Bites: Bistro Felix @ Subiaco

Dear parents were here last month so I thought of bringing them out and found Bistro Felix quite highly rated on Urbanspoon.  Came in at 6.30 and was promptly seated by the waitresses who were very friendly.  Menu’s were brought to us and bread laid on our plates.  It was a good start.   The restaurant looked like a proper bistro.  I cannot quite describe how a bistro is meant to look like but it is just a feeling you get.

 

For starters:                                                                                                                                                              Half dozen of freshly shucked oysters which my dad and sister say were absolutely delicious!

 

Chicken liver pate and crusty bread as dips!  Really delicious and flavorful but definitely does not have the beauty of the melt in your mouth foie gras!

 

Mom and I had some scallops which were OK but not the greatest.  While we wanted the one with butter and coriander, they only had the normal one.  Fortunately though, scallops are such beautiful seafood that does not need much to shine!

 

For mains:

We ordered one each but not all turned out well. Probably the steak which was mine and dad’s fish were the highlight although misses on the chicken and duck confit was disappointing.                                                              My steak was perfectly cooked in the middle and was tender all the way through.  Lone onion ring hardly made an impression while slightly charred outer bit of the steak carried a bitter crust.  Not exactly what I would called divine but was still a tangible steak.  Same thing happened with mom’s chicken!

 

Dad’s fish looked perfectly cooked.  Sister’s confit was so salty she decided to query the waitress but the chef insist that the duck was spot on.  Even for me it was too salty.  However, at the end of the night we were still charged for a meal we returned because it was inedible.  It was a big bummer and a big no-no in terms of customer service.  And believe it or not, they put two chocolate truffles on the table expecting they expect us to settle for. 

 

For dessert I ordered the lemon brulee tart with mandarin sorbet.                                                                                   

It was delicious and I wish I could have more.  The crust was really short, the curd with the right intensity and the sorbet provided a refreshing end.  It was very fragrant too!  Amazing how that thin tart had enough acidity to stir the taste buds!  Well recommended :)!

 

Vanilla Pannacotta with strawberries were OK but definitely not the best.  It could have been smother and the strawberries did not have much impact.  Fresh but not enough acidity to cut through the sweet Pannacotta.                                   Over all, the night at Bistro Felix was decent.  But was it superb? I think that I quite hard for my swallow that.  I really find that the service at the table was spot on but when it came to billing, it felt rather ruthless.  Would I recommend it?  Maybe for a try yes.  And for that discount from the buy 1-free-1.  But $40 for a rather normal meal?  Not really quite there.

I have always perceived the concept of bistros to be fairly casual, easy and affordable.  But when it comes to Perth, it translates to something most Perth people would regard as expensive, and opportunistic.

 

WenY