March 31, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Petition Kitchen – Perth CBD

This month marked the beginning of Eat Drink Perth and where better to join in on the Eat Drink Perth festivities than right in the heart of the city. The beautifully restored State Buildings were once home to the GPO of Perth and the historic city centre. We are spoiled for choice with lots of dining options at the old treasury and Chef and I recently enjoyed a chilled lunch at Petition Kitchen.On first glance Petition Kitchen looks very casual – but don’t be fooled! One of my first impressions was just how polished the service is.

Chef, ever the craft beer connoisseur brought his beer across from Petition Beer Corner (more on that in a later post). The drinks menu at Petition is impressive. I like the way they set out the wine list under headings like “full, generous, textural” and “bright, juicy, herbaceous”. I’m going to have a closer look at that wine list soon! It was a lazy public holiday, so I decided I’d make it a Mimosa Monday *wink*.

The menu is set up to share, with mainly small plates; starters, raw, small, meat & fish and sides. First we dived into the charcuterie selection, $29. The plate was piled with a fresh selection of cured meats, including an interesting squid ink chorizo. Pickles, mustard and croutes are on the side.The raw kingfish dish, $23 was divine. The fish “cooked” in a tangy ginger vinaigrette was ever so fresh and complimented by the crisp beetroot and horseradish.
Ever the fungi lover, I enjoyed the roasted mushrooms, $20. The many varieties of ‘shrooms, served with salted ricotta, warrigal greens (a native Australian spinach) and potato made for a very tasty dish!Chef and I both got a bit giddy over the Black Angus sirloin, $32. The tasty steak was perfectly medium rare and accompanied by a rich romesco sauce. The meat was slightly charred and a tad fatty, which gave it a full flavour. A great dish, topped with asparagus and watercress.I’m not sure that we really needed the side of roast potatoes, $8. We had that dilemma when ordering – you know, when you go to a new place and aren’t familiar with the portion sizes – then panic that you’ve under ordered! Anyhoo, though we were getting a bit full, I was glad we ordered the spuds. They were nicely seasoned and served with salt bush and confit garlic. A simple dish, done well.

Struggling a bit, we decided to share dessert. Chef made a brilliant choice with the brown butter parfait, $16. It was a different dessert and we both enjoyed it’s textures. The toasted oat, crunchy apple, and smooth condensed milk complimented each other in a really interesting way. It is pretty too, garnished with sprigs of samphire.

At Petition Kitchen we both agreed that the service, Head Chef Jesse Blake’s deliciously different food and well thought out wine list are all top notch. It’s the perfect place for a classy date night without pretention.

For Eat Drink Perth, Petition Kitchen is holding the “In Good Company” food and wine pairing degustation dinner. Enjoy Head Chef Jesse Blake’s rustic share plates, which are promised to be a little bit quirky. Each course is matched with wine. Petition has an extensive wine list – so there are sure to be some cracking drops on offer!

Location: Petition Kitchen, cnr St Georges Tce and Barrack St, Perth

When: Tue 5 Apr 2016 & Tue 19 April

Time: 6:00pm – 9:30pm

March 28, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Sauma – Northbridge

Found in Northbridge, opposite the brass Monkey, Sauma has a menu with a modern-Indian twist – think butter chicken pies, wagyu samosas and finger-licking sweet tamarind lamb ribs. My Dad is a big fan of curry, so when I found Sauma was on my list of restaurants to explore for Eat Drink Perth I invited my parents along for lunch. Sauma is not your typical Indian restaurant, it’s brimming with light and feels very fresh and modern- just like the food!

What struck me immediately was the excellent service. It was warm, efficient and totally on the ball. I accidentally knocked a knife off the table and the waitress who was a good 10 meters away, noticed and quickly replaced it with a fresh one. Very attentive. No wonder the Michelin assessors use that trick! I started with a Sunshine juice, $7. It is a tasty combo of fresh orange, carrot, apple, ginger and lemon juice.

We all loved the cheese nann bread, $6, especially Little Chef. It was so fresh, brimming with soft cheese and herbs.

The lamb ribs, $16, are twice cooked – adding to the tenderness of the meat. Flavoured with sweet tamarind, chili, mint and coriander they are absolutely mouth-watering. There will be a fight over the last rib! The onion bhajis, $13 have a modern twist -they are beer battered. I love an onion bhaji and these are very good. They’re garnished what I think is a vibrant pickled yellow pepper, which are very tasty too. IMG_2137 (2)

The roast beetroot and potato salad, $17 doesn’t last long! It is full of flavour and. Hiding underneath the veg are lashings of house cured Bombay gin and fennel salmon.It is unmistakably Indian, with strong cumin flavours and finished with a tandoori mayo – but so fresh and modern too.

Another Indian dish with a twist is the butter chicken pie, $9. The golden flaky pastry is spot on and the tasty filling is brimming with meat. The salad, which so easily could be an afterthought, has a zesty coriander dressing drizzled on.

We all relish the spicy mountain style goat curry, $26. The tender meat is cooked on the bone in a sauce of ginger, turmeric, chili, tomato and beetroot.

Sauma is a must-stop for lovers of Indian food. The vibrant restaurant is fantastic for groups, with it’s long tables, as well as for couples. I though Sauma is a great find and we highly recommend it!

EAT DRINK PERTH 2016

During Eat Drink Perth, Sauma has a special Indian street cart menu. Share an Indian street food feast with your sweetheart – cheese naan, tandoori salmon and chicken, a house plate to share, jackfruit curry and slow cooked lamb saag. Finish on a sweet note with a traditional Indian desert – creamy mango kulfi (ice cream).

January 23, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Timber Café – Harrisdale

I’m the first to admit that I’m totally clueless when it comes to dining in the southern suburbs. In my stomping grounds of Joondalup, the inner city areas of Perth, my “golden triangle” Post Newspaper region in the western suburbs, the Swan Valley and Perth Hills – I definitely have my finger on the foodie pulse. If I take a trip over the Narrows Bridge – I don’t have a bloody clue! I suppose that comes part and parcel with just how huge Perth’s sprawl has become.

A couple of my besties live SOR and I do love a catch up with them over a meal – finding a gem that’s close to them is a bonus. Last year I found a firm favourite – Rustico Tapas in Rockingham – I’m still looking forward to another visit there.

When catching up with the lovely Nays recently, we decided on brunch at a hot new café in the Canning Vale area. We met at Timber Café in Harrisdale, where we enjoyed a couple of juices and a natter, whilst we waited for our food.

The cafe has a rustic chic vibe, with a cool mural on the wall – just like something you’d find in Leederville or Mt Lawley. Though it’s right smack in the middle of suburbia. In my opinion there should be way more quality places like this in the outer areas of Perth, as frankly not everyone can be bothered to drive to the city!

Nays had the avocado bruschetta, $15. Though there wasn’t an abundance of avocado, it was still tasty and mixed with a corn and quinoa salad. There was also a poached egg sitting on top of the fresh sourdough and grape tomatoes and sharp radish on the side. Nays enjoyed her dish – especially as it didn’t come with a runny egg. A gooey egg is my idea of heaven, but not for Nays, the chef was more than happy to serve her egg “well done”.

I ordered the mushrooms on toast, $17.50. It was a medley of five types of mushrooms, which are absolutely mouth-watering as they’re sautéed in a herb chilli butter. The yummy morsels of mushroom are served on fresh sourdough with creamy goats curd, wild rocket, a sprinkling of dukkah and a runny soft poached egg. A fab dish!

All in all we both loved the chilled atmosphere and yummy food at Timber and if I lived in the Southern River/Harrisdale area I’d be stoked to have Timber as my local café.

January 5, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Suburban Table – Frozen Meals {CLOSED}

Imagine if you could enjoy the food from your favourite restaurant in the comfort of your own home…

Recently, I was stoked to be contacted by Chef Josh Prosser, from the restaurant Suburban Table in Mosman Park. Suburban Table is a little bit special for a number of reasons. The term “hidden gem” is so cliché and it gets overused, but in this case it is 100% true. The food is totally rave-worthy. Josh’s menu is a mix of classic dishes, with a big measure of Asian influenced dishes too. His partner Kelly runs the front of house, she is very welcoming and with her warm personality and Josh’s top notch food, it’s easy to see why they have so many regular diners. Also, Suburban Table is a little special to me as it was my very first restaurant review for the Post newspaper a couple of years ago!

Chef Josh invited me to try his new range of frozen meals and I jumped at the chance. At our house, to get out of cooking for a week is our idea of heaven! People who aren’t involved in the hospitality industry often have quite a romantic notion about Chefs. They think they are passionate creatives who are always cooking delicious food – even at home. Whilst I’m sure this is true for some chefs in their down time, the majority will head to the nearest Maccas drive through and grab a burger after a 12 hour shift in a hot kitchen. After a busy service, all they want is something quick, easy and filling.

I popped along to their Glyde Street kitchen to pick up my gifted frozen meals. There were so many tasty meals to try – what a feast we were to have! Kelly even packed some gingerbread ice-cream into the box of goodies – yum! Luckily, I had cleared some space in my freezer at home.

Oh and just to prove my previous point – this was sitting on my kitchen bench when I arrived home #cheflife haha

That night, Chef happened to be working till 8pm, so it was the perfect opportunity to try a couple of meals. Unsurprisingly, I made a bee-line for the Thai Pork Belly Curry. As well as tasty shredded belly, the mildly spicy curry was brimming with green beans and sweet potato too (I love my veggies!). It was a very tasty dish to start off with.

I also had steamed rice with my pork belly curry. Josh included a nifty little serve of rice, wrapped in a banana leaf. A couple of minutes in the microwave and TAH-DAH – perfectly cooked rice!

Later that night, Chef gave me a call when he was leaving work and I popped the Baldivis Rabbit Pie into the oven. By the time he got home it was ready and piping hot.

One night we cooked up a couple of the Thai style curries and shared them. We had Beef Massaman Curry and Thai Red Chicken Curry. It was like having Thai take away, but way tastier!

Each meal is approximately one serving. I shared a few of them with Little Chef, so I bulked those out with a side serve of veggies and some Suburban Table frozen creamy garlic mash potato. On another frozen meal night we had the Beef Burnginon – it is packed full of rich meaty chunks, that melt in my mouth. Practically licking the bowl Little Chef said “Your cooking has got better Mummy”. Sheepishly I had to admit that it wasn’t me who made it – I had a lot of help!

Chef was having a very busy couple of weeks at work – working 12 hour shifts and not getting home till after 8pm most nights. He loved having something delicious to look forward to after a long day in the kitchen – it was a break from my usual spag bol! He loved the Yellow Goat Curry. His favourite out of all the dishes he tried was the Baldivis Rabbit Pie.

For me, its very difficult to chose a meal I enjoyed the most. With every meal I tried, I found a new favourite! I particularly savoured the Coq au vin, made with traditional speck bacon, mushrooms, shallots and thyme. I also loved the Red Emperor Fish Pie. It was full of fish chunks and mushrooms and topped with a deliciously crisp pastry crust. Little Chef tried a little bit – then wanted the whole lot!

Each meal has been carefully prepared and has such a wonderful depth of flavour. They are perfect to have in the freezer as backup for those busy, unorganized weeknights or when you’re feeling a bit under the weather. They’re also great if you just want a break from the kitchen and don’t have the inclination to cook.

A big thank you to Josh and Kelly for the five star frozen meals!! The meals are available from $15 and of the very highest quality. For more details check out the Suburban Table website . Also, find them over on Facebook.

January 4, 2016 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Leapfrogs – Wanneroo

A good family all-rounder is Leapfrogs – one of our favourite locals. It’s casual, kid friendly and has tasty food to boot. An added bonus is that its also in the same venue as Wanneroo Botanic Golf – so great for a bit of family entertainment and a meal. We particularly like their wood-fired pizzas.

Chef, Little Chef and I headed to Leapfrogs for brunch on the first day of 2016. Chef and I hadn’t had a big NYE celebration. A night at home, watching a movie and a low key countdown of “3-2-1-Goodnight”! Even hangover-free, we still had a lazy morning and it took us till 10.30 am to get our act together and choose somewhere to go out for brunch. So we chose somewhere close to home, also on a public holiday the options are a little limited – goodness Leapfrogs was open!

At Leapfrogs the seating is mainly outside, under the patio. I like to grab a table by the koi pond on a fine day, the waterfall is very relaxing and the roses smell divine!

Little Chef chose the kids pancakes and they came out promptly with our drinks – a flat white coffee for Chef and a very refreshing watermelon juice for me.

Chef devoured his brunch favourite of bacon eggs benedict. Deliciously runny poached eggs, smothered in house made hollandaise sauce, sits upon fresh sourdough. It is a generous serving, but Chef just had to add a side of chipolata sausages too, clearly there are no healthy eating new years resolutions for him!

I loved my dish of flatbread with two fried eggs, fresh guacamole and sweet roasted tomatoes. The flatbread is made onsite and baked in their pizza oven. Its so soft and had that scrumptious freshly baked aroma. The flatbread was perfect for mopping up the yolks of the runny eggs. I’d absolutely eat it again.

Once finished, we had a spot of putt putt golf. Being a public holiday it was quite busy and it was also quite warm – luckily about 80% of the course is well shaded. It’s a fun and often challenging course – it certainly gets the better of me.

A few months ago I took my parents and Little Chef to Leapfrogs for lunch. They’d never been before and they were impressed with the quality of the food and friendly wait staff. My Dad ate his burger and side of fries with gusto – washed down with a cold beer.

I felt like something light and opted for a tart, I don’t think it’s on the menu anymore, but it was very tasty!

My Mum chose the ‘Fish Special’, served with chips and salad. On that day it was Swordfish. She was a little hesitant, having not eaten swordfish before, but she still raves about the very tasty fish dish months later. I tried a bit too and it was very moist and full of flavour.

Little Chef chose a pizza. Not satisfied with the topping option of “ham and cheese” on the kids menu, this cheeky 6 year old convinced us that he had to have an adult sized Carnivore pizza ($25). Knowing that Daddy would be only too pleased with us bringing him the leftovers, I gave in. This wood fired pizza was generously topped in mouth-watering prosciutto, pepperoni, ham, bacon, sausage and mozzarella.

Afterwards we had a stroll around the lush Botanic Garden. My parents were so surprised that they didn’t know what a beautiful garden was hiding right here in Wanneroo!

The mature trees and bushes provide a lot of shade and it is full of little pathways, streams and a koi pond – fantastic for exploring!

Leapfrogs is a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours and a great idea for something to do in the Perth school holidays.

November 15, 2015 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Sapore Espresso Bar – Belmont

I know I’m crazy busy when I realise it’s taken TWO months to write a blog post! Besides real life getting in the way of a good foodie story, we’re still playing catch up since moving house. Also, I’ve been a bit of a disaster lately, spilling iced tea on my laptop meant that I have lost my S and W keys and so am typing with two keyboards. Not fun. Just give me the benefit of the doubt if you spot any dodgy spelling errors!

I’d popped into Sapore for many healthy takeaway lunches on the run. I had been meaning to check it out for brunch for some time. Also, the A-Mazing looking gourmet shakes I’d spied recently on Instagram had been tempting me too!! And so, back in September, I caught up with two of my high school favourites – Myl and Ren. It was a very busy Friday brunch and there was hardly a spare seat in the bustling Belmont café. It had a good atmosphere, though quite noisy too.

My creamy nutella gourmet shake ($8.50) lived up to the hype. Topped with cream and chocolate it’s very rich and decadent! For the coffee drinkers, Sapore use local Fiori Coffee from the Swan Valley.

Ever the fungi lover, I chose the wild mushroom bruschetta ($15.90). A trio of sautéed mushrooms, wilted spinach and meredith chevre goats cheese sits a top toasted Panini and is lightly drizzled with great southern truffle oil. I added a poached egg for an extra $2. It is a tasty breakfast dish, I just wished that my egg was runny!

Myl enjoyed the sweetcorn fritters with a fresh tomato and avocado salsa ($17.50). It’s a good veggie dish, topped with two runny poached eggs.

Ren had the eggs Florentine ($17.90). Two free range poached eggs, smoked salmon and spinach are smothered with house-made hollandaise sauce and sit on top of a slice of sourdough toast.

Sapore has friendly service, wholesome and delicious food – it wasn’t my first visit and it sure won’t be my last!

November 1, 2015 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Co Op Dining – East Perth

Chef Kiren Mainwaring is all about sustainable food and sourcing his food locally. He gave a very passionate talk about that at the Eat Drink Blog conference in 2013. I’d heard many great things about the fine diner that he runs with his wife Kellie, in East Perth. Chef and I have wanted to go for quite some time – and so he surprised me with a visit for our wedding anniversary recently.

We are greeted by a friendly waiter and seated in the contemporary dining room. I choose a local wine from Myattsfield in the Bickley Valley. Chef picks an Eagle Bay ale – a favourite of his. I’m almost surprised that chef picks beer over wine to accompany his degustation. Co Op has a classy feel – but it’s also relaxed and not at all stuffy, so a beer isn’t too out of place. There’s some good boutique brews available and local spirits too.

We start our epic ten course dego with freshly baked bread, which we spread with lashings of Guernsey butter.

There are two courses of finger food. The meat charcuterie is a trio of house made coppa, little skewers of chicken liver and bresaola on crunchy rye. It’s a mouth watering start and I really enjoy the tender chicken livers – something I wouldn’t usually go for.

I love the ‘From the sea’ course of Ama Ebi prawns, Confit Sardine and Mojama – a Mediterranean delicacy of filleted salt-cured tuna. Not only are these morsels delicious, but I’m also delighted to see chef eat a prawn – for what is probably the first time ever. He’s not usually a big fan – but he enjoyed these as they are super fresh. Our waiter asks us if we are finished, when he clears the plates – he gesturers for me to eat the prawn head. Hmmm, it’s not something I’d imagine I’d enjoy – but I’ll try anything once. The head was surprisingly ok. The texture is crunchy, but soft. I won’t be rushing out to eat a prawn head again, but it’s something I can tick off the list!

The delicate Manjimup marron dish is stunning. The flavours of chicken fat, avocado and pancetta work so very well together. I’m also surprised by the use of Geraldton Wax – a native flower that I didn’t realise is edible.

I’m a big fan of egg dishes – this free range confit egg yolk oozes through the crisp puffed basmati rice at the merest touch of my knife. I love the earthy flavours of the Swan Valley fungi and aubergine too.

Anthea’s Dorper Lamb is a fab little dish with interesting ingredients – Gosht spice, charcoal emulsion, cabbage, fried shallots and sunrise lime.

Different textures of butternut pumpkin with walnut and linseed is a hit. I absolutely love the use of the roasted onion skin, it’s flavour so more-ish. The dish is finished with sharp parmesan.

One of the courses that really knocks our socks off is the chicken & stinging nettle. It arrived at the table – a beautifully plated dish of root vegetables; carrot, beetroot and a cauliflower puree. Chef and I looked at each other, both assuming the same thing – that there was a roast potato in the centre. Comically, we soon discover that it is actually perfectly cooked chicken delicately wrapped in it’s own skin.

After a palate cleanser served as popsicles, we head toward something sweet. By this point of the evening, I’m paying less attention to the components of each dish and just simply enjoying chatting to Chef over some amazing food. A beautiful little dish – described on the menu as Kombucha, Rosella, Strawberry, honey, ginger has perfectly balanced flavours and delicate textures.

Mandarin segments, served with wonderfully rich dark chocolate and shiro and ginger work very well together too.

We finish the night with scrumptious house made petits fours.

Some people say that the dego is dead. We totally disagree. There will always be special occasions when you’d want to treat your someone special to a dinner to remember. With interesting ingredients, stunning flavours, spot on technique and a completely unpredictable menu – we’ll absolutely remember these ten courses for a long time to come!

September 26, 2015 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Propeller – North Freo

We love the Fremantle vibe – so casual and carefree. Though technically in the western suburbs, the North Fremantle strip exudes the same Freo quirkiness and it has an intimate village feel too. There’s small bars and restaurants aplenty – including the popular Habitué, Mrs Brown and Flipside – where Prince Harry recently dined.

Propeller is an eatery that resides in and around an old refurbished bus garage – a brilliant use of space. A colourful mural adorns the inviting outside dining terrace, though unfortunately on this day the Fremantle Doctor is well and truly in – it’s too blustery to sit outside.

Perth’s love affair with brunch is still going strong. At Propeller you can brunch till 3pm, which is great if you feel like an all-day breakfast. We’re dining at the later end of lunch and we’re happy to see there isn’t solely breakfast dishes on the menu.

The menu is interesting. Propeller’s kitchen is inspired by flavours of the Levant region, which is made up of countries from the eastern Mediterranean, an area where European and Middle Eastern flavours collide. The service is much warmer than the sea breeze and our waitress is very accommodating.

The wine list is small, but adequate with some Australian and Italian picks. A good selection of craft beers and spirits are also available in the fully licenced venue. Flu-season has well and truly taken hold in our house – so I take advantage of a green veggie juice.

I enjoy every mouthful of the pulses in rich tomato sauce, served with a confit duck leg, $18. There are lentils, chickpeas, butter beans and more – with some thickly sliced bread to soak up the meaty sauce. The duck leg is oh so tender and full of game-y flavour. The freshly baked sourdough is supplied from one of my all-time favourite dining spots – Bread in Common. The dish is served in a retro falcon ware bowl. Whilst it looks great, the high sides make it impractical. I give up trying to cut the bread with a knife and tear with my hands instead. To be honest, I think that’s the way this rustic dish is meant to be enjoyed!

Chef, who I’m tempted to start calling “Pizza Boy”, chooses yet another pizza. He assures me of his informed choice, he’s heard great things about the pizzas here at Propeller. He’s impressed with a meat manoushe, a Lebanese pizza, $22. The pizza base is incredibly light and fluffy – topped with spiced minced beef, pomegranate (which WOULD have looked great, but Chef asked for none, he’s fussy!), parsley and labne, a creamy strained soft cheese. Chef spreads the labne very liberally over the mince – he loves it.

Another interesting oval pizza-esc dish keeps being delivered to tables around us. After some enquiries we find out that it’s one of their specialties, a pide, which is a Turkish pizza. We have some serious food envy!

Though Propeller oozes cool, it’s also family friendly. Little Chef takes after his Daddy and chooses a meatball pizza, $10. It’s a tasty pizza, but a little on the small side, even for a six year old.

The sweet treats are baked on site daily and are on display at the repurposed shipping container bar outside. The flourless chocolate and blood orange cake, served with a little cream, is great for gluten intolerant diners and just as delectable as the real deal.

For the coffee n cake crowd their locally roasted Darkstar coffee is top notch too. The nut tart is savoured by Chef – it’s absolutely scrumptious- the pastry is spot on too.

Propeller is a great spot to break bread with friends over a drink or two. Propeller is mainly an outside venue and on a warm summer’s day or evening it will be delightful.

** First printed in the Post Newspaper**

At a glance

■ Propeller

222 Queen Victoria Street

North Fremantle

Phone 9335 9366

■ Opening times

8.30am to 11.30pm

Monday to Sunday

■ Rating

food 3

service 4

ambience 4

value for money 3

■ style – Mediterranean

■ wine –small wine list

■ Chef – Kurt Sampson

■ Owners – Hamish Fleming

and Siobhan Blumann

■ feel – Casual cool

■ wheelchair access – yes

■ cost

Entre – $9 -$23

Mains – $12 – $36

Dessert – $15

■ all in all – A cool, airy

venue with attentive service

and interesting, tasty food.

August 23, 2015 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Yabba Dabba – Dalkeith

With a name like Yabba Dabba we aren’t quite sure what to expect from this café on leafy Waratah Avenue in Nedlands. Is it a theme café, perhaps a little retro like the 60s cartoon The Flintstones – from which Fred’s exclamation of “Yabba Dabba Doo” is most famous? Are we in for a caveman style meat-fest? What we find is a pleasant suburban café, with retro-industrial features and a smooth, groovy 1960’s music soundtrack in the background.

We are warmly greeted and seated. The menu is sizeable. There’s something for everyone – salad, pizza, modern Australian favourites, pasta and share food too if you feel like grazing.

The wine list is small, though there are some interesting drops on there from WA and further afield. I choose a crisp Chenin Blanc from the Swan Valley. There is also a BYO option (wine only), if you prefer to sip on something from your own cellar.

Chef and I share the Yabba Taste Plate, $29 for two people. The board is brimming with scrumptious morsels to try – plump little Yorkshire puddings with beef and horseradish, humongous local prawns served with spiced polenta and more. The pumpkin and silver beet empanada really hits the spot with a deliciously more-ish chimichurri sauce. We both absolutely relish the fresh cornbread, complimented perfectly by a wildflower honey butter. The only thing on the plate that doesn’t work are the lamb chipolatas with mint and feta – as we cut into them, we realise to our dismay that they are undercooked.

We leave the sausages almost untouched. The waitress notices and enquires if there is something wrong and we point out the pink middles. After speaking with the chef, she lets us know that the sausages are cooked sous vide, in a water bath. This suggests that the meat protein should have been set all the way through (it isn’t) and they should have also been heated fully – unfortunately they are still cold in the middle.

The Peking duck pizza, $25.50, is mouth-watering. Topped with barbequed duck, peppered zucchini, mixed peppers, spring onion and fried shallots – it’s a tasty pizza indeed. The Hoi Sin sauce gives it a sweet, plumy finish.

A pork belly and scallop salad, $26, sounds light and interesting. The tender pork belly is pressed into cubes, crumbed and fried. The Japanese fusion salad is accompanied by a plump giant scallop, sweet potato puree, citrus segments, toasted sesame and nori salad.

Children don’t often get much choice when dining out – met with the usual suspects of fish fingers, chicken nuggets, Hawaiian pizza and spaghetti bolognaise. At Yabba Dabba they cater for the little ones really well – giving them a whopping nine menu choices. Little Chef was beside himself at not being faced with fish and chips for the umpteenth time! He chose the well sized meat lovers pizza, $14. It is no surprise then that the restaurant has many young families dining there.

Dessert seems promising. The menu reads “white chocolate mousse with rustleberry foam and rose fairy floss”. What I receive tastes delicious – but doesn’t deliver what is promised. The mousse is a buttery texture. To me, it isn’t what a mousse encapsulates at all – something airy and light. The berry “foam” is actually more jelly-like. I enjoy the tangy rustleberry, which is a hybrid of a blackberry and raspberry.

Overall we enjoy the food, which is full of flavours from all around the globe. Its let down by a few technical errors from the kitchen. Our waitress does not charge for some of our drinks, as we aren’t 100% happy with the sausages, which is a fine gesture. The service is on the ball and we’d certainly return.

** First published in The Post Newspaper**

At a glance

■ Yabba Dabba

101 Waratah Ave

Dalkeith

Phone 9386 7744

■ Opening times

Tues to Sun

7am till Late

■ Rating

food 3

service 4

ambience 4

value for money 3

■ style – Modern Australian

■ wine –small wine list – BYO

Wine is also available.

■ Chef – Haedyn Woollaston

■ Owners – Matthew & Peter Hayes

■ feel – Casual & unpretentious

■ wheelchair access – yes

■ cost

Entree – $7 to $55

Mains – $18 to $36

Dessert – $9 to $16.50

■ all in all – A cool, modern

venue with attentive service

and tasty food.

June 29, 2015 by The Chef, his Wife and their PERTH-fect life

Chophouse – Perth CBD {CLOSED}

Chef and I literally blow in through the front door of Chophouse, from the blustery wind tunnel that is St Georges Terrace. The two story restaurant is a warm haven – full of hearty, meaty smells on a cold winter’s day in the city.

Chophouse, a Sydney based restaurant which has recently opened their second eatery in Perth, is right next to the revamped Cloisters food arcade, in the heart of the CBD.

We’re seated upstairs in the cosy dining room, which has the feel of a bygone time. Downstairs is a bar area and an outside deck which will be perfect for a cheeky after work drink in warmer months.

The pleasant service is off to a shaky start, which can be wholly blamed on technology – the iPad isn’t playing ball, so it’s back to the old pen and paper to take our order. Our friendly waiter brings us a selection of freshly baked breads to nibble on – I like the multigrain sourdough.

The wine drinkers are well catered for with an extensive list which has many local, interstate and international wines available from places as far away as Lebanon. Boutique beer is very on-trend and there is also worthy selection of local craft beers, including Eagle Bay and Young Henry.

Chophouse is described as an Australian version of a New York steakhouse. Whilst it’s not in-your-face American, there’s a few subtle nods to its influence on the menu. Chef has a hankering for some dude food and the mac and cheese bombs ($18.90) fit the bill perfectly. Macaroni cheese, made with three cheeses, is crumbed, deep fried and served with a Napolitana sauce, delicious!

I devour the Yellowfin Tuna entrée ($24.50). The exceptionally fresh fish is seared and sits upon a scrumptious avocado and wasabi puree – a tasty combination that should be used more often in my opinion. It is topped with crunchy kohlrabi – a vegetable from the cabbage family.

For main, we eye off the colossal chophouse tomahawk, which has been dry aged for 4-6 weeks. At $10 a kilogram, it would cost about $170 – my bet is that it’s worth splashing out on.

I choose a more conservative beef short rib ($36). The deliciously tender piece of meat practically slides of the bone with a gentle poke from my knife. It is glazed with a sweet and tangy house made barbecue sauce.

The beef fillet ($54.90), served on the bone, is perfectly cooked medium rare and full of flavour – as aged meat should be. Served with a chutney and jus, there is also a choice of accompanying sauces.

As with many upmarket steakhouses, at Chophouse you need to order side dishes, which turns it into quite an expensive meal for two. We share garlic and herb seasonal greens ($9.20), the shoestring fries ($9) and a piping hot cauliflower gratin ($12.90) arrives a few minutes later. It is made with a Gruyère and parmesan béchamel and finished with sourdough crumbs.

With very little room to spare, Chef and I share dessert. We are so glad that we do, as it’s a cracker! The popcorn brittle semifreddo is as good as any dessert gets. A fluffy layer of marshmallow tops the silky semifreddo, which sits on a layer of sponge cake. The popcorn and honeycomb brittle, and a smear of salted caramel sauce give crunch and a salty kick to the dish.

For such a new restaurant, Chophouse has certainly hit the ground running. It is pricy, though the seasonal produce is top notch and cooked to a very high standard. If you are mad about meat you won’t be disappointed with Chophouse.

**First published in the Post newspaper**

At a glance

■ Chophouse

200 St Georges Tce

Perth

Phone 1300 246 748

■ Opening times

Mon -Fri 12pm – 12am

Saturday 6pm- 12am

■ Rating

food 4

service 3