Bites: A Singaporean Breakfast @ Sprolo, South Perth

Perth has an interesting dining scene that is growing at a rate faster than mushrooms do in rainy days and Sprolo in Como is one of such venues in town offering a different dining scene beyond the staple bacon and eggs.  During this visit of mine, this Singaporean inspired breakfast place bring chicken rice and poached eggs to plate with a modern twist.  Critically enough, many venues has tried to be inventive and unfortunately more duds than success stories, what about Sprolo?

The morning essentials.   Sister reckons it was OK.  In saying that, Australia has some of the best coffee places around the world so OK itself is a rating above the rest!

As Sprolo only starts serving breakfast after 8am, I decided to start with a sausage roll.

Heated till crisp, this goes beyond the packed ones.  The meaty roll might be a little heavy to some in the morning but for me, this meaty loaf was what I needed to get started.  Tasty it was but certainly could have had more paprika or spices to make the norm a little more gourmet.

A little sweet treat of doughnuts with salted caramel.  

The doughnuts here were decent for most parts but the salted caramel was a little docile.  I reckon the balance between its saltiness, fragrant butter and sweetness was a little off.  Not despicable in anyway though!  However, is this a case of salted caramel, a once was unique treat become a subject of abuse in recent times?

Hainan chicken rolls.

The familiar punchy taste of gingery chilli is a hit to the tongue so early in the morning.  Its flavours were truly unique.  But the inconvenient truth was how a promising dish get let down by 2 things (IMHO).  First was the chicken, maybe a bit of smooth chicken skin? That would made the dish a little more tender because the breast meat was a little bland!  Secondly was the lack of salt.  The whole dish needed more salt ~.~!  This could easily have been a stellar dish otherwise.  Refreshing, healthy and tasty.

The full Singaporean breakfast.

These soft boiled eggs bring back memories of the childhood.  Soft, runny yolk topped with lashings of soy and sprinklings of pepper.  Everything complemented one another but then came the Aussie bread slices.  Sure it was quality, but I am quite sure that a thick slice of soft white bread, mildly toasted as done in Malaysia and Singapore would be my preference over the bread I got at Sprolo!  The last element on the plate, the Kaya was a strong merit.  It was not creamy smooth but had traces of course coconut which made the whole experience very organic.  That one I liked a lot :P!  Perhaps a little less sugar.

Breakfast at Sprolo reminded me of my breakfast at Architect and Heroes in Subiaco.  It was good, not great.  The food inventive, different and yet it was again another case of so close yet so far.  More importantly though, the effort of trying is what counts.  Surely everyone is bored of bean, egg, sausage, bacon and hash by now?  Great effort Sprolo!  I will be back.

WenY

Bites: Summer Degustation @ Amusé, Bronte Street

As I spend my summer days catching up with all the good folks in town, Amuse on Bronte Street in East Perth played host to one of those instances. Its presence as one of West Australia’s finest degustation restaurants stems from Amusè's inventive and slightly scientific approach to cooking.  The outcome like experiments can lead to some pretty amazing outcomes which always keep things interesting.  Does this elite institution still has what it takes to wow the crowd?

The Summer Degustation $135

Anticipation....

Flour and watermelon

Linseed and rice & Cheese and onion

Tapioca and crab

The starting courses at Amusé had always been a bit of a delicacy.  A mix of refined techniques plus a hint of mystery creates a social environment where diners are left intrigued.  Whether it was the sneaky puffs loaded with a bursty cheese filling or the bread stick wrapped with watermelon which emulates a trout, the courses felt queer yet extremely pleasant to the palate.  The comes the crab and tapioca jar which felt a little bland.  Sure it was subtle and to a certain provided that much needed summer freshness but it definitely did not hit the mark like the rest did.

Bread and butter

One thing I took away from the General Manager before leaving my old company was that Amusé serves really good bread.  He was right.  The bread was good, but the butter was even better.  Sure, Testsuya’s really serve me kick ass bread and butter but the one served at Amusé is probably two folds better than its nearest competitor. 

Parmesan, almonds, tomatoes, and nectarine

The infamous jar emitting a mysterious cloud of smoke before diners dig into crispy bacon, mushrooms and egg has now been replaced.  Fermented nectarine might not sound appetising but the clever combination was nice.  Unfortunately, diners like myself are still mesmerised by the past and not the present.  Bring back the egg in a jar! :P

Marron, red cabbage, cucumber and plum

Barramundi and beets

Both these produce of the sea displayed colours of summer.  One raw, the other cooked. Its approach was special, but taste felt rather normal.  

Duck, sweet corn, caraway and mushroom

While the duck was not overcooked, I strongly suspect it was a tad undercooked.  My companions around the table agreed too.  But flavour wise, it was superb.  Everything in the duck course agreed with one another, the smoky mushroom paste, the earthy-sweet corn and gamey duck. Kudos!

Beef, black garlic, daikon and shiso

Beef was very well-cooked but the whole dish did not have enough seasoning and felt a little bland.  There was not any strongly flavoured element in there.  At best, the daikon provided acidity to the dish and that was about it.  There was no fancy play with the black garlic or shiso.

Buttermilk, blueberries and passionfruit

Fig leaf, pumpkin seeds and ginger

After all my visits to Amusé, I have yet to be extremely satisfied with their dessert courses.  These two dessert courses to me is like a turning point in this modern institution.  Both desserts worked.  Refreshing, and decadent with a matching complexity.  Take the course of fig leaf, pumpkin  seeds and ginger.  Who would have thought of such a composition?  Amazingly, Amusé perfected the balance whilst leaving diner with a pleasant gingery note.  Buttermilk, blueberries and passionfruit, give it to me any day and I will be a happy man.

Petite fours; Mint, pepper-berry, dessert limes and lychee.

Re-visiting this degustation icon in Perth is still every bit enjoyable as it was before.  The food has changed with some courses surpassing its predecessors whilst some courses fared better in the past.  But as I have reinforced before, Amusé is not that boring restaurant where you eat something you expect to eat.  No, its not that predictable.  Here, everything is a little bit of an experiment.  As of such, hits and misses are apparent.  More importantly, when it hits a sweet spot Amusé does it really well!

See my previous posts:

Amusé 1st

Amusé re-visited

WenY

eatBANGKOK: WHAT, WHERE and HOW to eat in Bangkok

I am no expert in eating but I have no hesitation in claiming Bangkok as one of the top cities for eating. In this mini series called eatBANGKOK, I bring you what my homeboys Yobi, ZS and I ate through this bustling city.  Everyone boasts to present the cuisine in this Royal loving city best so the quality of food here can quite easily get diluted.  But are you really eating Bangkok’s best? This is WHAT, WHERE and HOW to eat Bangkok’s  popular and hidden eateries.

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Wang Lang Market @Thonburi  & Soi 38 @Sukhumvit

Here, go street food eating like a local and even chance on some rare offerings like the infamous Daniel Thaiger burgers.  Do not be afraid as most dishes are often cooked on the spot.  So whether its a piping hot coconut pancake, or the grilled pork coated in sticky sweet sauce, there is always something to keep your hands busy.

Nai Mong Hoy Tod @ Chinatown

Oyster omelette? More like Oyster fritters.  These crunchy fritters are delicious and with a little dipping sauce, they make a treat.  Just do not forget the small plates of perfectly fried crab rice.  

Best Beef @ Sukhumvit

Typical cuts of meat are boring talk.  But include coal for a back to basic cooking experience and life changing sauces, aced it Best Beef did.  And its all for less than 250 Baht.

Jae Piak @ Chinatown

Curry crabs are so yesterday.  So Jae Piak does generous portions of prawn with glass noodles cooked in a secret sauce like no one does.  Fantastic seafood clay pot dishes means finger actions at its best!  With only 4-5 dishes on offer, its simplicity at its best.

Doy Kuay Teow Reua @ Thanon Ratchawithi

With 4 exits around the monument, you have a 1 in 4 chance to hit the right spot for Bangkok’s best boat noodles.  Following a local’s advice, I took the road less traveled.  Just 5 minutes further in walking distance, this 15 Baht Boat Noodle is the best Bangkok has to offer. 

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Pad Thai Thip Samai @ Chinatown

Large juicy prawns, and wok-fried noodles coated in Thip Samai's special shrimp oil is all the rave.  Fill your nostrils with the fragrance of the rich shrimp oil. The queue of locals speak for itself.  But with a kitchen at the back to fry and a kitchen at the front to finish, the turnover is quick.  

Som Tam Nua @ Siam Square

The basket of fried chicken holds the brand name better than their papaya salad does.  That batter coating the juicy wings are aromatic with hints of garlic, onion, and ginger is simply sensational.  The seasoning is perfect and damn it was good.

Petite Audrey @ Siam Square

Exploited in so many flavours, the Mille Crêpe or million layer crêpe is a common dessert nowadays.  But Thai Milk Tea is not one of them, and Petite Audrey makes a unique one where the silky sauce matches a potent tea flavour with balanced sweetness.

Mango Tango @ Siam Square

Bangkok is laden with quality mango sticky rice desserts but no one serves a more elaborate mango dessert than Mango Tango.  Housed in a small container off Siam Square Soi 3, this mango inspired dessert house in Siam Square specialises in everything mango.

Tom Yam and Fish Cakes at “J-Eung” @ Chatuchak Market

No questions asked, this was down right the most mesmerising form of liquid I have had during the trip. This tom yam deviates away from the original one which is usually clear.  It was rich and cloudy for most parts and no, this was not Tom Kha.

A photo from my boat ride to Wang Lang market: