Mason & Bird, Kalamunda opened its doors to the public a month or two ago and word has been going around that the venue is nothing less than impressive. I was super keen to try it out and it was safe to say that Mason & Bird did not disappoint. The large group of us ordered pretty much the whole menu and I got to visually feast on everything (only because the table was too long and my short limbs could not stretch that far!)
To get the morning started were a round of hot drinks:
I am the biggest fan of Matcha Latte ever since I was in Seoul many years back. That first taste of this milky-sweet-grassy drink has kept me coming back. Unfortunately this was my biggest dislike at Mason & Bird. The matcha just did not hit my palate with the grassy-sweet scent I was expecting. If anything it was a little sedentary and gritty. The milk also felt too thin and not creamy at all. Hmmm…?
Pan Roasted Gnocchi
Fortunately, the dry spell ended with the drinks. This gnocchi dish was simply perfect. Fluffy, light, delicate pillows of pasta were cooked sensationally. The crust on from the pan frying worked wonders and the gnocchi was just so tasty on its own. The cauliflower, cheese and almonds were such a treat. I’m surprised that this whole dish was vegetarian really!
Braised lamb Pappardelle
My order of braised lamb Pappardelle was the right dish for this gloomy-with-a-chance-of-rain kind of weather. After all, that is what a heart braise is for no? The lamb here was super tender and required 0 effort to bite into. Mushrooms were super plum after having soak up all the juices of the braise. While I really enjoyed the whole dish, both my friend and I felt like they could have rolled the Pappardelle another layer thinner. Despite saying that, perhaps the chef just liked his pasta sheets to carry an extra bite!
The hidden crowd pleaser:
Hand cut, kitchen chippies right from the kitchen. I love them so much. One can immediately tell the difference between chips right out of the bag and one that is made in-house. You get so much more potato flavours from the ones made in-house at Mason & Bird. The down side for some though is that the chips when made at home are rarely crispy across the tuber. But its the joy of having crispy edges that makes the moment worth while. Enjoyable!
We had many more dishes hit the table that day but I did not get to try everything. I believe most of us were pretty damn satisfied with the food at Mason & Bird. The main stars were none other than their pastas! (Their home-cooked chips get a special mention too!) Do note that the pasta sizes are a little small or just right. So if you are a big eater, definitely get the side of chips. Lastly, the bit which I felt most let down by were the Matcha Latte and Apple Pie Shake. It was really cool sounding on paper but in the mouth just OK.
WenY
