Truly Scrumptious

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Kailis, Leederville

19 01 23

Kailis has always been our ‘go to’ fish vendor. They always have such a great selection in the fish market, it’s fresh, great quality, and there are lots of extras around the store like roe, caviar, fishcakes etc. Next to the store is a cafe. and when I have looked at the menu before I thought it was expensive for fish and chips. However, we often dine here because it is so worth the money.

This is a relatively short post just to show a few dishes that we have had recently. Good old fish and chips – often it’s Spanish mackerel or snapper – always perfectly done with great chips.

I recently decided to go for something different so picked the lobster linguine with chilli, garlic and parsley. It really was one of the most perfect plates of pasta I have ever eaten. Just the right amount of sauce and really delicious.

Sue recommends.

Restaurant review, Store review

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Luna n Soul, Quinns Rocks

19 01 23

I do love a beach cafe, and when I spotted Luna n Soul in Quinn’s, I knew that I had to give it a try. It has an enviable position right on the coast road with great views of the ocean.

The breakfast menu has some classics as well as a few interesting items like Coconut brioche french toast. We ordered some coffee, and a banana bliss smoothie which was good. We chose smoky beef benny, and eggs with tomatoes for our meals.

Then we waited and waited and waited for our meals. It seemed to take an age. I noticed that the table of four next to us had received two meals which looked suspiciously like our order, but they had started eating them, so I assumed they were the right order. Eventually we asked the waitress and she confirmed that there had been a mix up. She was very sweet and offered us complementary drinks as well as some coffee vouchers to use on another visit. So we had more drinks and waited again. The second coffee strangely seemed bitter compared to the first. It was odd to have such a variation.

The food finally arrived. It was okay, but didn’t blow my mind. The eggs were nice, and the tomatoes were okay but not seasoned as well as they could have been.

My partner’s beef benny was okay but overly sweet as the beef seemed to be coated in a thick sweet sauce. The cornbread was nice. The eggs were good, but the Hollandaise a bit bland.

A week later we decided to give it another try and cash in our free coffee vouchers. When we arrived, they had just decided to close up early for they day and would only allow us to order takeaway coffees. We were also told that we couldn’t order anything in the cold cabinet (cakes, sandwiches etc) because they had been ‘wrapped up in cling film’ for the day. It was quite disappointing, so we waited for our coffees. We took our coffees outside, but there was nowhere to sit properly because the chairs had been cleared away and stacked up. It wouldn’t have mattered though – I took a few mouthfuls of coffee and threw it in the bin – it was strong and bitter and frankly not very nice. My partner did the same.

What makes this such a shame is that the cafe is really nicely decorated, the staff are friendly, and the views are amazing. Just a bit of love and care with the food, service and coffee would make this a great cafe instead of a lacklustre one.

Coffee shop review, Restaurant review

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Heng Ong’s, Joondalup

19 01 23

This little Malaysian cafe popped up a few months ago and has become a firm favourite. It’s in the Joondalup Square complex near Bunnings, and the word is obviously spreading. Even if we turn up early there is no guarantee of a table, and there is always a steady stream of takeaway customers coming and going. It was lovely that hostess Carina and her husband asked us what we thought of the food, it’s a place where they care about the food that they serve.

It’s one of the few places locally where you can find Lo Bak – the deep fried dish of minced pork/prawn in a beancurd skin. Wonderfully crispy and very tasty – this is always a dish that we order. There is always sweet chilli dipping sauce available:

Another great dish is salt and pepper prawns. It’s a generous serving of prawns with wonderfully crispy fried onion and chilli – yum:

Our go to favourite is the sambal prawns. Every family seems to have their own sambal recipe. Made with chef’s homemade special sambal sauce, it’s a wonderful blend of spice and piquancy:

Special fried rice is so good that you can eat it as a dish in it’s own right, but it’s also a great accompaniment to those sambal prawns:

Another great starter is prawn toast – generous prawn on superbly crispy toast meets all expectations nicely.

It’s definitely worth a try, because this neighbourhood gem serves some of the best Malaysian food in Perth.

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Syiok Kopitiam, Wangara

19 01 23

Syiok is based in Wanneroo Markets in the main food hall area. Usually it’s the only stall with a queue and that’s a clear sign that the food is good. There are weekend specials where you can have a combination of curries veg and rice. There are also regular Malaysian favourites like Nasi Lemak, Kway Teow, Nasi Goreng, Roti Canai, Mee Goreng etc. I have tried the food many times and can confirm that everything is delicious.

Nasi Lemak with crispy chicken is so tasty. The sambal is perfectly balanced, and the eggs cooked just nicely hard boiled.

The weekend special on this occasion was chicken curry with turmeric cabbage and rice. As you can see very plentiful and absolutely delicious.

Syiok also sell desserts such as ondeh ondeh – those delicious glutinous balls with pandan flavouring. I definitely recommend giving Syiok a go – it’s casual, plentiful and incredibly good.

Last Visit – January 2023

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Marumo, Nedlands

03 09 22

Marumo is a restaurant that is incredibly hard to get a booking for. Open just 4 days per week, Tuesday to Friday, one sitting and only 24 covers. I have been trying for three years, logging in at 10am when the bookings open, and paging through the calendar, hoping to get a reservation – usually they are all gone in 2 minutes. Luckily though, I finally managed to get a table for two on my partner’s birthday, and could not wait to try this mystery establishment. There’s even an urban myth that it’s not real, but it certainly is real, and sits right on Stirling Highway in the Chelsea Village complex. There’s plentiful parking at the back, and as you walk in you realise that this is a stylish intimate space, and something truly special.

It’s BYO, but as my partner has been very unwell lately we decided to skip the alcohol and sample the bottomless green tea that is supplied with the meal. He still wasn’t feeling anywhere near his best, but managed to last the three hour sitting, mainly encouraged by the delicious selection of dishes and the fact that it was his birthday. The menu is a 7 course omakase which means that the dishes are selected by the chef, and currently $85 per head which is good value for the quality.

We started with an amuse bouche of marinated squid salad, which was fresh and tender and a perfect option to tickle the tastebuds.

Next came edamame with fish roe. If you have had edamame before you would probably be expecting the whole beans where you bite them to squeeze the beans out of the pod, and leave the pod behind. This was completely different – the beans were mashed into croquettes and fried with a crispy lace topping and fish roe – again perfectly executed.

Followed by Fremantle octopus ochazuke, a wonderful octopus and slaw mini salad accompanied by rice and corn in a superbly rich and fragrant green tea broth. We were advised to eat the octopus first and the rice and broth second.

After this we were served Margaret River Yearling beef – excellent quality beef with sweet potato noodles and lotus root.

Then the chef’s selection of sashimi, coral trout, salmon and hamachi – fresh, great quality, excellent wasabi. A very enjoyable trio of fish.

Next came one of the standout dishes (they were all amazing – so this was a superbly amazing dish) – the chef’s sushi – prawn inside the roll, and salmon and tobiko on top. I love the way the tobiko pops and adds a real level of umami to the whole dish. We were advised to eat each piece whole rather than bite it, which we did, and all of the flavours together were just perfect.

Then we had a palate cleanser. I would not have expected to say that a palate cleanser was a standout dish, but this was incredible. Yuzu and orange gave it a sherbety zinginess that I have never experienced before – wow I could have happily had a few more portions of this magic.

Then another standout dish, duck with mushroom, truffled carrot and pickled cucumber. The duck skin was beautifully crispy, the mushroom incredibly rich, and the carrot divine. I am not usually a big truffle fan but the truffle wasn’t too much and brought an earthiness to the whole dish.

Then all too soon, the last dish arrived nashi pear with shio koji ice cream and a pear meringue. The ice cream had a caramel flavour, the pear was sweet and perfumed, and the meringue just beautifully made. A memorable end to a memorable meal.

It didn’t feel like we were there for three hours, the servings were very well paced, and the sizes of the portions were just right. The hostess asked us which dishes we liked the best which was a nice touch and she said that she was looking forward to seeing us again. I will definitely be online again as soon as the next bookings are released, because I can’t wait to return. Marumo is a very special experience, and if you get the chance, you should definitely go.

Last Visit – August 2022

Fun thing to do, Restaurant review

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Tarka Dhal

05 06 22

Dhal is one of my favourite dishes. Although I usually like it as a side dish with curries, it’s lovely on it’s own or with rice or a heap of rotis or naans – perfect Indian comfort food. The recipe is pretty easy – if you want to make it really special, don’t leave out the tarka at the end – it’s worth the effort to really enhance the flavour.

Ingredients

1 cup of red lentils (rinsed)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic crushed (or finely chopped)
2-3cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon groundnut or vegetable oil
Approx 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
Half a teaspoon tamarind pulp or a squeeze of lemon

For the tarka:

Half a teaspoon of black mustard seeds
Half a teaspoon cumins seeds
1 dried chilli
6 curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida (optional)

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onions, garlic and ginger and stir. Leave to cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
Add the turmeric, stir, cook for another minute.
Add the lentils and mix well so they are coated with the oniony mixture. Just cover the lentils with water. They will absorb the water so don’t add too much at this stage, you can top it up as the lentils cook if the consistency seems too thick.
Cook the lentils for approx. 15-20 minutes (depends on the type of lentils, quick cook lentils will not take so long). Check them every few minutes to make sure that there is enough water. I like them to be saucy but not too runny, a kind of slurry consistency. Some prefer a thick porridge consistency, and others prefer them thin and runny, so cook them the way that you like. Taste them as you go, when they start to soften nicely, you can think about making the vagaar.
For the tarka, heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a small frying pan. Add the mustard seeds, stir them and when they start to pop add the cumin, dried chilli and curry leaves – be careful – they can spatter. Give them all a quick stir for about 20 seconds. Add them to the lentils and stir in.
Add a pinch of asafoetida if using (this helps with flatulence, but also enhances the flavour).
Add garam masala.
Add the salt and tamarind (or lemon juice) – just a little first and then taste the dhal, then add the rest if needed.
You can also garnish with some coriander leaves. Dhal freezes well.

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Twenty Seats, Highgate

15 05 22

To those who know me, it’s no secret that Petite Mort used to be my favourite Perth fine dining restaurant, and I was lucky enough to be there on the closing night in December 2021. Chef Todd Stuart has now opened a new intimate restaurant in Highgate, which unsurprisingly has twenty seats. He has retained his charismatic wait staff Remy and Adrian (although Adrian will be leaving soon to start a new venture in Pemberton), and Todd’s lovely partner Sue also joins in, presenting the dishes to diners with knowledge and care.

We asked for a slight variation to the degustation – minimal dairy – and Todd happily obliged, which we really appreciated, as it can’t be easy to make exceptions when you only have twenty diners.

We chose a bottle of Maude sauvignon blanc to accompany the meal, from Marlborough NZ, with a soft fruit flavour rather than acidic. Lots of passionfruit and gooseberries on the nose, and served in beautiful delicate stemmed glasses.

Starters were framed as ‘finger food’, lobster on potato, an amazing mini croque monsieur, and a cylinder of snapper and mash with oyster mayonnaise.

Every item tasted delicious, the lobster was my favourite, but the croque monsieur was incredibly good too.

The next dish really blew me away. I had a tomato dish at Wildflower in February and it was nice, but not amazing. Todd presented a tomato consomme that was so tomatoey that I just don’t know how he introduced such an intense flavour into the broth and the cherry tomatoes. Accompanied by bocconcini and tomato sorbet, it was incredibly good – definitely a tomato lover’s dream.

The next dish should have been roasted cauliflower with parmesan and whipped brie, but Todd created an alternative dairy free dish just for us.

Artichoke and aubergine with black garlic sauce and purple potato. Very tasty, the black garlic was a real revelation.

Next came my favourite dish of the meal, cured scallop, coconut broth, coriander oil and chilli. This dish was absolute perfection, soft scallops, intense coriander oil, just a wonderful sensation in every mouthful.

Then another incredibly good dish, ocean trout wrapped in sublimely soft seaweed, with tempura trout skin, umeboshi (sour plum) and a foam of ginger, red onion, and lemongrass.

This set us up nicely for the meat dishes – first a sublime +5 wagyu beef dish with cheek and bacon ragout and horseradish. More excellence.

Followed by another favourite – Wagin duck breast, confit leg, black vinegar butter and XO sauce.

The next dish consisted of raclette, jamon and pickles with some cute bread buns. As raclette is molten cheese, Remy checked if we were okay with it. I knew that it would make me sneeze but decided to throw caution to the wind and have a half portion of cheese, my partner did the same. It was a really good quality raclette and tasted superb with the pickles.

The next dish was a substitution for the standard menu item of coffee custard, white chocolate and banana with caramel. Todd presented figs with caramel and an intense raspberry sorbet. A beautiful combination.

I chose a cocktail to drink with the petit fours – Hazelnut spritz – frangelico, sparkling wine, blackcurrant and lime.

Petit fours were a fitting end to a fabulous meal – nougat, macaron, chocolate truffle, raspberry jelly.

That was a memorable meal, and one that I will be talking about for time to come. Every dish was perfect, and I can’t wait to go back and eat it all again. Todd has really hit the mark with his new venture, and if you are lucky enough to get a table, you won’t regret this experience. Totally 100% recommended and right now, the best fine dining restaurant in Perth.

Last Visit Date – July 2023

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Beach House, Jindalee

15 05 22

Way up in the northern suburbs is a peaceful beach called Eden Beach, and right on the beach with a perfect vista is a large restaurant called Beach House. There’s plentiful parking, and the restaurant is open for brunch and dinner. We went for brunch one Sunday morning and were blown away by the views.

We started with coffee and an acai smoothie – both good options.

There was a bit of a wait for food, but the waitress kept us informed, and it was nice to sit and watch the ocean. When the food came it was worth the wait. Crab scramble was amazing, perfect bread, a nice amount of crab, and just enough chilli among the softly scrambled eggs. I asked for the butter on the side, but later found out that I could have had non-dairy spread – always a bonus.

My partner chose the beef cheek hash – fried potato, curry mayo, poached eggs and pickles. The beef was presented as croquettes, which was unexpected but still tasty, and the pickles were a nice touch. Eggs were poached beautifully.

Well worth a visit for brunch and views – we’ll be back soon.

Last Visit – May 2022

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Nic and Kolo, Applecross

15 05 22

I’d been meaning to visit Nic and Kolo for some time, it always has great reviews and is in a sweet location amongst the cafes of Ardross Street. Run by Nicole and Ben (nickname Kolo), Ben’s nephew is Brendan Pang of Masterchef and Bumplings fame.

With a sleek smart interior, and cool clientele, we read the menu with excitement, and I ordered a glass of Clare Valley sparkling to start the mood. Sadly it was a little lacklustre and the bubbles quickly went flat.

The menu is a mixture of Asian fusion and modern Australian with a little Italian thrown in.

We chose to start with tempura cauliflower and broccoli with spiced tamarind dressing, and the charred housebaked sourdough with hummus. Both were good dishes which we enjoyed.

For mains my partner chose the harissa chicken with tabbouleh and snow peas. He enjoyed it but wasn’t blown away by it. It could have been a little more spicy but was tasty.

I chose the saffron linguini aglio olio peperoncino, with prawns and prosciutto chips. The prawns were good but there was way too much garlic in the dish, I love the flavour of garlic, but I don’t want to eat huge lumps of it and there was so much barely cooked garlic that it made the dish unpleasant to eat.

We decided not to stay for dessert. When the waiter cleared the plates he didn’t ask how the food was, even though I had left most of the dish. When we paid, I mentioned that it wasn’t a pleasant dish to eat, and was asked if I liked garlic. Of course I like garlic, but there was just too much almost raw garlic in the dish. I was then informed that this was a dish that the team were ‘experimenting’ with and there had been an issue with their pasta supplier, but no offer was made to refund the dish, or offer a return voucher, free breakfast or just something to make me feel better about the experience.

I left puzzled as to why the reviews are so good for Nic and Kolo. Maybe the breakfast is amazing, but I won’t be going back to try it.

Last Visit – April 2022

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