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

Bites: Mrs. S @ Maylands

The significant changes in Maylands has seen its café strip become more attractive. Many indie boutiques  are budding in the area along with some of the bests brunch places in town.  Of the lot, Mrs. S has been the talk of the town for a long time now.  Coming here twice in last few weeks, I can easily tell why.  The food has been great and its menu is not sterile of ideas.  It has changed from my last visit but still keep favorites like the Granny J’s corn bread and the big breakfast on.  But with toast and poached eggs so consistently done over here, it distinguishes itself well with its service.

Coming in late for brunch means we almost did not make it in time for their breakfast menu.  Worried that we might miss out, the waiter made for us a makeshift table consisting of milk crates and magazine but promptly asked us to sit inside when a sit was available.  Service win? Yes it was although it was the little darling that spotted the table first haha.

 

I previously came here and my sister ordered the passion fruit curd cake.  A very lovely cake with a fruity curd in there. This time around, we ordered the lemon curd cake for $4.50 which was no lesser a cake.  It still packed the same fruitiness I had before, this time around with a more citrusy touch.  What kept me puzzled is their clotted cream.  It was hard like half churned butter @@!  It tasted fine nonetheless! Just a little hard to smear on the cake.  Darling who was meant to have a taste ended up having most of it as I knew this was her sort of thing and ordered it more for her then myself :)!

 

The Fishman decided to have Granny J’s Corn Bread with the lot.Granny Junes thick cornbread, bacon, poach eggs and real maple syrup!  The bread is not your typical some bread as it felt a little crumbly to a certain extent and came filled with corn kernels.  But the real beauty lies in its sponginess.  It seems like the bread has absorbed a whole lot of the maple syrup poured onto the bread.  The bacon and syrup on pancakes combination have been a tradition for certain people for a long time now and this for me was absolutely splendid.  Having said that, I only had a mouth of this!  Maybe I would get this the next time around :)!

 

Darling’s poached eggs on toast with bacon and herbed mushrooms with a side of relish $20.50.  This was only a dollar cheaper compared to the big breakfast, but for the little darling, why waste when you know you cannot finish it.  Her words are absolutely true.  Her toast and poached eggs were well cooked but her bacon I thought, could be a little crispier.  Mushroom looked perfectly cooked and as a whole it was cooked well. What surprised me was the fact that she had not used her relish.  In a dish like that, relish is an immensely beautiful condiment to help bring all element on the plate together.  The relish at Mrs. S is tangy and really is good.  This I know because I happily finished whatever darling left on the plate haha.

 

My dish was full on vegetarian like what I had before at Mrs. S and there is absolute no regrets.The beautiful mess of falafel, tatziki, pickled cabbage, rocket, brioche and fried eggs on flat bread toast for $19.60 is not what one would consider cheap.  But considering that the trouble in preparing all the elements required more than just a pan and oil, this was well worth its price.  The brioche was perfectly salted and the sourness of the pickled cabbage was just spot on.  I loved the eggs as it did not feel rubbery and it all went well together.  What I felt could have improved was the finesse of the falafel.  The herbs in there felt a little too subtle.  I wanted more, I wanted the fragrant and aroma of the spices.  The cucumber yoghurt was OK but for me it just lacks the freshness being sat upon all the things which were served hot.  Perhaps next time a served in a shot glass for the diner to pour it where deemed suitable?  This definitely could have been better.  For most parts of the dish, Mrs. S has got it right but because the falafel for me was an important part, this was definitely an average dish.

 

Full like a pig when we were finished. I was satisfied having nibbled at everyone’s dish but for me, my breakfast could definitely have been better.  The cake for me was an absolute pleaser with a delicious curd in the centre.  Darling’s breakfast was good but to me, felt a little too common. It not for the relish, it was really just a decent dish.  Next time around, I would definitely come back for Granny June’s corn bread with the lot.  For me, other than the curd cake, that was the highlight of my trip this time.  Do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Mrs. S, it serves up some pretty kickass breakfast but for me, I am just a little fussy!

 

WenY