Bites: Amuse Re-visited @ East Perth

The last time the little darling and I came to Amuse, we were treated to a degustation like none other were the simplest of ingredients were turned into something extraordinary.  Hoping to relive our beautiful experience with our friends, we decided to have our last gathering for the year at Amuse.

Considering how much praises I had for them in my last visit, I will not dwell too much on each dish served but instead mentioned the high and lows for the night.

Snacks:

A “snack” of cured meat was not even half as satisfying as the bone marrow tubes the little darling and I had before.  It was rather unfortunate that the cured meat did not benefit from the curing as is did not pack the natural flavors that usually mellows with the meat but this still carried a porky stench.

Sweet potato crisps with sour cream was probably one of the nicer snacks along with the crackers topped with rosemary powder and edible flowers!

Tasmanian trout with dill and mustard on top of a thin layer of crisp was not as good as my previous visit because the crisp had turned soggy at the bottom.

Appetizers:Ceviche of blue ridge marron, poached marron claw, compressed melons and cucumber.  This for me was an appetizer not worthy of the Amuse household.  Its mediocre ceviche was served lukewarm making it feel as if the marrons have started turning bad.  Definitely a low especially when my friend got mild food poisoning later that morning.

Asparagus, green and white was a showcase of how one can do so much with so little.  Beautiful white asparagus was poached in pecorino oil while the green asparagus was shaved with its harder outer layer turned into ash and sprinkled on top pecorino cream.  To finish off was an asparagus soup which was delish.  This dish was not one of strong taste but rather a subtle sweetness of the asparagus.

Mains:

The obligatory half boiled runny egg served smoking in a jar.   Inside was a serve of egg, mushrooms, pine nuts and salty treat of crisp chicken skin. Slurps!!  This dish was voted the top “HOT” dish in Australia which was on par with a dish produced by Quay in Sydney!

Egg, mushroom and pine nuts!

Cuttlefish, pork and nettles.  This for me was one of the best dishes we had that night surpassing the mediocre cuttlefish dish I had in my first visit at Amuse! This beautifully composed dish was cooked spot on, topped with spicy crisps and sat on top of a salsa Verde which had more than 25 ingredients including chopped sausages.  It was delicious.  I enjoyed every bit of this dish as it was just the perfect pairing of ingredients although some might argue that the salsa Verde was a little too salty.

Rabbit, carrot and buttermilk sounds like the perfect Bugs Bunny story but this fell a little short of my expectations.  I loved the bit of the rabbit wrapped in silver beet cooked sous vide as it was super soft and tender but the other rabbit strip loin felt like corned meat and was really salty.  Perhaps it was meant to be corned but I must have missed that part of the description.

Our final savory course for the night was called the Duck, sweet corn and buckwheat.

But for me, the best bit of the night would have to be the duck course which was absolutely spot on in terms of cooking.  The duck was perfectly cooked I can guarantee, while the buckwheat provided a textural element with the grilled corn providing an earthy yet very delicious flavor when paired up with the gamey meat!!  Broccoletti though, felt as if it was there because mom says greens are good for you.

Palette cleanserGrape fruit, lychee and Thai basil. 

Desserts:Jersey cream, berries and rhubarb!  In an attempt to re-make a typical ice cream, Amuse has whipped up chill cream making it extremely light without losing it creaminess before topping the lot with rhubarb!  Put in a small jar on the side is a small compote consisting of grilled strawberries, crystallized blood orange and berries making this dessert delicious!   The fruits were a mix of sweet ripened ones and sour berries which provided different levels of sweetness in this dessert. I like this quite a fair bit despite its simplicity!

Our final dessert course before the petit fours is a course of chocolate, wattle and honey comb.  But do not be fooled, the chocolate here is no conventional chocolate but instead been served in a form of jelly.  While some might consider that special, I have never taken a liking to having my chocolate in the form of a jelly as there is no sense of creaminess in doing so.  All you get is a mild bitterness in it.  Other component were nice with a little liquid nitrogen play in freezing the ice cream so that it melts in your mouth.  But the unfortunate story is the bit where the little ice cream bits still take a little too long reach that state of creaminess and very often it is down your throat before it happens.  For me, this could have been a lot better.

After the sweet finish, we were serve complimentary tea and treatsPineapple jubes, sugared berries and half dipped tangerines were a very poor ending to the night.  Not really sure is this the intention of Amuse but the execution of the start and end was really poor.  For me, if Amuse was a person, the his/her image is totally tarnished.  The start and the end if really all that counts where outcome matters.  For me, Amuse has failed in this aspect.  The half dipped tangerine felt like Koko Black rip offs while the jubes have not improved from when I had it before.  Even the berries looked childishly prepared.  

Coming from a place like Amuse and a degustation menu which had increase in price, I certainly expected more from the kitchen.  On the bright side, the middle courses have certainly improved.  The cuttlefish was a shining start along with the perfectly prepared duck.   Unfortunately, the only saving grace were the savory menu.  The dessert bits were a tad of disappointment which quickly escalated to a large disappointment with the chocolate course. 

Was this a failure by the kitchen?  For me, I would like to think not as every degustation is an experiment.  However, my friend have a different dining definition and for him, a degustation is where the chef’s skills and imagination should be stretched to the limit.   If you have the definition of the latter, my dining at Amuse which totaled to over a $1000 tonight was by means a failure which only have a 6.5/11 approval for which a point was given to dishes I liked and 0.5 points where applicable.  For a meal that cost $130 per person, one would definitely have expected more.

WenY

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Bites: Bistro Guillaume Pt. 2 @ Crown, Burswood

Promising a return to Bistro Guillaume after a disappointing first visit, I am back here just two days after .   Some say “once bitten, twice shy”, but in this situation, it is a case of “don’t try, don’t know”.  Coming at 10pm, we were promptly seated and served unlike the first visit.  From there it was clear that the atmosphere at the Bistro has calmed down a  whole lot.  The crowds were more settled, the floor less frantic and everything has seemed to have slowed its paces.  In fact, even the waitresses are more composed and able.  For example, our waitress for the night very enthusiastically explained to us their dessert menu and accompanying hot drinks unlike the first time when we were just left with the menu.Just the restaurant half empty which for me was a perfect setting for a relaxing end to my Friday night.

 

Having felt disappointed at the complimentary bread initially, I had really hoped to see something worthy produced in this place tonight as part of the renown Guillaume franchise.  For dessert tonight, the little darling and I ordered the petit fours and a chocolate soufflé to share.The first three are the cocoa dusted chocolate truffles, aniseed cake, and caramel candy.  The petit fours were priced at $5 which was extremely cheap considering the variety we had.   And of course curious readers might be wondering why 5 varieties for something called Petit Fours, that is because the terminology actually means small oven in French and nothing to do with the number of mini desserts.   The chocolate truffles were one of the best I have ever eaten with its bitter cocoa dusting complementing the creamy velvety smooth chocolate filling.   The aniseed cake tasted very familiar but yet delicious.  As for the caramel, it was fantastic.  I am a big caramel fan and I cannot help but enjoy the  buttery rich flavors of a caramel candy!

 

At the other end, the pistachio macarons and fruit jubes were probably my highlight of the lot.  These sugary morsels were top notch.  Macarons had the right balance of sweetness with a hard shell which slowly develops to a chewy consistency through.  Pistachio flavors were obvious and for me, it was lovely.  Lastly were the fruit jubes which I have compared many times across my fine dining experience.  Fortunately, this is an extremely redeeming feature for the pastry kitchen who had initially failed to ‘wow’  me with their complimentary bread offering.  The jubes from my taste buds felt very fruity.  If I am correct, it was guava passionfruit flavor which had a good balance of sweetness and sourness.  The jubes had a good bouncy feel through it too.  This easily tops Jacksons and Amuse while sitting comfortably with the jubes offered by Le Atelier de Joel Robuchon.

 

The next dessert was the chocolate soufflé @ $22. Digging in, I was treated to a luscious warm spoonable chocolate that felt so light it was unimaginable.  More importantly, it was rich yet it did not feel cloying.  Pistachio ice cream felt spot on in term of texture and in terms of flavor it had a good pistachio fragrant too.  Judging by the number of these that were coming out of the kitchen, it was clear that this is a house specialty.  And from what I had that night, this will continue to be one of the most highly sought after desserts in town.  However though, I was slightly disappoint as I was imagining a small chocolate lava filling in there as well.  Nonetheless, this was delicious!

 

Having finished our drinks, we were very happy.  Whether it was a comparison to our dinner two days ago or to our dining experience at previous fine dining establishments, this is how my first meal here should have turned out.  I enjoyed the service we received as the waitress showed passion at doing her task and performs it well.  More importantly, she picks up the little things such as being able to tell that diners are shy for asking more and does it automatically to help us make our decisions. Absolutely helpful.  Even the little darling felt that the service we received was impeccable!  But how do you make a great night even better?  Why not have a picture with the owner Guillaume Brahimi himself? :)! It was super good! I think I can safely withdraw my negative criticisms now.  But even then, there still exist a certain doubt in mewhether we were treated better because they can or because Guillaume was in house or was it just because the crowd was lesser.  Anyways, it was a good start to my weekend! I am pleased!

 

WenY

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Bites: Bistro Guillaume @ Crown Casino, Burswood

After weeks if not months of anticipation and fully booked venue, the little darling and I landed our booking at Guillaume’s bistro at Crown Burswood, the new restaurant from the renown Guillaume Brahimi.  For me, this could not be a better way to celebrate our 29th Monthniversary, a date I came up with lols.   As we arrived at the bistro, we were served but told that we could not be seated at our table as it was still occupied.    After 15 minutes at the bar, we were finally seated.  

Bistro Guillaume! Finally!

 

Sitting down, one of the most notable feature of the restaurant was its quirky interior and how Guillaume has place his name all over everything. For me I liked the interior as it did not feel to cliché or pretentious.  Then comes one of the most dreaded parts of the evening, the ordering process.  On Urbanspoon, one user has even came up with a slogan for it called “French or Frantic”.  Yes the restaurant was full but with so many waiters and waitresses on the floor it should not be that hard.  After trying a few times, I finally got the attention of the waitress who mentioned that she was only here to serve bread and that taking orders were the task of the section waiter.  Ok FINE… I shall eat my bread.Crusty Bread!   Was pretty damn crusty on the outside but soft on the inside!   Served with the obligatory salt flakes and butter, it was hard to fault although Bistro Guillaume being French, I was expecting a twist in its pastry kitchen.  Maybe a small Croissant?  Ok perhaps that was an insult to think that French only makes Croissant.  But seriously, just a bread basket with 2-3 choices would not be too hard.

 

Sea Salt Flakes and Butter.   Without this, that crusty bread would have been impossible.  This was <3!

 

After a course of bread, our drinks arrived.  Darling’s Strawberry Frostie and my Butterscotch.While  the little darling’s drink tasted very familiar as she has mocktails every now and then, my cocktail of vodka, orange liqueur, and butterscotch felt delicious at first.  And typically being alcohol, it tasted pretty bitter.  But still a delicious treat for those not into drinks that taste too alcoholic!

 

I have always been a safe eater when it comes to my meals.  It was always legged or some sort of fish that I would call.  But being encouraged by fellow foodie Glenn of Glennlee and Chomp who reviewed this dish before, I ordered the Escargots En Persillade. Judging by what I was served, these tiny morsels which tasted no more than mushroom with an earthier note was covered in a delicious herb sauce.  Not exactly sauce but rather a perfect mix of parsley, butter and a very obvious amount of garlic.  As a first time Escargot eater, I was very satisfied.  It did not feel chewy and neither did it stink.  Probably the later was more important than the former.  Eating this, I could not help but hoped that I was given more bread to polish every single bit of sauce of this dish.  The bread given has this bloody outer crust that just won’t cooperate in absorbing all that delicious parsley butter!   Luckily enough, the miniature spoon was handy in making this cumbersome task a whole lot easier!  When I was done, I momentarily reflected on what makes a great dish while putting away the exotic ingredient because I felt like something was missing. And it did not take too long before I realized that the dish was missing some sort of depth in flavor.   Yes, a few to share would have been absolutely stunning, but a dozen of these soaking in buttery parsley all for myself?  I was too greedy.

 

For the little darling, she ordered the Onion Soup.Onion Soup, Old Bread and Melted cheese.  Typically something soupy would have gone down extremely well with the little darling.   But the onion soup at Guillaume’s was very rich in onion such that every scoop was filled with it.  To some, that might be lip smacking but for the little darling, it was a little overboard.   What she disliked even more was the fact that the soup was overly sweet.  She was hoping for something a little more delicate, more subtle.  The onions were ok but the sweetness was probably the thingy that she disliked the most.    I had a bite too and was wondering whether is even possible for onion soup to have such sweetness.  With no culinary knowledge, I can only assume that sugar must have been a component added somewhere along the line.

 

After finishing our appetizers, we talked and talked and talked and TALKED.  As we were pushed for time, we patiently counted the minutes and it took the chefs a whopping 35 minutes to bring our mains out despite us mentioning a couple of times that we had a busy schedule planned for the night.   Between the darling and I, we had a discussion about whether it was us being subjective because we were pressed for time but ultimately decided that it was just way too slow.

 

The mains:Veal tenderloin, Beet Root Puree and Baby Swiss Chard.  This was for me really delicious.  The meat was spot on.  Being served with beetroot puree almost felt like a no brainer.  Most gamey meat I have had always works with beetroot.  Lamb especially.  So it was no surprise how this dish went!!!!  Beautiful sweet beetroot which was immensely earthy paired with an earth vegetable.  Seriously a major amplification of taste.  The tenderloins were in a class of its own which was fantabulous!   Melt in your mouth feel was spot on.  This one I like, but was this French? I could not care less.

 

For the darling, her dish was the spectacle for the night.. or at least it looked great!For $42, this really had to be a fish and chip with an achievement so high that one could easily pick the clouds after eating it.  Presentation was really cool and unconventional with a fish split up to down when it is normally done the other way around.    The chips were the fattest ones I have seen in a long time and even the lemon felt cut to impress.  The fish came with a slab of parsley garlic butter aka beurre maitre d'hotel that was meant to melt and leave a lingering buttery taste to the fish.  And very pre-maturely, the experience ended.  Promised before hand was a beautifully filleted whiting, deboned, crumbled and deep fried.  From the first few bites which ended just halfway through the fish, the little darling was struggling.  Bones here, bones there and that was it.  I immediately hailed for the Maitre D’ and expressed my dissatisfaction.  He quickly offered a replacement which was a gesture of kindness but as we were short of time, I requested that it be removed from both the table and bill.   Over all, the darling found this dish to be good but lacking in finesse.  The proper removal of bones and a side serve of sauce would have definitely made its price worth it.

 

It was a moment of coma as I walked out of the restaurant.    This certainly felt like a very premature ending to my night.  There were no desserts, the dinner was not cheap as it amounted to $120 excluding the fish, the darling slightly unhappy and it all felt very surreal.  Was this how my first French experience was to be?  Unfortunately in Perth yes but luckily, not in my life.  I lost it at Le Atelier de Joel Robuchon which was probably a very smart thing to do.    Speaking of food, Bistro Guillaume was not by any standard crappy or lackluster.  It was good.  Perhaps very good for most people.  But for me, it just was not great.  If the little darling’s meal of fish and chips were added to the bill along with two dessert, it was very easily a $200 dollar meal;  and that is my benchmark for fine dining where in all honesty, a picture this decadent bistro would never qualify.  A bistro is still a bistro.  Nonetheless, that does not mean I am not returning. NO that is impossible.  Until that chocolate soufflé with pistachio ice cream please my mouth, Bistro Guillaume is not disqualified from  a rematch.

 

WenY

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A Wedding Dinner! Convention Center

A couple of weeks ago, my cousin got married at the convention center and told me that he had a feast prepared for all his guest knowing how much the family loves eating.  I have to say, I was blown away by the quality of the food we had that night :)!  Taking into account all the horrible experiences I had from past graduations, company events and even engineering cocktails, I guess it is safe to say that my cousin did well in his selection of food.  Most of the food photos are below with the exception of approximately 5 dishes?  I think we had more than 10 dish if each appetizer is considered a dish!

 

Buddha cups which had close resemblance to a Nyonya favourite, the Pie Tee.

 

Jelly fish and duck.  Slurps! Loved the blend of gamey duck meat and seasoned jelly fish!

 

Chicken Cake with Ham is the name of this dish.   Neither was the chicken or ham taste apparent.

 

Cold Prawn, Melon was decent but would benefit from a spoon treatment!  Bits of melon were impossible to pick up!

 

Spring rolls!

 

Sharks fin, dry scallops and fungus.

 

Singapore style chili prawns.

 

Shredded beef fillet steak, Chinese style sauce.

 

Dessert.  Mango Pudding, Strawberry Coulis and White Chocolate Flute.

 

 

More importantly, congratulations cousin :)!

 

WenY

Bites: IS Donburi

In William St. Arcade Northbridge, a change has swept the place making it home to the likes of Love Ty Neighbor, Superstar Waffles, and now, IS Donburi.  All of which has promising names and a superb feel of culture of them.  My previous visits to Superstar Waffles have made me mostly happy although, inconsistency are starting to be appear more obvious with the poor handling of crowds.  Its inability to cater for a wider demographics such as a gluten free society also reduces its marks.  So how does the new IS Donburi do when it comes to food?  Earlier this week, the boys and I had lunch there where we ordered:

Chicken Katsu Don (Spicy) @ $12.50 was bliss with a decent serve of deep fried good night set on an omellete egg cooked with onions and soy.  It was faultless and felt like a decent home-cooked meal but just extremely crunchy on all corners.  The spiciness for me was just spot on.  Its not like you get a spicy battered chicken but the chefs at ID just managed to squeeze in the heat unnoticeably.

 

Fish Teriyaki Donburi @ $12.50 was Andrews choice.  These deep fried goodness coated with Teriyaki Sauce was a pleaser as Andrew felt no fault with it.  The fish came in three types which were the salmon, king fish and basa.  For me, that is a brilliant spread of protein despite being all fish.  Its healthier for sure.  Andrew found it delicious, but for me, a little on the sweet side.

 

Kimchee Udon @ $12.50 was Win’s choice but a tragic event it was.  This was by far the worst I have seen.  To sum this pot, it’s a $12.50 bowl of carbs with Kimchee and a few slices of crab sticks which were incorrectly called fishcakes on the menu.  For me, there had to be a better deal than this.  Maybe more meat, a thicker broth or even some pork belly which would make it more Kimchee Chigae-ish?  All of which on a Monday afternoon did not really please my buddy Win.  I would not be very pleased either.

 

Other than what we ordered, I called a sushi to share with the guys for $3 bucks! That was a steal.  Rarely do we find $3 rolls anywhere.  But when spicy pork roll is filled with Korean style spicy pork, my mind was on a rewind back to when I first walked in.  The chef, the waitresses.  Hey its all Korean?  Ok not sure whether was it just me or what.  But that in no way matters as anyone can cook any food.  That has always been my belief and I standby it.

 

So, in the end really it was all about IS Donburi and for a lunch place, I find the price – quality balance plausible.  But for me, my tummy was not on an overdrive of hunger.  If I had came here for dinner, I could easily rake up $30+ on my bill, and I would definitely think twice.  Places like IS Donburi falls into my category of dilemma where a middle quality restaurant charges me for middle quality food.  For little more than $40 comes the set menu at Bonsai and other places like Halu, Satsuki, Izakaya Sakura will only need $50+.   Cheaper yet extremely bitchy place like Kanta  @Langford charges $20-30 for an awesome meal.

 

This sort of things makes places like IS Donburi extremely unattractive.  For me, it has certainly priced itself out of the market.  I would go to Tan PoPo or Taka for one cheap meal and a damn good one elsewhere like Bonsai, Ha-Lu, Satsuki and what not.   This really to me feels like a no brainer.  Such concept also extends to my steak meals where there is no way I would pay for two $40 dollar meal at Hog’s Breath anymore.   Instead a home cooked steak and a meal at Rockpool.  Sorry IS Donburi.  You are only lunch material.

 

WenY

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Bites: Thailicious @ Northbridge

Thailicious is one of the newer restaurants in town which really benefits the coupon selling industry.   Without new experimental places like these, people like me tend to get caught up in our comfort zone by going to restaurant we always go to.   Placed along the bustling strip of James Street, Thailicious sits next to Oliver’s, a place which I had high regards for.  Arriving on time, I was promptly seated by the waitress and was politely informed of the limitations for the coupon I had which she did again when my dining companions arrived.  Admittedly, I have always had a soft spot for the service provided at Thai restaurants as they are  often more polite than most. 

 

For appetizers, we started with tiny morsels of decadent Thai chicken balls.Before you readers get at me for calling simple chicken balls moreish, how many times have chicken balls served to you come out tasting like pre-made ones of out the bags?  For me, one too many times.  These here were the subject of some TLC before being crumbled and fried.  Though dressing and salad felt all too cliché, I was sold as the balls packed good flavor.  But 6 balls for $19.50 is a hard buy.  Top Nepalese restaurants sell 10 momos for $15 and that was simply sublime when I had it here @ the Himalayan Restaurant Victoria Park.

 

The next appetizer were the fish cakes tasted TYPICAL.  It had all the qualities of a Thai fish cake in terms of flavors but what it lacked for me perhaps is that just cooked till right consistency which was a little bounce and an easy to bite apart feel.  These felt a little overcooked making them tough.

 

After our appetizers, it did not take long for our mains to be served.  This I guess were one of the benefits of eating out on a weekday!The chicken fried rice was served very artistically shaped like hmmmmmm a flan? Ok bad description but lets move on.  It tasted alright but felt a little sweet.  Each bit of rice was perfectly cooked mainly whole although crush at some places.  And here comes my biggest complain.  I hate those god damn frozen vegetables which I term “3 color poison”!.  These are just a pain to see and eat.  My travels in Bangkok never once was I served such pesky vegetables but they are all over in Australia.  Is it really that hard for some leafy greens to make their way onto the table?  SAD! :(!

 

The Panang Pork curry was one of the highlights that night.  It was simply sublime when served hot.  When my friend’s mom made this for us earlier this year,  I was blown away.  I am used to the runny curry just oozing with flavor but when served dry, it actually alleviates the taste of the curry.  At Thailicious it falls somewhere in between and was to me, still delicious.

 

The duck curry to me is still my very first experience at Thai curry when I first flew to Bangkok nearly 13 years ago.  And even today, it still is a dish I hope to relive its glory.  For me, the only curry which has a good balance of fruitiness, spice and textures are the ones served at Ying Thai 2 in Melbourne.  My past experiences in Perth has never left me satisfied.  Unfortunately, Thailicious falls into that category as well.  For me, it was tasty but overly sweet and the amount of duck meat was miniscule.  And to a certain extent, a little too oily!

 

The deep fried fish fillets topped with aromatic Thai herbs was another dish that is on my good books other than the Panang Pork curry.  The fillets were crisp, the herbs were tantalizing and more importantly, well executed.  But be vary, do not bite into the herbs at the top.  I did and I almost died there.

 

The last dish was the basil stir-fried beef with chilis! It was again another dish that was rather typical but it was typically good.  For me, this dish is a comfort food used to top a rice bowl and finished with a fried egg.  This was no lesser of standard compared to S & T Thai Café on William Street which to me serves the best Pad Ka Prow.

 

At the end of the night, we were all filled.  It was a long dinner of 6 mains (some with no pictures) a few appetizers and drinks for the table.  For the quality of food that we were served, I felt satisfied.  The coupon for 6 of us costed something like 70 bucks which was extremely cheap.  Comparing that price to the menu, the meal should have cost more than $150.  I recently read comments on Urbanspoon mentioning that the city has a gap of somewhat the cheaper places like S & T Café which is more suited for a quick meal and the more expensive places like Dusit Thai.  True enough, places like Thailicious with a more upmarket setting fits nicely in the middle.  But how does this compare with the need?  After all, it is being really good or really bad that keeps you in people’s memories.  Being average is really nothing to shout about.   Fortunately though, its just the pricing that falls in between, not the quality.  Most of the dishes served to me was pretty good.  Even my picky sister would agree with the exception of the tom yam which she felt tasted like out of the bottle.

 

WenY

Bites: Dragon Seafood @ Northbridge.

While its younger brother Dragon Palace on Francis Street is known for the posh and glitzy interior, its the older Dragon Seafood that still packs the punch many might have overlooked in search of ambience.  My lunch there earlier this week clearly proved that because if anything at all, Dragon Palace merely recreates the quality of dim sum seen at Dragon Seafood.

The usual suspects included the Siew Mai which pack a burst of juicy pork and delicious prawns under the same skin.  As I have mentioned before, the Siew Mai at Dragon Palace is the best in my opinion and this clearly was not any lesser.

These were deep fried crab cakes which were ok.  Typically, I find most Chinese Restaurant using crab flavored meat than the real deal itself.  This was no different.

Bean curd rolls were one of the more moreish food that lunch.  I enjoyed it delicious filling of meat, vegetables and prawn.  The braising sauce used was flavorsome as expected.

Sister’s favorite were the pot stickers which did not appeal on the outside but on the inside, it was all game on.  Super juicy pork meat with the perfect amount of green onions.  Perfect for dunking in the vinegar or enjoyed just by itself!

These are one of my dim sum favorite but as I have always complained, the chicken feet in Perth are plagued with inconsistency revolving about the tenderness of the dish.  More often than not, the dish has not been given sufficient time in the steamer making it touch to chew.  Unfortunately, this is one of those times :(!

Last but not the least were the egg tarts.  Not only is this a favorite of mine, but dad’s as well.  These were delicious except for the fact that they were serve cold which possibly indicates the lack of demand.

At the end, the food was no 10 out of 10 but neither was it a flop.  For me it is good as the benchmark of dim sum has been met.  But the usual complain is what really stands out to make a dim sum place outstanding.  For me, there isn’t a factor that makes this place perform better than other.  But if you hate the queue and can do with a less dainty setup, Dragon Seafood definitely meets that criteria.  Also, chili sauce and oil is a self service thing here with no extra charge, so if you are sick and tired of flagging one waiter after the other just for sauces, this might just be your cue!  Despite a rush lunch, I was satisfied with the food I had.

WenY

Bites: Crust @ Victoria Park

Crust Pizza has been from my memory about a 2 year old franchise in Victoria Park.  Its that sort of thing which the little darling says she want to try and we kept mentioning it but never actually did go and try it.  Fortunately, one can make amends and recently, I received an invitation from Crust Mount Lawley’s Michelle to go and give their latest offering a shot.  To celebrate the summer season, Crust Pizza has decided to reinvent the classic Margherita and to finish the meal on a healthy note, a caramelized fennel salad.

 

Crust @ Victoria Park!

 

The Heirloom Tomato Upper Crust Pizza @ $19 is one of Crust Pizza’s new offering.

For this price you get delicious flavors which for me highlighted the intensity of the tomatoes.  The tomatoes under the pizza oven has developed to the extent where it start caramelizing creating that plump juiciness which just oozes when bitten into.  I could barely fault with the tomatoes being the main element except for its content!  It was perfectly ripe, juicy and just perfect in so many ways.  While that for me was an extreme highlight for such a pizza, I on other hand do question the existence of the buffalo mozzarella which as my photo shows look no more than dollops of mayonnaise.  It barely had any effect.  For $19 it soon becomes a question of value as such old school Margherita was executed so close to perfection but its content did not suffice.  For me, I could have passed on the buffalo Mozzarella but definitely double up those tomatoes.

 

The next pizza which the Peking Duck Pizza @ $24 came recommended by close friends and the store owner Michelle herself.

This pizza unlike the vegetarian Heirloom Tomato one was covered by a generous amount of shredded duck meal and bok choy.  Its flavors felt close to a typical Peking Duck but could have been better with if those fresh pungent spring onions.  The flavors were really good all in all.  For me the only thing that my fussy side faulted with is the crust of this.  Not quite used to such rough and crispy edges for my Peking Duck dish.  But hey, this is a pizza is it not? Overall, this was a pretty solid performer.  It had quality and consistency albeit my dining companion found the sweetness a little too intense for her liking.

 

And the refreshener to lift the mood off the gueey cheese was the Caramelised Fennel Salad

If this dish is all about the caramelized fennel, then this is already a winning recipe.  But because the fennel is part of the dish and not a dish of its own, it has to gel with the rest of the lot which includes crumbled ricotta, proscuitto, fresh greens and roasted hazelnut.  For me, it was pretty good if not for the lack dressing which made this too dry.  Just felt as if there is not enough moisture as all we were given was a small packet to pour on top. Over as a salad it was not bad but definitely could have been better.

 

Now that I have eaten as much as I could, I was stuffed and jaw was partly aching from my attempt of trying to down both pizzas which failed miserably.   I cannot thank Michelle enough for this special invitation as I am now able to tick Crust of my list of to places try for 2012.  What Crust has offered me today is a very unique combination of pizzas which buck the trend of what is considered typical.  But with  a price that is not in any way cheap, Crust face a whole lot of contention including Italian staples like Ciao Italia or Il Padrino and even Australian Champs Little Caesars and  Olympic pizza champion Delizioso.   Nevertheless, I believe the Pizzas such as the Peking Duck are there to stay as fans will always look forward to the outstanding flavors the Crust has an offer and while a well composed Pizza Margherita is likely to sell, the few tomatoes are a hard buy for its price.  It either has to be a fair bit cheaper or a whole lot more tomatoes :)!

 

WenY