S & T Thai Gourmet Cafe

For 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).

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.

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.

Green Thai Curry Set (beef) - $12.50

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.

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.

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.

Adding its slightly crunchy texture to the dish, sliced bamboo shoots also featured prominently alongside the beef in this dish.

Larb Set (beef) - $15.50

The larb set was a single serve of a meat (in this case beef) salad served with sticky rice.

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.

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.

Gai Yang and Som Tum Set - $17.50

This set consisted of BBQ chicken with papaya salad and sticky rice.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Overall this was a pretty big meal for one that I didn't finish (but at least I ate all the chicken).

Guay Teaw Tom Yum (Chicken) - $10.90

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.

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.

Again, if you can't eat spicy you might struggle with this dish.


We liked: Good flavours in the sauces; reasonable prices for Thai.

We didn't like: The "mild" versions are still too spicy for the not so initiated;

Other things to note: If you can't eat spicy food, you're probably best to avoid eating here; not licensed.

S & T Thai Gourmet Cafe
Shop 3, 349 William Street
NORTHBRIDGE WA 6003
(08) 9328 8877

Trading Hours
7 days a week - 11am to 9pm

Aisuru Sushi, Northbridge

During 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.

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.

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?

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.

Spider Roll - $19.50 (Main size)

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.

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.

Of the different sushi I tried in my meal, my favourite was the Spider Roll.

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.

Tank Roll - $22.50

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.

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.

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.

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.

Magic Mushroom Roll - $15.50 (Main size)

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.

With a name like "Magic Mushroom" I was expecting big things from this sushi roll.

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.

Suffice to say this was to me the most bland of the sushi I had in this meal, but probably the healthiest.


We liked: The apparent freshness of the ingredients and dishes; some different sushi combinations to keep things interesting.

We didn't like: The relative prices of the dishes; perhaps too simplified furnishings and decor to be a fancy upmarket sushi restaurant.

Things of note: Caters for vegetarians and vegans

Aisuru Sushi
208 William Street
NORTHBRIDGE WA 6003
(08) 9328 8578

Trading Hours
Lunch - Tuesday to Saturday - 12 noon to 2:30pm
Dinner - Thursday - 6pm to 9:30pm
Dinner - Friday to Saturday - 6pm to 10pm

The Merrywell, Crown Perth, Burswood

Filling 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.

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.

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).

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.

The Merrywell Angus Burger - $24

The Merrywell Angus Burger is described on the menu as containing aged cheddar, bacon, secret sauce, caramelised onions, LTO, pickle, fries.

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.

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.

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.

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.

D&G BLT - $28

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.

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.

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.

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.

Overall the BLT seemed quite indulgent with all the butter and pork cuts inside.

The Merrywell Chips - $15

The Merrywell chips is described on the menu as crisp ripped potatoes, bacon aioli.

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.

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.

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.


We liked: 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

We didn't like: A few service timing issues (probably as they're still new)

Other things to note: No bookings taken (just turn up); not so vegetarian friendly

Review
The Merrywell
Crown Perth
Great Eastern Highway
BURSWOOD WA
http://www.crownperth.com.au/restaurants/casual/the-merrywell/about

Trading Hours
Sunday to Thursday - 11:30am to midnight
Friday and Saturday - 11:30am to 3am

Metrio & Co, North Perth

Perth'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?

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.

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.

Eggs Florentine - $15

The eggs florentine was pretty standard fare as far as eggs florentine is concerned.

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.

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.

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.

Field Mushrooms - $16

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.

On the side, the familiar tomato salsa added colour to the dish though again didn't add anything for me.

Cappuccino

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.

We liked: The food is up to scratch; nice seating arrangements including al fresco in the busy cafe strip

We didn't like: The menu isn't extensive, but is supplemented by items in the display fridge - you should still find something to suit

Other things to note: 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
Review
Metrio & Co
36-38 Angove Street
NORTH PERTH WA 6006
(08) 9227 0077

Trading Hours
7 days - breakfast and lunch

Eki Bento, Maylands

I 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.

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.

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.

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.

Fish Teriyaki Bento - $16.90

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.

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.

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

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.

Chicken Katsu Bento - $17.90

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.

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.

Similar sides were served with this main course dish.

The tea was made with a real tea mixture (as opposed to powder) and served in some nice Japanese decor.

We liked: Great infused flavours in the bento boxes for this level of Japanese food (i.e. casual).

We didn't like: A few oddities in the menu - namely katsu chicken bento coming out more like katsudon (but it was tasty nonetheless)

Other things to note: 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

Review
Eki Bento
180 Whatley Crescent
MAYLANDS WA 6051
(08) 6161 6573

Trading Hours
7 days - 11am to 9pm

The Classroom, North Perth

In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt down I'm after you
Smell like I sound I'm lost in a crowd.
And I'm hungry like the wolf.

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.

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.

Complete with school memorabilia such as lockers, multiplication tables, backboards, backpacks, and exercise books

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.

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.

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.

Chermoula chicken drumsticks, roasted sweet potato and eggplant, zesty yoghurt (gluten free) - $17

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.

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.

Spooned over the chicken was some zesty acidic yoghurt, complimenting the (light) chermoula flavours.

Szechuan pepper squid, compressed watermelon, nam-jim dressing - $16

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.

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.

Hand-cut shaker chips, dynamite dust & chipotle aioli (gluten free, vegan) - $7

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.

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).

The blue blazer - $18

With its neon blue flame pouring between gleaming steel mugs, few cocktails are more visually impressive (and dangerous) than the blue blazer.

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.

We liked: The memorabilia and (for some) the nostalgia; the interesting and special cocktail selection (and history/stories).

We didn't like: Not a lot of seating available when it gets busy (you can't RSVP and sharing tables is encouraged).

Other things to note: 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.
Review
The Classroom
1/356 Charles Street
North Perth WA 6006
(08) 9444 7729
http://www.theclassroom.com.au

Trading Hours
Tuesday to Friday - 4pm to late
Saturday and Sunday - 12pm to late