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Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King, Perth CBD

20 08 23

Do you ever get a craving for a ramen, and wonder where to go to get a quality bowl? Well look no further than Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King, nestled at the bottom of the Melbourne Hotel in Perth CBD. There is an art to a good ramen, and it’s all about the stock. If you can find a ramen outlet that take care over the stock then you are on to a winner.

RKTK is a small restaurant, and we were ushered to a table for two. You are given a supply of hard boiled eggs to snack on, and a small pestle and mortar with black and white sesame seeds. We worked out that you grind the sesame seeds and then dip your eggs into the powder, which adds a superb flavour to the eggs. The eggs seem to be unlimited – if you finish your basket of eggs, the waitress brings more.

For drinks we chose a fabulous large mug of oolong tea and a quirky Japanese soda (where opening the bottle is part of the fun).

The menu gives you a choice of ramen with different toppings. I recommend going for the ‘special’ with all of the toppings, then all you have to choose is whether you want the spicy red chilli sauce or the peppery spicy black sauce. I chose the red chilli on this occasion and wasn’t disappointed.

The ramen comes with lovely noodles, a huge piece of seaweed, cloud ear mushrooms, pork chasyu, spring onions, and flavoured egg. You can order extra of your favourite items or extra noodles if you wish. There is also a tub of pickled beansprouts on the table, which adds another level of flavour if that’s your thing.

The broth is thick and delicious, and the whole bowl creates mouthful after mouthful of umami, as well as a warming nourishing meal that will keep you going for most of the day. It’s a popular place and there seems to be a constant queue of hungry customers outside. I know why – they serve amazing ramen, which is possibly the best in Perth.

Last Visit – August 2023

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Fun thing to do, Restaurant review

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Vung Tau, Girrawheen

06 08 23

This is just a short post to tell you about the best bahn mi. In my opinion Bahn Mi is the perfect Vietnamese/French fusion food, and an ideal amount for lunch. It’s a french baguette, with pate, and then meats which are sometimes marinated, some sauces – generally hoisin and nuoc mam based, and cucumber, chilli, pickled carrots and coriander.

I’ve tried a lot of bahn mi, but my favourite go-to is Vung Tau in Girrawheen. They only do a pork bahn mi – in two styles, either traditional or roast pork. The roast pork version has lovely chunks of crackling and melting roast pork, while the traditional roll is an assortment of sliced pork meats, all very tasty and slightly different. They just call it ‘Pork roll’, because that’s what they do, and they do it extremely well.

There are also choices of vietnamese drinks and desserts (there tends to be more at the weekend), but the pork roll is the star, and I am happy to drive to Newpark Shopping Centre every time I get a craving (which is pretty often).

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Fun thing to do, Store review

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Taylors in the Valley

06 08 23

Taylors is a favourite of ours in the Swan Valley. Not only is it right next door to the tempting treats of Whistler’s chocolate factory, but it’s a quirky art cafe with sculptures and paintings and tables nestled in amongst the creativity.

The menu is equally creative, with delicious sounding hotcakes, pulled pork benny, chicken and waffles, okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), marinated mushrooms, sago pudding and many more carefully crafted options.

I chose the ricotta hotcakes with banana, lemon marscapone and biscuit crumb. Not only did it look amazing, but tasted very moreish all the way through.

One companion chose the chilli scramble, a lovely spicy plate of smooth scrambled egg on a roti bread.

My other companions chose the chicken waffle with poached eggs, chilli maple and smoky hollandaise.

Every dish was superb, and we all left the cafe with a very satisfied feeling. Taylors always delivers, come rain or shine, it’s one of Swan Valley’s finest.

Last visit – August 2023

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NextDoor, Como

06 08 23

NextDoor is a trendy restaurant and bar in the Angelo Street Market area of Como. It’s right next door to Olsen’s butchers, so they have a good supply of quality meats, and this shows by the superb wagyus, ribeyes, and scotch fillets available on the special meat menu.

As soon as you walk in it is oozing with sophistication, and we were seated around the grill bar so that we could watch the chefs preparing the meat and fish dishes.

The menu is based on share plates – snacks, small plates, larger plates and vegetables. I started proceedings with a Vignarosa prosecco while we perused the options.

Our first choice was a small selection of coldcuts with marinated olives and guindilla (chillies), along with some focaccia. This was a good choice – the coldcuts were such good quality and so incredibly tasty – salami, mortadella, parma ham with succulent olives. It was all quite filling.

Next came our small plates – first hashbrown with cod roe whip, pickle powder, chives and smoked trout roe, then chicken wings stuffed with prawns, topped with pickles and a honey/chilli coating. Both were very satisfying. The soft hashbrown with the smoky rish roe flavours took us to umami central, and the contrast of the chilli and sweetness of the chicken wings was sublime.

The main dish was market fish – crimson snapper, served with the heirloom carrots and kipfler and sweet potatoes. The snapper was served in a tomato butter with roast cherry tomatoes. The carrots on a bed of labne with candied hazelnuts and honeycomb, the potatoes flavoured with garlic and rosemary.

Nextdoor is definitely a quality venue with dishes lovingly prepared by talented chefs. It’s a little expensive, so more of a special occasion restaurant, but an absolute neighbourhood gem in South Perth.

Last visit – August 2023

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The Iluka, Iluka

30 07 23

The second instalment in the quest to find the roast in Perth took us to The Iluka, a pub in the beachside suburb of Iluka.

There’s no separate dining area, all of the tables are within the pub, so dining here comes with all the noise and clamour of a pub atmosphere. To be honest I think the Iluka are missing a trick here, and there is definitely space to have a separate quieter bistro area.

Initially we were taken to a table that was incredibly uncomfortable. Even though I had booked several weeks ago, there didn’t seem to be a reservation sign on the table (unlike others), and it was a very cramped table with a huge barrel base and high seats. There was no way to sit comfortably, you either knocked your knees on the barrel or had to sit with your legs open to get close enough to reach adequately. I asked the waitress for another table and she said that they were fully booked so it was unlikely. Eventually she came back and offered us a much better table, but with the proviso that we only had 90 minutes to order and eat. I thanked her for organising this and we happily moved.

That’s pretty much where the waitress service ended. We had the choice of ordering online via a QR code or going up to the bar. The choices for Sunday lunch are roast beef, a chicken maryland, or a nut roast. I went up and ordered drinks and two portions of roast beef with trimmings ($38 for each roast). It was a bit confusing because the tables have a number, but you also get given a separate number to put on top of the table,

I had a rather nice glass of Tai Tira Marlborough sauvignon blanc while we waited.

The meal was served by a waitress, but without cutlery and sauces, so I had to go and hunt them down. I couldn’t find any horseradish and when I asked, the waitresses said that they would bring it to me, but that didn’t happen. A few minutes later I saw a staff member putting jars of horseradish on the sauce table, so I got up to get some, but it was annoying that I had to keep getting up to get things.

The meal was great, and nicely seasoned. The beef was very good quality (although another slice wouldn’t have gone amiss), veggies (broccolini, anise red cabbage, mixed carrot and swede) were perfectly cooked and the potatoes were excellent. I liked that the gravy came in a separate pot and it was a nice amount. The yorkie was good, but not huge.

I’d like to say that I would go back for a meal of such good quality, but I am a bit in the balance. If booking again I would specify a comfy table – too many people were awkwardly eating food while perched on the high tables. Obviously I’d be aware of the mainly self-service approach in future and know what to expect. The quality was great, but a little extra thought to the environment and the service could have made the whole experience fantastic.

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Chapters Bistro, Currambine

30 07 23

I am on a quest to find Perth’s best dining out Sunday roast lunch and decided to start my search with Chapter’s Bistro in Currambine.

It’s located in amongst the Currambine shopping centre, close to the cinema, and boasts a Sunday lunch for $25 – you get the roast meat of the day with all the trimmings for this price. You really have to book because it gets fully booked out pretty quickly, and you have to provide a credit card number to secure your table.

Service was friendly and I started with a glass of San Martino prosecco. The wine list is quite good and has some appealing cocktails.

Roast of the day was pork with crackling. Roast chicken is also a menu staple. If you want to share there is a ‘posh roast’ for two which consists of black angus sirloin and all the trimmings. We chose the pork.

It was really lovely to have more than two roast potatoes, and the variety of veggies was good – peas, cabbage, squash puree, and carrots. The crackling was beautifully crunchy and the yorkshire pudding of epic proportions. Yorkshire pudding is not a traditional accompaniment to pork, but I think those of us of British origin are generally happy to have a yorkie with any roast, whether it’s beef or not.

In general the meal was under seasoned. We asked for salt and pepper and also had to ask for apple sauce. In my opinion the traditional sauces should be offered as standard. I also like to put my own gravy on my lunch so would have preferred the gravy in a boat. It was nice gravy though.

When it came to asking for a dessert menu, the service was a bit lacking. We tried to flag somebody down, but no amount of waves or excuse me’s would attract anybody’s attention until eventually after ten minutes of trying a waitress noticed.

After all that we chose not to go with dessert – they all seemed quite heavy on the dairy.

As Sunday lunches go, it was quite a good one. I’m tempted to go back and try the posh roast, but I think the lack of seasoning is holding me back a little. We’ll see.

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Cranham Tandoori, Upminster, UK

03 07 23

The UK is well known for it’s particular brand of curries. They may not be particularly authentic or like anything that you would find in the Indian sub continent, but they are tasty and popular, and there’s nothing more traditional than a Friday night beer and curry when in Essex. Most Indian restaurants in the UK are actually Bangladeshi owned. There’s a ‘standard’ menu of increasing heat from korma, which is mild and creamy to the medium curry, bhuna, dopiaza (onion), kashmiri (with fruits), rogan (tomato), to the hotter madras, ceylon, vindaloo, and the super hot bangalore phal. There are other variations such as persian dhansak (hot and sweet with lentils), and biryani (mild rice dish with a curry sauce inside), and always the chef specials. The ‘standard’ menu is the curry bible that every UK aficionado knows – most people have their favourites, and many tend to choose the same dish each time. The restaurant owners know this and have honed their dishes to the UK paIate. I prefer to mix it up a bit, and I like to look out for the more unusual options like a methi (fenugreek leaves) or one of the chef special kitchen curries, but I do have my favourite standard options too.

I’ve stayed at an Airbnb in Cranham twice now, and found that it was really close to the Avon Road shopping strip, mainly convenience stores and restaurants. In amongst this row of shops is the delightful Bangladeshi restaurant – Cranham Tandoori. Everybody seems to be a regular and the owner recognised me instantly even though my last visit was 9 months ago. I was made to feel really welcome, and the staff were really friendly, knowing that I was dining alone.

I started off with a Cobra beer and some poppadoms and pickles. A fab selection of pickles – mango chutney, onion salad, lime pickle, mint sauce, and tomato pickle. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as trying different combinations of pickles on a fresh crispy poppadom.

On the first visit I chose a king prawn dhansak, which is a particular favourite of mine – it’s hot, sweet and sour with lentils, and I love the taste and texture. My veggie side dish was bhindi (okra, or ladies fingers), which I always find quite satisfying. This was an excellent combination along with the perfectly fluffy pilau rice.

On my second visit I chose chicken methi with a mushroom bhajee. The methi was sublime – I love the slightly fragrant fenugreek leaves, it’s a real taste of Bangladesh, and I happily polished off the whole meal, of course accompanied by an ice cold Cobra beer.

To finish you get a warm hand towel, and the bill is accompanied by an After Eight or two. Small things, but a comforting memory of UK Friday nights.

There are many curry houses in the UK and they can be quite variable but I love the consistent excellence of Cranham Tandoori. If you want great food, friendly staff, and a vibrant family atmosphere, you need look no further.

Last visit – June 2023

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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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