Bollywood Spices Indian Cuisine, 6006

A humble little Indian eatery where whats going on in the dining room is trumped by whats happening in the kitchen. Bollywood Spices are not in business for a fun-time atmosphere or an impress-the-pants-off-your-date dining experience, no. Bollywood Spices stand for honest Indian food prepared with loads of flavour, a tonne of love and very little grease.

 The sizeable menu was hard to narrow down so we asked for a recommendation or two and ended up with Tandoori Paneer Tikka - squares of ricotta cheese nestled under shells of soft onion and green capsicum. Yummy. 

Tandoori Panner Tikka $8.50

Of the curries we went for Aloo goobi, $12.50 which is a potato and cauliflower curry and the Goan fish. Each were complex and delicious to the taste, without being oily - added points!

Fish Goan Curry $15.90

Aloo Gobi $12.50

A side of kachumber salad to lighten the load. The salad was pretty standard, but very reasonably priced.

Kachumber salad $3.00

I believe you can just about always judge the talent of an Indian chef by the quality of the breads and rices. Complemetary papadums were airy and dissolved on the tongue. The plain prata was deliately baked and so obviously fresh. The fluffly scented rice was puffed to a T. Bollywood Spices proved my theory once more.

Plain Naan $2.50

Zeera Pluao $3.50

Bollywood Spices is subsequent visit worthy for Indian take-away when the curry pangs pounce, or a no efforts dine in dinner. Bollywood Spices is not a joint for group dates, although the full house on a rainy Tuesday night suggests otherwise. I'll put it down to a reputation among North Perthites for the most honest Indian food around.

Food: 4/5 - good choice of non-greasy, wholesome Indian cooked by a pro!
Ambience: 3/5 - not winning any awards here but its clean and sweet
Value: 5/5
Service: 4/5 -  food arrived in good time, no complaints otherwise.

Nobu, 6100

Three words: Black Cod Miso. Whatever you do, make sure you recite these words to your waiter. A Nobu dining experience is not absolute without this unimaginably perfect piece of fish. At $46 a pop, the signature cod is marinated for three days and the result is delicate, fall-apart, buttery, honeyed, ambrosial....so....friggen...good. 

The signature Black Cod Miso

The rest of the dishes were beautiful but not outstanding. I wasn't ooh-ing or ahh-ing after every dish like I was here. For fine fining establishments in Perth, there are a few others that I would sooner choose for a special occasion. 

Baby Artichoke Salad

Before the holy Black Cod Miso, we also tried the shaved Baby Artichoke Salad- made interesting with truffle ($25); and the Ocean Trout Sashimi with Jalapenos ($26). I loved the Latin American twist. 

Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno

For our 'hot' plates we opted for the special - Watermelon Soft Shell Crab – a wicked blend of flavours and textures and a spectacle for the eyes! Who would have thought of serving watermelon warm? Nobu, apparently! 

Watermelon Soft Shell Crab

After reading about the wonders of the Tuna Sashimi, I had to try one piece. The tuna was succulent, but $7 is a bit over the top for a raw piece of fish. 

Tuna Sashimi x 1

Our cocktails - Mia Margarita (Tequila Reposada, Honey, Passionfruit Purée, Lemon Juice & Shichimi) and Champagne cocktail (Grand Marnier, Peach Liqueur, Pineapple Purée & a Champagne Float); both $18 and both absolutely delicious! The champagne kind was especially unique. Definitely go for one of the Summery cocktails over other libations on offer.

As every special occasion dinner should end, we finalized our meal with dessert. I had the Bento Box - chocolate fondant cake with green tea ice cream and my compardre had the Ichigo
 -Strawberry Pannacotta, Yuzu Granita & Lychee – both $15. The zest, fruity, yet creamy pannacotta martini was a win. My fondant was seamlessly fondant-y but the chocoholic in me wanted more richness. 

Ichigo

Bento Box

Nobu was a pleasant experience but I expected more “Wow” for my buck. If I find myself in short radius of Nobu again, Ill sit at the bar, sip one of their Caribbean cocktails, order a couple of sashimi tacos and indulge in the luxe surrounds. 

Food: 4/5
Ambience; 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value: 3/5

Estia, 6052

There have got to be only a handful of Greek restaurants in Perth (kebab shops not included!). When playing word association with Greek food, I think dolmades, greek salad and 3am kebab. Well, Estia plates up beautiful Greek dishes that prove far more sophistication and variety than the stereotypes.

The restaurant is modern with hints of 'Greek', themed in pale blue. Casually elegant and warm, much like the cheery boss - a lovely Cyprus man who makes sure every table leaves happy and full. And I don't say 'full' lightly - the portions are HUGE. This is some of the best value restaurant food you will find. The Spaghetti Thalassina ($27) is a supremely generous dish - four kinds of seafood; prawn, fish, squid and scallops, married in a glorious tomato sauce with peas and red peppers.

Spaghetti Thalasina

The restaurant speciality is the massive shared mezze; two courses of Greek delights like olives, fresh pitta, dips, grilled seafood and meats with all the trimmings. If you're not in a grazing and sharing mood, you wont be hampered with the mixed bag of mains of offer - seafood, meat, salads, vegetarian, light, heavy... a dish for every belly.

Prawn Saganaki

The Prawn Saganaki ($28) is a treat. Plump prawns cooked in a rammekin of rich tomato sauce, roast peppers, topped with melty haloumi and a side of fresh toasted pita. The Spanakopita ($26) is a classic Greek dish when you want something unfussy but satisfying. Spinach and fetta layered between flaky filo pastry with yoghurt dill sauce and rocket salad.

Spanakopita

The entrees are also massive. We share a squid entree; tender coils in a dusting of herbed flour. Two of us had the soft shell crab entree for main. 2-3 whopping crabs in a crispy batter and a drizzle of garlicky, lemony aioli.

The only let down was the  dolmades. Too fat on the rice and the vine leaves too dry. I missed the vingery taste and dissolve away texture.

Dolmades entree

Soft shell crab entree

Daggers of food envy were directed at this lavish dish - Velvet ribbons of parpadelle roped with prawns, spicy sojuk sausage, broccoli, artichoke hearts and cream sauce, $27. It was like an antipasti in a pasta dish. Deluxe!

Parpadelle with prawns, artichoke, sausage, broccoli, $27

Estia is a winner. Unpretentious ambient restaurant with beautiful Greek food in colossal proportions.

Food: 4/5 (BIG portions, terrific value, masterfully cooked seafood, wide choice)
Ambience: 4/5 (spruce enough for a celebration, warm and friendly)
Service: 4.5/5 (jolly and efficient)
Value: 5/5

Neighborhood Pizza, 6016

Fresh off the boat! This new kid on the block has gathered a bit of buzz since opening, so naturally; I had to check it out. I went on a Sunday night and the industrial space was humming with curious punters. There were a few families with young kids but mostly hipsters bearing burgundy beanies and bottles of booze. Neighborhood Pizza breathes at the back of IGA car park inside a warehouse, which is cool in concept but if you like conversation with your food - not so practical. Warehouse = noisy. Hard surface, voices, echoing...it's just basic physics, baby. Add BYO to the mix and yep, more noisy.

# 3 Mushroom, ham, olive tepenade $19

OK so onto the pizza. The bases are thin, which I like but the toppings are equally skinny.  #4: pumpkin, artichoke, capsicum, rocket and olive pizza on bianca base ($22) had *shavings* of toppings rather than hearty *lumps*. I like lumps. I found the choice of toppings very enticing- probably even the best selection of toppings I've seen going (how yummy does 'sweet potato with rosemary and maple syrup' or 'chill, capers and white anchovies' sound??) I just wanted them in vaster quantities! The dough tasted good and the lightness meant I was able to chow down without the post-carb bloat, but overall the pizzas lacked any real punch. If you like your pizzas cheesy and chunky then you might not be so crazy about this place. If you like 'em refined and lean then hey, this could be your new friendly Neighbour. If I put it another way - Neighborhood Pizza is the opposite of Little Caesars. It's all down to personal taste really.

#4 Pumpkin, peppers, olives, artichoke, rocket pizza on bianca base $22

Apologies for the rather dismal photos. Dim-lit warehouses aren't conducive to food photography.

Pizza: 2.5/5 (nice light dough but lacked flavour, not more-ish enough)
Service: 2.5/5 (Stressed, bit slow, could have used some more smiles)
Value: 2.5/5
Ambience: 2/5 (Lacked warmth, noisy, dark)

Ingredient Tree, 6014

Ingredient Tree is a delicatessen and cafe rolled into one spruce little European package. Shelves of niche foodie products, a selection of raw meats and cheeses and pretty wholefood cookies and cakes decorating the kitchen marble counter. It’s all very country Europe. 

Dining in? Coffee, cake and brunch where the rule of thumb is quality produce, prepared simply. Take the German style breakfast for example–a wood board bearing ham off the bone, fresh cucumber and tomato, house baked bread and select cheese.

                   

I went for a side plate of roast vegetable and quinoa salad ($6). It was the perfect size for someone who’s not all that hungry. We also liked the sound of the 'Polpette a la Zia Theresa di Bivongi' – meatballs in a rich tomato sugo with sourdough. My other companion took fancy to one of the cheese, sundried tomato and ham paninis in the front display ($12).

Roast veg quinoa salad side $6

panini $12

 
 Ingredient Tree is a local place for an understated, yet pleasing brunch. The quality is obvious but its not a destination brunch spot like Sayers or Cantina is. I enjoyed the food but there’s no real pull factor like an ocean view or finger licking, ingenious food to make me rush back. Coffee rates a mention as do the look of the pretty cupcakes. Just be weary of parking - scarcer than the presence of preservatives in the menu.

Polpette (meatballs)

Food: 4/5 (ingredients are the key, but not blow-your-mind cuisine)
Ambience: 4.5/5 (nice little bustle, love the cool light fittings and furnishings, heaps of unknown foodie products to browse)
Service: 4/5 (friendly, waited a little long for meals though)
Value: 3/5

Sayers Sister, 6000

Well hello there, lovely! It’s the grander, younger and I daresay -prettier, younger sister of the famous Sayers café in Leederville (not that the original isn’t easy on the eyes). There’s also a hellofa lot more legroom, elbowroom and general airiness than its ancestor. Seating is comparatively ample too - more places to dine with a group, high chairs to solo coffee, chairs to lounge in and corners to linger. 

The lovely Stephanie Sayers at the till

Communal table and high chairs

After much deliberation eyeing the menu, I opted for a Sayers classic- the potato rosti with wilted spinach, roquette and poached eggs, substituting the bacon for smoked salmon. It was plated with the same finesse and cooked with the same precision as the many I’ve had before – the only difference was the addition of baked apple compote in the rosti. D-E-Licious! There was a liberal helping of greens and the eggs were poached to absolute 10/10 excellence. What is their secret? They were seriously Gourmet Traveller cover material, these poached eggs. The mountain of a dish was topped off with a zingy homemade mustard vinaigrette that left me wishing for more.

Potato rosti 

I only picked a few distinctions between the menus at Sayers and Sayers Sister. I found the food delicious, cooked perfectly and plated beautifully, but I was sort of hoping for a few more degrees of separation between the two. 

Now, I won’t rush into things and declare unwavering love after the first go, but this sexy younger sister has positioned itself very well for a top position on my list of new favourite cafés in Perth. 

Get down and check this lady out before fame gets the better of her. I came on day two and whilst it wasn’t hectic, it wasn’t quiet either.

Food: 5/5 (Tasty, interesting, cooked perfectly - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree)

Coffee: 3.5/5 (Taste - YUM, but sadly a bit burnt, I think the barista was in training)

Service: 5/5 (Affable, fast)

Value: 3.5/5 (Bit on the pricey side but you are paying for quality)

Amphoras Bar, 6005

Amphoras is a spot probably not well known to the greater population of Perth but certainly to those working in West Perth area. Because of the locale, Amphoras comes alive after 5. It’s a perfect spot for a bit of post work carousing, especially on a Friday. The ambience is just what you want after a day at work – pleasant staff, elegant furnishings, sexy lighting and an upbeat crowd. The size of the place is perfect too; intimate but not crowded. Serving a small number of patrons maintains the quality control in the kitchen too.

Chorizo, Pedro Xeminez, corn bread $16

The food – it’s not the holy grail of Spanish tapas but it’s definitely delicious. Between the two of us, we ordered a serve of roast pumpkin and fetta arancini ($16)- served in rich basil pesto, these were cheesey on the in and well crusted on the outside. A serve of Chorizo ($16) came out hot, chunky, glistening in syrupy Pedro Xeminez – a sweet, Spanish sherry. The taste of the sauce over the chorizo was delicious, although it did intrude a bit on the bold taste of spicy sausage. A squirt of lemon would have been enough. The chorizo came with a side of corn bread, which did not quite represent the corn bread I know and love. It was more of a white bread with remnants of corn. We could have used a couple more slices to mop up the juices. Still, the bread was fluffy and tasted home baked.

Dessert selection $14

Done with our chorizo, we ordered the dessert selection ($14) of four minis – chocolate tart, passionfruit and lime meringue, crème catalan and the cutest little baby churros in chocolate sauce! Each were lovely and not one was more carefully prepared than the other. The serving was small enough for one and just enough for two.

Food: 3.5/5 (scrumptious enough, but not at the Duende level, although I would definitely eat here again)

Ambience: 4/5 (classy but casual and fun at the same time)

Service: 3/5 (friendly but not the most efficient, although lingering over drinks doesn't call for fast service)

Value: 3/5 (Dessert well priced, arancini and chorizo not so much)