Truly Scrumptious

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Ootong and Lincoln, South Fremantle

Ootong and Lincoln sits on the cafe strip of South Terrace in South Fremantle. It’s a quirky place with colourful zebras painted on the outside walls. The menu is quite friendly for customers with special diets and we settled down to check out the brunch dishes. There were quite a few tempting options on the menu, and I chose an elderflower mint and apple slushie to drink. This was a nice refreshing change to regular drink items, I really enjoyed.

My partner chose a decaf flat white which was nice and rich – he enjoyed it.

For my meal I chose the potato cake with mushrooms which was lovely and quite a huge portion. The mushrooms were nicely flavoured and they helpfully put my hollandaise on the side so that I could have just a little. the poached eggs were beautifully cooked to a perfect level of dippiness. The dish comes in several variations including bacon, chorizo, and smoked salmon for omnivores.

My partner chose the shakshuka. The bread was amazingly good. The coddled eggs were sadly overcooked, and the spicy tomato sauce was nice but could have taken a little more spice. The metal dish was nuclear-fusion hot which probably contributed to the overdoneness of the eggs. However, despite this, my partner did enjoy the meal, he would have liked a slightly bigger portion.

The staff were nice and helpful and this cafe is definitely a neighbourhood gem. Worth a visit if you are in the area.

Last Visit Date – March 2021

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The Little Pantry, Shenton Park

In a delightful leafy location on the edge of Shenton Park sits The Little Pantry. There is seating inside and out through the back conservatory, and it’s a peaceful homely space – ideal for a leisurely brunch.
The menu contained lots of yummy options and I started with a lovely spring smoothie while I browsed the menu.

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My partner chose a soy decaf flat white, which he says was tasty, smooth and delicious.

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After much deliberation over fried cauliflower, coconut panacotta, truffle scrambled eggs and the like, I opted for the patatas bravas with aioli, tomato, and poached eggs. The potatoes were a delight – wonderfully crispy, the eggs nicely gooey, and the tomatoes fresh and summery. This was a great dish and one that I would have again in a heartbeat.

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My partner chose the kimchi dashi rice bowl – an artwork of kimchi with fried eggs, radish, lotus root, gochujang (hot pepper paste), sesame and herbs. The kimchi was the star of the dish with great companion flavours from the other ingredients, making for a stellar combination.

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As we left, we perused the cake cabinet, and it looked very appetising. We’re already planning a return visit to this little oasis in Shenton Park. Fabulous food and a relaxed setting – highly recommended.

Last Visit Date – November 2019

Coffee shop review, Restaurant review, Vegan/Vegetarian

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Dhal makhani bowl:
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Propeller, North Fremantle

Propeller is a great venue tucked away on Queen Victoria Street in North Fremantle. It’s a nicely designed building with a quaint sea container for a bar, and there is seating inside and outside. We came for brunch and were impressed by the range of options on the menu. We ordered coffees while we mused over the choices and coffee was delicious – beans provided by Twin Peaks.

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I was very tempted to try the rose rhubarb apple porridge, the chocolate, date and pear brik, or the mushrooms on toast with lentils, but I decided on the sardine brik for something a little different.

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This dish was packed with flavour. The slow roast tomatoes were rich, the sardines good quality, the egg was just oozy and the pickles added a nice piquancy. The brik pastry stuffed with potatoes had a nice texture, and herbs added another layer. These flavours were strong and punchy, but not so overwhelming that I couldn’t finish, and I loved the way that the dish set me up for the day. It was really delicious.

My partner chose the turkish spiced baked beans with duck egg, kale and grilled bread.

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The bread was absolutely delicious, the beans nicely cooked, again big rich flavours with the spices and kale adding depth. A citrus backdrop gave it freshness. We loved Propeller. It’s not your regular breakfast venue, and all of the flavours are great. We also chose a brownie and chocolate almond croissant for afternoon tea at home, and they were equally great quality. We’ll be back.

Visit Date – July 2019

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Lo Quay, Wilson

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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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Source Foods, Highgate

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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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May Street Larder, East Fremantle

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On Canning Highway just before you get to the Fremantle gateway sits May Street Larder (unsurprisingly at the junction of May Street). It’s a cafe with a very chilled vibe, and a very allergy friendly menu including some Cocowhip options (vegan friendly, dairy and gluten free). The coffee is Campo’s and the blend of the day was round and smooth on the palate.

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I chose a breakfast smoothie – bananas, dates, honey and almond milk – very yummy.

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The menu was full of tempting options – sweetcorn, coriander and lupin fritters; baked eggs with harissa, yoghurt, quinoa and herbs; chilaquiles; mushroom bruschetta; and a very yummy sounding multigrain porridge special with coconut milk and berries.
I couldn’t get past the beef brisket hash though, and oh my goodness it tasted amazing and certainly ticked all of the boxes for me. Crispy fried potatoes, soft poached eggs, onions, leeks and chilli hollandaise – perfectly put together with a nice serving of brisket.

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My partner chose the breakfast burrito with chorizo, feta, scrambled egg, white beans, herbs, coriander and jalapeno salsa. This was a gorgeous combination of flavours, very tasty with a nice bright fresh salsa.

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This is how our plates ended up:

It was very tempting to buy takeaway cakes for later, but we thought no, we’ll come back soon and try some of the other yummy menu options because this is definitely one of Perth’s finest cafes.

Last Visit Date – May 2019

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The Shorehouse, Swanbourne

Just north of Cottesloe is the quieter suburb of Swanbourne, and at the north end of marine parade lies a small car park, a children’s playground, a surf lifesaving club, and the rather fabulously situated Shorehouse – a restaurant with views straight across the ocean to Rottnest Island.

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It’s quite a big area with a lovely outdoor deck, high tables and regular tables inside. We chose a table inside near the window so that we could enjoy the view.

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The coffee served here is lovely – a nice rich chocolatey blend, I really enjoyed my iced coffee, and my partner loved his flat white.

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The menu is full of yummy sounding options like chilli scramble, ricotta hotcakes, and bacon and egg roll with rosti, but we both fancied the swimmer crab omelette – it seemed perfect for a breakfast by the beach. The waitress was really friendly and helpful.

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What a lovely omelette – perfectly made with a generous helping of crab and a buttery slice of quality bread. It was one of those omelettes where the last mouthful was as good as the first, and really nicely seasoned too (eggs need salt, and often arrive without enough seasoning). We sat there looking out of the window at the fabulous view, drinking great coffee, eating an amazing omelette, and listening to the chilled sounds of Sia and Zero 7. It was the perfect breakfast – the location, the food, the service, you can’t beat Shorehouse.

Last Visit Date – January 2019

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The Kiosk, Floreat Beach

With great views of the ocean and a playground outside, The Kiosk is a good choice for families. We arrived for light breakfast on a Sunday morning, and the menu is full of the regular favourites – eggs benny, full breakfast, french toast, pancakes and fritters, as well as a cold cabinet full of savouries, cakes and breads.

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The coffee was good and full bodied, most likely South American.

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Not being overly hungry, I chose a slice of coconut bread. This was really good, light, not overly sweet with lots of great coconut flavour.

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My partner chose the wild mushrooms with polenta cake. The truffle oil didn’t need to be there as it was a bit overpowering, the mushrooms were good and varied, and the polenta was okay. It was an okay meal, but nothing sophisticated.

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Friends chose eggs benny with bacon:

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Also scrambled egg with toast, tomatoes and hollandaise:

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It’s a great beachside cafe for parents and children, the menu is fairly unsophisticated, but then again it’s not trying to be a cheffy cafe – The Kiosk serves simple food in a great setting, including a few vegan options, and the fact that it was really busy shows that the locals love this place.

Last Visit Date – December 2018

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Hylin, West Leederville

Hylin is located on Railway Parade in West Leederville, not far from Subiaco. Parking is at a premium, so make sure that you plan your journey well if you are going to visit. I managed to find a meter across the road, and it was just outside of ‘paid parking’ time. so I was quite fortunate.

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There are tables inside and outside, and we chose to sit inside as it looked like rain was a possiblity. There are some stools near the kitchen, a few wooden tables and a high table, but all of them are quite cramped, and this was my main bugbear with Hylin. The staff and the food are lovely but the seating is very uncomfortable and it’s not a great place to sit and linger. The chairs are wooden – school style, and there is a constant stream of diners and wait staff pushing past.
Our coffees were great, coffee is supplied by Micrology Coffee Roasters, and it was a nice smooth blend. I was a little disappointed to find that the in house herbal iced tea wasn’t available, so I chose an iced coffee.

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The menu has many tempting options like healthy bowls, chorizo, egg and creamed corn, pulled pork burger, breakfast bruschetta, pancakes etc. There are a few vegetarian options, but you would need to ask for special adaptations to find anything vegan here.
I chose the spicy chicken burger.

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This was a very nice burger, the fried chicken was seasoned well, with great pickles and lettuce and some pretty awesome chips.
My partner chose the open breakky burger – eggs, smashed avo, bacon, and potato rosti in a bun.

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It was nice, with chipotle mayo, a bit smoky and spicy, and all ingredients went well. He said that he thought my chicken burger looked more appealing though.

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All in all, Hylin is a good cafe and the staff clearly care about what they do, and I think that if the layout inside was changed, and the seating more comfortable, it could be an amazing cafe. I am not sure it’s worth a special trek to West Leederville, but great if you are in the area.

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Last Visit Date – November 2018

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