Welcome to The Rice Corner, where every dish tells a story.
At 22 Francis Street in Battery Point, rice is more than a staple in every dish – it’s a symbol of family tradition.
Meet Carl, Tommy and Kaye – the masterminds behind your new fave Battery Point local.
🍜 From Southeast Asia to Battery Point
Carl, from Da Nang in Vietnam, and Tommy, from Chanthaburi in Eastern Thailand – together, their dishes are bringing the soul of their homelands to your table in Battery Point.
You might recognise Carl from his other venues around Hobart, like Ozus Coffee in Battery Point and The Parcel Café in New Town. Or the OG’s will remember him from the former eatery Banh Mi n’ Grill.
And Tommy and Kaye – who you may have seen at markets, the Winter Feast and the Taste of Summer at their stall, Tummy Thai. Or their previous café, The Wild on Collins Street.
Three hospitality veterans whose paths crossed through markets, festivals and a mutual love of feeding people well.
“We were both attending a wedding at the chapel next door (in Battery Point), and Carl said, ‘Give me a call tomorrow, I’ve got an idea!” Tommy tells us.
🍚 Rice – A Dish That Brings Everyone Together
They thought about what brings both their cultures together, and the answer was simple – rice!
“Rice is something we eat every day in Southeast Asia. It’s a symbol of time for dinner with family and friends.”
They wanted to recreate the atmosphere of their classic family dinners back home,
“In our cultures, when we greet people, we don’t say ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’, we say ‘Ăn cơm chưa?’ (Vietnamese) or ‘Kin khao ayung?’ (Thai) which means ‘Have you eaten rice yet?’”, Carl told us.
The team wanted Rice Corner to recreate that feeling of a family dinner: shared dishes, comforting aromas, and the warmth of gathering around something familiar.
📖 A Menu With a Backstory
“We chose the menu very carefully, we have a deep love for our food in our cultures, and we really wanted to showcase different parts of our cultures in the menu”, Carl said.
They’re serving up specialty dishes that you don’t always see at your standard Thai or Vietnamese restaurant,
“When people think about Vietnamese food, they think Pho or Banh Mi, and Thai only Tom Yum or Pad Thai, but we’re showing different parts of our countries. Each part has different ways of cooking and different cuisines”.
Tommy picked dishes from very specific parts of Thailand, like Fish Phra-Prah and Duck Larb from the north, and Pad Thai from Chantaburi, his hometown in Eastern Thailand.
Carl chose a popular dish in the north, Bun Cha from Hanoi, and Banh Khot from Vũng Tàu in the south, a crispy, sizzling Vietnamese savoury pancake with tiger prawns.
“Every single page has a story to tell about what we’re doing on the menu — the history and the meaning behind each dish.”
🏮 The Tiny Details
Rice Corner is designed to immerse you: visually, emotionally and (most importantly) deliciously.
“When you walk in, it feels like you’re walking into another country… or for us, coming home,” Tommy says.
Carl adds, “We tell our story in the food, the atmosphere, the smells, everything. Most of what you see here is from our home countries. It reminds us of home”.
🥢 Casual dining with a lotta heart
For Battery Point, Rice Corner brings something fresh: casual, late‑night Southeast Asian dining.
“We know people are looking for something good to eat at night,” Carl says. “If you’re travelling, maybe you’ve had fine dining, but you also want something comforting that fills your belly.”
They also hope to host monthly collaborations with other Hobart chefs, a cultural exchange through cooking.
From this week, Rice Corner are starting their lunch service, offering a simple but authentic noodle and rice bar.
“Still true to our style, just the everyday meals we’d have back home”.
So step inside, and you’ll see: Rice Corner isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a love letter from Vietnam and Thailand, where every dish arrives hot, honest and full of heart.
Book your table now!