Bites: Gaya at Applecross–revisited.

After leaving this restaurant last year with a huge 70% discount thanks to the bloggers promotion by owner Leo, I was still every bit compelled to be honest.  I told Leo that if I were to pay full price, I was not really sure whether I would be as happy as I was with a 70% discount.  His food was great and in terms of Korean, it was almost on the edge of contemporary.  I am receptive to new ideas and this was a cuisine I enjoyed.  But perhaps a promotion like a fix priced 3 course menu to add value to the dollar will help his business break the ice to the market.  To my delight, 3 months later Leo has put my advice to action and his restaurant Gaya now serves 3 course meals for a very decent $50.  That includes a complementary appetizer, an assortment of kimchee, followed by your choice of appetizer, main and dessert.

 

That night, the complementary appetizer was a pancake drizzled with chili mayo.  It was much simpler than the rice win cake served in my previous visit.  But I liked it better.

Whilst I did not have a photo of their new trio of kimchee, I felt that Gaya has taken one step back from being contemporary to stick to its more traditional roots. In other words, to suit a layman’s liking.  Definitely the way the public wanted it.

 

My choice of appetizer was the asparagus, with cream cheese and enoki mushrooms wrapped by a thin slice of beef.  Seared just to color, and drizzled with a teriyaki style sauce.  Good flavors but I tend to like cheeses with flavor and cream cheese is not one of it unfortunately.    Yet this dish was delicious in its own way although the enoki tends to get stuck between your tooth!

 

XL went straight to one of Gaya’s new starters to seek refuge for her hungry tummy.  The cheesy pancake. It was a fusion between a pizza and a kimchee pancake.  I will be honest that it was a shocking find to a restaurant seeking contemporary status.  But in terms of flavors, it was hard to bash.   In every slice were the joys of the stringy cheese crossed with the excitement of the kimchee.

 

With our main’s,  XL chose the bulgolgi stew.  We had it at the border of North Korea and she orders this at almost every Korean place she steps into.  Her comments were positive on this one.  It was generous, tasty and really hearty when you are starving.  But was it the best she had?  She digress and said it could be less sweet.  It was for me a little on the sweet side too.

 

My main was a noodle dish served in a rich prawn bisque.  A clever mixture of green and yellow noodles with various textures from the deep fried battered root vegetables and shaved salad.  It had good flavor but the intensity of the prawns made the end of the plate an impossible journey.  For me, I tend to like my dishes served hot or cold.  In this one though, the shaved salad was cold bringing the whole dish to room temperature.  In my opinion it felt neither here nor there but that was just a matter of preference over the chef’s intension.

 

As for the dessert, I stuck to my favourite Hott-teok and Gaya’s signature dessert, the Red Misu. Needless to say, after a 2 week long street food journey in Seoul last year, nothing was more nostalgic than these little pancakes filled with piping hot cinnamon syrup.  I loved every bit of it.  In fact, Leo decided to put more sugar in mine this time.  It was yums!  Perhaps a little burnt but still every bit delicious.

 

With the Red Misu, see my previous post on it here WenY Wonder’s Why: The Gaya @ Applecross.My verdict?  Like mentioned before, the food the Gaya prepares is Korean with a modern twist.  Improvement and changes are definitely a possibility; but in the capable hands of Leo it is not too far away.  Tonight’s dinner was a bit of a hit and a miss.  But like with all experiments, there are good and bad outcomes.   Nonetheless, it is these experiments that keeps us foodie tongues surprised and keen to try.

 

WenY

Bites: Eureka Chinese Restaurant, Wilson

Good Chinese food is simply irresistible.  I come from a background of extremely good Chinese cuisine and back home, most of it has been taken for granted. This makes me treasure the little gems I find in Perth even more.  Last week, my meal at Eureka Chinese in Wilson was a recommendation of my friend Bel.  Her mom knows the chef whom hails from Malaysia and without a doubt I was keen to try.  With a host of regular dishes found off  the main menu, it pays to order a few dishes in advance to avoid disappointment.  This includes the cold shredded chicken with spring onions, finely chopped shallots and fragrant ginger soy as well the Eureka’s famous Roasted Duck.

 

The shredded chicken is a cold appetizer.  But unlike the usual suspects like the cold pig trotter, marinated jellyfish or drunken chicken, this was heaps more delectable.  In fact, this could double up as a main dish as the sauce was just sensational when eaten with rice.  All the finely sliced herbs were an amazing condiment for the tender shredded chicken.  Top with some of the soy sauce and it was literally home run.   Cold appetizer: tender shredded chicken, soy, ginger and shallots.

 

Next up was the Kangkung Belacan and Sizzling Bean curd which I do not have a photo of!  My dear friends could not help digging in!  Hmmph!  The Kangkung was yummy and extremely tasty despite having minimal lashings of sambal Belacan.  It makes me wonder how it became so tasty!  Nonetheless, it tasted very Malaysian.  With the bean curd, it was very TYPICAL.  Thankfully, it was typical good.  Much to rave about it?  Probably not, but definitely no problems either :P!

 

One of Bel and D’s favorites which they order every time they visit is the fish two style.  One was a deep fried salt pepper fillet while the other was a stir fry with vegetables.  As simple as they might turn out, it was actually worth the price and tasty too!  This 2 kg monster was only $68.  But this dish was not without its flaws.  The big turn off?  Beware! Not all fillet are equal without bones.  There were some nasty little bits which might catch you by surprise.  So, definitely be careful :)!

 

Last but not least was Eureka’s signature Roast Duck ($30) which needs to be ordered at least 24 hours in advance.  Tender, crispy skinned duck in its full glory this one was.    Its seasoning was spot on with all the herbs rubbed into the ribs and such.  The meat was flavorful and seriously good.  Definitely up there with some of the best places in town.  But if I had one request, it would be for a thicker sauce.  Or perhaps more of the sauce!  Having spoons of sauce and roast duck with rice is easily a Chinese meal that keeps most happy  :)!In a nut shell, Eureka Chinese Restaurant falls under my description of an honest home style restaurant which we do not get very often in Perth.  The cooking is authentically Malaysian and its price was extremely reasonable.  Sittings are extremely limited with the venue fitting little more than 30 people at any one time.  Put 3 large tables in the equation and you are only left with small tables for 10 people? Nevertheless, get a booking a few days before and you will be easily sorted! Do not forget the roast duck per-order :)!  My only wishes are that the dishes come out consistent.  Various places I have been to tend to be inconsistent.  But the good ones like Hawkers and HK BBQ in Northbridge never fail to keep my buds happy! Hope this place keeps doing the same thing too.

 

WenY

Bites: Brunch at Piccolo’s Corner, West Leederville

This weekend is set to be a long one.  And with the mercury dropping over the weekends, I am definitely going for a run.  Then comes the big question!  What is for breakfast?!   Finishing my run with some friends last week, we settled for a highly rated café in West Leederville.  Do not be mistaken, it is not along the main café strip but rather, near to Lake Monger amongst the homes.  Piccolo’s Corner is a quaint little place, old décor, and with a random matching old antiques.  The sitting on the inside is quite limited with an extra 10 on the outside, so definitely come in early rather than late.

 

Drinks were aplenty but we decided to settle on some cooler fruit juices.  Piccolo’s Corner is definitely acing it in the juice department.  You can mix and match fruits from the board all for the same price!  My friends were all being lame.  With a base of watermelon, Mei added pears and apples while Andrew only had apple while Hendra had watermelon. =.=! I settled for a more refreshing Iced Green Tea to keep me hydrated.

 

Piccolo’s Corner has a decent offering when it comes to brunch.  Mei’s choice was the melted cheese bagel with jam and poached eggs.   She loved the melted cheese on the bagel half.  But to finish her meal, she was stealing bacon from her hubby Hendra to sort out the remainder eggs and bread. Andrew had a similar dish without the cheese.  He hates cheese!

 

Mine was the smashed pumpkin, basil pesto, poach egg and ricotta.  Mei felt that it was an overload of carbs and it seemed like that to be honest.  It was after all, pumpkin and bread!   But the combination was lovely.  I am not the biggest fan of pumpkins but the mix of pesto, ricotta and pumpkin was flawless.   It was sweet, salty, and fragrant in each bite along with the mild tartness of the Ricotta.  Superb!

 

Picollo’s Breakfast avocado, bacon, chutney, and egg with an extra serve of bacon.  Bacon overload here.  But who can fault with the king of processed meats.  With all the little bits of salt and crispiness, its lure is hard to resist for sure.Hendra had no complains here.  A mix of avocado, eggs and chutney was pleasing.  As expected with a good mix of flavors!

 

Thinking of breakfast this weekend?  Sick of cooking?  Definitely try Piccolo’s Corner if you have not.  There must be a reason why locals love this place.  But then again, do not get killed by the hype.  Just kick back and enjoy brunch ;)!  Also, with the ridiculous queues plaguing brunch spots like Sayers and Tuck Shop, it is a blessing to have other places like this!

 

WenY

Bites: French Dining at Chez Pierre, Nedlands

One week goes and another week comes! With this being the last week of my absolute freedom, it is only sensible that I do what I enjoy best! Eat and Blog my heart out :)!  In this post, I have a place that is slightly romantic and well-suited to special occasions.  Last week, I was lucky enough to celebrate my sister’s birthday with her at Chez Pierre in Nedlands, an established French Fine Dining.  While its ala carte menu tips the scale similar to Rockpool, and Balthazar, Chez Pierre has created a weekly menu called the Taste of France, a 3 course set menu for $58.50.  Complete with bread, amuse bouche and palate cleanser, the menu visits a province in France each week and put some of Perth’s freshest ingredients to the test.  This week was Lorient.

Chez Pierre’s crusty bread was one of the best in town with my sister commenting that it was better than the one she had in Print Hall the night before. The constant chomping of the bread around the table was a constant reminder that my sister was probably right.  Soft on the inside, along with its crusty outside made it a joy to eat.  Now, if only the butter was up to scratch! Hmmm!  As for the amuse bouche, we had a roasted tomato gazpacho, a refreshing start to the meal that she liked too!

First to hit the table was a dish inspired by the Lorient region.  Seared Tiger Prawns, quinoa, summer vegetables and a beurre blanc sauce.The dish got mixed reviews around the table with my sister and fishman feeling that the prawns were a tad overcooked leading it to being tough .  But I was less judgmental and suspected that the toughness in the prawn’s flesh were more of a size factor but the cooking was undeniably mildly-flawed too. After all, the prawns were huge ass!  I like the textures of the quinoa which reminded me of how flexible this ancient grain was!  Beurre blanc sauce very light and creamy but I wished for a bit more flavor in there.  Speaking of quinoa, I totally am missing the awesome one served at Sepia last May!

After finishing the appetizers, our palate cleanser came.  It was your typical sorbet drizzled with sweet wine.  The end product felt somewhat like a Limoncello sorbet topped with Ribena haha.  It was nice to eat but as a palate cleanser I am not sure whether the strong overbearing sweetness helped.

Then comes my personal favorite for the night, the Amelia Park Rump of Lamb.   Its cooking style was minimalistic and brought the best out of the lamb.  It was cooked spot on with some parts just melting in your mouth.  XL who does not normally eat the gamey meat was amazed by the quality of the rump and eventually polished her plate clean.  The fricassee which the rump rested on was sautéed to perfection with all of its elements cooked just nice with the lamb jus.  Yummy!

Last but not least was the dessert, a slice of Pistachio & Strawberry Frangipani Tart with Crème Anglaise & Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream.While I am not the biggest dessert fan, I have a few criteria for a good one which includes having a dessert that is no ridiculously sweet.   In this instance the tart did not taste sweet and the accompanying Crème Anglaise was silky smooth.  However, I was not the biggest fan of the tart mainly because there was a lingering almond meal taste.  Something I really dislike.  Saying that, this is a matter of personal preference.  Jim had absolutely no problems and polished it clean along with XL and YH.   It had to be pretty decadent for them to like it!

I have a few places where one can dine and impress without blowing a hole in the wallet and this definitely gets onto that list.  Kanta, Bonsai, Nine Fine Food, Cantina 663 and Old Crow are a few names on that list too.  Without drinks they all cost below $60 (or $30) for a very yummy meal that portrays sufficient technique and flavor to make one’s evening memorable.  Chez Pierre in Nedlands along with its Flavors of France promotion is definitely a great way to taste a slice of France without being left to feel poor after.  Over all it was pretty good.  Memorable?  Maybe in between?  Oh and I almost forgot, the service was good too!

WenY

Bites: Five Bar @ Mount Lawley

Mount Lawley has always been a treasure throve for foodies.  From my epic fine dining at Jackson’s to the best tapas at Cantina’s 663, there was very little to hate on this happening street.  In fact, if budget is a concern do not be put off by the likes of Must Wine Bar, Beaufort Street Merchant or Jackson’s as there are plenty of others in town that could feed for $20 or less.  I spent student days eating at a little Japanese shop called Tan PoPo while I discovered Mr Munchies Sushi’s a year or two ago.  And now, Five Bar on 560 Beaufort Street was my latest haunt.  Believe it or not, it was definitely a place that can feed for a moderate amount of money.  Here is my lunch experience.

 

First up were the Ham Hock & Cheddar Croquettes with Chutney  for $12.  Golden brown croquettes are best enjoyed right away.  It was crispy with a subtle hint of smokiness from the ham hock bits.  More decadent were the occasional bites of gooey melted cheddar :)!   My only dislike was the chutney.  When eaten it had a bitter taste instead of a fruity bite @@!

 

Next up was the Beef Tartare with Horseradish, shallots and brioche for $17.  While my beef intake has been quite occasional, coming across such a promising dish felt too hard to give a miss.  Fortunately the beef tartare was absolutely moreish with all the bits of pickle giving it a very intense flavor which was a mix of salty, sweet and sour.  Having the tartare with some horseradish and a sprinkling of shallot was a perfect pairing.

Beef Tartare with Horseradish, shallots and brioche.

 

 

FIVE’S Philly Steak Sandwich was around $15.  It was a nice bread with decent chunks of steak and caramelized onions all held together by a slab of melted cheese.  Now, if only we could get a little more sauce in there?! The first bite was good, but by the second one it turned bland.  More flavor and more sauce please!   This could have been a bad ass sandwich that could turn the biggest bread haters to lovers.

 

FIVE’S Bahn Mi Roll ($13) was another bread dish shared amongst the three of us that day. Hoisin pulled pork, coriander, mayo and chili in a ciabatta. Could this Five Bar’s rendition on the classic Bahn Mi best its predecessors?  It really depends on how you feel a Bahn Mi should be.  For me the combination used at Five Bar lacked the necessary flavors which I dubbed the South East Asian kick.  A kick where each mouthful should bowl you over with a salty, sweet, and sour flavor with hint of heat.  Not to mention a refreshing bite that keeps you wanting more and more! I liked the coriander and chili bits but found the pork a little unenthusiastic and the use of the hoisin sauce unnecessary for such a bread classic as it feels a little cloying.  Or perhaps unnatural.  

 

 

Last but not least on the table were Noona’s Meatballs ($14)

At Five Bar, a serve of Noona’s will get you 6 tasty meatballs topped with a rich tomato sauce, cheese and a sprinkling of herbs.  Honestly, was would there be to complain about?  Simple pleasures for sure!  Worth ordering! But I wished they would have given a few toasted ciabatta on the side with a little more sauce to go with as it was not very filling for $14.  Saying that, I remember the yummy meal I had at Ace Pizza awhile ago! 

 

 

Our bill totaled to $96 dollars including a few rounds of drinks for my companions, but the meal itself would have been slightly over $60.  If you are an OK sized eater like myself, it is definitely enough to fill you up.  While there were a few ups and downs throughout the meal, I would thoroughly recommend the croquettes, beef tartare and meatballs which were delicious!  In terms of bread, I could have tried Five Bar’s highly rated Reuben Sandwich instead of the Bahn Mi or the Philly Steak.  But as I am a trigger happy person when it comes to ordering, I have no regret whatsoever.  Despite disliking the Bahn Mi or the Philly Steak, they were hardly a bad eat and would fall in the upper end of my “OK” scale.  Service was prompt and the environment at Five Bar is so laid back on a Sunday afternoon it feels right to come in and chill out.  There is also a pool/snooker table if you are keen.

 

 

WenY

Bites: Trustee Bar & Bistro @ Perth (revisited)

Having had a stellar meal just a few months back, Yv had massive cravings for the lovely Chateaubriand we had before.  Since she was going back to Malaysia, we decided to pay a visit.  Coming in for our reservation at 8.30pm, our seats were still occupied but we decided that we were not that hungry and could wait.  However, the noise in the establishment was just atrocious which would probably be a Friday night norm.   Nonetheless, we were not any quieter anyways haha.  We ordered a whole lot of food to share with the Chateaubriand the centerpiece of our meal.

 

First up the table were 3 serves each of the liver parfait and tuna steak tartare.

The parfait was OK, but with the relatively strong contention in the parfait category around town I could barely praise the offerings on the table.  It was creamy as, but somehow the accompaniments did not feel as strong as the ones I get from Cantina 663 or Old Crow.  So for me, it did not leave the best impression for sure. And while I was expecting huge flavors from the fish tartare, it turned out OK but nothing much to rave about.  The highlight was probably the unique addition of the sorbet which was rather nice but other than that it did not quite hit the sweet spot.

 

Next up was the shiitake and prawn linguine.  The appearance was rustic with the ingredients all chopped up into random odds and sods but hmmm.  In my first bite, it struck me that the flavors were rather bland.  If anything at all brought this dish to life, it was the parsley which was extremely refreshing as well as the occasional burst of shitake juices which have soaked up all the flavors of the pasta sauce.We also called another beef pasta which was significantly better than the prawn one but still lacked an impact big enough to change the course of the night.  What exactly do I mean?  Well read up my meal at No.4 Blake Street where I had one of the best pasta courses which totally set my horrendous meal on a road to recovery. See my review on No.4 Blake Street here.

 

Last main for the night were two humungous serves of Chateaubriand. It came in two large trays looking as glorious as it did before. But, does it taste as good? While I would love to say yes, I could not. The beef in terms of cooking came out perfect. The middle was still red and moist while the outside has some really beautiful charred marks. But something about the beef today.. it felt quite bland. I am not sure whether Trustee usually dry age their beef slightly before cooking, but it just did not taste as good as it did before. Some even found the middle to be a little mushy. Is that even possible?Then comes the sides of bread and marrow.  The bread were quite nice little things to eat but it just did not go well with the beef.  The marry my old favourite were plenty this time but tasted horribly raw this time.  All those who came with me to the Trustee before remembered it to be very nice, with all the crumbs and herbs stuff onto it.  This time, it was just appalling.

 

By the end of the night we had ordered 6 appetizers, 4 pastas, 2 chateaubriands and a bill of large numbers for this table of 8.  Satisfied we were not. In fact, while many have lamented the service, it was pretty good as we only came in at 8.30pm and by 9.30pm, most had already left by then.  But the food, oh boy!  I really wished it could be better.  If I had to choose the star for the night, it would be a little bit of everything.  Some parts of the beef were stellar, but the whole cube was not.  I love the shitakes in the linguine as well as the prawns bits but not the mildly bitter leaves which I forgot to mention earlier.  The sorbet on the tuna tartare was nice, but the seasoning was plain.   In the end, it was hard to really say and to be honest with everything so half-baked, the night ended in a mess.  But was it as good of an eat as it was a few months back?  Definitely NO.  A big NO.  Thankfully as always, the company was awesome!  Which brings me to the ultimate question of my visit to the Trustee Bar & Bistro, am I still loving it?  While it will be too hard to write them off completely, I am high skeptical about a place when I have to pay top dollar to roll the dice, and hence, I will feel less interested to pay a visit in the future.  This meal was totally different compared to my stellar meal back in May.

 

Bites: Trustee Bar & Bistro @ Perth

WenY