Three meals are better than one...

Last week was a bit of a splurge. Not so great for the bank balance, but good for the taste buds. We sampled FIVE new Perth eateries. 

The Classroom 

We hit up The Classroom for a midweek dinner with some friends. None of us had been before but we had heard they had some awesome cocktails and the menu on the website looked pretty tempting, so we hopped over to Belmont.

It was pretty busy when we arrived but we managed to get a small, and somewhat impractical, table to start the night off. Beer all round for the rest of them but, as it was payday for me, I went for one of the much hyped cocktails. Setting me back nearly $20, served up in a glass jar mug thingy, it was fairly unusual so I wasn't to bothered about the price.

We each chose a dish; Squid with Watermelon, Maple glazed beef rib, Chicken drumsticks and tomato and mozzarella salad. The meals were a mixture of hits and misses. The squid and watermelon were an unusual combination that we all enjoyed and they couldn't really go wrong with the beef rib, which came with a gorgeous basil sauce. The drumsticks, however, were a bit bland and very expensive for the mall portion of a cheap cut. The tomato and mozzarella salad was basically a bowl of tomatoes, dressing and two minuscule portions of mozzarella. It tasted ok but was fairly unbalanced and lacking in flavour, but then again I am not the biggest fan of cooked tomatoes.

The interior was cute, with a strong school theme carried throughout. Shelves full of books, school bags on the wall and lockers behind the bar displaying the array of alcohol. Even the menus were glued into exercise books. It was all cute but it somehow felt, like the food,  it hadn't reached it's full potential and things were a little confused. Still, if you are looking for an unusual experience and a good cocktails, its definitely worth a visit.

1/356 Charles Street, North Perth WA 6006 

http://www.theclassroom.com.au/

La Cholita

We have been doing a little tour of Perth's Mexican joints lately, and it's hard not too. They are popping up everywhere! Although, like everything, this one was new for me, it seems to be an old favourite for many.

And it's not hard to see why. They have a great atmosphere and they just seem to have it all together.

We were lead to a generous booth seat very quickly and got down to ordering some drinks and nibbles as soon as we sat down. It was hard to choose our drinks so quickly considering the monumental drinks menu, but I went for a 'Bloody Margarita' and Flour Tortilla chips with guacamole for the table that were so good we gobbled them down in a matter of moment. More were ordered.

At my insistence we hit the tacos and quesidillas, as I often find that main meals in Mexican joints can drift away from authenticity when chefs attempt to shoe horn the amazing flavours of Mexico into Westerner friendly dishes. However, I had my arm twisted towards the prawns with almond sauce.

We were pretty happy with the food. My favourite was the pork taco, juicy deliciousness wrapped up in a corn tortilla. All the dishes were subtle on flavouring and not weighed down with cheese, sour cream or other tex-mex style adorning.

As with most Mexican places over in Perth, the dishes were very expensive for what you got. As predicted, the biggest disappointment was the prawn main dish ordered. Tasty but a little confused and not quite up to the standard of the other dishes we chose.

The crowning glory, however, was the second cocktail I ordered. 'The Aztec' was AMAZING! Tequila, chocolate and chili!?!? It was like the most heavenly desert drink, fit for the gods. More were ordered and will be when we return, very soon!

279 William Street, Northbridge WA 6003

Estia

I was super excited about hitting up a Greek place when I first arrived in Perth. People had told me that, like many Asian varieties, Greek food was very well represented here due to the many generations of Greeks who have made Australia their home.

However, one of my first meals out in Perth was to a Greek restaurant and I was sorely disappointed. So my craving had still not been satisfied.

Last week, on the way home from work, we saw a restaurant packed out with patrons and remarked that we should check it out sometime. Not knowing what type of place it was, we headed over on a whim for a late Saturday lunch and I was thrilled to find it was Greek.

Now the food was great, beautiful even, and very cheap. But what made this place such a pleasure to eat in was...Vassi.

The owner extraordinaire, Vassi worked the restaurant like a talk show host. Chatting to us all, cracking jokes and generally making everyone feel very happy. It was such a lovely feeling to have a chat and shake hands with the owner of this year old place and tell him just how much we enjoyed the food.

Simple, modern and tasty food, this Greek place satisfied my craving and left me wanting to come back for more. With the windows fully open to the crisp, contemporary decor, on a very sunny afternoon, we plunged into the generous dishes but some how found room for an even more generous dessert sharing plate. We were stuffed and filled with joy at finding such a little gem.

I can't wait to pay Vassi and his family a visit again!

836 Beaufort St, Inglewood, 6052

http://estiarestaurant.com.au/ 

My Food Week : Payday Looming

So, frankly I Have been shit with this whole new blog. I got to Australia with all these great intension and for the first few weeks we were eating out everywhere, catching up with friends as if our stay were only fleeting. But then normal life set in, savings dried up and the drudgery of finding a job took over.

That's not to say I didn't eat during this intermission, I ate a damn few good things, but my enthusiasm wained. I did keep the dream alive via trusty old Instagrama but now I need a reboot.

So here is the first instalment of 'My Food Week'. Nothing glamorous or fancy. As the title hints, I have not yet had my first pay, so modest meals only, but it's a start...

Pavlova

Technically this was made last week (Sunday) but we enjoyed it on Monday, so I am going to include it in this week.

Now, I am very lucky to have a boyfriend (well technically 'fiancé', but I am still not used to how wanky that sounds) who is a brilliant cook and has a passion for getting in the kitchen. However, despite being the son if a baker, he experiences baking deficiency.

It's completely self inflicted, his talent in the kitchen leading him to believe that recipes are merely guides. I wholeheartedly agree... except when it comes to baking. For I believe it is a science. Unless it is a dish you have baked for many years, something that you are entirely in tube with, a cavalier attitude to ingredients and their quantities is to be avoided when baking.

We intended to make the pavlova for a dinner on Sunday night. However, as with previous meringues he has made, it did not turn out as hoped.

Substituting granulated for caster sugar, not adding ingredients at the right time and in the right quantities, whilst using a totally useless electric whisk, resulted in 30 minutes of whisking to no avail and a very pissed off man. I had to go and burn a whole in my work shirt just to make him feel better!

Well, we cooked it anyway and, though it was rather flat, the end result was tasty and still far better than a shop bought meringue. We lavished it with vanilla cream, golden kiwis, strawberries and, the inspiration for the pavlova, fresh, home grown passion fruits.

The family verdict was positive but there was definitely room for improvement.

A Generous FAIL!

Having got our foodie juices flowing at The Good Food and Wine show this weekend, we were all up for having a nice lunch. I was desperately hankering after some French bistro esque food, he wanted fish, so we decided Australian would probably cover us both.

The sun was shining and so, with a 50% off voucher in hand, we headed to The Generous Squire on Hay Street.

We had the terrace to ourselves and ordered baramundi asian salad for him and roast lamb with polenta for me. They looked beautiful when the arrived, the fish was abundant and fresh, although the dish lacked any strong flavour. My lamb, however, looked suspiciously blackened and one bite of the burnt meat and my mouth filled with bitterness. I resolved I had to send it back.

From this...

They were gracious about it and cooked up a new one which was somewhat better. The polenta and salsa verde accompaniment were very nice but I was still underwhelmed. Maybe I am just a roast lamb kind of girl because I am still not sure that, with a better chef, the meal would have satisfied. Perhaps the European in me isn't quite ready to relinquish a beautifully roasted piece of lamb for a chard, tough hunk of lamb.

...to this. Can you spot the difference?

To top it all off we forgot to hand over our voucher so accidentally paid full price...and I'm not sure we will be in a rush back to use it!

Last days in London...

Part One

Knowing that the move ‘Down Under’ was imminent and fearing withdrawal symptoms from lack of the amazing food London has to offer, I went on an eating rampage in the months leading up to our departure that would embarrass the most decadent of foodies.

It was totally worth it (although my waste line would probably disagree!) getting to revisit favourite old haunts and ticking bucket list eateries off my list. Here is the first in a little rundown of some of the highlights:

Four Seasons 

Of all our last chance saloon feasts, Four Seasons was top of the list. Actually, I think it is quite possible we wouldn't have been able to leave had we not tasted the sweet ducky goodness of Four Seasons, one last time. 

I recommend this place to all my London friends and would always take visitors there. It’s no secret that a place is good when there is a queue around the block, but you would be surprised how many people you see ignoring the crowds and heading elsewhere.

Thus far we have never been disappointed with any Four Seasons dishes, but they are always a distraction to what is the centre piece: 

THE ROAST DUCK. It is sweet and succulent, the skin is crispy, juicy and a heavenly golden brown. Even the cabbage underneath, no doubt intended for decoration purposes, is beyond delicious, drenched in the sumptuous duck juices and the perfect sweet soy sauce.

If you are in London’s China Town and you want a seriously good meal, head to Four Seasons (It’s so good they now have two!) or head to the original, and some would say the best, to get your ducky fix.  You won’t regret it.

84 Queensway  London, Greater London W2 3RL, United Kingdom

020 7229 4320

www.fs-restaurants.co.uk/