May 8, 2017 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Alfred’s Kitchen – Guildford

One of Perth’s most loved burger joints has recently become a whole lot more family friendly. Alfred’s Kitchen has been a Guildford institution for over 70 years. Previously, the takeaway didn’t provide much seating, apart from a few benches around the much loved fire pit. Perthies were happy to stand around munching on their burgers, though it could be a bit of a juggling act.

Now there is another alternative – Alfred’s have added a restored train carriage and courtyard which have loads of seating to eat your burgers and chips in comfort, making it much easier for little burger lovers too.

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March 23, 2017 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Burger Hut – Wanneroo

We found ourselves at Burger Hut recently for a quick and easy dinner. It’s a spot we’d driven past many times on Wanneroo Road and always meant to try. Finally, we stopped at the casual, suburban eatery on a night when neither of us wanted to cook at home.

At Burger Hut you can dine inside the small diner or alfresco and there were a lot of people dropping in for takeaways too. The service is friendly and patient, as we decided which burgers to choose from the large menu which also features steak burgers, chicken burgers, Asian pork burgers, veggie burgers and more on the burger menu.

Chef chose the “Double bacon deluxe”, $14.90. It’s a massive burger, brimming with bacon, TWO beef patties, cheese, pineapple, lettuce and BBQ sauce. All burgers are served with a small side salad and a basket of chips, making it a very hearty meal.

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February 17, 2017 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Collodel Ice Cream – Kalamunda

It seems as though this Perth Food Blogger have been eating a lot of Ice cream lately! Our summer hasn’t been stinking hot, but entertaining Little Chef in the school holidays was made a little easier by my quest to find Perth’s best gelato for Buggybuddys. Here’s another spot, an old favourite of mine, that made this scrumptious list!

On a hot day in the Perth Hills, when the warm easterly breeze is blowing and the sea breeze hasn’t arrived yet, a trip to Collodel is a must. The tiny Ice creamery is found on the leafy Haynes Street in Kalamunda. Collodel has been a favourite in the hills for years. I remember going there for an after school treat when I was a kid. Their scrumptious homemade flavours are very popular with the locals.

All of the ice cream is made fresh onsite each day to a traditional recipe from the Dolomite region of Italy. Little Chef enjoyed his cone topped with a scoop of cookies and cream (child’s cone $3).

His Grandad picked his favourite flavour of rum n raisin ($3.50 1 scoop cone), which he said was delicious and creamy. There is also a range of freshly made frozen yogurt and sorbets too.

I’ve heard about their spaghetti sundae, which sounds like it would be very popular with kids. Ice cream is squeezed into a pasta shape, which is then topped with bright red raspberry and strawberry sauces (the bolognaise) and finished with a dusting of sugar (the parmesan). Definitely one to try next time!

The family owned spot has are a few tables and chairs, if you don’t want to eat your ice cream on the go. The Ice Creamery is within walking distance of the Kalamunda History Village, Kalamunda Farmers Market (Sunday mornings) and Stirk Park.

February 10, 2017 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Ibiza N2 – Mt Lawley

Ibiza N2 Gelato is no ordinary gelataria. The extra special thing about Ibiza N2 is that they are the first place in Perth to use liquid nitrogen (N2) to flash freeze their gelato. The liquid nitrogen forms a large number of microscopic ice crystals in just seconds. This makes their gelato ultra-smooth and creamy.

Kids and adults alike will love watching their gelato being created before their eyes. The fresh ingredients are mixed together and then the liquid nitrogen is poured in, creating huge clouds that billow out of the mixers. Little Chef said that it looks like a witches cauldron! After a few minutes, just like magic, you have freshly churned gelato! Continue reading →

January 21, 2017 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Whisk Creamery – Northbridge

One of our go-to spots for a totally over the top sugar hit is Whisk Creamery. The popular café that started out in Subiaco, has now opened another store on William Street in Northbridge. Little Chef and I had been at Nostalgia Box, a video console museum, for a morning of fun playing retro computer games. Afterwards, we popped into Whisk Creamery for a tasty treat for morning tea, no doubt it would include their speciality – fresh soft serve gelato.

Deciding what to choose is really tricky, especially with that little voice in my head telling me sternly ”think of all the calories!” . The menu also have photos of each creation and it’s very difficult not to want to try everything! There’s indulgent stuffed cronuts, deep fried gelato, banana splits and more.

Little Chef had the “Sneaky Caramel”, $12.40. The cup is brimming with salted caramel gelato, hot honey chocolate fudge sauce in a syringe, chocolate wafer shards and coffee mousse. He gave it two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

I had the “Banoffee Waffle”, $13.50. I don’t have a massive sweet tooth, so I wasn’t too sure if it would be too much, but I really enjoyed it. Super fresh double waffles are smothered in swirls of coffee mousse, a hot caramel fudge sauce in a syringe, fresh banana slices and topped with chocolate fairly floss. The mousse was absolutely scrumptious and so light, so the whole dessert didn’t feel heavy. I would definitely eat it again.

To drink, there’s some wicked milkshakes, iced drinks, tea, coffee, smoothies and complimentary water. Whisk Creamery’s gelato creations are totally naughty – but so worth it!

And here’s a little bit on The Nostalgia Box…

Back in the day, my parents had to drag me off my Commodore 64 or Sega Master System. I loved playing Frogger, Sonic and Super Mario Brothers. So Little Chef wasn’t the only one to be super excited to be visiting The Nostalgia Box, Australia’s first interactive video game console museum!

The museum is found on Aberdeen Street in Northbridge. Half of the museum is a dedicated exhibit to gaming history where around 100 gaming consoles are on display. These date back to the 1970s through to the present day. Some of these machines look like ancient relics and I didn’t actually realise that consoles had been around for that long.

After walking through the exhibit, you can experience playing the classic games in the gaming area. The inviting space is adorned with a vibrant mural of all the gaming favourites of the 1980’s and 90’s. There are twelve consoles set up with games like Duck Hunt, Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros, Street Fighter, Sonic the Hedgehog, Crash Bandicoot and many more.

One of Little Chef’s favourites was the shooting game “Duck Hunt”. Little Chef and I had a good time trying to beat each other on the two player games like Mario Kart too! My favourite was Sonic The Hedgehog, though I couldn’t get passed the first boss level, so I am a bit out of practice. It has been about 20 years between games to be fair! Little Chef and I also enjoyed Super Mario Brothers, which I revelled in beating him at.

I was surprised to learn that the museum is very popular with adults in their 20s and 30s, but afterwards after re-living my youth via Sonic The Hedgehog, I’m not that surprised. You’re sure to discover some random old games, as well as have many blasts from the past. Nostalgia Box takes you back to your childhood, as well as giving your children a chance to experience gaming the “old school” way.

November 1, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Bibik Chan’s Kitchen {See Subiaco}

A group of Perth Food Bloggers and I enjoyed a foodie tour of Subiaco, to rediscover one of Perth’s hubs of great entertainment, dining and drinks. We had an unofficial 4th stop on the tour at Bibik Chan’s Kitchen. The popular Malay eatery, that once resided on Stirling Highway for over 30 years, has relocated to Subiaco and is now found next to The Village Bar.

Our guide, Food Writer Max Veenhuyzen, spied the casual Asian restaurant and excitedly popped in to place a takeaway order. I love his style. We ate the beef and chicken satays in the car park, squatting and standing on the pavement. You can’t get more street than that! The satays were cooked to perfection, the tender meats nicely charred on the barbeque and dripping with peanut sauce.

I’m always on the look out for great satay in Perth, nothing has ever come close to the authentic satay I chowed down on at The Satay Club at Clarke Quay, Singapore many years ago. This unassuming spot in Subi is pretty darn good. What a find. Thanks Max!

Next, we were off to our special sneak peek of hotly anticipated Italian Lulu La Delizia. The small Italian restaurant and wine bar was yet to be open (it opened on the 26.10.16). We were mesmerised by Head Chef Joel Valvasori and one of his talented Chefs Lily Rossen making pasta in the window of Lulu La Delizia, to a soundtrack of old school Italian music. It was wonderful food theatre and watching them roll out the pasta was almost hypnotic. At Lulu La Delizia fresh pasta is the hero of each dish, complimented by their delicious sauces. I’m so excited to try this new spot very soon. lulula

NEXT STOP ON OUR FOODIE TOUR OF SUBI… Bistro Felix

October 24, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Double Double {See Subiaco}

There’s small bars and then there’s tiny bars – like Double Double. Being so little just adds to it’s cosiness. The space is designed to be as inviting as your own living room, with many comfy sofas that look well worn in. The bar also “doubles” as a coffee spot during the day – hence the name.

Double Double was stop number two on our “Cocktail and Canapé” tour of Subiaco, hosted by See Subiaco and Food Writer Max Veenhuyzen. It’s found on Hay Street, just a minutes walk from the Regal Theatre.

One of their signature cocktails is the “Subiaco Sling”, made from dark rum, sloe gin, almond and citrus. Somehow along the way I’d got into my head that I wasn’t a dark rum girl. Well, I’ve been totally missing out! While it’s not as famous as the Singapore Sling – it was just as delicious.

We chowed down on some banh mi from “Baguette Me Not” (man I love a pun!). Baguette Me Not is found in the Colonnade shopping mall on Hay Street. This was a real treat as I’d never really had this Vietnamese style sandwich before. Each little roll was brimming with pickles, fresh coriander, chilli and tasty meats too, with a side of spicy sauce.

And why were we eating take away in a bar? Double Double lets you BYO Food. Whatever your fast food of choice, you’re welcome to bring it along to enjoy with a drink at the bar. What a great idea! Next time you’re in Subi, be sure to check out Double Double – day or night!

NEXT STOP ON THE SEE SUBIACO TOUR… The Village Bar

**I enjoyed Double Double as a guest of the City of Subiaco/See Subiaco **

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!

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!