Bites: Amazing Chinese Fry-Up @ Canton Lane, Belmont

Every now and then my family dines at Belmont Forum for a quality brunch.  Then are the times we go out for a Chinese Meal.  But in my 11 years of staying in Australia, my family have never had a Chinese meal in Belmont Forum, until this week.  So what has changed you might ask?  Well, a lot.  Starting from the rejuvenation of Belmont Forum to the addition of quality bites, the whole Forum is changing.  Rapidly.  From GYG Mexican and Schnitz to San Churros, a new Chinese restaurant called Canton Lane has opened and it was epic.  

Familiar faces at Canton Lane tells me that the restaurant is a quality chain that includes Canton Bay and Hong Kong BBQ.  With that being said, I expect the Roast Meat at Canton Lane to be top notch so I decided to give the Peking Duck a try.

This was the Peking Duck (without the deep fried Mantou).  Describing it in one sentence, Canton Lane has used crispy duck skin paired with juicy duck flesh wrapped with refreshing pickled vegetables finished with a dollop of sweet sauce!  Its been awhile since I had Peking Duck so this was really enjoyable!

We also had another appetiser of XO Radish Cake.  This one ticks all the boxes with their perfectly browned radish cake which is fluffy and soft on the inside.   The XO sauce packed a decent punch with hints of scallops present through-out the fry-up.  If anything, I would have liked it a little stickier (i.e. more sauce)! Nonetheless, it was every bit satisfying.  

Prawns with Salted Egg

Japanese Beancurd on Hot Plate with Diced Chicken and Salted Fish.

The Canton Lane’s main menu has all the usual Canton suspects.  Pictured are the Prawns with Salted Egg, Pan Fried Tooth Fish, and Japanese Beancurd on Hot Plate.  Other favourites like Peking Ribs and Roast Meat are also on the menu.  The cooking at Canton Lane hit all the sweet spots I would want when I dine at a Cantonese Restaurant.  Execution of the Deep Fried food such as the prawn and fish was kept really clean.  No sense of overpowering greasiness in the fragrance or to the taste.   Salted egg dressing was really traditional (and generous)! What more could you ask for?  Even the Garlic Kailan was delicious!

Dad is very critical about his Chinese food and felt that Canton Lane exceeded his expectations for a restaurant soft launch.  For me, I was super keen to know we no longer needed to go through the struggle of finding parking in Northbridge!!  A much welcomed addition to Belmont Forum.  Canton Lane opened on the 10th of April serving Dim Sum during the day and Chinese meals.  From delicious Dim Sum to perfectly Roasted Meats to traditional Cantonese fare, you can get it all at Canton Lane at Belmont Forum.

WenY

Bites: A Quick bite of Mushrooms @ Sapore, Belmont

A soon to be busy Sunday means I was going to need a quick place for breakfast.  Enough said, Perth has plenty of brunch spots to choose from but I was going to go out of my way for a feed.  This led me to Sapore, a neighbourhood staple that caught my eyes awhile back with its popular Mushroom Bruschetta gracing the social media.

Wild Mushroom Bruschetta.

If you see the picture and are thinking “where the hell are the mushrooms?”, so did I.  But first mouth in and it all made sense.  Amazingly juicy shrooms with that rich and aromatic truffle notes.  Then comes the tart goats cheese that was super creamy was slightly oozy from the heat of the shrooms.  So simple yet so much to like!

The quick breakfast at Sapore was pretty satisfying!  However, at first glance the menu is quite sedentary.  Saw a few things here and there which bore resemblance to the general brunch scene in Perth.  In saying that though, its the execution which makes a difference and that for me is why I enjoyed my Mushroom Bruschetta at Sapore that day.  In fact,  I am actually considering a return as  I have seen other things that I would like to try.  Even the hot chocolate there looks to be top notch with addition of Nutella!

WenY

Bites: A Succulent Pulled Pork and Amazing Pancake Brunch @ Cafe 2TwentyFour, Belmont

With soaring brunch prices and cliché menus hoarding the brunch scene, Cafe 2TwentyFour is an unlikely but welcoming find.  Pardon me for my ignorance but I reckon Cafe 2TwentyFour  has been around for awhile now.  From Monster Shakes to the usual brunch menu, I was expecting something boring. But it was not.  To start were some hot drinks for the table.  Coffee for parents and Matcha Latte for myself.

My Matcha Latte was yummy! A little bit on the sweet side but every bit fragrant.  Not as grassy as I would like it to be but it reminded me of ones I had in Starbucks when I was in Europe :)! Good times!!

First up was my Pulled Pork Benedict ($19).

This was my second Aussie brunch in the last 8 months and while tbsp. set a starting level of what the Perth brunch scene has evolved to, I was keen to see what others had to offer.   Cafe 2TwentyFour did not disappoint.  The Pulled Pork was succulent and the marinate was joy.  But it was not the succulent meat that had me thrilled but rather the spices that were used.   I have had so many pulled meat lathered in boring brown braise so I will be fair that this is a much welcomed change!  It was almost like a Mexican pulled pork!  How can you not be excited?  Wilted spinach was obligatory but not in any way necessary.  I guess it makes the dish healthy? ha ha..  The Hollandaise  sauce was also another element well executed. Silky, and rich on the tongue, it was also enough acidity to maintain a fresh yet indulgent finish to bring the meal together.  Good!

Next was mom’s favourite the Ricotta Pancakes with Ice Cream, Caramelised Bananas, Bacon and Salted Caramel $17.

When it hit the table I was not too convinced about the looks.  I actually thought it would not be fluffy at one point.  But I was proved all wrong.  In fact, it probably tasted better than it looked.  The salted caramel, with those fluffy hot cakes were sensational.  Add that bacon for a salty punch and crisp to elevate the joy! 

If you had asked me how much I enjoyed the brunch here?  I would say the two dishes were lip-smackingly delicious.  The bill on the meal? A modest sub-$50 one. Parking is a bliss in the complex and the sitting area was pleasant on a mild winter’s day.  Seeing the day go by, I was there for about an hour enjoying the good food and spending time with my parents.  Will I come here again?  I definitely would.  Oh by the way no hipsters serving food here ;)

WenY