Archive for the 'Modern Australian' Category

17
Feb
12

Lamont’s Wine Store, Cottesloe

By natashalam Leave a Comment
Categories: Modern Australian
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It was my BFF’s birthday a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to take her out somewhere nice for lunch.  My first choice was the latest Mexican food trend, La Cholita, but unfortunately they were closed for Sunday lunch.  Next, Venn Bar, closed too!  Next next, Lamont’s Bishop House, no luck! Finally, we decided on Lamont’s Wine Store in Cottesloe.  Open, check!  I didn’t think it would be that hard to find a nice restaurant for a Sunday lunch but turned out the foodie aura was not on my side!  Eeks!

Website: http://www.lamonts.com.au/venues/lamonts-cottesloe/

Lamont’s Wine Store is located on Station Street, an unassuming spot in Cottesloe.  It was pretty quiet since all the surrounding shops were closed so we found parking quickly.

The Lamont’s in Cottesloe, aptly named the Wine Store has an enoteca theme, a hub for visitors to sample different wines with a view to buying them or enjoying with the nibbles on the menu.  The “First Sunday Tapas Series” launched on the day we went as well, however as the BFF did not want to have the degus, we ordered straight from the menu.  Tapas menu, yay love them!  I could tell the host was disappointed though!  Maybe next time!

On entry, one would be amazed at the varieties of wines on display, stacked on racks, refrigerated, you name it!  Tables were placed on one side of the store with an open kitchen on the other side.  I spied a small private room at the back too – I would assume that’s where the specialist tasting is held when classes are on.

 

We ordered some Lemon Lime Bitters and a glass of Lamont’s Vintage Sparkling 2009 (dry, pink) from Margaret River, WA ($12) for drinkies.

 

Being the wine noob I am,  I totally chose the wrong drink.  (I don’t know how I used to be able to upsell wines at the Hyatt restaurant I worked in – either the customers felt sorry for me or I was good at talking nonsense!)  It was dry (durh, it said so on the menu!) and quite strong.  Wasn’t really to my taste.  What I really wanted was a rose type of wine…let me show you one of my favourite from the Hunters…

We were at the Harrigan’s Irish Pub in Hunter Valley last year and fell in love with this wine!  It was sweet, refreshing and very easy to drink.  There were 7 of us and I think we each down nearly a bottle each!  Yummo!  How I wish I can have a glass now!  

Anyways before I digress further, let’s get back to the food at Lamont’s.  We had the following:

  • Venison chorizo, grilled lemon ($9.50)
  • Field mushroom, hazelnut gremolata ($14.50)
  • Blue swimmer crab, crushed pea, lemon colonna ($17.50)
  • Pancetta wrapped scallops, kaffir lime butter ($17.50)
  • Gnocchi, butternut pumpkin, cherry tomatoes, burnt sage butter ($28.50)

 

My favourites for the day were the Pancetta wrapped scallops and the Gnocchi with butternut pumpkin.  The scallop tasted so succulent and tender and I loved the flavour that the pancetta brought to the dish.  Yum!  My next favourite is the Gnocchi with butternut pumpkin.  Normally not a fan of gnocchi, as very often the ones I’d tried tasted like plain flour dough, this dish was the total opposite.  The whole gnocchi pieces were tasty!  I like!  Alot!  The burnt sage with butter also added a different dimension to the dish.  Very nice!

The Field Mushroom was also good as with any mushroom, however I found the cheese overpowering the dish in this instance.  The Venison chorizo was good too but also too overpowering to eat by itself.  We had to order some bread to go with them.

My least favourite was the Blue swimmer crab, and funnily enough that was my choice to order.  It was very bland and I could not taste the freshness of the crab.  This was quite surprising as I thought this was one of the more popular dishes from the restaurant.  Maybe I just have a different taste?

For dessert, we had:

  • Ginger pudding, mango, creme anglaise ($9.50)
  • Buttermilk pannacotta, passionfruit ($9.50)

 

And not to forget my ever faithful Long Macchiato…

The desserts were awesome!  I love the combination of the mango and creme anglaise with the Ginger Pudding, they brought alot of moisture to the ginger pudding which would have otherwise been dry.  The Buttermilk pannacotta themed with the sourness of the passionfruit was to die for.  I regretted not ordering it!  I managed to refrain myself from ‘trying’ too much of this dish, otherwise I might have finish the whole thing.

The service was friendly but needing improvement in some areas.  For example, the waitstaff did not notice that our cutlery was missing after the food were brought out, he did not know where our bottle of water went and did not take any initiative in offering us bread with our tapas, especially with the chorizo.  (I was at the Aviary just a few weeks back and the waitress was good enough to suggest the bread with our chorizo order – a reminder that’s still fresh in my brain!).  Overall though it was still a very pleasant meal.  I would come again to this casual yet elegant restaurant.

PS:  A great shout out (singing Happy happy birthday) and welcome back to my BFF to Perth!  Can’t wait to go on more food adventures with you! :)

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.

Lamont’s Wine Store
Telephone: 08 9385 0666
Address: 12 Station Street, Cottesloe

Trading Hours

Open daily from noon till late

Lamont's Wine Store Cottesloe on Urbanspoon

16
Jan
12

Five Bar, Mt Lawley

By S.M. Leave a Comment
Categories: Modern Australian and Tapas
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Website: https://www.facebook.com/FiveBarPerth

Having heard interesting reviews about this place, SK and I decided to check this place out on arvo, and with a nice warm day in the books, I couldn’t find any reason not to enjoy a pint of beer with what we’d hope to be some awesome food.

We came here to actually check the place out more than anything, to have a drink and some snacks because we were intending to end the evening at the beloved Andaluz bar in Perth. We found ourselves a neat parking lot just directly opposite the bar and found ourselves waltzing in to find a range of seating areas to suit different styles – vintage, bar, casual window, high tables and a lovely back area that we fell in love with comprising of crates and roof window that opens up when the day is lovely to let all that light stream in. No second guesses as to where we sat! Oh, not forgetting a pool table! I have yet to exercise my long-lost skills on that table, but I know I will one day.

Anyway, we had a look at the menu, and my first impression was, “wow, what a long list of beer!”… they weren’t all tap, but they did have a very intriguing list of beers – how I wish I have the capacity to actually all those beers! We scanned through the food choices too, and finally ordered:

  • Serve of Chips (served with a special aioli)
  • Marinated Octopus
  • Sassy Red
  • Blanche de Namur
  • Pilsner Urquell

On other occasions (yes we have been back… and back… and back. It almost feels like a second home – to me at least), we have ordered:

  • James Squire Apple Cider on Tap
  • Field Mushrooms with Danish Feta and Balsamic Vinegar
  • Reuben Sandwich
  • Open Pork Sandwich
  • Champagne Jelly with Strawberries & Cream
  • Brownie with Ice Cream
  • Tiramisu
 

The chips are always a favourite whenever I feel like some good fat potato strips fried in oil – because that’s exactly what they are. If you prefer the Macca’s type of chips (i.e. slim, skinny, not too much potato), then this may not be your cuppa. I personally would order this only on a case by case basis, though the taste of the chips and the aioli do have a great combination.

 

The marinated octopus was lovely. Enjoyed it thoroughly, and I would have had more if not for my abstinence from eating too much seafood. Not too sure if this is still available on their menu though – it does change with the seasons! More variety. Yay!

My personal favourites of this place are really the field mushrooms and the open pork sandwich, both of which are becoming regular orders whenever I visit this establishment. The field mushrooms is a must order if you love mushrooms because the combination of those ingredients is just AWESOME. Lovely. Such a great dish. MmMm. I want some now! The open pork sandwich grows on you bit by bit by bit. The initial bite, you would think, “Hmm, it’s alright”… then you take another bite, and go, “hmm. Nice”… and before you know it you keep taking bites until there is none left and you still want some more! Dangerous effect I say.

 

The reuben sandwich is great if you like your meat and your cheese because it is just packed full of it (as it should be). According to our friends at Wikipedia, The Reuben sandwich is a hot sandwich of layered meat, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, with a dressing. These are grilled between slices of pumpernickel or rye. And Five did exactly that. Got a bit much for me since I have reduced my meat consumption over the past 2 years, but it is a delight to eat. Would order it again if I was feeling like a carnivore.

I’ve tried all three main desserts that Five Bar has to offer, and my personal favourite is the Brownie with Ice Cream. It wasn’t overly sweet and the brownie wasn’t too dry as well. Lovely.

 

The rest of the desserts are absolutely stunning in presentation, but not really to my palate unfortunately. The Champagne Jelly sounded so enticing that I ordered it because I was just curious, and I thoroughly enjoyed the strawberries and cream, but am not too used to the flavour that the champagne jelly brought. The tiramisu had a nice coffee taste on the base, but a tad too much cream for my liking – so if you like your cream with tiramisu, then this would be for you!

My favourite drink by far at Five Bar would be having their James Squire Apple Cider. Yummo! And here’s the best part – it goes so well with their food!

With so many different areas to choose from to sit depending on how you feel on the day, you would actually want to go back just to try their different seating areas! I do anyway. The service has always been spot on, and now that I’ve gotten to know some of the staff members, it is always a delight coming back. Based on my initial experience, there was this level of friendliness in the staff that I was really impressed with.

Overall, such a great bar to go back to, even if it is just for 1 hour, to chill, relax and have a pint of their gorgeous James Squire Apple Cider! And look out for their new 2012 food and drink menu too!

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. a.k.a Miss Egg

Five Bar
Telephone: 0467 534 267
Address:  560 Beaufort Street, Mt Lawley

Five Bar on Urbanspoon

13
Jan
12

The Boulevard, Hillary’s

By S.M. Leave a Comment
Categories: Modern Australian
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Website: http://www.boulevardrestaurant.com.au

Entertainment Book: Complimentary MAIN for any MAIN ordered (up to $40)

We had a good friend popping by to visit from Singapore, and we decided to pay the lovely Hillary’s Boat Harbour a visit one evening, along with the plan to have dinner there. So we searched the good ol’ Entertainment Book and found a spot that I haven’t heard before, and neither had SK and AC, so we decided to head there!

I have always loved Hillary’s for the water views, and the lovely fresh air that you would get. So I was pretty psyched to be there.

Having already perused the menu at home, I was swayed in my decision for the evening because of their specials (and guess what, Miss Egg conveniently forgot to snap a picture of this order!)… but anyway, I digress. Here are our orders:

  • Banana Milkshake
  • Twice Cooked Pork Belly with Sweet Potato Mash & Apple Relish
  • Nut Crusted Barramundi with Lebanese rice pilaf and Dark Mustard Sauce
  • Special for the day – Steak with red wine/mushroom jus
  • Crab Spaghetti w/ Fresh Garlic, Chilli, Tea Soaked Raisins & Lemon EVOO

The banana milkshake looked really appetising actually, and SC quite enjoyed it. I wouldn’t think they had much real banana in there, but I’m sure the banana taste was strong enough.

I will just get away from my embarrassment by talking about the steak I had first. It was a huge chunk of cow. May be one of the bigger chunks of cow that I have seen served around the cafés and restaurants of WA. But size doesn’t mean good. And it was certainly so in this case. I still remember not being impressed with the way the meat turned out for an order of medium rare. It felt like a medium-medium well, and so I found it more and more onerous towards the end of the meal having to chew and chew, chew and chew some more. There was a lack of jus too with the meat, which to me, is a real boo boo since I love my sauces and gravy (I hear Duncle calling me an Australian already!). Not the best piece of meat I have eaten, really.

The pork belly that SC had was really quite average too – it looked pretty with presentation, but that was it. From memory, this dish had a bit too much sweetness on the palate because of the apples. But I am a salty person, so feel free to raise your objections if you have tried this before and think otherwise. (:

The nut crusted barramundi with rice was the tastiest dish of the night by my palate. It was a lovely break away from the usual grilled (which I love by the way, don’t get me wrong here), or pan fried fish we usually get. With sesame seeds included, there was no reason why it wouldn’t be tasty! Yummo. In saying that, it was tasty, but it was not a ‘wow’ dish. The rice was a nice accompaniment.

Finally, the pasta. All I can say is “oh dear…”. This dish was the biggest disappointment for the evening, and if it had not been the gang who continually said, “yes, it is rather tasteless considering the description they gave in the menu…” I wouldn’t have bothered trying because it did look pretty decent. This was one pasta that had no character, unfortunately. They had those crab pieces in there but they did not accentuate the dish… Like I said, “oh dear…”.

We decided not to stay for desserts because of a rather disappointing experience with the mains.

Overall, this place has a good ambiance, average service, food that was average, and quite a bit to be desired for. I don’t think I will be back too soon, for sure.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. a.k.a Miss Egg

Boulevard Restaurant on Urbanspoon

31
Dec
11

Red Cabbage Food + Wine, South Perth

By natashalam 1 Comment
Categories: Modern Australian and Use your Entertainment Book!
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Website: www.redcabbagefoodandwine.com.au 

Entertainment Card 11/12: 25% off (up to a value of $40)

It was my birthday and my family decided to take me out to dine at the Red Cabbage in South Perth.  Yay! Red Cabbage was one of the few restaurants that was given a 2 stars in the West Australian Good Food Guide 2012.  It has also won numerous awards in the restaurant and catering industry. Naturally I was excited!

The inside of the restaurant was posh with dark decor, almost mysterious looking.  This effect was more evident later on the night without the sun shining in.  We were ushered into the outer area where it seemed less formal and seated down promptly.

I didn’t quite like where we were seated as there was a damp smell to the area (most probably from the plastic rain cover right next to me!) but chose to ignore it, instead focusing on what we should  order.

From my seat, I was staring straight into Dom Perignon, and the champagne was calling out to me! :P  However I didn’t get to order any as no one wanted it on the table and since I’d already had some at an earlier function, I abstained from alcoholic drinks (moderation is always the best policy!).  My sister ordered a Basil Mojito ($15).  It’s quite different from the usual.  My favourite is still the mojito from Minq Bar in Burswood. 

On to the food, we had the following for entree:

  • Scallops + smoked trout, braised fennel, saffron mayonnaise ($19)
  • A dozen mixed oyster ($36)
Before the entree came, we were given a complimentary creamy broth to start with.  I can’t remember what it was, but it was gone in two sips.  Not a bad starter.
Then the real food came…

 

One look at the dishes and you know they have put in a lot of effort into the presentation.  They looked amazing! and also tasted amazing! Succulent large lightly grilled scallops and melt in the mouth smoked trout.  It was too small to share!  Greedy me wanted it all to myself!  Luckily the oysters filled in the gap.

There were six flavours to choose from - Natural with grilled lime; Red nam jim dressing; Spanish chorizo; Tempura oysters + chips, pea puree, coriander + Japanese mayo; Yorkshire Kilpatrick Henderson’s relish; Steamed oysters with ginger, shallot, mirin + soy.  We picked three flavours (highlighted in green).  Oh my, they were good!  Very fresh and I especially like the tempura oysters, so intricate with the puree and chips.  Did not have the oily taste either.  Yummo!

 

A palate cleanser came after the entree.  Refreshing.

For mains, we ordered the following:

  • Salmon + kingfish, soy jelly, wasabi, coconut ($37)
  • Pheasant + osso bucco, beetroot puree, chocolate, fruit ($38)
  • Ranger Valley skirt steak, potato, mushrooms, English condiments ($38)
  • Smoked venison, goats cheese, cauliflower, capers ($38)
  
The Salmon + Kingfish was by far the most attractive looking of the four mains we ordered.  Not to say the others were ordinary looking, they were not!  Each of the dishes looked amazing (as the entree!)!  They were food art on plates, with bright symphony of colours and pretty shapes.  I love it.
In terms of taste, the Range Valley Steak was voted the best!  Tender, flavoursome and juicy beef, topped with my all time favourite mushies!  I didn’t get to try a big portion of any of the dishes as they were too small to share between us but one bite of the steak was enough to make me ask for more :).  The Smoked Venison didn’t fare too bad either.
The ordinary dish for the night was the Pheasant + Osso Bucco, and as usual, it was order by me! (I normally fail with the mains).  Not a big fan of a ‘sweet’ main, I was tempted to order this as it was their signature dish.  It was calling out to be ordered. The dish didn’t quite suit my tastebud, not that it was bad, it was just ordinary.  I would have preferred the tasty Ranger Valley steak.
We also ordered the Steamed Vegetables and the Special of the Day, Brussel Sprouts with Feta.  They were good complements to the main dishes and ok priced, ~$8 – $9
 
As the dishes were not big, we still had room for Coffee and Desserts!  I did not regret ordering them!
  • Long Mac and Latte ($3.90)
  • Apple + Rhubarb Crumble ($15)
  • Miniature of Red Cabbage’s fine desserts ($27) – a bit of everything in their dessert menu!
 
 
Once again, the desserts came looking like a piece of painting.  Have you ever seen a Apple + Rhubard crumble presented as such?  Big chunks of apple and rhubard laid on top of scattered nutty crumble.  It was beautiful!  Tasted beautiful too!  Love how the dessert tasted as good as it looked!
The Miniature fine desserts consisted of five different pudding desserts with the Chocolate + raspberries; Parsnip, thyme + honey; Tonka bean parfait + caramel popcorn and once again the Apple + Rhubard crumble.  I wasn’t too sure what the fifth dessert was, but there were all lovely!  More than lovely!
 
I was totally satisfied after the desserts!  They were so so pretty!!  Maybe I should change career and be a patissier (Hope my bosses do not read this blog :p)
Service was polished but not friendly.  I was trying to make conversation with them re the restaurant but they always came back with a one liner closed answer.  Maybe they were busy?  I would have preferred much more friendlier service.  A smile always do wonders!
Would recommend this place for the experience.  The entree and desserts were the highlights for me.  Very much impressed with the food presentation!!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.

Red Cabbage Food + Wine
Telephone: 08 9367 5744
Address: 49/15 Labouchere Road, South Perth

Trading Hours

Tuesday: 6pm – 10pm

Wednesday – Friday: Lunch 12pm – 3pm; Dinner 6pm – 10pm

Saturday: 6pm – 10pm

Red Cabbage Food + Wine on Urbanspoon

10
Dec
11

The Byrneleigh, Nedlands

By natashalam Leave a Comment
Categories: Modern Australian and Use your Entertainment Book!
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Website: thebyrneleigh.com.au

Entertainment Card 11/12: Complimentary main course when another is purchased  (up to a value of $40)

The Bryneleigh is located on Hampden Road in Nedlands, a bar and restaurant in one.  I’d heard of this restaurant from a fellow food blogger and also great reviews of their high tea from the Spreets deal, so decided to celebrate my mummy’s birthday here.

It was quite empty when we arrive due to an early booking for dinner one Sunday evening.  There were only a couple of tables still occupied, remnants from the high tea session earlier.  Strangely quiet, with only the muffled sounds in the background of tables and chairs being shuffled, we sat down and observed the surroundings – and I liked what I saw.  A rack of pot plants surrounded our table, and themed with the wooden decor, made me feel like I’m dining underneath a canopy of trees (well, almost!).

 

We quickly went through the menu as we were famished and had the following:

For entree:

  • The Byrneleigh Experience (a selection of grazing) – $35
  • Lemon, white pepper baby squid with smoked pepper aioli – $12

 

The Byrneleigh Experience is a selection of different entrees on the menu including the rosemary & garlic charred turkish bread, local marinated olive &  feta, butternut pumpkin & persian feta arancini, lemon & white pepper squid, baby chorizo and lamb kofta.  I liked this dish as I’m always one who like to try a bit of everything so this was perfect for me.  My two favourites were the arancini and chorizo – gotta love the sausage!

We had initially ordered the empanadas to complement the Byrneleigh Experience but they ran out of them so we substituted it with the Lemon, white pepper baby squid.  The squid wasn’t too exciting as I love them crunchy and this wasn’t.  It was actually slightly soggy even…eeks!

For mains we had the following:

  • Herb chicken, chicory & walnut salad, crisp pancetta, light lemon mayo & garlic croutes – $25
  • Crispy salmon, nicoise poached egg, green beans & slow roasted tomato & olive – $35
  • Wagyu beef sliders, house made pickles, cheddar, tomato & date chutney – $24
  • Confit duck, speck bacon, endive, crispy potato & bordelaise jus – $34

  

I ordered the Crispy Salmon with egg, green beans – it came out looking good, but the salmon turned out quite dry, which was  quite disappointing.  The beans mix was good though.  For the small taste I had of the other dishes, I didn’t think too much of the Herb Chicken Salad (can’t taste the herb in the chicken?) or the Wagyu Beef Sliders (too dry as well!).  The Confit Duck fared better, I think it was the better dish of the night.  Much juicier meat and satisfactory to the tastebuds.  I should have ordered that instead!

For dessert/drinks:

  • Apple & pear crumble with vanilla semifreddo, baby pear – $13
  • Coconut panna cotta, pineapple chilli compote & kaffir lime syrup - $13
  • Affogato
  • Cranberry juice

  

The desserts were the best part of the night – as usual!  Maybe from now on, I should just skip the rest of the meal and head straight to dessert! :p Loved both the Apple & Pear Crumble and Coconut Panna Cotta.  The Apple & Pear Crumble  tasted fresh and being slightly warmed went very well with the ice cream.  The Coconut Panna Cotta was quite refreshing too and was accompanied by the most unusual pineapple chilli compote (quite nice to try something different!).  I like!  The affogato was great too – coffee + ice cream is always a plus.  Actually I ordered a vienna initially but they didn’t have it, the affogato was a good substitute.

For information on culinary classes, online universities is a helpful resource.

Overall, it was still a great meal for me.  Although my main was below par, the entree and dessert compensated for it.  Service was great, the staff was friendly and attentive.  The menu can be considered simple, nothing too fancy.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.

The Byrneleigh
Telephone: 08 6161 2722
Address: 156 Hampden Road, Nedlands

Trading Hours

7 days a week 11am – late

The Byrneleigh Hotel on Urbanspoon

07
Oct
10

Zanders, Scarborough

By natashalam 1 Comment
Categories: Modern Australian and Use your Entertainment Book!

Website: www.zanders.com.au

Entertainment Book Voucher 10/11: 25% off (up to a value of $40)

Zanders is located at the end of Scarborough Beach Road, overlooking the delightful Scarborough beach.  We chose this place to celebrate a friend’s birthday precisely due to its prime location opposite the beach.  From where we sat, we had the full view of the skyline and were able to observe the slow change in the sky as it glowed dull orange with the sun setting over the horizon.  So lovely.  

The restaurant itself is big and modern looking, with a casual atmosphere – perfect place for a meal after a scroll on the beach.  The open aired setting eminated the steady bustling of street activities into the restaurant as well.  What an awesome ambience!

On arrival, we dived straight into the menu and ordered the following for Entree:

  • Garlic Bread - $6.50
  • Homemade Potato Crisps with Sea Salt - $10
  • Crispy Duck Spring Rolls - $17

  

The Potato Crisps were made fresh by the restaurant and substantial in size – chunky yet crunchy.  The highlight for the night while surveying the menu was the Crispy Duck Spring Rolls!  They were served with mirin soy dipping sauce and wakame, bringing a hint of Japanese fusion into the dish.  I’d never tried something like this before so we ended up ordering two of it even though they were pricey.   As it turned out, they didn’t live up to the expectation we had of a Crispy Duck Spring Roll.  What a disappointment!  The duck pieces themselves were not flavoursome, and they almost tasted like any normal spring rolls.    I’m such a sucker for trying out dishes with fancy names.  Well, at least we tried something different tonight – I told the table.  Words of consolation to myself, really. 

While waiting for our Mains to come, we heard a loud bang outside the restaurant and to our amazement, a fireworks show started!  How lucky we were that night!  We had an uninterrupted front view of the whole show, it was truly beautiful!  I love fireworks!  They are so pretty with all the bright colours…a couple of pics shown here. :)

  

Our Mains shortly after the fireworks, such perfect timing!  We had the following:

  • Chargrilled Herb Encrusted Lamb Rump – $27
  • Chicken Parmigiana – $25
  • Scotch Fillet Surf & Turf – $39.50
  • Chicken Breast with Pumpkin & Brie - $28

   

I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana and it looked so good on the onset, however pushing the chicken piece aside revealed a roast potato galore!  Eekss..too much potatoes for me, and we ordered a bowl of chips already!  Sadly to say, I didn’t quite finish the dish as it turned out quite dry as well.  As usual, I stickybeaked myself into my friends’ dishes and they tasted average.  My friends did not have too high regards for their dishes as well.

Overall, the food were on the average side and there was a limited selection on the menu as well.  However, the ambience and location of the restaurant made up for the lack foodwise.  I would probably not go back for dinner there again any time soon (maybe until a menu change) but will still have a go at their lunch or breakfast menu!  The great location of this restaurant really won me over in this case.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.   

Zanders
Telephone: 08 9245 2001
Address: 1  Scarborough Beach Road, Scarborough

Zanders on Urbanspoon

26
Apr
10

Country Road Cafe, Perth

By natashalam 3 Comments
Categories: Cafe and Modern Australian
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Country Road Cafe, located inside the Country Road clothing store on Murray Street is a cafe that encompasses the best of both the shopping and eating world.  Tired after shopping?  Turn around, make your way to the back of the store and you will find a busy little cafe, perfect for the afternoon nibbles or drinks.  I’d discovered this place through a friend a few years back and have been loving it since.

It is a smallish cafe and gets very busy during lunch time so booking is definitely recommended.  Once a booking is made, your name is written on the table along with the time of arrival.  You are then able to stake your claim on the table when you arrive without even waiting or talking to the waitstaff.  A good and efficient system!   

The cafe started out quite small in size, but have steadily expanded over the years with even a conversion of their back room into a dining area (not sure what the room was used before but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t part of the cafe).  All the better for us!  It now consists of an alfresco area with huge black umbrellas as shades and an interior area with either a normal table-wooden seats,  booth like-sofa seats or hi-table-stools settings.  My favourite is the alfresco area on a warm sunny day – love the ray of sunlight shining through the shades.  Such great ambience!

  

The lunch menu is written on a glass pane next to the counter and consists of salads, sandwiches, pies, nachos, rice and many more.  Not too many varieties, however they are quite innovative with their dishes – the chefs seemed to have jazz the dishes up with different uncommon ingredients.  I like!  The dishes come in entree or main sizes and orders are placed and paid at the counter.

For lunch, we had:

  • Chickpea and roasted vegetable salad with lemon and herb dressing ($14.50)
  • 2 x Caesar salad, Country Road style with chicken ($14.50)
  • Special juice of the day – Sunrise ($4.50)

  

I had the Caesar Salad for lunch that day and it was the best Caesar Salad I have eaten in Perth so far!  It spoils the caesar salads around other places for me as I always compare them with this and they normally don’t come up to scratch!  The Country Road styled Caesar Salad is filled with different veggies (a plus for me) – onions, sundried tomatoes, red cabbabe, snow pea sprout and many more.  The combination of different spices with the sauce is divine!  It also comes with two slices of toasted turkish bread, just the right amount to fill you up without pushing you over the limit.  It’s such a great dish, I can’t stop going on about it.  I only ever order this dish now everytime I eat here!  A must try!

The juice of the day, Sunrise was a concoction of watermelon, orange, pineapple and passionfruit juice – freshly squeezed, was very refreshing and a perfect complement to the salad.  Worth an order! 

(Note: I was too engrossed in my Caesar Salad to ask about the Chickpea & Roasted Vegetable Salad - so no feedback on this *sheepish look*)

Service was average and not too noticeable as we didn’t have much contact with the waitstaff except at the counter and them bringing out/clearing the dishes.  However, with its great ambience and Caesar Salad, I will be back again and again!  For those who doesn’t know about this gem of a cafe, check out this idyllic hideaway if you are ever in the vicinity! 

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.  

Country Road Cafe
Telephone: 08 9321 3982
Address: 307 – 313 Murray Street, Perth
Country Road Cafe on Urbanspoon

10
Apr
10

Blue Waters Cafe, Cottesloe

By S.M. 1 Comment
Categories: Modern Australian
Tags:

Website: http://www.blue-waters.com.au

So I had planned to go for dinner with my brother for some time, and the fact that we finally managed to fix a date with each other was already a miracle in itself!! I gave him two choices that I wanted to try (either Blue Waters, or Blue Duck) at Cottesloe. Lo and behold, he chose Blue Duck. So I gladly agreed, and asked him to make the reservation (yes, laziness knows me by name). He texted me some time later and informed me that Blue Duck was fully booked, so he’s managed to score a booking with Blue Waters instead. And what did I think? I thought it was the other way around!! And because I was terribly late that evening, I just took my keys and off I went. I arrived at Blue Duck, only to find that it’s not anything like he’s told me (i.e. “you’ll see me, the place is really quite small)…  1st FAIL. Then I called him and asked him if it was the Blue Duck and he went, “NO!!! I said BLUE WATERS!”. Righto. This was like about 1km plus down the road. So off I went on a nice long (and quick walk) to the Blue Waters.

Nice way to start the evening? Yes.

When I arrived, the place was indeed rather small, in comparison to the Blue Duck in which I had already made a complete embarrassment of myself. I saw the brother, and then was quickly teased with much amusement from the one who shares the same birthday as me. :)

Anyway… the place looked lovely and I was excited to try their food (especially after ravaging through the menu that very day during office hours!).

We had the waitress come up to us to tell us the specials of the day, and it was rather well explained. Kudos to her for knowing what she was actually talking about!

So we ordered:

  • Espresso Martini (come on I needed something to cool the body down after that walk!)
  • Wagyu Scotch Fillet with Mash, Oven Dried Tomato, Grilled Field Mushroom and Bearnaise Sauce (bro)
  • Fish of the Day, Barramundi served with walnut salad, and pumpkins (okay, so the waitress did a far better job at describing but the photos will prove itself)
  • Raspberry Creme Brulee

The espresso martini was really well presented, but I felt there was a bit too much foam on the top – very little to truly drink off. That said, I always love the level of detail they go with laying those three coffee beans on the top. :) Not the best I’ve tried I have to say, but it was good enough for me. :)

To fill some space up, I will talk about the lovely ambiance that filled the room this evening. It was lit up slightly darker than usual (and I’ve heard about this where the darker the room – obviously not that dark! – the better the person’s appetite)… and whilst I wasn’t dining with the love of my life, it did have a nice feel to it. The way the tables were laid out was quite interesting too. The group tables were at the back of the restaurant, and the rest were just the smaller tables of 2, 3 and 4.

Just when the mains came out, we were lucky to have a nice lady asking us if we’d like to have a photo taken with our food, and the natural answers were – Me: Yes please! Bro: Oh no it’s ok. right. So who did she listen to? GIRL POWER!

Anyway, enough babbling there.

Add an Image

The Fish of the Day was sublime! :) I am not the biggest fan of fish but this dish really blew me away. I was delighted by the walnut salad which came with rocket (YEHH!!), and the pumpkin was so well cooked that it stayed firm on the fork but melted in the mouth. Wowee. Truly one of the finest fish dishes I have tried in my dining experiences. Then again, I haven’t had many fish dish experiences. :) But this worked for me. I thought it wouldn’t fill me up (as a real red meat lover), but it did. Well and truly did.

The Wagyu Steak was a nice piece of meat, and whilst it looked weird on such a massive plate, I was told everything tasted brilliant. I had a piece of the cow myself, and it tasted quite lovely – not the best I have tried, but still good. The mushrooms looked extremely fresh and bro said that it was one of the best he’s tasted. The bearnaise sauce could do with a bit more taste to it (in my humble opinion), but I do like my food rather ‘tasty’.

The raspberry creme brulee was ordered to share, and the waitress actually repeatedly asked us “you sure it’s enough?”… and it actually was because all I wanted was something sweet to end the night :)

It came out looking burnt, and it was a bit off-putting to be honest. Cracking into the brulee, I tasted the caramelised top bit and it did have that tinge of burnt taste, which really shouldn’t be there. I wasn’t too pleased.

That said, the insides were lovely. The raspberry gave it a tinge of sourness which killed the overall heaviness of the custard. :) Kudos for coming up with such an idea!

Definitely could do better, but I was so wrapped up with my fish that I didn’t really bother too much about the burnt bits here.

It was a lovely dining experience, and the service was rather good to say the least. :) Thanks to the waitress who served us this night because she was extremely patient with my deliberation!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. a.k.a Miss Egg

Blue Waters Cafe
Telephone: (08) 9385 3130
Address: Bluewaters 110 Marine Parade, Cottesloe, 6011

Blue Waters Cafe on Urbanspoon

Some additional photos from the Lunch Menu (contribution from Miss L)

  • Seared scallops, crispy proscuitto with cauliflower and saffron sauce ($19) – yummy but the serving is so small!  I thought it would be scallops with some accompaniment since it was in the lunch menu and not the entree section but alas I was so wrong!  Was still so hungry after the food and had to steal food from others on the table!
  • Traditional caesar salad with grilled rosemary chicken ($24) and with grilled tiger prawns ($26) – both were very nice!
  • Open free range mount barker chicken sandwich, cos lettuce, avocado, tomato and crispy bacon ($29) – chunky pieces stacked on top of one another..great!
  • Grilled steak sandwich with caramelized onions, tomato and rockette ($20) – this was the reason we came to eat here, my friend loves this dish!
  • Chips and aioli ($10) – not as crunchy as expected..think twice unless you need some chippy goody.

     

THE MENU….

 

05
Apr
10

East End Cafe, East Perth

By natashalam 3 Comments
Categories: Modern Australian
Tags:

http: www.eastendcafe.com.au

East End Cafe is located on Bennett Street, opposite Hans Palace Chinese Restaurant in East Perth.  From the outside, it looks like a residential building, with its red bricked walls and low doorframe, the only give away being the big red sign up front stating that it’s a cafe.  I found out about this cafe through the senior engineer (RC) at work who had been raving on about the cheap but quality food they have on offer here.  For lunch, prices start from $13 for a one-course meal, $15.50 for a two-course meal and $19.50 for a three-course meal (choice of starter, main and/or dessert).  He discovered this place whilst taking a walk one lunch break and loved it ever since.

This cafe is actually a training restaurant for workers/students to gain hands-on and practical experience in the hospitality industry, what better way than to serve what they produced to real customers!  A perfect training ground for the up and coming chefs, waitstaff etc.  I was fortunate to dine here one day when one of RC’s buddy couldn’t make it to lunch and I was asked to be his replacement.  So off we went one afternoon with another senior engineer (IP).  It was meant to be their reunion and I somehow became the tag-along =p.

The inside of the restaurant is very simple and the decor minimal.  The cafe itself is not very spacious either so bookings should be made in advanced as the place do become full during lunch time.  RC couldn’t get a table the week before when he tried to organise lunch there. 

  

From reading other reviews of this place, it seems that the menu changes quite regularly.  On this occasion, these were the dishes we could choose from (there are four (4) choices for each section): 

For Starters: Bouillabaisse, Seafood Cocktail, Stuffed Mushroom or Traditional Caesar

For Mains: Pan Fried Red Spot Emperor, Tandoori Chicken, Penne Pastra or Braised Steak 

For Desserts: Apple Tartan, Fresh Fruit Salad, Creme Caramel or Carrot Cake

Once order was taken, we were offered a mini entree (pastry with either egg or prawn topping) and bread to start off with.  The pastry was yum!  Before I forget, the service provided by the waitstaff up to then is worth a mention, on par with a silver service restaurant. 

 

I had the 3-course meal which consisted of the Stuffed Mushroom, Red Spot Emperor and Carrot Cake.

RC and IP both had the 2-course and ordered the same dishes - the Bouillabaisse and Red Spot Emperor.

We also had the Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand ($22) which was crisp, dry and went really well with the emperor main.

    

The Bouillabaisse is a seafood broth, finished with prawns, mussels, white fish and presto crouton and is a popular French soup, originating from the city of Marseille according to IP, whose daughter is residing in France at the moment.  He thought the soup tasted great and loved it.  I had the Stuffed Mushroom which was served on a chiffonade of lettuce with a peach cocktail sauce.  Loved the presentation of the dish and the taste was superb – if only the dish was larger!

The Pan Fried Red Spot Emperor was served on a potato mash with a medley of vegetables finished with a lime and ginger beurre blanc.  It was a clear favourite from the menu as all three of us chose this dish as our main.  The meat was tender with a delectable sauce.  Serving was generous too. 

I was full to the brim when lunch finished that day, especially after the Carrot Cake and coffee too.  Service throughout the meal was awesome and the head chef even came out to each table after the meal to enquire our thoughts on the food.  They do care about the quality of their food!  This is indeed a great discovery for lunch in the area, good value for money with the food and excellent service.  A place to try!

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.  

East End Cafe
Telephone: 08 9325 3869
Address: 72 Bennett Street, East Perth

East End Cafe on Urbanspoon

I couldn’t resist asking RC and IP for a photo together - they have such a cute friendship, meeting in the 70s at work, worked onsite in Fiji at one stage and now ended up seating in the same cubicle at the present company.  They always make me laugh when I hear their conversations in the office.  After much resistance from RC (he hates taking photos), he finally succumbed.  Thanks Roger =)

14
Mar
10

Char Char Bull, Fremantle

By S.M. Leave a Comment
Categories: Modern Australian and Use your Entertainment Book!
Tags:

Website: http://www.charcharbull.com.au

Entertainment Card: 25% off total bill (up to $40 value)

It is unfortunate that I was unable to snap some photos of the outside of Char Char Bull – was rushing to get to the restaurant so that I could order for the hungry parents, whom I was giving a treat to as we closed the Chinese New Year!

The inside hasn’t changed much since my last visit – each table was set up in a rather classy manner, and there were Ikea lamps hanging from the rather interesting ceiling. There’s an alfresco area which I think will be great to sit at when the weather’s perfect.

So we took our time to deliberate on the menu – which is not too extensive (to me, that’s sometimes a great thing).

Wasn’t before long that we ordered the following:

  • Garlic Bread
  • Caesar’s Salad
  • North West Barramundi Fillet
  • Surf & Turf
  • Fillet Steak

We had the garlic bread and the caesar’s salad to share obviously :)

The garlic bread was nicely cut into 6 pieces, and was nicely done in terms of the crispness. The garlic taste could have been a bit better (coming from a family who loves their garlic, this might be just nice for some)… but overall appetising :) The caesar’s salad on the other hand was a tad too creamy. They had a good serving of the bacon and croutons, and their lettuce were rather fresh. It was just a little bit too much of a empowering creamy and cheesy taste that really spoilt it for me. yes, I do know that in the Publican review I mentioned that I would have liked more dressing, but there is that optimum taste in each dressing. I hope you know where I’ve driving at because I am getting confused myself!

The northwest barramundi fillet came out looking very very well presented, and with a little wedge of lemon, this won me over without even me having to try the dish! I loved the way the asparagus was neatly placed on the side – it shows care from the chef, and it shows attention to detail. :) Thumbs up!

Why did the wedge of lemon win me over? I love a good fish with a tinge of lemon flavour, so they won me right there and then. The lemon (for me, who is not a fish fan) masks the fishy smell (no matter how fresh the fish is), aiding in my overall enjoyment. :)

But, end of the day, this was not the dish I ordered!

Good reviews for this, and it was obvious Dad loved this because he finished it real clean. :)

The surf and turf came out soaked in the garlic cream sauce – much to my mom’s delight. We exchanged our mash for some good chips, and it was pretty good chips to speak off too! Could have done with some salt, but hey, beer battered! :) Unfortunately, this evening, her steak was a bit charred on the side, so some bits were just too tough to chew, and there was of course that bitter aftertaste. A bit of a let down. It was quite obvious the chef might have forgotten to turn the steak whilst cooking.

For my fillet steak, the steak was done quite nicely, but the hollandaise sauce didn’t have that kick that I was hoping I’d get. Would be nice if there were more choices for sauces, in my humble opinion. :) Perhaps mushroom, red wine jus, pepper, etc.

The dining experience was quite pleasant overall, with efficient service. The waiter who took our order was patient with our deliberation over the chips… :)

It’s nice to come here once in a while with a fairly good discount, but I have to say – I probably have had a better steak around..

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. (a.k.a Miss Egg)

Char Char Bull
Telephone: (08) 9335 7666
Address: Fishing Boat Harbour 44b Mews Rd, Fremantle, 6160

Char Char Bull on Urbanspoon

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