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Gluten free potato cake with smoked salmon

Posted by  | Categories: Modern Australian, Recipes, Seafood

These  gluten free potato cakes with smoked salmon make the perfect alternative to the traditional blinis. They take only minutes to prepare yet still taste fabulous.

Gluten free potato cake with smoked salmon
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 3 Yukon gold potatoes (about 450 grams), peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg white
  • 120 grams smoked salmon
  • ¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • Olive-oil, cooking spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 230 degrees Celsius. Combine potatoes, chopped dill, salt, pepper, and egg white in a medium bowl, and stir to combine.
  2. Coat two baking sheets with olive-oil cooking spray. Form pancakes by dropping about 1 tablespoon mixture on tray for each and flattening into disks. Bake until golden brown on bottom, about 10 minutes, rotating trays once during cooking. Remove from oven, and turn pancakes over. Return to oven, and bake until brown on both sides, about 7 minutes more.
  3. Serve pancakes topped with salmon and a dab of reduced-fat sour cream. Garnish with dill sprigs.

Recipe adapted from www.marthastewart.com/food

Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Fillet with Pesto

Posted by  | Categories: Featured, Recipes, Steakhouse

Have you ever cooked a whole beef eye fillet? If you have you will understand what little effort it takes to produce a sumptuous meal. For those who haven’t this prosciutto wrapped beef fillet with pesto will convert you. Just make sure you buy ethically sourced meat!

"Proscuitto" "smallgoods" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

It was hard not to eat some of this before wrapping the fillet!

Prosciutto Wrapped Beef Fillet with Pesto
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 14 slices of prosciutto (about 120 gm)
  • 1 jar of pesto (I used a complementary jar of Roza’s Dairy Free Pesto)
  • ½ cup raw cashews, chopped finely
  • 1.5 kg piece of beef eye fillet
  • Fresh basil to serve
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place 7 prosciutto slices in a row, side-by-side and slightly overlapping, to create a rectangle. Repeat with the remaining prosciutto slices, slightly overlapping, at the long side of the first rectangle.
  2. Mix the cashews and pesto together in a small bowl. Spread the pesto mix over the beef. Place the beef, dip-side down, on the prosciutto. Roll up to enclose the beef. Place the beef, seam-side down, in a roasting pan. Roast for 45 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest. Top with basil.

Note: the original recipe can be found on www.taste.com.au and used Wattle Valley Baby Spinach with Cashew and Parmesan Chunky Dip

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Prosciutto wrapped pesto beef fillet (in my rush to serve I forgot the basil garnish!)

The Pesto used in this recipe was given free of charge by Roza’s Gourmet Sauces.

 

Roza’s Dairy Free Pesto)

Wasabi Devilled Eggs

Posted by  | Categories: Breakfast/Brunch, Recipes
Wasabi Devilled Eggs
Author: 
Recipe type: Finger Food
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 8 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • 1½ teaspoons gluten free wasabi paste
  • 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice-wine vinegar
  • 2 large scallions (3 tablespoons), minced (I OMITTED THIS INGREDIENT TO MAKE IT FRUCTOSE FRIENDLY)
  • Coarse salt
  • Pea shoots or sprouts, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Prepare an ice-water bath. Place eggs in a medium saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover eggs by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Cover, and remove from heat. Let stand 13 minutes.
  2. Drain, and transfer eggs to ice-water bath until cold. Peel eggs, and halve lengthwise.
  3. Transfer yolks to a medium bowl, and mash with a fork until smooth. Stir in mayonnaise, wasabi, vinegar, and scallions. Season with salt. Pipe or spoon filling into whites.
  4. Garnish with pea shoots or sprouts.

Recipe with much thanks from www.marthastewart.com/food

 

 

Some Snippets from my Gluten Free Christmas Indulgences!

Posted by  | Categories: Degustation/Fine dining, Desserts, Featured, Melbourne, Recipes

Christmas is the time of year when the distance that separates me from my family feels the longest. December is our busiest month at work so I can only return back home for the silly season once every few years. This year I had booked our flights well in advance to avoid the last-minute price blow outs; flights across the continent triple in price around this time of year as people arrange to visit their family and friends.

Because we would not be in Perth to join the Boy’s family for Christmas Day, we agreed to celebrate our family lunch the weekend before our departure in a casual pool party affair at our house. However, in the lead up to flying out my work pressures were at boiling point so in order to avoid having a mental breakdown I opted for simple fresh dishes that were bound to please the Boy’s very hungry family!

"Prawns" "Kailis Bros Fish Market" "shrimp" "Leederville" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

Fresh North-west Prawns from Kailis Bros Fish Market, Leederville

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Wasabi devilled eggs

These wasabi devilled eggs were so quick to prepare and were snuffled up in minutes. Even by those who don’t really like wasabi!

"Christmas crackers" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

There was no room on the table for Christmas crackers!

"Smoked salmon" "potato blinis" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

Smoked salmon on potato “blinis”

To replace the classic blinis that smoked salmon is traditionally served on, I baked these little potato “blinis”. They turned out a bit more like a rosti but still managed to complement the flavour of the fish without overpowering it. Being baked and not fried they were light and not oily at all.

"Mixed tomato salad" "basil" "balsamic vinagrette" "vegetarian" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

Mixed tomato salad with fresh basil and balsamic vinaigrette

"Roasted beetroot" "roast pumpkin salad" "rocket" "hazelnuts" "feta" "vegetarian" "salad" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

Roasted beetroot and pumpkin salad with hazelnuts and feta

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Prosciutto wrapped pesto beef fillet

For mains I cooked a prosciutto wrapped beef eye fillet using some of my Dairy Free Pesto Sauce sent to me complementary to try by Roza’s Gourmet Sauces.  The original recipe used a Wattle Valley Chunky dip so I adapted and added chopped cashews. I was secretly hoping that after all our starters the Boy and I would end up with a fridge full of left overs but everything obviously tasted too good because alas there was slim pickings in the fridge the next day.

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Nothing beats a real live Christmas tree. The wonderful smell filled the loft apartment.

"Christmas Day" "fruit mince pies" "Pannetone" "cherries" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

The essential Christmas Day nibbles: succulent cherries, fruit mince pies, pannetone

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The adorable Lily. She has stolen my father’s heart…he is besotted with her.

The following weekend we jetsetted over to Melbourne where we were to celebrate with my family. My Mum had also flown in from Adelaide so we could all be together. The schedule was a busy one: wedding dress fitting on day one, followed by some last-minute Christmas shopping, an indulgent night out on Christmas Eve at Rockpool with my Mum and then a day of festivities with eleven people and seven dogs at my Dad and step mum’s house on Christmas Day.  Here are some more snap shots of our memorable day!

"Flowers" "table setting" "christmas decorations" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

The most exquisite fresh flower Christmas table setting

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Cracking out the favourites for family!

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Puts my salmon to shame! Beetroot marinated salmon gravlax.

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Christmas Nativity

I apologise for the lack of photos of our mains; but for those interested we feasted on honey roasted ham, cranberry and macadamia stuffed turkey and roast pork with crackling. In my eagerness to get stuck in and eat I totally forgot to take photos! The best I can offer you is a shot of the duck fat potatoes.

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Duck fat potatoes…oh yeah!

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Christmas pudding goodness. Just not for me. Not to worry! I have my own!

My Step mum’s sister owns a cake shop and so it was logical that she was delegated to make the Christmas pudding for everyone. I have grown accustomed to missing out on this fabulous end to a traditional Christmas feast but this year I was so lucky  as the lovely folks from Just In Time Gourmet had kindly delivered to my front door a sample of Newcastle’s Pudding Lady gluten free pudding for me to taste test.

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My gluten free Christmas pudding

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No crumbling or stodginess. A gluten free success.

Moist, rich and overtly fruity I accepted that while a fructose overdose was inevitable (and tolerable) I was to relish in the knowledge that no serious gluten aftermath would follow. With freshly made brandy cream drizzled on top this was a delightfully decadent way to end a feast. For those gluten intolerants out there…grab one while you still have the chance or risk having to wait another whole year!

"gluten free Christmas pudding" "Newcastle's Pudding lady" "just in time gourmet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

Topped with home made brandy cream. In heaven.

"Chocolate nut Christmas tree" "chocolate" "nuts" "dessert" "sweets" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "recipe blog" "gluten free recipe" "Christmas gluten free" "Christmas" "lunch" "seafood" "entertaining"

Chocolate nut Christmas tree

Hoping all my lovely readers had a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a fabulous New Year!

 

 

A last minute bestie binge at Harvest Espresso Victoria Park

Posted by  | Categories: Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee, Featured, Perth, Restaurants

I am quite an unconventional bride.  At the time we got engaged; the Boy and I had already been together for over ten years and bought both a house and a business. It’s not that either of us is against marriage, it just wasn’t a priority for us at the time.  After getting engaged I have found the whole process of planning for a wedding very gradual as I am not one of those girls that have all the details of their big day planned out in their heads before their respective other has even popped the question.

It was the day my Bestie was to fly out to Vietnam for three weeks to finish her yoga teacher training course and we were both feeling the guilt of neglecting our friendship.  Not because either of us meant to avoid each other by any means, we just had so much going on individually in our own lives that time got the better of us and before we knew it; her departure day had arrived.

"Coffee" "5 senses coffee" "short macchiato" "cafe latte" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

Creamy deliciousness. I didn’t like the wooden spoons though.

Luck was on our side as I had the morning off work and she didn’t fly out until the afternoon. I arrived at her house bright and early with the aim to take her out for breakfast as a farewell present, a Christmas present and a belated birthday present all rolled into one.  To minimize our travel time and thus maximize our time together I headed to the new café Harvest Espresso opened up on Albany Highway only a short walk from our house.

"Bakery" "cakes" "desserts" "muffins" "tarts" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

The morning’s freshly baked treats

The small café has a very welcoming feel to it and you almost feel like you are entering someone’s rustic country kitchen with lots of natural light flooding in.  We could feel the energy and excitement from the staff that often accompanies a new business venture.

"Coffee" "5 senses coffee" "short macchiato" "cafe latte" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

My mac was gone a in few seconds flat!

The coffee served is Five Senses and the barista knows how to brew.  Both our short macchiato and soy latte were served at the perfect temperature and if I hadn’t already had a double shot of my Nespresso at home I could have easily had another.  My Bestie on the other hand didn’t hold back on seconds.

"Poached eggs" "mushrooms" "wilted spinach" "gluten free bread" "zehnder bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

Poached eggs, mushrooms and wilted spinach

I ordered the poached eggs on gluten free toast paired with some wilted spinach and mushrooms.  A little unimaginative I guess but I was really in the mood for some poached egg molten goo action. I truly tend to find myself defining a good breakfast by the chef’s ability to poach an egg having failed at this miserably a number of times at home myself.

"Poached eggs" "mushrooms" "wilted spinach" "gluten free bread" "zehnder bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

The proof is in the goo. Tell me when you get sick of these shots!

My eggs did not disappoint.  As I gently sliced into the soft egg white, out ruptured the yolk like a burst of golden sunshine. In a flurry I grabbed for Gordon, my SLR camera to capture that lovely moment that never fails to excite me.   I cannot help but fall in love with the obligatory goo shot (sorry for those that tire of my poached egg obsession).

"baked eggs" "Harvest Spanish Baked egg" "chorizo" "cabbage" "tomato" "cannellini beans" "paprika" "Zehnder bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

Harvest Spanish Baked egg

After seeing some mouth-watering photos of the Harvest Spanish baked egg on their Facebook page; I persuaded the Bestie to give them a try. Served in a ceramic baking dish with chorizo, cabbage, tomatoes, cannellini beans and a sprinkling of paprika we were told this was their most popular dish.  We order an extra egg to be cracked in there for good measure.  After initially casting envious eye on the state of my eggs to her delight she was met with a similar experience of her own.  She happily mopped up all the flavoursome sauce mixed with runny egg with a big grin of satisfaction on her face.

We were determined to “push the boat out” and make this breakfast last for a long as we possibly could so ordering a second course was a must.  Although we have spent months apart before, the idea of spending three weeks separated from each other this close to my wedding wasn’t exactly best case scenario but unfortunately unavoidable.

"Pistachio friand" "desserts" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

Pistachio friand

There was a lovely collection of home baked single serve tarts and muffins beautifully displayed near the counter.  My only option for a gluten free choice was the cutest and nearly pointlessly small sized pistachio friand.  If I wasn’t so stuffed with everything I had eaten so far I may have been a little disappointed. Or maybe I would have just had two.  But for this occasion the single mouthful was just right. Perhaps in the future they plan to have some more adult sized gluten free desserts?

"Lemon curd tart" "desserts" "tart" "lemon curd" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Harvest Espresso Victoria Park" "Victoria Park" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic" "Vic Park" "albany Highway" "food sponge"

Lemon curd tart

Not entirely bound by the restrictions of gluten free diet the Bestie was easily coerced into ordering a lemon curd tart. She initially planned on just scooping out the curd and leaving the pastry base but after a couple of zesty mouthfuls she realised that the pasty was an essential part.  She agonised over the right words to describe her dish and ended on the conclusion that it was a hit regardless of how you described it.

Adequately fuelled for her long trip, we drove to the International Airport singing and laughing the whole way.  She has some exciting times ahead and I am so happy for her.

A bientôt ma chérie! Good luck! xxxxx

Harvest Espresso
629 Albany Highway, Victoria Park 6100 | 0416 397 088 | Facebook
 
Price:                     $$ ($9-20/meal, Cash only)
Food:                    4.5/5 (eggs are amazing, need more GF sweet treats!)
Service:                4.5/5 (super friendly positive vibe, proud of their café and the food)
Ambience:           4/5 (light, airy and homely)
Drinks:                  5/5 (5 Senses coffee. What can I say!?)
Total:                     18/20
 

Harvest Espresso on Urbanspoon

Fairmont Hotel, Singapore

Posted by  | Categories: Accommodation, Breakfast/Brunch, Hotels, Singapore, Travel

Our last visit to Singapore was during a stopover ten years ago en route to London where we lived for a number of years.  We had spent our last few weeks in Perth burning all the candles at every end bidding our friends farewell and by the time we arrived in Singapore we were left feeling like a clump of melted wax.  We were young and comparatively naïve and got easily caught up in the flurry of hotel booked tours and commercialised tourist traps.

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The view from our room

Fast forward to the present and we are now both savvy travellers; we know what we enjoy and more importantly how to find it.  Consequently I was super excited to be returning to Singapore to attend a close friend’s wedding armed with a multitude of eating recommendations from all my fellow blogging friends.

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The view from our room

The wedding banquet was to be held at Fairmont Hotel so to simplify things we took opportunity of the discounted group rates and stayed there. The location is very central being walking distance to the harbour, CBD and Marina Bay Sands; and has a subway train station in the shopping complex attached to the hotel.  Public transport in Singapore is quick, efficient and easy to use.  We actually discovered it to be a quicker way to get around the central city than a taxi. 

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Fairmont Room

We stayed in the Fairmont Room which is their most basic room; however it was relatively spacious with a lounge chair, extremely comfortable king sized bed, fully equipped working desk and a private balcony overlooking the city. 

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Lovely Le Labo products

There was a selection of bathroom amenities using Le Labo products scented with their signature Rose 31 fragrance. The thought of rose fragrance conjures up in my mind subtle, underwhelming, floral scents so when I took a waft of the luscious hand cream I wasn’t expecting the complexity of spice and woodiness.  Other components of this fragrance include cedar wood, cumin and olbanum giving a sexy, nearly masculine scent.  We only stayed for two nights but I ensured to clear away the products each service to ensure getting refreshed with another batch!

"Nespresso" "coffee" "minibar" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

The mini-bar was small but had the essential ;)

Another highlight of our room was the addition of a Nespresso machine.  Since my Mum gifted to us a Nespresso machine for our engagement last year, I have realised my coffee addiction has been lifted to new heights and I cannot start my day without a decent coffee.

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Oh no!

My initial excitement at seeing a Nespresso machine was short-lived when I realised the only pods on offer were in fact the only pods I didn’t like! Thankfully a Nespresso Boutique was not far from our hotel and before long I was back in 7th coffee heaven.

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Breakfast buffet

Breakfast is served buffet style downstairs at their Italian restaurant Prego.  I always find Asian hotels offer a much great variety of foods for breakfast buffet than our Australian counterparts and this buffet was no exception. Gluten free bread was available on request however unfortunately none of the buffet food was sign posted whether it was gluten free so I was a little nervous in knowing in what I could and couldn’t eat.  The non-allergic Boy on the other hand went nuts and piled his plate high of an assortment of curries, pastries and meats topped with a pile of crispy bacon.

"poached eggs" "salmon" "bacon" "cold meats" "breakfast" "buffet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Breakfast buffet – the bacon was so crispy

"donuts" "breakfast" "buffet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

The donut tower

On our second day in Singapore we returned fairly late back to our room after a full day walking around the city. The wedding banquet was to be held that evening so we planned to quickly beautify ourselves ready for a few pre-dinner drinks to set the mood for the occasion.  To our dismay, on entering our room we were confronted by the same mess we had left hours earlier that morning. Housekeeping had forgotten to clean our room! I cannot deny this is a major oversight for a premium hotel establishment and I couldn’t help but be annoyed that I had to wait for fresh towels before I could start getting ready for the evening celebrations.  Consequently we missed out on the pre-drinks and had to rush straight to the wedding reception.

"orchids" "lobby" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Despite this frustrating hiccup the Fairmont Hotel in Singapore proved to be a great accommodation option for us during our recent stay.  The central location, reasonable room rates and well-appointed room made our whirlwind 2 day stay an enjoyable and comfortable one.  Our only complaint (other than our un-made room) was we didn’t have enough time! As a result we have decided to stop over again on our way home from our wedding to finish off our hit list of must-eats!

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Singapore Food blog" "Singapore travel blog" "asian travel blog" "Fairmont Hotel Singapore" "Singapore accommodation" "Fairmont" "Singapore wedding"

Fairmont Singapore

80 Bras Basah Road, Marina Bay, 189560 Singapore | www.fairmont.com/singapore

Tripadvisor reviews 
 
Food:                                    3.5/5 (based on buffet breakfast at Prego only)
Service:                                2.5/5 (check out process was slow, housekeeping forgot our room)
Rooms:                                 4/5 (clean, well-appointed and spacious, BTW the bed is the BOMB)
Location:                              4.5/5
 
Total:                                     14.5/20
 

 

Grill'd Brookfield Place, Perth

Posted by  | Categories: Burgers & Snags, Fast Food, Perth, Restaurants, Vegetarian

Since opening earlier this year, Brookfield Place has quickly become something of a food haven in the centre of the CBD.  With a plethora of bars, restaurants and cafes all in one complex it’s a wonder those who work in the city ever want to leave! From fine dining at Print Hall and The Trustee, more casual bistro style eating at The Heritage, Asian fusion at The Apple Daily and sweet treats at Theobroma Chocolate Lounge there is sure to be something for everyone.

Grill’d burgers have been around since 2004 and have grown from humble beginnings of a single Hawthorn store in Victoria to now being found across Australia in 50 stores. To coincide with their opening in Brookfield Place, they kindly invited a number of Perth bloggers to come and try the burgers for themselves.

"potted herbs" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

Pot ‘o fresh ‘erbs

Grill’d burgers are made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and all burgers are made to order. It was easy negotiating what on their menu I could eat and their chips totally gluten free too.  No missing out this time round!

"local community" "convicts for a cause" "fund raising" "Fremantle prison" "Cystic fibrosis" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

Local Matters: Supporting Local Community Groups

I was impressed to see that this national company still maintained its roots of servicing the local community as a small amount from every burger sold goes toward a local charity of your choice. I chose to donate to “Convicts for a Cause.” This is a fundraising event jointly organised by the Rotary Clubs of Perth and Mt Lawley, Cystic Fibrosis WA and Liver Foundation of WA. Participants in the event opt to be “locked up” in Fremantle Prison and each raises a minimum $500 bail to support people impacted by cystic fibrosis, polio and liver disease.

"local community" "convicts for a cause" "fund raising" "Fremantle prison" "Cystic fibrosis" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

My good deed for the day

Seeing as one of my dearest friends is affected by CF, it was obvious to me that this would be my choice.  I plopped both of our bottle caps in the jar and waited for our burgers to arrive.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

We had spent the earlier part of the evening at the Yelp Elite event at the Terrace Hotel and I was feeling a little on the intoxicated side. I really wasn’t in the mood for any meat and was excited to see that there were several veggie burgers on offer.  It was no surprise to many that my choice of burger was the Field of Dreams: a mushroom burger. Mushrooms are amongst my favourite foods and form a daily staple for me in at least one meal a day.

"Field of Dreams” "grilled mushroom" "grilled capsicum" "vegie burger" "vegetarian" "cheese" "mayo" "basil pesto" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

Field of Dreams vegie burger

The gluten free buns appeared to be very similar to those found at Snags & Sons and V Burger Bar. Nestled inside the bun sat a succulent grilled field mushroom coated with herbed mayo and topped with tasty cheese.  Underneath the ‘shroom were soft roasted peppers and bringing it all together was a massive dollop of basil pesto on the bottom bun. Curiously despite all this juiciness, the bun held together perfectly with no signs of collapsing despite my distinct lack of coordination in eating it.

“Summer sunset” "grass fed beef" "pineapple" "cheese" "avocado" "beef burger" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

“Summer sunset” beef burger

Boys need real burgers and my beloved Boy was no exception.  He ordered the Summer Sunset despite my suggestions that after all the lovely food he ate at The Terrace Hotel; it may push him into the realms of seriously full.  I underestimated his appetite this time! His burger contained a thick grilled lean beef pattie that had just the perfect hint of pink in the centre. Grill’d use grass-fed beef which is generally lower in fat meaning if not cooked correctly can taste a little dry and chewy.  Thankfully the guys behind the Grill’d grill knew what they were doing and the Boys’ beef was bursting with just as much moist flavour as my mushroom was. His burger also contained avocado, pineapple, crispy bacon and herbed mayo.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Brookfield Place" "Grill'd Brookfield Place" "Grill'd burgers" "Gluten free burgers" "beef burgers" "Fast food" "Perth city" "perth" "perth cbd"

Not bad for fast food I tell ya!

Everyone knows a burger isn’t exactly a healthy meal but looking at way Grill’d prepare their burgers and the ingredients they use, you can come pretty close to being somewhat healthy without sacrificing taste.  Many burger joints have thankfully jumped on the gluten free bandwagon yet not all of them have gone the whole hog and many do not serve gluten free chips. I was thankful I could enjoy a proper burger meal this time and left vowing to eat bride food for the rest of the week.

Grill’d Brookfield Place
125 St Georges Terrace, Perth 6000 | (08) 9226 4888 | www.grilld.com.au
 
Price:                     $             
Food:                    8/10 (up there with the best burgers IMHO)
Service:                4/5 (energetic, chatty staff who know their menu)
Ambience:           4/5 (music was cranking, dimmed lights, perfect for an after drinks bite)
Total:                     16/20
 
Chompchomp was partly compensated  with vouchers by Grill’d to write this review of Grill’d Brookfield Place. This in no way affected my option, all opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for further information.

 Grill'd Brookfield Place on Urbanspoon

Eat Drink Blog Conference 2012 Part 3: The Conference and a pop-up lunch

Posted by  | Categories: Adelaide, Breakfast/Brunch, Events, Travel

Eat Drink Blog 2012: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

It was an early start the following morning after the Eat Drink Blog conference dinner at the Hilton Adelaide with many of us nursing hangovers from all the excesses of food and drink.  The organising committee had planned things well with baristers on the ready handing out freshly brewed coffee to bleary eyed delegates. A massive breakfast spread was provided by Red Door Bakery and The Yoghurt Shop and included a moist gluten free frittata for me to enjoy.Red Door Bakery - Croydon on Urbanspoon

"The Yoghurt Shop" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Breakfast from The Yoghurt Shop

"bakery" "Pastries" "Red Door Bakery" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Pastries from the Red Door Bakery

The lecture content over the day provided me with many useful take home tips ranging from food photography, food styling, ethics, working with PRs, SEO and some legal advice. As many of my fellow bloggers have already posted extensive wrap ups of the lecture content, in order to prevent saturating the web with repeat content I suggest you head over to the Eat Drink Blog website for the links.

"Photography workshop" "Souvlaki for the Soul" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

“Home shoot” photography workshop with Peter from Souvlaki for the Soul

"Food styling workshop" "Fiona Roberts" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Food styling workshop by Fiona Roberts

No food blogging conference is complete without copious amounts of food.  Although we may have been fed and watered very well the previous night at the conference dinner and then again that morning; nothing prepared us for the vibrant pop up lunch downstairs in the Adelaide Central Markets.

"Spanish" "Paella" "rice" "seafood" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Paella (by Nicholas Finn)

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide" "pop up lunch"

The markets are closed on Sunday giving us free rein to use the space

All produce on offer was proudly South Australian and included the most enormous pan of aromatic paella, gluten free cured meats, freshly cooked ham, local cheeses and artisan breads.

"Cured meats" "bresaola" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Cured meats

"Woodside Cheese" "cheese" "goat cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Woodside Cheese – they remembered gluten free crackers too!

"Gluten free Laucke loaf" "gluten free bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Gluten free Laucke loaf

There was even a freshly baked loaf of gluten free Laucke bread accompanied by its own, non-contaminated cutting board and knife. It was a spongy fluffy loaf with the consistency of real bread!

"Cake pops" "The Cupcake Table" "Dessert" "minicake" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Cake pops!

"The Cupcake Table" "Dessert" "minicake" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Afternoon delights

The onslaught of delectable food continued well into the afternoon. Natasha from Playing House had kindly stayed up all hours the night before busily baking our afternoon tea spread.  Cake pops, chocolate mousse and some adorable little mini cakes which surprisingly vanished quickly even though I’m sure most of us were at maximal stomach capacity!

"The Cupcake Table" "Flourless Orange cake" "Dessert" "minicake" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Flourless Orange cake

"The Cupcake Table" "Flourless Orange cake" "Dessert" "minicake" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Flourless Orange cake by The Cupcake Table

The flourless orange cake was moist and zesty and although my expanded belly was starting to give the impression I was with child, I actually had to stop myself from going back for seconds.

Sadly all good things must always come to an end and coming down off my sugar rush my emotions ran high. In an out of character moment I swear I felt a tear prick in my eye as it dawned on me that this fantasy weekend was truly over.  Many of the delegates had planes to catch, families to return to and lots of fresh new motivation to blog. After a flurry of farewells, hugs and promises to eat together once again we all departed to return back to our real lives.

"I'm so Hungree" "cupcake" "dessert" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Melbourne blogger “I’m so Hungree”

Thanks once again to the Eat Drink Blog 2012 committee:

Amanda, Christina, Alex, Celeste, Erin, Kirsty and Natasha; all your hard work paid off in the end!

Thanks also to all the generous sponsors. Without your help this free conference would never have happened.

 

"South Australia" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Our loot! All proudly South Australian products!

Back to Cantina 663, Mount Lawley

Posted by  | Categories: European, Featured, Italian, Perth, Portuguese, Restaurants

Many of you may know I grew up in Adelaide, the City of Churches.  At the young and impressionable age of seventeen I left my family and friends behind in order to head west to study veterinary science.  Although initially moving to the opposite side of our great continent was not easy, Perth has given me amazing opportunities, plenty of sunshine and most importantly has found me the love of my life.

In my earlier years in Perth I remained in close contact with very few of my school companions. In fact in all honesty, until the creation of Facebook I only stayed in touch with just one school friend; Lenni.  Despite our homes being geographically separated by thousands of kilometres, over the years we have always managed to see each other at least once every twelve months or so.

When we were living in London she detoured to see me from Greece where she had attended a family wedding.  We lived in a poky little bed-sit in South-east London which was  situated upstairs from the 24 hour veterinary hospital in which I worked at.  We only had enough room to fit a single blow up mattress on the floor and by the end of every night it would ensure to deflate itself. Dear Lenni never uttered a complaint. No room for luxury during these times!

Another time she flew over for a whirlwind trip down to Margaret River and Pemberton.  Eager to show off my newly adopted home, I tried to squeeze everything into a tight 3 day schedule. For those who know these areas you will understand what a crazy schedule this was.  We covered a LOT of ground!

Whenever I was visiting Mum in Adelaide, Lenni would always manage to fit me into her hectic on-call schedule for some late night drinks and a bite to eat.  No matter how long between impromptu visits we would always manage to spend the whole time laughing and chattering late into the night. I would often wake up the next day with sore stomach muscles from too much giggling.

"pork belly" "cotechino" "potato hash" "crackling" "pork" "pickled onions" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Crisp pork belly, cotechino, potato hash, pickled onions

Fate has a way for bringing good friends together and in recent years Lenni’s career has also brought her to this state of opportunity. Being well overdue to see each other we met up one weeknight at Cantina 663 in Mount Lawley to enjoy some good food, wine and conversation.

I love eating out with someone who really enjoys their food.  It is so much more pleasurable to take the time to savour all the flavours of a meal as opposed to quickly wolfing everything down. Better still, it allows you to analyse and really appreciate what you are devouring. Lenni is a gracefully slow eater and meals with her are always at an extended relaxed pace.  Cantina 663 is perfect for this style of eating as much of their dishes are designed to share.

There was initially much confusion from our waiter upon ordering our food.  At first, he gave me the impression that he was quite familiar with fructose malabsorption and advised me that there was only a couple of small nibbles I could have and nothing on the main menu.  He told me as a replacement the chef was happy to specially make me a risotto for my main instead.  As he walked away from our table I was left feeling a little bewildered as I have previously been able to eat a number of their menu items as much of it is gluten free.  What made things worse was I didn’t feel like a risotto at all yet didn’t want to seem like a complaining ungrateful customer!

"Salumi platter" "Chorizo" "Prosciutto" "Bresaola" "kofta" "salami" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Salumi platter:Chorizo, Prosciutto, Bresaola, kofta and salami

On further questioning I discovered that my waiter had presumed that fructose malabsorption meant I had a fruit allergy and couldn’t eat anything with any fruit at all. As many of the dishes contained citrus or lemon juice he thought that they would all be unsuitable.  After giving him a brief run down on fructose malabsorption, he returned to the kitchen armed with a wealth of information on this frustrating condition and found out that there was indeed a lot more on the menu that I could eat.  What a relief.  I was starting to get a bit worried for a moment there!

"Smoked salmon rillettes" "preserved fennel" "seafood" "fish" "salmon" "rillettes" "charred bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Smoked salmon rillettes, preserved fennel, charred bread

The buttery smooth smoked salmon rillettes had the consistency of creamy pâté and smeared elegantly over the crusty charred bread.  There was no gluten free bread available but when I booked the table a few days prior the waitress kindly advised me in advance and welcomed me to bring my own…which of course I forgot! Paired with crunchy liquoricy preserved fennel and a bottle of Grenache this was perfect dish to kick start our night.

"Port roasted mushrooms" "buffalo mozzarella" "vegetarian" "basil" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Port roasted mushrooms, buffalo mozzarella, basil

The sauce for the roasted mushrooms contained onions so the chef served this on the side.  Despite omitting this potentially key ingredient, the earthy mushrooms were still bursting with rich port flavoured juices. Shreds of buffalo mozzarella cut through the acidity of the dish leaving a lingering creaminess on the palate.  A simple dish done well.

"pork belly" "cotechino" "potato hash" "crackling" "pork" "pickled onions" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Crisp pork belly, cotechino, potato hash, pickled onions

Lenni had the crisp pork belly with cotechino, potato hash and pickled onions.  Nestled in amongst all these ingredients were finger like slivers of sweet Pink Lady apple.  The crackling was as hard as toffee and snapped satisfyingly in the mouth with an audible crack.  The meat lacked any unpleasant porky after-taste and the fat had emulsified to a custard-like texture. I was lucky enough to try a small sample denuded of any sauce and could see why she finished every morsel on her plate despite being very full!

"Pan fried barramundi" "almond" "green salad" "fish" "seafood" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Cantina 663, Mount Lawley" "Cantina 663" "Mount Lawley" "Beaufort Street" "Portuguese" "Spanish" "tapas" "Italian"

Pan fried barramundi, almond with green salad on side

I enjoyed the pan-fried barramundi served with an almond butter sauce laced with baby capers. The fish was normally accompanied with artichokes and asparagus which presumably wasn’t onion free so the chef made me a large garden salad instead. The fish had thin crispy skin yet the flesh remained flaky and delicate requiring minimal effort to reduce into bite size morsels.  The nearly sweet almond sauce made this ordinarily light meal much more satisfying and I was contentedly full by the end.

Fructose malabsorption is by no means an easy intolerance to understand, and to an untrained ear the requirements are complicated and difficult. I was impressed that although our waiter’s initial presumptions regarding my diet were incorrect he put in the effort to understand the facts and find me something I would enjoy. We will most definitely be back again.

More on Cantina 663: Birthday Dinner at Cantina 663, Mount Lawley (March, 2012)

Cantina 663
Astor Arcade, 663 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley, 6050 | (08) 9370 4883 | www.cantina663.com
 
Price:                     $$$$ ($7-16 share plates/entrees, $25-35 mains)
Food:                    4.5/5 (they really need to consider stocking gluten free bread)
Service:                3.5/5 (bubbly, efficient, but a little confused with my food intolerances)
Ambience:          4/5 (warm and cosy inside on a cold rainy night)
Drinks:                  4/5 (Interesting Portuguese, Spanish & Italian wines. Perfectly matched to the food)
Total:                     16/20
 

 Cantina 663 on Urbanspoon

Eat Drink Blog Conference 2012 Part 2: A Mexican Feast at the Hilton Adelaide

Posted by  | Categories: Adelaide, Desserts, Events, Featured, Restaurants, Travel

Eat Drink Blog 2012: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

After spending the afternoon with Dianne Jacob at her food writing workshop, I whizzed back to my Mum’s house, whipped on a frock and headed back out to the Eat Drink Blog Conference dinner at the Hilton Adelaide. I was joined by the rest of the WA “Team”; Ai-Ling from Food Endeavours of the Blue Apocalypse, Michelle from Foodie Cravings and Moni from Gastromony along with some interstate blogging friends.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Our home grown Western Australian EDB delegates

"menu" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

So much food!

The Hilton’s Executive Chef Dennis Leslie themed the evening based on a South American fiesta with the idea of making the meal “fun”.  It was set out on the terraced pool deck in the open air up high amongst the sky scrapers (well, they are more like just tall buildings in Adelaide!). It was a warm and humid night and the deck was lit up like a Christmas tree with fairy lights.

"KIS Ginger Snow Cones" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

KIS Ginger Snow Cones

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Fiesta time!

"Adealide Hills" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Gorgeous views of the Hills

Feeling like superstars, we were ushered out onto the terrace where we watched views of the sun setting sun over the Adelaide Hills.  A whole lamb slowly rotated around on a spit and the mouth-watering smell of barbequed meats filled with air. As lamb sliders were passed around and devoured rapidly by all, our waiter informed me that a gluten free option was on its way for me. After what felt like hours, he returned with a massive gluten free bun filled like slippery wedges of freshly carved meat.

"Lamb on a spit" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Lamb on a spit

"lamb slider" "lamb on a spit" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Lamb on a Spit Sliders

"Gluten free lamb slider" "lamb on a spit" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Gluten free lamb slider: Who would have thought something so juicy was nearly fatal!

In my hunger and eagerness to devour my gluten free adaptation, I shoved a large door stop of lamb into my mouth imagining that it would be easy enough to chew. I seemingly underestimated the size of this chunk of flesh and was unable to open my mouth wide enough to chew it. Not wanting to make a spectacle of myself, I proceeded to try to swallow the piece whole.  It plugged my gullet like sock in a drain and I couldn’t breathe. Gasping as discretely as possible, I quickly grappled for my wine and chugged down a couple of mouthfuls but to no avail.

"Empanadas" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Empanadas

By this point I’m sure I must have been turning a shade of blue and shamefully turned away from the table to dramatically hoik up the elongated piece in a most inelegant manner. Oh my god, how embarrassing. Thank goodness I was surrounded by friends. From then on forth, I was very particular to cut my food into tiny, mouse sized pieces for the remainder of the evening.

"Grilled Porterhouse" "beef" "Chimichurri sauce" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Grilled Porterhouse with Chimichurri sauce

"Smokey beef ribs" "chipotle sauce" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Smokey beef ribs with chipotle sauce

"Cheese" "Woodside Wrights Monet" "Chevre" "Woodside Cheese Wrights Charleston" "Jersey Cow’s milk" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Cheese Woodside Wrights Monet (Chevre) Woodside Cheese Wrights Charleston (Jersey Cow’s milk)

Although by this point we did feel a little ripped at the seams, the sight of yet another chocolate fountain had lost some of its original appeal earlier that day and we started to yearn for something a bit more interesting. After receiving a tip off from a local regarding the whereabouts of a late night dessert bar; the four of us were dead set on fitting just one more course in.  Everyone can always find room for dessert.  We all jumped into a cab and headed across town to Devour Dessert Bar.

"Adelaide dessert bar" "Burnt milk pannacotta" "dessert" "late night bar" "pannacotta" "Macaron" "peanut butter crunch""Devour Dessert Bar" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Burnt milk pannacotta at Devour Dessert Bar

The burnt milk pannacotta had an exquisite blackberry gel centre that exploded out like goo when I plunged my spoon into its wobbliness. It was served on a bed of peanut butter crunch which gave a wonderful texture contrast to the jiggling pannacotta. I am not normally a fan of peanuts but the crunch reminded me of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes which in my pre-gluten free days I use to adore. I could have eaten of whole bowl of that peanut butter crunch.

"Adelaide dessert bar" "dessert" "late night bar" "Camomile tea" "Devour Dessert Bar" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012" "Eat Drink Blog Conference" "Hilton Adelaide"

Camomile tea at Devour Dessert Bar

The peanut butter and jelly macaron was too chewy and lacked the familiar “poof” sensation when I bit into the outer shell.  I presumed they may not have been very fresh or alternatively refrigerated for too long. Although I felt the macaron wasn’t up to scratch, the rest of my dessert was so good that despite being the least keen person to visit Devour, I was one of the only ones who finished everything on my plate! Overloaded, overindulged and very satisfied we all headed home to get some sleep in preparation for a big day of conference the next morning.

 Brasserie (Hilton Adelaide Hotel) on Urbanspoon

Devour Dessert Bar on Urbanspoon

Sayers Sister, Northbridge

Posted by  | Categories: Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee, Featured, Modern Australian, Perth, Restaurants

I have worked at the same practice for nearly ten years. It has been both an unavoidable yet enjoyable experience to form strong bonds with some of my team members over this period of time. Despite wishing that all my good staff would stay with me forever, I respect that people’s lives change and they move on.  When a true friendship is formed in addition to a professional relationship it actually ceases to become that important that you remain working together as you will always stay in touch with each other.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Sayers sister" "sayers" "leederville" "northbridge" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic"

Bright, airy with communal tables

It was sad to lose Tracy from our highly talented team of vet nurses, but dealing with other people’s naughty animals can be emotionally trying work and like many others she eventually got fed up with her career choice. Tracy and I share a lot in common: we love our food and wine, have similar alternative music tastes and appreciate the finer things in life. After a few months of settling into her new job we realised we must make more effort to catch up socially and organised a brunch outing sans children and men.

"frittata" "egg" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Sayers sister" "sayers" "leederville" "northbridge" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic"

Frittata freshly made

Sayers Sister is the new venture by Mark and Steph Sayers in the leafy suburban part of Northbridge.  The original café Sayers Food in Leederville has been open since 2006 and continues to fill up with hordes of hungry people every morning.  It appears that Sayers Sister is following in her footsteps and similarly shares in such popularity. To my relief Tracy managed to score us table only minutes before the morning rush began.  As we sat and sipped our coffees, we watched people eagerly queuing out the door and down the street desperate for a table.

"Scrambled eggs" "citrus salmon gravlax" "Persian feta" "smoked salmon" "fish" "gluten free toast" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Sayers sister" "sayers" "leederville" "northbridge" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic"

Scrambled eggs, citrus salmon gravlax, Persian feta & gluten free toast

As many of my dear readers may know, I have an infatuation with poached eggs. I truly believe one of the simplest and most satisfying things in life is that burst of molten sunshine when you gently cut into them.  So to prove to myself I’m not entirely predictable, I decided to order the scrambled eggs.  Folds of foamy eggs flopped over the plump gluten free toast and were draped generously with citrus salmon gravlax.  I gasped at the size of my dish; this was one serious looking breakfast! The eggs literally dissolved in my mouth however I didn’t enjoy my gluten free toast as much as last time.  It was slightly under-toasted leaving a slight doughy aftertaste.

"Buttermilk pancakes" "blueberry compote" "dessert" "lemon posset" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Sayers sister" "sayers" "leederville" "northbridge" "cafe" "brunch" "breakfast" "organic"

Buttermilk pancakes, blueberry compote & lemon posset

Tracy chose the buttermilk pancakes with blueberry compote and lemon posset.  Her serving size was not for the light hearted either and you can be rest assured that the men in your life will not walk away from this place hungry.  The lemon posset was set like custard and so delicately fragrant.  With Tracy’s encouragement, I couldn’t resist a little taste.  Imagine creamy lemon butter crossed with a soft gooey pudding. It was totally divine.

Sayers Sister sure does give her sibling a run for her money.  The ambiance is much brighter, lighter and has more energy and as seen by the lengthening queue as we left it is hitting the spot for many punters.  I thought the execution of the food could have been slightly improved; toast is not a hard thing to make however this was made up for by the use of extremely fresh ingredients, an interesting menu and very good coffee.

Sayers Sister
236 Lake St, Northbridge WA 6000 | (08) 9227 7506 | Facebook
 
Price:                     $ ($11-22 for breakfast meals)   
Food:                    4/5 (great menu choices, huge meals)
Service:                4/5 (similar vibrancy and warmth as at Sayers)
Ambience:           4/5 (fresh flowers, communal tables, bright, clean open kitchen)
Drinks:                  4.5/5 (5 senses coffee…winning)
Total:                     16.5/20

Sayers Sister  on Urbanspoon

Eat Drink Blog Conference 2012 Part 1: Adelaide Central Market Tour & Dianne Jacob workshop

Posted by  | Categories: Adelaide, Events, Featured, Markets, Restaurants, Travel

Eat Drink Blog 2012: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

As much as I would love to be spending more of my time eating and blogging like most food bloggers I have a day job.  I am a veterinarian who is as passionate about my career as I am about food. In order to stay abreast of this ever evolving field I regularly attend veterinary conferences and congresses. Forever thirsty for new information and ways to better practice medicine, these conferences are often quite intense for me and I have been known to go through a whole biro pen from furiously scribbling down extra notes in the margins of our proceedings.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Providore" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

Sweet nothings including gluten free options at Providore

While I have been a vet for over ten years I have only been blogging for just over a year and my abilities to write and take photos still have a long way to go before I would consider myself “good”.  Keen to improve my skills as an amateur I was over the moon to be invited to join 80 fellow bloggers to attend the third annual Eat Drink Blog Conference (EDB) this year.  Better still the conference was to be held in Adelaide, the city I grew up in and where my darling mother still lives.

"The Yoghurt Shop" "Dairy" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

Serving hungry bloggers samples of yoghurt at The Yoghurt Shop

Vets are not unsociable folk by any means; however the extroverts are few and far between meaning at a conference I would be lucky if I managed to network with a small handful of colleagues each time. In stark contrast, the energy and excitement amongst the Eat Drink Blog delegates was infectious.  Being more isolated in Perth, there were many bloggers that I had never met. Yet over the past twelve months together we have shared life’s ups and downs via our blogs and social media. Such a warm and welcoming bunch of people filled the room and I sensed a strong sense of community amongst us from the outset.

"Mushroom Mans’ Mushroom Shop" "mushrooms" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

Mushroom Mans’ Mushroom Shop: I wish we had a mushroom shop in Perth! The variety was incredible. They also stocked black garlic; which was more like fruity vegemite than garlic

This year was to be the first year that the conference spanned over two days and I cannot sing enough praise to the dedicated team of people responsible for making Eat Drink Blog such a successful weekend.

A BIG shout out goes to Amanda, Christina, Alex, Celeste, Erin, Kirsty and Natasha; thanks for all your hard work and dedication. We are all so appreciative!

"San Jose" "Sevenhill Fine Foods" "chorizo" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

San Jose at Sevenhill Fine Foods, Chorizo

"San Jose" "Sevenhill Fine Foods" "aged style prosciutto" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

San Jose at Sevenhill Fine Foods, aged style prosciutto

I spent much of my adolescent years in Adelaide and the Adelaide Central Markets holds a very dear place in my heart. In the early stages of coping with a broken home, my Mum and I always found solace visiting the markets together.  Not only did our scant food budget thrive on the cheaper produce, the atmosphere and buzz was always enough for us to temporarily forget our pains and absorb the vitality. Returning to the markets some twenty years later conjured up a mix of emotions as this was one of the highlights of one of the darker times of my younger years.

"O’Connell’s Meat Market" "butcher" "smoked beef" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

O’Connell’s Meat Market: It felt kind of weird walking behind the counter!

"Duck Gallantine" "Barossa Fine Foods" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

Barossa Fine Foods: The duck gallantine. Boneless roasted duck filled with a pork and veal base, green peppercorns and garlic. Get some now!

Our tour included visits to a number of South Australian owned businesses and many of these were family run having been in the Central Markets for generations.

"Leos cheese" "woodside cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

Leo’s is a family owned and run business specialising in Australian and imported cheeses

"Leos cheese" "woodside cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

Leo’s Cheese of the Week

After the market tour, delegates had the option of joining a winery tour in the Barossa or McLaren Vale, or to participate in a food writing workshop by acclaimed writer Dianne Jacob.  As much as the imagery of a road trip with a bunch of food obsessed bloggers sounded like a dream come true, I genuinely want to improve my writing abilities and thus opted for the workshop.

"Dessert Story" "Taiwanese dessert" "crushed ice" "Gouger Street" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

Kiwifruit crushed ice

Coming over from wet weather and storms in Perth I wasn’t prepared for the stifling hot day in Adelaide and prickled with sweat as I peeled off my layers walking in the sunshine.  Killing time before the workshop we fortunately stumbled upon Dessert Story; a Taiwanese dessert restaurant. Desperate for something refreshing I ordered the Kiwifruit crushed ice. To my surprise out came a towering pyramid of syrupy bright green ice with chunks of kiwifruit tumbling down the sides like cartoon lava.  I was unable to finish it partly due to its gargantuan size and partly due to its sickening sweetness.  Dessert Story on Urbanspoon

"chocolate coated coffee beans" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Adelaide food blog""Eat Drink Blog" "Adelaide Central Markets" "Dianne Jacob" "food blog conference" "EDB2012"

Essential study fuel: chocolate coated coffee beans and peanuts.

For anyone interested in becoming a food writer, be it a professional journalist or an unschooled blogger, I can highly recommend attending one of Dianne Jacob’s food writing workshops or at least reading her book “Will Write for Food”. She made us all reflect critically on our writing styles and gave us lots of techniques to improve our style and find our “voice”. Throughout her three hour workshop, she made us all participate in exercises which although hard to do on the spot were effective at illustrating her points.

This is my description of eating a sweet potato chip using adjectives, simile and some emotional significance. Bear in mind this had to be written on the spot!

“The crown of my tooth nearly shatters like glass under the impact of the snap.  I start to salivate as I anticipate a piquant brininess only to be left underwhelmed by the subtlety, wimpy aftermath.  I breathe a deep sigh of relief as memories of my recurrent nightmares of rotting teeth fade back to the distant cobwebs of my mind. “

The other big take home point for me was the fact that gushing is boring.  It’s easy to write a review about a fantastic meal and a terrible one.  But most meals are neither of these and fit into somewhat of a grey area. What distinguishes the more talented writers is their ability to write about these grey areas and still manage to capture their readers.

I have my new challenge.  Mark my words; there will be no more “delicious”, “yummy” or “cooked to perfection” on Chompchomp from here forth!

 

Pre-Eat.Drink.Blog 3 meet-up at West End Deli, West Perth

Posted by  | Categories: Bistro, European, Featured, Perth, Restaurants

Having only just celebrated my first blogiversary last month, I consider myself somewhat of a newcomer to Perth’s food blogger ranks.  What has truly amazed me and touched my heart profoundly is the strong sense of community amongst fellow bloggers.  Despite my inexperience, I have been graciously greeted with open arms not just by other fresh(wo)men like myself, but by those with popular, well-established and recognised blogs.  It certainly does make a fresh change from the comparatively serious and introverted veterinary world.

Four bloggers from Perth including yours truly were selected to attend the third annual Eat.Drink.Blog conference this year in Adelaide. In preparation for our highly anticipated weekend away, we met up during the week prior for dinner to talk “blogger’s stuff” and of course to eat!

After a few restaurant options were toyed around, we ended up agreeing on West End Deli in West Perth.  Snuggled in the residential end of West Perth, West End Deli is a quaint little bistro owned by a husband and wife duo; Justin and Christine Peters.  I had been here once several years ago and confess my previous experience back then wasn’t very memorable.  I vaguely recall the kitchen appearing to have strong reluctance to adapt any dishes for me and that we waited well over 45 minutes for our breakfast meals only for them to forget our coffees. Twice. Having said that, this was quite some time ago and I know one should try to avoid forming a strong judgement from just one experience.

"amuse bouche" "wonton" "herb and goats cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "West End Deli, West Perth" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "West Perth" "WED" "west End Deli" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Amuse Bouche

It’s incredible how the same dining room, with all the same interiors, can change its whole persona at night.  The casual, sunlit café I remember from previously had magically transformed into a sombre, intimate and classy bistro. It wasn’t long before we all arrived and with glasses of wine in hand we relaxed into the vibe.  Some unexpected amuse bouche were brought to our table; a crisp homemade wonton piped with creamy herb and goats cheese and sprinkled with black sesame seeds.

"amuse bouche" "herb and goats cheese" "pear" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "West End Deli, West Perth" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "West Perth" "WED" "west End Deli" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Gluten free amuse bouche herb and goats cheese on pear

Being unable to eat the wonton, a plump little ball of pear filled with the cheese was offered to me as a replacement. Not wanting to seem ungrateful or fussy, I quickly chowed down on a glucose tablet before I slipped my juicy treat into my mouth.  Being such a small amount of pear, it is easy to counteract the fructose with a small dose of glucose.  For times like these, I carry these tablets everywhere with me.

"Potato terrine" "crème fraiche" "yabby tail" "pickled sardine terrine" "West End Deli, West Perth" "'sauce vierge" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "West Perth" "WED" "west End Deli" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Potato and pickled sardine terrine, sauce vierge

Ai-Ling from Food Endeavours of the Blue Apocalypse started with the potato and pickled sardine terrine topped with a curl of crème fraîche and a poached yabby tail.

"Ricotta gnocchi" "sage" "garlic" "pasta" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "West End Deli, West Perth" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "West Perth" "WED" "west End Deli" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Ricotta gnocchi, sage, garlic

Michelle from Foodie Cravings was initially reluctant to order herself an entrée as we had already earmarked a couple of dishes on the dessert menu and she sensibly wanted to pace herself.  The ricotta gnocchi managed to twist her rubber arm when the waitress informed her it would be no trouble to omit the candied olives and replace with an alternate ingredient.  The gnocchi were light, mini sized pillows, tossed in fresh sage and garlic and tumbled over a thick smear of pesto sauce.

"slow cooked egg" "peas" "bacon" "truffle oil" "white anchovies" "Reggiano" "West End Deli, West Perth" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "West Perth" "WED" "west End Deli" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Slow cooked egg, peas, bacon, truffle oil, white anchovies, Reggiano

I chose the slow cooked egg for entrée as my obsession with these gelatinous beauties continues.  Perched on a nest of crumbled bacon it was accompanied a pea mash flavoured with white anchovies and lashings of truffle oil.  Weblike shavings of Reggiano cheese were sprinkled on top. I struggled to do this dish justice with my photography in the flickering candle light however suffice to say my palate was rewarded. This breakfast-esque spin on bacon and eggs was a winner.

"Charred octopus" "chermoula" "pears" "walnuts" "blood orange" "seafood" "West End Deli, West Perth" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "West Perth" "WED" "west End Deli" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Charred octopus, chermoula, pears, walnuts, blood orange (thanks for the shot Moni ;))

Moni from Gastromony chose the elegantly plated charred octopus. Coated with a thin chermoula crust it came with pear and walnut salad and a smear of blood orange.  Kudos to her assistance with taking a photo for me as my go-go gadget arms couldn’t reach across the table without losing some degree of decorum.  I still get a little embarrassed and feel awkward taking photos of people’s meals as deep in my heart I feel like a novice.

"Seared snapper" "seafood" "prawns" "mussels" "saffron" "tomato" "West End Deli, West Perth" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "West Perth" "WED" "west End Deli" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Seared snapper, prawns, mussels, saffron, tomato

Ideas of pork belly and spatchcock failed to get past the consideration stages for any of us and we all opted for the snapper for mains.  The fish was seared to a butter smooth consistency and balanced precariously over some prawns and mussels.  A thin saffron coloured broth gave a subtle perfumey bitterness to sharpen the softer flavours of this dish. Tarry coloured squid ink brandade was blobbed on top and gave a pleasant piquant aftertaste. Brandade is French sauce made from an emulsion of salt cod and olive oil.

The girls all ordered the potted cheesecake for dessert.  It was served in the same adorable little pots that I saw Rochelle Adonis’s salted caramel mousse recently. Apparently she imports them from France. What was much more curious about this dish was that next to the pot laid an innocent little tube labelled “Squeeze Me” containing salted dulche de leche.

"Potted vanilla cheesecake" "dessert" "salted dulche de leche" "West End Deli, West Perth" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "West Perth" "WED" "west End Deli" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Potted vanilla cheesecake & salted dulche de leche

Curiouser and curiouser.

I wondered if my new found friends would slowly start shrinking in their seats to become miniature pint-sized versions of their former selves.  Thankfully the only surprise to follow was the unexpected layer of popping candy on top of the cheesecake.  No one had any trouble finishing off their desserts which is always a good sign.

"honey vanilla Parfait" "caramelised banana" "dessert" "West End Deli, West Perth" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "West Perth" "WED" "west End Deli" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Parfait and caramelised banana

I was informed by our waitress that none of their desserts on the menu were gluten free however in complete contrast to my experience at West End Deli many moons ago, the chef kindly rose to the occasion and wasn’t going to let me miss out by any means. I was offered a honey vanilla parfait served with a caramelised warm banana.  Grateful for their efforts once more, I didn’t bother going through the finer details that fructose malabsorbers cannot have honey.  I presumed the amount would indeed be small anyway so I sneakily crunched on another couple of glucose tablets. My parfait was a little icy and hard for my liking but this was made up for by the dulcet banana.

I have to be honest; my recent experience at West End Deli has turned my opinion around for the better.  They were accommodating for our varied requests and their service was discrete yet warm and welcoming. As we left the kitchen staff bid us all farewell from the open plan kitchen; a nice touch.  I think I am going to have to give their breaky another try.

West End Deli
95 Carr Street, West Perth, WA 6005 | (08) 9328 3605 | www.westenddeli.net.au
 
Price:                     $$$ ($25-35 per meal, BYO)
Food:                    7.5/10 (flexible with requests, small menu executed well)
Service:                4/5 (attentive without being obtrusive, warm and friendly)
Ambience:           4/5 (very dark ambiance, would be romantic for couples)
Drinks:                  Unable to assess as BYO.
Total:                     15.5/20

 West End Deli on Urbanspoon

Finally......Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth

Posted by  | Categories: Bistro, Featured, French, Perth, Restaurants

Things are definitely on the onwards and upwards for foodies living here in Perth.  This past year has seen a plethora of high quality dining establishments open their doors and it is certainly something to be proud of. We are fortunate enough to live only five minutes’ drive away from the Crown Metropol (formerly known as the Burswood Casino) where internationally famous chefs Neil Perry, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and Guillaume Brahimi all have flagship restaurants residing there.  Now it is never too hard to have a fancy meal out.

I made an initial reservation for the two of us at Bistro Guillaume during their opening week however this had to be postponed as I had forgotten we had already made plans to go out with some friends to Duende.   After managing to secure a table on another weekend, the Boy informed me that I had booked on the same night as his High School Reunion and would have to cancel once again.  By this point I am sure the reservation desk had red flagged me as an annoying customer! Third time lucky, we successfully synced our busy schedules and locked in date night.

It was the first time we had been back to the Casino since their massive renovations and its fresh new face lift has successfully dragged it out of the eighties into current times! We walked past Linneys on our way to The Merrywell for some pre-dinner drinks and like an insect attracted to bright light I couldn’t help but feel the powerful drag towards their sparkling boutique. Linneys designed my engagement ring and seeing as we needed to start looking at wedding rings soon I figured now was as good a time as any to begin.

As we browsed all their beautiful pieces, the store assistant kindly offered to clean my ring for me as this is a complimentary service offered to all owners of Linneys jewellery.  Only minutes later “my precious” returned to me all glimmering and twinkling like it had never been worn! I was left torn between amazement at its shining beauty and shame on how dirty it had become! I need to visit Linneys more often!

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth" Bistro Guillaume" "Guillaume Brahimi" "Crown casino" "Crown Perth" "Burswood Casino" "Burswood" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Kitchen side!

Upon arrival to Bistro Guillaume we were shown to our booth which was perfectly located right in front of the kitchen.  It was like having a television with an action movie playing for us to watch while we chatted away and ate our meal. I was further impressed when some complimentary gluten free bread was brought to our table.  For once I wasn’t going to have to sit and watch the Boy eat his bread as I was too busy enjoying my own!

"Escargot en persillade" "snails" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth" Bistro Guillaume" "Guillaume Brahimi" "Crown casino" "Crown Perth" "Burswood Casino" "Burswood" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Escargot en persillade

We commenced with the escargot en persillade, served the classic way my father used to make for us when we were young.  Melted butter, herbs especially parsley and loads and loads of garlic formed a little pool in which each slippery morsel sat submerged.  Beneath the overwhelming garlickyness I could still detect their subtle earthy flavour.  Like calamari, if overcooked escargot becomes rubbery and inedible, these were cooked perfectly.

"Freshly shucked" "Sydney rock oysters" "shallot and red wine vinegar" "oysters" "seafood""Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth" Bistro Guillaume" "Guillaume Brahimi" "Crown casino" "Crown Perth" "Burswood Casino" "Burswood" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters with shallot and red wine vinegar

I love all oysters and have been known to make a complete glutton of myself if allowed.  Following in the footsteps of my father, I could easily eat several dozen au natural in one sitting provided they are fresh.  One of my favourite types of oyster is the Sydney Rock; this species of oyster are smaller, have a more intense and distinct flavour than Pacific Oysters and apparently take 2-3 times longer to reach maturity. Knowing that I have a tendency to order too much food, the boy managed to intercept me attempting to order a full dozen in addition to our two entrees and convinced me of a compromise of a half dozen to share. Each mouthful was as fresh as the sea leaving that lingering sweet, creamy aftertaste.

"Steak tartare" "Dandaragan organic beef" "raw beef" "chips" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth" Bistro Guillaume" "Guillaume Brahimi" "Crown casino" "Crown Perth" "Burswood Casino" "Burswood" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Steak tartare

The recent heartbreaking news earlier this year on the horrific treatment of our cows in Bali slaughterhouses has struck very deep to both of our hearts.  As a result our red meat intake has reduced dramatically and now I try to source our produce only from organic farms that are passionate about animal welfare.  However seeing steak tartar on the menu, neither of us could resist, it’s up there with Sydney Rock oysters in awesomeness. I took some consolation that it was made with Dandaragan organic beef. For those not convinced about raw, finely diced beef you seriously have to give this a try. The meat was exceedingly fresh and literally dissolved in your mouth leaving no unpleasant meaty aftertaste. The serve was particularly huge and I would have preferred a few more of the crunchy potato crisps to scoop up all the deliciousness.

"Venison tenderloin" "beetroot" "parsnip" "horseradish" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth" Bistro Guillaume" "Guillaume Brahimi" "Crown casino" "Crown Perth" "Burswood Casino" "Burswood" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Venison tenderloin with beetroot, parsnip and horseradish

The venison tenderloin was out of this world. The rich nearly berry-like flavours of the venison melted beautifully into the beetroot sauce and this really was a match made in heaven. In my eagerness to devour it I accidentally splashed ruby red sauce about in a very unladylike fashion and was thankful to be wearing a dark coloured dress! I want to return to Bistro just to order this again.

"Veal sweetbreads" "fricassee" "mushroom" "truffle" "offal" "thymus gland" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth" Bistro Guillaume" "Guillaume Brahimi" "Crown casino" "Crown Perth" "Burswood Casino" "Burswood" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Veal sweetbreads with a fricassee of mushroom and truffle

The boy ordered the veal sweetbreads with a fricassee of mushroom and truffle.  The soft creamy pillows of glands were a little too fatty for him but this was circumvented somewhat by the hearty and flavoursome sauce.  There was a wide variety of mushrooms in his dish and you could clearly see the fairly generous servings of truffle buried in there.

"Cheese" "Mont D'or" "Sainte Maure" "Caprin" "Pyengana" "Roquefort" "blue cheese" "cheddar cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth" Bistro Guillaume" "Guillaume Brahimi" "Crown casino" "Crown Perth" "Burswood Casino" "Burswood" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Cheese platter: Mont D’or, Sainte Maure, Caprin, Pyengana, Roquefort

Although I realise I am supposed to be limiting my calorie intake with our wedding day looming close, this is very difficult to achieve when you are approached by a handsome man with a thick French accent bearing a plate of cheeses. I confess I got a little lost on his cheese journey and may have accidentally ordered more than we really needed. Are you that surprised? I ordered Mont D’or, a soft but rich, washed rind cows cheese that just glooped onto the board; Roquefort, a well-loved blue sheep cheese; Sainte Maure, a classic raw soft goat cheese that we recently had at Duende; Caprin, a hard goat cheese with a distinct nutty taste that I often enjoy when visiting my dad; and Pyengana, an aged Tasmania cheddar.

"cheese" "muscatel" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth" Bistro Guillaume" "Guillaume Brahimi" "Crown casino" "Crown Perth" "Burswood Casino" "Burswood" "perth" "french" "bistro"

So lonely

As you can see, we had no trouble finding room for any of these cheese masterpieces.  They were served at the perfect temperature and were even accompanied by toasted gluten free bread.

"Mini pavlova" "meringue" "passionfruit cream" "mango sorbet" "dessert" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth" Bistro Guillaume" "Guillaume Brahimi" "Crown casino" "Crown Perth" "Burswood Casino" "Burswood" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Mini pavlova with passionfruit cream and mango sorbet

I have heard many great things about Bistro Guillaume’s desserts however unfortunately for me the majority of them are not gluten free.  My only option other than the sorbet was the very un-French mini Pavlova with passionfruit cream and mango sorbet.  I am a little on the pedantic side when it comes to my Pavlova’s texture; in a similar vein to a macaron, there needs to be an external crunch, and spongy middle and a gooey centre.  This version exhibited a little too much crunch and not enough moist bounciness inside.

"Profiteroles" "vanilla bean ice cream" "warm chocolate sauce" "dessert" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Bistro Guillaume, Crown Metropole Perth" Bistro Guillaume" "Guillaume Brahimi" "Crown casino" "Crown Perth" "Burswood Casino" "Burswood" "perth" "french" "bistro"

Profiteroles with vanilla bean ice cream and warm chocolate sauce

Bearing in mind the Boy is not a big desserts person, I was super jealous to hear he thought the profiteroles were the bomb.  As our waiter poured thick molten chocolate sauce over the perfectly formed balls I figured if there was ever the temptation to poison myself with gluten then this was it.  He took no hesitation informing me the pastry was crackling crisp on the outside and flaky light on the inside.  Despite wanting a taste so desperately I resisted and was very thankful the following day.

Coming from a French background I may be a little biased in stating French cuisine is one of the best in the world and Guillaume has managed to capture its simple elegance without overindulgence.  Fresh local ingredients, traditional recipes and impeccable service…..Bravo!

Bistro Guillaume
Crown Perth, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood | (08) 9362 7551 | www.bistroguillaumeperth.com.au
 
Price:                     $$$$ (Entrees $18-28, Mains $30-45)
Food:                    4.8/5 (would have given a five if it wasn’t for the pav)
Service:                5/5 (highly attentive without being in your face)
Ambience:           4.5/5 (relaxed, comfortable bistro vibe)
Drinks:                  4/5 (lots of French options!)
Total:                     18.3/20

Bistro Guillaume on Urbanspoon

Sayers Food, Leederville

Posted by  | Categories: Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee, Perth, Restaurants

Dispersed throughout my eleven year friendship with my Bestie there has been prolonged times of separation where we have lived in different cities, states and even on different continents.  In true testament to our strong connection to each other, distance has only ever served to make the heart grow fonder.  In the past when our times together were limited, our catch ups would often tend toward the excesses and we both have a number of scars and hilarious but foggy memories to remind us.

In more recent times, we are lucky enough to finally both be settled down in the same city.  No longer do we have to schedule our fun times to those infrequent occasions when our paths cross as we only live a short drive away from each other. Impromptu brunches and sleep overs can now be a regular occurrence. After an exciting morning a few weeks ago at Elixir Coffee, we made last minute plans to meet up for brunch before work.

I have had a bit of an emotional week where I have had to make some firm decisions on where I am going to draw my line in the sand with recent family issues.  These things always seem to raise their head at weddings. What they say is right: weddings really do bring out the best AND worst in people! My thoughts progressed to a little nostalgia for my Mum’s last visit to Perth where we ate and drank our way around this wonderful city.  One of our many eating stops was Sayers in Leederville, so I figured returning there may help re-live some of those happier times. Better still I would be accompanied by the one person in my life that is always guaranteed to make me laugh.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Sayers Food, Leederville" "Sayers Food" "Leederville" "Breakfast" "Brunch" "Five Senses coffee" "Newcastle Street"

Five Senses special Sayers brew

I arrived about ten minutes prior to my Bestie so I ordered a short macchiato and sat back to soak in the atmosphere.  I became increasingly overwhelmed with indecision on the menu because everything sounded so delicious! Sayers serve their own special blend of Five Senses coffee.  It contains a mix of Brazilian and Balinese beans both sourced from fair trade plantations.  The coffee has a very smooth and creamy flavour yet still retained enough kick to wake me up out of my hazy thoughts just in time for the Bestie’s arrival.

"Slow roasted mushrooms" "crumbled feta" "poached egg" "truffle rocket" "gluten free toast" "vegetarian" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Sayers Food, Leederville" "Sayers Food" "Leederville" "Breakfast" "Brunch" "Five Senses coffee" "Newcastle Street"

Slow roasted mushrooms, crumbled feta, poached egg, truffle rocket, toasted GF bread

I ended up deciding on the slow roasted mushrooms with crumbled feta, truffled rocket and a poached egg on gluten free toast. For those who must endure the rollercoaster ride of hits and misses with gluten free bread, you will understand how exciting it is to firstly discover a venue actually has gluten free bread, but then even better still that it is good!

"Slow roasted mushrooms" "crumbled feta" "poached egg" "truffle rocket" "gluten free toast" "vegetarian" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Sayers Food, Leederville" "Sayers Food" "Leederville" "Breakfast" "Brunch" "Five Senses coffee" "Newcastle Street"

The essential goo shot!

This bread had texture resembling a freshly baked crumpet and was fluffy, light and slightly sweet.  Confronted with a mound of food, I initially decided it wise not to eat it all, especially not all the bread. However once again my stomach won the battle; good gluten free bread doesn’t come around often and I have to make the most of such moments!

"Porridge" "poached pear" "oats" "fruit" "blackberry compote" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Sayers Food, Leederville" "Sayers Food" "Leederville" "Breakfast" "Brunch" "Five Senses coffee" "Newcastle Street"

Porridge with poached pear and blackberry compote

The Bestie has been a long-time fan of her oats so it was certainly no surprise as she ordered the porridge with poached pear and blackberry compote.  It was served with a dainty little pint size milk bottle filled with fresh locally sourced milk. The small little spoon of honey gave her meal just the right level of sweetness she wanted.  She commented that the pear was poached just to the point of melting in the mouth and not a moment prior.

"Flourless chocolate cake" "chocolate" "ganache" "cream" "dessert" "cake" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Sayers Food, Leederville" "Sayers Food" "Leederville" "Breakfast" "Brunch" "Five Senses coffee" "Newcastle Street"

Flourless chocolate cake

We honestly had no room for sweets but we both just wanted to remain in our blissful states for a little longer so we ordered a piece of flourless chocolate cake to share.  We certainly were not prepared for the enormous wedge of nutty rich goodness that appeared in front of us only moments later.  It had been warmed allowing the decadent ganache to drizzle randomly down the sides onto the plate.  It was absolute heaven.  Exploding at the seams this was a day that our eyes really were bigger than our stomachs. We were unable to finish it not because it wasn’t good, but because we were too insanely full.  Better luck next time I say!

Sayers
224 Carr Place, Leederville 6007 | (08) 9227 0429 | www.sayersfood.com.au
 
Price:                     $$ (Breakfast $13-22, Lunch $17-27)
Food:                    4.5/5 (excellent gluten free bread, more than the usual breakfast items on offer)
Service:                4/5 (funky, friendly and fast)
Ambience:            3.5/5 (buzzing and busy, would have been cosier with a table inside)
Drinks:                  4.5/5 (Five Senses sure to please coffee connoisseurs)
Total:                     16.5/20

Sayers on Urbanspoon

Pizza Taste Testing at Crust Gourmet Pizza, Mount Lawley

Posted by  | Categories: Events, Fast Food, Perth, Pizza, Restaurants

The Beaufort street festival has grown incredibly since its inception nearly three years ago thanks to a lot of hard work by a group of very dedicated people. Last year more than 80 000 people attended and this year’s attendance is expected to tip at about 100 000!  The Festival captures the unique flair of the local community by embracing four faces of creative culture: independent local music, arts, fashion and food.

I am so disappointed that I will be missing the Festival this year as I will be overseas in Singapore, however just like the Mundaring Truffle Festival I will get there eventually! Thankfully I can still partake in a lot of the pre-Festival celebrations and the first of these was the Crust Pizza Tasting Session!

Foodie Craving’s Mount Lawley Crust Gourmet Pizza store will be positioned right in the heart of the Festival so she wanted some foodie opinions on what would be the best sizes and flavours to serve up to punters on the day.   I was nominated as the gluten free taster and was more than happy to help 😉

"supreme" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "pizza" "Crust pizza" "Crust Gourmet Pizza, Mount Lawley" "Beaufort street" "beaufort street festival" "taste testing"

Crust supreme (and Nikki in the background)

We were entertained by the fabulous tunes of the stunning Nikki Dagostino on her accordion as we all stuffed our faces with lots and lots of piping hot pizzas.

"Hawaiian" "Margherita" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "pizza" "Crust pizza" "Crust Gourmet Pizza, Mount Lawley" "Beaufort street" "beaufort street festival" "taste testing"

Half/half Hawaiian & Margherita

My quest to find great tasting gluten free pizza has paralleled with Lancelot’s search for the Holy Grail. Up until this night I have been unable to find a gluten free pizza that has a base that doesn’t taste gluten free. Many of them have a strong doughy aftertaste; like they haven’t been cooked properly yet the crust is often very hard and chewy.

"Vegie supreme" "vegetarian" "Mediterranean Lamb" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "pizza" "Crust pizza" "Crust Gourmet Pizza, Mount Lawley" "Beaufort street" "beaufort street festival" "taste testing"

Vegie supreme (front) / Mediterranean Lamb

To my satisfaction, Crust’s gluten free bases tasted, well, like normal pizza! Even the scrutinising tastebuds of the Boy thought they were really delicious! He normally despites gluten free pizzas with a passion yet he helped eat most of my four full sized specially made pizzas with me. I spoke in detail with Foodie Cravings regarding their food preparation and was pleased to hear that her kitchen staff seem well versed in understanding gluten cross contamination and wear gloves to carefully handle the bases. A big (cheesy) thumbs up from me!

"Pesto Chicken club" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "pizza" "Crust pizza" "Crust Gourmet Pizza, Mount Lawley" "Beaufort street" "beaufort street festival" "taste testing"

Pesto Chicken club

Of all the pizzas I tried, my favourite two were not the ones I would have expected.  I am normally a supreme with anchovies kind of girl but I have to say my favourites were actually the vegie supreme and the pesto chicken club.  Needless to say I did still enjoy them all. My night ended with some decadent gluten free chocolate mousse while the others devoured some incredible looking dessert pizzas. My goodness we were all so full by the end!

A big thankyou to Michelle and her hard working kitchen team for feeding us for the night and I hope we returned the favour by helping her select the finalists for the Festival!

 
Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar Mount Lawley
69 Walcott St Mt Lawley 6050 | (08) 9227 1288 | www.crust.com.au

Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar Mount Lawley on Urbanspoon

Returning to Rochelle Adonis for High tea

Posted by  | Categories: Degustation/Fine dining, Desserts, Featured, High Tea, Restaurants

It never ceases to amaze me how welcoming and friendly the food blogging community is. Here in Perth it is no exception and friendship is made easy through sharing two passions: food and blogging.  We all immediately have something to connect over; so when Carolanne from Carol Anne’s Kitchen informed us all that she was moving to South Africa, plans for foodie farewells got well underway.

The first in our series of gatherings brought me back to the lovely Rochelle Adonis for High Tea. It has been nearly a year since I have indulged in her exquisite delights yet the experience remains relatively fresh in my memory.  The attention to detail with every single morsel is one you cannot forget easily and she is more than happy to accommodate for us gluten free people.  Additionally my ‘no onion’ request due to my fructose malabsorption posed absolutely no problems either.

"Seventh Duchess Tea" "artisan tea" Herbal tea" "Vanilla Berry" “Queen of Hearts" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Seventh Duchess Tea: Vanilla Berry “Queen of Hearts”

Rochelle now serves the stunning Seventh Duchess Teas to accompany her High Tea.  These artisan teas are “individually sourced from the finest tea gardens“. All teas are hand-picked and are free from anything artificial. I chose the Queen of Hearts herbal tea which is an exclusive blend made just for Rochelle.  It contained lemongrass, vanilla beans, juniper, raspberry leaf, rosehips, blueberries, elderberries, pomegranate flowers and hibiscus. It was light, sweet and left no bitter after taste.

"Thai salad" "tamarind" "son-in-law quail egg" "Ashed goats cheese pannacotta" "cheese" "Poached prawns" "seafood" "cream of corn" "Beetroot salad" "Danish feta" "Fish and chips" "aged cabernet vinegar" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Gluten free Savoury Course: Focused in background Thai salad with son-in-law quail egg

For my savoury course I received five delightful little dishes.  A refreshing Thai salad was served in a glass cup topped with a son-in-law egg or “khai luuk kheuy”. This traditional Thai dish contains deep-fried hard boiled eggs topped with a sweet and sour tamarind dressing.  In this version a cute pint-sized quail egg was used instead of the usual chicken egg. The sweet and sour taste of the tamarind was subtle enough to not be overpowering and left a clean sensation on the palate.

"Ashed goats cheese pannacotta" "cheese" "Poached prawns" "seafood" "cream of corn" "Beetroot salad" "Danish feta" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Ashed goats cheese pannacotta (background)

The ashed goat’s cheese pannacotta was a curious liquorice colour and it was a surprise to my senses as I was expecting something with such a bold colour to have a similarly strong flavour.  Instead my palate was entertained with a soft tangy creaminess and I was left desperately wanting to lick every last portion off the spoon.  I was informed the colouring was achieved using a black bamboo charcoal powder that is flavourless and allows the goat cheese to remain its wonderful unadulterated self. Rochelle sourced this herself when in Singapore recently.

"Fish and chips" "aged cabernet vinegar" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Fish and chips with aged cabernet vinegar

“Fish and chips” were served as a perfectly shaped ball of wafer thin potato chips encasing a soft flaky portion of fish in the centre.  It was like a savoury truffle! It was accompanied by aged balsamic vinegar made from an 8 year old Spanish cabernet called Forvm. This vinegar had a gentle berry-like flavour and you could easily smell the oak.

"Ashed goats cheese pannacotta" "cheese" "Poached prawns" "seafood" "cream of corn" "Beetroot salad" "Danish feta" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Poached prawns with cream of corn and Beetroot salad with Danish feta

My remaining two dishes were poached prawns with cream of corn and a beetroot salad with Danish feta. The prawns had a distinct crunch to them to signify freshness and the cream corn was very mild in flavour so as not to take anything away from my enjoyment of the prawns themselves.  The beetroot salad was a little fibrous for my liking so the creaminess of the Danish fetta was a welcomed addition.

"Palate cleanser" "sorbet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Palate cleanser

To cleanse our palates we were given some lemon sorbet served on a cute little paddlepop.  It had a perfect balance of acidity and sweetness refreshing us all ready for our dessert courses.

"Berry sundae" "raspberry dressing" "Apple cloud" "cider icecream" "pink lady" "apple gel" "Corn curd" "meringue" "caramel popcorn" "eton mess" "Milk chocolate" "milk sorbet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Gluten free dessert course

My gluten free dessert course was so pretty I didn’t quite know where to start.  Everything looked so adorable and almost too good to eat.  Don’t worry, that feeling didn’t last long and after a little photo-shoot my little gluten free beauties didn’t hang around for much longer!

"Berry sundae" "raspberry dressing" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Berry sundae with raspberry dressing

The raspberry and coconut cake sundae was topped with crunchy corn crumbles and a tart raspberry dressing.  The ice cream was buttery soft and just at the point that it melted on contact with my tongue.

"Milk chocolate" "milk sorbet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Milk chocolate namelaka with milk sorbet

Namelaka is a Japanese term for “creamy texture” and this technique is commonly used in the Valrhona chocolate kitchens. Rochelle has been a big fan of Valrhona chocolate for many years and once you have tasted their chocolate you will understand why.  The soft ganache-like milk chocolate namelaka was smeared elegantly and topped with a delicate scoop of milk sorbet.  I thanked my lucky stars that I can eat dairy as this was the epitome of dairy milk goodness.

"Berry sundae" "raspberry dressing" "Apple cloud" "cider icecream" "pink lady" "apple gel" "Corn curd" "meringue" "caramel popcorn" "eton mess" "Milk chocolate" "milk sorbet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

In the foreground: Apple cloud with cider ice cream and pink lady apple gel

The apple cloud with cider ice cream and pink lady apple gel delved a little into banned territory for my fructose malabsorption. I figured that surely there would be enough glucose in all these treats to counteract any fructose. The fragrant apple flavours were so gentle yet long lasting.

"Berry sundae" "raspberry dressing" "Apple cloud" "cider icecream" "pink lady" "apple gel" "Corn curd" "meringue" "caramel popcorn" "eton mess" "Milk chocolate" "milk sorbet" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Milk chocolate namelaka with milk sorbet (left) and Corn curd in a meringue shell and caramel popcorn (right)

The pièce de résistance of my collection of goodies was Rochelle’s take on Eton mess.  A crisp meringue shell dressed with caramel popcorn and one of the freshest blueberries around was filled with a dulcet gooey corn curd with a hint of lemony goodness.  The standard non-gluten free course missed out on this darling and I’m sure I saw the glint of food envy in a few of the girl’s eyes! That’s not to say I wasn’t suffering from envy right back at their gorgeous churros and walnut baklava with orange blossom buttercream!

"Corn curd" "meringue shell" "caramel popcorn" "eton mess" "blueberry" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

Ooh-la-laa!

Yes, a year later Rochelle has done it again. I have suitably been wowed by her awesomeness and am desperate to return for a dessert degustation.  After hearing a mouth-watering description from some of my companions over High Tea, I realise that I probably should wait until after the wedding for such calorific indulgence.  Another thing to look forward to in my married life!

"Berry sundae" "raspberry dressing" "Apple cloud" "cider icecream" "pink lady" "apple gel" "orange blossom buttercream" "walnut baklava" "churros" "chocolate caramel sauce" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Rochelle Adonis" "High Tea" "Desserts" "Fine dining" "Degustation" "Northbridge" "Brisbane street"

The standard non-gluten free dessert course

Rochelle Adonis
193 Brisbane St, Northbridge, 6003 | (08) 9227 0007 |  www.rochelleadonis.com
 
Price:                     $$$ (High tea $45 for two courses and a palate cleanser, two pots of tea or coffee)
Food:                     5/5 (honestly this IS perfection)
Service:                 4/5 (although Rochelle admitted herself she has taken some time to warm to food bloggers,
                                        she was very open friendly and courteous)
Ambience:             4/5 (bright, light and airy)
Drinks:                   4.5/5 (7th Duchess Teas are divine, we also BYO-ed French Champagne)
Total:                     18.5/20

 Rochelle Adonis on Urbanspoon

Celebrating my blogiversary at Duende, Leederville

Posted by  | Categories: Featured, Perth, Restaurants, Tapas Bar, Wine Bar

This year has been such a hectic and emotional one which has flown by with the speed of light.  It has been a whole year since the Boy finally managed to convince me after much persuasion to start writing a blog.  After an initial few quiet months while in its fledgling state, it has now grown to be something I am proud to call my own.  Many of my close friends are loyal regular readers and are always keen to be part of the Chompchomp phenomenon by joining me on my gastronomic expeditions around Perth.

My wedding expert friend Tara is one of these supportive people and she jumped at the opportunity of a night out with our respective others to Duende to celebrate my first blogiversary coupled with a bit of “wedding talk”.

It was one of those first glorious balmy spring days and I was drunk on the delightful sunshine and perhaps maybe also the bottle of Billecart the boy bought for us in the afternoon.  I donned a short summery frock, slipped on some killer Diavolina platforms and bared my winter legs.  Call it a stark rebuttal against any further threats of the dreaded cold weather!

We started at The Garden for a few rounds of drinks before heading over to Duende for dinner. Neither Tara nor her husband suffer from any dietary intolerance and were happy to order a selection of dishes that were suitable for me so we could all share. We started off with a bottle of gorgeously bright ruby coloured Pe Tinto Tempranillo, an organic and biodynamic wine from Portugal.   We then proceeded to work our way through most of the gluten free options on the menu.  Of which there were many!

"Marinated olives" "wine" "grilled chorizo" "Tempranillo" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Marinated olives, grilled chorizo, Tempranillo

The marinated olive selection contained over four different types with a broad range of textures and tastes to suit all of our palates. The chorizo had generous amount of heat in it and was thickly cut and juicy.

"Patatas bravas" "potato bravas" "potato" "fried potato" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Patatas bravas

Patatas bravas are one of my favourite Spanish dishes. Parboiled potatoes are deep fried before being coated with a variety of spices, vinegar and red pepper.  They can be served with a number of different types of sauces depending on the area of Spain and which can range from a tomato based sauce to more of an aioli style. These crispy slices of heaven had a generous paprika dusting and were seasoned with some lemony tasting vinegar.  The level of spiciness was fairly mild and I would have preferred a bit more of a punch however the Boy was relieved with the relatively low heat.

"Pork belly" "polenta" "roasted pear" "muscatel" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Pork belly, polenta, roasted pear, muscatel

The pork belly had a luscious creamy texture and literally melted into the polenta without any fatty aftertaste. The pear and plump muscatels gave a pleasant sweet note but I did my best to avoid these two fructose filled fruits.

"Lamb rump" "hummus" "feta" "fenugreek" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Lamb rump, hummus, feta, fenugreek

The lamb rump was quite a surprise.  I didn’t really read the menu carefully enough to be prepared for the enchanting sweet maple flavours from the fenugreek.  It actually took us all a few moments to work out where the flavours came from!  The rump was succulent and pink.

"Pickled beetroot" "goats cheese" "vegetarian" "hazelnuts" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Pickled beetroot, goats cheese, hazelnuts

The pickled beetroots were hidden under a loose pile of fresh rocket, goat cheese and hazelnuts. Hazelnuts are my favourite nut, in part due to my praline addiction but additionally it brings back indulgent teenage memories of eating Nutella by the jar full. Although an interesting dish this wasn’t one of the better ones.

"Beef cheek" "prunes" "pickled cauliflower" "almond sauce" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Beef cheek, prunes, pickled cauliflower, almond sauce

Initially we were a little reserved in ordering the beef cheeks after hearing negative feedback from a friend that found them to be dry.  Cheeks are a cheaper cut of meat with a higher proportion of fat, sinew, connective tissue and bone in them. Provided they are cooked correctly this generally means they are more delicious, though they do require a little time and care when cooking.

"Cruzcampo pilsner" "beer" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Cruzcampo pilsner

We were right in taking the gamble because our cheeks were incredibly flavoured, delicately tender and we really should have ordered two serves and maybe left out the beetroot.

"Smoked eggplant puree" "haloumi" "olives" "honey" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Smoked eggplant puree, haloumi, olives, honey

The sensation of squeaky haloumi always brings a smile to my face.   Coupled with rich smoky undertones of eggplant puree this simple dish was a crowd pleaser.

"Mushrooms" "vegetarian" "px vinegar" "gorgonzola" "walnuts" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Mushrooms, px vinegar, gorgonzola, walnuts

Px vinegar is made with the sweet Pedro Ximenez grapes and was the perfect combination with gorgonzola to top the earthy mushrooms. I know I’m a little biased as I have a mushroom addiction but these slippery little nuggets packed a powerful burst of flavour and I could have eaten many more had I not already stuffed my face with everything else!

"Cheese platter" "Sainte Maure" "French cheese" "Mahon" "Spanish cheese" "Roquefort" "cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Cheese platter: Sainte Maure (France), Mahon (Spain), Roquefort (France) (left to right)

We chose 3 out of the selection of five available French and Spanish cheeses and it was quite a feat narrowing it down to three.  If I wasn’t already bursting at the seams I would have said one of each! Our choice included a semi-firm cow’s cheese Mahon from Spain and two French cheeses; Roquefort, a creamy blue sheep cheese and Sainte Maure, a soft buttery goat cheese.

"Cheese platter" "Sainte Maure" "French cheese" "Mahon" "Spanish cheese" "Roquefort" "cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Cheese platter: Sainte Maure (France), Mahon (Spain), Roquefort (France) (top to bottom)

"Cheese platter" "Sainte Maure" "French cheese" "Mahon" "Spanish cheese" "Roquefort" "cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Sainte Maure (France) (I know this isn’t the correct way to cut cheese….but I’m just the photographer!)

For sweets we ordered the doughnut balls with condensed milk ice cream.  Obviously these were not for me as they are full of all the gluten in the land; a fact my companions were very content with as it meant there was all the more for them!

"Doughnut balls" "Spanish doughnuts" "dessert" "condensed milk ice cream" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Duende" "Duende, Leederville" "Leederville" "The Garden, Leederville" "Spanish" "tapas" "wine bar" "late night" "Newcastle Street" "blogiversary"

Doughnut balls with condensed milk ice cream

After reading a multitude of positive reviews on Duende over the years I cannot believe it took me this long to try them for myself.  They more than exceeded my expectations and have to be the best tapas I have experienced in Perth by far.  We loved it so much that we actually headed back for a quick midweek bite later that following week!    And yes….we ordered more of those patatas bravas.

Duende
662 Newcastle Street, Leederville 6007 | (08) 9228 0123 | http://www.duende.com.au/
 
Price:                     $$$ (Tapas share dishes range from $4-25, we share 11 dishes/4 people = stuffed!)
Food:                    4.5/5 (if I had more room I would have tried more!)
Service:                4/5 (dishes didn’t come out too quickly, friendly and helpful)
Ambience:           4.5/5 (buzzing vibe, I could nearly imagine myself back in Spain…)
Drinks:                   4/5 (interesting wine list, plenty of by the glass options)
Total:                     17/20

 Duende on Urbanspoon

Planning our Wedding Invitations at Elixir Coffee, Nedlands

Posted by  | Categories: Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee, Perth, Restaurants, Wedding

I like to be organised.  Being surrounded by a world of order gives me a great feeling of peace and tranquillity.  To avoid any confusion or lack of clarity for our wedding guests I ensured to keep them well-informed. Save the Date Cards were mailed out a year in advance and the Boy and I designed a detailed wedding website that is packed full of information about Phuket, Kamala and our chosen resort Andara.

This is not to say that a formal wedding invitation will be overlooked. In a similar vein to my early wedding dress shopping days, I found out that I know very little about such matters and was relieved to be invited to a Wedding Upmarket Expo by my friend Tara.  Tara is an expert in all things wedding and quickly steered me on the right track helping me obtain the beginning of a vision of what I would like. We came upon a stall for Annie P Paperie. I have driven past their store in Nedlands numerous times and was always curious as to their individual style.  We flipped through a few of their portfolios and my curiosity heightened to keen interest.

I made plans to meet the Bestie out at Elixir Coffee one Monday morning to fuel our creativity with caffeine before heading to Annie P’s to start the exciting process of invitation design. Elixir Coffee call themselves coffee specialists and they certainly do take their coffee very seriously.  They source single origin unroasted beans direct from traders to promote fair trade and to ensure they only buy beans that are in season and fresh. All beans are roasted on site at Elixir.

"El Salvador coffee" "Finca La Fany" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Elixir Coffee, Nedlands" "Elixir Coffee Specialists" "Elixir Coffee" "Nedlands" "fair trade coffee" "Annie P Paperie" "wedding invitation" "wedding" "breakfast" "cake"

El Salvador coffee “Finca La Fany” (left) and the house blend

I chose the El Salvador coffee “Finca La Fany” served as my usual short macchiato; it was quite sweet and nearly honey-like in flavour with hints of citrus.  The Bestie chose one of the house blends which consisted of three beans:  El Salvador “Talapo”, El Salvador “Miravalle” and Guatemala “Santa Clara Antigua” which she had served as her usual latte.  We ended up both going back for seconds.  And thirds. No wonder I felt so hyped for the rest of the day!

"Pollastrami sardines" "gluten free toast" "Abhi" "fennel" "caper" "fish" "sardines" "seafood" "fried egg" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Elixir Coffee, Nedlands" "Elixir Coffee Specialists" "Elixir Coffee" "Nedlands" "fair trade coffee" "Annie P Paperie" "wedding invitation" "wedding" "breakfast" "cake"

Pollastrini sardines on gluten free toast with added fried egg

For a bite to eat I ordered the Pollastrini sardines on toast. It was served with some fresh fennel, capers, tomato and parsley.  I requested a fried egg on top which I was told I could have “only this once”.  I figured they must get very busy and don’t do any menu alterations normally. Pollastrini sardines are not like your standard supermarket variety.  They may cost $7 a can at Scutti our local green grocers, but you definitely get what you pay for.  There is no overpowering fishy odour and the meat is chunky.  Cantina 663 often has them on their menu. The thinly sliced fennel was wonderfully crunchy and the addition of the egg gave some gooeyness to tie it all together.

"Granola clusters" "berries" "yoghurt" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Elixir Coffee, Nedlands" "Elixir Coffee Specialists" "Elixir Coffee" "Nedlands" "fair trade coffee" "Annie P Paperie" "wedding invitation" "wedding" "breakfast" "cake"

Granola clusters

The Bestie chose the house made granola clusters with berries and yoghurt.  Initially she was a little disappointed in the small number of clusters however once she started eating she could not stop raving about how fabulous it was.  She was amazed at the juicy bursts of tart flavour and was thankful the only sweetness was natural.

"Soursop tea" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Elixir Coffee, Nedlands" "Elixir Coffee Specialists" "Elixir Coffee" "Nedlands" "fair trade coffee" "Annie P Paperie" "wedding invitation" "wedding" "breakfast" "cake"

Soursop tea and cake

At this point we had overdosed on coffee and needed something a little more refreshing to the palate before we headed over to Annie P’s.  The Bestie chose a pot of soursop tea for us to share with a slice of flourless orange cake.  The tea wasn’t sour at all and had a tropical fruit flavour a bit like a combination of pineapple and pear. It was immensely revitalising and just what we needed.  The flourless orange cake was fairly standard; reliably delicious but certainly nothing out of the ordinary.

"Flourless orange cake" "dessert" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Elixir Coffee, Nedlands" "Elixir Coffee Specialists" "Elixir Coffee" "Nedlands" "fair trade coffee" "Annie P Paperie" "wedding invitation" "wedding" "breakfast" "cake"

Flourless orange cake

Excited albeit a tad jittery we left with full tummies guided by Google maps in the direction of the Paperie.  It was a gorgeously balmy day and so we both decided to walk but after about 15 minutes of walking I started to get the feeling we were heading in the wrong direction.  I couldn’t understand how Google could be wrong.  Google couldn’t be wrong could they?!

After a few more minutes as we walked past each landmark my feeling grew much stronger until we eventually agreed we were on the wrong track.  By this point in time we were running extremely late for our appointment with the graphic designer so we turned around and sprinted for the car! No more walking in the sunshine! Hot and sweaty we both piled into our cars and I plugged the address into my Tom Tom which confirmed my suspicions that Google was totally wrong! A quick few minutes hurtling through the back streets of Nedlands and we arrived all flustered but pumped for action!

Elixir Coffee
45a/145 Stirling Highway, Nedlands 6009 | (08) 9389 9333 | www.elixircoffeespecialists.com
 
Price:                     $ Under $15 /meal, cash only, free WIFI               
Food:                    3/5 (small selection of dishes, gluten free bread available)
Service:                3/5 (quick and efficient but don’t ask for alterations!)
Ambience:           3/5 (alfresco, café or living room style areas to choose from)
Drinks:                   5/5 (the coffee is out of this world – I will be back if anything just for the coffee)
Total:                     14/20

Elixir Coffee on Urbanspoon

A long awaited reunion at Must Wine Bar, Highgate

Posted by  | Categories: Bistro, Degustation/Fine dining, Featured, French, Perth, Restaurants, Wine Bar

“The most beautiful discovery that true friends can make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” Elizabeth Foley

As a child I attended a school in Adelaide that started from pre-primary right through to Year 12. As a result there were a handful of us students who graduated from high school after spending 13 full years of schooling together. To add to that amazingness, a reasonable proportion of us who lived locally also went to the same kindergarten meaning we have known each other since we were only 4 years old!

I had planned to take a year off from study after matriculation therefore I felt no urgency to say goodbye to my lifelong friends at our valedictory dinner.  To my shock my university deferral request was declined at the thirteenth hour and I had just a mere weeks’ notice to pack up my life and move to the other side of Australia where I knew nobody.

Cut to more recent times and thanks to social media I have reconnected with a lot of these friends of yesteryear and have delighted in catching up on nearly twenty lost years of contact. As most of us have dispersed ourselves around Australia and the wider world much of our contact with each other has been purely internet based.  Consequently I’m sure you can imagine my total excitement when one of my childhood besties from this group informed me she was coming to Perth for the weekend on conference. She planned to stay with another close school friend of ours who has recently moved over here to Perth.  Despite this other friend’s relocation, I have unfortunately only managed to catch up with her once since she settled here. I was so happy to be able to see them both; it looked like we were in for a great night out!

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Must Wine Bar, Highgate" "Five Bar" "Highgate" "Beaufort Street" "Mount Lawley" "French" "wine bar" "bistro" "late night"

Five Bar

Of course I was nominated to select the venue so I suggested starting with a couple of rounds of drinks at Five Bar after which we would head across the road to Must Wine Bar, one of my favourite restaurants in Perth by far.

A lot can change in 18 years, and although we were extremely close for most of our childhood I wondered if we would easily reconnect or would there be some pauses of uncomfortable silence?  I was almost a little nervous with anticipation that afternoon but immediately upon seeing her, my heart melt and there were no barriers or awkwardness.  We embraced in a loving hug and I felt my eyes go a little hot with joy!

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Must Wine Bar, Highgate" "Highgate" "Beaufort Street" "Mount Lawley" "French" "wine bar" "bistro" "late night"

Must Wine Bar (Photo courtesy of Must)

Over an hour zoomed by in the space of what felt like minutes as we all chattered away about old times; both good and bad.  We finished our drinks and headed over to Must.  I wasn’t the only one with food allergies this time round and I had chosen Must not only because they have amazing food, but because their ability to cater for people like me has never posed a problem.

"salad" "cured meat" "Prosciutto di Parma" "Beetroot" "Parmesan" "Radicchio" "Aged Balsamic" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Must Wine Bar, Highgate" "Highgate" "Beaufort Street" "Mount Lawley" "French" "wine bar" "bistro" "late night"

Prosciutto di Parma, Beetroot, Parmesan, Radicchio and Aged Balsamic

All three of us girls ordered the prosciutto di Parma and beetroot salad for entrée. Soft, thin folds of sweet but salty prosciutto flopped gently on the plate with crisp radicchio. The flavours matched seamlessly with the dulcet beetroot and more briny parmesan.

"Chicken liver" "Manjimup Black Truffle" "Parfait" "Toasted Brioche" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Must Wine Bar, Highgate" "Highgate" "Beaufort Street" "Mount Lawley" "French" "wine bar" "bistro" "late night"

Chicken liver and Manjimup Black Truffle Parfait, Toasted Brioche

The Boy’s eyes lit up when he saw the chicken liver parfait was truffled.  I am so chuffed we both share this addiction. He received a reasonable sized serve for one but probably could have done with a touch more thick fluffy brioche to lovingly smear his parfait on.

"Confit Duck leg" "parsnip puree" "sautéed Brussel sprouts" "black pig bacon" "Madeira jus" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Must Wine Bar, Highgate" "Highgate" "Beaufort Street" "Mount Lawley" "French" "wine bar" "bistro" "late night"

Confit Duck leg, parsnip puree, sautéed Brussel sprouts, black pig bacon, Madeira jus

For mains one of my friends and I both ordered the confit duck leg which was served with a parsnip purée, sautéed Brussel sprouts, black pig bacon and a Madeira jus.  The duck was meltingly tender yet robust with the flavours further enriched by the black pig bacon.  Black pig bacon comes from the Berkshire breed of pig which has a different proportion of intramuscular fat giving the meat a more flavoursome and moist texture compared to standard bacon. The Madeira jus gave a subtly sweet end on the palate.

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“Must” Pork Sausages, Confit fennel, Sweet potato Puree, herb salad, jus

The Boy and my other friend ordered the Must pork sausages.  Two thick juicy sausages sat perched atop of a creamy sweet potato purée. Some confit fennel and herb salad completed this simple yet extremely tasty dish.

The night seemed to go by so quickly and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked at the time and it was creeping close to midnight! “Time flies when you’re having fun” as my Mum loves to say! We all agreed we were satisfyingly full and skipped dessert in favour of just tea and coffee. I was proud of Perth’s gastronomic capabilities to suitably impress my dear friends; I have a foodie reputation to uphold after all! I can always rely on Must to deliver from all angles: the food, the wine, the service, the ambience and most importantly an ability to accommodate allergies. An absolute must on everyone’s bucket list!

Must Wine Bar
519 Beaufort Street, Highgate 6003 | (08) 9328 8255 | www.must.com.au
 
Price:                     $$$$ (Entrée $24-30, Mains $39-46)                        
Food:                    5/5 (After enjoying numerous meals here I cannot remember a bad one.)
Service:                4.5/5 (Attentive without intrusion)
Ambience:           4.5/5 (Sublime, classy and very French)
Drinks:                 4.5/5 (Extensive quality wine list, knowledgeable staff. Well, they are a wine bar.)
Total:                     18.5/20

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