May 9, 2018 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

{A Sparkling Mother’s Day} The Old Laundry, North Perth

The Old Laundry, found on North Perth’s cool Angove Street strip, is a fab small bar to hang out. It was, in fact, a laundry back in the day. There’s even a rusty old boiler still in the courtyard! With Mother’s Day coming up, I’ve been suggesting some fantastic places to shop and dine with your Mum in North Perth and on the bustling Angove Street. The Old laundry is the kind of place you might like to take your mum if she’s young at heart – if she loves a glass of bubbles or a cocktail with some delicious share food.

Essentially, The Old Laundry is a bar, by day it oozes casual cafe chic. Here, you can grab a coffee and brunch, prop up the bar, laze in the courtyard, or enjoy something more formal in the striking green and black dining room. And so, over a bottle of fizz, my Mum and I (along with Little Chef) enjoyed a selection of the Old Laundry’s share food menu.

A seasonal menu effortlessly marries influences from Asia, Europe and all around the world, to offer lots of easy to eat morsels and plates. The crisp arancini ($12) bursting with ooey, gooey parmesan, mozzarella and saffron, got the big thumbs up from Little Chef and his Nanna.

A delicious roasted eggplant and lentil salad ($16) with chard, tomatoes, feta, pine nuts and a yoghurt dressing ticked the gluten free boxes for me.

My Mum adored the chilli Korean fried chicken ($24) which had a tonne of kick to its crisp seasoning. Served with crunchy slaw, pickles and lashings of mayo, this dish packs some punch!

The triple cooked house chips ($8), with spiced ketchup and aioli were absolutely moreish.

North Perth is teaming with brilliant places to take your Mum, Nanna or even yourself this Mothers Day! Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, The Old Laundry is the kind of spot you can drop by at any time of the day or night.

Find The Old Laundry at 22 Angove Street, North Perth.

Web www.theoldlaundry.net

Photo Credit: City of Vincent

This article is sponsored by the City of Vincent to promote Mother’s Day in and around Angove Street, North Perth. All words and opinions are my own.

May 8, 2018 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

{A Sweet Mothers Day} Fiorentina, North Perth

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Angove Street in North Perth is a lovely little cafe strip. The bustling street is lined with tables and chairs, cafes packed with people and their pooches at spots like Milkd, Stomp Coffee (at Angove Street Collective), Locale and Fiorentina – where we popped in for afternoon tea. My Mum, who’s very partial to a sweet treat or three, thought this would be a brilliant spot to stop for coffee n cake.

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Mother’s Day is such a busy day. Chatting to my friends, I find that as Mums we want to relax and enjoy the day, but we also feel pressure to do the rounds with our own Mums, inlaws and Grandmothers. A coffee and cake catch up is perfect, if you’re short on time.

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Fiorentina patisserie has been around since the 1970’s and is one of the few traditional, artisan patisseries remaining in Perth. Its Italian roots means you can expect to find deliciously fresh pastries, biscotti and torta’s. Fiorentina is also popular for brunch. The Italian café has European vibes with its shady awnings and vibrant red blooms. Most of the seating is outside, in chillier months they crank up the heaters.

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Inside there are cabinets brimming with all sorts of fine Italian pastries and delicious bites to eat. It was very difficult to choose just what we should enjoy with our Bonissimo coffee. We picked a few afternoon tea treats, handmade from traditional recipes by the Pastry Chef. My Mum tucked into a scrumptiously rich chocolate cake, with ice cream on the side.

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Little Chef loved the vanilla slice. For a gluten intolerant person like myself, there were still a few sweet options, including a huge range of different flavoured macarons. Yum!

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The coffee was wonderfully smooth and of course Little Chef just had to have his café favourite – a baby chino.

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Fiorentina patisserie also is said to be home of some of Perth’s very best cannoli, so be sure to grab some take away treats with you!

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Find Fiorentina at 44 Angove St, North Perth.

Web: fiorentina.com.au

The beautiful photos are by Monica Defendi Photography

This article is sponsored by the City of Vincent to promote Mother’s Day in and around Angove Street, North Perth. All words and opinions are my own.

May 6, 2018 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

{A Foodie Mother’s Day} Satchmo, North Perth

North Perth, in the City of Vincent, is a cool little part of town. One place that really encapsulates this is Satchmo, an inner city cafe, with New York Deli vibes. Satchmo, which is a cafe by day and has more of a small bar feel by night, has excellent coffee and soul-warming food. If I was asked where I’d like to go for a Mothers Day brunch, this is exactly the type of place I’d pick.

Little Chef and I took my Mum out for a pre Mother’s Day brunch at Satchmo. My Mum loves a tasty feed and though she wouldn’t know trendy if she fell into it (bless her!), she can appreciate something that’s finger licking delicious. And their coffee is good too. Real good.

The menu at Satchmo pulls from traditional Jewish cuisine and also has a big New Orleans influence. Think Mamm’s Matzo ball chicken soup, fresh bagels and Louisiana gumbo. It’s deliciously different. I hear their house-made bacon is also a huge favourite.

The roasted field mushroom dish ($18) is a brunch winner. I hungrily tucked into the meaty mushrooms, pan-fried halloumi, kale, and an avo-sweet pea-feta crush. This is usually served on rye bread, but I enjoyed the gluten-free option. Next time I’ll add some runny poached eggs too!

The Mississippi special ($18) is pretty darn special! A freshly toasted bagel is jam-packed with southern fried chicken, a spicy chipotle mayo and kale slaw, with a few slices of watermelon on the side. My Mum and Little Chef both loved this.

Little Chef got stuck into the watermelon!

If your Mum loves a trendy and tasty brunch, then you won’t go far wrong with Satchmo. Music lovers will also like to browse their vintage vinyl collection and even have a chat with owner and music enthusiast Nathan Karnovsky.

On the jazzy soundtrack, you’ll be sure to hear the café’s namesake Louie “Satchmo” Armstrong, singing the blues and blowing his trumpet. I’d blow my own trumpet too, with food that’s this delicious! Satchmo is well worth checking out.

Find Satchmo at 400 Fitzgerald Street, North Perth.

Web www.satchmocafe.com.au

Beautiful photos by Monica Defendi Photography.

This article is sponsored by the City of Vincent to promote Mother’s Day in and around North Perth. All words and opinions are my own.

May 4, 2018 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Shopping for Mum at Angove Street Collective

The City of Vincent is one of the most foodie-blessed spots outside of the Perth CBD. There’s the bustling Beaufort Street and Leederville’s vibrant Oxford Street. Another foodie hotspot is a little more tucked away on Angove Street in North Perth. Here there’s a mini café strip, small bars, coffee shops, a pub and some brilliant boutique retailers.

Over the next week or so I’ll be bringing you some must-visit Angove Street spots to take your Mum (or yourself if you’re a Mum) for Mother’s Day – whether she likes to shop, brunch, get dressed up for nibbles and drinkies or loves something scrumptiously sweet. But first, you’ll need to find her a lovely Mother’s Day gift! Little Chef and I took my own amazing Mum along to Angove Street Collective, to see if there was anything on her Mothers Day wishlist. I have to admit, I found so many beautiful items to put on my own!

Angove Street Collective is a beautiful homewares emporium of many independent retailers, which is jam-packed with gifts for your Mum, Nanna or even yourself! If you’re on the lookout for something unique, on-trend or quirky, Angove Street Collective has a multitude of items that will fit the bill perfectly.

The flowers by Debra Hayes Floral are simply stunning. The store within a store features garden and plant-inspired homewares that any green thumb will love and there are many vibrant, fresh blooms to-go in the “flower fridge”.

At Angove Street Collective you’ll find a great range of homewares which make me want to throw out all my decade-old furniture and accessories and start again!

Indoor plants are so on trend right now and as well as looking totally lush, they purify your indoor air too. For me, a bit of greenery would be my perfect gift.

Paper Fusion, next door to the main Angove Street Collective space, is a gorgeous spot. Here you’ll find luxury stationery, hand-painted invitations and unique greeting cards perfect for Mothers Day.

At Angove Street Collective you’ll also find clothing by Elk and Harpers Emporium. And don’t forget to pop into Stomping Ground cafe for a coffee! Angove Street Collection really has something for all Mums.

Find Angove Street Collective at 31-39 Angove Street, North Perth, WA.

www.angovestreetcollective.com.au

All of the beautiful photos are by Monica Defendi Photography

This article is sponsored by the City of Vincent to promote Mother’s Day in and around Angove Street, North Perth. All words and opinions are my own.

May 4, 2018 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Meeka, Subiaco

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I notice Meeka’s new additions as soon as I arrive at the restaurant, which overlooks a leafy Rokeby Road. The exterior is now adorned with exotic murals and the beautifully carved Moroccan door at the restaurant’s entrance, beckons us inside.

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Head Chef, and co owner Leah Clarke has also added a woodfired oven to her kitchen. A few years after my last review on Meeka, we decide to take another look at this Subicao favourite. Meeka is a classy little place – a modern, crisp restaurant with a splash of Moroccan decoration that reflects the style of food perfectly – modern Australian cuisine, with a Middle Eastern twist.

On my first visit, I was impressed with the hospitality of Faye Clarke, who as well as being co-owner is also Leah’s Mum. Her enthusiasm for their wine list was infectious. The mother-daughter team had won a bevy of awards and accolades including “Wine List of the year”. Their impressive wines are handpicked to complement Meeka’s menu.

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My Dad is along for the ride, with Chef busy working. Many people think I acquired my love of food from being married to a Chef, it has far more to do with being the daughter of a man who approaches eating with the gusto of a hungry Labrador! He enjoys a glass of cabernet sauvignon from Perth Hills winery Aldersyde. My pick, the Murdoch Hill chardonnay, has fresh and fruity flavours that compliments the Turkish, Lebanese, Israeli and Moroccan inspired cuisine so well.

First, we share dishes from the mezze menu. I can’t possibly eat Middle Eastern cuisine without a little hummus ($12). It’s served topped with coriander roasted honey pumpkin, and a yoghurt flatbread for ripping and dipping into the creamy hummus.

Baharat fried cauliflower ($13) is a flavour sensation. Meeka’s own baharat spice blend includes cinnamon, allspice, cumin, coriander, as well as some well-guarded “secret” ingredients. The crisp morsels are complimented by a smooth preserved lemon tarator, a honey nut based mayonnaise. Candied almonds add even more bite.

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Continue reading →

May 4, 2018 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Watershed Margaret River

The impressive cellar door was our first port of call at Watershed Estate, just a few minutes south of Margaret River town. Here kids can sit on the sofas while you enjoy a wine tasting. We always like to do this before we dine at a winery – so we know which bottle of wine to enjoy with lunch.

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Outside, manicured lawns overlook sweeping views of vines and a sapphire blue dam. It’s pretty as a picture.

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There’s a couple of ways to dine at Watershed. Choose to either eat at the casual café, where there’s a kids play area in the outside courtyard or if it’s a special occasion, why not pick the more formal restaurant, which enjoys the vineyard views. After looking over our options, we opt for the café, given that Little Chef would prefer to roam around the playground. The menu still looks really tasty and is good value too.

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On the menu there’s light bites, casual dishes like burgers and fish n’ chips as well as share platters. There’s also coffee and cake available. As tasted earlier at the cellar door, I chose the crisp and fruity SBS for lunch.

I really loved a flavour packed Vietnamese chicken salad ($25). The poached free range chicken was so tender and served with crisp cucumber, rice noodles, mint, nuoc cham dressing and fried shallots.

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My Mum really liked the house smoked salmon potato salad ($26.50), with horseradish, chives, apple, and a gooey soft boiled egg.

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Dad tried something a little different and was pleased with his grilled halloumi dish ($25), with freekeh, roasted pumpkin, nuts, seeds, Turkish bread and a tahini yoghurt.

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They both chose a shiraz to enjoy with their lunches.

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Little Chef chose the cheese burger and chips from the children’s menu.

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After he’d finished his lunch, Little Chef heads to the shady playground, which is still in view of our table through the window. There are also outdoor tables by the play equipment, if you’d prefer to sit closer. This gave us time to enjoy our meals in a little peace!

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A delicious lazy lunch over a glass of wine is my favourite thing to do when in Margaret River. We don’t always feel comfortable taking Little Chef along to some of the more formal winery restaurants. Watershed ticks all the boxes. There’s a view to die for, with a laid-back, holiday feel. Watershed is a must stop winery for foodies and families in Margaret River.

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Find Watershed on the corner of Bussell Highway and Darch Road, Margaret River.

May 2, 2018 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Let’s Thursday Like We Friday

Why wait for Friday drinks to celebrate the end of the working week? City of Perth has come up with a fantastic initiative to get Perthies to ring in the weekend a little earlier – ‘Let’s Thursday Like We Friday’. The Perth CBD and Northbridge has an eclectic selection of restaurants, bars and foodie events, many of which are taking part in ‘Let’s Thursday Like We Friday’ offering meal deals, entertainment, drink specials and more.

I joined in on the ‘Let’s Thursday like We Friday’ fun with Taco Thursdays at Baby Mammoth small bar in Northbridge and the Two Feet and a Heartbeat cocktail walking tour in the CBD.

Baby Mammoth – $6 Taco Offer

Baby Mammoth is a little piece of South Africa, found in between fellow trendy bars and restaurants on the bustling William Street in Northbridge. Each Thursday Executive chef Ryan Lambson creates three delicious tacos with whatever produce he has, on hand pressed soft corn tortillas. They are SO dang good!

The delicious tacos are just $6 each and there are also glasses of house wine and a selection of tinnies for $6too. At Baby Mammoth, there are A LOT of alcoholic options – an extensive bottled beer list, loads of cocktails and an intensively researched wine list. The bar team love to get creative and their own beer-based vermouths and liqueurs form the base of their unique beer cocktails. The drinks list isn’t full of the usual suspects and I really love that. My friend Reeva and I shared some tacos at the bar over a glass or two of crisp house white and a big bowl of fries.

A hemp seed taco filled with smoked, pickled mushrooms and herbs is available on their menu anytime.

Brisket, queso fresco, confit tomatoes and fried purple sweet potato tacos were sooo tasty!

Salmon, creme fraiche, celeriac kraut, lemon juice and coriander tacos really hit the spot too!

The food at Baby Mammoth is wonderfully different and reasonably priced. Totally recommended for some drinkies over some bites with friends or your work besties.

Two Feet and a Heartbeat – Cocktail Tour Offer

Two Feet and A Heartbeat have been running their walking tours of Perth for over a decade. My lovely friend Jo and I popped along to their Cocktail Tour, which usually is held on Saturdays and especially for “Let’s Thursday” during May. The tour takes in three sophisticated bars where you can expect a night filled with yummy cocktails, fun facts and quirky tales of Perth characters. We were excited to meet our guide, the very knowledgeable Ryan, and our friendly tour group under the arches of Perth Town Hall. The secret itinerary only added to the excitement!

The Treasury Lounge & Bar’s “Kings Park” Cocktail

First, we headed to the neighbouring State Buildings, where there were so many exciting cocktail possibilities! I had thought we were going to enjoy drinkies at Halford Bar, though we headed downstairs to trendy Thai spot, Long Chim. Here,Ryan paused to give us a little history on the buildings.

Then we carried on through the grand old building to The Treasury Lounge and Bar, which is the swanky lobby bar of the luxe Como Hotel. Their “Kings Park” cocktail showcases fresh local ingredients like Jarrah honey water, a housemade lime sherbert, orange bitters, and a jasmine green tea infused Tanqueray gin. The flower garnished drink is so refreshing!

After, we took a stroll down St Georges Terrace, with Ryan telling us interesting titbits of Perth information along the way.

Print Hall’s “Red Skye Over Red Sea” Cocktail

At Print Hall were treated to an exclusive cocktail made one time only by one of Print Hall’s talented bar mixologists.

If you love a slightly sour cocktail, with lots of tang, this one is definitely for you. The tasty cocktail is a twist on a Dark and Stormy with Campari, sweet lychee syrup, rhubarb bitters (not heard of that one!), ginger beer and finished with a slice of orange and dash of lemonade.

Our group also tucked into some drool-worthy stone baked pizzas, as well as octopus and chorizo.

Next, we walked down King Street in search of our final cocktail. Along the way, Ryan stopped to tell us a tale about the delivery boys that used to sit on a step at His Majesty’s Theatre, when they’d have their beer after work. Years ago, they would cross King Street to push their bottle tops into the trunk of one of the Palm trees outside the Intercontinental Perth. I couldn’t believe that I’d walked past this tree hundreds of times and never noticed all the shiny and weather rusted bottle tops!

Ryan gave us a clue that there would be live music involved in our final stop and I had a pretty good feeling we were headed to a spot that I’ve always wanted to try…

Laneway Lounge’s “Champagne & Strawberry Martini” Cocktail

I always thought the Laneway Lounge would be my kind of bar and I was right. A live band was playing old school RnB classics and there was a great atmosphere.

Here, we had my favourite cocktail of the evening, though it was a tough call! This cocktail tastes like strawberries and cream with ketel one vodka, fresh pressed strawberries, creme de fraise, and a champagne emulsion. SO LUSH!

I was really impressed with Two Feet and A Heartbeat. A walking tour is a great way to meet new people and discover something new about our beautiful city. ‘Let’s Thursday Like We Friday’ runs during May 2018 in the City of Perth. There are over 50 fantastic food, drinks and events offers to check out here.

I was invited to check out these ‘Let’s Thursday like We Friday’ offers by the City of Perth, all words and opinions are my own.

April 30, 2018 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Battle of the Sangas at The Merrywell

For Little Chef’s birthday we enjoyed a special pre-Derby lunch at the Merrywell. We’ve visited the gastro pub many times since it opened about 6 years ago. The incredibly popular, laid back eatery is always buzzing. Crown Perth had invited us in to taste test their “Battle of the Sanga” specials, where you can choose your team and help out their Perth charity of choice too. It’s a food fight for charity!

We made sure we got there extra early (11.30am) to dine on something delicious before the big game. The wrap around, leafy courtyard is a top place to sit. This time, we sat inside, at a table along the curved window. Despite it being filled to the brim with Dockers and Eagles fans, we could still hear ourselves chat.

Chef, a massive Eagles fan, has been to every Eagles game for the past few seasons. Saying that, the amount of football he actually watched was minimal – since he was working as Executive Sous Chef at Domain stadium. Today, we were lucky to have three tickets to the Derby at Optus Stadium, which was a wonderful birthday surprise for the AFL-mad Little Chef.

The Merrywell’s menu has an easy to eat, American “dude” food vibe. Gluten-free meals are not marked on the menu, so I ask one of the friendly wait people for a bit of assistance. The last couple of times I’ve been to the Merrywell I’ve had the same waiter, who is so happy to help and basically goes through the whole menu and explains the various options for me. He’s lovely.

We shared the lollipop buffalo wings ($21), with blue cheese fondue and celery sticks. This has been a Merrywell menu staple since day dot and long may it continue! The chicken was very tender and the sauce has a good kick, but not overpowering. This was balanced by the creamy fondue. A top share dish.

Chef scoffed the Eagles Big Bird Sanga ($25). This is a “Battle of the Sangas” special on till May 27th 2018. At $25 (including fries and a soft drink) it’s great value and also includes a $5 donation to Telethon! There’s never been a better time to head into the Merrywell! This was stuffed with tender buttermilk fried chicken, oozing cheese sauce, slaw, salad – sandwiched between two waffles.

And for the Dockers fans there’s the tastebud tempting Freo surf n turf sanga with sliced roast beef, crisp popcorn prawns, cheddar cheese, remoulade sauce salad and pickles – which I love the sound of. I also love that $5 from the sale of each of these Freo sangas goes to Ronald McDonald House.

Pic Credit: Crown Perth

Feeling like something light, I chose the Merry’s Little Lamb tacos ($22), their GF option for these is to serve them in lettuce cups, which is just fine with me. Filled with spiced pulled lamb shoulder, a coriander crema and sweetcorn salsa, they really hit the spot.

For little one’s there’s a kids menu, and on request, they provide some colouring paper and pencils too. Their famous Mac & Cheese Bites feature on the kids menu too. These deep-fried delights were very cheesy and more-ish. Little Chef can’t get enough!

We were a little full, but since it was Little Chef’s birthday, we just had to treat ourselves to something sweet to share. We love s’mores and the Merrywell’s take on this American camping dish is to turn it into an ice cream sandwich – nice one! Vanilla ice cream is wedged between chocolate chip cookies, which are topped with gooey toasted marshmallow and smothered in chocolate sauce.

The Merrywell doesn’t disappoint. There’s delicious food, good service and I love that kids are welcome, but it’s not overrun by ankle biters!

Crown Perth is the perfect place to stop before or after a big event at Optus Stadium!

I was invited to the Merrywell by Crown Perth, all opinions and words are my own.

April 23, 2018 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Crown Towers Perth

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From the very moment we pulled our overnight bags through the immense foyer of Crown Towers Perth, I felt relaxed. I was working on an event at Crown and was so excited to be staying at Crown Towers along with Chef and Little Chef – the perfect excuse to mix work with pleasure.

The luxury hotel is Crown Perth’s glittering jewel. With so much to see and do on the Burswood peninsula, it’s the perfect spot for a family stay-cay.

Check in was smooth and we were so excited that we pretty much ran up the long corridor to our room!

Our Room at Crown Towers

We stayed in a Deluxe Twin room, with views to the Darling Ranges. Before we explored the rest of the hotel, we had a good look around our stunning room. The air conditioned room is immaculately appointed, with two Queen beds, a huge flat-screen TV with some Foxtel channels and pay per view movies, an armchair and desk.

There are far too many inclusions to name. Here are just some of the features we found useful:
o Deep soaking bath
o Connecting rooms available upon request
o Nespresso coffee machine and tea making facilities
o Fridge and DELUXE mini bar
o A selection of magazines
o Complimentary bottled water
o Iron and Ironing board
o Snuggly Crown bathrobes and slippers
o Safe
o Hands free telephones
o High-speed WIfi Internet access
o 24hr room service & concierge

The tablet found by the beds controls pretty much everything in the room, from drawing the curtains to the TV. Technology eh?!

The marble bathroom is a whole other level from any hotel I’ve ever stayed at. Here at Crown Towers you can watch TV in.the.bath. Seriously! There’s a phone in the loo too!

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And I was seriously impressed by the bath’s huge faucet, which was no ordinary sized tap. The water gushes out so fast, filling the bath in no time at all. There’s also an excellent shower, loads of quality toiletries, a hair dryer and fluffy towels.

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The deluxe mini bar offers French Champagne and local spirits…

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Koko Black chocolates and more…

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I grabbed a few of the magazines in our room and headed to the pool area.

The Crown Towers Pool Area

With all that attention to detail in our room, it’s no surprise that the pools are stunning. It was a gloriously sunny afternoon, so we grabbed a few sunloungers under the palms and enjoyed a splash about. The daybeds look luxe, there’s an extra charge to hire those. The poolside area is open from 6.30am to 7.30pm daily.

There isn’t a dedicated kids pool as such, like in the neighbouring Crown Metropol where there’s a kiddie play area and slide. The pool closest to the cabana has a beach entry, which is perfect for little ones as it starts off very shallow. There’s also a small, circular pool, surrounded by loungers. This plunge pool is only 90cms deep. Also found by the pool is a cabana with foosball and a pool table.

Staying without kids? There’s a chilled over 18’s pool area with plush bar.

And if you head to the river side of the outdoor area, you’ll find a quiet spot to curl up on a daybed with a book.

The Food at Crown Towers

We couldn’t drag ourselves away from this beautiful spot, so we enjoyed some drinks and an early dinner by the pool. Ordering is easy – just put up your flag on the sunlounger and a friendly waitperson will soon be along to take your order from the Epicurean menu.

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My nicoise salad was spot on – the tuna was perfectly cooked, it was a good sized meal and the salad was also well dressed.

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Little Chef chose fish n chips ($16) from the kids menu (nuggets and spag bol are also available) and it was a very generous serve.

We headed upstairs and settled in for a comfortable night’s sleep. The bed was very comfortable and I loved having the extra dark block out curtains! We made the most of a late 11am check out with a lazy morning by the pool. We headed downstairs for breakfast at Epicurean, but instead of the luxe buffet, we opted to enjoy the good weather and order from the a la carte menu outside.

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Little Chef enjoyed pancakes. I had runny poached eggs and avo on toast (GF).

Chef loved his brekky burger on a buttery brioche bun.

We spent a memorable night at Crown Towers. The impressive hotel has really raised the bar in Western Australia’s luxury stay niche.

My tip is to book two or more nights, especially if you want to make full use of the pool. One night is never enough! Go on, treat yourself – you deserve it x

If you’re dining at Crown, check out my other reviews here:

April 3, 2018 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Naked Apple Cider House, Karragullen

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The Perth Hills are alive, with the sound of… CIDER!! The brand spanking new Naked Apple Cider House has opened. The cidery is found in Karragullen, which is found in between Pickering Brook and Roleystone. Naked Apple Cider has been around for a while, I’ve tried it at many food and cider festivals. Now they have opened their very own venue! As well as cider, there are also Bickley Valley Brewery’s beers on tap.

This spot in the bush, formerly Hopscotch café, has a gorgeous rustic charm. Sit outside on the deck, on the patio or inside the cosy cottage.

Head Chef Sebastian Sindermann is an old workmate of Chef’s. They used to work together at the Duxton Hotel, in a time well before I was Chef’s wife. Knowing that the already popular venue was fully booked for lunch, we popped along for a Sunday breakfast to check it out.

The lunch menu is made up of things easy to share like pork belly sliders, and more substantial dishes like steak sandwiches and the German pork knuckle – there are also sweet treats in the cabinet. On the hot drink selection are T2 teas and Essenza coffee.

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I enjoyed the Feta Scrambled Eggs ($15), with smashed avo, wonderfully crisp bacon and blistered tomatoes. This dish is usually served with walnut toast, but I opted for gluten free toast.

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The very filling Breakfast Panini ($14) is brimming with smashed avo, tomato chutney, fresh rocket, crispy bacon and fried eggs.

The Eggs Benedict ($15) was also a hit, with bacon, rocket, blistered tomatoes, poached eggs and creamy hollandaise on an English muffin. Continue reading →