Modern Indian Chakra has an innovative menu, as well as all the usual favourites. Whilst the methods of cooking and recipes remain authentic, their modern presentation freshens it up. Their stylish dining room is adorned with Indian lanterns and plush red and gold, and exotic, aromatic aromas. When an invite to the Beaufort Street favourite, landed in my inbox we jumped at the chance to return.

At Chakra they have recently implemented tablet menus, so it’s very easy to send your order off to the kitchen with just the touch of a button.

It’s the first time I’ve used a tablet menu in a restaurant and it has lots of positives, including keeping track of your spend, seeing just what your dish will look like, not having to flag down a waiter to order another drink (just press the button and it will be out in a jiffy!) and easy split billing too. Chef was also fascinated by the benefits it gives the kitchen.

I enjoyed an authentic lassi to go along with my meal and enjoyed the rich and creamy drink.

Rather than choose the age old favourites like butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, lamb korma and vindaloo (which are of course on the menu!) Sonia suggested that we try dishes from their modern Indian menu – which was fine with us. Here’s what we feasted on…

The more-ish “butter chicken kulcha” is leavened bread (Khameeri Naan) that is stuffed with classic butter chicken and served with Kasundi, which is a spiced mustard sauce and beetroot chutney.

I loved the mango pickled lamb ribs ($17, GF), served with a deliciously chewy mango Jerky and brimming with flavours of fennel and nigella seeds.

The seared scallop dish (GF, DF) was also tasty. The deliciously plump scallops are served on a bed of roasted capsicum and tomato chutney, with nigella seeds.

Little Chef tried (and enjoyed) a few of the dishes and was also kept occupied with colouring in.

All kid’s meals are served with a smile!  And there’s not only curry on the kids menu. Little Chef enjoyed his butter chicken with steamed rice. Chicken tenderloins and chips are available for little ones that aren’t into curry.

As a sort of palate cleanser, Chef loved the Pani puri shot. This Indian street food is made up of the “Puri”, a hollow, crisp and delicate wheat bubble that’s filled with white lentils and chickpeas. The “Pani” is the liquid of pineapple juice, tamarind, cinnamon, roasted cumin and a hint of chilli tequila. All to be eaten in one bite-sized shot and bursts in your mouth!

On to the mains and my favourite has to be the burnt aubergine ($32, GF). A half eggplant is filled with spicy lamb bhartha, roasted cashews and pomegranate, served with a cooling boondi raita, tomato chutney and a nigella Seed naan.

Another impressive dish is the “Matar Paneer Tower”. A very old Indian dish. The double marinated paneer is served with a pea and coriander curry. I love the way it’s presented too!

Chicken chettinad ($32, GF available) is a spicy dish, with pour your own curry sauce. Served with puffed banana poori, and pindi choley (chick pea dish).

The vibrant goat mughlai ($34, DF & GF available) is served with khameeri naan, grilled pineapple, fried lotus root, pickled onion and mango pickle.

The Indian desserts are also a little different to what you may expect and have a modern twist. We were really struggling for tummy space, but had to give them a taste. The gluten free and dairy free chocolate brownie is very moist and smothered in a chilli chocolate sauce. On the side a house made rose ice cream is served with rose syrup and freeze dried strawberries. Served on a beautiful metallic rose-gold tray.

The “mystery” hand-made choc pot is filled with saffron mouse, warm gulab jamun (milk-solid-based sweet), topped with Oreo dust and pistachio soil.

Thank you to the Chakra team, the service was second to none and again, you made us feel like Maharajas! It was lovely to experience Chakra again.

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Chakra and would happily return as paying guests.

Find out more about Chakra on their website.

Perth’s most lavish buffet, Epicurean at Crown Towers, sure is EPIC! From the best quality cuts of meat, to the freshest seafood, decadent desserts and everything in between, there’s sure to be plenty to fill your plate at the Gold Plate winning buffet.

Chef, Little Chef and I headed there for a special family lunch, invited by Crown. The dining room is a stunner, overlooking the luxe Crown Towers lagoon pools. There’s plenty of seating and the plush chairs are very comfortable.

Chef and I also recently had what was quite possible the biggest, longest breakfast ever when we stay overnight at Crown Towers. Here’s our experience of both:

Lunch at Epicurean

With such an array of tempting aromas, it’s very difficult to decide where to start. I’d suggest beginning with the cold section that has more salads than you can shake a stick at (I loved the Scandinavian salmon and potato salad), a big range of sushi, cured meats, bread, cheese and antipasti.

The fresh seafood selection is also pretty special with crabs, prawns, oysters, smoked salmon and more.

It was tempting to over-indulge in all this tastiness, but I was mindful that there was still so much of the buffet to try. Moving onto “mains” there’s a wide range of Asian, Indian and Roast meats to choose from. In this hot section there are live cooking stations where you can see the chefs whip up something delicious or carve your meat before your eyes.

I particularly enjoyed the tender roasted meats, with all the trimmings – roasties, steamed veg and Yorkshire puddings! The curries were also delicious, none were crazy hot, but full of flavours from the aromatic Indian spices. And of course there’s plenty of rice, vegetable sides, naan bread, as well as pickles and sauces to accompany.

What a scrumptious feast!

I had to have a breather before I could start on desserts, though Little Chef was raring to go! The amazing selection of sweets looks like something out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory!

Sweet tooths won’t know where to start with cakes, slices, draws packed full of petite fours, fruit, mousse, jelly, ice cream and of course Epicureans beautiful centrepiece, the chocolate fountain. 

We loved decorating the selection of ice creams (including dairy free / gluten free sorbets) with the big range of toppings.

I was really impressed with Little Chef’s plating skills of the mint choc ice cream, Oreo cookies and smarties! Not bad for a 9 year old, he definitely has Cheffing in his genes.

My dessert plate was brimming with mousse, truffles, marshmallow, chocolate bark and a couple of token strawberries.  

And for the grand finale, there’s the stunning chocolate fountain. Here, there’s a selection of fresh fruits and other delicious morsels for sticking on skewers and dipping into the fountain which runs with ooey gooey chocolate. On the day we visited it was International Chocolate day, so there was very special jaffa chocolate, white chocolate and milk chocolate to dip your fruit, cake or marshmallows into!

Breakfast at Epicurean

Breakfast at Epicurean is also a lavish affair. After beginning with a coffee, I started small to work my way up to a full, cooked breakfast. There’s LOTS to choose from – muesli, cereals, toast and preserves, fresh fruit, yogurt… I chose a GF granola with a dollop of yogurt and fruit, as well as a yummy protein ball.

At Epicurean you can load your plate with the ultimate fry-up. Choose from several types of bacon and sausages, eggs done how you like, and all the essential sides like baked beans, black pudding, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, toast and more. There’s even breakfast pizza!

As well as the traditional breakfast foods, Asian and Indian cuisines are also on offer, so I just had to add a little curry and rice to my plate.

And of course there’s the glorious dessert buffet, heaving with tempting goodies like pastries, cake, doughnuts and THAT chocolate fountain. Here, there’s also a juice station set up for breakfast (the watermelon juice is delish) and a big choice of freshly cut fruits.

The Gluten Factor

Being gluten free, I found such a large, unlabelled buffet overwhelming. At Epicurean, it’s safer to ask a chef if something is gluten free or not, as you never know if there’s some pesky gluten hiding in a marinade or sauce. I found a Chef very easily, who seemed to be overseeing the buffet and he happily walked me through the entire buffet and explained what I could and couldn’t eat. With so many dishes, it was a little difficult to remember it all, but I generally steered clear of the Asian section, but the Indian and roast meat/carvery dishes were mainly safe. Even though there was a lot I couldn’t eat, there was loads that I could, so I still felt spoiled for choice and left both times felling very satisfied and like my buttons were going to burst!

Epicurean is a wonderful restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Even for fussy eaters, there’s bound to be something in the vast selection of dishes to tickle everyone’s tastebuds – making it perfect for a special meal with a big group too. We loved our experiences and Little Chef has been pestering me to return ever since – not that I need any convincing! Epicurean is 100% the best premium and most extravagant buffet in Perth.

Epicurean certainly lives up to its name, which means to be fond of luxury or indulgence in sensual pleasures, especially in eating and drinking!

We dined as guests of Crown Perth. All opinions are my own.

Book a table or find out more on their website.

The King Road Brewing Co is an incredibly popular spot in Perth’s southern suburbs. And when I say popular I’m not exaggerating! It’s not uncommon for the gates to be closed on weekends, due to the venue reaching capacity. King Road has been on our hit list for as long as I can remember, though I wasn’t game enough to make the drive from Joondalup, just in case we did get locked out!

The rustic, country vibe works well in this rural area of Perth. It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere – in between Rockingham and Byford. The cosy bar area has their own beers and ciders on tap, as well as other WA craft beers and ciders.

While there is seating inside the bar, at King Road Brewing Co the thing to do on a sunny day is to sit under a shady umbrella, on a picnic table in the vast, grassy beer garden.

The Food

A casual menu has favourites like parmys, steak, Caesar salad, as well as woodfired gourmet pizzas. The meat lovers pizza ($25), got the thumbs up from Chef. The crisp base topped with chicken, chorizo and bacon hit the spot.

Sometimes pub food can be hit and miss, but I was pleasantly surprised with my choice – a tasty pomegranate, roast pumpkin and feta salad. Chicken or salmon can be added to this for an extra $6, but I felt like something light.

The kids menu is small, though there’s items to suit most tastes like fish and chips, a cheese burger and a kids grazing plate with ham, fruit and cheese. Little chef chose the chicken nuggets and chips, which was a decent serve for a 9 year old.

All kids meals are all served with a fruit box drink and an icy pole for $12 and picked up from their food truck in the beer garden.

The huge play area features something for kids of all ages. For tiny tots there’s a large shaded sand pit, filled with toys to move the sand.

Big kids will love the fort, with logs, nets and boulders to climb to the top, then a slide to get back down.

There’s also a brilliant Land Rover, tractor and a speedboat for some imaginative paly fun!

As well as traditional metal framed play equipment.

Little Chef had a swinging time!

The bustling spot is a good place to enjoy some pub grub and a few drinkies, while the kids roam and explore. And stay tuned for a new covered seating and bar area opening soon!

King Road Brewing Co is found at 796 King Road, Oldbury, Perth.

Love a family friendly Brewery in Perth? Check out more of my reviews:

Homestead Brewery

Little Creatures Brewery

Indian Ocean Brewing Co

Whitfords Brewing Co

The Raine Square redevelopment has created quite the hub for foodies in Perth’s CBD. From Tim Ho Wan and the soon to open Hunter and Barrel, and the plush Palace Cinemas with rooftop bar, there’s plenty of choices for dining. We headed into the city for a post-Christmas shop and pulled up a stool at Greenhorns Bar and Deli to fill up on some gourmet burgers. We were also on the lookout for some of their famous cheese gravy!

The bar is found on the ground level of Raine Square, in the food court. A hop skip and jump from Perth underground station and the Murray Street mall.

The Food

Chef chose the “House Double”, a double beef pattie, made with house ground WA grass fed beef with crisp maple bacon, grilled onions, melted American cheese and salad – lettuce, pickles, tomato, and smothered in house sauce.

The sides menu has tasty morsels like pork belly bites, fried cheese balls and cheeseburger spring rolls. We were there for one thing… the cheese gravy. Yep, you heard right, a bowl of gooey cheese to dip your burger in – talk about lush!

I copied Chef, though the other burger options – pulled beef, buttermilk chicken, truffle mushroom, Mexican, pulled pork and Greek lamb all sounded drool-worthy. The serves of chips are really generous too. The GF bun wasn’t the best I’ve had, but it was pretty good.

Little Chef picked the ”Grom Burger Combo”, which is quite a feast for little grommets. He devoured the cheese burger, fries and a drink in next to no time. It was a very good sized kid’s meal. The kids menu also features popcorn chicken, mac n cheese and even cheeseburger spring rolls!

Beer goes down a treat with a burger and Greenhorns are partners with local brewers Feral. There’s some good quality cocktails and a small selection of wines and spirits on offer too. My pick would be a boozy milkshake next time.

All in all, we liked Greenhorns a lot. The boys loved their fresh burgers, as did I. Though I do wish I could eat their delicious burgers as they are intended to be, on a buttery brioche #GF Problems What we all discovered that Cheese Gravy is a glorious thing to dunk your burger in – get on it!

Find out more on their website https://www.greenhorns.com.au/

Little Creatures is as Freo as fish ‘n chips or the Dockers. New spot Helm, previously Creatures NextDoor, has an entirely different feel to its beer-hall neighbour. Helm is named for the buildings distinct architecture, evocative of a large ship’s bridge, as the building was designed in the 1980’s for the America’s Cup.

This light and bright bar-restaurant overlooks the bustling Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour, we could be sitting on a cruiser. The décor isn’t so much “Love Boat” as it is cruise chic, with low key, neutral décor leading my eye out to the water view.

As dazzling rays of late afternoon light shine straight into the dinning space, through the huge windows, we shuffle around our circular booth to avoid the glare. Soon enough though, we enjoy a glorious sunset. There’s plenty of choices of where to sit, high tables by the bar, cosy booths, lounging by the window or even alfresco on the balcony.

The coastal, laid back vibe lends well to the kitchen’s focus on quality seasonal produce, with a fresh, Mediterranean feel. On the menu, dishes are cooked over fire and designed to share. There’s even dedicated vegan, vegetarian and coeliac menus that offer a lot of choice. Our waitress asks if we’d like all the food to arrive as it is ready, all together or however else we like.

The Drinks

Cocktails are the name of the game at Helm. A short, but well curated wine list is also on offer, as well as their own Little Creatures range of beers. I enjoy a summery take on the Aperol Spritz – the delicious Aperol Twist, a lip smacking concoction of gin, prosecco and aperol, served with strawberries.

The Food

The cocktail is perfectly paired with freshly shucked oysters ($4.50 each) with a mignonette sauce and squeeze of lemon. Looking at that view with an oyster in one hand and a cocktail in the other is what summer in Fremantle should be all about.

A plate of serrano ham, bresaola, prosciutto and a scattering of caperberries ($12) goes down a treat with a little house-made focaccia on the side.

Silky flesh of fire roasted eggplant ($18), is topped with jewels of sweet pomegranate and mint. Crunch comes from walnuts and crispy fried shallots on this winning veggie dish.

Several seafood dishes catch my eye, Abrolhos Island scallops, Cloudy Bay clams, but none more so than the tempting grilled Albany mackerel ($34). The fillets are served lustrous silver-skin up, and sit upon sliced green and heirloom tomatoes. A creamy, though mild, chili sauce finishes this summery dish.

Pillow-soft potato gnocchi ($26) is served with plump broad beans, peas, and liberal shavings of sottocenere, an Italian-style truffle cheese. A seagull watches us intently with a beady eye from the window. They’ll be no leftovers for him. While our dishes are delicious, it’s not all plain sailing – the portions are on the small-side.

This is most telling with the 12 hour arkady lamb shoulder, served with goats curd, mint and capers. Although it’s perfectly cooked and packed with charred, meaty flavours, for $36, there just isn’t enough of it. Sharing with Chef, we get just a few bites each.

Still a bit peckish, I devour the strawberry semifreddo ($16), with meringue and popping candy. The desserts are beautifully plated and a little more generous in size.

Thank goodness for Chef, who knows how to pronounce the rich chocolate “cremeux” ($17), saving me from embarrassment. A velvety chocolate custard-like cremeux is served with scrumptious peanut butter mousse and crunchy wattle seed brittle.

Helm is a welcome addition to the casual seafood cafes of the Fishing Boat Harbour. Here you can sit back and enjoy the view with a drink in hand and don’t have to shoo the pesky seagulls away from your share plates. Service is attentive and helpful. If the kitchen beefs up their portion sizes, we’d absolutely drop anchor at Helm again.

At a glance

■ Helm

Upstairs, 42 Mews Rd
Fremantle
Phone 6215 1063

■ Opening times

7 Days – 11.30am until late

■ Rating

food 4
service 4
ambience 4
value for money 3

■ style – Mediterranean   

■ wine – Extensive drinks list focusing on cocktails. Interesting wines, beers and spirits are also on offer.

■ Head Chef – Mathew Powell

■ Owner – Lion

■ feel – a fresh, inviting coastal space

■ wheelchair access – yes

■ cost

Share $6 – $38
Dessert $16 – $17

■ all in all – A shiny, new Mediterranean spot, which has a fresh focus on WA produce, top notch drinks and a stunning view over the Fishing Boat Harbour.