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Uma, Pan Pacific, Perth CBD

Bar Uma Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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At the Lobby Level of Perth’s Pan Pacific Hotel sits Uma, a Peruvian restaurant and bar, and we chose to dine in the restaurant – it was somewhere that we had wanted to try for some time.

We were met by Eric, a charismatic sommelier who we know from Co-Op Dining, and he recognised us which was nice. Charming as ever, he seated us, chatted for a while and suggested a Pisco Sour to start which was absolutely cracking. The citrus burst and the hint of warming brandy-style backdrop was a mouthful of pleasure, complete with three drops of bitters on top.

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Next, a Peruvian waitress explained the dishes to us and suggested, two small plates, a larger plate and some vegetables. We already knew that we wanted to try the ceviche, so we chose the ceviche Peruano, which was kingfish with leche de tigre (the citrus marinade), charred sweetcorn and caramelised sweet potato. This was delightfully good, and the star of the menu.

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We also chose alpaca croquettes with a fermented chilli sauce. Alpaca is a bit like beef cheek – a rich meat, and the chilli sauce was a great accompaniment.

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We also chose some Yuquitas – cassava potato chips with shaved parmesan and huancaina (queso fresco and chilli) sauce – lovely crispy and addictive.

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For the main dish we chose slow braised lamb shoulder with adobo sauce, heirloom carrots and shallots. We also chose Salpicon de vegetales to go with it, a medley of vegetables on pureed quinoa. Together they made a hearty main with plenty of lamb meat to share, and lots of nice textures and flavours.

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We finished with picarones – sweet potato and pumpkin doughnuts with roasted quinoa ice cream and fruit molasses. A case of vegetable meets dessert, not overly sweet, but with some good unusual flavours.

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We also chose some Alfajor Peruano, corn shortbread with Peruvain caramel. They were like the lightest and shortest melting moments you have ever tasted with sublime gooey caramel – a really good dessert.
We left the restaurant with happy tummies and good memories – it’s a great place to try something different. Elegant and friendly, Uma is a star in the CBD.

Visit Date – August 2020

We recently had their pisco and ceviche flight – a wonderful experience – great cocktail matching to different ceviches:

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Citron Modern Asian, Wilston QLD

Citron Modern Asian Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Citron is in a nice location just off Kedron Park Road, elevated with balcony seats as well as tables inside. The wine list is just right and we had a glass of sauvignon blanc to start. Everything on the menu sounded appetising, so it was difficult to choose a dish – this is always a good sign.
For the starter we chose a small plate of mixed hors d’oeuvres consisting of a betel leaf with sandcrab, coconut, chilli and coriander, a mahor (minced prawn and pork with peanuts on pineapple) and a heavenly beef bite with nahm jim jaew. All were delicious and set the scene for a very nice meal.

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For main my companion chose the caramelised beef cheek with flavours of pho, pickled bean sprouts, vietnamese herbs, fresh rice noodles and lemon. This was tender but the caramel was a bit thick and sticky in the mouth.

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I chose the seared scallops, crisp pork belly, asian mushroom salad & sesame soy dressing – a very nice plate of food, and all the flavours matched nicely. The scallops were cooked perfectly.

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For dessert I chose the yuzu curd, crunchy cinnamon filo, raspberry ripple meringue and candied ginger – a nice array of flavours but I am not sure that they were flavours which went well together. The ginger was quite hot and although I love ginger, I can imagine that it would be too overpowering for some diners.

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My companion chose the roast banana pudding, salted peanut ice cream and palm sugar caramel. This was delicious and every flavour had a place on the plate. The banana in the pudding was tasty without being too sweet, the salt in the ice cream was perfect and the caramel was just right.

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So would we go back to Citron ? I think yes because I would like to try other items on the menu. however I think it is a bit overpriced. The food is beautifully presented, but the dishes are probably overpriced by around 15% – to charge the prices that Citron charge, every dish and flavour needs to be perfect.

Visit Date – February 2016

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Chutney Mary’s, Subiaco

Chutney Mary's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

It’s been a while since I visited Chutney Mary’s which is one of the stalwart establishments in the heart of Subiaco on the corner of Hay Street and Rokeby Road.
The menu is a blend of traditional Indian fare with some specialities like goat curry. The staff were very welcoming and there were three of us dining on this occasion. After perusing the menu, we decided to go straight for main courses.
The portions were really generous too! We chose a king prawn masala, which was nice and spicy, with a great tomato flavour. The prawns were good but did taste frozen, and I think that fresh prawns would have made this really superb.

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We also selected makhani dhal which was delicious. I would have liked more lentils though – the sauce was quite runny. It didn’t need the cream garnish.

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The star dish for me was the kadhai chicken – lovely and rich with tomato and capsicum.

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We also shared basmati rice – beautifully separate grains as you would expect from the rice-making experts, and a keema naan. The keema kept falling out of the naan, but it was very tasty nonetheless.

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Our fellow diner chose a butter chicken. He’s from Mumbai and he craves this dish – he really enjoyed it. He also chose a butter naan. I didn’t try either of these because I prefer to avoid butter, but there’e no better recommendation than a man from Mumbai enjoying Indian food in Perth.

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Chutney Mary’s has stood the test of time and it’s easy to see why. Great Indian food in a busy location, with some great lunch specials too – one of Subi’s best.

Visit Date – April 2019

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Chilli Orange, North Perth

Chilli Orange Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Situated on Angove Street in amongst the buzz of the local bars in North Perth is Chilli Orange – a modern Asian restaurant. It’s a really stylish place, with easy parking (car park next door), romantic candlelit tables, and is obviously a firm favourite with the locals.
When we visited, there was a mixture of older and younger clientele, and a comfortable casual atmosphere – it’s the kind of place where the dress code is smart-casual. We ordered a glass each of the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, a really nice brand called Whitehaven. Very fruity with a lovely clean pineapple and gooseberry finish.

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The menu is full of Asian style favourites and modern Australian cuisine with an Asian twist. Starters included Pork belly tacos with asian pickles, tempura prawns, seared scallops, duck bao buns, sashimi salmon and san choy bow. We chose to share two dishes.
The tempura soft shell crab was crispy and succulent with a wonderful wasabi mayo dressing.

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We also chose duck pancakes with spring onion, cucumber and hoisin sauce, a lovely reminder of the crispy duck pancakes that are available in every Chinese restaurant in the UK, but somehow quite rare in Perth.

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My partner chose the red duck curry for his main course. This was very authentic with Thai holy basil and aubergine among the rich creamy curry sauce. The duck was ‘melt in the mouth’ delicious, and a plentiful supply of rice made sure every drop of sauce was mopped up and his plate was left clean.

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I chose the fish of the day which was swordfish (a nice change from the ubiquitous snapper). This was served with a delicious som tum (green papaya salad) and pink grapefruit. The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked, making for a lovely healthy and zesty main course.

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We also chose tempura mushrooms as a side dish – a lovely flavoursome dish to nibble on. Again, very authentic with light crispy batter and delicious ponzu sauce.

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At this point we were heading for a food coma, but couldn’t resist sharing a dessert. We chose the ginger creme brulee with almond cake, crispy tuile and honey cream. Perfectly presented, this really hit the spot – the almond cake was moist and rum baba-like, the top on the brulee was delicately crunchy and the honey cream divine. An absolutely well constructed dessert.

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A lovely meal in a great environment, with attentive service, and above all, fresh and well-presented ingredients. Definitely one of Perth’s finest restaurants.

Visit Date – December 2017

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Clancy’s Fish Pub, City Beach

Clancy's Fish Pub Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Clancy’s is a busy quirky bar and restaurant right on the beach at City Beach. Family and pet friendly, and quite lively, there are many tables overlooking the beach and ocean.
Clancy’s don’t take bookings, but we were seated fairly quickly on a Friday night, at a window table with high seats.

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We chose a glass of Margaret River sauvignon blanc to start – nice, but a bit more acidic than my favourite Marlborough sauvs.

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The menu contains fish of course, snapper, barramundi, trout, salmon, and sefood
favourites including oysters, squid, fish tacos, mussels and paella. You can order smaller dishes to share or larger dishes for a traditional main course.
My companion chose the pulled pork burger. It was nicely flavoured but not great value considering that it did not contain much pork.

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I chose the grilled barramundi and chips with mayo and slaw. It was lovely, fresh, there was plenty of it, and the combination was really well matched.

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We didn’t have room for dessert, so left it at that. The meal was nice but not outstanding, and it was quite expensive for what we had. I would go back because it’s a great location, but I am not sure that I will be a regular.

Visit Date – November 2017

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Choux, Swanbourne

Choux Café Pâtisserie Française Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Choux is famous for its macarons, and used to be managed by the celebrated French chef Emannuel Mollois before his sad passing from bone cancer in 2017. It had been a while since our last visit and we decided to pop in for some takeaway afternoon tea following a brunch at the beach.
As we arrived, the pastry chef was just transporting a huge and very delicious looking gateau to a client’s car – it looked amazingly good.
The cabinet was full of those signature macarons, but our eyes were drawn to the
wonderful perfect cakes.

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They also have savouries and croissants.


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After much deliberation we opted for the blueberry and lemon ‘Iris’. A wonderful slice with layers of zingy lemon curd and rich blueberry compote.

We also chose a Gianduja – hazelnut, chocolate and feuillantine (which adds a wafery crunch).

Both slices were beautifully presented, not overly sweet, thoughtfully constructed and textured, and an example of some of the best patisserie in Perth.
This place is highly recommended, if you choose to dine in, the atmosphere is a French country kitchen. Very nice and in a beautiful area.

Visit Date – August 2018

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Bread In Common, Fremantle

Bread In Common Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

I have been wanting to try Bread In Common for ages, and a Sunday morning seemed like the perfect opportunity, so we popped down there for brunch. It’s a large airy restaurant, possibly a converted warehouse, on Pakenham Street. The kitchen is open and run in a very calm manner. The tables are long benches, and there’s a hubbub of activity with customers chatting, coffee being made, fruits being juiced, and the takeaway counter selling bread, pies, pastries and cakes.

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We started with a coffee while we perused the menu and were presented with a Brazilian single origin from West Perth’s Mano a Mano. Very nice rich coffee.

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The menu is jam packed full of yummy options and everything sounds appetising. I was
very tempted by the sweet options of plum compote and yoghurt, fruit salad with coconut yoghurt, french fruit toast with peaches and cream cheese, and waffles with banana, cream cheese and maple. Savoury options were equally good with veggie options of mushrooms and parmesan, corn and jalapeno and I eventually narrowed it down to choice between pork meatballs with fried eggs and hot sauce, and beef brisket benedict. The benedict won, and I wasn’t disappointed.

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Wonderfully chunky but fall-apart brisket with a hunk of fresh bread, poached eggs,
hollandaise and sauerkraut – every mouthful was a joy.
Looking around, Bread In Common makes its own pickles and conserves as well as the
bread that it is famous for.

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We left with very full bellies, and an additional half loaf of fruit bread. It’s one of those
places that you have to keep going back to so that you can try everything.

Visit Date – April 2018

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Blue Duck, Cottesloe

The Blue Duck Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Blue Duck on Marine Parade is a restaurant with one of the best views in Cottesloe. With Rottnest lingering in the distance and the beautiful blue green waters of Cottesloe Beach, it’s a fairly iconic location.

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We stopped by for brunch on Easter Monday and felt fortunate to get a table. We started with coffee which was delicious, a nice caramel flavour made with freshly roasted beans.

For my brekkie I chose the breakfast board – a triple combo of orange juice, muesli with berry compote and yoghurt, and ham benedict on a rosti. The benedict was lovely, great hollandaise with a nice acidity to it, a really tasty rosti, and a good fresh egg dribbling over the quality slices of ham. Yum. The muesli was nice and had a slightly floral aromatic flavour to it, topped with berries, a slice of poached pear and some thick yoghurt. My only issue was that the chunk of pear was too big to slice with the little spoon, so I had no choice but to pick it up with my fingers. The orange juice was fresh and tasty.

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My partner chose the surfer’s brekkie. Bacon, sausage, tomato, hash brown and eggs with some sourdough. He said it was nice but the eggs were just lukewarm, and got cold very quickly. All the elements were good quality.

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I like the Blue Duck, it’s a great location and the food is always tasty. Definitely one of the good restaurants in Cottesloe.

Visit Date – April 2018

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Blacksmith, Highgate

Blacksmith Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Blacksmith, on Beaufort Street is deceptively large. It looks like a single shop front but spreads back quite a way and is family friendly with a children’s play area out back.
We stopped by for Sunday brunch and were impressed by the menu options. Coffee is supplied by Locale, and the blend was quite good but not as smooth as other beans I have tried.

Menu offerings include a breakfast board, smashed avo, brioche hotdog, lamb benny and eggs on fire.
My partner chose the tuscan beans – beans, Italian sausage, basil, poached eggs and sourdough. He really enjoyed it – a large portion of food with good rich flavours and nice bread.

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I chose the brisket benedict – beef brisket hash, poached eggs, sourdough and tarragon hollandaise. This was problematic. If the hollandaise had been served on the side, I wouldn’t have had it – it was sour, overly vinegary, and really not very nice, but unfortunately the whole dish was covered in it. The brisket hash patties were crumbed and deep fried but unfortunately they had taken on the flavour of whatever was last cooked in the oil, and they had an odd taint to them as well as being underseasoned. The bread was very nice, but I really didn’t eat much of the eggs because of the all-pervasive hollandaise. It was a shame because this could have been an excellent dish.

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On the whole, two very different plates, and we probably won’t go back – there are better brunch venues nearby.

Visit Date – July 2019

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Bunn Mee, Leederville

Bunn Mee Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Bunn Mee is a little cafe on the main Leederville Oxford Street strip selling Vietnamese street food. Run by Masterchef’s Jenny and her family, it is busy, bustling and friendly, with Jenny working hard to ensure that everybody has what they need.
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The main item is bahn mi, the Vietnamese-French fusion baguette rolls with choices of pate, chicken, pork and vegetarian fillings. The cafe also serves Vietnamese favourites such as bun, pho, broken rice, shaking beef, noodle salads and Vietnamese pancake.
We started off with a serve of spring rolls to share, and they were the most perfect spring rolls that I have ever tasted, beautifully crisp with a nice meaty pork filling and sublime dipping sauce. A very nice introduction to the meal.
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Juices and drinks are freshly made, my partner chose a fresh pressed orange juice and I chose a young coconut juice. Both were full of flavour.

For main course, my partner chose a bun broth with pork and beef, which was wonderful and very very flavoursome. Accompanied with condiments like beansprouts, lemon, mint, and chilli, he finished every last drop. Jenny’s dad explained the mashed chilli condiment – it’s a special dried chilli mashed with oil, and a particular accompaniment to the bun.
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Intrigued by the pancake, I chose it to see how it compared with my homemade Saigon pancakes, and realised that I’ve been doing it wrong. The waiter explained that I need to tear off pieces of the pancake, lay them on a lettuce leaf, add some pickles and mint, and roll them up, dip them in sauce and eat. The lettuce leaves were some kind of wasabi derivative with a lovely mild wasabi flavour that really added to the dish. The turmeric pancake was full to bursting with beansprouts, prawn and pork and it was a nice size too. Absolutely yum.
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Artwork and decor around the cafe is the work of Jenny’s dad – Minh Nguyen.
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Bunn Mee is definitely the best Vietnamese food for miles, well worth the visit.

Last Visit Date – October 2020.

Other dishes include this amazing lace spring roll salad (vegan) – the spring rolls contain yam and shiitake mushrooms – they are incredibly good.

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Crispy chicken:

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Banh mi of course:

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Amazing vegetarian banh mee with tofu:

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