Bites: A better brunch @ Petition Kitchen, Perth.

Breakfast for champions? Head to Petition Kitchen. With 0 surcharge on ANZAC day, this was my place of choice. The cool interior paired with impeccable service was two of the many reasons for my presence that morning. To start I ordered a Matcha Latte, but Petition Kitchen did not have Matcha.  The good folks attempted to use green tea and though it did not taste the part, it was amazing effort.  They even gave me another hot chocolate to make up for it. Simply wow!! 

There are plenty on the brunch menu and it was quite exciting to see the variety on offer. The three breakfast that morning were:

Butter roasted mushrooms, tater tots, baby kale, Onsen egg.

Baked slow eggs, bean, ham hock, Kransky sausage

Everything that morning were typical classics. But the plating was impeccable. I do not think that Petition Kitchen went above and beyond themselves in flavours but as always, classics done are simply amazing. How did they go? Starting with the roasted mushrooms, it was a textural wonder with the crispy tater tots and bouncy shrooms giving the dish a nice bite. Then comes the runny egg which brought everything together. The baked eggs were pretty standard though I do applaud the generosity of the Kransky sausage that gave the whole dish a meaty smokiness!

Grilled chorizo, black pudding hash, slab bacon, fried-egg.

Presentation? Spot on. My breakfast of choice was a meaty feast with so much to love. Slabs of tasty bacon, smoky chorizo and fried egg. Man. There was so much meat and its no secret that I love my meat. This must be Petition Kitchen’s brunch equivalent of a peanut butter milkshake. It was a protein feast that has not lost its appeal of taste. I reckon a little balance would have had this dish on a home run. But that is like adding kale to a peanut butter milkshake right? Who the hell does that? lol.

Did I enjoy Petition Kitchen? Definitely. The food was superb and I enjoyed every moment I was there. From entrance to service it was enjoyable. They swapped my pseudo Matcha Latte for a hot chocolate? Customer service to die for! Food generous, and hearty.  Venue sensational.  Would I return to Petition Kitchen? Yes.

WenY

Bites: Artsy Brunch @ Arthouse Dine, Perth

Art Dinehouse is for me one of those eateries where looks matched with a cool hip venue should mathematically equal to an amazing dining experience.  Did it deliver?  Last week I walked in to Art Dinehouse with a cool 50% off lunch deal thanks to Dimmi.  Needless to say we ordered pretty much the whole menu.

The food at Art Dinehouse is a mix of all cultures.  Whether its a Sambo or Pasta or even Salad, its got a chance on the menu.  Plating here is pretty sensational with the prosciutto slices ever so beautiful.  Amazingly tender and pink, it benefited from the many other elements on the plate.  From the acidic pearl lemons to the salty capers, a lot of effort went into making the dish picture perfect.  Around the table we also ordered the chicken sandwich which featured a deep fried chicken sandwiched between two very buttered up bun for a kick.  Art Dinehouse’s Prawn Pasta is another worthy mentioned due to its generosity with the prawns.

My experience at Art Dinehouse was overall worthy of an OK.  Food was a bit of a hit and a miss with a 50-50 hit rate.  The saving grace for us was that several hiccups like a piece of plastic in the leek waffle and bones in the croquettes were dealt with in an apologetic and sincere manner.  Waitperson was every bit courteous, so what else could I ask for?  Definitely no hate on the plate with future opportunities for a re-visit :)!

WenY

Bites: Brunch by the Sea @ the Shorehouse, Cottesloe

Another weekend, another brunch.  Amongst the many things W.A has to offer, its pristine beaches easily comes close to topping the list.  So why not do brunch by the beach right?  That’s exactly what Shorehouse had in mind.  This popular restaurant takes in the sweeping views of the Scarborough coastline with both indoor and outdoor sitting benefitting from the million dollar view.  Its brunch menu was nice and tasteful with accents of seafood written between the lines.  After enjoying a hot Chocolate, I ordered an omelette to get my daily protein. This was not just any Omelette though! This was Shorehouse’s Crab Omelette.

But can they top the famous Chilli Crab Omelette by Frisch and Barc? For starters the omelette at Shorehouse sticks true to the creamy butter finish of a traditional Omelette. Silky smooth with a strong hit of butter, this was joy.  Topping the protein was some crab meat cooked in miso butter. Umami bomb at its finest with the nutty and slightly sweet Miso flavour serenading the dish.  Moving to the inside of the Shorehouse Omelette, there was a slow cooked leek.  Unfortunately, this was where the joys of the buttery egg and tender crab flesh ended.  The leek was still fibrous and undercooked.  To a certain extent it was hilarious seeing how everyone was busy picking the fibres from their mouth haha.  There was a mound of dental floss on some plates :P  Then again we only had two choices.  One was to take it out, or two we could have swallow it whole lol.

Shorehouse is a promising venue with my sister previously giving them credit for their amazing desserts.  An omelette for $23.50 is pretty pricey even when comparing it to Frisch and Barc who had more crab meat in its omelette.  But look beyond the food, factor in the sweeping shoreline and price soon becomes irrelevant.  The combination of food and views make for a winning meal.  Would I come back?  It will be a definite yes but I would not be in a hurry.

WenY

Bites: Happy Brunching @ Cherry & Grapes, West Perth.

Cherry and Grapes recently joined the brunch scene in Perth played host to my first morning brunch after finishing onsite I was pumped and the easy parking made it better! After a quick scan through the menu,I was thoroughly pleased to know that non-coffee drinkers are well-taken care off. 

I started off with a Matcha Latte. Green must be good for healthy right? lol.

The Matcha latte was pretty good with a generous layer of froth! Would have liked a stronger hit of matcha but I realised that the Matcha amount was probably right but it needed a little more whisking to make sure all the Match powder was dissolved! And did I mention how good the latte art was?  It is top notch at Cherry and Grapes! 

With over 15 people there were way too many dishes for me to go around snapping photos! So I stuck to getting a few popular choices!

Queen Z’s Truffle Burger.

Featuring a house made patty, tangy relish, and truffle aioli, this burger looked ready for a model shoot alright! Sandwiched between two nicely browned buns, this burger looked the real deal and tasted good too.  Who is to forget the hand cut chips made in house!  Best thing about these chips are the crunchy edges and fluffy insides! Filled with potato flavours unlike the powdery packed ones!  Note: pure beef aficionados with a stronger preference for bovine heaven in its original state (basic salt and pepper), you might find the addition of herbs be a little overpowering!

Cake by the Ocean.

This was another interesting dish by the folks at Cherry and Grapes with a cod filled croquette taking the centre stage. Topped with hollandaise a sprinkle of what appears to be Paprika my friends thought it was good and flavoursome!  I liked how there was more acidity in the dish beyond the hollandaise with the addition of the gherkin and caper salsa! That was a nice touch.

Lamb Shank with crushed potatoes and grilled peppers.

Every week, the restaurant puts a special out for their diners and this week its the slow braised lamb shank.  I got the last one for the week and it was a damn good feed.  Tender braised shrank meat was fall-off the bone good.  Then comes the sauce that is herby, rich and full of flavour with a whiff of wine! It was the perfect sauce for the carbs on the plate.

Easy weekend parking and great drinks are only part of the enjoyment at Cherry and Grapes bring.  With lots to offer in their menu along with weekly specials keep things interesting, I have to say it was a memorable brunch with good company! Sure there were hits and misses like the over seasoned burger patty but for a place that has opened just a few weeks ago, I expect a lot more to come from the good folks at Cherry and Grapes! 

WenY

Bites: Crispy Bacon @ Floyd's, Subiaco.

Having an interesting Sunday brunch is a surefire method to killing off the oncoming Monday blues.  But when you are ordering stacks of deep fried guilt at 10am for brunch, it is likely that even the Sunday is going to be a long day.  I hit Floyd’s, a gourmet family-run cafe in Subiaco for brunch a couple weeks back and the menu is pretty damn intense.

That morning I ordered the Panko Crumbed Eggs served with charred asparagus, fried potato hash and crispy bacon (as the prosciutto was not available)

The dish itself was technical marvel considering how there are still cafes in town that struggling to even poach eggs right. Floyd’s move to deep-fry poached eggs was a dangerous one. But when executed right and the yolk flows, it was a sight to behold.  I was impressed by that aspect but the combination of fried bacon, hollandaise and crumbed eggs felt too heavy.  Very heavy.  Almost like a 3 piece KFC dinner box in the morning ha ha.  But hey, I knew it before I ordered it.  Guess I got a bit ambitious there!

My dining companion on the other hand decided to go for something a little healthier and settled for the Seared Avocado and Bacon stack.

Think smashed avocado but something more worth the buck and less worthy of an insult.  The bacon at Floyd’s is crispy by default but her preference was for a softer more meaty bacon. Other than that, she thought her choice for brunch was fine.

Over all the morning at Floyd’s was decent.  Not great but decent.  Food wise, they have a few daredevils on there but other than that the creativity on the plate did not really excite me as much as I thought it would.  After brunch that day I felt really heavy from my fried foods overkill!  Definitely something to be vary off the next time I pick my brunch dish!

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: Of Crepes, Fried Chicken and Crispy Pork Belly @ Layup, Northbridge

The North end of Northbridge is getting a little busier than being just “Chinatown” with new hipster joints establishing themselves on all corners of the hood. Among them is Layup, one of the places making more noise with its killer brunch menu and industrial themed fit-out.

The morning was hard to start at 8am, but a wake up call from some good juice mix and the good friend caffeine made the rising sun a little more bearable.

Watermelon and Strawberry Juice.

After placing our orders, the kitchen started getting busy and it was not long till the smell of heated oil whiffed through the dining area.  First out the door was the Spiced Fried Chicken, Pork Crackle, watermelon and mint salad, red bean aioli.

The crispy chicken, and crunchy crackling was a highlight but this brunch dish was a heavyweight contender.  Even the watermelon could not bring salvation as my colleague barely made it over the finishing line.  The crispy chicken was alright, but a bit more spices would have definitely made it more palatable as the red bean aioli did not pack a garlicky punch which I felt was needed to help finish the fried goods on the plate.

Slow Roasted Pork Belly, Miso Caramel, Beetroot gel, Chargrilled Asparagus

The size of the Pork Belly is made small on the picture.  In reality though, there are 3 slabs of protein staring at you asking to be eaten.  Enough said, the Pork Belly was cooked decent.  Sure the skin did not crackle as much as the one for the fried chicken did but it was edible.  Miso Caramel was good but I reckon the balance could have been a tad more miso and less sugar.  Over all, it was good especially. I felt that the asparagus was cooked so very well too!

Crepe, Wagyu Bresaola, Mushroom, Charred Asparagus, Fried Quail Egg, Gruyere Garlic Butter

If you need flavour, the savoury crepe might be your best friend.  The savoury crepe was probably the finest tasting savoury dish that morning. Its thin crepe was lovely especially in that rich, and creamy gruyere garlic butter sauce which complemented the bresaola.  Even more tasty were the mushrooms which were plump from soaking up the sauce.  The slight hump in enjoying the dish though, was the sodium level.  A couple of bites if shared amongst a village would have made me beg for more.  But an entire dish like that to myself?  I’d probably be dead begging on the floor for water.  Definitely a dish to share.

Chia seed pudding, honey toasted granola, poached pear.

Someone tried to be healthy and that was where it ended for me. I do not go out to eat healthy stuff.  Period.  :P!  In hindsight, it was pretty colourful.

Crepe, Hazelnut Praline, Chocolate sauce, Coconut Ice Cream.

The sweet crepe was one to love.  Again, the execution of the crepe was perfect.  What I liked was how the nutty hazelnut praline went together with the chocolate sauce and to top it off was the coconut ice cream which seemed to elevate the flavours of the chocolate without making it sickening.  This to me felt like perfect alchemy.  Watch out salt!  Coconut pair with chocolate just as well.

Brioche Doughnut Balls, salted caramel, orange zest chantilly cream

The final dessert to share was something I looked forward too.  I mean who would not?  Put words like Brioche and Doughnut together for an immediate drool moment.  So perhaps it was hype that killed the dish.  Like how a cronut is neither a doughnut or a croissant, this was neither a brioche or a doughnut.  Why so?  First, it was not as buttery as a brioche and two, it was nowhere near as fluffy as the doughnut I expect.  In fact, if anything it felt a little short/crumbly like the “old school” doughnut served at tbsp.  Was it a bad dish this one?  Nope.  Was it my favourite?  Nope.  It was palatable!

The breakfast we had at Layup brought us through the entire day till dinner.  Even by then I still felt a little full.  Breakfast at Layup is definitely interesting especially when you consider how bold their menu are.  To mention  a few the Fried chicken, Crispy Pork Belly, Sweet Crepe w/ Ice Cream, and Karaage Burger.  Taste wise if I had to put a number, Layup would come in as a solid 6.5.  It was nice and for many part interesting but for many part the finish or execution has space for improvements!

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: Breakfast by the Paddy Fields @ Nook, Kerobokan.

Today was road trip day to Ubud.  But before we hit the famous rice fields of Ubud, we stopped for a little morning feed.  Today’s breakfast venue is Nook, a brunch spot located by a vast paddy field.  This little cafe or rather this restaurant if you like, is no more than a little shack right off your suburb road.  It could be anywhere but it had to be right by the paddy fields haha. Gimmicky I would say but never doubt the advantages of what the green pastures have to offer.

But nothing is more important than the food when I am hunting down for a good morning chow.  The table pretty much ordered the staples that we have been having over the last few days.  As you’d expect it Nasi Goreng and Mee Goreng.

Nook’s cooking style of both the Nasi Goreng and Mee Goreng were pretty similar to the one in the hotel I stayed in as well as the one I had in Biku.  Both were fried decently but this one came with all the little bits and pieces that makes it a tad more presentable. Grilled chicken skewer and roast chicken pieces were pretty decent.  But of them all, the most important accompaniment of them all is a perfectly cooked sunny side up.  That yolk was drool!

The Mee Goreng was of a similar calibre to the Nasi Goreng.  But, one thing different was the use to Kecap Manis or sweet soy.  I acknowledge the flavour that sugar adds to dishes but I am definitely not the biggest sweet tooth out there. If I could, I would definitely cut that recap manis back a bit as the dish would have been sickening if the serve was any larger. I would not mind having a sunny side up on my noodles too :P!

Food wise,  what Nook served was pretty decent but I was not too sure whether its been any different from the other breakfast spots I have been to.  But what made a difference though was the fresh morning breeze blowing ever so lightly.  Add that to the green pastures of the paddy field and perhaps after ridiculing how gimmicky Nook was, I started appreciating its location a lot more.

Bali 2016: Nasi Goreng @ Biku, Seminyak

Once we were done with the coffee business at the Corner House, we set off to our breakfast spot.  This time, I am at Biku in Seminyak for a proper Indonesian styled breakfast.  This house turned restaurant is set in a wooden house with an interior that is strongly traditional.  While the inside was nicely done, Biku also has lovely courtyard area for dining and that was our choice of sitting as the morning breeze was still nice and cool.

 I  opened the menu and was surprised (or shocked..).  The menu at Biku was 99% modern Asian and 1% Balinese lol.  While I was thoroughly misled by the exterior it was ok, because Biku had the Balinese breakfast staples that I wanted that morning.

Nasi Goreng:

Mee Goreng:

The stir fried carbs were full of goodness and I had little to dislike.  There was a decent amount of wok fried flavours presents along with a light seasoning of soy.   While it was definitely nothing special, it is something I enjoy having even in Malaysia/Singapore/Thailand where well-cooked carbs with some amazing sambal can go a long way!

Bubur Kuning:

Two of my friends ordered the Yellow Congee (or Turmeric Congee) that morning.  While the consistency of the congee was spot on, I reckon the flavours were a little raw because of the turmeric.  It did not feel like its been sautéed with herbs and cooked properly.  Was it terrible?  Definitely no, but my colleague who is a local felt less than impressed with the addition of the turmeric. Instead, she was looking for a hearty breakfast congee.

Over all, Biku has a really pleasant ambience for all occasions.  But if you are a food hunter, this place might score below your expectations due to its limited Balinese menu that does not go beyond the cliches of Nasi Goreng, Satays, etc.  How do I rate this morning?  I reckon it was average at best.  Do note that while the variety of local fare was not the best, I have heard some positive reviews regarding its high tea.  That might be something for next time perhaps.

WenY

Bali 2016: Caffeine Addicts @ Corner House, Seminyak

Fast forward the night by the pool eating supper, it was the start of a beautiful morning in Bali.  The Seminyak streets are not half as busy as Kuta, but the dead morning silence tells the story of the residents who probably had one too many to drink the night before.  As weird as it seems, the stillness of the morning was even more enjoyable without the crowd.  Merely 5 minutes from where I lived was another charming cafe where I was going to be spending the morning waking my stomach up for what was about to come for the rest of the day.  Corner House in Seminyak is a boutique coffee spot serving up Australian style breakfast in the Kayu Aya Cafe Strip.  But no worries, I was not going to go all Aussie in this tropical climate!  The drinks were just to get my caffeine addict friends started thats all.

Our duration at Corner House might be a hit and run scenario as our stay was short, but it did not stop me from admiring its stylish setting!  The bar counter looked reminiscent of a colonial bar counter from the past.  Have to praised its handsome marble top too.  Its distressed walls were particularly attractive when paired with its dark coloured columns and catchy fittings. Pictures of some potted plants by the table:

Friend's iced coffee:

Decor aside, the drinks were “OK”.   Food wise, it looked alright.  You have breakfast burritos and a range of "Eat Pray Love" dishes like mueslis with berries, or acai bla bla bla.  Alright, I'm having a dig at those health foodies out there but you catch my drift.  In saying that though, if you are a Bali expat looking for a taste of the Australian brunch scene then Corner House is definitely a good spot to start.

WenY

Bali 2016: Cafe Hopping @ Kerobokan

After the delicious meal of Babi Guling at the Warung earlier, my friends and I decided to do something a little less typical of the usual Bali itinerary.  We decided to go cafe hopping!  In this run, my colleague picked some of Bali’s top cafes and we were pleasantly surprised how well presented some of these places are.

First stop was Livingstone, Kerobokan.  

This industrial building is a full time bakery that serves up some interesting lunches.  But after that heavy meal earlier, we were contented with fries and drinks.  While I cannot say much about the food, Livingstone in Kerobokan sure has a great environment to catch up with good friends!  

Drinks stretched the whole page length.  For the group, we had Matcha Latte, Avocado Chocolate Shake, and two juices!

Once we were done with that, we moved to our next spot just round the corner from where Livingstone is.  It’s another Patisserie but this time, with a touch of class.  Its Angelita Tea Salon and Patisserie.

Angelita was a place that I would not normally visit because as my colleague suggests, its a little “Princess-sy”.  But that is alright, I was in no way deterred to try it out!  Compared to Livingstone, everything here was very very well presented and finished like  a pro.

Once you have decided to sit in the air-conditioned cafe or out in their open garden, it is finally time to pick your cakes.  We shared two pastries’s amongst the four of us.  One was the Salted Egg Croissant (not pictured) and the other was an Early Grey cake, look how pretty it was!

But looks was just part of the story.  Its  fragrant tea smell was amazing even before I ate it.  The cream in the cake was light and the sponge in there sweetened just right.  In the centre was an delicious vanilla filling.  All of which complemented each other perfectly.  Just before I slept that night, I thought to myself it was a really good cake! Still thinking of the bergamot!

Colleague's Matcha Latte

While this was barely the most eventful afternoon, all the jokes and Pokemon Go talk really brought back memories of when we first started.  So if you are not craving for the sea breeze and prefer a nice cosy indoor to spend the afternoon in, keep in mind that Livingstone and Angelita are good options to sit back and just chill!

WenY