Food can be like fashion. It's better to take one theme and make it big, rather than combine several themes and have it turn into a kaleidoscopic mess.

Few people can pull off the retro-yuppie-business woman-gothic look, much in the same way that few meals can pull off the Modern Australian-Mexican-Vegetarian-Italian cuisine. It just doesn't work, and more to the point - who would want it to work?

Why not pick one "flavour" and run with it?

Tasmania had been my flavour of the week. I was in the middle of reading The Sound of One Hand Clapping (a novel set in Tasmania during the 1960-80s), I had recently bought a case of Cascade beer, and although I wasn't watching a documentary on Tasmanian Tigers...I was certainly thinking about them.

It seemed only natural (detrimental in fact!) that on Friday night I dine at Tasman's Oyster Bar and Steakhouse on Crown Street. Tasman's (as the name suggests) is everything Tasmanian...the produce, the décor, the drinks and the menu (in fact the menu even goes to the effort of explaining the origin of the food).

Their consistency in theme is also paralleled with a consistency in quality. The food was truly delicious and the service was fantastic. What made it so great though, was the fact that they kept it simple. The staff were at all times pleasant and happy, and the food didn't try and be disappointingly daring. In fact the food followed the same principle as the theme of the place - they focused on one or two main flavours and made it a masterpiece.

For my main I ordered the pork ribs (a huge plate - and I ordered the smaller serving!) which were tender, meaty, perfectly cooked and overall delicious. These came alongside some thick, luscious, wholesome, tasty chips...and a simple yet interesting salad. They seemed to have a lot of other great meals ranging from their oyster and seafood selection to their steaks (probably not a vegetarian's ideal place to eat!).

I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Demis and I took our time eating and drinking and taking in the Tasmanian feel. It was a warm and comfortable place with wooden furnishings, dim lights and calming pictures of Tasmanian cliffs and waters. Management had clearly ensured that all elements of the restaurant were taken into account when creating perfect ambience.

What's more...it was unique. There's something special about an eating establishment that has picked a niche cuisine and paid a lot of attention to it - you have to respect (and try!) a place that does that.

Restaurants that jam in as many cuisines as possible may well deserve some reward...but I believe there's more courage (and possibly more class) in picking one speciality and turning that into a style of its own.