Iku Sushi, Perth

Iku Sushi Perth; Iku Sushi Perth review

With so many sushi places in the city to choose from ranging from super fresh and traditional sushi through to quick pre-made lunch sushi, it's sometimes hard to differentiate sushi except in quality or variety of product.  This is where Iku Sushi has gone out and done something different with the Cheeseburger and Chicken cheeseburger sushi (see below).

Iku Sushi recently opened its doors in the new 140 William Street complex at the underground train station in Perth.  The decor at Iku Sushi is quite hip for a lunch bar type of venue.  Filled with lots of colour, and modern looking Japanese inspired decorations Iku Sushi looks like a place to go and see what the fuss is all about.  They've definitely created a hip looking lunch bar.

Menu-wise, Iku Sushi has offerings ranging from machine wrapped sushi through to rice meals and noodles.  All these are served in quite fitting (to match the interior) colourful and catchy packaging.

Chicken Cheeseburger Sushi - $7.50

In my opinion the best tasting meal of our visit, the waiter claimed this as their specialty (well, the "cheeseburger" types of sushi which is the beef version of this sushi).

Take a standard sushi roll with chicken and cheese filling (to make it a chicken cheeseburger), then coat it in batter and deep fry it.  Then serve it with some creamy (chilli) spicy mayonnaise.  A sushi that differentiates Iku Sushi from many other sushi places, it's just unfortunate that it was a relatively healthy sushi differentiated by deep frying it.  It was relatively tasty though for lunch bar sushi.

The batter was relatively light and quite crispy, and overall in some of the sushi pieces where the cheese melted the sushi tasted how I would expect chicken and cheese to be in sushi.  Interestingly, they battered the sushi in portions of two such that they could be cut in half, giving it one flat side covered in batter whilst the other side looked like sushi.  This maximised the taste and texture of lightly crunchy batter.

Overall, for me this was worthy of a try but whether you like to have your sushi battered and deep fried will be a personal choice.

Spicy Chicken Ramen - $9.95

Coming served in what looked like a colourful supermarket-cup-noodle container, I'm not really sure what to say about this ramen.  V.K. ordered this and described it as having a milky soup and didn't enjoy it.  I tried a bit of the lightly spicy soup and it was very simple in flavour and lacking the depth and flavour that you get at specialist ramen restaurants.

The serving size was small by many ramen standards (although also a few dollars or so cheaper) and the noodles and chicken were also quite ordinary.  The vertical nature of the container also made it a little difficult to eat the ramen like a normal ramen meal.

I guess they don't specialise in ramen.

Chicken Katsu Curry (medium) - $8.95

E.G. ordered this meal sized curry chicken katsu which was served with rice, spring rolls and salad.

Though this was called a chicken katsu, Iku Sushi covered the chicken in a type of thin coating of what seemed more like fine batter than breadcrumbs and lacked crunch and flavour.  For those of you that don't know, Japanese Panko is what is normally used to crumb katsu and when used right gives a good crumb coating and a nice crunch.  The result was that the chicken katsu was  quite ordinary and plain.  Also, the texture of the chicken itself was very smooth that made E.G. and I think that it looked and tasted like processed chicken.  Odd.

E.G. described the spring rolls (and indeed the meal) as pretty average.  The spring rolls were like a mini entree to the dish, loosely packed vegetables in mini rolls and deep fried.

In summary, Iku Sushi breaks with tradition and offers their own take on simple Japanese dishes served in colourful and catchy disposable packaging.  Though innovation is definitely welcome, I can't say that I enjoyed the experience as many dishes didn't appeal to me - even comparing against the traditional versions.  A shame since the concept seems quite unique.

Points to note:  Iku Sushi is a bit like a funky lunch bar with sushi and hot meals.  The food is not traditional Japanese so might appeal to people looking for something a bit different.

Go for:  A different fusion-Japanese food experience.

Iku Sushi
140 William Street
PERTH WA 6000
(08) 9322 6008

Trading Hours
Monday to Thursday - 7:30am to 7pm
Friday - 7:30am to 9pm
Saturday and Sunday - 11am to 5:30pm

Koko Black, Claremont

Koko Black Claremont reviews; Koko Black Perth reviews

Chocaholics rejoice there is a new chocolatier in town!

Since 2003, a Melbourne start-up Chocolatier by the name of Koko Black has grown to become a well known chocolate institution carrying on the art of European chocolate making in Australia.  After a few expansions by way of new stores over the years Koko Black has finally made its way to Perth, suitably locating its first store in the upmarket Claremont Quarter managed by Hawaiian - a notably classier location than some other chocolatiers that have been appearing around town.

With shelves and glass display cabinets filled with chocolate selections, Koko Black is a true chocolatier.  You can choose from a wide selection of individual chocolates, an in season Easter selection, and even dine in for chocolate desserts, hot or cold chocolate drinks, and even high tea.

Belgian Spoil - $13.50

This board of chocolate delights was one of those chocolate tasting boards for the serious lover of chocolate.

Starting with a square of simple chocolate flour cake that seemed a tad dry, I made my way through the piece of shortbread (that seemed a little plain and lacking of the rich buttery texture of shortbread on the overall chocolate plate), a couple of Koko Black chocolates, chocolate mousse, and chocolate ice cream.

The Koko Black chocolates were pretty good.  One was a raspberry chocolate flavour and the other had a soft chocolate centre and a bit of crunchy praline like nuts.  The chocolates were very smooth and consistent, rich and finished with a touch of Koko Black branding.  Leaving the chocolate to melt in your mouth further showed how silky smooth it was.  A good chocolate worthy of creating an upmarket chocolatier around.  Though to me not quite in the same league as those oh-so-good fresh Leonidas pralines or Godiva chocolates, but also coming under their  prices unless you're passing through Europe any time soon.

Rounding off this dish the smooth chocolate mousse and ice cream were both very, very sweet and very chocolatey.  In particular the mousse was very rich and provided the strongest chocolate hit on the plate.

Otherwise, a bit of a contrast to the chocolate cake and shortbread, the mousse and ice cream are probably the best items on the plate for the serious chocolate dessert lovers (and are available in other dessert type selections).  The crunchy crumbs sprinkled on the mousse were also a nice touch.

Belgian Hot Chocolate - $5.95

This hot chocolate was made with Belgian dark chocolate and according to T.E. was moderately sweet but still retained a bitter taste.  The overall consistency and mix was like a classy but "normal" hot chocolate made with Belgian chocolate.  The hot chocolate however was not quite the same as a thickly rich hot chocolate that is almost like a cup of chocolate that many people (including T.E.) prefer to go out to a dedicated chocolatier for (e.g. San Churros' thicker and sweeter hot chocolates).

Light Hot Chocolate - $5.95

According to "H.T." the light hot chocolate was sweeter than the Belgian Hot Chocolate, but true to its name was also lighter with a milk chocolate taste and a moderate sweetness.  Again, a milky hot chocolate as opposed to a thick chocolatey hot chocolate.

In summary, Koko Black makes a good addition to Perth's growing chocolate scene.  It is a good chocolatier with a good range of take-home and dine in options, however their selection of menu items vary with some items not as chocolate crazy as some other chocolatiers (right now I'm thinking of Guylian in Sydney where ordering a single chocolate dessert plus iced chocolate drink would send me into an ill state of complete chocolate meltdown).  Though none of us were in awe and itching to go back, if I make it here again soon I will have to try the iced chocolate drinks.  In the meantime, I'm sure Koko Black will have a huge following in our ever growing hunger for sweets and chocolate.

Points to note:  Koko Black has everything from chocolate for sale, to dine in hot and cold chocolate drinks, and chocolate desserts.  There is also a high tea for those who like to go that bit extra.

Go for:  Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.

Koko Black

23 St Quentin Ave

CLAREMONT WA 6010

(08) 9284 2049

http://www.kokoblack.com/

Trading Hours

Monday to Friday - 9am to 10pm

Friday and Saturday - 9am to 11pm

Sunday - 10:30am to 10pm

Hippo Creek African Grill, Hillarys

Hippo Creek restaurant reviews; Hippo Creek African Grill reviews

Are you a hungry, hungry hippo?  Or just outright want to eat copious amounts of meat?  With probably the biggest concentration of South Africans outside of South Africa, it's no surprise that they brought their grill restaurants to Perth for our carnivorous enjoyment.

So when I think South African Grill, I think MEAT!  That's where Hippo Creek comes in with more than its fair share of meat including a good selection of steak, including moderate grades of Angus and Wagyu, and the Hunter's Assaghai (see below).  But for those not so red meat inclined, Hippo Creek has chicken (including a chicken version of the Hunter's Assaghai) and seafood options.

However, if you're vegetarian you then I hope you like garden or greek salad, or are happy with garlic bread and dessert as this restaurant isn't designed for you.  However, if you really are a carnivorous hippo you might want to consider the 2kg rump steak challenge.  I'll leave you alone with that one.

To complete the food side of things, contained in its own cowhide leather bound menu, the drink menu has many of your usual beers, wine (which unsurprisingly includes some South African options), and spirits.

Hunter's Assaghai - $43.50 (500 grams)

Coming in the 350g standard serve, or the "man-sized" 500g meal this is the "piece de resistance" or rather the centrepiece of Hippo Creek's South African Grill menu.  Think 500 grams of rump chunks, skewered and roasted, and  topped with melting garlic butter (or chilli/peri peri butter) oozing down those lashings of beef.  If all that meat doesn't tempt you, how about the bowl of crunchy fries that soaks up the melted garlic butter that drips to the bottom of the skewer.  'Nuff said.

Did I forget to mention that it also comes with a small garden salad?  Healthy stuff.

Chicken Breast - $39

At a different pace to the Hunter's Assaghai, the flame grilled lemon and marinated Mount Barket chicken breast was surprisingly moist and tender.  The chicken breast was topped with a few crunchy garlic king prawns (peeled but with tails left on) and surrounded by a decent amount of creamy garlic sauce.  Finishing off this place was a smooth and creamy mash and asparagus sticks.  It all tasted pretty good, no doubt due to the chicken breast being moist and the very creamy garlic sauce.

Koeksisters - $14

The least mainstream sounding dessert on the menu, to me the main component of the dish tasted like a sweetly (orange syrup) soaked soggy and doughy doughnut that clumped on its way down the throat.  Unfortunately that took the task of finishing this dessert off my things to eat list.

On the plus side, the cinnamon ice cream tasted ok (however it wasn't silky smooth or anything special) and the chocolate dipped orange slices went down a lot easier.

Amarula Mousse - $13

The two scoops of each of white and dark chocolate mousse were sweet and chocolatey.  Though they were definitely identifiable as chocolate mousse, they were quite average in texture and consistency like a soft ice cream.  I could finish this but after all that meat earlier in the meal the four scoop serving was a bit rich.

A couple of fingers of (dense and dry) lady finger biscuits dipped in a bit of chocolate were also present but didn't add a lot to the chocolate mousse.

Cappuccino - $3.50

Even though this was organic Toby's Estate coffee, it was a pretty average coffee that that seemed a bit watery - but hey this is a South African Grill and not an awarded Barista coffee shop.

In summary, Hippo Creek is a place to go for meat.  Despite being most well known for steaks and the Hunter’s Assaghai, Hippo Creek does offer white meats and seafood alternatives.  However you might be struggling for a mains past salad if you're vegetarian, but then again if you're vegetarian an African grill is probably not where you would eat.  Unfortunately, I thought the desserts were a little ordinary.  The service too can be a bit interesting – it’s not bad, but we watched out beer sit on the counter for more than five minutes whilst nearly half a dozen young wait staff were standing around it chatting.

Points to note: This is a South African Grill so expect tons of meat (and usually beef) to come out of the kitchen.  Most of the dishes are relatively simple and this isn’t fine dining – but they do make an effort with a good selection of meat.

Go for:  Meat of course.  And preferably steak.  Though if you aren't into beef you can still survive on chicken or seafood.  Vegetarians - might I suggest you go elsewhere?

Hippo Creek African Grill
Shop 203 Sorrento Quay Boardwalk
Hillarys Boat Harbour
58 Southside Drive
HILLARYS WA 6025
(08) 9447 2238

Trading Hours
Lunch and Dinner - 7 days
Breakfast - Saturday and Sunday

1907 Restaurant, Perth

1907 reviews; 1907 Restaurant reviews

Discretely tucked away on Queen Street is 1907 Restaurant - a charming restaurant that offers fine dining away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

1907 is decorated with a mix of old world (think Victorian era, post Victorian and post federation) and contemporary plush furnishings, and completed with black and white photos by American photographer Murray Garrett.  For a restaurant that has a simple street facade and no windows, it does look quite impressive inside.

In March 2011, or more specifically the Eat Drink Perth month, 1907 is offering a special three course menu on Tuesdays to Thursdays for an affordable (in terms of fine dining) $59.  Each course had three options and the choice to be matched with wine for an extra $40.

The menu starts with 1907's special degustation menu and is followed by a mix of modern meat and seafood dishes as well as the odd vegetarian dish.  Prices of mains are mainly in the forties.  To complement the food, 1907 offers an extensive drink list: with a handful of whites and reds, a decent selection of wines (including some half bottles) from around Australia backed up by a few international selections, beers, spirits, and an excellent cocktail menu brought up from 1907's cocktail bar situated below the restaurant.

Seared yellowfin tuna - $26

Our first entree was the seared yellowfin tuna - lightly seared slices that were dressed in nam jim, and served with a slice of grilled watermelon as well as cucumber and fresh coconut salad.  To be honest, the combined flavours of the dish didn't excite me as much as the menu description, and in particular the spicy chilli nam jim seemed quite powerful for the tuna.  However, the tuna was cooked perfectly - rare.

The salad with its fresh slices of vegetables dressed with a pickled flavour was refreshing.  Lastly, the bright red watermelon slice was delicately prepared, retaining a good watermelon sweetness enhanced by the grilling.

Ginger glazed Berkshire pork belly - $27

Our second entree was a visually impressive pork belly dish surrounded by spicy Asian flavours (prawn & peanut sambal, black garlic, chilli vinegar, soy beans, baby coriander shoots).  Apart from also having a fair amount of just about overpowering chilli surrounding the pork, the combined flavours from the well matched prawn to the garlic and coriander gave a burst of welcome flavour to the tastebuds.  The tender and fat proportioned pork itself was also well marinated making this a tasty pork entree.

Cape Grim, grass fed Black Angus tenderloin 200g - $42

Although there was a fish and risotto option for this special Eat Drink Perth menu, the steak main course looked so good on the menu we couldn't get past it.

A black Angus tenderloin ordered medium rare, the steak was very tender and literally melted in the mouth.  A moat of red wine jus added more moisture and rich flavour to the already tender steak, whilst strong thyme and rosemary flavoured crumbs gave this dish more of a roast beef touch.  Although well made additions, these elements almost detracted from the quality of this steak for me.  However, I am a big fan of an amazing steak with something simple like horseradish cream and some sides, but the horseradish mousse was barely noticeable in this dish.

Overall though, this was an excellent cut of steak cooked perfectly.

Strawberries poached & raw, puree & sorbet, vanilla bavarois, crystallized violets - $17

Strangely (well at least for me) this was an unexpected highlight of the night.  I’m not usually one who orders strawberry desserts but this one hit the spot for me.  The sorbet was very smooth, rich in strawberry flavour and low in the otherwise bluntness of ice texture and taste.  Mixed with the creamy and rich, yet light vanilla bavarois, crunchy violets, and sweet strawberry puree, this combination is probably one of the best sweet and refreshing strawberry desserts I’ve tasted.

65% Dark Chocolate marquise - 17

1907’s take on chocolate, this dessert brought French style chocolate elements into this rich dessert.  The dark chocolate marquise was sweet, rich and chocolately for a mousse, and cutting through  it was like cutting through light cream, and melted in the mouth quickly like fairy floss.  Delicious.  The chocolate tuile was light and paper thin, broke apart like a snowflake and also melted in the mouth.

The lemon cheesecake on the other hand was a quenelle of relatively hard and heavy cheesecake to contrast the delicate textures of the chocolate that I thought was a little strange (I could have done with more of that marquise).

Finished off with welcome fresh blueberries, this was a nice, different chocolate dessert.

Petit fours of chocolate and marshmallow

In summary, 1907 Restaurant provides an experience of plush old world charm meshed with amazing black and white photos and contemporary touches.  The food, however, is contemporary fine dining and the service is friendly and attentive.

Points to note: 1907 Restaurant is offering a $59 three course special for Tuesday to Thursdays in March 2011.  In addition to the charming fine dining restaurant, 1907 has a cocktail bar situated below the restaurant that makes for a sophisticated bar experience. 

Go for: Fine dining with a bit of old world charm in a plush luxurious atmosphere

1907 Restaurant
Alleyway, 26 Queen Street
Perth WA 6000
(08) 9436 0233
http://www.1907.com.au


Trading Hours
Lunch - Tuesday to Friday from 12.00 pm
Dinner - Tuesday to Saturday from 6.00 pm

The Quarter, Perth

The Quarter restaurant Perth review; Wesley Quarter restaurant
Already a recipient of a star in the inaugural Perth Good Food Guide, The Quarter comes with high expectations.  Its modern British cuisine headed up by chef Shannon Wilson has already won positive comments from a few of my friends let alone Perth food critics.

Despite being in the centre of the business and shopping district of the city, the dim candlelit dining room tucked away behind the old Wesley Church created a very intimate atmosphere.  The Quarter’s fitout looks relatively simple, but completely clean, modern and stylish.  It’s a bit of a classy yet comfortable gem in the heart of the city.

The service from the wait staff varies on the actual staff member.  On previous occasions I've been impressed with the quality of the wait staff, with their great attitude that was friendly and helpful.  I felt that the regular wait staff that have served me previously gave a great level of service, however perhaps some of the newer staff are just a little less friendly and helpful but that’s not to say the service was anything less than adequate.

Tasting plate for two - $30

The chilled gaspacho was light and tangy, offering a little something to start that both refreshed the palate and left it wanting for more.

The pork with crisp piece of crostini style bread had the texture of soft canned tuna, but with a mild pork taste and was quite light on the palate.

Lastly, packing the strongest hit to the palate, was the goats cheese salad.  The goats cheese had a texture like soft cheese portions made for crackers and had a strong salty cheese flavour.  The walnuts and grapes accompanying the salad added welcome taste and texture to the otherwise strong cheese.

Lamb assiette - $39

Probably the signature dish of The Quarter is the lamb assiette (otherwise known as lamb three ways).

Starting with the slow cooked shoulder, the lamb was uniformly cooked with the tender meat easily tearing away from the attractive cylindrical shape.  The lamb was flavoursome and easily enhanced with the slightly creamy spinach puree.

The lamb rack was one of the ribs off the rack.  Mind you, having the whole rack on this plate would have made it a big meal in itself.  However, true to its description, the lamb was cooked as a rack and coming medium rare was tender and just about melted in my mouth.

The Quarter’s take on the traditional shepherd’s pie saw a reasonably lean mince lamb “filling” placed at the base of a bowl that was of a great consistency gourmet flavour, but had a bit too much salt for my tastebuds.  However saying that, I haven't heard anyone else have an issue about the salt in this otherwise excellent dish so perhaps mine had a bit of an accident?  The filling was topped with a decent amount of silky smooth mash that brought together the shepherd’s pie.

Slow cooked pork belly - $35

As expected, the pork belly skin was audibly crunchy.  Tick.  The pork meat itself was quite moist but I felt it needed the accompanying cider jus and apple & sage crumble.  The apple and sage crumble gave the pork a sweet accompaniment that works well with pork, though I could have done with a sweeter punch from the apple.

The potato fondant was delicious.  It was buttery, well seasoned, and had the texture of golden roast potato slices.

Broccolini, herb butter - $8.50

Fresh broccolini was blanched and flavoured with a light herb butter making this dish taste healthier than “butter” normally suggests.

Rocket & parmesan salad, balsamic dressing - $8.50

Shaved parmesan and sweet and thick creamed balsamic gave this fresh rocket salad a nice sweet and salt combination.

Valrhona chocolate tart, passion fruit cream - $14

Quality Valrhona rich chocolate tart.  Could any chocoholic complain?  The rich and thick Valhrona chocolate mix was utterly smooth, had the texture of a thick and rich cheesecake, and a chocolate punch to rival a decadent rich dark chocolate mud cake.

To tone all that rich chocolately goodness back a bit, the mildly flavoured passionfruit (juice and seed) infused cream was light and refreshing.

Orange crème brulee, hazelnut shortbread - $13

I’m not really a fan of adding citrus to my crème brulee (I’d rather add liquer) but this crème brulee was good.  The crème brulee was smooth and creamy and had a good amount of sweetness that was lifted by the tang of orange.

Overall, The Quarter lives up to the reputation already built.  The food is prepared to very high standards and makes for some great flavour combinations.  The atmosphere is stylish and the candlelight ambience just sets the mood.

Points to note:  Remember to book ahead as The Quarter is very busy and I understand there Friday and Saturdays are booked ahead for a couple of months.

Go for:  Intimate fine dining in the city.

The Quarter
Shop 10
93-95 William Street
PERTH WA 6000
(08) 9322 2424
http://thequarter.net.au/

Trading Hours
Monday - 7am to 3pm
Tuesday to Friday - 7am to late
Saturday - 6pm to late

Zafferano, Crawley

Zafferano Perth review
I have my first memories of Zafferano from years ago, relating to long lunches overlooking the Swan River whilst eating seafood and drinking wine. Not to forget finishing off my meal with massive brandy goblets of Hennessy XO – it was here that I first used brandy balloon goblets, and I was so impressed that nowadays I have my own.

Though I believe the restaurant has changed hands since, the same view remains. Whilst you don’t get the same view of the city skyline as you would in say South Perth, the tranquil nature of the water and the relaxed nature does give Zafferano a few ticks, especially during daytime. Come dusk, Zafferano’s loses a lot of its view but the classy Italian inspired atmosphere takes over.

Zafferano specialises in – you guess it - Italian/Mediterranean food. Well, maybe not your very traditional Italian food but food with an Italian influence. The average main course price is in the forties (putting it squarely into the fine dining category) with a range of red and white meats and seafood, along with a couple of vegetarian options (eg a mushroom dish and vegetarian crepes). The drinks menu contains beer, cocktails, and a selection of wines mainly from Australia, as well as the odd international wine.

As always, the owners try and ensure that the service is great, offering some happy Italian service right down to the flambe crepes that are made right in front of you at your table. This tradition has carried on, with the preparation being a bit of a spectacle.

Turkish bread dips - $9.50

A little different to your standard Turkish bread with dips, this Turkish bread was grilled with a Balsamic glaze and extra virgin olive oil. Whilst the glossy extra virgin olive oil was prominent in look and taste, the balsamic was hardly noticeable. As promised, the Turkish bread was also served with two dips - a pumpkin based dip that had distinctive pumpkin sweetness, and a moderately flavoured beetroot based dip topped with shaved almonds. Both tips were topped up with a layer of extra virgin olive oil. Yes, Italians do love their olive oil. Rather tasty.

Double roasted Muscovy duckling - $46.50

This main course dish had two duck Marylands served with a rich duck jus, fresh orange, fregolone, and rosemary.

The duck meat may have been double roasted, with the meat breaking apart quite easily, but the skin was very moist and soft – perhaps it had been soaked in the rich duck jus. That wasn’t an issue - I just prefer my duck skin a little more “fried” or “roasted” to give it a bit of crispness. The rich duck jus surrounded the duck like a moat and was kept quite simple and wasn’t salty or strong in other flavouring. Subtle notes of the fresh orange combined with the jus and the duck meat flavours to create a pleasant dish.  However, the taste of rosemary was very strong in this dish – a little too much for my liking.

Amelia Park lamb - $44.50

The lamb French cutlets were herb crusted, oven roasted, and served pink with garlic and rosemary, roasted potato, pinot jus and vincotto.

In my opinion the best way to have lamb cutlets - the cutlets were cooked medium rare apart from 1 piece which was unfortunately cooked a bit more than medium. Again the taste of rosemary was prominent in this dish, but otherwise the lamb was how you expect French cutlets – tender, with the added jus and marinade flavours.

In summary, Zafferano offers some good Mediterranean/Italian food in a nice prime location. I found that the food wasn't groundbreaking but was decent for what it was.

Points to note: Zafferano has a fine dining menu that includes a lot of different base ingredients to tickle your fancy. That includes a couple of vegetarian dishes but not enough to write home about.

Go for: Upmarket Italian inspired fine dining food in an upmarket environment with views.



Zafferano
The Old Swan Brewery
173 Mounts Bay Road
CRAWLEY WA
(08) 9321 2588
http://www.zafferano.com.au/

Trading Hours
Lunch/dinner - 7 days a week from 11am
Breakfast - Saturday and Sunday from 8am