Bites: Red Herring @ Fremantle

Two weeks ago, I attended a wedding of a friend who was fortunate to have found  a suitable person to share his life with.  To celebrate this once in a life time occasion I was told that no expenses were spared and boy I think the groom was right.  The venue was a beautiful riverside restaurant called the Red Herring in Fremantle.  Although this seems rather cliché with heaps of other places like Mosmans, Matilda Bay, and Zafferano’s around, I am still impressed :)!

 

After the formal ceremony where the couple exchanged their vows, we were treated to a 3-course meal.

Our appetizer was shredded duck in egg parcels which was pretty damn yums! The fillings felt somewhat inspired by a typical Sang Choi Bow but a little bit more refined.   The greens were complemented the overall dish well too.

 

For my main I had the seared lamb fillet with fluffy mash, and root vegetables.

I could not be happier with what was served to me.  Despite the inconsistency in the lamb around the table, mine was spot on.  The pink in the middle was very good.  Perhaps a little more resting time would have been great but a good piece of tender lamb.  Seeing the beetroots had me feeling nostalgic reminding me of my 2nd anniversary at Amuse where the little darling and I were served lamb with beetroot.  I never liked beetroot but that earth taste of the vegetable really complements the lamb well when served in correct proportions.   This dish was definitely a highlight for me! Full points :)! Not sure how other would feel because as mentioned earlier, some lamb fillets were served well-done despite being asked to serve medium.

 

A cheesecake dessert was the sweet ending for the day.  Unfortunately though, it shot wide.  Presentation was one of its weakest points.  The cheesecake served to me felt like it was falling apart.  The sides were very messily cut.  I guess no amount of hot water can keep the knife warm in such events.  Luckily, the flavors were really good except for those black espresso jelly which was so bitter it was beyond belief.  But for coffee lovers , this might nice because the bitterness do tend to cut through the sweetness of the cake.

Overall, it was a pleasant meal that I had that afternoon.  Other than the gloom from the overcast, the ceremony turned out beautifully.  The Red Herring provided the guests with a solid meal that was both delicious and special.  For myself, I was impressed for most parts of it, except the dessert.  Definitely have room for improvement and perhaps with smaller volumes, heightened finesse in the presentation.  At the end of it all, my wishes are for the bridge and groom, live happily ever after and love each other.  Last but not the least, they say a man without a woman is nothing.  So is human without food! nom nom nom nom!

 

WenY

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Bites: The Brisbane @ Northbridge

When my boss left last week, it was not all doom and gloom.  The structural group had lunch together to remember what everybody considered a friend, a boss and a teacher.    The venue unsurprisingly, was the Brisbane which is a place the employees  frequent.  I have been here three times this year, once when I started, next was due to a monthly gathering within the group and now this occasion.

 

The company has a zero alcohol tolerance so I guess a glass of bitters is good enough! Not like I would drink alcohol anyways :P

Long live the RBs!  Almost thought I had lost them when I went laser tag the last time! Amazingly it was found and returned!  Perhaps my boss too, would return after his holiday :)!  Then again, 70 years old and working sounds really cruel!

 

 

For my meal last week, I ordered the lamb shank @ $32.50. The lamb shank was well-cooked when you consider the tender meat falling of the bone. Vegetables were well caramelized with the exception of the baby carrots which could have benefited from being caramelized a tad longer. The mash also was spot on with me finishing every bit of it.  With so many components done well, it really felt as if this was the perfect dish. And just when you thought so, there comes the typical brown sauce all classic yet one dimensional in a dish like this.  The lamb itself is not a very tasty piece of meat.  I was hoping for a little acidity or perhaps sweetness which might have been enough with the carrots if the piece of meat was not so huge.  So perhaps a tomato based sauce or some chutney on the side or anything!  This seems to have plagued most of the shanks that I have been having lately! EMO!

 

Brisbane as a corporate lunch place or perhaps a place for drinks after work is good with a decent interior and a really lovely court yard.  Taking about a foodie meeting, and it is a place one would definitely write off.  It is not all that bad.  Of the three occasions that I have been there, the most memorable one would have to be the time when I had the steak sandwich.  It was seriously good.  Probably one of the better ones out there! But with a price tag of $2X, that better be one heck of a sandwich!

 

WenY

Bites: What the Pho @ Northbridge

Slurping hot noodles and a good winter’s afternoon is pretty much what a mundane Monday needs.  The fix at one of the newer Vietnamese Restaurants in the city, has a catchy signboard with a matching name.  Pho or Vietnamese noodles are often pronounced “poh”  which my friend says is wrong.  Instead, the correct pronunciation is something like “fur”.  Putting petty issues aside, What the Pho has a really nice interior which sets itself apart from its counterparts who seems to have a more traditional “less is more”  sort of styling.   But it was the food that really mattered.  Does the younger restaurant have what it takes to beat its more experienced siblings?

For me, I called a dry noodles with fried chicken for $11 + $1 for extra noodles.

The toppings were decent with bean sprouts, chives and spring onions.  But what matters the most for me is the sauce used.  For me, Vietnamese is all about having the elements well balanced.  This means having a salty base with proper amounts of sweetness and heat.  Unfortunately, the version of dry noodles at WTP was decent when it comes to salt but sweetness was non-existent.  I reckon the people at Phi Yen or Tra Vinh, make better sauce for their dry noodles.

However, what I did like was their fried chicken! It was chopped up, well-plated and serve with a small dish of sweet sauce.  And if you’ve guessed it, this gave the noodles good help!  Add it together with the chili sauce, and the whole noodles actually taste pretty yums!

As for my friends, they ordered the raw beef and beef ball hofan.  I tried their soup and found it pretty good.  But what matters most I guess it the opinion of my friend who happens to be a Vietnamese.  Quoting his exact words “It looks interesting from the outside, but tastes bland”! Honestly, I thought it was pretty tasty haha.  But then again, I typically mix my soup with the chili sauce and the other sweet brown sauce.  This creates a concoction where the original taste has disappeared! 

Finishing my meal, I felt satisfied.  I guess others felt relatively good as well.  I liked what I ordered despite it being slightly bland which did not really matter.  This was because  the various sauces on the table allows everyone to do a little bit of mix and match to suit.  Lunch at What the Pho was alright in pricing as well.  I guess this warrants a second visit although one might find it hard to deviate his meals from his usual restaurants especially when one does not offer anything more than the other.  In fact, the choices at What the Pho seems slightly lesser with the usual suspects such as Braised Beef Noodles, and  Diced Steak with Fried Rice all missing.  Hmmmm?

WenY