982 0000
Open: 7 days, 6am - 10pm
Alcohol: Licensed