Monday 30 July 2012

X-Wray, 6160

A few weeks ago I headed to X-Wray for a Yelp Elite event where we were invited to sample the wonderful new Winter menu. X-Wray has a new head chef - Ricky and this man knows good taste-y. The food really goes above and beyond the simple bar food that went before it.

Bread, hummus
Gnocchi, tomato, basil, parmesan
Minted Mojitos and stemless Tempranillos were accompanied by little bowls of spiced roast pumpkin seeds. These were extremely more-ish. The first round of substantial eats were bread boards with garlicky tahini dip, e.v.o. and balsamic. The bread was a bit over-toasted but once smothered in that silky hummus, it didn't matter.

Pork belly
Next was a shot of mixed mushroom soup with truffle oil - soooo good.  Addictive tempura broccoli and green beans were next, followed by dishes of pork belly with almonds and a kind of quince paste. The hero of the night for me was Ricky's Nonna recipe gnocchi. The melt-in-your-mouth pillows of potato dumpling were little clouds of joy.

Beef cheek, cauliflower puree, crumbed carrot

The beef cheek dish was another showstopper. Shreds of dark braised meat resting on truffled cauliflower. As if that wasn't enough deliciousness to muster, there was the unimaginably tasty carrot croquette rested atop. My eyes boggled at the taste.

Food: 4.5/5 (that carrot, that gnocchi, those Mojitos!)
Ambience: 5/5 (bohemian, casual and warm. Good for a low-key date)
Service: 4/5 (hipsters with totally non-hispter attitudes) 
Value: 5/5 (my food was for FREE! Cannot report on the actual prices)

X-Wray on Urbanspoon

Saturday 28 July 2012

Manna Wholefoods and Cafe, 6162

I freaking love this place. You cannot discover Manna and tell me vegetarian food is unsatisfying or boring or "rabbit food". I would eat here everyday if I could. This is vegetarian comfort food at it's comfiest! 

Order counter
 
Spelt pasta veggie bake and 7 salads $14

The selection is vast. When I popped in for lunch last week I counted; 7 different kinds of fresh salads, 8 varieties of sweets including 4 different kinds of raw cake (lime, coconut and goji berry), 3 kinds of pizza, 2 different quiches, 3 choices of vegetarian patties, 2 veggie pasta bakes, 2 types of wraps, plus a soup of the day and a curry of the day. Phewf! I was spoilt for choice! I ended up going for a piece of the veggie spelt pasta bake ($7). I couldn't resist the look of that cheesey crisped top and layers of roast zucchini and capsicum. 

L-R: beetroot, greek, carrot and mixed leaf on top
Veggie spelt pasta bake

I ordered my pasta bake with salad ($14 total) and asked for a bit of each. There was a rainbow on my plate of curried chickpea salad, beetroot and carrot, greek salad with capers and dill, mixed leaf, quinoa and a sweet carrot salad.

Curry of the day - chickpea and sweet potato
My favourite was the sweet carrot one which tasted like it had cardamon through it. The greek salad, jewelled with bright red grape tomatoes, was taken to another level with the addition of capers and dill. The quinoa, all garlicky and such, had sneaky twine of smokey mushroom - big yum.  On my last visit I got a roast capsicum stuffed with mushroomed wild rice and spinach plus salads. The potato salad is popular. We also tried the chickpea curry of the day. The Moroccan style curry was flavoursome and not oily in the slightest. 

stuffed capsicum, mix salads
I am always stuffed after eating here but feeling good about it and I usually take home half for dinner (thats if I can hold back). I essentially get two meals for the price of one :D. I managed to savour half my salads for later to make room for a slice of their intriguing Gogi berry raw cake, $6.50. 

Raw gogi berry cake $6.50
Raw goji berry cake


It had a distinct gogji berry taste, gently sweet and subtly tart. The "cheesecake" was silky, yet grainy and moussey all at once; propped on a crumbly cacao and nut base. A symphony of flavours and textures, if you will. Divine. 

Ah Manna. One of my fave places for lunch in Perth and definitely my top pick for vegetarian eats.

Food: 5/5! (Fresh, healthy, variety, hefty portions)
Ambience: 4/5 ( simple fit out for a quick lunch, nice sitting on South Tce on a sunny Freo day)
Value: 4/5 (home cooked, organic, generous and good prices)
Service: 4/5 ( super quick and helpful)


Manna Wholefoods and Cafe on Urbanspoon


Wednesday 25 July 2012

The Walk Cafe, 6008

Worthwhile dining options in Subi are few and far between in my opinion. There are a couple of 8s and 9's and certainly a fair share of 4's and 3's, but most of the eateries sit in the 5 and 6 pile. I rarely seek out a restaurant in Subiaco for a night out or weekend brunch. If I eat in Subi, it’s almost always because I’m simply in the area.  When my family and I dropped in for a weekend lunch a little while ago, I'd discovered The Walk Cafe had gone from good to bloody great.

 





















Rokeby Rd has been blessed with some exciting new food destinations over recent months - the Frenchy masters behind The Loose Box and Choux brought Bistro Des Artistes and Llama bar recently classed up its fit out and added a new restaurant menu. I also discovered the hidden, rustic European wine bar, Juanita’s too. The Walk Café is another jewel to add to the list.

Roquette, pumpkin, goats cheese salad with grilled chicken
Since under new ownership, this thoroughfare cafe has really raised the bar in the delicious department. The Walk Cafe are now serving up superb chef-prepared, bistro style lunches in its casually stylish café space. It's the difference between toasted counter paninis; and fresh packed sandwiches assembled from scratch when you order.  It’s the breed of café/restaurant that runs in short supply here in Perth. The Walk kitchen is plating up classy salads, WA seafood, amazing risottos, hand rolled pastas; all twine with the seasons best produce.

Mint and pea risotto
I ordered the salad piled high with roquette, roast pumpkin, soft goats cheese and a tender grilled chicken filet for good measure. Abundantly lean. The risotto of the day was a classic combo of pea, mint and goats cheese - unpredictably amazing. The pasta dishes - parpadelle with slow cooked meat and fresh herbs; and a fettuccine with pumpkin, ricotta and chilli - were each hard to flaw.

Parpadelle with slow cooked lamb


You can also get a nice brunch, superb Fiori coffee and snappy table service.  We all enjoyed our meals so much that we agreed we needed to venture out to Subi for round two at The Walk soon!

Homemade fettuccine, pumpkin, ricotta, chilli


Food: 4.5/5 (quality ingredients, cooked perfectly, a dish for every taste)
Ambiance: 4/5 (buzzing, casual, alfresco available)
Service: 3/5 (forgetful at times but still appreciate the table service)
Coffee: 4/5 (silky smooth and robust)
Value: 3/5 (top quality and decent portions)

The Walk Cafe on Urbanspoon

Monday 23 July 2012

Michele's Crepe Suzette, 6110

It was Bastille day so I thought it was necessary to indulge in some French treats on the day...Michele's Crepe Suzette, enchanté.




Open Fridays through Sundays, the kitchen at Michele's is always teeming with order dockets. They have a plethora of savoury and sweet crepes options to choose from - ham fillings, seafood fillings, vegetarian, cheese, nutella, banana and many many more. They even offer different batters - wholemeal, plain, rice flour and chickpea flour. The chickpea is tasty and better still, it's gluten free.


My Frenchies each went for wholemeal crepes stuffed with melty cheddar cheese, shrooms and ham. They were yummy from crepe to filling. I had the chickpea with a spinach, shroom and tomato filling. It was cooked well but a bit dry. I could have used the addition of oozey cheese.

mushroom, ham, cheese in wholemeal crepe
Ricotta, spinach, tomato, mushroom in chickpea crepe























In addition to the fresh crepes, the service is worthy of mention too. The girl behind the till and the other behind the grill, are both totally lovely.

Food: 4/5 (made fresh, cooked well and huge variety)
Service: 4.5/5 (friendly and diligent, despite the pressure)
Ambience: 4/5 (Soak up the hustle and bustle of the Freo markets)
Value: 4/5 (Stuffed with ingredients)

Michele's Crepe Suzette on Urbanspoon

Saturday 21 July 2012

The Kiosk, 6051

The Kiosk is a brand new cafe sitting quietly at The Rise complex in Maylands. Its on the budding Eighth Ave but across the other side of Guilford Rd., away from the likes of Mrs S, Milk'd and Rifo's. 


There is a small brunch menu which is not dissimilar form sister cafe, West End Deli. The name of the game is in-season produce, prepared well. There isn't a lot of over processing or cooking. It's all very wholesome and fresh. 



The portions aren't huge and the style more about snacky type brunch offerings like house baked baguette with a pick of side - roasted tomatoes with goats cheese, mushroom ragout with blue cheese and black bean cassoulet. Quality and refinery are the preference over large quantities of hearty foods. This not the place for a hangover brunch but for a lighter , healthy mroe sophisticated fare.  

pumpkin, green bean salad
The portions aren't huge and the style is more about snacky type brunch offerings like house baked baguette with a pick of sides, like roasted tomatoes with goats cheese, mushroom ragout with blue cheese and black bean cassoulet. Quality and refinery are the preference over large quantities of hearty foods. This not the place for a hangover brunch but for a lighter , healthy mroe sophisticated fare.

baguette, scrambled egggs

black bean cassoulet
 We also ordered one serve of the house baked baguette with scrambled eggs, $11. Two serves of the Gluten free zucchini bread with poached eggs, $11.  Plus a side of black bean cassoulet  and some roasted tomatoes with goats cheese, $8.
zuchini bread, poached eggs
 The tastiest part of our meals was the black bean cassoulet. The spiced bean mix was delicious. The zuchini bread was very light and fluffy although it was missing a punch of something minty or salty. Could have done with some more zuchini or a cheese through it. Eggs were cooked so they were gooey and silky, and not stodgy and curdled.

zucchini bread, poached egg
roasted tomato, goats cheese
Probably more impressive were the display of cakes. A gluten free chocolate, raspberry and coconut variety particulary caught my eye. There were other unconventional cake creations, as well as meringues, Portuguese tarts and top-heavy muffins.




















Service is quite slow; I don't think they are set-up for a busy brunch trade and it's still early days. Overall the food wasn't super delicious but I like that it was very light on the grease and different to what i'd make at home. The barista is a serious whiz too. I'd stop here for a take-away coffee any day!

Food: 3/5
Ambience: 3/5
Service: 2/5
Value: 3/5

The Kiosk on Urbanspoon

Restaurant Amusé, 6004


Restaurant Amusé has been on my hit list for too long. Finally a occasion worthy of such a place came up! The menu is degustation only - $125pp and extra $75 for matched wines. 10 courses was intimidating enough so we opted for food only.

What struck me first about Amuse is the casual, contempo decor. "$125 a head", "degustation" and "Perth's best restaurant" had me expecting a super swish fit-out, but the place is surprisingly relaxed, young and comfortable. The restaurant is also very spacious, allowing for a calm atmosphere and private dining. You feel at ease.  The kitchen are obliging and will cater to any dietary requirements too - two of us had the pescatarian (no meat except seafood) menu, one opted for 'vegetarian plus fish' and the other three had the regular menu, although there was nothing relgular about this menu....

First up was what they called "Snacks". I can't recall what they were but they were as tasty as they were interesting.





Radish with a sauce of some description






































We were also presented with an ocean trout sashimi served on a wafer of some sort. This was one of my favourite of the night. The delicious dill mustard mayonnaise with the sashimi was a match made in heaven. a luxurious e.v.o. whipped butter was also placed at our table for spreading our heavenly baked bread with. The bread was a stand-out on its own. Fluffy inside and an extra crusty crust.

ocean trout sashimi with dill dressing
e.v.o. whipped butter





















The first course was King Fish with finger lime and tea seed oil. Second was Marron, lemon verbena, arborio.

King Fish, finger lime, tea seed oil

Marron, lemon verbena, arborio
Next came another favourite - Egg, mushroom and pine nuts. Smoky mushroom flavour was simply awesome. I got amusement out of the spectacle of this dish. Managed to time the camera perfectly with the smoke - hehe.

Mushroom, egg, pine nut
Mushroom, egg, pine nut






















Started to feel a bit full after this course.....3 down..7 to go.

Next up was Scallop, cuttlefish and peas...The scallop was definitely the most perfect scallop I'd ever eaten. It just melted away in my mouth.


Next was my favourite savoury dish of the night - Ricotta, beetroot, chestnut. Yes I realise I keep claiming new favourites as each course came out, but on reflection of the whole degustation, this was my numero uno. I love the combination these classic flavours and the texture of the ricotta element was like a soft gnocchi or polenta - y-u-m!

Ricotta, beetroot, chestnut
Squid, cous cous, Ras El Hanout was my 'main' dish. I love Moroccan spices and ras el hanout is a pungent, heady scent. I also love love squid so this was a total winner! Our non vegetarian/pescatarian eaters were very envious of this subtitiue. The regular menu enjoyed duck.

Squid, Ras el Hanout, cous cous
Then came the palette cleansers - Grapefruit, tarragon and long pepper presented in a petri like dish. It looked like a science experiment - in a good way. The citrus flavour was delicate and exquisite.


And then we headed down the sweet route for four courses of dessert dishes.....!

The first was Pear, walnut and lemon. The pear was in the form of a airy foam and the walnut a heavy mousse. The lemon was a whipped string of deliciousness. This was a really outstanding dish. Such delicate textures and well known flavours, in unusual forms.

pear, walnut, lemon
Then came the exotic splatter of Chocolate, passionfruit and caramel. I can't tell you which I enjoyed more this or the former plate more....each were divine.

chocolate, passionfruit, caramel


Just when we were getting ready to seal the night with collective praise and groans of bulging bellies, another course of sweets came out. Everyone at the table managed to make room for the donuts, jubes and praline. 


Top: jubes, bottom: praline
Mini jam donuts











Restaurant Amusé was a fantastic dining experience. Experience being the key word. I'd bring someone here for a special occasion or just because you love them so much ;). Also an absolute must for any foodie friends. I would not recommend for a first date. Wait between courses is about 15-20 minutes and this could be the ultimate awkward silence nightmare.

I haven't even touched on service which was hands down the most special service I have had in Perth. The wait staff are knowledgable and sincere and they will watch you like a hawk and swoop in as soon as the last person on the table has rested their fork to clean away plates. Each course is also presented at the table in synchrony. There were seven at our table and so seven hands placed seven dishes, down at the same instant. It was a wonderful novelty.

A memorable experience for a memorable occasion.

Food: 5/5 (inventive, heavenly flavours and textures, art on a a plate!)
Ambience: 4/5 (Relaxed, modern and ample space)
Service: 5/5 (Special, professional, attentive, didn't miss a beat)
Value: 4/5

Restaurant Amuse on Urbanspoon