Truly Scrumptious

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Neho Asian Tapas, East Victoria Park

06 06 20

Absolutely everything about Neho is fun. Booking is easy – online, no fuss, the wait staff are lovely, and the quirky signs and decor of the place puts you right into a carefree, fun state of mind before you even look at the menu.

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The signs are great examples of how meaning gets ‘lost in translation’, and the owners have chosen some really funny illustrations of this.
Before ordering we were presented with a bowl of great crispy prawn crackers which had a superb intense flavour and got our tastebuds tingling. The drinks menu is full of wonderful choices and great cocktails – we chose a Great Southern Riesling which was apple-y, slightly smouldering and a little musty, a fine example of how many keynote flavours a Riesling can have and very good value for $11 – very very drinkable.

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The menu is tapas style as the name of the restaurant suggests with small plates and large plates all designed for sharing. We really wanted to try everything, it all sounded so yummy, and there’s also a ‘feed me’ option where you can let the chef choose for you, but we plumped for 3 small dishes, a veggie dish and a main dish. The waitress thought we might not manage it all, but we decided to give it a go and get a doggie bag if we had leftovers.
The first dish to arrive was a duo of Macao pork sliders with Toasted Brioche, Crumbed Pork, Garlic Aioli, Pineapple Relish, Lettuce. They were really tasty, lovely tender pork and great aioli, and I did wonder if were going to manage all of the meal as they were very satisfying.

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Next came the garlic tomyum prawns. Three giant prawns that had been split and grilled with a tomyum oil, coconut cream and herbs. So crispy and delicious that I ate some of the shell as well.

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The meal was nicely paced and the wait staff held back on other items until we had finished what was on the table – I like this approach – much better than having a table full of food that you are racing to eat before it all gets cold.
The next dish was an absolute star – Folded Arms in Red Oil – Pork & Cabbage Dumplings, Szechuan Chilli Dressing, Chilli & Scallion. We could have eaten a trough of these – they were so good.

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For the fourth dish we ordered Cauliflower goreng – Deep Fried Cauliflower, Pickle Shallots, Sambal Aioli, Pork Crackling. This was an absolute revelation. Who thought that cauliflower could taste so wonderful, and the crackling was beautifully crisp – probably my favourite dish of the evening.

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The last dish was the signature 36 hour rendang ribs – 36 Hour Beef Short Ribs, Rendang Curry, Toasted Coconut. The waitress suggested a rice accompaniment which was perfect because we needed something to soak up the lovely rendang sauce. We were full, but couldn’t stop eating these amazing ribs – wow – what a dish.

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We were really keen to try the desserts, but we simply had no room left in our tummies. We will be back to try the banana doughnut, the pandan panacotta or the creme caramel custard cake very soon. This is one of Perth’s finest – make sure you give it a try.

Last Visit Date – February 2019

Fun thing to do, Restaurant review

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Neho Babe cocktail:
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Lot One, Hillarys

06 06 20

Away from the main resort area of Hillarys, along Whitfords Avenue at the corner of Angove Drive, sits Lot One Kitchen, a busy cafe with seating inside and out. We arrived on a blustery Sunday morning and it was full. We were glad that we had booked and secured a table inside.
The menu had the usual favourites – eggs benny, full brekkie, pancakes, french toast etc. and some brunch options too. There were also specials on the board, and some breakfast cocktails (it’s a licensed cafe). We ordered coffee, which unusually arrived after the food. The coffee was okay, but a little bitter (or maybe burnt) for my liking. I don’t usually add sugar to coffee, but I did sweeten this cup.

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I chose the brisket hash with zucchini, capsicum, fried egg and chimichurri. It was nice, the brisket was fall-apart tender, and the egg nicely runny. It sat atop a hash brown which was soft mash potato with a crispy edge, which also had a hint of cheese about it.

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My partner chose ‘The Lot’ breakfast with tasty sausage, maple bacon, poached eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, house made beans, hash brown and ciabatta. He really enjoyed it – a lovely breakfast. The beans really stood out, and could have formed a dish on their own with some chorizo and eggs.

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The cafe is very noisy and we were seated quite close to the counter, so we had a constant flow of people and wait staff pushing past which did detract from our enjoyment quite a bit. We also felt a bit rushed – our dishes and cups were whisked away as soon as they were empty and the staff kept asking if we wanted anything else. As soon as we stood up, another couple were seated before we’d even paid our bill.
The array of savouries, cakes and muffins looked good.

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This cafe is a good option if you want something away from the main Hillarys area, and the food was nice quality, but it’s not the best place for conversation due to the noise. I wonder if with a bit of thought the tables could be arranged in a better format to avoid that awkward claustrophobic feeling when people are standing too close. They serve dinner too – maybe we’ll try dinner one evening.

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We paid another visit to Lot One for coffee and cake. This was a bit better than our previous visit, but there were a few things that I didn’t like.
My partner ordered a cup of tea which came up in a mug with a lid and a tea strainer inside, and the waitress had to explain how to use the cup. A regular pot and/or tea strainer would have been fine, or even a teabag and a pot of hot water because it was stewed to death and didn’t taste too great. The tea also dribbled everywhere out of the strainer and left a puddle on the table.

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We both had the peanut butter and chocolate brownie which was very nice – quite a dense brownie rather than a gooey one, but nice flavours.

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My main gripe was that the food sat on the counter for quite a while before it came to our table. There were flies and bugs around, and I think the delay is what caused the tea to be over-brewed. I think I might give Lot One a miss in the future – there are better cafes.

Last Visit Date – January 2020

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Lo Quay, Wilson

06 06 20

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Lo Quay is in an excellent location by the river at Wilson. Even on a winter’s day it was pleasant to sit outside and the staff helpfully lit the gas heaters to keep us comfortable. Dogs are also welcome at the outside tables, which was great because our friend Kaz has a new dog who was keen to join us.

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The menu is basic breakfast fare and we chose coffees while we deliberated. The soy cappucino was delicious, smooth and just chocolatey enough. The soy decaf flat white was equally good.

For my food I chose a bruschetta with tomato, avocado rocket and shaved parmesan. This was really good.

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My partner chose the zucchini and corn fritters with poached eggs. Interspersed with rocket, avocado and feta, they were very tasty and the eggs delightfully gooey.

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Kaz also had the fritters. I chose fresh orange as another drink during the meal, and it was a wonderful mix of orange and mandarin which gave the drink a lovely mixed citrus flavour.

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We really enjoyed our breakfast by the river, and Briar agrees that we should go back soon for another great meal.

Last Visit Date – January 2020

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Sawadee, West Leederville

06 06 20

Sawadee is an unassuming Thai restaurant in a bit of an out of the way place on Harrogate Street in West Leederville. It’s friendly and welcoming with nice clean decor.

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The menu has many of the traditional Thai favourites, and it’s a licensed premises with some good wine choices.

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We chose the Tung Tong pork and peanut parcels to start. Lovely delicate dumplings with a great sauce and served on lettuce leaves (also great to wrap the dumplings in the leaves).

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We also had the grilled barramundi with tamarind sauce – another winner – great fresh fish and good tamarind flavour.

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The star of the meal was the green chicken curry – a beautiful thick sauce with plenty of chicken, great with simple boiled rice.

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This is a neighbourhood gem – it’s a shame that the location isn’t more prominent, but if you are seeking good traditional Thai, give Sawadee a try.

Visit Date – July 2019

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Pearfect Pantry, Herdsman

06 06 20

Update – Sadly this establishment has closed

Pearfect Pantry is a gem of a cafe near Herdsman Lake. It’s a bit hard to find, just off of Herdsman Parade. There is parking around the back by the lake and in some of the side streets off Herdsman Parade. Once you find it, it is a cave of vegan delights with numerous options for breakfast and great cakes. It’s quite quaint and casual – a place where the food is made with love.

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I chose coffee and a vegan lemon cake.

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On another occasion we chose the vegan Big Mack. This was really nice and came with hash browns and a great vegan sweet chilli/sour cream sauce. The bun was great, nice patty and tasty vegan cheese.

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We also chose the vegan nachos, made with jackfruit, lots of chilli, onions, avocado and pickles and tasty nacho chips. The pulled jackfruit was a little soft, but tasty and the vegan sour cream delicious.

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Here are some pictures of the food on offer.

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You have to get the cakes when they are freshly made. We tried some muffins and they were a little stale however the cup cakes were good.

Last Visit Date – March 2020

Restaurant review, Vegan/Vegetarian

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Source Foods, Highgate

06 06 20

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Source Foods is a cafe and deli that know what they are doing. Everything about the ambience, the menu, the coffee, displays a real love and knowledge of food. One of the most popular breakfast/brunch spots along Beaufort Street, it is located at the City end of Beaufort on the junction of Brisbane Street.

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Stylishly decorated, the cafe has a long list of juices and smoothies, the odd special, some beautiful looking cakes and bagels in the cold cabinet, and informative tasting notes on the house blend coffee and available single origins. The menu sources the best local produce and includes items such as breakfast burger, coconut and passion fruit pannacotta with stone fruits, feta and spring onion scrambled eggs, nasi goreng, vegan feast (chick pea & black bean falafel, smoked field mushrooms, charred asparagus, butternut hummus, smooth avocado, rocket, vegan feta & smashed hazelnuts), pan fried brussel sprouts with broad beans, cress, pesto, artichoke and confit tomato, and they seem to cater for all dietary needs while still keeping the food interesting
and appetising.
My partner said that his coffee was in the top three that he has tasted in the world. High praise indeed considering that the number one coffee is in Chicago (Ipsento, in case you are interested on N Western Avenue).

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I ordered a monkey business style protein smoothie with banana, almond milk, peanut butter and protein powder. They even double checked the type of protein powder that I wanted in case of allergies ! It tasted beautifully smooth, not powdery at all, and not sickly like some peanut butter smoothies can be. Yummy indeed.

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For breakfast my partner chose the pulled pork quesadilla with chipotle beans,
cheddar, rocket, chilli mayo and onion jam. It was a lunch special, but they very accommodatingly allowed it as a breakfast item. The last mouthful was as good as the first and everything about it was beautifully prepared and delicious.

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I chose the miso hot-smoked salmon, with roasted kipfler potato, chorizo, torched eggplant hummus, asparagus, herbs & soft fried egg. Again a wonderfully constructed dish where nothing on the plate was out of place. Also a nicely sized portion. The torched eggplant hummus was smoky and delicious, and the salmon was plentiful, good quality and very very tasty.

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It took all of our strength not to have something to takeaway from the cold cabinet afterwards – it all looked so appealing.

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It was a wonderful meal, and we were serenaded by 80’s music, which had us tapping our feet. Source is definitely a favourite with the local

Last Visit Date – December 2019

Coffee shop review, Restaurant review, Vegan/Vegetarian

Pictures from another visit:
Kimchi avocado on toast with poached egg:
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Vegan feast. Crispy cauli, yellow beetroot, amazing cherry tomatoes, zoodles and mushrooms:
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Tra Vinh, Northbridge

05 06 20

Today we had a craving for Vietnamese and decided to try Tra Vinh in Northbridge. This is one of three Tra Vinh cafes, and is canteen style, no frills. The seating is not overly comfortable, it’s hard for you to move once you are at the table because the tables are crammed in and if you push your chair back you will bump into the person behind you. We had a table that was taped together and quite rocky, but once we worked out how not to tip
the table and its contents over, we were okay.
The first course was prawn rice paper rolls, nice but the rice paper was a little on the stiff side indicating that they had been made much earlier in the day.

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For main course my partner chose a noodle soup with shredded chicken. This had a lovely broth, plenty of veg, a quail egg, and a crispy wonton. The noodles were good and the chicken was a lovely tasty roast chicken.

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I chose combination egg noodles which had a lovely mixture of meats, seafood and veggies. Really good comforting noodles.

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We also shared some peking style spare ribs – again well prepared with a crispy batter and sweet sticky sauce.

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I liked Tra Vinh. The decor could probably do with an update, but it was nice cheap, cheerful food with just the right amount of spice.

Visit Date – March 2019

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The Modern Eatery, Mount Lawley

05 06 20

The Modern Eatery specialises in aburi sushi – the lovely charred, flame seared sushi that you see in several outlets now. It’s a very clean and minimalist restaurant, more cafe style than first date material.

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We chose a yuzu drink to start with – yuzu, citrus, lime and mint – very refreshing.

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We chose a crunchy salad to open proceedings – leaves with lotus roots, crunchy sweet potato shreds, and sesame dressing. This was lovely – a nice contrast of flavours and textures.

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Next came a selection of signature aburi sushi, some salmon and some tuna, all really good.

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We finished off with tempura prawns and vegetables, very nicely cooked with a great ponzu dip.

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I loved Modern Eatery – it was clean, tasty and reasonable and the staff were really welcoming. Definitely one of Mount Lawley’s best.

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Visit Date – April 2019

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Tom’s Italian, North Beach

05 06 20

The views at Tom’s are spectacular. Situated on the site of the old Soda Sunlounge, it’s worth the walk up the stairs to enter this restaurant, which has tables inside and an outside deck. Having said that, the windows could do with a clean.

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The waitresses were really pleasant and brought us the menus and table water. My companions were keen to have a pizza, and they chose the Hawaiian (ugh, not something that I would choose) and the capricciosa. As you probably know I am not a fan of nontraditional Italian pizzas, and the idea of pineapple on a pizza fills me with horror, but my companions thoroughly enjoyed it.

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The capricciosa was more to my liking with tomato, pancetta, mushrooms, artichokes and olives, and again this was an enjoyable pizza.

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I chose to have fish and picked the barramundi with smoky eggplant, tomatoes,
marscapone and cabbage. It was really enjoyable, the fish was very fresh with a lovely crispy skin, and the vegetables were cooked perfectly.

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We were too full to have dessert and left with smiles and full tummies. My only
disappointment was that they didn’t have orange juice to make a mimosa – no restaurant should really run out of orange juice, but that aside, it was a really nice meal. Personally I think that the pizzas are better at Pappagallo, but I would definitely return to Tom’s for that wonderful fish and the amazing view.

Visit Date – January 2018

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