Bites: Fried Chicken Goodness @ 7Grams Chicken, North Perth.

Winner winner chicken dinner.  The KFC craze has not slowed in Perth.  Starting as an appetiser on the KBBQ table, it is now worthy of being the centrepiece of any meal.  7Grams Chicken in North Perth started appearing on my Instagram feed a couple of months ago.  The pictures you would expect looked superb.  Crunchy chicken coated in a sticky sweet marinade.  How can one say no?! To put in to the test, I decided to go there for a meal.

My mate’s coffee to get him started.  If you are looking for value, look no further as nothing gets bigger than this.

A whole mug of frothy goodness.

The first batch of chicken we ordered was a combination of the honey soy and sweet chilli chicken.

These were super tasty with the marinate coating the chicken well.  Even better was the fact that the chicken batter underneath stayed crispy!! So every time I bite into the kitchen, there was more than flavour.  There was a layer of promising crunch each time.  My dislike?  The level of sweetness.  I reckon both the honey soy and sweet chilli chicken had a sweetness beyond the norm.  But that was fine because they were meant to be sweet.  

The Spicy Chilli and Cheese at 7Grams Chicken.

Its every bit what you would expect from the combination of chilli and cheese.  Spicy, salty, slightly sweet and rich with the melted cheese!  Its nowhere near as sweet as the honey soy or sweet chilli but instead, has a hint of sweetness that keeps you going despite the heat.  It was exciting!  Chopped up raw onions added to the kick and over all, the 7Grams's Spicy Chilli and Cheese Fried Chicken was what I wanted!  

We also ordered some sides such as the onion rings, fries, and salad.  No real big favourite amongst the lot as they were all OK only.  But no way in the world would I say no the chips or onion rings when eating fried chicken.  After all, what could be a more perfect combination than fried chicken and chips!?  7Grams Chicken in North Perth is a pretty decent feed.  The menu was a combination of hit and misses but that is if you were as fussy as me!  Flavours for most parts were a pleasant experience and I enjoyed it.  The Spicy Chilli and Cheese Fried Chicken gets a special mention for its crispy chicken coated in a sticky spicy chilli sauce topped with oozy cheese and tangy onions! Booms!!

WenY

Bites: Gorgeous Pastas @ Mason & Bird, Kalamunda.

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

Bali 2016: Seafood Dinner @ Menega Cafe, Jimbaran

Days go and nights come, but in between is a beautiful evening sun set.  After strolling through the town of Kuta we settled for a sunset dinner at seafood heaven Jimbaran.  Known for its local-tourist discriminating prices and its posh set menus featuring matchbox size crab and lobsters, most brand Jimbaran with the “do not go tag”.  But when you’re with a local, Jimbaran becomes a pretty damn good seafood spot.  Two years ago I came to Menega Cafe and left dreaming of the amazing butter sauce they used on their clams.  This time, I am re-visiting Menega Cafe.  Will I still be impressed?

The scenery earlier, as the sun starts to set is lovely!

Menega Set Menu:

The set menu which gives us a few of the basics.  Fish, squid, and lobster were “OK”, but hardly necessary.  These comes as part of a set so I just have it.  The best thing in the set are the 6 clams it comes with.  We  had to ordered more of it for sure!

Grilled prawns.

Grilled clams with Menega Cafe's special sauce.

The verdict from before still stands true.  Set meals at this seafood heaven is still less than impressive but is every bit quintessential in getting the evening started.  You get bit and pieces of seafood, vegetables, some drinks, rice and condiments.  The basics.   But what really made the evening great were the grilled prawns and clams.  Menega Cafe’s grilled prawns were super good. Briny, sweet and the smokey chargrilled flavours from the coconut husk is just sensational.  Then come the tender clams topped with a  rich garlic butter sauce.  God these were superb.  Menega Cafe still impresses after two years.  The cooking style is simple, but tastes spot on.  

Note: Do not shower before dinner because the smokiness of the grill is sure to stay with you for awhile!

WenY