Bites: the Old Crow @ Northbridge

Northbridge and its ever growing number of eateries are an interesting scene for foodies like myself.  Every now and then,  I see something open but am extremely skeptical to go in and try despite their great ratings and rave reviews.  Blame me not as a few places have left me disappointed.  Fortunately though, the Old Crow on William Street was not one of those eateries.  Our waitress for the night have a pretty cool accent.  I assumed she is Scottish and Bel agreed though Jordan reckons a little more Irish.  Shit you not, but she was helpful and super cheerful which made our night great.   More importantly, she was keen to explain all the things we needed to know about the food we ordered while making a few great recommendations too.

 

Our night started with free complimentary bread with in-house whipped butter: The joy of free things.  Especially those that actually taste good.  So where do I start?  Deliciously crusty on the outside and  fluffy on the inside.  WoW!  Definitely awesome but the butter despite its rich and creamy texture felt lacking in flavour.  Definitely needed the salt that was on the table.  Great stuff :)!

 

Next, we ordered the Chimichanga The Chimichanga or the fried tacos were so yummy.  The pulled beef had lovely flavors and the shells were so crispy.  At the base, Old Crow puts a corn salsa and a guacamole to create the perfect Mexican wave.  Old Crow style that is.  An American creation which I have not tried anywhere else but in Perth.  Not bad for starters!  Hot sauce gave it that extra kick but beware of the little pockets of oil that sipped through the openings!  A little scary!

 

Our first shared plate came out looking really awesome.  The chargrilled octopus on a tomato base with some chick peas and a dollop of sour cream. This dish ticks a few boxes.  Presentation was top notch for $14.50, the sauce was awesome such that I started using the complementary bread to mop the plate and the chick peas were great accompaniments despite me not understanding it presence.   But for me, the octopus was a little overdone.  It became chewier than it should be. While I was not bothered, I was expecting a little more.  Perhaps too much haha.   I wanted something that when cut through, would feel like a warm knife cutting through butter!  Maybe only this can be done with squid.  No idea @@!

 

All share plates were $14.50.  This was the Duck Parfait

My choice for the night was the duck liver parfait.  Ever since my encounter with Foie Gras a few years back, I started eating these little nasty things which taste absolutely fabulous.  No I will not eat them Chinese style, but OMG when it goes parfait, I am usually sold.  This creamy parfait did not disappoint.  The seasoning was good and it felt decently rich but not as rich as I expected!  Jordan lauded its lightness where he can go for many rounds but fat ass Bel and I still preferred it to be more decadent as we would still got for more even though if it was very rich.  Typical fat ass problems here hahaha.  During dinner I was told that Brioche is the best bread to go with parfait.  True enough, this pairing made it a race to see which melts in your mouth first.  The bread or the parfait.  Great stuff for sure!

 

I was pretty stuffed by then.  The Chimichanga, squid and the parfait.  Even Bel was full.  But Jordan who was on my #yolo trip to Sydney was not.  No wonder he was the perfect companion to my Sydney foodie tour!  If you would like to see what we had  check out My Sydney Foodie Trip in 36 hours.  Despite being full, we braved on to finish what we ordered.  Our first main to share was the Blackened Pan Fried Fish in a delicious seafood broth.As much as it look great, it tasted great.  The broth was to die for and the overall flavors that constituted this dish was spectacular.  Fish was really fresh and it had a  skin that still packed that bit of crunchiness.  It was yums!  I am still really trying to find a way to describe the broth.   I know the seafood flavors in there were what some people would call bursty.  It was really flavorful.  But I want to say something else.  Maybe it had a very pronounce shellfish taste?  Whatever =.=!  More importantly, a big change is needed here.  The clams.  They were horrible ='/  Jordan found them bearable but definitely not fresh.  But the rest were good :)!

 

Our next main was the onion tart.  In terms of flavors, these one did not lack onions.  The sweetness of the onions were there but other than that it needed an extra touch of salt.  Having a slow cooked egg was nice especially when the egg is runny and gives the tart moisture.  But one needs to be mindful that a tart which is already so delicate and subtle in flavors does not need a bland element anymore.  Unfortunately the slow-cooked egg was that “bland element”.  Having said that though, the tart still has it merits especially its delicious crust and as mentioned before, the beautifully cooked onions!

 

Our side of Cajun Spiced Crispy Potatoes While the Duck Parfait at Cantina 663 definitely did better than the parfait here, the potatoes at the Old Crow trashed Cantina’s buttermilk fried potatoes hands down.  These were literally crispy and the lovely cajun spice gave it a beautiful flavor that turned these blend carbohydrates into something magnificent.  Homemade dressing was highly commendable and we just loved every bit of this.  No wonder the waitress said that these were absolutely gorgeous.  I agree!

 

 

My friends love their dessert and there was no way we were going to walk out from here without some.  Especially after I have read the Queen of Bad Timing’s post on the chocolate and peanut butter lava cake served here!  See her post here Seriously.  This was the BOMB.  If anything at all, I felt like this dish by itself makes the whole trip to the Old Crow worth it.  Not like the rest of our meal was not good but this was seriously yums!  I am not a big fan of chocolate but do a peanut butter-runny chocolate combo and I am officially a convert.   The cake was cooked just right at the top and it was super runny on the inside!  I have always  loved the combination of peanut butter and chocolate.  It always feel as if the saltiness and nuttiness of the peanut butter tend to help the chocolate shine.  This works almost all the time!  Maybe that is why top chefs tend to put a pinch of salt into their chocolate cakes and sort!  On the side was the Old Crow’s homemade three milk ice cream.  The three milk consisted of condensed milk, full cream milk and coconut milk.  The perfect combination for a heart attack lol.  The flavors were good! But in terms of consistency, it did not feel as silky as an ice cream should be.  Still, it was not too bad!

 

We also shared another dessert which was the Old Crow’s Apple Pie with Nutmeg Ice cream. This looked just simply wonderful.  If you love spice, you my friend are going to be a big fan.  I like spices but only to the extent where the fragrance gently tease the sense of my nose.  This though was on a whole new level.  Layer after layer, I felt as if my taste buds were being suffocated.  I think they were way too generous with the cinnamon dusting.  It was too intense but to some, it might be a new found heaven.  For me, I needed water.  A lot of water to wash it all down.  This was clear as Jordan clearly did not mind this although between Bel and I, we were dying @@!  Putting spices aside, one other thing that could be improved was the filling IMHO.  I think the caramelized apple cubes on the inside needed a little more moisture to give it that lovely slightly runny sticky consistency.   As it stands, it was a tad too dry!  Other than that, I could not fault with anything as the pastry became slightly soft thanks to us being too engrossed with the peanut butter and molten chocolate cake!

 

So how do I sum up my experience?  Really good.  I have been to a few places in Northbridge that has a similar vibe in terms of ambience but none really took off the way the Old Crow did with their food.  The food here was good and nothing here felt too obliging.  Considering they have only been opened for three weeks now, I am hell impressed!  At the Old Crow, it was a mix of cultures which makes dining an amazing experience.  Oh and considering I am a non-alcoholic, I felt right at home with their large choices of mocktails, juices and soda.   Not to mention decent prices too! Juices were $4 while sodas were around $3!  Service without a doubt was friendly on a relatively peaceful Monday night.  Like most have commented, the Old Crow felt like something Northbridge needed for a long time now.  So to the geniuses behind this new establishment, I thank you!

 

WenY

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Bites: Pertica Siam @ Rivervale

Thai flavors are no stranger to my tongue and I simply love the flavors of Thai cuisine.  Their food is usually a fusion of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy.  To me, it has all the great flavors that tingle one’s taste buds in a pleasurable manner.  A new Thai restaurant has opened in town and I was excited to find out that it was opened by my colleague’s friends.  Booking was no problem as we knew the owners.  Rocking up at 6.30pm, the place is actually quite small so be prepared to squeeze a little!

 

Food on the menu is unmistakably Thai.  But are the flavors authentic?  I guess this might not be the right question as the owners are Thai.  So perhaps, it broils down to; can they cook?  Our first appetizer today is the boxing chicken.Fried chicken.  Who can say no to one?  Vegetarians are an exception hehe.  These crispy delights are moreish and we enjoyed every bit of it.  The marinade felt more Chinese as it was just simple salt, and pepper.  Coming from the Thai’s maybe I was expecting a Pandan Chicken where the lovely marinade of spices makes dipping sauces totally redundant. Other than that the chicken felt a little rare as it was cooked just right. A slight bloodiness sipped from the bone as it was not cooked through.

 

The crispy tofu in tamarind sauce.I was not quite sure what to expect when we ordered this.  It felt very plain.  The sauce had the good mix of flavors from sugar, fish sauce and vinegar but the tofu was bland.  It felt rather normal this one.

 

Then came the tom yam.The version at Pertica was whitish and not red in color.   I suspect that they did not use a Thai shrimp paste that gives the soup a beautiful shrimp flavor with some sweetness.  But do not be fooled.  The soup was bloody spicy as my friend asked for “hot”.  Definitely worth ordering.  To me, the seafood in there felt pretty fresh as the squid did not stink like the ones I normally get in S&T where the mussels and squid are absolutely horrible. 

 

For our mains we called a few dishes to share:The Beef Massaman would be one of the best ones I have tasted.  It was just sublime.  The sauce as far as I was concerned was aromatic and rich.  Something that is complemented with plain steamed rice.  It was that good.  The potatoes were delicious too as it was soft but still firm enough to hold its shape.  But that is where it stops.  The beef chunks were ridiculously chewy.  It felt like the cut of meat used was not right or it just was not cook long enough!  Definitely a bummer here!

 

Other than this, we also ordered the duck curry which was another fabulously presented dish.  I think that one fared heaps better than the beef Massaman in terms of how the protein was prepared.  The duck slices were still tender and juicy.  Spot on!

 

While we were looking through the menu, Ness could not take her eyes of the word “crispy pork belly”!  You know a true pork eater when you see one and Ness definitely loves her pork.  This was the “crispy pork belly”  with Kailan vegetables.To me, the pork belly would definitely be crunchy if not for the vegetable stir fry.  Simple put it this way yeah.  For foodies’ sake, do not call something what it is not.  It annoys me so much.  This for me was a beautiful dish if not for its deceptive name.  The pork was yummy and the kailan just went so well with it.  For a vegetable dish, it was superb!  But when the pork is not crispy, I felt disappointed.

 

We also ordered a Som Tam and a Larb Gai (chicken larb) for our salads.The Som Tam barely made it through the passing mark.  Its delightfully crunchy vegetables were somewhat not complemented by the sauce.  It came out lukewarm which is another sad thing.  I was expecting it to come out slightly cold but not too cold.  Also, the typical strong flavors from the lemon/lime/vinegar was not there.  I wanted that punch of flavor so badly but I did not get any.  This similar error followed onto the larb where it was mediocre.  The seasoning was wrong and I needed more flavor.  A lot more flavor.  Give me lime lime lime, sugar sugar sugar and fish sauce please.

 

One of the last dishes which came out was the Pad Thai.The noodles were spot on and all the ingredients were top notch.  My request this time?  Minus a little sugar please.  It came out a little sweeter than desired not but nothing too dreadful.  It was still yummy as far as I was concerned!

 

Compiling my experience at Pertica together, I realize that the food here is actually above average.  It taste good but in many departments it felt lacking that little bit more which distinguishes perfection from good.  Or in the case of the Som Tam and Larb, a pass to a delicious.  It needed that extra oomph.  Flavor flavor flavor.  Sweetness was a little overboard with the Pad Thai too which made me a little dubious of the market Pertica aims for.  Was it a faux Thai restaurant or an authentic place for keen eaters like myself?  In terms of pricing, everything was reasonable around the 15-20 mark.  However, if you intend to share among a group (in my case 7), you will definitely need to order at least 2 serves of each dish as it was rather small.  For the tom yam, at least 4 to share among everyone.  Service here was another issue which might be due to them being new.  It was slow and the service felt understaffed.  However, despite these issues I am very happy to say that I have something to eat nearby my place.  If Pertica lifts their game, I would definitely be a frequent customer as Northbridge parking is now such a bitch.  Not to mention the unnecessary traffic jam along Newcastle St. Or William St. where I had some totally FML experiences recently.

 

WenY

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Bites: Koko Black @ Claremont (revisited)

Chocolates to me are like KFC and all those other sinful foods.  No, they (chocolates) are not as unhealthy as KFC, but they are cravings which needs to be cured.  Not by some lame alternatives of course.   One of the favourite places my friends go to is Koko Black.  Unlike other chocolatiers in town, it is still exclusively located in Claremont Quarters.  And guess what?  Prices are up.  Most drinks by 50 cents if I recall correctly ($5.95 to $6.50).  Not sure when though.  Putting prices aside, I  had one of the best chocolate tarts there. It was simply sublime.

The tart came with a beautifully short crust and a warm jug of Crème anglaise.  Imagine this.  Pouring warm Crème anglaise on the tart, the chocolate melts.  The chocolate starts to run when scooped.   Best of all, Koko Black does what it do best.  Create good quality chocolate which is rich, creamy and out of this world. Then we have the silkiness of the Crème anglaise along with a whiff of vanilla.  My god.  It was just fantastic.  I have been a sucker for chocolate tarts recently.  Be it mousse, baked or ganache.  There is just so much to eat!!!

 

While I am only semi-partial to Koko Black’s hot drinks, their rendition of a chocolate tart with that touch of Crème anglaise showed finesse which to my tongue, was art.  Delicious.

 

WenY

Bites: Harvest Espresso @ Victoria Park (revisited)

Some habits never die they say.  I have long been a fan of Harvest and this season’s menu did not disappoint. Harvest Espresso has now set gone into its winter phase which captures the best produce in season and I am once again sold.  It looks good, taste good and eats right.  Their tarts are still top notch and its ever growing inventory shouts creativity.

 

In my last visit, I ordered the Cauliflower and Corn fritter, fresh zucchini & herb salad & sumac labneh.

The cauliflower is a winter gem.  Put it in the hands of Harvest Espresso’s chef and you have the perfect match.  These more-ish fritters were crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  Just my sort of thing.  The acidity of the zucchini and herb salad was appetizingly good.  With the sumac labneh which is a yoghurt based concoction, it was just yum!  For me, I loved all the flavors on the plate.  If I had to retract an ingredient, it would definitely be the source of protein which were the eggs.  Gooey yolks is a beautiful thing but in this dish it toned down the strong bold flavors (acidity) of the labneh which is not quite my preference.   Also, with that extra drizzle of oil around the place the dish felt a little oily towards the end! Nonetheless, it was still very delectable!

 

The little darling ordered a dish that typically represented her.  The French toast, poached pear, mascarpone and almond flakes with maple syrup.   Best part of the dish was that it taste as good as it looked!

For starters, they used a brioche which was just perfect to soak all the syrup!  It came out warm and felt like a good hearty replacement for a winter soup.  The pear was poached just right although it could go 1 notch softer which still did not present a problem.  Also, do not look down on this dish as it is actually pretty big!  She could not finish and so I took over. With such delicious offerings, I could not bear to see it go to waste.

 

Another great seasonal menu by Harvest Espresso.  I cannot wait to see what magic they conjure the next season.  Nothing less than splendid I would expect :)!

 

WenY

Bites: A Spicy Affair @ Victoria Park

While I am probably one of the more introvert foodies around, my occasional foodie meets through tasting invitations or media launches has its perks.  And no, its not the free food.  Rather, the company such as my frequent stalks at ChompChomp or The Queen of Bad Timing which has always given me heads up of what to expect at some of the hottest eateries in town.  Other than that, Shaun who writes on Perth Food Review his adventures around town with his mate Sean, are not short on suggestion for eateries.  For example, these boys with a keen tongue for heat and spice recently introduced to me a great Indian restaurant in Victoria Park called A Spicy Affair.

 

Feeling like having good old spicy Indian food on a freaking cold winter, A Spicy Affair immediately came to mind having remembered Shaun’s recommendation.  It was a Wednesday night and it was beautifully quiet.  The interior is nothing flash but it was homely.  Add that personal touch from the service and I have to say, it was a very cozy affair.  Big belly Buddha with an accompanying smile!  That was how I felt!

 

To start we called a Chicken Tikka AppetizerOh my god.  The chicken was perfectly flavored with spices and more importantly, it was super juicy on the inside.  I loved every bit of this although I was hoping the spices were a little more potent.  The flavors here were subtle but still pleasant.  Accompanying minty dip was no less satisfying and this dish as a whole was a pleaser!  Thumbs up!

 

Our next dish was the Beef Vindaloo.  Ask for a spicy curry and this would be it.  Not as if it was a tongue burning bad ass, but it had a good enough kick to make you sweat.  The beef in this was tender and the acidity from the vinegar gave this dish that added flavor which kept us going back for its sauce.   Beef Vindaloo has got to be my favourite beef curry of all time!

 

Our next dish was the Palak Aloo.  This dish consisted of spinach cooked with potato and spices.  What spices exactly I do not know.  But this was so yummy!  It differed from my usual Aloo Gobi but in terms of satisfaction, this dish ticked all the boxes for flavor and yumminess!  

 

To go with all our curries, we ordered a few NaanUnfortunately, the Naan here was OK only.  It was not the best, but it was not bad either.  It was as I said OK.  The little fluffy bread was crisp but the garlic one came out a little oily but lacked the flavor of garlic which I wanted.  Butter Naan too came out oily which was expected due to the butter.  But it did not have that lingering aroma of melted butter.  For those reasons, I would have gone for the plain Naan and next time, I will definitely order some of their rice like the Briyani!

 

After finishing all our food, we had a dessert to share.  It was none other than the Gulab JamunIf you dislike the strong milky flavor sometimes present in milk or an intense amount of sweetness, this might not be for you.  I fall in a category which dislikes intense sweetness.  However, I have a biasness towards the Gulab Jamun attributed towards my childhood where I developed a fondness for good Indian food and have always loved ending my Indian affairs with the Gulab Jamun.  Its dense yet spongy texture absorbs the lovely syrup infused with cardamom  so very well.  It is just simply lovely.  Yet I find most people not accustomed to the Gulab Jamun to not like it.  I however, differ.  It was fantastic.  This definitely won me over the goat milk ice cream back when I was a kid.

 

A Spicy Affair was a really good eating place.  The owners were so friendly with customers coming into this humble eatery and starting the night with “where is your beautiful wife” and things which to me felt like service on a personal level.  Fishman, little darling and I felt very happy to have eaten here tonight.  We ordered very little today because I felt full!  But next time, I will order more! HEAPS MORE!!!!  Last but not least, thanks Shaun of Perth Food Review for introducing this place to us! See his review here.  Also, this place is GLUTEN friendly which caters for a common allergy!  Kudos to the owners!

 

WenY

Sydney 2013: The Sydney Fish Market @ Pyrmont

After 24 hours of eating frenzy, we were finally on our way to Sydney’s iconic Sydney Fish Market.   Famed for being one of the freshest seafood destinations in Australia, the market sells many thousands of kilograms of fish that feed the ever growing city of Sydney.  But for tourists like me, this is a seafood Mecca. To prevent clashing with other tourist, we decided to be early and reached the market around 10am.  Fortunately, it was early enough although I do not know when is late :P! 

 

After a short ride on the tram, our eyes feasted on the layer of freshness on offer.  Almost everything native to the ocean surrounding Australia is on display and it was just such an amazing seafood galore. For us, we were so tempted by its pricing which was really affordable.   While I cannot remember every detail, I can tell that we were in for a treat!Most people who know me will know that I do not just eat ANY fish. It has to be odorless and be of the best quality.  Freshness is key along with its origins which should be, preferably from the ocean.

 

Walking around, I was actually quite disappointed to find out that there were not many stalls in the market but instead it had a few really large ones.   Nonetheless, after making our rounds we decided to eat at Nicholas Seafood.

Fresh Oysters!  I think they were slightly over a dollar each!  Bel, Jordan and Andrew tucked happily into these Sydney Rock oysters which are loved for their stronger flavor albeit being less meaty.  For me, I shall not… too scared haha.

 

For our breakfast, there was not holding back.  We had a sashimi galore which consisted of tuna, kingfish, salmon and sea urchin.With over 600 grams of fresh seafood, it cost the four of us less than $40 bucks.  It was simply fantastic.  The salmon was top notch.  Fresh.  Very fresh.   The cutting of it all was a little tacky but hey, it was the taste that matters!  The kingfish was also of a restaurant standard!  But ultimately, it was the sea urchin and tuna that was less than desirable.  A bad lingering fishy aftertaste make it feel as if it was not as fresh as the salmon and kingfish! Even the most hardened fish veteran on the table struggled to gain momentum for the tuna and urchin flesh.  Naturally, tuna and sea urchin has to be top notch for it to be used as sashimi!  Unfortunately, this was not quite there.

 

But our meal did not end there, we finished of our brunch with a lobster noodle!I guess this was really fancy for brekkie but for $100, we got a lobster that was at least 3 pounds!  So how is this cheap?  Well in Perth the typical price per pound of lobster is around $60 bucks.  So for the one we had, it would have cost $180 at the very least!

 

Cooked in a traditional ginger and shallot flavor, these noodles were pretty good.  But IMHO definitely not great.  Oozy gravy coating the noodles but there was a little disappointment in the lack of finesse in the cooking style.  I guess we were not in a proper restaurant anyways @@!Lobster noodles!

 

The famed Sydney Opera House.

So for this meal, the bill came up to slightly over $150 for brunch which was by Perth standards not expensive at all.  A normal brunch of bacon, eggs and its accompaniments with a coffee/juice typically sets one back by around $30 dollars easily.   The Sydney Fish Market for me was a nice place to visit.  Especially since it was my first time.  However, will I come back and spend the same amount of money here again?  I really wonder.  While I enjoyed the food here, I cannot say with enough certainty that it was really all that great.  The sashimi was  a bit of a hit and miss.   Meanwhile the lobster noodle was OK, but did not live up to our expectations.  In the end, what I will do though is buy the seafood fresh and bring it to my aunty to cook hehe! Apparently she lives just minutes away from the market!  That is if she would cook it for me haha.  This is the last entry for my Sydney trip :)!  A good holiday with massive eating all in 36 hours. 

 

WenY

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Bites: Cantina 663 @ Mount Lawley

I know, I know.  I have used this statement a lot but I have seriously had Cantina 663 on my to go list for way too long now!  However, shallow pockets requires good financial planning haha.  After thinking of where to go for my friend’s birthday, we finally headed over to Cantina 663.  With countless mentions and a whopping 49 reviews, I have finally landed on Cantina 663.. and I have to say, it was a place worthy of the hype.

 

Sitting down at quarter pass 6, the waitress came up and offered to take our orders.  However, as I knew we would adjourn for drinks later, my friends and I politely declined!  Another 10 minutes, and the waitress returned to ensure that we were OK.  I said we were good, but could do with a little guide around the menu.  After explaining how we wanted to share the food among the 8 of us, she put forth some recommendations which were really helpful.  So, we started with:

2 serves of duck liver parfait, onion jam and bread @ $15 ea.  For starters, the bread heated on a grill came out warm.  This made the creamiest parfait spread like melting butter before I put some onion jam.  The first bite landed me on heaven.  It was extremely delicious.  Its creamy texture was to die for and the seasoning of the meaty parfait was faultless.  There was a sense of enjoyment which Fishman very coyly described as a feeling he gets from a McDonalds cheese burger.  Where that came from I have no idea, but to me, this was simply sublime.  No wonder the waitress said it was one of their most popular starters!  Even my dining companions and the little darling who shy from innards dive in for seconds.  That to me, says a lot!

 

Next were the arancini like balls served on shaved fennel, $17 ea!  I can very hazily recall its name but this was another recommended starter.  It was another vow.  I did complained about my arancini back at Jamie’s Italian here as it claimed to have smoky bacon but tasted nowhere near.  The one at Cantina 663 did not  say smoky but the flavors in there did wonders.  It had good amounts of cheese and the flavorsome fillings meant that one ball is never too much! Some arancini would make me feel sick but not this one.  It had the savory sensation that kept me going! Kudos!  Problem?  The waitress said it had 4 per serve but only 3 came out on each plate.  So 2 serves was not enough.  But, it was something we easily solved by sharing halves :)!

 

When we finished out starters, it only took 15 minutes for our mains come out. I have seen most if not all the reviews.  No one dish has gotten more praised than the gnocchi.  At Cantina 663, the seasonal menu means there is not one but many sauces to compliment the fluffy potato pillows.  The choice tonight was a little earthy with strong bold flavors.  We had 2 serves of the gnocchi with beetroot puree, gorgonzola and walnuts, $26 ea.The flavors were not exactly my thing as beetroot for me is a red meat’s best friend.  Saying that though, the puree tended to over power basic flavors I yearned for.  This in particular was the blue cheese.  It was there but not quite as bold as I had expected.  Nonetheless, the quality of the gnocchi was faultless. Around the table, we all said that this was not bad but the gnocchi deserved better.  The melt in your mouth gnocchi had a mild caramelisation which was simply delicious.  No wonder it has such a large fan base!  One day, I MUST try the gnocchi with pumpkin puree.  I was already imagining that on my way to Cantina.  Sadly, it I did not come at the right season!

 

The risotto called another name which I cannot remember was oh my god so yummy.  As we shared one, we each had a few table spoons only.  Yet, this did not hinder our enjoyment of a great dish.  The rice was yum, the spices made it delicious and it was not your typical cloying creamy risotto!  Furthermore, it was baked in the oven giving it a crunchiness which was great texture.  Hidden in the middle was a small serve of chicken still tender from the moisture of the rice.  It tasted like peri peri but not quite.  Something along the line I guess haha.  Biggest downfall of this dish?  Those mussels were so dry it shriveled to the size of a 5 cent coin.  That was almost tragic =.=!

 

We also called a few meat dishes which were complimented by a side of coleslaw, $9 and buttermilk potatoes, $10.  Coleslaw was really yum considering how our dishes were either very meaty or rich in cheese.  Hence this light, refreshing and at the same time fruity coleslaw encouraged us to eat more.  Our only dislike was a hint of lingering bitterness which could be due to the cabbage.  The buttermilk potatoes (shown in pic) was not so popular as it was not tasty and felt a little too plain for our liking.  For the girls, they could not justify piling on the carbs haha.

 

Our meat courses consisted of 2 serves of beef short ribs and a pork knuckle for 2.  Around the table, everyone commended the delicious ribs.  They were cook so tender and soft that the meat fell apart with little effort.  It was also very moist with several fatty bits to making it a delicious course.  The sauce was sweet and the little artichokes and mash soaked up all the beautiful sauce the rib had!  Definitely the best main for the night!  I could not help myself but tuck in for more after everyone had finished and eat the little bits of meat and artichokes that were left! SO moreish! Beef Rib, $44.

 

The pork hock on the other hand was not so popular.  The meat was cooked well but we found little joy as it was not tasty.  It came with a trio of sauces which had a salsa verde, maybe a vinegar and some sauce but that still did not make the pork hock as enjoyable as we expected it to be.  More over, the crackling was very chewy and not crunchy!  Fishman was sad :(! We were wondering why it was not left to crackle a little bit more!  It is was crunchy, that would have presented the dish better! No one hates a crispy crackling!Pork Hock for 2, $55

 

With the bill coming to slightly over $300 for 4 appetizers, and 7 mains, I cannot help but feel that I have walked away with a bargain.  In Perth, such fulfilling meal for 8 people rarely stays below $50 and very often hovers around the $70 mark.  The quality we received today was exceptional.  Out of the lot, the only dish which performed below our expectations were the pork hock and the side of cumin buttermilk potatoes.  Other than that, no one could fault with the beautiful liver parfait or the tender beef ribs.  These were dishes alongside the Arancini and Gnocchi really made Cantina 663 a great dining experience.  More often than not, I eat out at such hyped diners feeling satisfied but not extremely contented because the hype felt greater than what I have experienced.  And I will be honest, hype kills.  Even places like Jamie’s Italian, and Gordon St. Garage fell short on my books because with the queue and all the mentions, one would really expect more. Like A LOT more.  However, Cantina 663 is an exception from what I experienced that night.  And with this place so well established in the area, their reputation is, hopefully, here to stay.

 

WenY

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Bites: Miss Kitty’s Saloon @ Mount Lawley

Miss Kitty’s Saloon shot up to the top of my wish list when I saw the reviews of my foodie mates ChompChomp and Queen of Bad Timing a few weeks ago.  Consistently good American food is hard to find in Perth and most of the time, I cannot really differentiate Australian and American although there are some food which are undoubtedly American such as Buffalo Wings or the combination of Chicken & Waffles.  So when Miss Kitty’s rose to fame, I was elated and decided to pay a visit after many weeks of delay.

The interior was kind of like an American diner.  Bit signs of American pride like Hershey and beers are available in super size form.  As we entered, a cheerful lady greeted us.  More importantly, she made our experience at Miss Kitty’s Saloon a pleasant one.  Fishman was amazed by her energy and the contentment she had from doing her job.  Over all, top notch treatment ;)!

 

For our drinks, we had the bottomless ice tea, chocolate (hot & cold) and coffee.  While most of it tasted good, it did little to differentiate itself from the rest.  It was IMHO typical.  But hey, typical is not a bad thing!  Yv on the other hand found little satisfaction from her iced chocolate.  She found it too plain and was no chocolaty enough!

Hot chocolate with bottomless iced tea!  I do not think one can have refills because a jar is simply way too much! I think it is easily 500ml or more of liquid in one serve!

 

Before our mains came out, we called a few things to share:Wholemeal doughnut, custard, toffee apple @ $6.  While it was not the most fluffy doughnut on the inside, its consistency was good enough to enjoy.  But the highlight for us has got to be the custard toffee apple which had a good balance of spices, sweetness and saltiness that helped the dish shine. :)!

 

Buffalo wings, blue cheese, celery, carrot @ $15.90I reckon Buffalo Wings have got to be one of the more popular food to leave the US.  A good Buffalo Wing should have a mild crunch, with a good level of spiciness and acidity.  Delicious blue cheese dip is a MUST.  However, good Buffalo Wings despite its EXTREME simplicity seems like a chore for Australia.  OR was its originality tainted?  I know the lollipop wings at the Merrywell only carries a potency which Americans would dismiss with a sigh!  Fortunately, the wings here still carry crunch and a good amount of flavor although for me, its spiciness could go up one notch :)!  If I had to complain, it would be the size of the wings which a little smaller than desired!  Also, the rustic blue cheese dip left an unpleasant shock due to its chunky nature where blue cheese are still pretty obvious.  I loved that though :)! Strong, bold flavors!

 

As we chatted and nibbled through the wings, time passed really quickly.  To our dismay, it took awhile for our food to arrive.  Before I could raise the issue with the waitress, we were brought a bowl of orange slices.While I definitely have enough money to buy my own oranges, it is little things like this that counts!

 

Our first meal to hit the tableSteak ‘n’ Eggs, peas, fries.  For $19.50, this was great value.  I had a bit of everything I found this to be an absolute joy.  The steak was cooked spot on, fries crisp and oh my.  I loved that sauce that accompanied the steak.  It was a smoky ketchup that really went well with the fries!  However, if you expect a melt in your mouth steak, this is not quite there.  This was tender minute steak that did not melt unfortunately.  But it was good enough!  YH says that this definitely differed from his usual brunch but welcomed this. 

 

The little darling and Yv both ordered the same dish.Stone baked mushroom tart, hollandaise, egg @ $16.  While I did not even have a chance to have a bite, the girls demolish this little meal in no time.  They seem to have loved everything but had no idea what this was going to be and expected a tart.  Instead, they mentioned that the tart pastry felt more like a little pancake topped with poached eggs, shrooms and an abundance of hollandaise.

 

My sister’s Chorizo, Slow-cooked Eggs, sweet potato hash, green sauce @ $17.  While my sister ordered this without much thought, she actually enjoyed it heaps but swapped the slow-cooked eggs for Fishman’s fried ones (she dislikes runny yolk).  The salsa was delicious and the sweet potato came out golden brown in a crispy batter.  There was only one piece of Chorizo but was yummy! One thing that concerns me though, is that this is definitely not a stand alone.  Its pint size appearance is all except filling!  The price though,is definitely right considering the level of effort required (making the sauce, slow cooking the eggs and frying the hash)!  But is is definitely not for the hungry peeps!  It is small like the mushroom tart.

 

My pick for the day was the Waffles & ChickenEach individual element is a star by itself.  Crumbled chicken was crunchy but still tender on the inside.  Salad topping was refreshing although sweet chili dressing felt like it was one from the bottle.  Waffles were cooked just right.  But does a collaboration of stars always work ?  Unfortunately, this pairing did not work for me.  More likely than not, it was a matter of personal preference rather than pure dissatisfaction.  I find appeal of pairing of waffles with chicken to be slowly diminishing in utility.  My past experience at Merrywell where a friend ordered the Chicken and Killer Bee Honey Waffle also ended up in devastation.  This (pairing) felt almost like a cult following rather than a norm.  Definitely not for me :P!  That does not mean everyone would not like it as I have seen other people enjoying it!

 

Filled to the brim by my main, drink and appetizers, I was fully satisfied.  We went in at 11.30am and came out slightly pass 1pm.  I enjoyed my meal here today.  Little darling who was concerned about her exams had little thought but the rest of us had enjoyed Miss Kitty’s Saloon.  The food here is different and most of the things we had today were really enjoyable with the exception of the Chicken & Waffles.  If I had come here again, I would definitely share a buffalo wings before enjoying the Chorizo or Mushroom Tart by myself.  In the event that no one shares, the steak ‘n’ eggs is definitely the way to go!

 

After months of delays, I have to say that I am finally glad to visit Miss Kitty’s Saloon.  It was great how the food here was good enough and the service was friendly.  This is definitely a promising eatery.  While I am less likely to come in for lunch, this place might be a great alternative to Merrywell @ Crown for dinner.  Perhaps next time :)!

 

WenY