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Coconut Flour Banana Bread (gluten free)

Posted by  | Categories: Desserts, Featured, Recipes

I have been eyeing off the bananas in our fruit bowl that have been slowing ripening over the week from a lovely golden-yellow into a patchy dark black. As no one seems to be tucking into them any time soon I figured the logical thing to do was to bake myself some banana bread.  I had a bag of organic coconut flour that had been sitting in my pantry for quite some time as I had been waiting for the inspiration to start experimenting with it. Well here it was, I was inspired.  Coconut flour is an interesting flour to work with, it is very high in fibre so you don’t need to use as much as you would with conventional flours. The high fibre content makes this banana bread very filling which was ideal for my bridal diet as I couldn't binge out on it like I normally would!

Coconut Flour Banana Bread (gluten free)
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 1½ cup very ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
  • 4 free range eggs
  • 60 grams melted butter or 75 grams coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons of raw honey or vanilla honey (if preferred, note honey is not suitable for fructose malabsorbers)
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon gluten free baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 145 C
  2. Oil or butter a loaf pan and line with baking paper.
  3. Mash bananas and mix in butter, vanilla essence, eggs +/- honey if desired.
  4. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients: coconut flour, baking powder, sea salt and ground cinnamon.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine.
  6. Spoon into your lined loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 mins or until golden brown. Allow to cool in pan for 15 mins.
  7. Serve with butter or even a dollop of jam!
  8. Enjoy!!

Adapted from Gutsy‘s recipe.

July 2014 Addendum: It’s over a year since I posted this recipe and thought I might share with you some adaptations I have made . I reduce the amount of coconut flour by half and add 1/4 of a cup of chia seed. I’ve beefed it up and use 6 eggs and a good 400 grams of bananas. The rest of the ingredients stay pretty much the same. I found the addition of chia seed improved the texture without compromising on taste. For the full recipe head over to my post.

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Couldn’t wait for it to cool! Ooops!

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Low sugar, low carb and pseudo healthy!

The Karalee on Preston, Como

Posted by  | Categories: Featured, Hotels, Modern Australian, Perth, Pub, Restaurants

The Bestie’s birthday weekend fortunately coincided with her parent’s return from their month-long holiday in Vietnam.  Her parents live in southern Western Australian in a town called Esperance which is about a ten hour drive from Perth.  This means she doesn’t get to see them as often as she would like and having them in Perth for her birthday was a bit of a treat.  To make the most of the occasion, she agreed to stretch out her celebrations over two nights starting with her parents cooking up a storm for us at their friends’ house followed by a casual night out at the Karalee Tavern in Como.

During our time living in London, it was a common occurrence for the Bestie, the Boy and I to visit a number of run down English Pubs. Horrendous food and cheap drinks would be served well past the old fashioned pub curfew under the premise of a “lock out”.  These were crazy times and there is a little part of each of us that wistfully longs for those hedonistic days gone by.  I’m got the feeling that was part of the vibe she was going for by choosing The Karalee as especially since Chompchomp’s creation we have a tendency to go more popular or newly established venues.  Despite the fact the windows at Karalee face out onto the Como foreshore, it was near impossible to see through the smudgy cloudy glass and even with a recent revamp of their décor I still felt trapped in the nineties.

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Char-grilled calamari

To my complete surprise there were a number of gluten free options marked on their menu.  Of course the Bestie had kindly thought ahead and made sure we were going somewhere where I could eat something.  I started with the char-grilled calamari served with tomato kasundi, warmed chick peas salad with a lemon dressing. The kasundi had none of the spiciness I would expect in this Indian relish and the chickpeas had that flavourless powderiness I can only expect came from a can.  The calamari was ever so slightly overcooked and chewy.  Not a good start.

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Chilli and garlic marinated tiger prawns

The Bestie ordered the grilled chilli and garlic tiger prawns.  Four small shelled Tiger prawns sat perched on a few triangles of cold toasted Turkish bread.  Although the prawns looked a little dry to me, I didn’t taste them so cannot pass a true judgement.

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Veal saltimbocca

The Bestie and I both ordered the veal saltimbocca. The veal medallions tasted like overcooked cardboard and literally sucked all the moisture from out of my mouth. I’m sure it took me a good five minutes to chew each mouthful. I was thankful for the crunchy prosciutto topping to add some flavour into all that blandness.  The thick creamy mushroom sauce did nothing to improve the meal nor did the unseasoned gritty block of set polenta that was meant to be crispy.

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Slow cooked lamb shank

The Boy ordered the slow cooked lamb shank with sweet potato and maple syrup mash and roasted broccolini. The succulent lamb collapsed effortlessly off the bone and was accompanied by moans of approval and enjoyment. I often put a dash of maple syrup in my pumpkin and sweet potato mash when cooking at home.  As long as you only put a dash it serves to provide a subtle lingering to the already dulcet flavours of the vegetables.  Although the texture of this mash could have been creamier, they were cautious enough not to overdo it with the maple and its hint of flavour was balanced just right.  The broccolini was burnt to a crisp which completely sabotaged any sense of its flavour other than charcoal.

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Sticky glazed pork belly

The Bestie’s Mum ordered the roasted sticky glazed pork belly. It was curiously paired with a mound of potato mash and sesame tossed Asian greens. The pork was buttery smooth with crunchy crackling and she was left feeling very full and satisfied.

The meal sizes at Karalee are generous meaning this is a good place to come if you want value for money.  If quality is more what you look for in a night out I suggest you look elsewhere.

The Karalee on Preston
25 Preston Street Como WA 6152 | (08) 9367 1848 | www.thekaralee.com.au
 
Price:                     $$$ (Entrée $12-16, Mains $23-38)           
Food:                    2/5 (very average, poor execution and odd combinations of ingredients)
Service:                3/5 (a little slow but friendly enough for a sports bar)
Ambience:          2.5/5 (despite the potential views, ambiance is definitely lacking)
Drinks:                  2.5/5 (average wine list, nothing exciting)
Total:                     10/20
 Karalee on Preston on Urbanspoon

Blowing the budget at Guy Savoy, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Posted by  | Categories: Degustation/Fine dining, European, Featured, French, Luxury, Restaurants, Singapore, Travel

After landing in Singapore on the overnight flight from Perth I was accompanied by the Boy and one of my business partners Woki to attend a friend’s wedding at the Fairmont Hotel. Not willing to be discouraged by our lack of sleep we refused to waste our free day and spent most of it exploring the city. We conveniently ended our self-guided tour at Ku De Ta which is situated on the 57th level of one of the three Marina Bay Sands (MBS) towers. Sipping our drinks we watched a blanket of dark ominous clouds slowly envelop the city from our viewpoint on high and by the time the tropical storm reached us we were all seriously hungry. We headed back downstairs in search of some food.

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The storm just starting to come in (photo courtesy of Woki)

Back on the ground floor foyer, we were served by a small framed, elegant woman who kindly took great trouble to ring around a few restaurants in the complex in search of a table. She managed to secure us a booking at Guy Savoy, one of the “celebrity restaurants” at the Casino. The only time available was just an hour away yet there we stood all wind-swept, sweaty and in no way presentable for fine dining.

Jumping in a cab the Boy, Woki and I made a mad dash to return to our hotel but as we crawled inch by inch through peak hour traffic I started to feel the tension among us rising.  By this point, the monsoonal downpour was in full force and I could barely see the road in front of us. Jumping out of the cab to proceed on foot was completely out of the question!

Upon our return to Fairmont Hotel we quickly raced upstairs dripping wet to our rooms. With my heart pounding in excitement I flurried about spraying my hair with a ton of hair products and my face with a lathering of makeup. After the finishing touch of a smear of bright red lipstick I prayed my transformation into something more elegant was successful.

However, our building anticipation was not to end there. It almost felt like fate was against us as we ended up taking the wrong train, got off on the wrong station and then took a full circle route on foot of the entire MBS complex before we could actually find the restaurant.  Let me tell you, it is not well signposted and MBS is huge!

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Canapés: Foie gras “club sandwich”

A little flustered and nauseatingly hungry we were seated at our table ready for the fun to begin.  Our meal was kick-started by a few adorable bite size canapés.

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Canapés: Parmesan “gaufres” with black pepper mignonette

The gluten eaters received a pint-sized foie gras club sandwich and similarly Lilliputian cube of parmesan waffle.

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Canapés: Beetroot, black truffle, herb purée

My gluten free canapés included a spoonful of miniature cubes of beetroot sprinkled with black truffle on a herb purée and some finely grated apple with baby celery leaves on an almond crumble.

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Canapés: Celery & green apple with almonds

As we allowed these flavours to entertain our palate, our waiter wheels out an old polished wood trolley with a whole leg of Joselito’s Ibérico de Bellota Jamón. Ibérico jamón is a type of ham made from black Iberian pigs that are kept free range on pasture and oak groves where they feast on a diet of acorns, grass, herbs and roots. Joselito’s Ibérico jamón is world famous for being the best ham in world and wholesale prices start at around $600 for a small leg and can get well over $3000-4000 for an aged leg. They pride themselves on raising “happy pigs” and believe this is a major factor in their meat quality.

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Spanish Iberico de Bellota Ham (Aged for 3 years from Castill y Leon, Joselito)

The waiter carved in front of us about a dozen slices straight off the bone. Dark purple in colour and with multiple thread-like veins of white fat coursing through the meat; the wafer thin slivers of ham nearly dissolved on contact with my tongue. Eating Joselito jamón is quite an unforgettable foodie’s experience and I highly recommend that you try it yourself if you ever have the chance.

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Bread

The unusual pretzel shaped bread was unfortunately not gluten free and as there wasn’t any gluten free bread option I had to satisfy myself by just having a brief sniff of its fresh doughy aroma. I cannot deny it is always a little disappointing when I visit fine dining institutions such as this and a gluten free bread option is overlooked.  Not that I really needed bread given the enormous meal we were about to enjoy!

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L’amuse bouche

Our Amuse Bouche was a chilled Vichyssoise-styled soup made from leek, potatoes and cream.  The addition of fennel gave a slightly sweet and refreshing after-taste. Curiously hidden under the small mug of thick soup contained two little half spheres of fennel and leek “royale”, basically a smooth lime green custard topped with minuscule little micro herbs and pea sized blobs of herb purée.  With the subtle sweetness of the fennel in the soup still lingering, this little dollop served to extend and enhance the ambrosial experience with utmost precision.

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Crab with multi-coloured beetroot variations.

Both the Boy and Woki ordered the “crab with multi-coloured beetroot variations” for their entrée.  The concept of this dish was to “marry land and sea”. The blood red and lemon yellow shavings of roasted beets were curled into cone like flowers.  Each little beet “flower” was filled with a foamy light beetroot blancmange followed by delicate portions of the cooked Australian Spanner crab meat.  Savoury shortbread crumble and flecks of beetroot crisps sprinkled over the dish to add more complexity.

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Smoked golden beetroot tartlet

Alongside the salad was served a warm golden beetroot tartlet containing hints of cardamom and orange.  The pastry collapsed in the mouth like fairy floss.  It lay on top of a wafer thin square of transparent paper that looked a bit like cellophane.  We were informed this was salt paper and was entirely edible. Despite the tart being the accompaniment, both the boy and our companion agreed it was the star of the two components.

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Mosaic of poulard, foie gras and artichoke, black truffle vinaigrette (Photo courtesy of Guy Savoy restaurant)

This photo of my entrée is not my own and is courtesy of the restaurant.  My mosaic of poulard, foie gras and artichoke was by far and by large the highlight of the evening yet for some strange reason it completely bypassed me to take a photo.  Like a bizarre form of savoury layer cake, thick door stop-sized slices of young fattened poulard, wedges of soft foie gras and similar textured artichoke sat relatively unimpressively on my plate.  They were accompanied by two precisely equal sized blobs of black truffle vinaigrette.  The appearance of this dish does in no way make one’s mouth water; which is perhaps why my photography was overlooked.  However just one mouthful of these three simple ingredients with a conservative smear of the vinaigrette and you will change your mind forever. This dish was absolutely mind-blowing; the rich buttery elegance showed true respect for the ingredients with no need for embellishment.

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Chestnut Royale

As we waited for our mains to arrive out came a little prequel, some sort of intermission entertainment I guess; named the Chestnut Royale.  Now I am quite partial to chestnuts, yet I rarely see them feature on the menus in Australia. They always conjure up memories of walking down the streets of Paris where street vendors roast them everywhere in the winter. This innocent looking dish was quite a taste sensation.  A perfectly formed dome of smooth chestnut custard sat swimming in a light bed of chestnut milk.  Carefully placed on top a milk glazed chestnut glistened under the dim lighting garnished with tiny little pygmy sized celery leaves and chestnut chips.

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Shoulder of Australian wagyu in two preparations, young carrots

Woki thoroughly enjoyed his “Shoulder of Australian Wagyu in two preparations”.  By using an oyster blade steak or “paleron” as it is called by the French, the meat contained wondrous marbling and flavour.  The first portion was braised in a red wine jus topped with baby carrots and a black pepper mignonette.  The second portion of beef was purely just seared and garnished with dollops of wasabi.  Both portions of beef sliced like butter at room temperature as good Wagyu should.

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Potato Maxim’s

The accompanying side dish of potato Maxim’s and bitter greens was comparatively lacklustre and did not wow Woki at all.

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Pan-seared duck breast with eggplant gianduja sauce

I ordered the pan seared duck breast with eggplant “gianduja” sauce and “au poivre”.  I was informed by our waiter that in order to achieve the creamy pate-like texture of the meat the duck breast was seared, then cooked sous vide, and then finally seared again. On my plate balanced so carefully like a stack of cards were thin slivers of eggplant served with gianduja chocolate sauce. The sauce tasted a little reminiscent of Nutella due to its high hazelnut content. Tiny little purple delight flowers scattered amongst the eggplant giving a splash of colour and bitter flavour. The duck was richly flavoured and buttery tender and left me wanting more.

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Potato “tagliatelle”

My side dish was potato tagliatelle; thin ribbon like curls of deep fried potato.  This was the only dish I ate that I felt was a little lacking.  Perhaps some seasoning would have improved this element however even if that were the case it felt a little mismatched to the fabulous duck dish.

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Saddle, rack and shoulder of lamb “land and sea”

The Boy ordered the “Saddle, rack and shoulder of lamb; Land and Sea”.  Unfortunately for him, after being left relatively unimpressed with his entrée choice his main didn’t manage to suitably wow him either.  The main part of his dish contained a roasted rack of lamb placed on an almond and hazelnut praline.  The saddle of lamb was stuffed with bamboo clams and pan roasted. Next to the lamb I recognised some emerald-green samphire on his plate; something we were introduced to during our beautiful lunch at Millbrook Winery last year where the chef forages it from the banks of the Swan River.

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Saddle, rack and shoulder of lamb “land and sea”

The second part to his dish was his favourite. The shoulder of the lamb was braised and wrapped in thinly sliced potatoes and topped with sprinklings of purple potato crisps.  I recall the waiter mentioned that this component contained melted onions so I didn’t get to taste it! This dish was apparently seasoned in the bamboo clam jus.

By this point in time in the night I was starting to receive a number of subtly concerned looks from the Boy and knew he was worried as to how much this meal was going to cost us.  He is never been one to be a killjoy by any means and during our near fifteen years together we have shared some highly priced memorable meals together.  But he is also a sensible man, and he knew all too well that just coming over to Singapore alone was breaking the budget so close to our wedding, so enjoying a four figure fine dining experience was definitely going to break the bank. A smart move from me at this would have been to proclaim total fullness and call it a night.

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The cheese trolley! OMG!

And then out came the cheese trolley.  And all my sensibility went out the window. My thoughts of finances, savings and budgets temporarily felt incredibly less important.  Our dinner companion Woki was no help either. Being a father to two little ones means he rarely gets to experience such incredible culinary excellence and wanted to make the most of our evening. After a long consideration we settled for three cheeses: the curious looking Mimolette, Fourme d’Ambert and most dear to my heart Saint Marcellin; a cheese produced by my late uncle Jeannot’s factory in the Alps of France.

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Cheese: Fourme d’Ambert, Mimolette, Saint-Marcellin (clockwise from the front)

The Fourme d’Ambert is a very mild blue cheese that is considered to be one of France’s oldest cheeses dating back to Roman times.  It is a semi-hard cheese made with cow’s milk and has a luscious creamy texture and leaves a slightly sweet earthy mushroom after-taste.

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Cheese: Saint-Marcellin, Fourme d’Ambert, Mimolette (clockwise from the front)

The Mimolette had such a curious appearance that it was our wild card choice for the evening.  The cheese looked like a cross between a rock melon and a dusty cannonball.  It was a hard round ball with a pocked dimpled surface. I later learnt that the dimpled appearance is actually due to the activity of surface mites that burrow their way through the surface rind which in turn allows the cheese to breathe and mature. From the heart of this bizarre rock, our waiter scooped out some bright orange brittle cheese.  It tasted quite unexpectedly sweet and caramelised, and felt like you were eating a hybrid of fudge and cheese, but in a good way.

Our portion of the Saint Marcellin cheese regrettably wasn’t  warmed to room temperature and thus failed to relax into that sexy goo I have enjoyed many times before. I was very disappointed because for a number of years I have been talking up about this cheese to Woki. It is not easy to come by in Australia and this was his first time trying it.

For some reason the next two following pre-dessert dishes managed once again to escape my camera.  I think I was a little distracted by my growing concern as the impending bill.  Our first pre-dessert was so delectable that Woki jokingly exclaimed to the waiter that it was “no good” and that we all requested another one.  His sarcasm was lost on our waitress and with a worried look she scuttled away to get us another serve.

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The petit fours trolley

We were too full to order a dessert but were tempted by the trolley of “petit fours”-styled mini-serves of ice cream, sorbet and biscuits and each tried a little portion for ourselves.

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Earl Grey Sorbet

Just when we thought the near theatrical dining experience was over, as I sipped on my peppermint tea an Earl Grey Sorbet was delivered to our table for a final palate cleanse.  Served on top of a black pepper crème anglaise the subtle flavours of the bergamot from the tea left a very refreshing end to our wondrous meal.  Suffice to say, the Boy was right; we are still paying back our share of the meal to Woki!

Guy Savoy
The Shoppes, Atrium 2 L2-01, Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956 | +65 6688 8513 | www.guysavoy.com
 
Price:                     $$$$$   
Food:                    4.7/5 (my choices were nearly faultless but there were some hits & misses at my table)
Service:                5/5 (very knowledgeable and attentive with a noticeable lack of any pretension)
Ambience:          3.5/5 (a little formal and stuffy but some fabulous views)
Drinks:                  4/5 (very extensive wine list but a considerable mark up on bottle prices)
 
Total:                     17.2/20

 

Wedding band shopping, Subiaco Hotel and some Geláre gluten free waffles

Posted by  | Categories: Desserts, Featured, Modern Australian, Perth, Pub, Restaurants, Wedding

It is finally getting close enough to our wedding to start to feel the buzz and excitement and relieved to say I think I am pretty well set. Well, at least for the important stuff!. I have found the perfect dress from Luci Di Bella, I am blessed with two of the most awesome bridesmaids who also have fabulous dresses, I have a choice of stunning Dior or Jimmy Choo bridal shoes and our wedding venue at Andara, Phuket is something dreams are made of.  Best of all; I have found the most amazing man who I could have ever wished to marry.  Naw, that’s enough gushing for one post I think!

My engagement ring was designed at Linneys; a well-known West Australian jeweller famous for their Broome pearls and Argyle diamonds and it seemed fitting to return there for our wedding bands. We both arrived wide-eyed and smiling as the reality of our big day approaching fast sunk in. We helped each other deliberate over all the beautiful wedding band designs and each ended up selecting ones we both loved.

It seemed ridiculous to go home straight away while on such a high so we strolled over hand in hand like newly found lovers over to the Subiaco Hotel to relax with a few drinks and a bite to eat.

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Subiaco Hotel

It was still early in the evening and strangely neither of us had very big appetites.  Maybe it was due to all the Slim Pasta we have eaten lately because it is quite an unusual occurrence for either of us. Perhaps the knowledge we didn’t have much time left to get our bride and groom bodies in fit shape played a factor. We both ordered some small dishes to share.

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Quail breast kebabs with muscatels & eschalots

Our food took an exceedingly long time to arrive and our quick drinks started to drag out into the evening. The quail breasts served on kebabs were stringy and dry making them very hard to eat.  I didn’t try the eschalots for obvious fructose reasons however the Boy felt that they greatly improved the dish and he didn’t feel it was as great a failure as I did.

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BBQ’d lamb ribs, preserved lemon, pomegranate yoghurt

The barbecued lamb ribs were sticky and tender, slithering off the bone easily and leaving a sweet caramel after-taste in the mouth. The addition of sharp tangy pomegranate brought an exciting extra level of flavour and we were both thankful there was an even number of ribs because I’m sure we would have fought over the last one.

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Balsamic poached chicken with peppers, spinach, Reggiano

The balsamic poached chicken salad was nothing spectacular but served its purpose to cleanse the palate after a taste overload from the ribs.  Anything more complex may have been a bit much to eat all at the same time.

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Chick pea salad with avocado

I didn’t think to ask if the chickpea dish contained onions and alas it was full of it so I didn’t try much of this one. The chick peas were lacking in flavour and had a very soft texture making me suspicious they may have come from a can. The addition of avocado saved this dish.

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Gluten free waffles with cream and maple syrup

I have never been big fan of Geláre waffles; not even back in the day when I was oblivious to my gluten intolerance and could have eaten them to my heart’s content.  But let’s be honest, you don’t have to be a fan of waffles to be stopped dead in your tracks by that sweet aroma that wafts out of their stores onto the facing street.

As we walked down Rokeby Road toward Geláre on our way back to car I recalled they recently started offering gluten free waffles. Once we were hit by the fragrance of maple dough, I turned to the Boy and suggested we try them.

He declined, not really being a dessert type of guy, so I ordered a small gluten free waffle with maple syrup and cream.  I planned to just have a couple of mouthfuls then walk away.  Wasteful I know but I need to fit into that wedding dress! It has been many years since I tried a normal waffle to compare but this one had all the layers of texture I vaguely recall makes a good waffle. It was crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside.  I put my spoon down and stared into the distance daydreaming for a few minutes.  Before I knew it the Boy had eaten the lot! So much for not wanting to share!

Subiaco Hotel
465 Hay Street, Subiaco 6008 | (08) 9381 3069 | www.subiacohotel.com.au
 
Price:                     $$$ (Entrée $15-25, Mains $25-37)           
Food:                    2.5/5 (interesting menu but hit and miss execution)
Service:                2.5/5 (a long delay until our food was served despite an empty dining room)
Ambience:          3.5/5 (relaxed, lots of natural light)
Drinks:                  3/5 (reasonable wine list)
Total:                     11.5/20

Subiaco Hotel on Urbanspoon

Geláre
51 Rokeby Road, Subiaco 6008 | (08) 9316 4898 | www.gelare.com.au
 
Price:                     $             
Food:                    8/10 (tasted like normal waffles to me!)
Service:                3/5 (quick, efficient and with a smile)
Ambience:          2/5 (sticky, dirty tables)
Total:                    13/20

Gelare  on Urbanspoon