Good Food and Wine Show 2011 (and your chance to WIN a Double Pass!)

It's that time of the year again.  The Good Food and Wine Show is just around the corner and I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Last year, we saw the likes of Manu Fieldel, Matt Moran, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris take to the Celebrity Stage for live performances, including the preparation of a few dishes that selected audience members got to sample.  There are also wine, coffee, and cheese appreciation sessions that I’m sure will appeal almost as much.  On the less formal side, food and food related stalls are abundant, as well as food samples, a dining area, and you can even buy books and get them autographed.  For a bit more on last year’s show, you can look at my blog post here or go to their website at http://www.goodfoodshow.com.au/.

For a couple of lucky readers, I have two free double passes to giveaway.  For your chance to win one of these, "like" The Aussie Bite’s facebook page and then “like” the Good Food and Wine Show post, and/or email us with "Good Food and Wine Show" in the header and 2 lucky winners will be randomly chosen based on entries from each category.  Entries close June 17th and winners will be announced by June the 20th, so be sure to check back to see if you have won (and claim your prize).  Tickets will be posted to the winners.

The Good Food and Wine Show is being held in Perth over the 15^th to 17^th of July, with the following sessions:

Friday 15th: 10am - 5pm

Friday 15^th (after dark): 6pm - 9.30pm

Saturday 16th: 10am - 6pm

Sunday 17th: 10am - 5pm

Five Bar, Mount Lawley

Five Bar Mount Lawley; Five Bar reviews
One fine and sunny Perth afternoon I found myself walking along the Beaufort Street cafe strip - as many of you know this is home to many cafes, restaurants and bars.  In one of those aimless strolls, I found myself in front of Five Bar and immediately thought "five what?" - Five pints of beer, five glasses of wine, or even five courses of food.  Enticing choices I know, so I went in anyway.

You may have already heard people recommending Five Bar, either for its eclectic interior, casual and cool atmosphere, or even the tapas style selection of dishes on offer.  Regardless of what people remember it for, Five Bar is one of those new boutique style bars that offers a gourmet selection of bar type foods to complement those lazy afternoon or cozy night drinks.

Lamps set across a backdrop of wallpaper

The interior of Five is a collection of styles.  The classic wallpaper, and art deco lamps and sofas help create a nice unique environment to have a casual drink or meal.  These furnishings were set amongst other parts of a warehouse pub-like interior which seemed to detract a bit from the stylish parts but as it seemed to separate the bar into distinct areas, overall I still enjoyed the atmosphere.

Comfy, classy sofa

Although Five is classified as a bar, with a full bar selection and beers on tap, Five has a good selection of tapas style dishes and a few "pub" mains (including a gourmet steak sandwich) and desserts.  Whilst the menu is written on a big blackboard on the wall, the quality of the offerings complement the stylish surrounds.

Duck and chicken rillettes - $14.50

The duck and chicken rillettes were served cold, well flavoured and tender from the cooking process.  Despite rillettes typically being slowly cooked with salt and fat, the duck and chicken rillettes were mild on the salt and didn't seem excessively fatty/oily.  However, even though the rillettes weren't bursting of salt and fat, the rillettes tasted like they had been infused with a nice subtle flavour that still allowed the natural flavours to come out.

The rillettes were served with light toasted garlic bread style baguette slices, and a blackberry and orange preserve or jam.  The texture of the broken up duck and chicken meat, which was soft and tender in the mouth, made an excellent and easy to apply topping to the bread.  The combination of the balanced duck and chicken rillettes with garlic bread was enhanced with the sweetness of the preserve.

Rare roasted beef open sandwich - $14.50

Roast beef sandwiches can be simple meals.  Five Bar takes this classic sandwich and turns it into something more without overdoing it.

The thinly sliced rare roasted beef was tender as far as sandwich style roast beef goes.  On the sandwich's salad side of things, a nice red cabbage homemade coleslaw was creamy and wasn't strong as to overpower the beef.  However, perhaps the part which I thought brought the sandwich together for me was the mustard grain and horseradish cream that was light but still noticeable on the palate and matched the roasted beef sandwich as you would expect.  Rounding out the sandwich was a dash of chives, and sliced gherkin that was subtle in pickle (and a slightly bitter) flavour.  A gourmet tapas style "roast beef sandwich".

Dark chocolate pot - $13

This “pot”, which looked like a jar that formerly contained something off the supermarket shelf, was filled with a sweet chocolate mousse based dessert.  The mousse was a very smooth typical mousse, balanced in a good level of sweetness and chocolate flavour so that it was a decadent chocolate dessert that melted smoothly and consistently in the mouth .  Topped with sugared pistachios, lightly sweetened and soft macerated strawberries and mint that were refreshing, the overall mousse was rich, and indulgent.

In summary, Five Bar offers a bar experience with gourmet bar food.  The mostly larger than tapas meal selections seem to be well thought and executed.

Points to note:  Five Bar is a bar and not a restaurant.  In addition to the staple alcoholic liquid meals, it serves mostly tapas style dishes as well as a few "pub" style dishes.  Though there some tables inside, when it's busy you may find yourself standing.

Go for:  A drink or two.  However, you get some good food selections to go with them.

Five Bar

560 Beaufort Street

Mount Lawley WA 6050

Trading Hours

Monday to Saturday - 11am to 12am

Sunday - 11am to 10pm