tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11864913929886018042024-03-14T13:10:33.105+08:00The Aussie Bite - Perth and Australian restaurant reviews and food blogsAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-29346702153530549292013-03-01T18:53:00.000+08:002013-03-01T18:53:03.445+08:00Emma's Dim Sum - Cafe Delight, NorthbridgeI really enjoy the Cantonese cuisine that is Dim Sum. Being able to sample small portions of a large variety of dishes - be it dumplings, buns, squid tentacles or rice flour rolls - keeps things exciting for me. However, whilst Dim Sum restaurants are probably quite well-known to cater for lunch, there is a growing number of restaurants that also serve it for dinner.<br />
<br />
Emma's Dim Sum - Cafe Delight in Northbridge is one of these.<br />
<br />
So whether it's open at lunch time or night time, Emma's will serve Dim Sum a la carte. However, if you decide you don't want Dim Sum at night after all - or even a mix, Emma's also serves more 'normal' Chinese dinner menu dishes too.<br />
<br />
Like virtually all Dim Sum restaurants, the prices for the dishes are worked out according to a size legend they can change over time. The prices at the time I went were as follows:<br />
<ul>
<li>S = $4</li>
<li>M = $4.50</li>
<li>L = $4.90</li>
<li>XL = $5.90</li>
<li>XXL - $8</li>
</ul>
You can order whatever dishes you want, and they will tally up all the costs in the bill to work out your total cost.<br />
<br />
I also should make a quick mention of the service. We went on a quiet night, where there were only a couple of other tables and there were two waitstaff present. Despite the ratio which would make you think you should have very quick and efficient service, the waitstaff were not attentive and at times seemed to prefer to amuse each other more than see if customers needed anything. Saying that, the staff were quite friendly when they did attend to you - it's just that you may have to waive them down a lot if you experience the same as what we did.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZL2RT1U6_c/UM3Zf0hX-DI/AAAAAAAAEIw/6Uv70EfT_lc/s1600/DSC00047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZL2RT1U6_c/UM3Zf0hX-DI/AAAAAAAAEIw/6Uv70EfT_lc/s1600/DSC00047.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Deep fried salt & pepper squid tentacles - XXL</span></div>
<br />
These deep fried squid tentacles were fried tender on the inside, and in some parts crispy on the outside. The squid was seasoned with chilli, pepper and an amount of salt that made this dish (for me) salty.<br />
<br />
This was a reasonable take on this popular dish, but at a reasonably high price.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eF4Uxfszo54/UM3ZnMqzxRI/AAAAAAAAEI4/zzLtic44Vi0/s1600/DSC00051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eF4Uxfszo54/UM3ZnMqzxRI/AAAAAAAAEI4/zzLtic44Vi0/s1600/DSC00051.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Steamed siu mai & fish roe - L</span></div>
<br />
These siu mai dumplings came out looking like the normal porked based wrapped in wonton pastry dumplings they are meant to be, but they did look a little pale inside.<br />
<br />
Although flavoured quite moderately (i.e. not bland nor too salty) with a noticeable amount of sesame oil, the dumplings seemed quite fatty with a very soft clumpy texture inside as opposed to a chunkier and meatier blend with noticeable chunks of meat and even prawns. I wasn't very impressed with these dumplings due to that fact but otherwise it was flavoured ok.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--tJWycZneiU/UM3ZyNdKVDI/AAAAAAAAEJA/O1IXJ3f2vA8/s1600/DSC00053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--tJWycZneiU/UM3ZyNdKVDI/AAAAAAAAEJA/O1IXJ3f2vA8/s1600/DSC00053.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Steamed prawn dumplings - L</span></div>
<br />
These steamed prawn dumplings were the normal chopped prawn filling, wrapped in a rice flour pastry. The prawn mix inside was moderately seasoned (again not bland nor too salty) and again with noticeable sesame oil. Compared to other places I've been to, the dumplings were on the medium to smaller size.<br />
<br />
Overall they weren't too bad but there wasn't anything special about these dumplings.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IS7HMefWkFk/UM3Z4SLt0RI/AAAAAAAAEJI/pOyPK8zPmQw/s1600/DSC00055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IS7HMefWkFk/UM3Z4SLt0RI/AAAAAAAAEJI/pOyPK8zPmQw/s1600/DSC00055.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Deep fried prawn dumplings with mayonnaise - XL</span></div>
<br />
These dumplings looked OK from the outset. To start with, biting into these dumplings was met with a nice crunchy exterior - a good start if you ask me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kb9jPtnPw60/UM3aNntmWsI/AAAAAAAAEJg/_opYIotYh3U/s1600/DSC00061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kb9jPtnPw60/UM3aNntmWsI/AAAAAAAAEJg/_opYIotYh3U/s1600/DSC00061.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Going in further, revealed a bit of a different story (at least for me) as the filling was like a fat mixed-in prawn mince seasoned moderately and with sesame oil - the mince seemingly really smooth and as opposed to containing big chunks of nice prawns that I prefer.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PXWTMGBgiTs/UM3aEN8L5fI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/s5RC_noezi8/s1600/DSC00057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PXWTMGBgiTs/UM3aEN8L5fI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/s5RC_noezi8/s1600/DSC00057.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Pan fried Beijing pork dumplings - L</span></div>
<br />
This dumpling was pan-fried, giving it a nice grill-like taste. The pastry used was a more floury type of pastry and the thickness at a couple of millimetres thick was enough to give it a slightly doughy taste.<br />
<br />
Inside the dumpling was minced pork mixed with a bit of crunchy water chestnuts as well as chives (with the latter two ingredients adding good texture and to break up the meaty dumpling filling). The dumpling seemed to be lightly seasoned, by itself it seemed a bit bland in terms of seasoning (including light levels of salt). However, the dumpling is served with Chinese vinegar - the sour taste going really well with the dumpling and making it overall enjoyable.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mA-Bf8a3n8A/UM3aI_7mh0I/AAAAAAAAEJY/PC2ts8HXin4/s1600/DSC00059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mA-Bf8a3n8A/UM3aI_7mh0I/AAAAAAAAEJY/PC2ts8HXin4/s1600/DSC00059.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Pan fried radish cake - L (comes with three slabs, two pictured)</span></div>
<br />
This pan fried radish cake was a pretty standard starchy (rice flour) cake, with mild flavours of chinese radish, and salty and sweet preserved sausage. The radish cake was pan fried with oil giving a very light crispy exterior and a nice pan-fried flavour. The overall radish cake wasn't overly oily or salty though which was a big plus for me. Overall, I was quite satisfied with this dish.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> You can have dim sum pretty much any time of the day including for dinner; seasoning in good moderation<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> Quite a few dishes didn't seem up to scratch; the service is not attentive<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note: </b>There is a dim sum menu as well as a 'main course dish' menu; you may want to check ahead as to what their opening hours are - they may have changed<br />
<br />
<b>Emma's Dim Sum Cafe Delight</b><br />
168 Newcastle Street<br />
NORTHBRIDGE WA 6003<br />
(08) 9328 9388
<br /><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1689475/restaurant/Perth/Emmas-Dim-Sum-Cafe-Delight-Northbridge"><img alt="Emma's Dim Sum - Cafe Delight on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1689475/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:104px;height:34px" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-77467928485328693102013-02-05T17:59:00.000+08:002013-02-05T23:18:04.162+08:00V Burger Bar, Victoria Park and FloreatI have a friend who loves burgers. He could eat burgers every day. Mind you he also loves pizzas, Japanese food - actually he just loves food :-)<br />
<br />
So with that friend, we make our way to all sorts of gourmet pizza and burger joints, so much so that I often say "let's eat something else". On this occasion though, we ended up agreeing to try out V Burger Bar for a burger and chips.<br />
<br />
V Burger Bar has two branches - one in Victoria Park, the other newer location in Floreat. Like many other burger joints, V Burger bar is a casual diner with simple indoor and al fresco dining and a counter up front where you place and pay for your order. Alternatively, of course you can grab a burger or two to go.<br />
<br />
Similar to other burger joints, V Burger Bar has an extensive menu of burgers to cater for beef eaters, chicken eaters, fish eaters, and vegetarians (with vegans having the ability to ask for vegetarian options or even the salad options without cheese and potentially the aioli). The main menu is supplemented with side options such as chips, onion rings, and salt and pepper calamari. V Burger Bar isn't licensed, but they do have a selection of drinks and soft drinks on offer.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GNqvIWefiAQ/UPK4EJmuWdI/AAAAAAAAEUM/s4VoSnSN4yE/s1600/DSC00089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GNqvIWefiAQ/UPK4EJmuWdI/AAAAAAAAEUM/s4VoSnSN4yE/s1600/DSC00089.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Full Blooded Aussie - $14.50</span></div>
<br />
Take a soft white bun and fill it with a beef patty, melted cheddar, beetroot, egg, bacon, cos lettuce and BBQ sauce.<br />
<br />
The burger was what you expect from the combination of beef with fried egg, bacon, cheese, completed with the sweet beetroot and tangy BBQ sauce. The burger was juicy, to the extent it dripped a lot and was a bit sloppy to eat. Otherwise, it was a decent take on the bacon, egg and beetroot Aussie burger - just with a lot of flavour with the sauces and seasoning.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pBHI6J1uv4k/UPK4MknyXqI/AAAAAAAAEUU/mvRIhBl924Q/s1600/DSC00085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pBHI6J1uv4k/UPK4MknyXqI/AAAAAAAAEUU/mvRIhBl924Q/s1600/DSC00085.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Blue Mushy - $15</span></div>
<br />
The Blue Mushy was a soft white bun filled with prime beef, blue cheese, grilled mushroom, tomato, onion, mixed gourmet lettuce and aioli.<br />
<br />
I'm sure the blue referred to the blue cheese, and the mushy referred to the mushrooms. However, upon eating the burger the word "mushy" seemed to take on a different meaning. From the get-go the burger seemed to be a little sloppily put together. Picking it up to eat and throughout biting the burger, it dripped constantly - so much that there was a big puddle of liquid on the plate that seemed to also be very oily.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the oil and sloppiness spoiled this otherwise delicious blue cheese and mushroom beef burger for us.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kPBc0H6Bz8A/UPK4ZPmMw6I/AAAAAAAAEUk/Zy1shZ7yMi4/s1600/DSC00091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kPBc0H6Bz8A/UPK4ZPmMw6I/AAAAAAAAEUk/Zy1shZ7yMi4/s1600/DSC00091.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Onion Rings - $5</span></div>
<br />
So out comes this stack of onion rings looking rather impressive. Most tables on the night I was there ordered the onion rings and they seemed to be mostly met with the same wow and awe at the site of onion ring after onion ring stacked high. Most tables, unfortunately, barely got through half the onion rings before giving up.<br />
<br />
Why you ask?<br />
<br />
The onion rings were thickly coated in a crispy batter that was very oily. The oil made the batter so heavy that it was too much for most people. However, if you share the onion rings between at least two if not three or four people you should be able to manage. The batter was crispy and rich - rather nice for the first few bites; and the onion rings were relatively thick and well cut inside.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tT0wPqugPKw/UPK4SNbpPKI/AAAAAAAAEUc/Z6YBkhzV0vw/s1600/DSC00087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tT0wPqugPKw/UPK4SNbpPKI/AAAAAAAAEUc/Z6YBkhzV0vw/s1600/DSC00087.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Battered Fries - $4</span></div>
<br />
Take some medium thick chips, batter them, then fry them crispy. That's the way.<br />
<br />
These battered fries were battered and fried such that they were really quite crunchy. The batter wasn't excessive, but enough to give you that great crunch which made them quite enjoyable.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> The onion rings look impressive (though note what we didn't like below); the burgers we had were made with lots of flavour in the sauces and seasoning if that's the way you like it; large portion sizes.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> Burgers (and general meal especially with onion rings) seemed greasy, with the blue cheese burger in particular oozing with oil; quite a lot of sauce drip from the burgers; greasy feeling after the meal<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note: </b>If you don't like waste, try not to over-order - the onion rings serve is more than enough for two people; dine in or takeaway; some vegetarian and vegan (with minor modifications) options available; Visa and M/C friendly<br />
<br />
<b>V Burger Bar</b><br />
12/910 Albany Highway<br />
East Victoria Park WA 6101<br />
(08) 9355 3702<br />
http://www.vburgerbar.com.au<br />
<br />
1 Howtree Place<br />
Floreat Forum Shopping Centre<br />
Floreat WA 6014<br />
(08) 6161 0322<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Monday - 5pm to 9:30pm<br />
Tuesday to Thursday - 11:30am to 9:30pm<br />
Friday to Saturday - 11:30am to late<br />
Sunday - 11:30am to 9:30pm<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1499667/restaurant/Perth/Victoria-Park/V-Burger-Bar-East-Victoria-Park"><img alt="V Burger Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1499667/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1717193/restaurant/Perth/V-Burger-Bar-Floreat-Floreat"><img alt="V Burger Bar - Floreat on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1717193/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-65212292007670376102013-01-25T14:49:00.000+08:002013-03-01T19:53:58.323+08:00Lido Restaurant, Northbridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today we head to a centrally located Vietnamese restaurant that my Vietnamese friends have been taking me to for some time. In particular, we would order the broken rice or various Vietnamese noodle dishes (both soup and dry) which are relatively healthy and reasonably priced. The restaurant's name is Lido Restaurant, and it's located on William Street in Northbridge.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Lido has for years been providing Vietnamese as well as (despite saying it's an authentic Vietnamese Restaurant) Chinese dishes which seem to make up a big portion if not more than half the menu. The menu for Lido has different sections for the different cuisines. I'm happy to say there is still a decent amount of Vietnamese dishes on the menu, ranging from rice and noodle dishes through to the sour soup steam boat. Many of the dishes are intended to serve one, and seem to be both delicious and relatively healthy at the same time. These dishes start from the low teens and usually go to the mid or higher teens, but the share dishes such as the steam boat will set you back quite a bit more.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On the other hand, if you're after something other than Vietnamese, there are the other Asian dishes - mainly Chinese as I said earlier. These include your sizzling dishes, some stir fries, and some deep fried dish that my Vietnamese friend bans me from ordering (but with a good choice of Vietnamese food, I'm not about to complain). Thus I haven't tried these to comment on their extensive non-Vietnamese selection.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Lido is also licensed, so you're able to enjoy a beer or wine with your dinner; or if you're wanting something non-alcoholic, Lido's drinks include a variety of other Asian drinks including blends of some "exotic" fruits.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Even though there are quite a few young waiters who looked indifferent to being there, we found the service to be generally quick including the serving of meals, though on some occasions you may need to waive a waiter to come over.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8YDV0E8eD-s/UDDyaUZ1kvI/AAAAAAAADeo/_FWeFC9sV7s/s1600/_MG_7063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8YDV0E8eD-s/UDDyaUZ1kvI/AAAAAAAADeo/_FWeFC9sV7s/s1600/_MG_7063.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Chicken Hofan Soup - $12</span></div>
<br />
With any Asian noodle soup, the taste of the stock is so paramount it can make or break a dish for me. This chicken hofan soup used a chicken stock base (as you would expect). The chicken stock had a strong, full flavour that definitely saw many a chicken (bones) being used to flavour it. Why just use the chicken meat when you can use the bones too! It was a deep stock which had been seasoned with a fair amount of additional salt (but short of reaching being too salty), making a fairly flavoured soup base that you could drink on its own without the need for additional seasoning.<br />
<br />
The other part of the chicken in this dish was slices of chicken breast that were fully cooked. Being chicken breast, they were a little dry and plain; however in this dish with the chicken stock they complemented the dish quite well adding to the chicken flavour and best eaten with the flavour from the stock. Failing that, you could always use some of the additional sauces available.<br />
<br />
Rounding out the dish were the glass noodles, slippery smooth and light in texture - combining into this chicken dish really well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wP8wx-HuWek/UDDyl3XOYEI/AAAAAAAADe4/O4cDWor_vIc/s1600/_MG_7065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wP8wx-HuWek/UDDyl3XOYEI/AAAAAAAADe4/O4cDWor_vIc/s1600/_MG_7065.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
At this point I should also mention that, with most Vietnamese soup noodle dishes from what I can tell, you get a side dish of bean sprouts, cabbage, mint and lemon that you can add to your noodles as you please. Also, for the chilli-lovers or the adventurous, cut chilli is provided.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3K1oPYwEL9c/UDDyhkdf2kI/AAAAAAAADew/o1P_D2bYIuE/s1600/_MG_7064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3K1oPYwEL9c/UDDyhkdf2kI/AAAAAAAADew/o1P_D2bYIuE/s1600/_MG_7064.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Bun Bo Hue - $12.50</span></div>
<br />
This noodle dish was a beef noodle dish made with a beef stock.<br />
<br />
Like the chicken stock above, the beef stock was pretty decent with a good strong and deep flavour that you could see in the colour of the soup and made this dish quite satisfying and delicious. However, for those of you who haven't had it before, chilli is added to the dish making it quite spicy - the level of spiciness is fine if you're used to chilli but you might struggle if not so be warned!<br />
<br />
This beef noodle soup (of course) came with thin slices of cooked beef as well as a type of sausage meat. Whilst the beef was nothing special, almost rough in texture with not a lot of flavour in itself, the sausage meat tasted like a processed cold pressed smooth meat sausage that had been sliced up and put into this dish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WGEATeGx5RM/UDDysZnkmjI/AAAAAAAADfA/kzPvg-xidF0/s1600/_MG_7066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WGEATeGx5RM/UDDysZnkmjI/AAAAAAAADfA/kzPvg-xidF0/s1600/_MG_7066.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The noodles used in this dish were round rice noodles that looked a little like a pale version of spaghetti. They were heavier than the glass noodles used in the chicken hofun soup, but were well matched to this heavier beef noodle soup.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PvZWllz-MaU/UHA2o74Nv5I/AAAAAAAADr4/8Y6GCHb-6KU/s1600/_MG_7246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PvZWllz-MaU/UHA2o74Nv5I/AAAAAAAADr4/8Y6GCHb-6KU/s1600/_MG_7246.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Broken Rice - $12.50</span></div>
<br />
Another favourite Vietnamese dish for me (especially when it's too hot for soup) is Broken Rice. It's a dish that my Vietnamese friend tells me was eaten by the poorer folk (i.e. the broken scraps of rice with whatever else they could put with it) though at current prices you would hardly think that!<br />
<br />
The highlight for me in this dish was the grilled pork chop. The pork chop had a bit of bone on one side, the meat had been half sliced into strips with the bone side still in tact so as to to keep the pork chop together. The pork chop had been char-grilled with a marinade that was all of sweet, savoury, amongst other flavour marinades further enhanced with a smoky grilled charcoal flavour. Quite delicious if you ask me.<br />
<br />
The broken rice dish also came with the broken rice (rice that had been broken into smaller bits and cooked) topped with what seemed to be a mix of fine strips of pork and pork skin, a soft-yolk fried egg (with crunchy bits on the base and sides), a slice of a type of sausage loaf that had a sort-of rough minced processed meat with some black crunchy fungus, and slices of cucumber. Also on the dish was a small bowl of Vietnamese fish sauce, pouring it into the dish (especially the rice) gave the dish a whole kick of additional flavour - but be warned you'll have garlic breath afterwards.<br />
<br />
Lastly, the broken rice is served with what seems like a token soup - a light broth soup that is seasoned with a fair amount of salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DGtLhDCC4TY/UHA2xTCsQQI/AAAAAAAADsA/lxCjjtViR7M/s1600/_MG_7247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DGtLhDCC4TY/UHA2xTCsQQI/AAAAAAAADsA/lxCjjtViR7M/s1600/_MG_7247.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Ice Chendol - $6.50</span></div>
<br />
Lido offers a small selection of Asian drinks on their menu - many are made on the spot.<br />
<br />
This Ice Chendol is almost a cross between a drink and a dessert. It is layered with a type of bean in sweet syrup, a green jelly-like layer mixed with coconut milk, and sweetened crushed ice. Overall, the drink is quite sweet and filling so don't order it if you have ordered a lot of food already.<br />
<br />
<b>We liked: </b>Some of the Vietnamese dishes are very flavoursome and pretty much delicious whilst seeming relatively healthy for eating out; the place is quite clean and bright for a Vietnamese restaurant.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like: </b>You're likely to smell like the restaurant if you eat or sit close to people who have some dishes like the sizzling ones; a little pricier than some other "authentic" Vietnamese restaurants<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note: </b> The menu has Vietnamese as well as a lot of non-Vietnamese dishes; licensed (BYO wine only); mostly indoor but a handful of 2-seater al fresco available.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Lido Restaurant</b><br />
416 William Street<br />
NORTHBRIDGE WA 6003<br />
(08) 9227 5545<br />
https://www.lidorestaurant.com.au<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Lunch: 7 days - 11am to 3pm<br />
Dinner: 7 days - 5pm to 10pm
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1370466/restaurant/Perth/Lido-Restaurant-Northbridge-Northbridge"><img alt="Lido Restaurant Northbridge on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1370466/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-69622351259170544152013-01-15T17:51:00.001+08:002013-02-10T21:36:54.731+08:00Himalayan Nepalese Restaurant & Cafe, InglewoodTime for something different. Time to head up north next to the tallest mountain in the world, and incidentally where it's no doubt freezing right now. It's time for some Nepalese food.<br />
<br />
As its name suggests, Himalayan Nepalese Restaurant & Cafe is a restaurant specialising in Nepalese food and has two branches - one in Victoria Park and one in Inglewood. For my visit, we went to the one in Inglewood which is the newer of the two. Himalayan Nepalese Restaurant & Cafe in Inglewood has a modern set up, with a cafe feel from the glass frontage to the furniture but with splashings of Nepalese pictures and decorations on the walls.<br />
<br />
The menu is designed around share dishes, offering a decent selection of meat and seafood dishes prepared in a variety of ways, complemented by rice, bread, vegetable and side dishes as well as entrées. To end the meal, there is a selection of desserts, largely Nepalese style desserts I haven't seen before. There's also ice cream in there if you aren't feeling adventurous.<br />
<br />
The service from the wait staff was friendly and helpful. We were greeted with smiles, and served with cheery friendliness and helpful assistance to our questions. I should also add that the restaurant is BYO so bring a bottle of wine if you fancy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VzS63RW2Eyc/UMNJ15WLT6I/AAAAAAAAEFo/mLrjrsr7QPE/s1600/_MG_7644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VzS63RW2Eyc/UMNJ15WLT6I/AAAAAAAAEFo/mLrjrsr7QPE/s1600/_MG_7644.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Chara ko Sekuwa - $21</span></div>
<br />
The menu described this dish as tender pieces of chicken thigh marinated in special Nepalese spices with yoghurt, cooked in a Tandoori oven. Sound similar to Tandoori chicken much? Well, I thought this was better.<br />
<br />
The chicken pieces were tender and moist, marinated in a mix similar to Tandoori but seemed a little more savoury with a fuller deeper flavour and the spices were infused to give the whole chicken pieces flavour. To top if off, there was a slight charcoal taste adding further flavour.<br />
<br />
The yoghurt dipping sauce was of a creamy sauce consistency, infused with mint. Though sauces are usually welcome with any meat dish, we felt it wasn't necessary with this already well flavoured and tender chicken dish.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzz7SPSmn9k/UMNJ6_DTFOI/AAAAAAAAEFw/cfKbdIB2n7w/s1600/_MG_7645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzz7SPSmn9k/UMNJ6_DTFOI/AAAAAAAAEFw/cfKbdIB2n7w/s1600/_MG_7645.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Himalayan Hot Lamb - $20</span></div>
<br />
This dish was described as lamb cooked in a hot Nepalese spicy sauce. Specially for lovers of chilli.<br />
<br />
Given I have my limits with chilli, I had to ask how hot this was before we ordered it. The response was a little vague but we were told it wasn't too hot and we should be able to cope with it. So we ordered it.<br />
<br />
The verdict? Well, the dish was quite hot but not inedible for me. For the level of spice, I would say you best be a "lover of chilli" because the chilli is very pronounced and prevented me from indulging in too much of the sauce - and eating more of the Raita (below).<br />
<br />
Other than the heat, the sauce was thick, with a distinct tomato flavour mixed into the earthy spices and chilli. The lamb itself was tender like it had been cooked enough to tear away quite effortlessly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek5n6BKvc0k/UMNKCCwTf9I/AAAAAAAAEF4/syX0-bS-Yq4/s1600/_MG_7646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek5n6BKvc0k/UMNKCCwTf9I/AAAAAAAAEF4/syX0-bS-Yq4/s1600/_MG_7646.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Hario Sag-pat - $6.50</span></div>
<br />
This Nepalese style salad was prepared with lettuce, cucumber, capsicum and tomato, and tossed with Nepalese dressing.<br />
<br />
As you can see from the picture, the salad was basically chopped up pieces of the raw vegetables, and topped with more of the yoghurt mint dressing. Though salads make you feel better about your meal, there wasn't really anything inspiring about this salad, and we were probably getting sick of the mint yoghurt taste of the dressing by this stage.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R_HI5QJGWNE/UMNKF6iIDxI/AAAAAAAAEGA/P3ro8j9uGSk/s1600/_MG_7643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R_HI5QJGWNE/UMNKF6iIDxI/AAAAAAAAEGA/P3ro8j9uGSk/s1600/_MG_7643.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Kakro ra Dahi (Raita) - $4</span></div>
<br />
This dish was described as a Nepalese style sorbet - made of chopped cucumber and sweetened yoghurt.<br />
<br />
There was a lot of yoghurt throughout the dishes in this meal. Though the sweetened acidic yoghurt (think natural yoghurt but lightly sweetened) with chopped cucumber helped moderate the spiciness of the hot lamb dish, we had enough yoghurt about halfway through the meal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oJWSt97fkLI/UMNKKMSwz0I/AAAAAAAAEGI/Ns06MDIqPDw/s1600/_MG_7642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oJWSt97fkLI/UMNKKMSwz0I/AAAAAAAAEGI/Ns06MDIqPDw/s1600/_MG_7642.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Garlic Naan - $5</span></div>
<br />
Though there were different naan bread offerings on the menu (such as plain and topped with cheese), this Naan was topped with chopped garlic before cooking. The result was that the naan was grilled with thin slices of garlic that crisped up in the cooking.<br />
<br />
With a fair amount of oil, the naan had a delicious crispy garlic and salt flavour that we liked enough to order another serve. Though beware the garlic breath!<br />
<br />
<b>We liked: </b>Some good strong flavours with tender meats, without excessive prices; friendly and helpful wait staff<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like: </b>Too much yoghurt for our taste; restaurant can get noisy<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note: </b>BYO; not so vegetarian and even less so vegan friendly<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Himalayan Nepalese Restaurant & Cafe</b><br />
840 Beaufort Street<br />
INGLEWOOD WA 6052<br />
(08) 6161 9509<br />
http://www.himalayanrestaurant.com.au<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">LUNCH - 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM (Wed - Sun)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span _mce_style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">DINNER - 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM (7 Days)</span></span>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1648884/restaurant/Perth/Himalayan-Nepalese-Restaurant-Cafe-Inglewood"><img alt="Himalayan Nepalese Restaurant & Cafe on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1648884/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-41918863461300107572013-01-10T19:58:00.002+08:002013-02-10T21:37:24.666+08:00Fuku Omakase and Teppanyaki, Mosman ParkEver wanted to dine somewhere that felt very exclusive? How about a fine dining restaurant that can only seat 16 people at any one time, and you have to buzz the intercom to be let in? Further, what if you can only get in by making a reservation online (up to about 2 weeks in advance) or else wait on the night and see if they have any cancellations?<br />
<br />
Fuku Omakase and Teppanyaki Japanese restaurant has arrived in Perth offering all of that.<br />
<br />
From the moment you walk into Fuku Omakase and Teppanyaki (we'll just call it "Fuku") you feel like you're somewhere exclusive. The long bar style restaurant is centred around the "kitchen" and teppanyaki grill - all for your viewing enjoyment as each of your dishes are prepared in front of your eyes. Adorning the back wall are countless bottles of sake making quite the spectacle, lit by warm inviting lighting.<br />
<br />
Onto the food, Fuku provides a fixed menu where you basically get given what the chef prepares you (i.e. it's the chefs choice, not yours) However, at the time of my visit, you do have a choice between two menus at different prices ($110 for four courses vs $160 for eight - and I think there's now a third more expensive choice). The more expensive menu provides more courses, and thus more food giving you more chances to try some of unique imported ingredients (many from Japan).<br />
<br />
The service by the waitstaff was generally good and they were enthusiastic. However, for a fine dining venue I found there be a few peculiarities. Perhaps I'm being picky but at fine dining restaurants I don't expect dishes to be almost immediately cleared as soon as one person finishes a dish whilst other people they are dining with are still eating (causing them to feel rushed), dishes such as a freshly poured soy sauce dipping bowl being cleared away before it was even used only to have another poured out as soon as the next course came (yet there was no cutlery change between meals), and meals would come out ad hoc without regard to whether you had finished your previous course making the meal seem a little rushed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ioKeLUJa2XQ/UHghlvqUKbI/AAAAAAAADvk/oH6HAh7RUko/s1600/_MG_7324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ioKeLUJa2XQ/UHghlvqUKbI/AAAAAAAADvk/oH6HAh7RUko/s1600/_MG_7324.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Oysters Three Ways</span></div>
<br />
On the left was a fresh natural oyster, followed by a chilli jam oyster, and finally an oyster topped with lightly seared salmon and ponzu jelly.<br />
<br />
All oysters were raw, with the chilli jam oyster having a mild chilli and sweet condiment taste, and the last oyster topped with a cold ponzu jelly sauce (lightly sour and salty) on top of diced salmon that had been lightly seared with a handheld blow torch.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eJp_bR6rZco/UHghop7WCGI/AAAAAAAADvs/rU3zeqQbycw/s1600/_MG_7325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eJp_bR6rZco/UHghop7WCGI/AAAAAAAADvs/rU3zeqQbycw/s1600/_MG_7325.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Sashimi and sushi</span></div>
<br />
The menu described this dish as having toro (tuna belly), anago (salt-water eel), sashimi-tuna, salmon, and kajiki.<br />
<br />
Made by chef Tetsuya-san's hands right before your eyes came this very fresh sashimi and sushi dish.<br />
<br />
On the sashimi (or raw fish) side was a couple of slices of each of tuna, salmon, and buri - the latter of which was described by chef Tetsuya-san as the highest grade of Yellowtail fish from Japan, having grown large enough to be called "Buri". Each piece of fish tasted very fresh, and was sliced effortlessly by chef Tetsuya-san with his ultra sharp knife (chef Tetsuya-san can do some pretty nifty tricks with his knife if you ask nicely). Might I add that I like my sashimi?<br />
<br />
On the sushi side was each a nigiri style salmon, toro, and anago. Each was made and placed on a separate dish for light torching before being placed on the serving plate.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J-WKpQCxGgw/UHghrnATHyI/AAAAAAAADv0/2-Dulz-zm4w/s1600/_MG_7326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J-WKpQCxGgw/UHghrnATHyI/AAAAAAAADv0/2-Dulz-zm4w/s1600/_MG_7326.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;"> Small morsels</span></div>
<br />
From left to right was cooked wagyu beef, lobster meat and avocado salad, and octopus.<br />
<br />
The wagyu beef was cooked about medium yet still reasonably tender (I'm not sure why it wasn't cooked medium rare or less - which is what I would have preferred), drizzled with a sauce which was all of creamy and sweet and lightly salty, and topped with some mildly spicy chilli. For me, the sauce made the beef really stand out.<br />
<br />
The diced lobster meat was mixed in with a light creamy sauce, perhaps based in Japanese mayonnaise, and placed on top of a couple of slices of avocado.<br />
<br />
The octopus was very crunchy as far as octopus is concerned, served cold with a slightly acidic sauce.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFRGz0eK8Lw/UHghuPraGmI/AAAAAAAADv8/RgqE8NYfVKU/s1600/_MG_7328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFRGz0eK8Lw/UHghuPraGmI/AAAAAAAADv8/RgqE8NYfVKU/s1600/_MG_7328.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Quail twice cooked with pomegranate sauce</span></div>
<br />
This twice cooked quail breast and wing met its second time cooking on a unique grilled-stove, being turned a few times until it was cooked. We felt the meat inside was dry - perhaps overcooked for our liking, but the skin was nicely lightly charcoaled and parts were a little crispy.<br />
<br />
The accompanying sauce made from pomegranate packed a strong fruity pomegranate taste - a little tangy with a burst of fruit flavour.<br />
<br />
On the other side of the quail was a type of salsa that tasted like chutney which I found a little odd and for me and not exactly complementing the pomegranate sauce.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWEBe607tjg/UHghxDa7f1I/AAAAAAAADwE/3_sRi5dg5K4/s1600/_MG_7331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWEBe607tjg/UHghxDa7f1I/AAAAAAAADwE/3_sRi5dg5K4/s1600/_MG_7331.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Japanese scallop and Jumbo prawn with uni butter</span></div>
<br />
This dish, cooked entirely on the teppanyaki stove started with a base of Japanese scallop which was cooked very tender inside. On top of the scallop was a huge king prawn that had been peeled and split in front of us and cooked perfectly tender and naturally crunchy. Finally on top of the prawn was a part of the prawn head that had been fully compressed and cooked on the teppanyaki stove until it was crunchy. The prawn head had a decent prawn smell and taste but was completely edible, though maybe a tad too rough and pungent for some.<br />
<br />
Drizzled over the dish was uni (sea urchin) flavoured butter that was melted on the teppanyaki grill before being scooped on top of the seafood. The melted butter sauce with a light hint of sea urchin combined with the seafood to make a lightly flavoured seafood dish that was complemented rather than drowned by the buttery sauce.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H3sl940OQj8/UHghzwHPlfI/AAAAAAAADwM/yaHzf561Voc/s1600/_MG_7332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H3sl940OQj8/UHghzwHPlfI/AAAAAAAADwM/yaHzf561Voc/s1600/_MG_7332.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;"> Fish of the day - Kajiki (swordfish) and daikon radish</span></div>
<br />
This fillet of swordfish was cooked on the teppanyaki stove using a metal cover that helped steam it on the stove. The fish was tender, but being a bit of a bland fish for me but being well dressed with a slightly acidic and citrus-tasting sauce.<br />
<br />
The swordfish was placed on top of a firm teppanyaki-stove-cooked slice of daikon, and topped with a long cigar of palate cleansing pickled ginger that had a strong (quite hot) ginger taste and a tad stringy - especially on the lighter side which was too stringy to eat (be warned as it could look quite uncouth spitting the chewy part back out).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X5udW9C0zlA/UHgh3-3H8FI/AAAAAAAADwU/keeNIVtqizA/s1600/_MG_7333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X5udW9C0zlA/UHgh3-3H8FI/AAAAAAAADwU/keeNIVtqizA/s1600/_MG_7333.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Wagyu sirloin steak Mayura Station grade 7</span></div>
<br />
On the main plate was diced wagyu steak, cooked medium rare (as requested) on the teppanyaki stove. Though a little odd being diced rather than served as a steak or otherwise sliced after cooking, the steak was tender and juicy, and topped with crispy garlic slices. Alongside the steak was half a sliced section of onion, grilled on the teppanyaki stove with a special eye-catching flambe style fire spectacle used during the cooking process (though still tasking like char-grilled onion).<br />
<br />
The steak was served with two sauces - a savoury garlic sauce, and a chilli miso sauce that was a thick sweet flavoured miso sauce mixed with mildly spicy chilli.<br />
<br />
Also served at the same time as the steak was a fried rice, also cooked on the the teppanyaki stove. The fried rice started out with a raw egg that was juggled with the cooking implements until it was intentionally cracked mid-air onto the stove using the sharp end of the implement - quite a spectacle of talent or practice. Added to the egg was short grain Japanese rice, finely diced beef, spring onion, and seasoned with some soy sauce and cracked pepper. The rice wasn't seasoned or special enough to be tasty to eat on its own for my tastebuds (it tasted quite bland) but rather used as a base to the wagyu steak dish.<br />
<br />
Just a final note on this - the fried rice was listed as a separate course (out of the eight) on this menu, whilst on the shorter cheaper menu it was listed together with the wagyu beef as a single course (i.e. as an extra component, and not a course in its own right).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wFvTtcI60P8/UHgh7KtZ2bI/AAAAAAAADwc/zitIUB1qj3Q/s1600/_MG_7334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wFvTtcI60P8/UHgh7KtZ2bI/AAAAAAAADwc/zitIUB1qj3Q/s1600/_MG_7334.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Genmaicha pannacotta, Japanese Baumkuchen and mountain peach with kinako</span></div>
<br />
As its name suggests, the pannacotta was flavoured with Japanese Green Tea (a variety that is combined with roasted brown rice). The panncotta wasn't as sweet as the plain variety (perhaps the genmaicha covered the taste) but it was topped with some caramel syrup. The pannacotta was also served in a little tea-cup, possibly as the texture didn't seem like it would easily hold form if it was turned over.<br />
<br />
The Japanese Baumkuchen was a layered cake, a little like a sweet and rich layered sponge (cooked one layer after the other) which was topped with sugar that was then finished with a blowtorch giving a nice creme brulee like sweet crunch to the cake. The cake was a good combination of sweetness and buttery-ness without being excessive, and I'm sure would have taken more than a fair effort to make.<br />
<br />
Lastly, the dish was decorated with a somewhat tasteless but decorative kinako (soybean flour), and a small preserved mountain peach that was nice but had an inedible seed in it (so don't swallow whole).<br />
<br />
Overall, whilst the choice of many special ingredients blended together, along with the entertainment of being prepared food in front of you was something new and fresh for the Perth scene, I can't help but wonder whether the whole experience was special or else fine dining enough to warrant the very high price. Still, if you want the entertainment that comes with the interaction with the chefs, as well the the exclusivity of being in a restaurant that seats only 16 people, you might want to give this restaurant a try.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> Fresh produce - many sourced from Japan; being able to see your food prepared in front of you.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> Quite pricey for what you get; meal isn't evenly paced (we got served some dishes whilst still eating the prior course); service isn't on par or as refined as other establishments in the same price range<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> Includes all you can drink water and tea; fully licensed with a healthy selection of sake and matching options.<br />
<br />
<b>Fuku Omakase and Teppanyaki</b><br />
20 Glyde Street<br />
MOSMAN PARK<br />
0403 470 964
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1705570/restaurant/Perth/Fuku-Omakase-and-Teppanyaki-Mosman-Park"><img alt="Fuku - Omakase and Teppanyaki on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1705570/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-72278082769514106432012-12-23T19:05:00.001+08:002012-12-23T19:05:36.356+08:00Sayers Sister, NorthbridgeAs you're recovering from the big Christmas feeds and festive drinks, or even if you're just rising up early or late in the morning and your stomach is rumbling, you'll probably crave a good cooked breakfast and maybe catch up with a mate whilst you're at it.<br />
<br />
Spawning from the cafe strips and ever-increasingly so in the quiet suburbs are little gems waiting to be found, and already well and truly discovered by the locals.<br />
<br />
Sayers Sister is located in the quiet end of Lake Street (i.e. in the suburban area, away from the pubs and clubs) near the small restaurant/cafe corner that also is home to other well-known establishments such as Nine Fine Food and Nahm Thai. The quiet yet central location means there is plenty of nearby street parking, and a relaxing al fresco area not ruined by bustling traffic.<br />
<br />
The breakfast menu at Sayers Sister is a little like its "brother" - start with your simple muesli and eggs n toast breakfasts and build on it with gourmet offerings that aren't shy of a bit of creativity. Prices start from below $10 for your simple breakfasts (such as toast) or for the substantial breakfasts into the high teens and even twenties but is I guess not unusual for Perth these days. On top of your breakfast menu is the drinks menu, specialising in many of your favourite coffees and teas, pre-packaged drinks as well as the odd fresh juices.<br />
<br />
Like many cafes that offer a good breakfast, Sayers Sister has both indoor and al fresco dining. Whilst the interior is nicely decked out, almost elegantly, with quaint tables and chair lined up neatly around the walls as well as bar seating in the middle; the al fresco dining is set amongst the quiet end of Lake Street making it quite pleasant - not scenic, but at least without excessive car fumes to ruin your breakfast meal.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j6PBRddTp-Y/UM3WYkwbxfI/AAAAAAAAEHo/l2UR0U6du54/s1600/DSC00073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j6PBRddTp-Y/UM3WYkwbxfI/AAAAAAAAEHo/l2UR0U6du54/s1600/DSC00073.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Full Breakfast - $22</span></div>
<br />
The full breakfast was Sayers Sister's version of a gluttonous breakfast feed. Like many breakfasts, it started with eggs (poached, scrambled or fried) served alongside two pieces of very crusty bread. The bread was toasted so crusty it made a mess around the plate and table with crumbs flying just about everywhere as I cut into it.<br />
<br />
Served with the eggs on toast were potato cake, 3 beans, grilled tomato, balsamic mushroom, chorizo sausage and bacon. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that the poached eggs I had runny and delicious.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eFWxdeN2tLk/UM3WgagqgyI/AAAAAAAAEH0/VsoD5UjyWzA/s1600/DSC00075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eFWxdeN2tLk/UM3WgagqgyI/AAAAAAAAEH0/VsoD5UjyWzA/s1600/DSC00075.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The potato cake was like baked with sliced potato and peas, lightly seasoned and the potato and peas soft - in fact the peas seemed a little dead and colourless. The potato cake was topped with a mushroom that didn't really have much of a strong balsamic taste.<br />
<br />
On the other side of the plate were some slices of Italian sausage that were quite (chilli) hot sitting on top of a few slices of non-crispy bacon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CwF-f9zY3bQ/UM3WktfUtpI/AAAAAAAAEH8/5TxBE2a95WU/s1600/DSC00077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CwF-f9zY3bQ/UM3WktfUtpI/AAAAAAAAEH8/5TxBE2a95WU/s1600/DSC00077.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Lastly, in a bowl were the three beans swimming in a tomato chutney like sauce and topped with grilled tomatoes.<br />
<br />
Overall I found the full breakfast to be filling (without being excessive), well cooked, and to be sufficiently unique to be worth a try.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cxTkdWiEhbI/UM3WqKGHpsI/AAAAAAAAEIE/o3H-KXQmo1Q/s1600/DSC00069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cxTkdWiEhbI/UM3WqKGHpsI/AAAAAAAAEIE/o3H-KXQmo1Q/s1600/DSC00069.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Potato rosti - $19.50</span></div>
<br />
My first impression of a potato rosti for $19.50 was "that's expensive!".<br />
<br />
However, this was no ordinary potato rosti.<br />
<br />
The potato rosti was like a baked cake, the roasted potato assembled into a dense but not too heavy cake and lightly seasoned. The overall taste wasn't far from your normal potato rosti, but less sloppy and damp. Given the volume of the slice, it was pleasantly filling.<br />
<br />
Served with the potato rosti was bramley apple and thyme chutney (which was quite light it didn't overpower anything on the plate), runny-yolk poached eggs, bacon and rocket leaf.<br />
<br />
Overall, you could say this was like a full breakfast meal, minus the bread, and supersize the potato rosti.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L00W6Izdo1E/UM3WvfKDzsI/AAAAAAAAEIM/NgNkjWeyZT0/s1600/DSC00065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L00W6Izdo1E/UM3WvfKDzsI/AAAAAAAAEIM/NgNkjWeyZT0/s1600/DSC00065.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Cappuccino - $3.80</span></div>
<br />
Sayers Sister uses a Five Senses blend of coffee made of 60% Brazil Ipanema - Tree Dried Natural, and 40% Bali - Begus Sekali - Washed Coffee. The result is a smooth and decent strength coffee<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>We liked: </b>Well prepared and thought out food; the breakfasts didn't feel greasy nor excessively salty; nicely decked out interior<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> High prices for breakfast; I'm going to say it, horrible peas - though I don't generally like peas :)<br />
<br />
<b>Other things of note:</b> Vegetarian options available; catering available (on request); ample street parking around; indoor and al fresco dining on an otherwise quiet street; busy times will mean waiting in lines.<br />
<br />
<b>Sayers Sister</b><br />
236 Lake Street<br />
NORTHBRIDGE<br />
(08) 9227 7506<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Monday to Saturday: Breakfast - 7am to 11:30am; Lunch - 11:30am to 2:30pm (5pm close)<br />
Sunday: Breakfast - 7am to 2pm; Lunch - 11:30am to 3pm (5pm close)<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1680380/restaurant/Perth/Sayers-Sister-Northbridge"><img alt="Sayers Sister on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1680380/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-34196584807816164762012-12-16T10:38:00.000+08:002012-12-16T10:38:04.318+08:00Hobart Deli, North PerthIt's time to go out for breakfast again in the warm and sunny lead up to Christmas. I'm finding those poached eggs on toast too hard to pass on, and whilst one of my friends says going out for breakfast can make you feel bad because you can make a decent breakfast easily at home, it is a great and happy way to start the day. Breakfast out is made even better when you find places that do something a little different, a little bit special.<br />
<br />
So here we are today at Hobart Deli.<br />
<br />
Hobart Deli is located in an otherwise quiet area of North Perth, at the corner of Auckland Street and Hobart Street (of course!). Its location means there is ample street parking around, as well as a fair amount of al fresco dining overlooking a suburb and park (as opposed to lots of traffic). Inside there is an open kitchen and tables that can be a bit cramped when they're busy - cozy perhaps.<br />
<br />
Foodwise, Hobart Deli has a breakfast menu that runs till noon - breakfasts range from your simpler toast and muesli selections, through to a variety of cooked dishes, eggs on toast and a full breakfast. Prices start from below $10 for your simple uncooked breakfasts and go upwards of $20 for decent cooked breakfasts. Of course, there is also coffee and tea as well as a selection of juices to round off your breakfast experience.<br />
<br />
Aside from breakfast, there is presumably a lunch menu (though I haven't tried lunch at Hobart Deli yet), a display fridge with items such as quiches and gourmet croissants, and a nice selection of home-made cakes and cookies on the counter top.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_XrF-ZyJIaY/UFhvOzM3dKI/AAAAAAAADqU/QfQNswlWweY/s1600/_MG_7237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_XrF-ZyJIaY/UFhvOzM3dKI/AAAAAAAADqU/QfQNswlWweY/s1600/_MG_7237.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Homemade cornbread with smoked salmon - $19.90</span></div>
<br />
This cornbread stack had a base of two thin cornbread slices that looked like pikelets but with added corn. The cornbread was lightly sweet and further sweetened and textured with the mixed-in corn, thought they did still seem a bit like corn pikelets in taste and texture.<br />
<br />
The cornbread was layered with extra corn kernels, light and raw green leafy vegetables, slices of smoked salmon, and topped with a poached egg that was cooked perfectly - egg yolk oozing. To dress the stack there was a lime and dill cream adding flavour and acidity, but keeping it light.<br />
<br />
This was overall a delicious light meal, a combination of sweet and savoury and acidic tastes, but if you're hungry this alone isn't likely going to satisfy you.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKGzH0XFdiE/UFhvBYsUkBI/AAAAAAAADqM/hx17VlH6Gys/s1600/_MG_7236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKGzH0XFdiE/UFhvBYsUkBI/AAAAAAAADqM/hx17VlH6Gys/s1600/_MG_7236.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">The Playground - $24.90</span></div>
<br />
This breakfast had a couple of poached eggs, spinach, roast tomato, mushroom ragu, bratwurst, bacon, potato rosti and butter.<br />
<br />
Like the cornbread meal above, the poached eggs were cooked perfectly and runny - they just looked neater in this meal.<br />
<br />
All the other elements in the meal helped give this dish a satisfying "full breakfast" feel, but with Hobart Deli's gourmet twist - the tomatoes were roasted, the mushrooms cooked ragu style, and a mildly seasoned potato rosti making the dish filled with great flavours for breakfast. At $24.90 though, the price might be a little steep for some.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ur6QGnlHaYU/UMNOsm1Ns-I/AAAAAAAAEGY/ux0ptVG5Rrw/s1600/DSC00043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ur6QGnlHaYU/UMNOsm1Ns-I/AAAAAAAAEGY/ux0ptVG5Rrw/s1600/DSC00043.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Croissant - $8.90</span></div>
<br />
Being in the display fridge, the croissant was reheated in the oven before being served. This croissant was filled with hand sliced ham, a nice touch compared to the processed variety, as well as brie cheese - overall making this ham n cheese toast feel and taste special.<br />
<br />
The croissant itself was sweet, but a tad dry and crumbly - it was later in the afternoon (after starting to play Ingress on Android and trying to fill up the XM bar, but I digress!) so a combination of it being in the display fridge all day followed by reheating in the oven may have caused this. If it wasn't for this, I would think this gourmet style croissant was surprisingly delicious for what it was.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GWm0COu_J7w/UFhvg_8TOpI/AAAAAAAADqc/2XhdXABS5o8/s1600/_MG_7238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GWm0COu_J7w/UFhvg_8TOpI/AAAAAAAADqc/2XhdXABS5o8/s1600/_MG_7238.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Apple Sicilian cake - $6.50</span></div>
<br />
This Apple Sicilian cake came recommended by the waitstaff, and was a great cake that would go well with tea (or just as fine without).<br />
<br />
The cake was quite sweet, filled with soft slices of apple and sultanas, and dusted with icing. The cake was also very moist, and the texture was a little dense from all that moisture and fruit. Also, on the side was a bit of lightly whipped cream.<br />
<br />
Overall, a great cake that was neither heavy nor too light.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9U0ScuoLTZk/UFhvnU_PRYI/AAAAAAAADqk/uPe1wZPr16o/s1600/_MG_7235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9U0ScuoLTZk/UFhvnU_PRYI/AAAAAAAADqk/uPe1wZPr16o/s1600/_MG_7235.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Cappuccino</span></div>
<br />
<b>We liked: </b>Good variety of gourmet breakfasts; ingredients seem fresh and meals well made; good range of delicious home-made cakes.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> A little on the pricier side of breakfast; it can be a little cramped inside; service can seem a little indifferent at times<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> There is a breakfast menu, lunch menu, as well as cakes and items in the fridge such as quiches and croissants; Ample street parking; good split of inside and al fresco tables<br />
<br />
<b>Hobart Deli</b><br />
45 Hobart Street<br />
NORTH PERTH WA 6006<br />
(08) 9444 8686<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Breakfast and Lunch - 7 days a week (kitchen closes at 2:30pm)
<br /><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1554923/restaurant/Perth/Hobart-Deli-North-Perth"><img alt="Hobart Deli on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1554923/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:104px;height:34px" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-34357868228306459682012-12-04T20:05:00.001+08:002013-02-10T21:38:08.044+08:00Swish n Chips, Mount Lawley<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
For a quick, greasy meal I sometimes don't mind myself a bit of fish n chips - with the "bit" being just enough before I start to feel bloated. Though I also like a good seafood basket with quality seafood (even though it gets deep fried!).<br />
<br />
Swish n Chips, a fish n chip shop that's quite well known in the Mount Lawley area, is located right next to the heart of the Beaufort Street cafe strip, near the corner of Beaufort and Walcott Streets. Like many fish n chip shops, Swish n Chips specialise in take away but if you want a night out there are quite a few tables available to dine in. Not fine dining, but simple casual dining.<br />
<br />
The menu at Swish n Chips reads like many of those other fish n chip shops starting with the obvious fish n chips, seafood baskets, and other snacks like squid rings, prawn cutlets and scallops; but adds a few other not-so-fish-n-chip-shop-like "gourmet" offerings like teriyaki fish, pizzas and chilli mussels. To help bridge the gap of "gourmet", the fish n chips are available in a number of preparations including crumbed, peri-peri and lemon-pepper.<br />
<br />
However if you'd rather cook your seafood yourself, Swish n Chips has a fresh seafood section where you can buy your own raw seafood. Suffice to say, Swish n Chips has most of your seafood needs covered.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TuqetEZIU3c/TuQ4WmiPAxI/AAAAAAAAB2k/utEkk5_a-FM/s1600/_MG_5912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TuqetEZIU3c/TuQ4WmiPAxI/AAAAAAAAB2k/utEkk5_a-FM/s1600/_MG_5912.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Grilled Seafood basket - $14.90</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
The seafood basket had a piece of fish, a prawn, 3 scallops, 3 calamari rings, 2 green lip mussels and a decent portion of chips. Salt and vinegar was provided at the counter.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vuXigrIielE/TuQ4dm0xqrI/AAAAAAAAB2s/3Xd2vgV3H18/s1600/_MG_5914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vuXigrIielE/TuQ4dm0xqrI/AAAAAAAAB2s/3Xd2vgV3H18/s1600/_MG_5914.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
The fish and calamari rings were lightly dusted in flour and cooked so they weren't anywhere near as oily as traditional battered and fried seafood. The fish was firm yet tender, and the calamari was tender but still had a membrane on the inner wall that made the squid hard to chew bites off without stretching the membrane a fair amount first. Not pleasant, but still edible.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
The mussels were a tad on the dry and hard side; whilst the single small prawn that was deep fried through so you could eat the shell was a bit disappointing reminding me of the cheap prawns you get at hotel buffets and seeming a bit overcooked not to mention not cleaned of its gut.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Lastly, seafood wise, the seared scallops were cooked right though to the centre but still tender to eat. The scallops also had a flavoured film on each side of which I'm not sure whether it was an intended coating or the result of it picking up flavours from the grill-pan. Either way, it added flavour.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
The chips were quite ordinary - perhaps after being taken away and left in the bag for a while on the trip home many were soggy and hardly anything to write home about.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lCoS12EzdFE/TuQ4lfYiEsI/AAAAAAAAB20/qV0EpRICOm4/s1600/_MG_5909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lCoS12EzdFE/TuQ4lfYiEsI/AAAAAAAAB20/qV0EpRICOm4/s1600/_MG_5909.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Squid cup - $5.50</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
This snack sized dish was six of your common squid rings in a cup with a bit of a twist.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
The squid rings were heavily crumbed with a decent amount of salt and black pepper seasoning and deep fried. Crunchy and generously seasoned, the tender calamari was a delicious squid ring treat. I quite enjoyed these with the full seasoned flavour and crunch.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4qG4dPFWFoM/TuQ4vBtTC1I/AAAAAAAAB28/OmvMHxU1iSI/s1600/_MG_5910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4qG4dPFWFoM/TuQ4vBtTC1I/AAAAAAAAB28/OmvMHxU1iSI/s1600/_MG_5910.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Tartare sauce</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
This small tub of tartare sauce is available to add some creamy goodness to your seafood. It has that creamy slightly acidic taste mixed in with herbs.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<b>We liked:</b> The variety of options available; the fresh seafood section as an option</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We didn't like:</b> Some of the seafood used in the seafood basket wasn't so appealing; we didn't think the fish n chips was as good as some of the other gourmet places around</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<b>Other things to note:</b> They have a fresh seafood market section where you can buy raw seafood; dine in or take away; you can call to order in advance.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<b>Swish n Chips</b></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Shop 5/71 Walcott Street</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Mount Lawley WA</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
(08) 9227 8132</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<i>Trading Hours</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Monday to Friday - Lunch: 11:30am to 2:30pm; Dinner: 4:30pm to 8:20pm</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Saturday and Sunday - 11:30am to 8:20pm</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1370763/restaurant/Perth/Swish-n-Chips-Mount-Lawley"><img alt="Swish 'n' Chips on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1370763/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-56469000927115601702012-11-25T12:20:00.002+08:002012-11-25T12:20:43.304+08:00Balthazar, Perth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Set in the heart of the Perth CBD, catering for business clientele through to cosy romantic dinners, Balthazar brings intimate mood dining with very dimly-lit warm lighting in a classy bistro like setting that is decorated with wine racks. The ambience can make for a cozy romantic dinner, or otherwise is popular amongst the lavish business lunch crowd - made even more attractive by its extensive wine list.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The menu at Balthazar looks simple, but between the share dishes at the front and the course-based menu there is a decent choice in different types of dishes. However, of particular note is the wine list that is not only very impressive with a huge international selection but is backed up by the visible collections of wine eye-catchingly displayed in about every direction you look.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The service from the waitstaff at the tables were very friendly and helpful - perhaps too helpful as they would ask if everything was ok every now and then whilst we were engaged in conversation. However, what spoilt the excellent service for us was one particular staff member who manned the front desk who spoke with a condescending tone and was overall unfriendly both when we arrived and left. Pity.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RKfLxzuB780/UHodAU5UrjI/AAAAAAAAD00/La6gjsnxYJI/s1600/_MG_7335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RKfLxzuB780/UHodAU5UrjI/AAAAAAAAD00/La6gjsnxYJI/s1600/_MG_7335.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Cured pork belly, garden peas, honey, balsamic - $20</span></div>
<br />
This pork belly entree was tender and soft all the way through. Being cured, the pork belly was notably salty but not excessively. Complementing the salt content was a sweet and vinegary honey and balsamic, making a combination of great flavours that weren't overdone into this entree.<br />
<br />
Served with the pork belly was peas done three ways. Starting with the most "normal" were fresh young peas served cold, the peas themselves only containing a hint of the harsher "floury" taste and texture present in stock standard peas. Second up was a pea sorbet - cold, smooth and only very lightly seasoned. Lastly was a foam that added its fluffy texture along with a mild pea taste.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xD64bm2CZco/UHodEn1bjmI/AAAAAAAAD08/cn_JxZs7yqM/s1600/_MG_7337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xD64bm2CZco/UHodEn1bjmI/AAAAAAAAD08/cn_JxZs7yqM/s1600/_MG_7337.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Lamb ribs, black garlic, chilli, mint $19</span></div>
<br />
This lamb ribs dish was on the sharing plates menu, but (for me) good enough for entree.<br />
<br />
In comparison to the pork belly dish, the lamb ribs dish was prepared with less finesse but with more intense flavours.<br />
<br />
The lamb ribs, on the bone and untrimmed of fat, was highly seasoned with salt, herbs, garlic, and a hint of chilli. This meaty dish packed a lot of flavour bursting into the mouth, its tender meat that melted away from the bone completely infused with the marinade, and some of the outer layer of the lamb fat grilled crispy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1PEZqRhxXVs/UHodJueMHJI/AAAAAAAAD1E/w1DRyevsU3w/s1600/_MG_7338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1PEZqRhxXVs/UHodJueMHJI/AAAAAAAAD1E/w1DRyevsU3w/s1600/_MG_7338.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Complimentary palate cleanser</span></div>
<br />
Between the entree and main course, this small palate cleanser was served in a mini cocktail glass. Inside the cocktail glass was a sorbet of lemon, its acidity outdone by added sugary sweetness. The palate cleanser was refreshing and a nice way to break up the savoury entree and main courses.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9wYwz-i1QM/UHodNlvjGfI/AAAAAAAAD1M/qPpVwcRFwpA/s1600/_MG_7339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9wYwz-i1QM/UHodNlvjGfI/AAAAAAAAD1M/qPpVwcRFwpA/s1600/_MG_7339.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Aged sirloin, beef shin croquette, spinach, horseradish - $45</span></div>
<br />
Looking quite spectacular on this large slate-like dish was this aged sirloin dish.<br />
<br />
The sirloin, which almost oddly cut into wedges that combined didn't appear to be a full steak and wasn't a huge serving for $45, was a well aged and full-meat-flavour meat steak. The steak was cooked, almost charred on the exterior giving an almost surprising light crunch, whilst the meat itself was tender but not quite melt in the mouth but felt like a decent piece of chunky beef steak.<br />
<br />
Accompanying the sirloin was an assortment of flavour and texture adding components - including some lightly cooked spinach, a soft-beef shin and crunchy exterior beef croquette, a sprinkling of well seasoned and salted breadcrumbs, and only a mild hint of horseradish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vdmNWO9ngok/UHodRtOzWFI/AAAAAAAAD1U/YrsV2Ksq7FY/s1600/_MG_7340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vdmNWO9ngok/UHodRtOzWFI/AAAAAAAAD1U/YrsV2Ksq7FY/s1600/_MG_7340.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Duck breast, chardonnay smoked leg, tokaji, house mustard - $44</span></div>
<br />
Thie tender duck dish had a pink and moist inside, and an every so slight crunch to the skin. The duck itself was nicely seasoned with a fair helping of salt but overall it retained a great duck flavour that reminded me of roast duck.<br />
<br />
Tying into the centrepiece duck were the light alcoholic infused elements of the chardonnay smoked leg, tokaji, and then a helping of seeded mustard.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-koKNO0uzx7g/UHodVu_pomI/AAAAAAAAD1c/0qJE3eQ7smo/s1600/_MG_7341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-koKNO0uzx7g/UHodVu_pomI/AAAAAAAAD1c/0qJE3eQ7smo/s1600/_MG_7341.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Pork, jamon, black pudding, scallops, cherry, radish - $42</span></div>
<br />
On this large slate like dish was an interesting combination of flavours and textures.<br />
<br />
Starting off with the meat side of things, the pork came in the form of a crunchy skinned meaty sausage, with a very smooth and consistent pork filling without the sausage-like overly greasy and fatty aftertaste. Nonetheless, it was deliciously seasoned and didn't taste like any ordinary sausage. However, for a "pork" dish, there was only two relatively small pieces of sausage that didn't seem to add up to one sausage.<br />
<br />
Also on the deliciously fat and salt seasoned side was the rich black pudding that also seemed quite meaty. Complimenting the meat were tender scallops, cooked rare and thus soft and tender, but probably a little more rare than I like.<br />
<br />
Accompanying the meat and seafood elements on the dish were some sweet cooked cherries going very well with the pork, and some salt and herb seasoned breadcrumbs. Finally, adding extra texture was crunchy deep fried pork skin - different to a roast crackling and a little more like a crisp.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HPnQ33EOx70/UHodZY5EVuI/AAAAAAAAD1k/2nOnCPIRMUs/s1600/_MG_7342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HPnQ33EOx70/UHodZY5EVuI/AAAAAAAAD1k/2nOnCPIRMUs/s1600/_MG_7342.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Roasted duck fat potatoes, carrot, rosemary - $12</span></div>
<br />
This side dish started off with some firm chunks of potatoes that had been infused with duck fat. Whilst the duck fat gave the potatoes extra flavour, the potatoes were not heavily seasoned and when eaten with some of the saltier elements of the main dishes seemed a little bland in comparison (but probably for the better).<br />
<br />
Also in this side dish were tender baby carrots, and the whole dish had been roasted topped with a bit of rosemary.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ekUAgAGk1_o/UHoddUuNmMI/AAAAAAAAD1s/LtpIDQwRwQA/s1600/_MG_7343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ekUAgAGk1_o/UHoddUuNmMI/AAAAAAAAD1s/LtpIDQwRwQA/s1600/_MG_7343.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Chocolate, strawberry mousse</span></div>
<br />
This dessert was an intense chocolate and sweet strawberry infused mousse - rich with the chocolate and fruity sweet with the strawberry. It was silky smooth and rather decadent and served with extra strawberry and a strawberry coulis.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0aochHNen4/UHodgrwJaxI/AAAAAAAAD10/8OPBDnyxP44/s1600/_MG_7344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0aochHNen4/UHodgrwJaxI/AAAAAAAAD10/8OPBDnyxP44/s1600/_MG_7344.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Ricotta cake - $19</span></div>
<br />
This rich sounding dessert started off with a moist ricotta cake, the ricotta flavour being very prominent even when combined with the sugar to balance it out. Despite being heavy with ricotta flavour, the cake itself wasn't too dense or heavy.<br />
<br />
The ricotta cake was topped with a rich, smooth chocolate ice cream.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJwioWxQXrc/UHodkVximBI/AAAAAAAAD18/RidpWZE7qQg/s1600/_MG_7345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJwioWxQXrc/UHodkVximBI/AAAAAAAAD18/RidpWZE7qQg/s1600/_MG_7345.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Coconut pannacotta - $19</span></div>
<br />
The coconut pannacotta was dual layered. On the base was a coconut jelly, and sitting on top was the smooth pannacotta. Though not as sweet as the other desserts, the pannacotta was topped with a thin layer of acidity that was subtle as to compliment the pannacotta.<br />
<br />
Accompanying the pannacotta was a black sesame crisp. silky smooth mint ice cream, an almond flavoured quenelle that had a texture like a soft chunky pudding (i'm not sure if the almost gluggy like texture did a lot for me), and ginger flavoured crumbs.<br />
<br />
<b>We liked: </b> Excellent presentation and decor; warm cosy ambience, dishes that were made with effort; very friendly and helpful table waitstaff that seemed to always have a smile, excellent winelist and our bottle of wine was fantastic.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like: </b>A few meal oddities and we had enough of the many dishes that used "foam" by the end of the night; a condescending toned and unfriendly front desk waitstaff.<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note: </b>The meals aren't huge, so you probably won't survive on just a main; there's a huge wine list; if you have poor eyesight, you may need a torch or something to read the menu in the very low light setting<br />
<br />
<b>Balthazar</b><br />
6 The Esplanade<br />
PERTH WA 6000<br />
(08) 9421 1206<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Lunch - Monday to Friday<br />
Dinner - Monday to Saturday
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1370049/restaurant/Perth-CBD/Balthazar-Perth"><img alt="Balthazar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1370049/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-1435535083379755072012-11-15T23:38:00.000+08:002012-11-15T23:41:20.644+08:00Endless Delight Chinese Restaurant, Perth (Northbridge)Sweet and sour pork? Lemon chicken? Special fried rice? These are some of the local Chinese restaurant dishes I knew of when growing up. As we (or maybe just I) got more cultured, the variety of options across opened up including more choices for Chinese - which perhaps shows the large choice of dishes available that sit under the "Chinese cuisine" banner - and in particular I'm thinking of Dim Sum and roast duck and pork right now - yum!<br />
<br />
However, sitting in the Northbridge side of Perth is a Szechuan Chinese restaurant that goes by the "interesting" name of Endless Delight Chinese Restaurant. Aside from the name, the Chinese restaurant is quite simple inside and able to cater for tables for 2 (or solo) through to those big round tables with a Lazy Susan. Endless Delight Chinese Restaurant specialises in Szechuan cuisine.<br />
<br />
Upon being seated, Endless Delight has two menus (at least at lunch time). The menus are written in Chinese and English but when I say English some dishes may be in English just phonetically - eg the "Yu Xing" Pork Set below. However, somewhat helpful is that one of the menus has pictures of some of the dishes in it, and the waitstaff will help you to the best they can upon request. However, the service can be lukewarm and cold - I've experienced quiet but somewhat helpful upon request through to almost indifference to you being there.<br />
<br />
Getting down to the food, the menu is supposed to be authentic Szechuan Chinese cuisine. The dishes encompass a range of choices: dry dishes versus sauce and soup dishes; vegetarian to meat; chicken through to beef and pork and "other" different selections; and a variety of sauces and styles from stir fried to steamed and mild to spicy. The dishes are intended to be Asian style share dishes, but at lunch you can get lunch specials designed for one person at a lunch-meal price (e.g. around $10-$15).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nV-wD-uZOiQ/UKUJt031dfI/AAAAAAAAEAY/oZ8a0oYR21M/s1600/_MG_7479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nV-wD-uZOiQ/UKUJt031dfI/AAAAAAAAEAY/oZ8a0oYR21M/s1600/_MG_7479.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Yummy Chicken Set - $13 (lunch special)</span></div>
<br />
With a name like "yummy chicken" I had to give this meal a try. This set came with what seemed like half a tender boiled chicken, surrounded by a whole lot of sauce. The chicken itself was cooked quite nicely being tender and somewhat moist, not quite to the extent of some Hainanese chicken rices out there, but at least not dry.<br />
<br />
The sauce, of course, is what really makes this dish. The base of sauce was largely a soy based sauce but had different flavours running through it - from what I could taste there seemed to be a fair amount of chilli, and some sweetness and garlic flavours. Also noticeable was a fair amount of oil on top of the sauce which was quite unavoidable when dipping in the chicken.<br />
<br />
Topping the chicken was a mix of spring onions and crushed peanuts, and of course this chicken dish was served with steamed rice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CvDrnDnKo4s/UHA4OyAMBdI/AAAAAAAADsY/T-9G_FVEAXQ/s1600/_MG_7239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CvDrnDnKo4s/UHA4OyAMBdI/AAAAAAAADsY/T-9G_FVEAXQ/s1600/_MG_7239.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Yu Xing Pork Set - $10 (lunch special)</span></div>
<br />
This lunch set was a plate of steamed rice accompanied by a pork stir fry. The stir fry itself had thin slices of pork accompanied by a variety of vegetables including capsicum, carrot, onion, and a crunchy black fungus. Notably, not only did the vegetables provide texture against the soft tender pork slices but the crunchy black fungus added even more texture in the form of a crunch that was quite a welcome addition to this dish.<br />
<br />
The thick sauce used to stir fry the pork was all of salty mixed with a moderate vinegar like acidity and light sweetness. The stir fry was also not lacking oil, it's shiny glaze coming off the dish and giving off a slightly oily taste in the mouth.<br />
<br />
Overall, although the ingredients and flavour was a little unique (generally in a good way) for me, this is for those of you who want a "typical" stir fry dish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIpQSg9vJqc/UHA4Y7K4MuI/AAAAAAAADsg/IG15TbuPQRs/s1600/_MG_7240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIpQSg9vJqc/UHA4Y7K4MuI/AAAAAAAADsg/IG15TbuPQRs/s1600/_MG_7240.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Pan Flat Dumplings - $10 (lunch special)</span></div>
<br />
When this dish was ordered, I thought it would be a pretty standard pork dumpling dish. However, when it came I was surprised it was served upside down. It looked like the dumplings had been steamed in a pan with a very thin edible starchy base that became attached to the bottom of each dumpling, linking them all.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-7jRnkwNbA/UKUKdsnuKTI/AAAAAAAAEAo/cpSYZfJ0TDc/s1600/_MG_7480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-7jRnkwNbA/UKUKdsnuKTI/AAAAAAAAEAo/cpSYZfJ0TDc/s1600/_MG_7480.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Apart from the different presentation, the dumplings were quite standard. They were filled with pork and chives, seasoned with a good amount of salt, steamed, then served with Chinese vinegar for dipping. The dumplings seemed well made and tasted quite good, though they didn't seem that fresh - and we noticed them carrying frozen dumplings to the kitchen (understandable that they would freeze the dumplings, though a little unfortunate).<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> Some good flavours in the dishes; Szechuan cuisine, different to "local" Chinese.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> Some dishes may not be so fresh; not knowing what some of the dishes are by name; the tea wasn't to our liking at all - bitter and harsh black tea.<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> There are cheaper lunch specials; BYO.<br />
<br />
<b>Endless Delight</b><br />
145 Newcastle Street<br />
PERTH WA 6000<br />
(08) 9228 9778
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1565483/restaurant/Northbridge/Endless-Delight-Chinese-Restaurant-Perth"><img alt="Endless Delight Chinese Restaurant on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1565483/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-55825996396666000702012-11-04T12:50:00.000+08:002012-11-05T13:09:36.207+08:0033 Degrees South Cafe, North PerthVisiting the South West region of Western Australia is often associated with casual long weekends, laid back culture, local produce and a visit to the wineries to name a few.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you live close to or otherwise visit North Perth, you'll probably have noticed the increasing amount of cafes popping up around, many of which specialise in laid back brunches and a good range of coffee and tea. Combining a little bit of North Perth's coffee culture with the laid-back culture and produce of the South West is 33 Degrees South Cafe, situated at the corner of Fitzgerald and Forrest Streets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">33 Degrees South Cafe gets its name from the region down south that lies at that degree of latitude and encompasses places such as the infamous Margaret River region. It is a casual cafe with a simple casual layout made cozy with a few decorative aspects such as tables with "33 degrees" </span>enamelled<span style="font-family: inherit;"> on and produce from the South West (mainly Margaret River) on display for purchase.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The menu at 33 Degrees South Cafe is simple but contains a lot of home style meals, from your "big breakfast" through to eggs on toast, muesli and onto nachos and quesadilla for lunch or even sandwiches and quiches that are on display. Supplementing all those choices is a selection of cakes for the sweet tooth, and of course coffee and tea.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For better or worse, the service is a little different at
33 Degrees South. On an average day,
many of the staff don't exactly seem very friendly or attentive, not that they are unfriendly but seemingly more just indifferent</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. However, regulars might be able to get a quick smile and hello.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XZ5CwUnH700/UC9EuWAJH6I/AAAAAAAADdA/zNw4Kfe2zzU/s1600/_MG_7060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XZ5CwUnH700/UC9EuWAJH6I/AAAAAAAADdA/zNw4Kfe2zzU/s1600/_MG_7060.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: inherit;">33's Big One - $20.50</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This "big" breakfast comes with all the
trimmings - bacon, eggs, toast, fried tomato, sausage, mushrooms, potato gratin, spinach
and rocket in addition to slices of bread with curls of butter and tomato salsa. When I first starting eating their breakfasts, there was enough food to fill me for breakfast and lunch. However over time I found the breakfasts to get a little less filling such that it's now just a decently big breakfast as opposed to overload.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
Compared to some of the other breakfasts on offer around the area, this breakfast is pretty good value in terms of quantity. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jpu7HrcYuA4/UC9E3Q3WeDI/AAAAAAAADdI/34dnPK6NW8E/s1600/_MG_7061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jpu7HrcYuA4/UC9E3Q3WeDI/AAAAAAAADdI/34dnPK6NW8E/s1600/_MG_7061.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the multiple breakfasts I've had here, each of the elements can vary on each visit. However, generally the bacon is sizzled short of crunchy, and poached eggs can be overcooked at times but if you order scrambled it tends to be rich and creamy. The potato rosti can vary a bit too, but generally it's moderately seasoned with firm but soft (i.e. not crunchy) potato.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It may not be the most gourmet or inspired breakfast around but it does have a homely feel to it and can be quite hearty and almost gluttonous.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3OO8XFHmD2Y/UC9Igs6bwdI/AAAAAAAADdo/ITEZHSIP7Vw/s1600/_MG_4431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3OO8XFHmD2Y/UC9Igs6bwdI/AAAAAAAADdo/ITEZHSIP7Vw/s1600/_MG_4431.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: inherit;">Nachos with Chicken</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The nachos was pretty much standard fare with corn chips and cheese, a serving of sour cream, and had its
own guacamole and topped with a couple of </span>jalapeños<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The whole dish had been heated just prior to serving, with the plate being hot to touch and the waiter using a cloth to hold the dish. Serving size was decent for a single serving, of corn chips were well mixed with the just-melted cheese and lean
chicken pieces (at additional cost). The
guacamole was home made with a relatively chunky texture and a fresh taste to it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-clVJ74mi-U0/UC9InezAdSI/AAAAAAAADdw/4rkIGqqeUvo/s1600/_MG_4430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-clVJ74mi-U0/UC9InezAdSI/AAAAAAAADdw/4rkIGqqeUvo/s1600/_MG_4430.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: inherit;">Quesadilla with Chicken</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The quesadilla was made with thin flour tortillas (almost as thin as a crepe) filled with cheese and chicken. The tortillas were light, thin and had a
bit of an egg taste to it. The cheese and
chicken were similar to that provided in the nachos above, with the cheese melted and the
chicken lean and thinly sliced and evenly laid out through the quesadilla. The quesadilla was cut into quarters and
placed onto the plate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The quesadilla was served with some guacamole, vinegar dressed diced tomato and onion, sour cream and some gourmet lettuce salad.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HRyaTIIc6j8/UC9E-2esJ1I/AAAAAAAADdQ/Kux-2HVPlg4/s1600/_MG_7059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HRyaTIIc6j8/UC9E-2esJ1I/AAAAAAAADdQ/Kux-2HVPlg4/s1600/_MG_7059.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: inherit;">Cappuccino</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">33 Degrees South advertise the use of Toby Estate’s Arabica
Beans.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can get most coffees in cup or mug sizes with the latter
costing 50 cents more.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>We liked:</b> Home cooked style food and quantity; brings a bit of the South West to Perth<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> The variations in quality of meals; inconsistent service attitude<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> Free Wifi; Facing a busy Fitzgerald Street can make the limited al fresco dining a little unpleasant</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>33 Degrees South</b><br />
410 Fitzgerald Street<br />
North Perth WA 6006<br />
(08) 9227 0964<br />
<a href="http://www.33degreessouth.net.au/">http://www.33degreessouth.net.au/</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Trading Hours</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tuesday to Friday 7:00am to 3:30pm</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Saturday: 8am to 3:30pm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sunday: 8am to 2pm</span></div>
<br />
v<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1529116/restaurant/Perth/33-Degrees-South-North-Perth"><img alt="33 Degrees South on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1529116/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-66856937857608557402012-10-25T19:40:00.000+08:002012-10-25T19:40:29.503+08:00S & T Thai Gourmet CafeFor a while now, friends and family have been telling me to try out S & T Thai Gourmet Cafe in Northbridge - "The food is good" and "It's just like in Thailand"! Due to my heavy schedule, I can be a bit slow to try out places sometimes but as of today I can say I've been to S & T Thai Gourmet Cafe a few times and been satisfied each time (but left with a burning mouth on a couple of occasions).<br />
<br />
S & T Thai, located on William Street, has quite a simple set up. The typical Northbridge rectangular layout is filled with move-to-join square dining tables and the decor isn't fancy but kept simple, light and bright. Suffice to say it's not fancy but it's clean.<br />
<br />
The menu at S & T Thai Gourmet Cafe is unsurprisingly filled with a lot of Thai dishes, giving a lot of choice. With many meat and seafood options available, the menu spans from soup dishes to curries, rice dishes to noodle dishes, and everything from entrees such as fish cakes through to sweet Thai desserts. To wash it all down, there's a drinks menu that includes different beverages such as coconut juice and special fruit juices.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oFpGEwVuP0E/T9Rppl2xuxI/AAAAAAAAC7s/dj_PIo3v4EA/s1600/_MG_6519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oFpGEwVuP0E/T9Rppl2xuxI/AAAAAAAAC7s/dj_PIo3v4EA/s1600/_MG_6519.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Green Thai Curry Set (beef) - $12.50</span></div>
<br />
The green Thai curry normally starts at $14.50, with steamed rice charged separately at $4. However this special set, which is intended to serve one rather than be a share dish, was $12.50.<br />
<br />
The green curry was delicious and the sauce was full of flavour. Whilst the level of heat was relatively normal, perhaps a little more than what's generally considered mild, the sauce itself had depth of flavour from the curry spices, a moderate level of creaminess, and a sweet undertone differentiating it from many green Thai curries. Though saying that, I was struggling with the heat a bit towards the end of this dish.<br />
<br />
In terms of the beef used in this dish, it perhaps could have been cut better as some of the pieces were stuck together - that is, not fully separated so a few slices were stuck together still. Also, the beef itself seemed a little on the tougher side and drier side so I found myself scooping it up with sauce.<br />
<br />
Adding its slightly crunchy texture to the dish, sliced bamboo shoots also featured prominently alongside the beef in this dish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9bLR6azID4I/T9RpuJPF95I/AAAAAAAAC70/gFr-Q0y1GNg/s1600/_MG_6518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9bLR6azID4I/T9RpuJPF95I/AAAAAAAAC70/gFr-Q0y1GNg/s1600/_MG_6518.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Larb Set (beef) - $15.50</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The larb set was a single serve of a meat (in this case beef) salad served with sticky rice.<br />
<br />
The minced beef was made with a dressing that had mostly an acidic taste. With the herbs and onion throughout, the salad was slightly crunchy and combined with the sauce made the meat salad considerably light and refreshing.<br />
<br />
Different to plain steamed rice, this dish was served with rice that was sticky such that it clumped together (though it was perhaps a tad dry) and the starchiness offered a good counterbalance to the acidity and textures of the salad.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ucSjPiqMhVs/UHA3U1zBrNI/AAAAAAAADsI/OZnpkrbG4Gg/s1600/_MG_7315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ucSjPiqMhVs/UHA3U1zBrNI/AAAAAAAADsI/OZnpkrbG4Gg/s1600/_MG_7315.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Gai Yang and Som Tum Set - $17.50</span></div>
<br />
This set consisted of BBQ chicken with papaya salad and sticky rice.<br />
<br />
The centrepiece, at least for me, of the dish was the BBQ chicken. Large strips of tender and moist chicken had been marinated and barbecued in a flavoursome red sauce that was a sticky sweet and salty sauce. The sauce, which (for those of you who have had it) tasted similar to the Chinese char siu BBQ pork but not quite as sweet. Suffice to say that the sauce had infused itself in the chicken enough to not leave the chicken boring.<br />
<br />
Accompanying the BBQ chicken was a sweet chilli sauce that had an extra chilli taste - that is, it was quite spicy and made me struggle!<br />
<br />
On the opposite end of the dish stood the papaya salad in a bowl. The salad, which consisted largely of julienned green papaya, was dressed with a sauce that had acidic flavours mixed with red chilli, a light sweetness and salty fish sauce flavour. The balance of flavours of the dressing, not dominated by any component, worked great with the tartness of the green papaya though the level of red chilli took a bit of getting used to. On top of the salad were crushed peanuts and dried fish. Though you have options to top the salad such as squid or prawn, the wait staff recommended I tried the peanut and dried fish version of the papaya salad as it was the normal version of the salad.<br />
<br />
The dish also came with some sticky rice that was a tad dry and clumped together quite a bit, and a sliced section of raw cabbage.<br />
<br />
Overall this was a pretty big meal for one that I didn't finish (but at least I ate all the chicken).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ezZkNvu67k/UHA3aRP_7fI/AAAAAAAADsQ/-HxUYsPwBXw/s1600/_MG_7314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ezZkNvu67k/UHA3aRP_7fI/AAAAAAAADsQ/-HxUYsPwBXw/s1600/_MG_7314.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Guay Teaw Tom Yum (Chicken) - $10.90</span></div>
<br />
This tom yum noodle soup could be served either in a soup or dry, and with pork or chicken. Further, the noodle options were either rice noodle (s, m or l) or egg noodle.<br />
<br />
Apart from choosing the small or thin rice noodles, this Tom Yum came with sliced meat, minced meat, meat ball, liver sliced fish cake and peanuts. The different components and textures of each of the ingredients made this quite a distinct tom yum, and at the core of the tom yum soup (the soup base) a great depth of flavour was present with saltiness and sourness balanced by a heavy hot chilli flavour.<br />
<br />
Again, if you can't eat spicy you might struggle with this dish.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> Good flavours in the sauces; reasonable prices for Thai.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> The "mild" versions are still too spicy for the not so initiated;<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> If you can't eat spicy food, you're probably best to avoid eating here; not licensed.<br />
<br />
<b>S & T Thai Gourmet Cafe</b><br />
Shop 3, 349 William Street<br />
NORTHBRIDGE WA 6003<br />
(08) 9328 8877<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
7 days a week - 11am to 9pm
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1472613/restaurant/Perth/S-T-Thai-Gourmet-Cafe-Northbridge"><img alt="S & T Thai Gourmet Cafe on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1472613/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:104px;height:34px" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-19171335802619489342012-10-19T21:20:00.000+08:002012-10-19T21:20:31.990+08:00Aisuru Sushi, NorthbridgeDuring winter, I tend to find myself eating heavier or heartier meals. Roasts, steaks, casseroles, tagines, soups - they all warm the insides on those cold winter nights. Sushi on the other hand isn't something I tend to eat a lot of but as anything from a quick snack to a light-feeling but special meal can equally whet the appetite and send the stomach grumbling.<br />
<br />
The great thing about sushi is that it seems ever evolving and versatile: from the quick snack of a hand roll through to a full exquisite and immaculately presented traditional assorted sushi; and from the pure raw fish sushi or California rolls through to soft shell crab rolls or other newer interesting combinations I had never heard of before. Suffice to say there is a huge variety available, and that choice got bigger with the arrival of Aisuru Sushi in Northbridge boasting a large menu of sushi rolls with names like Black Velvet and Sunset Boulevard.<br />
<br />
Located at the corner of William and James Streets in Northbridge, Aisuru Sushi offers indoor table dining, indoor dining at the long bar benches that border the kitchen, and al fresco dining. Though there are a fair amount of tables for the size of restaurant, larger groups may find it more difficult to get a table without a wait and a bit of luck joining of tables. Did I mention that the kitchen is open and the best vantage points are along the bar benches?<br />
<br />
As you'd expect, Aisuru Sushi specialises in sushi but to be different offers a modern take with many sushi combinations I hadn't seen before in a rather extensive sushi roll list. Sushi dishes are available in small and main sizes, the former with four pieces and the latter with eight pieces. Aside from the sushi are some lunch sets with typical Japanese dishes such as teriyaki and katsu, as well as some entrees and desserts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-31yGDrD63Is/UHVyZ-RQLFI/AAAAAAAADuM/SKqkzlA5ng8/s1600/_MG_7320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-31yGDrD63Is/UHVyZ-RQLFI/AAAAAAAADuM/SKqkzlA5ng8/s1600/_MG_7320.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Spider Roll - $19.50 (Main size)</span></div>
<br />
This sushi dish was described in the menu as: Fried soft-shell crab, cucumber, and lettuce, wrapped in nori and shari. Topped with black sesame seeds and drizzled with wasabi mayonnaise.<br />
<br />
To begin with, all the sushi rolls generally seemed to be freshly rolled using fresh ingredients, had lightly seasoned rice with a mild sweet and vinegary flavour, and each piece held relatively well. Each were placed on a white rectangular plate that, even though it was modern, seemed a little boring and basic as far as sushi presentation is concerned.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oMJJD96JvYM/UHVyhjJSP1I/AAAAAAAADuU/qKgZlzqFd94/s1600/_MG_7320-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oMJJD96JvYM/UHVyhjJSP1I/AAAAAAAADuU/qKgZlzqFd94/s1600/_MG_7320-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Of the different sushi I tried in my meal, my favourite was the Spider Roll.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
The Spider Roll started with light-batter coated and deep fried soft shell crab that was crunchy like a tempura batter, added in some cucumber and gourmet lettuce leaves, was inversely wrapped in the sushi rice and seaweed, sprinkled with black sesame seeds and had a fair amount of creamy Japanese mayonnaise. The crunch and freshness of the soft shell crab was the highlight that stood out in each piece of sushi and was further enhanced with the creamy Japanese mayonnaise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tm4GdO4b6g4/UHVzFpq0rWI/AAAAAAAADuc/NKedieCKz00/s1600/_MG_7321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tm4GdO4b6g4/UHVzFpq0rWI/AAAAAAAADuc/NKedieCKz00/s1600/_MG_7321.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Tank Roll - $22.50</span></div>
<br />
This sushi dish was described in the menu as: Topped with sliced wagyu beef, sliced red onions, and sprinkled with togarashi flakes. Cream cheese and cucumber inside and wrapped in nori seaweed and shari sushi rice. Drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise and eel sauce.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1t3VUcOHtVs/UHVzG4qBhsI/AAAAAAAADuk/pDwJIkNbaE0/s1600/_MG_7322-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1t3VUcOHtVs/UHVzG4qBhsI/AAAAAAAADuk/pDwJIkNbaE0/s1600/_MG_7322-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I'm not sure why this was called "Tank Roll", but the centrepiece wagyu beef in the sushi gave the perception of something substantial. The wagyu beef itself was thinly sliced and cooked rare, with the particularly rare bits in each sushi being a little chewy but otherwise being tender and having a fresh wagyu beef taste.<br />
<br />
Also prominent in this dish was the chunk of cream cheese, its smooth and creamy cheese taste standing out in each piece of sushi and at times nearly dominating some mouthfuls.<br />
<br />
The overall sushi was then flavoured with the usual acidity and sweetness of the sushi rice, along with the creamy Japanese mayonnaise and additional sweetness of the sauce.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-thuZ8nvBwVE/UHVzYP0OrII/AAAAAAAADvE/IPQTAytBQtg/s1600/_MG_7319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-thuZ8nvBwVE/UHVzYP0OrII/AAAAAAAADvE/IPQTAytBQtg/s1600/_MG_7319.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Magic Mushroom Roll - $15.50 (Main size)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This sushi dish was described in the menu as: Pan fried enoki mushroom and avocado wrapped in nori and shari. Topped with seasoned sliced button mushroom. Mixed mesclun salad on the side with Japanese salad dressing.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vVC9kLDojBg/UHVzW_WoSYI/AAAAAAAADu8/wPbyKPyqbUA/s1600/_MG_7319-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vVC9kLDojBg/UHVzW_WoSYI/AAAAAAAADu8/wPbyKPyqbUA/s1600/_MG_7319-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
With a name like "Magic Mushroom" I was expecting big things from this sushi roll.<br />
<br />
The underlying note of this vegetarian sushi was the lightly cooked enoki mushrooms along with the fresh and ripe avocado. The fresh raw sliced button mushroom on top of the sushi also featured prominently with its raw taste negatively impacting the taste of this sushi for my tastebuds.<br />
<br />
Suffice to say this was to me the most bland of the sushi I had in this meal, but probably the healthiest.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> The apparent freshness of the ingredients and dishes; some different sushi combinations to keep things interesting.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like: </b>The relative prices of the dishes; perhaps too simplified furnishings and decor to be a fancy upmarket sushi restaurant.<br />
<br />
<b>Things of note:</b> Caters for vegetarians and vegans<br />
<br />
<b>Aisuru Sushi</b><br />
208 William Street<br />
NORTHBRIDGE WA 6003<br />
(08) 9328 8578<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Lunch - Tuesday to Saturday - 12 noon to 2:30pm<br />
Dinner - Thursday - 6pm to 9:30pm<br />
Dinner - Friday to Saturday - 6pm to 10pm
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1651399/restaurant/Perth/Aisuru-Sushi-Northbridge"><img alt="Aisuru Sushi on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1651399/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:104px;height:34px" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-18628366296459565012012-10-06T21:39:00.002+08:002012-10-06T21:39:58.094+08:00The Merrywell, Crown Perth, BurswoodFilling the upmarket bar niche of the re-branded Crown Perth, The Merrywell takes to task with a New York style bar serving well-executed pub food with enough meat and deep fried dishes to leave not many wanting.<br />
<br />
Filled with warm and orange glows in different sections of the pub/restaurant, splashings of retro-style fittings and wallpaper, and an audibly played mix of music from yesteryear (try the 80s) through to modern, The Merrywell is suited to casual meals through to group catch-ups despite being labelled as serving "dude food". Here you will find each of couples and groups having casual meals through to good folk having drinks at the bar.<br />
<br />
The Merrywell has a separate lunch and dinner menu, though it's more a full menu provided at dinner that has had more of the casual lunch dishes taken out and placed into the shorter lunch menu (though there's an even shorter bar menu). The lunch menu is centred around burgers and sandwiches with some share plates, sides and salad, whilst the dinner menu has all of those meals but expands into a greater selection including pub grub and main course selections (such as ribs, chicken and steak).<br />
<br />
Of course, being in essence a bar, there is a drinks/bar menu that includes local and imported beers, ciders, a bar selection of wines, cocktails and seasonal jugs (like cocktail mixes served in jugs). The overall selection isn't as expansive as a wine bar or some fine dining restaurants, but the varied selection is good for a pub and sure to satisfy most.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PKl-h2nFGeA/UHAvKIL6jvI/AAAAAAAADrE/B7LmHkDq5vs/s1600/_MG_7243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PKl-h2nFGeA/UHAvKIL6jvI/AAAAAAAADrE/B7LmHkDq5vs/s1600/_MG_7243.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">The Merrywell Angus Burger - $24</span></div>
<br />
The Merrywell Angus Burger is described on the menu as containing aged cheddar, bacon, secret sauce, caramelised onions, LTO, pickle, fries.<br />
<br />
The core of the Angus Burger, the patty, was a thick (though not wide enough to cover the full size of the bun) chunk of Angus mince. True to the menu's statement "all burgers served pink and juicy" the patty was very pink inside, quite rare looking and a tiny bit chewy in texture.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-icwHcNz9K6Y/UHAvsIJ9g7I/AAAAAAAADrc/onJq05u77Iw/s1600/_MG_7244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-icwHcNz9K6Y/UHAvsIJ9g7I/AAAAAAAADrc/onJq05u77Iw/s1600/_MG_7244.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The burger in a white bun was then served with the other fillings - well cooked but not crispy bacon, caramelised onions, lettuce, tomato, American style pickle and sauce through the lettuce that seemed like a cocktail type of sauce - no mayonnaise in sight. Each of the flavours from these was distinct in the burger and combined into a well flavoured pub style burger.<br />
<br />
The burger was served with a mini frying basket of salted crisp french fries and tomato ketchup. The serving size of the fries was a little deceptive considering there was a napkin loosely stuffed at the base of the basket but nonetheless the small serving of fries is probably all you need if you have entrees or sides.<br />
<br />
Overall, the chunky Angus beef burger with its sweet, savoury and sour flavours from the sauces, pickles and bacon made a nice gourmet burger served with those crispy thin fries. My only concern was that (probably being quite new) the Angus burger arrived significantly after the rest of the meal came and was consumed, and after we asked the wait staff. The slightly sloppy nature of the burger and its placement on the plate may also have been a result of it being rushed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pcTY6Vj0rGE/UHAvTdu8fMI/AAAAAAAADrM/LZ_3UZHxstY/s1600/_MG_7241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pcTY6Vj0rGE/UHAvTdu8fMI/AAAAAAAADrM/LZ_3UZHxstY/s1600/_MG_7241.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">D&G BLT - $28</span></div>
<br />
The D&G BLT is described on the menu as containing porchetta, pork belly, pancetta, SSU egg, rocket, tomato, bacon aioli, bacon bread, crisp onion rings.<br />
<br />
With three types of pork in this BLT (yes, three!), I think this "BLT" is a little misleading - in a good way. A crusty and crunchy bacon bread (a little like ciabatta bread) was first buttered then layered with the three cuts of pork, from a bacon style (I think) pancetta through to a (presumably) roasted pork style pork belly. Each layer was quite thin such that the "B" didn't dominate the other ingredients in the "BLT" but still provided a good meat base worthy of a BLT with a twist. Between the grilling and the toasted (with a little bit of charcoalon the edges) bread, the BLT had a light and nice smokey flavour.<br />
<br />
The BLT was then filled with a runny fried egg, rocket, tomato and spread with bacon aioli (see below in the chips section) and topped with four crispy and light batter coated onion rings. Each of these ingredients combined together into a quite full-on toasted gourmet sandwich.<br />
<br />
Served on the side was a small bowl of pickles. The pickles were shaped like chips, made with what seemed like a radish and being thick rectangular strips, and pickled consistently throughout in a mostly sour fluid - giving a sour taste but not too overpowering. The texture of the pickles was firm yet soft to bite through - much softer than a carrot stick but harder than a pickled gherkin.<br />
<br />
Overall the BLT seemed quite indulgent with all the butter and pork cuts inside.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JYeQxqXjfAI/UHAvfEy3zpI/AAAAAAAADrU/O5IhUt3DYA0/s1600/_MG_7242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JYeQxqXjfAI/UHAvfEy3zpI/AAAAAAAADrU/O5IhUt3DYA0/s1600/_MG_7242.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">The Merrywell Chips - $15</span></div>
<br />
The Merrywell chips is described on the menu as crisp ripped potatoes, bacon aioli.<br />
<br />
The chips were small but thick chunks of potato that had been cooked (initially boiled?) throughout, coated and crispy on the outside and most than lightly sprinkled with salt.<br />
<br />
The chips were served with bacon aioli - an aioli that had small bits of bacon and paprika. The taste was a good combination of the creamy and lightly garlicky aioli with the sweet spice of paprika and the flavours of grilled bacon.<br />
<br />
I actually enjoyed these chips - the crisp and crunchy outsides made even better with the boiled potato like insides. Though with the bacon aioli, this made the meal seem quite heavy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> Near-gourmet blokey pub food (dude food); some great dishes on offer with their own twist; the different areas to dine or have a drink in<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like: </b>A few service timing issues (probably as they're still new)<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note: </b>No bookings taken (just turn up); not so vegetarian friendly<br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;">Review</span><br />
<b>The Merrywell</b><br />
Crown Perth<br />
Great Eastern Highway<br />
BURSWOOD WA<br />
<a href="http://www.crownperth.com.au/restaurants/casual/the-merrywell/about">http://www.crownperth.com.au/restaurants/casual/the-merrywell/about</a>
<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Sunday to Thursday - 11:30am to midnight<br />
Friday and Saturday - 11:30am to 3am
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1685502/restaurant/Perth/Perth-CBD/The-Merrywell-Victoria-Park"><img alt="The Merrywell on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1685502/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-34491069530474640182012-09-30T12:18:00.000+08:002012-10-06T21:41:20.714+08:00Metrio & Co, North PerthPerth's weather is continuing to warm up and as the sunshine comes out, a lot of bacon gets a grilling. Who doesn't like a nice cooked breakfast out when the sun is shining?<br />
<br />
Today we head to Metrio & Co, a neat but unassuming cafe to catch up for a casual breakfast or coffee. Metrio & Co is situated smack bang in the middle of the Angove Street cafe strip, with casual seating inside as well as some al fresco seating on the main strip. Between exposed brick walls, artwork, and modern decor it's not a bad brunch cafe and (for me) does some good food.<br />
<br />
The menu, which is written up on a blackboard on the wall, works through a few breakfast staples including an Aussie breakfast option (bacon, eggs, sausage), through to eggs (eg florentine) and mushroom selections, as well as some more basic selections. Otherwise, apart from the usual suspects with a few variations, the menu isn't very extensive but from what I've had so far at least the food quality has been good. However supplementing the menu is a range of sandwiches and wraps and quiches in the fridge, as well as some cakes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PMh7Kk9yADY/UCaC9Rtjg_I/AAAAAAAADaw/lVqicq89Kec/s1600/_MG_7048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PMh7Kk9yADY/UCaC9Rtjg_I/AAAAAAAADaw/lVqicq89Kec/s1600/_MG_7048.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Eggs Florentine - $15</span></div>
<br />
The eggs florentine was pretty standard fare as far as eggs florentine is concerned.<br />
<br />
Of the two eggs in the eggs florentine one was cooked perfectly with a completely runny centre, whilst the other was a tad over the perfect (for me) mark with the edges of the yolk solid but most of the yolk still runny. Perhaps a slight slip up, but the eggs were runny enough to soak into and be scooped up by the crusty bread.<br />
<br />
The hollandaise sauce was creamy with a consistency like creamy mayonnaise and had a nice acidity running through it giving the dish a great flavour and tangy-ness. Completing the eggs florentine was lightly cooked spinach.<br />
<br />
In a side dish was a tomato salsa. The salsa itself seemed ok with chunks of tomatoes and onion, and a tangy and slightly sweet flavour, but I didn't feel it really added to the flavours of the eggs florentine for me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DZXQiCvP5QY/UCaDL6llHjI/AAAAAAAADa4/FlQbJ71eKsE/s1600/_MG_7047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DZXQiCvP5QY/UCaDL6llHjI/AAAAAAAADa4/FlQbJ71eKsE/s1600/_MG_7047.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Field Mushrooms - $16</span></div>
<br />
This dish "field mushrooms" kept a couple of field mushrooms as the centre of the dish. The perfectly cooked (firm, yet tender) mushrooms were placed on top of some thick toast and cooked spinach, and topped with feta and rocket. Served with creamed balsamic on the base of the plate, the sweet, acidic and salty flavours blended together to make this vegetarian dish quite delicious.<br />
<br />
On the side, the familiar tomato salsa added colour to the dish though again didn't add anything for me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h59e77zt8JI/UCaDWeBtGQI/AAAAAAAADbA/ni6oIy0FybU/s1600/_MG_7046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h59e77zt8JI/UCaDWeBtGQI/AAAAAAAADbA/ni6oIy0FybU/s1600/_MG_7046.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Cappuccino</span></div>
<br />
This immaculate looking cappuccino was smooth and a good strength. The cappuccino wasn't quite as creamy as some other great cappuccinos out there but otherwise I had no complaints.<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> The food is up to scratch; nice seating arrangements including al fresco in the busy cafe strip<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> The menu isn't extensive, but is supplemented by items in the display fridge - you should still find something to suit<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> There's perhaps nothing that really stands out for me at Metrio & Co above other brunch places, but they do a decent job for what they have<br />
<span style="color: white;">Review</span><br />
<b>Metrio & Co</b><br />
36-38 Angove Street<br />
NORTH PERTH WA 6006<br />
(08) 9227 0077<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
7 days - breakfast and lunch
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1629650/restaurant/Perth/Metrio-Co-North-Perth"><img alt="Metrio & Co on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1629650/biglogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-21314802631111573732012-09-26T21:23:00.000+08:002012-10-06T21:41:41.246+08:00Eki Bento, MaylandsI remember back in my younger school days my Mum would pack my lunchbox daily usually filled with a sandwich and fruit. I also remember other kids used to get an assortment of tasty treats in their lunchboxes like cake and chocolate, things I never got no matter how much I asked - but I digress. Anyway speaking of lunchboxes, the Japanese have this neat concept of bento boxes or wooden boxes (often with compartments) used to serve a meal - often at lunch but you can get them for dinner too.<br />
<br />
Eki Bento (or Train Station Bento Box) is neatly located on the Whatley Crescent cafe strip in Maylands across from the train station. I had seen this Japanese restaurant as I had walked by when I was having breakfast at the nearby cafes and told myself I had to give it a try. Eventually one night I caught up with a friend who likes Japanese food and we decided to head over to Eki Bento.<br />
<br />
Eki Bento is a relatively new Japanese restaurant that is set up with some almost quirky Japanese decorations giving it a casual Japanese feel. Inside, there are wooden chairs and tables that provide ample seating when it doesn't get too busy.<br />
<br />
After sitting down and receiving the menu you immediately notice the "Bento" on offer with quite a few Japanese favourites served either in those bento boxes or separately including teriyaki, katsu, sushi and sashimi. However, tucked in amongst the largely Japanese menu are a few Korean dishes - mainly bibimbaps (rice bowl meals). Rounding off the menu, there are a few entrees such as dumplings (gyoza) and octopus balls (takoyaki), and desserts such as green tea ice cream.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aNAvwter98c/UDht2kgTbTI/AAAAAAAADiI/3e0C-OzSolw/s1600/_MG_7094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aNAvwter98c/UDht2kgTbTI/AAAAAAAADiI/3e0C-OzSolw/s1600/_MG_7094.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Fish Teriyaki Bento - $16.90</span></div>
<br />
The fish teriyaki bento started off with a fish fillet on top of a bed of rice. The fish, being a smooth and firm fish with a texture a bit like fish used in fish n chips, was lightly dusted and shallow fried. It was then drenched in a teriyaki sauce, with a soy flavour that was slightly sweetened, thick and a tad sticky on the fish. the sauce made its way through the fish and onto the rice to keep it tasting like teriyaki throughout.<br />
<br />
Served in the fish teriyaki bento was a range of side dishes - though each of the main courses appeared to come with similar sides. On the tray with the teriyaki fish was a salad, with garden salad type lettuce leaves, tomato and cabbage dressed in a sweetened and a little grainy (giving it texture) vinaigrette. Also on the tray were pickled ginger and wasabi.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YPyrq3IS39Y/UDht9-lAT8I/AAAAAAAADiQ/xc8shjo1wI0/s1600/_MG_7095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YPyrq3IS39Y/UDht9-lAT8I/AAAAAAAADiQ/xc8shjo1wI0/s1600/_MG_7095.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
On a second tray that was neatly laid beside the main course tray was a pork gyoza with lightly seasoned pork mince mixture inside a thin pastry, half a panko-crumbed potato croquette with a smooth potato mixture inside (on its way to being a mash), and a panko-crumbed prawn. All were deep fried, with the panko-crumbed katsu style potato and prawn being crunchy on the outside and drizzled with that sweet barbecue and Worcestershire sauce-like katsu sauce<br />
<br />
Also on this tray was a piece of katsu prawn sushi, a piece of chicken sushi, and a prawn nigiri style sushi. Despite being nothing special or of particular note, all the sushi were well made, held together well and tasted relatively fresh. Finishing off this tray was a fruit salad, with a few slices of banana oddly left in its skin (perhaps for presentation), not-completely-ripe honeydew, and a wedge of orange.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lsxpq13pMjg/UDhuFRAgYDI/AAAAAAAADiY/7w14GyIIteo/s1600/_MG_7092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lsxpq13pMjg/UDhuFRAgYDI/AAAAAAAADiY/7w14GyIIteo/s1600/_MG_7092.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Chicken Katsu Bento - $17.90</span></div>
<br />
This katsu chicken bento was a little more like a "katsudon" type of meal. The crumbed chicken katsu featured in this dish, but it had been further cooked with omelette and a soy based sauce. Notably lacking (due to the cooking process) was a crispy crumbed katsu, but instead this was replaced with tender chicken more flavoursome than any normal katsu chicken that I usually get. The chicken had been heavily infused with the sauce with its slightly sweetened but otherwise strong soy flavour.<br />
<br />
Though I'm not sure that I would really consider this what I normally expect for a katsu chicken, it was a very tasty katsudon style chicken dish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UE2Jhh3P6JQ/UDhuMo8mV9I/AAAAAAAADig/fjt9aKPgVYQ/s1600/_MG_7093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UE2Jhh3P6JQ/UDhuMo8mV9I/AAAAAAAADig/fjt9aKPgVYQ/s1600/_MG_7093.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Similar sides were served with this main course dish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IXS4nHaFqHI/UDhuSoBv4ZI/AAAAAAAADio/bDs_SFcSUqU/s1600/_MG_7091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IXS4nHaFqHI/UDhuSoBv4ZI/AAAAAAAADio/bDs_SFcSUqU/s1600/_MG_7091.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The tea was made with a real tea mixture (as opposed to powder) and served in some nice Japanese decor.<br />
<br />
<b>We liked: </b>Great infused flavours in the bento boxes for this level of Japanese food (i.e. casual).<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> A few oddities in the menu - namely katsu chicken bento coming out more like katsudon (but it was tasty nonetheless)<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> Though mainly Japanese, there are some Korean dishes on offer; specialises in relatively quick bento box meals and sushi/sashimi; there are cheaper and lighter lunch bento options available; dine in or takeaway<br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;">Review</span><br />
<b>Eki Bento</b><br />
180 Whatley Crescent<br />
MAYLANDS WA 6051<br />
(08) 6161 6573<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
7 days - 11am to 9pm<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1632877/restaurant/Perth/Eki-Bento-Maylands"><img alt="Eki Bento on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1632877/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-21740334359173638282012-09-18T19:54:00.000+08:002012-10-06T21:41:59.371+08:00The Classroom, North Perth<i>In touch with the ground</i><br />
<i>I'm on the hunt down I'm after you</i><br />
<i>Smell like I sound I'm lost in a crowd.</i><br />
<i>And I'm hungry like the wolf.</i><br />
<br />
Remember the 80s? Or at least enjoy some classic 80s rock and pop? Maybe you'd like to hop on down to The Classroom for a near nostalgic experience listening to some 80s tracks. They say they don't make music like they did back in the 80s.<br />
<br />
The Classroom is a niche bar/restaurant in North Perth that has serves modern bar food and a widely ranging drinks menu. If you're in the mood for a drink, you'll definitely want to look through the cool cocktail list that describes most cocktails with mini essays. The creators of The Classroom are from Cocktail Gastronomy and there are some classics to be had, and even cocktails made with bunsen burners and blow torch.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Zul5Pj82jU/UDhuf5JwPbI/AAAAAAAADiw/OOWAtfTPJiY/s1600/_MG_7097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Zul5Pj82jU/UDhuf5JwPbI/AAAAAAAADiw/OOWAtfTPJiY/s1600/_MG_7097.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Complete with school memorabilia such as lockers, multiplication tables, backboards, backpacks, and exercise books</div>
<br />
With a name like "The Classroom" you wouldn't be surprised to suspect a classroom or school theme. The Classroom offers a nostalgic experience with a collection of schoolies memorabilia including lockers as the bar shelves, blackboards, multiplication tables, backpacks, encyclopaedias and sporting trophies. Bringing it all together to an era, music from the 80s (at least when I was there) is proudly played audibly throughout.<br />
<br />
As many of these niche bars do these days, The Classroom offers a menu of mainly modern share dishes - though keeping with the theme, the menu is contained in a student exercise book. The dishes range from small almost entree like dishes, through to larger almost main course sounding dishes, as well as sides and desserts. The selection isn't huge, but there is a good range of food offering different types of meats and seafoods as well as vegetarian and gluten free dishes. Portion sizes aren't large so if you're hungry like a starving wolf you could find yourself ordering several dishes to satisfy.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
The service was generally fine - of the two wait-people who served us, one was very professional and helpful whilst the other seemed a little short with responses but otherwise no big issue. No, they aren't dressed like any school teachers I had.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3kMBvqKETrU/UDhulkCIyRI/AAAAAAAADi4/EPTfyeB-1YU/s1600/_MG_7099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3kMBvqKETrU/UDhulkCIyRI/AAAAAAAADi4/EPTfyeB-1YU/s1600/_MG_7099.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Chermoula chicken drumsticks, roasted sweet potato and eggplant, zesty yoghurt (gluten free) - $17</span></div>
<br />
The four chicken drumsticks had their bones snapped off around the smaller and less meaty cartilage area (which also left some not-so-pleasant sharp edges and a couple of small bits of loose bones on the drumsticks). Each drumstick tasted like they had been grilled, the outer skin and meat having a slight grilled texture and dryness to it, though the skin was not crispy. The chermoula flavour was subtle, with the chicken retaining a lot of its flavour without much to cover it.<br />
<br />
The dish also came with two small chunks of each of roasted sweet potato and eggplant. Both were firm and held their shape, yet both were effortless to cut through and eat. For me, the sweet potato in particular deliciously melted in my mouth with the sweet flavour of the sweet potato mixed with in with the light seasoning.<br />
<br />
Spooned over the chicken was some zesty acidic yoghurt, complimenting the (light) chermoula flavours.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4tKm9BPpHrU/UDhurUhNyNI/AAAAAAAADjA/vbJoUtE_1M8/s1600/_MG_7098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4tKm9BPpHrU/UDhurUhNyNI/AAAAAAAADjA/vbJoUtE_1M8/s1600/_MG_7098.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Szechuan pepper squid, compressed watermelon, nam-jim dressing - $16</span></div>
<br />
The squid was made up of pieces of squids body as well as squid tentacles. The squid were lightly dusted and fried, but like the chicken drumsticks the seasoning was subtle. The squid was tender, whilst the outer coating was only lightly crispy. However, remembering how hot some szechuan pepper dishes can be, I couldn't really say the szechuan peppers came through for me - suffice to say those of you who can't take spicy dishes shouldn't let this dish's name deter you in spice factor alone.<br />
<br />
Served with the squid was "compressed watermelon" that was as the name suggests quite dense for watermelon, and seemed to have been coated or drizzled with some lime juice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_7jWMagsLFE/UDhuwXjVOkI/AAAAAAAADjI/zfyq4LY3p_o/s1600/_MG_7100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_7jWMagsLFE/UDhuwXjVOkI/AAAAAAAADjI/zfyq4LY3p_o/s1600/_MG_7100.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Hand-cut shaker chips, dynamite dust & chipotle aioli (gluten free, vegan) - $7</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The chips were served in a brown paper bag, with "dynamite dust" and chipotle aioli on the side. Presumably the "shaker" aspect gave you the option to toss in the dynamite dust (which seemed to have more paprika flavours than a spicy kick) and shake them up.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iro-nKFx54o/UDhu1jPdD1I/AAAAAAAADjQ/BkbE2eSyBWo/s1600/_MG_7101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iro-nKFx54o/UDhu1jPdD1I/AAAAAAAADjQ/BkbE2eSyBWo/s1600/_MG_7101.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Inside the bag, the chips were placed in a chips cup. The chips themselves were hand cut chips where you could still see the potato skin. The chips weren't crunchy, but were more like wedges in texture (but with thick chip sizing and cut).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pxE7EhB13N4/UDhu9ZvOkSI/AAAAAAAADjY/vPHmNtUL1y8/s1600/_MG_7096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pxE7EhB13N4/UDhu9ZvOkSI/AAAAAAAADjY/vPHmNtUL1y8/s1600/_MG_7096.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">The blue blazer - $18</span></div>
<br />
<i>With its neon blue flame pouring between gleaming steel mugs, few cocktails are more visually impressive (and dangerous) than the blue blazer.</i><br />
<br />
The blue blazer contains over-proof bourbon, raw sugar, seasonal fresh fruits and liqueurs to hand. The drink itself had a strong bourbon taste, and was sweet, smooth, warm to touch and nearly a thick consistency. I found it to be quite comforting and it went down a treat.<br />
<br />
<b>We liked: </b>The memorabilia and (for some) the nostalgia; the interesting and special cocktail selection (and history/stories).<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> Not a lot of seating available when it gets busy (you can't RSVP and sharing tables is encouraged).<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note: </b>The bar is fully licensed; there is parking at the rear (but drive responsibly); the menu probably isn't that extensive for a full on dinner meal.<br />
<span style="color: white;">Review</span><br />
<b>The Classroom</b><br />
1/356 Charles Street<br />
North Perth WA 6006<br />
(08) 9444 7729<br />
http://www.theclassroom.com.au<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Tuesday to Friday - 4pm to late<br />
Saturday and Sunday - 12pm to late<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1649011/restaurant/Perth/The-Classroom-North-Perth"><img alt="The Classroom on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1649011/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-22056125689368729462012-09-06T01:36:00.001+08:002012-10-06T21:42:19.517+08:00Bistro Guillaume, Crown Perth, BurswoodJames Packer's moulding of the former Burswood/Intercontinental into a complex worthy of the "Crown" name went a little (or a lot) further with the opening of Guillaume Brahimi's Bistro Guillaume at Crown Perth in Burswood. Bistro Guillaume Perth is a sister restaurant to the upmarket Sydney Morning Herald two hat awarded Guillaume at Bennelong at Sydney Opera House, and the on par Bistro Guillaume at Crown Melbourne (though the waiter informs us that Bistro Guillaume Perth sits between those two restaurants and is definitely better than the one at Crown Melbourne - take that Melbourne!)<br />
<br />
Entering Bistro Guillaume brought a smile to my face for feeling like I had stepped clearly away from the usual Perth dining scene. Its classy modern feel is given character through the French provincial surroundings - green tones and French architecture lines. The seating consists of some larger boothes, modern table seating, as well as an outdoor section that overlooks the pool that would be great as the weather warms up.<br />
<br />
Completing the French experience, we found that a good portion of the wait staff had French accents. For an opening night, I have to say I was pretty impressed with the level and quality of service. The wait staff weren't quite at the stage where they were always there when you needed them, but otherwise they were attentive, well mannered and helpful.<br />
<br />
The menu is presented on the table as a placemat and can be viewed <a href="http://www.crownperth.com.au/getmedia/b22d8b83-a537-4f3f-983e-d86de051aa0f/BG-Portrait-Menu.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. Of course the menu specialises in French or modern French and includes some French specialties such as escargot (snails), steak tartare, duck confit, lemon tart, and of course... French fries - no, really! Being a Bistro, the selection isn't extensive but it does offer a good range of meats and fish but the vegetarian or vegan may struggle a little here.<br />
<br />
Bistro Guillaume also offers a fully licensed experience with a range of modestly priced (as far as Bistro fine dining is concerned) wine list with a good selection of wines including Australian and of course French wines. The bottle of French red we ordered was a flat $100 which seemed quite mid-range amongst the various wines on offer. There's also an extensive cocktail menu and you can even go up and watch the bartender make your cocktail.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CiOkT0qQvaM/UEd14Dyl5YI/AAAAAAAADn8/yjmTG796jUg/s1600/_MG_7169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CiOkT0qQvaM/UEd14Dyl5YI/AAAAAAAADn8/yjmTG796jUg/s1600/_MG_7169.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Complimentary bread</span></div>
<br />
The complimentary bread was served nice and warm - not just lightly warm but at a nice deeply warm temperature throughout. The bread had a very crusty surface and the inside was light and very airy - almost like a very airy crumpet.<br />
<br />
The bread was served with butter that was so soft and smooth it almost felt like it melted as you cut through it.<br />
<br />
A great delicious start to the meal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HMKccLqtvSs/UEd1ywOtTvI/AAAAAAAADn0/4qYr89VJ-W8/s1600/_MG_7170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HMKccLqtvSs/UEd1ywOtTvI/AAAAAAAADn0/4qYr89VJ-W8/s1600/_MG_7170.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Escargot en persillade - $25</span></div>
<br />
I'm usually a little wary of the escargot (or snails) as the last time I had snails they were very strong in snail taste - too strong for my liking.<br />
<br />
This dish on the other hand was quite pleasant. The snails, which were served on a quaint dish allowing for one snail per indent on the plate, still had a light (we'll call it) "earthy" flavour but were otherwise tender and melted in the mouth. The waiter likened it to oysters kilpatrick and in terms of texture I can see why.<br />
<br />
The snails were cooked with (a common) persillade sauce, which contained ingredients including oil, garlic and parsley - all of which were very prominent in the sauce. I also detected a hint of parmesan which seamlessly added its nice salty flavour to the dish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2u2iidnO1w/UEd19juz_wI/AAAAAAAADoE/H4wXVQ_qKWU/s1600/_MG_7171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2u2iidnO1w/UEd19juz_wI/AAAAAAAADoE/H4wXVQ_qKWU/s1600/_MG_7171.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Berkshire pork belly with salad of lentils, green apples and tarragon vinaigrette - $37</span></div>
<br />
The pork belly was cooked amazingly tender that it tore effortlessly with the knife and melted in the mouth. The pork belly was uniformly infused with seasoning and was relatively juicy. However, as warned by the waitstaff, the pork belly was cooked soft throughout - so don't expect crispy pork crackling.<br />
<br />
The pork belly was served with (the somewhat common for pork belly) lentils on the base, wafer thin slices of green apple salad with a tarragon vinaigrette, and more of the delicious pork jus.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-49Ikt92rKEY/UEd2DKGUsyI/AAAAAAAADoM/_kT9DGBmPZw/s1600/_MG_7173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-49Ikt92rKEY/UEd2DKGUsyI/AAAAAAAADoM/_kT9DGBmPZw/s1600/_MG_7173.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: orange;">Rangers Valley sirloin (300 day grain fed), crispy kipfler potatoes, watercress salad, bearnaise sauce - $42</span><br />
<br />
This sirloin was my favourite mains of opening night. The sirloin (cooked medium rare) was pink through a great portion of the steak and buttery smooth with every bite. The sirloin had been char-grilled and had a noticeable grill/charcoal flavour that coupled with the sirloin flavour was amazing to me. I usually prefer steak that hasn't been cooked on the grill but this might have changed my mind.<br />
<br />
The steak was topped with a rich bearnaise sauce - lightly acidic, smooth and creamy, and packing a rich complex flavour with herbs that may just make this the best bearnaise sauce I've had to date.<br />
<br />
The kipler potatoes were a little like wedges - though a little thinner and definitely crispier. The potatoes were seasoned and were perfectly matched to the sirloin dish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jkDfMW4rfYM/UEd2JOlpQQI/AAAAAAAADoU/Vxgx0aAg4ro/s1600/_MG_7174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jkDfMW4rfYM/UEd2JOlpQQI/AAAAAAAADoU/Vxgx0aAg4ro/s1600/_MG_7174.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Venison tenderloin with beetroot, parsnip and horseradish - $40</span></div>
<br />
The venison, ordered medium rare, was cooked perfectly - also pink in the middle and buttery smooth. In comparison to the sirloin, the venison had a denser texture (though as tender as a tenderloin can be), no charcoal taste but instead a slight gamey flavour.<br />
<br />
The venison was served with firm but tender parsnip strips and baby beetroot quarters and leaves, a beetroot puree, jus, and a hint of horseradish. With the full-flavoured jus and the sweet beetroot puree, this venison dish seemed well presented for a venison dish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-POgeOSvgFEQ/UEd2PWRZT9I/AAAAAAAADoc/pGPN6sNSv0U/s1600/_MG_7175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-POgeOSvgFEQ/UEd2PWRZT9I/AAAAAAAADoc/pGPN6sNSv0U/s1600/_MG_7175.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Paris mash - $9</span></div>
<br />
My cousin, who had previously been to Guillaume at Bennelong, told me to try the mash - so I did!<br />
<br />
This "Paris" mash was like no other I'd had before. Smooth, rich, creamy, buttery, the mash was silky smooth and seasoned perfectly (seasoned well, but not salty). The mash had a consistency a little like whipped cream, very light and creamy as opposed to overly fluffy and heavy - for a mash it seemed almost decadent in taste and texture.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QRdTH7Y3bY0/UEd2V8KG2uI/AAAAAAAADok/OESGgUhUT0I/s1600/_MG_7176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QRdTH7Y3bY0/UEd2V8KG2uI/AAAAAAAADok/OESGgUhUT0I/s1600/_MG_7176.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Chocolate souffle with pistachio ice cream - $22</span></div>
<br />
The chocolate souffle looked very impressive served in a small copper souffle dish and the top noticeably risen high above the top of the dish. As soon as it was placed on the table, the waiter took the quenelle of pistachio ice cream and inserted it through the top of the souffle.<br />
<br />
We thought the chocolate souffle had a taste and texture more like a mousse as opposed to a cake, like there was cream in it. It was rich and sweet in chocolate flavour and very light and smooth in texture with tiny bubbles uniformly throughout.<br />
<br />
The subtly flavoured pistachio ice cream melted in the warmth of the souffle and made this dessert even smoother and creamier.<br />
<br />
Definitely for the chocolate lover.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QS62mJKphzc/UEd2bgVMRAI/AAAAAAAADos/OucBGMEVUm4/s1600/_MG_7177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QS62mJKphzc/UEd2bgVMRAI/AAAAAAAADos/OucBGMEVUm4/s1600/_MG_7177.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Lemon tart with creme fraiche - $18</span></div>
<br />
This classic lemon tart was for me pretty amazing and definitely indulgent as far as lemon tarts go.<br />
<br />
The pastry was super thin and short. The lemon filling was dense yet light, ultra-smooth and was almost creamy in the mouth. The tangy-ness of the lemon was very prominent, lightly balanced with sweetness but definitely retaining that zesty acidic lemon flavour.<br />
<br />
The lemon tart was served with a small quenelle of creme fraiche which also had a light tanginess and a smooth and dense consistency. Whilst it complimented the lemon tart, by this stage of the meal it seemed a little too much - not that it didn't go with the tart, but that we were loosening a button or two.<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> Great modern French food; great French provincial bistro decor making a classy modern atmosphere; great service.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like: </b>Nothing significant.<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> Fully licensed; bookings highly recommended; if you go close to the opening you may get to meet Guillaume Brahimi himself!<br />
<span style="color: white;">Review</span><br />
<b>Bistro Guillaume</b><br />
Crown Perth<br />
Great Eastern Highway<br />
Burswood WA 6100<br />
(08) 9362 7551<br />
http://www.crownperth.com.au/restaurants/premium/bistro-guillaume/about<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Seven days a week - 5:30pm till late<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1681260/restaurant/Perth/Victoria-Park/Bistro-Guillaume-Burswood"><img alt="Bistro Guillaume on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1681260/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-43622839746470693112012-09-03T20:41:00.000+08:002012-10-06T21:42:54.474+08:00Perth Dae Jang Kum Restaurant, NorthbridgeWhilst it's still cold and wet (and with all that stormy weather we're having tonight) nothing satisfies the stomach better than a hot meal, home-cooked or in a nice warm restaurant. Aside from the roasts, stews and casseroles, other things that come to mind are hot soups and then there's cooking over a heating source like a BBQ-grill dish.<br />
<br />
Though I'm sitting at home right now typing, I'm thinking back to this Korean meal I had at Perth Dae Jang Kum Restaurant in Northbridge (the photos help my mouth water). This Korean restaurant has a good range of Korean food including those warm-the-insides soups, meals served on hot sizzling dishes, and the self-cook BBQ grills.<br />
<br />
Perth Dae Jang Kum Restaurant itself is quite a large restaurant with good ample seating, much like many street facing restaurants in Northbridge. The decor is quite simple, but the restaurant is clean and the area quite spacious. Many (if not all) of the tables include a BBQ grill which they start up for you if you order any of the BBQ grill meals - but be prepared for the odours to permeate through your clothes. <br />
<br />
The menu offers a variety of Korean dishes including grilled meat bulgogi dishes, soup dishes that are vegetarian or come with meat or seafood, and dishes (including a variety of meats from beef to chicken and pork) you grill on the BBQ grill-plate on your table. With each meal, Perth Dae Jang Kum Restaurant serves some typical Korean side dishes like the infamous kimchi.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TK0T2eLkXKc/UCaBxDnWMaI/AAAAAAAADaQ/tCgeh6nFuXg/s1600/_MG_7051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TK0T2eLkXKc/UCaBxDnWMaI/AAAAAAAADaQ/tCgeh6nFuXg/s1600/_MG_7051.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Seafood pancake - $9</span></div>
<br />
When I normally think pancakes, I think pancakes sweetened such as those with maple syrup and berries. However, walk into an Asian restaurant and you may find that a pancake (or dishes that look like they could be described as a pancake - eg okonomiyaki) is a savoury affair.<br />
<br />
This seafood pancake was one of those savoury pancakes made with bits of seafood (including baby octopus, shrimp and squid) and thin strips of carrots and spring onion mixed into the batter. The pancake itself was made with a batter that tasted like it was flavoured or seasoned, such that the pancake itself had a savoury flavour running through it. This gave the pancake enough flavour that it didn't need any additional sauce or condiments (though a type of chilli oil sauce was provided on the side).<br />
<br />
Texture wise, don't expect the light fluffiness of a sweet pancake but instead a slightly more dense and solid pancake. However, the pancake was thin and the batter not too heavy, and a base that had a deliciously lightly crunch (though quite oily at the same time with the oil probably used to help crisp up the base). All up, I thought this was a delicious savoury pancake.<br />
<br />
Note that despite this being in the "entree" section of the menu, this pancake is big enough to feed a person as a main - and definitely too much for one or even two as an entree. We were pushed to finish our entire meal sharing one of these between two for an entree.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xY5PSFRpw1Q/UCaCD-NizQI/AAAAAAAADaY/1BRzANQLsf8/s1600/_MG_7055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xY5PSFRpw1Q/UCaCD-NizQI/AAAAAAAADaY/1BRzANQLsf8/s1600/_MG_7055.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Chicken Bulgogi - $16</span></div>
<br />
This chicken bulgogi was served on the (familiar at many Korean restaurants I've tried) sizzling plate.<br />
<br />
The chicken was barbecued in that bulgogi soy marinade, this one being quite a sweet one more so than salty but otherwise retaining a distinct soy flavour. The chicken was marinated and cooked such that each piece seemed infused with that flavour and cooked enough to keep the chicken relatively moist and tender for a barbecued meat.<br />
<br />
The bulgogi meal was served with a bowl of rice in a typical stainless steel bowl with a stainless steel lid.<br />
<br />
Overall this meal had strong infused flavours, which to me seemed a bit like a stir fry - only with greater intensity and less sauce.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l6fAvQPoJbg/UCaCMd22c_I/AAAAAAAADag/ovYS9oH3WEI/s1600/_MG_7053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l6fAvQPoJbg/UCaCMd22c_I/AAAAAAAADag/ovYS9oH3WEI/s1600/_MG_7053.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Tofu soup - $15</span></div>
<br />
This steaming hot soup had a red colour but wasn't spicy hot, and tofu that was silky smooth. The flavour was intense and from the small taste I had of this dish, the flavour seemed to have a thick stock base that i thought was seafood based. <br />
<br />
Great for winter, perhaps not so good as we head into spring and summer.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1pQd42mA8co/UCaCVQbiGiI/AAAAAAAADao/wqwlLrL4MxE/s1600/_MG_7054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1pQd42mA8co/UCaCVQbiGiI/AAAAAAAADao/wqwlLrL4MxE/s1600/_MG_7054.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Side dishes served with main courses</div>
<br />
The complimentary sides provided with our meal included the mandatory Korean kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, and what seemed like glutinous rice cakes. The kimchi had a good level of spicy heat with every piece of Chinese cabbage, the bean sprouts a little oily and lightly garlic flavoured, and the rice cakes were smooth and jelly-like and topped with a soy based sauce.<br />
<br />
<b>We liked: </b>Lots of flavour in the stock, marinades and sauces; selection of pre-cooked dishes as well as self-cooking dishes on the menu<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> Sizzling dishes and table grilled food leaves you smelling like the food; not the cheapest Korean around<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> Takeaway available; vegetarian, seafood and meat options available<br />
<span style="color: white;">Review</span><br />
<b>Perth Dae Jang Kum Restaurant</b><br />
74 Francis Street<br />
NORTHBRIDGE WA 6003<br />
(08) 9227 0615<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Lunch - Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30am to 3pm<br />
Dinner - Tuesday to Saturday, 5:30pm to 10pm
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1529781/restaurant/Perth/Dae-Jang-Geum-Northbridge"><img alt="Dae Jang Geum on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1529781/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-13964266146858768622012-08-25T17:11:00.000+08:002012-08-25T17:12:50.660+08:00The Tuck Shop Cafe, NorthbridgeTomorrow morning, if you're not running in the fit and charitable city to surf, you might find yourself running to your favourite breakfast cafe for an indulgent breakfast with some awesome coffee or tea, or even a good ol' fry-up. No doubt even with the thousands running in the city to surf, some of the popular breakfast cafes will still be bustling full steam ahead including the well patroned Tuck Shop Cafe situated in the otherwise not-so-well-known-for-breakfast-cafes suburb of Northbridge.<br />
<br />
The Tuck Shop Cafe, often with lines on the weekend rivaling the well-known-in-Northridge Dim Sum restaurants, is very popular with the breakfast and lunch crowd and known for serving excellent coffee and great all-day food. Once you get in you're greeted by some friendly service - polite and helpful. Once you get a table you'll find yourself in a modern and inviting environment where the seating is quite cosy but comfortable.<br />
<br />
Many people would know Tuck Shop Cafe for its pie selection, but on this lunch occasion we decided to go for the more satisfying (and more expensive) main courses. The day's menu (which happens to be an all day menu) came with variety with the likes of organic toast with preserves ($6.50), free range eggs with organic sourdough toast ($11.50), BLT on organic sourdough with tomato relish and hand cut chips ($16.50), Moroccan meatballs with flatbread, tomato, hummus and za'atar fried egg ($17.50), and Ciabatta with Tasmanian smoked salmon, lemon ricotta, asparagus, and fennel salad ($18.50). These all day brunch dishes were in addition to the pies ranging from vegetarian to chicken, lamb, and beef (bacon and cheddar, curry, or stilton) all for $12.50.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g5I5qvitOuM/UC9I8wMpSkI/AAAAAAAADd8/qIZoAFRH6mY/s1600/_MG_7058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g5I5qvitOuM/UC9I8wMpSkI/AAAAAAAADd8/qIZoAFRH6mY/s1600/_MG_7058.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Warm slow cooked lamb and roast vegetable salad with goats curd, dukkah, poached egg - $18.50</span></div>
<br />
The slow cooked lamb, a few chunks of which were laid towards the bottom of the dish, was tender with a great seasoned flavour running through it. For lamb, the chunks were so tender they tore apart effortlessly with my knife and melted in the mouth.<br />
<br />
The roast vegetable salad, including chunks of pumpkin, carrot and potato, was delicious with a great hearty roast flavour running through it mixed in with a slightly acidic flavour. Added into the mix was a creamy and acidic goats curd, a runny centred poached egg, mint leaves and a lemon wedge. I'm not normally into multiple acidic elements in a main, but this was executed well with the acidity keeping the meal light and balanced in flavour. I was quite satisfied with this meal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kn8Hs_DLIiY/UC9JC1t8_5I/AAAAAAAADeI/al2uv3FIDHI/s1600/_MG_7057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kn8Hs_DLIiY/UC9JC1t8_5I/AAAAAAAADeI/al2uv3FIDHI/s1600/_MG_7057.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Chorizo with paprika potatoes, peppers, spanish onions and crispy pork belly, fried egg - $18.50</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The highlight of this dish for us (but only just) was the pork belly, the skin of which was crispy and crunchy but otherwise the pork was not really seasoned (including no noticeable salt piles on the skin). The vegetables seemed of similar style and roast flavour as the lamb dish, only with emphasis on sweet roasted red peppers, tomatoes and potatoes. Added together with the salty chorizo, this dish combined into another delicious brunch meal that was satisfying without being too heavy.<br />
<br />
Finishing off the dish was a fried egg was fried sunny side up, with a lightly crispy base and runny yolk.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9l8PbwqxD0M/UC9JIuZWNDI/AAAAAAAADeQ/93i8t4Zl55g/s1600/_MG_7056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9l8PbwqxD0M/UC9JIuZWNDI/AAAAAAAADeQ/93i8t4Zl55g/s1600/_MG_7056.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Cappuccino - $3.90</span></div>
<br />
This was, in my opinion, a great cappuccino. Using a Toby's Estate blend, the coffee was smooth and strong, the milk creamy and froth thick. I wasn't too keen on the chocolate strip piled on top, mainly because it was of the type with mixed sugar and the coarseness of it all came through when it was concentrated together.<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> Great tasting cafe food including some unique dishes, some with hearty flavours; great coffee<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> The wait to get a table during peak times (it gets busy!).<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> The menu is an all day breakfast/lunch/brunch menu.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Tuck Shop Cafe</b><br />
178 Newcastle Street<br />
NORTHBRIDGE<br />
(08) 9227 1659<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Tuesday to Sunday - Breakfast and Lunch
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1625197/restaurant/Northbridge/The-Tuck-Shop-Cafe-Perth"><img alt="The Tuck Shop Cafe on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1625197/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-66824449636281046572012-08-19T21:02:00.001+08:002012-08-19T21:02:49.716+08:00Pepper Lunch, Perth CBDI'm always looking out for new places to eat in the Perth CBD. Even though there is already a good mix of cuisines from fast food to fine dining across Western to Middle Eastern to Asian dishes, I'm always looking out for new tastes at reasonable (for as far as Perth is concerned) prices. So when the Japanese chain of Pepper Lunch opened in Perth I quickly found myself there to try out this new addition to the Perth food scene (as well as a few additional times for good measure).<br />
<br />
The concept behind Pepper Lunch is that of a fast food style self-grilled meats restaurant, or "fast steak" restaurant. It's a Japanese food chain that has spread throughout Asia and now Perth, offering relatively quick meat or fish based meals (with an emphasis on steak/beef) served on sizzling hot plates or bowls that allow you to cook to your own liking.<br />
<br />
Having taken over one of the street facing shops on Barrack Street in the CBD, Pepper Lunch isn't a large restaurant by any means but amply seats enough to keep it bustling through the busy lunch crowd - larger groups of say more than four may have a bit of a wait or will need to come early or outside of peak times. However, in keeping with a fast food theme you are required to order at the counter after which they give you a number that you display on your table to assist them in bringing your order to your table. As you'd expect with this set up, the service isn't amazing but at least it's decent enough and the staff will help you out with ordering or with "do you know how to eat it?" assistance.<br />
<br />
As you'd expect, the menu at Pepper Lunch is heavily based around grilling meats as well as the flavour of none other than pepper (from subtle to strong)! However, the menu is split between rice meals (rice with beef, chicken or salmon and sauce/flavours), J-Curry being rice meals served with pre-made Japanese curry, and main meals which are the beef, chicken and salmon steaks served directly on the hot plate with vegetables whilst steamed rice and miso are optional extras. Or if you can't decide between one meat, there is also a combo section where you can order more than one meat in your mains. However, prices generally start around the $10 mark for rice meals, through to $15-20 for the steak main meals plus rice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iKENUwP_Rrg/UCaAfzbTNOI/AAAAAAAADZ4/e1OwM6Kl2kU/s1600/_MG_7045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iKENUwP_Rrg/UCaAfzbTNOI/AAAAAAAADZ4/e1OwM6Kl2kU/s1600/_MG_7045.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Kimchi beef with cheese - $11.50</span></div>
<br />
This meal, part of the pepper rice range, was a pre-cooked-rice based meal topped with raw slices of beef, kimchi, corn kernels and a stretchy cheese. All were served in the sizzling iron bowl, ready for you to combine the ingredients and cook the meat.<br />
<br />
After cooking and combining the ingredients in this meal, and being the first dish I tried, I was pleasantly surprised with how satisfying it was. First and foremost, the kimchi gave the dish its overriding flavour, preventing it from being bland - the light red chilli and sweet but more so sour pickle elements amongst the other spices gave the dish a real kick of flavour. Adding to the kimchi preserved cabbage and flavours was a (true to Pepper Lunch's name) distinct pepper flavour, not enough to be overbearing but enough to be noticed.<br />
<br />
Whilst the kimchi beef dish is available with or without cheese (with comes with an additional cost), if you love cheese then the with-cheese version is worth it. The cheese taste and its stretchy texture worked excellently with the kimchi and beef flavour of the dish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-07O7-RrZnxk/UCaAv41ZcGI/AAAAAAAADaA/c7NNk8I_mTg/s1600/_MG_7050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-07O7-RrZnxk/UCaAv41ZcGI/AAAAAAAADaA/c7NNk8I_mTg/s1600/_MG_7050.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Curry beef - $9.50</span></div>
<br />
Similar to the Kimchi beef with cheese dish above, this meal came in a sizzling iron hot bowl ready to be cooked and combined.<br />
<br />
The curry beef came with similar slices of beef and corn kernels, but was finished with a curry powder and pepper. Combining the dish, the meal definitely had a curry flavour. However, as the dish used a curry powder as opposed to the pre-cooked sauce based Japanese curries, the dish didn't seem as hearty (but on the other hand not as heavy) as a sauce-based curry dish and in fact seemed to have an almost powdery texture to it. This was further brought out by the pepper in the dish which overall meant the dish had a good level of curry and pepper flavour running through it.<br />
<br />
So overall, whilst this definitely fit the description of a curry beef dish, my personal preference is to go for the sauce based J-curry dish instead. That dish in particular I found to be quite filling.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPofOeJvGy0/UCaA6eudPBI/AAAAAAAADaI/t2XnXbfEOU4/s1600/_MG_7040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPofOeJvGy0/UCaA6eudPBI/AAAAAAAADaI/t2XnXbfEOU4/s1600/_MG_7040.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">One bite cut - $11 (rice + miso or soft drink $3.50 upgrade)</span></div>
<br />
Another (and possibly more special) part of the menu was the "main meal" section - filled with steaks, chicken and fish (salmon) dishes that were to be cooked to your liking, adding sauce as you so desire.<br />
<br />
This "one bite cut" from the main menu section was a pre-cut steak served with some vegetables cleverly placed such that if your steak reached your cooking point of perfection you could move the remaining pieces on top of the vegetables rather than have to scoff them down before they overcooked on the sizzling iron plate.<br />
<br />
The one bite cut beef was admittedly the basic grade of beef on the main menu. As such, the beef was a little tough though I'm not completely sure whether it was due to the beef itself or that perhaps it was left too long on the heat by the time I tried a piece. However, given there were options with higher grades (and marbelisation) of beef, I'd guess other cuts of steak could offer greater tenderness.<br />
<br />
Overall though, the flavours of the dish were quite simple with no special marinades or additions other than simple sauces to add to the meat whilst it cooked. The novelty of cooking the steak and adding the side sauces was nice, but just expect that what you see is what you get.<br />
<br />
<b>We liked: </b>The novelty factor; new tastes to the Perth CBD scene; some satisfying meals for lunch.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like: </b>Some of the dishes can be a bit plain tasting, but this is (upmarket) fast food; due to the (effectively) open grills at each table, you can end up smelling like your lunch.<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note:</b> During peak times, there can be a bit of a wait for a table; despite being called Pepper Lunch, it's also open some dinners.<br />
<br />
<b>Pepper Lunch</b><br />
Shop 5g, 95 Barrack Street<br />
PERTH WA 6000<br />
(08) 9325 3532<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Sunday to Thursday - 11am to 9pm<br />
Friday to Saturday - 11am to 10pm
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1683856/restaurant/Perth-CBD/Pepper-Lunch-Perth"><img alt="Pepper Lunch on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1683856/minilogo.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:104px;height:15px" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-69014969438567468162012-08-11T17:21:00.000+08:002012-08-12T09:37:54.025+08:00El Publico, HighgatePerth for as long as I can remember has had tex-mex - the good 'ol cheese-rich and almost fast food feel meals that conjure thoughs of old el paso. Moving on from this I got introduced to more authentic Mexican venues including <a href="http://theaussiebite.blogspot.com.au/2010/04/flying-taco-north-perth.html" target="_blank">The Flying Taco</a> and (at least it used to be) That Little Mexican Restaurant. So the natural progression to this would lead to modern Mexican right? But what would that be?<br />
<br />
El Publico - Modern Mexican Kitchen and Bar is ideally set amongst the cafe and bar strip on Beaufort Street in Highgate. Its combination of booth and table/chair seating along with its bar upfront gives this Mexican bar restaurant a nice modern and cosy feel to catch up with friends or a night out snacking whilst sampling the extensive Mexican-oriented drinks on offer. Modern Mexican food in a modern environment - check.<br />
<br />
El Publico's menu items are set in a small typeface, and the names of the dishes are mostly in Spanish or Spanglish (Thanks to the reader who picked that up!). If you can't read the language, you'll find yourself constantly turning the menu over for the mini-dictionary to work out what each dish is. This probably creates a more authentic Mexican feel for some, but for me I would have preferred that they described each dish in English next to their names. I hope that doesn't make me uncultured.<br />
<br />
Once you get through the foreign names, the main menu offers a selection of snacks (or dishes that are about the size of tapas dishes), a small selection of "main" size meals, and a handful of desserts. As with any restaurant that serves small dishes of food, all the dishes are designed to be shared, and can be served with a smidgen or a smothering of Sam's hot sauce served in a bottle labelled "POISON". For the uninitiated the "poison" on the bottle should come as a warning, but for the chilli lovers out there this yellow sauce is some goooood poison.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJhOTzlALHA/T9RoYRK1DCI/AAAAAAAAC68/oZUFiCulFYM/s1600/_MG_6511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJhOTzlALHA/T9RoYRK1DCI/AAAAAAAAC68/oZUFiCulFYM/s1600/_MG_6511.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Sam's hot sauce in a jar labelled "poison" - a warning to all</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Of course any tapas meal, especially Mexican, is best served with drinks, and El Publico takes this part of the meal seriously. The choice of beer and wine is all but drowned out by the selection of spirits and cocktails on the menu - many with a heavy emphasis on tequila... So much so that the choice of tequila here goes beyond my appreciation - but if you think "whiskey bar" and insert "tequila" this is pretty much what you have here.<br />
<br />
To go with this (for me) new experience, the service we were greeted with and experienced throughout the meal was very friendly, and very helpful in deciphering the menu and suggesting dishes. This was very welcome considering the "foreign" to me menu.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xjxii9R3sJ0/T9RojKgW4FI/AAAAAAAAC7E/c27ttJ8wIoI/s1600/_MG_6512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xjxii9R3sJ0/T9RojKgW4FI/AAAAAAAAC7E/c27ttJ8wIoI/s1600/_MG_6512.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Pork Scratchings Chilli Garlic Salt - $8</span></div>
<br />
Why have crunchy French fries when you can have crunchy pork scratchings? Thin strips of pork skin were fried till they were crunchy, then seasoned with chilli garlic salt. The pork scratchings were perhaps not as crunchy as potato crisps (probably a combination of lightly chewy but mostly crunchy), but nonetheless this was a new experience for me that made a nice snack.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BwHbXDZRjfk/T9Roo_4t5kI/AAAAAAAAC7M/V4S4DH3EaJo/s1600/_MG_6513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BwHbXDZRjfk/T9Roo_4t5kI/AAAAAAAAC7M/V4S4DH3EaJo/s1600/_MG_6513.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Lamb Mixiotes Watercress Salsa Taco - $14</span></div>
<br />
Two soft shell tacos were filled with lamb that was so tender that it shredded and melted, along with chopped onion and herbs. Completing the taco was a brown savoury and slightly acidic sauce that was mild, both in flavour and in spice. No sign of grated cheese, or old el paso seasoning here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LtcSUAxqMmA/T9RowXHFIrI/AAAAAAAAC7U/WN4lQVLTNO8/s1600/_MG_6514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LtcSUAxqMmA/T9RowXHFIrI/AAAAAAAAC7U/WN4lQVLTNO8/s1600/_MG_6514.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Huarache House Green Chorizo Queso Fresco - $16</span></div>
<br />
This dish, served on a board with a knife, started with a sandal shaped piece of bread that was about half a centimeter thick and had a dense and slightly coarse texture. The bread was topped with a mixture of the green chorizo in a sauce that was lighter in texture than it looked. Overall the topping was a little starchy but had a nice balance of salt and savoury flavour.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W_KrwN3Vm4s/T9Ro2wnOohI/AAAAAAAAC7c/7A5nowqm4Xs/s1600/_MG_6515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W_KrwN3Vm4s/T9Ro2wnOohI/AAAAAAAAC7c/7A5nowqm4Xs/s1600/_MG_6515.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">Braised chicken olives sultana kifler - $24</span></div>
<br />
This main course sized dish (but still meant for sharing) was like a mini stew.<br />
<br />
A single chicken maryland was cut into two and cooked superbly, infused with the deliciously balanced savoury, acidic and lightly sweet sauce. The sauce was no doubt enhanced by the salty olives and the sweet juicy sultanas giving it added depth of flavour. The chicken itself fell effortlessly off the bone and was unsurprisingly tender.
<br />
<br />
Completing this "main" dish were a decent amount of kifler potatoes that were firm, yet soft to bite through. <br />
Again, the potatoes had been infused with that delicious sauce.<br />
<br />
The waiter suggested that we had tortilla ($1 each) with this dish. The tortilla, which were a bit like small-ish round pieces of bread used to make wraps, were only mildly successful in soaking up the sauce. Personally, I didn't find it really added much to the dish and thus wasn't all that necessary.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xYRP-xtVIuM/T9Ro84waNbI/AAAAAAAAC7k/k1owzR14F4w/s1600/_MG_6517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xYRP-xtVIuM/T9Ro84waNbI/AAAAAAAAC7k/k1owzR14F4w/s1600/_MG_6517.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;">"Tequila Slammer" Lolly - $6</span></div>
<br />
With a name like "Tequila Slammer", this sweet sparked my curiosity. A single serving of this lolly came with two squares of home made marshmallows infused with tequila. The marshmallows were almost jelly-like in texture, but soft like a marshmallow. Tastewise, the marshmallows were sweet with an additional dusting of icing sugar, and lightly flavoured with tequila - but unfortunately not enough to give you a real kick.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>We liked:</b> Fresh and interesting flavours and food; an appealing modern take on Mexican food; friendly and helpful service.<br />
<br />
<b>We didn't like:</b> Having to decipher the menu (but some might consider that fun); the small dish pricing (when multiplied) can be a bit pricey for a casual meal.<br />
<br />
<b>Other things to note: </b>Reservations are only taken for 6+ people on a set menu for a 6:30pm or 8:30pm sitting<br />
<br />
<b>El Publico Modern Mexican Kitchen and Bar</b><br />
511 Beaufort Street<br />
HIGHGATE<br />
(04) 18 187 708<br />
<a href="http://www.elpublico.com.au/">http://www.elpublico.com.au</a>
<br />
<br />
<i>Trading Hours</i><br />
Wednesday to Friday - 5pm to midnight<br />
Saturday - 12 noon to midnight<br />
Sunday - 12 noon to 10pm
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1658906/restaurant/Perth/el-PUBLICO-Highgate"><img alt="el PÚBLICO on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1658906/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-34201060275637390942012-07-30T19:56:00.000+08:002012-07-30T19:56:35.901+08:00Buddha Bar Curry House, Subiaco<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though I really enjoy my Thai and South East Asian curries (such as Malaysian curries), there's another country that is very famous for curries - India! Indian food (which as you'll know is a lot more than just curries) is growing in popularity much like it has in the UK, though ask many an Englishman and they will tell you that the Australian pricing of Indian food is significantly higher compared to what they pay back home.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On a wintry Sunday night, I found myself at Buddha Bar Curry House which is located near the busy end of Rokeby Road in Subiaco, dominated by trendy bars, cafes and the Regal Theatre. Bringing its own charm to the area, Buddha Bar has a simple modern interior, heavily covered in dark brown colours and its own large Buddha decoration.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As its name suggests, Buddha Bar has a bar complete with beer, wine and cocktails. Though the selection isn't huge, it's still quite decent for your average restaurant, and the range includes mostly Australian wines and beers, as well as a few New Zealand wines, French champagne and foreign named beers. Foodwise, Buddha Bar's menu offers many Indian favourites including tandoori, butter chicken, vindaloo, and even a goat dish.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-68krodNYPQc/T7jlkd72QsI/AAAAAAAACx4/4bEJqZdcjis/s1600/_MG_6499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-68krodNYPQc/T7jlkd72QsI/AAAAAAAACx4/4bEJqZdcjis/s1600/_MG_6499.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Vegetable pakora - $14</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The vegetable pakora were strips clumped together of spinach, eggplant, potato and onion that were seasoned, battered and deep fried, and served with a sweet chilli sauce and minted yoghurt. Although the vegetable pakora seemed well made and seasoned for an entree start to the meal, I found it to be very salty which for me dominated the taste. The yoghurt based dressing helped to cover up some of the saltiness.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The vegetable pakora was also served with a side serve of greens which appeared to consist of dry pieces of lettuce leaves that looked unappetising. Suffice to say that I didn't eat any of it.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VmBJyiGMPG8/T7jluqyg2yI/AAAAAAAACyA/m_Ca5tvs3Cs/s1600/_MG_6500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VmBJyiGMPG8/T7jluqyg2yI/AAAAAAAACyA/m_Ca5tvs3Cs/s1600/_MG_6500.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poppy seed squid - $18</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the menu, this squid dish was marked as being made from Kailis seafood. The squid, or calamari rings, were coated with what seemed like a light cornflour base as opposed to the heavier batter in the vegetable pakora as well as poppy seeds, then deep fried.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst the squid itself was nice and tender (as you'd expect from Kailis seafood), the seasoning was in stark contrast to the vegetable pakora with the squid being almost bland in taste. For the squid, the yoghurt based dressing (which seemed to be the same as that served with the pakora) helped to add flavour (and fat flavour) to the squid.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The side salad that came with the squid was dressed with a Gremolata dressing, making it refreshing and cleansing on the palate. This salad I did eat!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YIsocQipgoM/T7jmEf5O0KI/AAAAAAAACyY/fTVSmO7JaJU/s1600/_MG_6503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YIsocQipgoM/T7jmEf5O0KI/AAAAAAAACyY/fTVSmO7JaJU/s1600/_MG_6503.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Butter Chicken - $24</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know about you, but I find that almost every Indian food place I go I find the taste of butter chicken can vary a great deal. Overall, I found the butter chicken ad Buddha Bar to be really enjoyable. In the dish photographed above, the chicken was so tender it melted in the mouth, and the rich sauce had</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a combination of</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> creaminess with tomato, yoghurt, spices and very mild chilli flavours that worked well on my taste buds.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the negative side, I only found 6 slices of chicken buried amongst the sauce. I'm not sure whether the quantity of chicken was reduced for the Sunday special, but it made the dish otherwise hard to justify for value.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(As a small note, we ordered a second serving of the butter chicken. The second serving wasn't as tender or as delicious as the first serving but still acceptable).</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WR4B1tOnj5Y/T7jl-W-aTOI/AAAAAAAACyQ/VzOMzQaBfr0/s1600/_MG_6501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WR4B1tOnj5Y/T7jl-W-aTOI/AAAAAAAACyQ/VzOMzQaBfr0/s1600/_MG_6501.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Lamb Korma</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like the butter chicken above, the lamb in this lamb korma dish was cooked soft such that it broke apart effortlessly and also nearly melted in the mouth. The korma sauce was (I thought) very mildly spiced, but even without a lot of "heat" the spice and flavour in this dish was still good.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again like the butter chicken, the quantity of lamb was relatively little, and the sauce was very thick, rich and heavy with decent flavour.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LsUxLaIO7Wk/T7jmMdqHWkI/AAAAAAAACyg/x0vR_xZBeQU/s1600/_MG_6502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LsUxLaIO7Wk/T7jmMdqHWkI/AAAAAAAACyg/x0vR_xZBeQU/s1600/_MG_6502.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Naan </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bread - $4.50</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The naan bread was nice and light, a little fluffy, but just a bit oily. Great to help scoop up that butter chicken sauce.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Things we liked:</b> Tender meats; flavoursome sauces; good friendly service.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Things we didn't like:</b> Apparent value for money; richness/heaviness of some of the dishes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Other things to note:</b> Specials are available during the week including 50% off curries on Monday and Tuesdays, and the $29 all you can eat Sunday special.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Buddha Bar Curry House</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">88 Rokeby Road</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SUBIACO WA </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(08) 9382 2941</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.buddhabar.com.au/</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Trading Hours</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lunch - 7 days, 11:30am to 3pm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dinner - 7 days, 5:30pm to late</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1370118/restaurant/Perth/Buddha-Bar-Curry-House-Subiaco"><img alt="Buddha Bar Curry House on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1370118/minilogo.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:104px;height:15px" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-82320775784579427732012-06-24T23:09:00.000+08:002012-06-24T23:09:06.681+08:00Toraya Sushi, Subiaco<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There seems to be an abundance of Japanese restaurants in Perth, enough so one has to attempt to separate those that offer something to make it stand out. Whether it be the quality, value for money, or innovative dishes, these are some of the things I look for to help me decide whether the meal was a good experience - even if it was a experience I would probably only try once!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently I had a dinner at Toraya Sushi - a place that I would say offered some different or unusual variations on common dishes or elements to at least make the meal interesting. Although this was a dinner, Toraya Sushi seems to be more known as a lunch venue - and its trading hours seem to confirm this.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For dinner Toraya Sushi's atmosphere is a little strange for the dinner scene. The warm dim lighting seems a little awkward given the lunchbar-like feel of the decor and tiled floor. However, balancing that out, the service I received was friendly and helpful and seeing Japanese patrons eating there was encouraging.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For dinner, Toraya Sushi had two menus to order from - the normal menu and a separate page of specials. The dishes are focused on share dishes, where you can choose a variety of Japanese dishes from sushi to tempura. Accompanying the food is a drinks menu offering beer, wine and a selection of Japanese spirits.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aPp6hz_P574/T-b5ywZhnCI/AAAAAAAADCg/H4BQYS1Pqqo/s1600/_MG_6497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aPp6hz_P574/T-b5ywZhnCI/AAAAAAAADCg/H4BQYS1Pqqo/s1600/_MG_6497.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Rainbow Roll - $16.00</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicely presented, the rainbow roll was presumably named as such due to each piece of sushi containing all of raw tuna, raw salmon, prawn, crab stick, avocado and cucumber.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though the inverted sushi rolls (i.e. seaweed inside and rice showing on the outside) were well prepared with the different taste elements combining together, I felt the rice was a little under-seasoned for my liking. If it wasn't for the four different bits of seafood combined into this sushi, I would have thought it nothing special.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KC8ttgoIZjI/T-b6ExzT7qI/AAAAAAAADCo/BMAjrxlygzw/s1600/_MG_6495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KC8ttgoIZjI/T-b6ExzT7qI/AAAAAAAADCo/BMAjrxlygzw/s1600/_MG_6495.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Wagyu Tataki - $16.00</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the specials for the night was the wagyu tataki. Although keeping to the main elements of a tataki, this version didn't do much for me. Although the wagyu was seared well, leaving a good rare layer inside, I found the wagyu to be a bit chewy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ponzu "sauce" that dressed the wagyu was a jelly that seemed to have the acidic, salty and sweet flavours you expect from sauce served with tataki. However, after tasting it, it had me wanting for a traditionally prepared sauce instead. Sure it meant you could easily combine it with the beef in a mouthful, however I felt the cold jelly texture didn't do it justice.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--TfbYzNKoFc/T-b6Qy7fEWI/AAAAAAAADCw/r55Hn5iqckM/s1600/_MG_6494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--TfbYzNKoFc/T-b6Qy7fEWI/AAAAAAAADCw/r55Hn5iqckM/s1600/_MG_6494.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Cheese Tempura - $8.00</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though I have eaten tempura seafood and vegetables before, I wasn't sure what to expect of tempura cheese. The cheese component of the cheese tempura was a soft, stretchy cheese. Deep frying the stretchy cheese with a light crispy batter was a treat. I'm happy I tried it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cheese tempura was placed into a bowl of thin sauce that tasted like a salty, lightly sweet and strong stock (as it does with many tempura that come with sauce) rich in flavours including dashi (a type of fish stock), salty soy, and a small amount of mirin sweetness.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ckj5_4OKO10/T-b6bW1A32I/AAAAAAAADC4/kkiMTdPcfpE/s1600/_MG_6493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ckj5_4OKO10/T-b6bW1A32I/AAAAAAAADC4/kkiMTdPcfpE/s1600/_MG_6493.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Mixed Seafood Marinade - $11.00</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Octopus, salmon and tempura prawns with a spicy mayonnaise</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First up, the diced octopus was tender and mixed with a small amount of Japanese mayonnaise. The mayonnaise gave the octopus a light creamy taste but was otherwise relatively subtle in taste.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the middle of the tray, a chilli-spicy mayonnaise was mixed into a few tempura prawns. The prawns were crunchy, the level of spice in the mayonnaise moderate but definitely enough for you to notice, but combining them did make some of the tempura batter soggy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, diced raw salmon was mixed into a similar chilli-mayonnaise sauce. As to be expected, the Japanese mayonnaise blended perfectly to add its creamy texture to the sashimi grade salmon. All up, as much as I like raw fish, I enjoyed the spicy raw salmon salad.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BbaGhVZEJYU/T-b6jNtCCoI/AAAAAAAADDA/XNxoGR2XkM4/s1600/_MG_6498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BbaGhVZEJYU/T-b6jNtCCoI/AAAAAAAADDA/XNxoGR2XkM4/s1600/_MG_6498.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Ginger Brulee - $11.00</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rich and creamy, the lightly ginger flavoured brulee was served cold with a freshly hardened caramel top. The caramel top was quite a thick layer, requiring a bit of effort to crack through in order to get to the creamy brulee underneath. On top of the caramel was some simple vanilla ice cream (that had started to melt from the still warm caramel layer) and a couple of blueberries.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a brulee, I quite enjoyed the light ginger taste running through the cream and egg taste of the brulee. Though not as creamy as some other creme brulees I have had at some other nice establishments, the ginger taste kept the dessert from feeling too heavy and the thick caramel layer added a nice texture and sweetness.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We liked: </b>The different approach to dishes - such as the cheese tempura or changing the common brulee by adding ginger.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We didn't like: </b> The venue is a little lunch-bar like with tiled floors; some dishes were hit and miss</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Other things to note:</b> Licensed with Japanese alcohol available; dine in or takeaway</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Toraya Sushi</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shop 8, Subiaco Square</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">29 Station Street</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SUBIACO WA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(08) 9382 4433</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Trading Hours</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lunch - 7 days</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dinner - Thursday to Saturday</span></div>
</div>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1435507/restaurant/Perth/Toraya-Sushi-Subiaco"><img alt="Toraya Sushi on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1435507/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1186491392988601804.post-55393341188259546152012-06-04T11:36:00.000+08:002012-06-04T11:36:32.631+08:00P'tite Ardoise Bistro<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking a break from going home to a home cooked dinner, a friend of mine and I decided to go out for something different, something you don't come across everywhere you go. Going through our bucket list, we booked an early session at the French restaurant P'tite Ardoise Bistro in Highgate hoping to try some of their Normandie-an cuisine and see if it really was as good as we'd heard.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the moment you enter P'tite Ardoise Bistro, you know you're in a French restaurant. From the French waitstaff with their smooth French accents, the sublime French background music, the hypnotic smell of crusty baguette, and the quick French language course menus, I felt as though I was truly getting a French experience. The restaurant itself isn't large, and even though the tables are quite tightly packed, the experience is still inviting if not intimate.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The menu at P'tite Ardoise Bistro is split across two sheets, with what appear to be a classic menu and a daily menu. Both are written with enough French to really make you feel like you're in a French bistro and enough English so, at least in my case, you can make out what most of the meals are. Suffice to say there is a fair amount of French cuisine on offer!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jeqsfnMWM6I/T1S7-WCAOSI/AAAAAAAACOI/0LzHDDAMer8/s1600/_MG_6093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jeqsfnMWM6I/T1S7-WCAOSI/AAAAAAAACOI/0LzHDDAMer8/s1600/_MG_6093.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bread basket - $3.50</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For $3.50 per head, you can have just about as much bread as you like. The bread is heated and there are a few choices - generally a white bread, wholemeal bread, and the French baguette.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PEpx0Qkxls0/T1S7FVC8QEI/AAAAAAAACNg/IZzsTMZf6hE/s1600/_MG_6094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PEpx0Qkxls0/T1S7FVC8QEI/AAAAAAAACNg/IZzsTMZf6hE/s1600/_MG_6094.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Duck l'orange - $34</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This twice cooked duck leg was served with vegetables and orange sauce.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The duck leg was delicious - it was tender and moist, and the skin was lightly crispy. The orange sauce added that familiar sweetness that goes with duck so well.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, we were impressed with the flavours of this dish, even though it wasn't a huge serving.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydLAEzZOGiw/T1S7h2030KI/AAAAAAAACNw/xTQYexLLtZg/s1600/_MG_6096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ydLAEzZOGiw/T1S7h2030KI/AAAAAAAACNw/xTQYexLLtZg/s1600/_MG_6096.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">WA beef tenderloin - $44</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The beef tenderloin, served on a large rectangular rustic-feel board that really let the presentation of the beef tenderloin stack shine through, was served with foie gras, mushroom duxelle, red wine jus, and mashed potato. Similar to the duck l'orange, the beef tenderloin (served on a big rectangular board and pictured in its entirety above) wasn't a huge serving but in a two or three course meal with bread it's easily satisfying.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ordered the beef tenderloin medium rare and, sitting on a bed of silky smooth and rich mash, it was cooked perfectly. The beef was pink in the middle and so tender it just about melted in the mouth effortlessly.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The combination of the beef with the rich and strongly flavoured red wine jus, silky smooth foie gras and the mushroom duxelle (a bit like a mushroom paste cooked with butter and onions) had a luxurious feel and blended perfectly into each mouthful.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-25i6Sb195x8/T1S73hJaHVI/AAAAAAAACOA/1U0S8U_C3EQ/s1600/_MG_6095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-25i6Sb195x8/T1S73hJaHVI/AAAAAAAACOA/1U0S8U_C3EQ/s1600/_MG_6095.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vegetables for the table</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vegetables were served with the main course. Nothing too special here, but the vegetables were lightly cooked and seasoned and always welcome. As you can see above, having the vegetables served separately helped keep the main course presentation neat.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IsOzPcowDIU/T1S7uStJ0uI/AAAAAAAACN4/bpkfcHrcTbU/s1600/_MG_6098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IsOzPcowDIU/T1S7uStJ0uI/AAAAAAAACN4/bpkfcHrcTbU/s1600/_MG_6098.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Trio of minis - chef's selection - $14</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why have one dessert when you can have three?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This trio of minis had a chocolate ganache, creme brulee, and custard with a meringue.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The chocolate ganache was hot and oozed chocolate goodness in the middle; the creme brulee was super creamy with the classic crisp caramel top; and the custard with meringue had a soft melt-in-your-mouth light and airy meringue.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We liked:</b> Fantastic French food with a French atmosphere.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We didn't like:</b> To maximise the tables in the not-so-large restaurant, some of the tables can be very closely packed together.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Other things to note: </b>Book in advance to avoid disappointment; very gluten-free friendly menu.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>P'tite Ardoise Bistro</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">283 Beaufort Street</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HIGHGATE WA 6003</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(08) 9228 2008</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ptiteardoisebistro.com.au/">http://www.ptiteardoisebistro.com.au</a></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Opening Hours</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday to Saturday - from 6pm</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1604135/restaurant/Perth/Ptite-Ardoise-Bistro-Highgate"><img alt="P'tite Ardoise Bistro on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1604135/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426391201575811019noreply@blogger.com0