September 20, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Chatford & Co – Kalamunda

At the moment it seems the café scene in Kalamunda is rather like waiting for a bus. You wait ages – then two perfectly fine busses come along at once! I’ve enjoyed a couple of brunches at Mason and Bird around the corner and now at Chatford & Co too.

Chatford & Co’s Head Chef Gavin Charter was formerly the Head Pastry Chef at Rockpool no less. I’d also heard that he trained at the legendary Loose Box, under Alain Fabregues. So I had high expectations for our brunch and it didn’t disappoint.

My Mum and I entered the cosy café, tastefully decked out with pressed tin wall features and we were greeted by a friendly waitress. The brunch menu is available all day long (7.30am till 2pm) and there are additional lunch options also available between noon and 2pm. Starving, we quickly ordered and though their signature dish of bacon and egg doughnuts with maple syrup tempted me, I made a more conservative choice.

Much of their produce, like honey and olive oil, is sourced from artisan suppliers in the Perth Hills. Their meat and small goods are from fabulous local butcher, Sebastian’s, found on Kalamunda’s main street. As a side note… we used to buy the best fillet steak from Sebastian’s when we lived in the hills. Chef used to ask for them cut extra thick!

First, we enjoyed a couple of big mugs of coffee. The roast used at Chatford & Co is Five Senses, which is a coffee I can never fault.

I chose the Chorizo omelette, $17.50 . The picture below shows a humble omelette, but I can tell you this was absolutely packed with flavour and it was perfectly made too. I savoured the flavours of the delicious omelette, filled with chunks of chorizo, roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes and red onion. On the side are two buttered slices of organic wood fired sourdough. The toast was a welcome extra and was perfect for mopping up those eggy juices – I could only manage one slice before I became too full though.

My Mum chose the baked eggs, $17.50, which I also loved the sound of. The two baked eggs sat on a bed of creamy leek, tasty eggplant and well seasoned sautéed greens with a side of organic wood fired sourdough toast. I had a little bite and it tasted just as good as it looked. Mum raved about it and reminisced about a similar dish my Nanna Ruby used to bake for her family of 9, over 60 years ago in England. The fresh bread is baked by The Wood fired Baker in Maylands.

As you can imagine, with a superstar Pastry Chef in the kitchen, the cabinet is brimming with cakes, pastries, tarts, cream-filled doughnuts and lots of other scrumptious delights. This month Chatford & Co began serving high tea – so I have yet another reason to revisit this excellent little café again soon. The food and service is on point and Chatford & Co comes highly recommended.

September 19, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Fuyu – Nedlands

Sitting in this minimalist dining room, in a Stirling Highway restaurant, we have a strong sense of Déjà vu. Less than a year ago we were dining in this very venue, anticipating an experience of excellent food, service and wine. This time around we’re not dining at Pata Negra, but Chef David Coomer’s new baby – Fuyu. Earlier this year the tapas bar closed its doors and was reborn as an Asian fusion eatery.

Fuyu, meaning persimmon in Japanese, draws inspiration for their menu from the cuisines of Japan, Korea, Thailand, China, Vietnam and Australia. The bones of the restaurant are essentially the same, with a lick of black paint and some red feature lights giving the dramatic room a warm ambiance. It’s quite a dark dining room – so you’ll have to excuse my photos! They certainly don’t do the delicious food justice.

The service is polished, although no quite as on point as our experience at Pata Negra. As with Pata Negra, the food is still served in a share style, many of the dishes you assemble yourself. There’s also a nicely put together wine list, though not too many are available by the glass.

To start, Chef and I choose a couple of small bites. I’d like to order almost everything from the menu, but we are aware that we want to reach dessert! The beef tartare, $24.50, is served with a salted duck egg. This dish is best eaten with hands and scooped up with a large, bright pink beetroot wafer, which is much like a prawn cracker. We love this Asian twist on a classic dish. The beef tartare is brimming with the fresh flavours of Vietnamese herbs and we eat it wrapped in bitter betel leaves.

The plump half shell Esperance scallop, $8.50 each, sits upon a slice of incredibly sweet pineapple and caramelised duck neck. scallop

Fluffy Gua Bao buns, $6.50 each, are stuffed with morsels of succulent pork belly, pickled cucumber and lashings of hoisin sauce.

We take sliced tender and juicy Cape Grim sirloin, $38.50, and wrap the meaty pink morsels with fresh herbs in iceberg lettuce cups – san choi bow style. With a little heat from the nahm jim jaew chilli sauce and crunch of the lettuce and daikon pickles, this dish is full of texture and flavour.

We just have to order one of Fuyu’s signature dishes, the crispy aromatic half duck, $58. The duck is served Asian-style, chopped into large pieces, still on the bone. We were the lucky purchasers of duck #958. With the dining room’s low light, I have to eat it carefully, so not to eat any bones by mistake. The crisp skin is ever so moreish and unbelievably crunchy – almost like pork crackling! We drizzle a little jug of sweet and sour mandarin sauce carefully over the duck, so to not make the skin soggy. We relish the moist duck meat, which is served on a bed of grilled mustard Asian greens. duck-1

We’re surrounded by bustling tables of people enjoying getting their hands dirty over shared meals. There are a lot of impressive looking dishes coming out of the kitchen and it will take a couple of trips to get through many of Fuyu’s favourites. Feeling full, Chef settles on something light for dessert, the salted duck egg custard bun, at $6.50 each. The doughnut like bun is oozing with creamy duck egg custard.

I savour the scrumptious dessert “passionfruit hot and cold”, $16, which could easily be named a “passionfruit surprise”. I’m not sure what to expect. I asked the waitress and she described it as “like a soufflé”. The “hot” component is a passionfruit chiboust, which is incredibly light and fluffy. It is separated from the “cold” element of passionfruit mascarpone parfait by a crisp cinnamon and brown sugar biscuit – all this sits in a pool of passionfruit caramel. What a wonderful dessert!

Just as we had hoped, many things at David Coomer’s Nedlands restaurant remain the same, except of course for the menu. His delicious dishes are easily eaten with your hands which gives their Asian fusion a real street food edge.

At a glance

■ Fuyu

26 Stirling Highway

Nedlands

Phone 08 9389 5517

■ Opening times

Tuesday to Saturday

6pm till late

■ Rating

food 4

service 4

ambience 4

value for money 3

■ style – Asian Fusion

■ wine – A well put together

list, though not many drops

are available by the glass.

■ Chef – David Coomer

■ Owner – David Coomer

■ feel – intimate and relaxed

■ wheelchair access – no

■ cost

Snacks – $4.50 to $8.50

Plates – $14.50 to $58

Dessert – $6.50 to $16

■ all in all – Finger licking food,

well balanced modern Asian

flavours and spot-on technique.

Friendly and attentive service.

September 12, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

The Old Piccadilly – Joondalup

The tree lined Regents Park Road in Joondalup is transforming into a little foodie destination in the northern suburbs. It’s off the beaten track, in a residential area near Joondalup Hospital and is already graced with fab brunch spot Gipsy Boy and the excellent D’s Authentic Japanese.

The Old Piccadilly opened it’s doors last week (September 2016) and being big pizza lovers, we were very keen to check out what tasty toppings it had to offer. It’s a small pizzeria, decorated in a vintage style. There’s a few long tables for dining and you can also take your pizzas away.

Chef and Little Chef shared the meatball pizza ($20 for a large). The crisp base was brimming with meats – plump meatballs, rasher bacon and crisp pepperoni. With lashings of BBQ sauce and stretchy mozzarella, it got two thumbs up from the boys.

I chose a smaller BBQ pork belly pizza for myself ($18 for a regular size). It’s generously topped with a chipotle slaw, aioli and fresh rocket. The chunky morsels of pork belly are very tender. I enjoy this pizza, though it wasn’t what I was expecting. I had imagined pork belly to be the star of this pizza and it’s a little overshadowed by the flavoursome slaw. Still a mighty fine pizza though.

We skipped ordering garlic bread to make sure we had room for dessert. The dessert pizzas sounded really yummy. We shared the salted caramel (regular size $14) and boy, was it delicious! Fresh banana is smothered in gooey salted caramel, white chocolate, pecans and a dusting of icing sugar.

The eclectic Old Piccadilly is a wonderful little addition to the Joondalup dining scene. They are open lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday and also offer fresh continental rolls for the lunch crowd. We hope this area grows and grows with more delicious offerings in the future!

September 11, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

D’s Authentic Japanese – Joondalup

I’ve been wanting to check out the teeny tiny D’s Authentic Japanese since it opened to lots of gushy praise last year. I’d attempted to book a couple of times, though the popular small restaurant seats only about 12 covers. In warmer months you also have the option to sit outside on the leafy Regents Park Road.

At the moment, I’m enjoying a few weeks of being a lady of leisure, working on my Social Media Management and a few other projects. I met one of my very favourite Mumpreneurs at D’s for lunch. The lovely Jennie from Buggybuddys is a fellow Japanese food lover – though she chooses a much more practical fork over chopsticks hehe We shared a pot of green tea, which had a lovely roasted rice flavour.

We both chose the bento boxes which are a great lunch option. They all come with a main dish, fresh salad, sashimi , rice and warm miso soup. On the menu there’s lots of main dishes to choose from, teriyaki, katsu and more.

I chose the grilled salmon teriyaki. The marinated salmon was so flavoursome and tender. It was a good job I was eating with chopsticks, so I didn’t wolf it down. I’m not a pro with chopsticks, but I like the fact that they slow down my eating and I have time to really savour the food. The sashimi, a selection of fresh salmon, kingfish and tuna cuts, was delicious dipped in a little soy sauce. The fresh salad was nicely dressed and the rice was spot on.

Jen had the same, though she chose the chicken teriyaki, which she really enjoyed. Both bento boxes were generous serves and there was plenty of meat and fish.

For dessert, I devoured a delicate Wasanbon Caramel ice cream scoop. The sweet homemade ice cream was absolutely stunning – it had such a smooth texture. Wasanbon is a fine grained Japanese sugar, traditionally used in high-end Japanese cuisine. I was really impressed. Love it!

For anyone that lives in the Joondalup area, this is easily the very best Japanese spot in the north. The produce is excellent quality and the service is very friendly, the waitress was lovely and even the Chef came out of his kitchen to see if we were enjoying our lunch. The small dining area, with it’s tables for two, is perfect for a date night – D’s is BYO. Keep your eye on their Facebook page for ramen, sushi roll and katsu curry specials that pop up from time to time too. I’ll certainly be popping by for more!

September 2, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Sittella Winery – Swan Valley

A couple of years ago I’d visited Sittella for wine tasting on a Swan Valley wine tour and always wanted to return for lunch – it looked like a lovely place to dine. Sittella is surrounded by vineyards and has beautiful grounds overlooking a dam and gazebo.

We were at Sittella celebrating another Chef’s Wife – it was my Mother In Law’s birthday. We sat out on the veranda, which has sweeping views of the grape vines. The atmosphere in the restaurant is festive. I must have heard “Happy Birthday” being sung four or five times whilst we were there. It seemed to be a popular spot for a special family meal. At times the restaurant got quite loud, but it was a jolly atmosphere of people clearly enjoying a lazy weekend lunch and the beautiful surrounds.

Sittella’s drinks menu has a great selection of their wines. There’s also lots of WA craft beer available by the bottle. The Sittella Pinot Noir is a very nice drop. The smooth red is made with Pemberton grapes.

We chatted as we grazed Sittella Winemaker’s Plate, $27.50. It is brimming with goodies. There’s smoked chorizo, wasabi smoked salmon, shiitake arancini, a chicken and macadamia nut terrine, kalamata olives, semi-dried tomatoes, roasted artichoke hearts, port soaked figs with warm bread and Sittella’s special house made macadamia dip.

For main chef chose the duck, $38.50. The tender roasted breast sits on a serve of perfectly cooked veg, the gateau of confit leg absolutely delicious and moist. The confit leg is topped with a red onion choucroute.

I chose the rosemary roasted lamb rack, $39.50. The sweet lamb is served medium rare, just how I like it. The tasty confit shoulder melts in the mouth. It’s accompanied by creamy sheep’s curd mash and veg.

Children can enjoy a three course meal for $22.50. Little Chef had these tasty fish and chips followed by a delicious chocolate pudding with sticky hot chocolate sauce.

Chef loved the twist on a classic crème brulee, as it had banana in it. Topped with a fresh pineapple compote and a delicious scoop of caramel and macadamia ice cream it was a scrumptious dessert.

One of Sittella’s signature desserts is their strawberry basket, $14. The crisp brandy snap basket is filled with Cointreau ice cream, fresh strawberrys and crushed passionfruit.

I absolutely love a custard tart, but very rarely get to eat them. The supermarket made tarts are often full of additives that don’t agree with me. When I spotted the Ole English custard tart, $14, on Sittella’s dessert menu I jumped at the chance to order it. The egg custard and pastry are spot on and served with mixed berries and a crème de casis (blackcurrant liquor) ice cream. A scrumptious dessert indeed!

The nine of us enjoyed our special lunch at Sittella. Chef Mike Price’s food style is classic and full of flavour. It’s a wonderful spot in the Swan Valley where the service is friendly, the wine is flowing and we’d absolutely dine there again. Now, when is the next family birthday?!…

August 30, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

V Burger – Elizabeth Quay

I’m a big fan of V Burger – we often visit their Floreat outlet. When I heard they had opened up a kiosk at Elizabeth Quay, Little Chef and I dropped by for a bite to eat, after we’d seen the Scooby Doo Live show at PCEC. The kiosk is found at the city end of the quay, near to the water playground and ferry terminal. The seating is outside, with most tables undercover.

For my lunch, I chose the “Blue Mushy” ($16) from the gourmet burger menu. A grilled prime beef patty is topped with mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, onion and a house made aioli. Blue cheese oozes out of the burger. I liked the flavour combination, I’m a fan of blue cheese. The beef was moist and tasty, the salad crisp. Though as I got to the end of the burger the richness of the blue cheese did get a little overpowering. I do prefer a softer bun to Turkish bread too.

Of course, never one to stick to the rules, Little Chef decided he didn’t want a burger. Luckily for finicky kids (and adults) there are fish and chips also on the menu. Little Chef had a mini portion ($10). He loved these, they were fresh and good quality.

Though I didn’t love it as much as my previous V Burgers, I’d put that down to my choice of burger. I do prefer brioche over Turkish bread. V Burger is a great option for a casual family meal at Elizabeth Quay. We went for a stroll over the bridge after and play at the playground. Little Chef even had enough room for some Gusto Gelato!

August 29, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Pearth Organic Kitchen – West Leederville

Pearth Organic Kitchen is all about healthy, wholesome food. I was meeting my lovely friend Kimmie for brunch and I thought Pearth would be well, perthfect (sorry, I just couldn’t resist!). For starters, I can never have too much healthy food, as long as it’s tasty anyway. Also Kimmie is gluten and dairy intolerant, so I thought they would have lots of menu options for her and they did. Pearth also caters well for vegans and vegetarians.

We met in the small Cambridge Street café, grabbing the last table. First up we enjoyed some good coffees. My flat white is made from Fiori organic coffee beans and organic milk from The Grumpy Farmer.

I just HAD to chose the Perthfect Parmesan eggs – I can’t imagine why! The scrambled parmesan eggs ($22) were wonderfully creamy, on top of a slice of thickly cut sourdough toast. On the side was avocado, wilted kale and a tasty house made tomato relish. I really enjoyed this.

Kim loved her smashed avocado with house made hummus, $17. Sprinkled with dukkah and a poached egg on the side. She swapped the sourdough for gluten free bread by Strange Grains. Kimmie enjoyed this, particularly the delicious hummus.

I love that Pearth don’t use processed products or refined sugars in their cooking. For me, having a guilt free brunch is great, especially as I’m sensitive to some food additives and preservatives. I like knowing what I’ve got on my fork is going to 100% nourish my body. You don’t have to be a health food nut to enjoy Pearth Organic Kitchen – just a tasty food addict like me!