Martinis and Oysters at Frisk for Eat Drink Perth
Posted by | Categories: Events, Featured, Food and Wine Festivals, Perth, Restaurants, Seafood, Wine Bar
This is my second year to join the team of official bloggers for the Eat Drink Perth Festival which is an annual event held over five weeks in Perth City and its surrounds. Eat Drink Perth is a festival where there is something for everyone with all sorts of brilliant foodie events held every day ranging from degustations to walking tours, bar wars to cooking classes and there is even a Food Truck Rumble. We are now half way through the festival and reflecting back over the past few weeks I am happy I have managed to cram a lot in despite my non-blog working life being super busy. I have attended the annual Gluten Free Expo, an intimate long table diner by The Creatives, eaten some velvety raw desserts at CNR and watched a friend eat nearly 900 grams of pork knuckle at Brotzeit.
In return for our writing and photography efforts for the festival, each blogger has been kindly delegated complementary tickets to some events that we listed on our individual top ten festival picks. For me this included an opportunity to attend Frisk Small Bar’s Martini and Oysters night.
Along the same lines that I don’t understand people who don’t like cats, I don’t understand those that don’t like oysters. They are so succulent and juicy, slightly sweet and slightly briny all in one mouthful and I could easily eat my body weight of them if I was given the chance.
Normally I love pairing oysters with French champagne however in all honesty I am generally happy pairing champagne with almost anything! For a change, I was interested to see how the oysters paired with a Martini as this was a combination I haven’t tried before. Would the Martini complement the flavours of the oysters or would it be too overpowering and just drown them out?
The bar team at Frisk can churn out some of the best cocktails in town and I had confidence that they could pull this combination off with a hit. They have one of the most enormous and amazing gin collections that I have even seen and I figured that if anyone could match a cocktail to an oyster they would be the ones to achieve it.
And my gut feeling was right. I was soon to discover that sipping Martinis with oysters is indeed a perfect match with the flavour of each seemingly enhanced by the other. The botanical crispness of the martini meant it didn’t overpower the creamy oysters and my palate ended with a harmonious briny finish. This is a combination definitely worth trying again provided I can muster up the will power to say no to champagne. And that is never easy!
Disclaimer: Chompchomp is one of the official bloggers for Eat Drink Perth ’15 and enjoyed her oysters and martini courtesy of the City of Perth. For more details of Eat Drink Perth events head to their website.
Martinis & Oysters Every Thursday during Eat Drink Perth ’15 at Frisk Small Bar, 103 Francis St, Northbridge WA 6003
$20 | 3pm-midnight | No bookings required | EDP Program details | www.frisksmallbar.com.au
Catering for all diets at CNR Kitchen, Northbridge Piazza
Posted by | Categories: Featured, Food and Wine Festivals, Paleo, Perth, Raw Food, Restaurants, Vegan, Vegetarian
It is a known fact, I don’t know how to relax. I almost always have at least 101 things on the go at any one point and this can be both extremely exciting and stressful. Although I have no one to blame for being so busy but myself, yet I cannot help but look upon my feline fur-kids with envy as they happily laze entire days away sleeping, cuddling and lounging about. They are true experts in relaxation. After years of recurrent illness and always being “sickly”, I have finally learnt that to keep up this crazy pace without falling apart it is crucial to take time to nourish my body with excellent nutrition.
Part of this commitment to myself has included switching to eating a more plant-based diet, and whilst I would never claim to be a true vegetarian, we certainly do find ourselves eating less and less meat as the years go on. And for once in my life I can honestly say I don’t really miss it.
A couple of weeks ago I had some surgery to remove a suspicious looking mole from the sole of my foot. While I waited for the pathology results to come back, I madly ticked over in my mind nearly all perceivable potential outcomes, both good and bad. I decided to start to mentally prepare myself in case they needed to perform a much more invasive repeat surgery to take wider margins. All the while my carefree alter-ego sat on my shoulder saying “Settle down woman, it’s just a weird looking mole!”.
And thankfully that imaginary brazen smart-arse was right, there was no evidence of any cancer in my biopsy. Relieved, elated and very grateful, I immediately proceeded to plans with the Boy to head out that evening and celebrate together. Having recently attended a few too many boozy events lately, we both wanted a meat free dinner. I chose CNR Kitchen as I knew they had a lot of vegan, vego and gluten free options on their menu.
Tasting Plate $29.90 (GF, raw, vegan)
We started with the raw vegan tasting plate. It came with a collection of items including Moroccan savoury cakes, dolmades with cashew mint aioli and a serve of raw vegan Pad Thai. It also had a small serve of their house-made dehydrated corn chip crackers with fresh guacamole and pineapple salsa to dunk them in.
Tasting Plate $29.90 (GF, raw, vegan)
The tasting plate was a simple but satisfying dish and would be a great option to order for those who haven’t eaten raw food before. I will have to remember that when on my next pub crawl with my meat-eating friends. The Moroccan savoury cakes contained a careful balance of spices and were my favourite part of the tasting plate despite there being one slight problem. They didn’t hold together very well at all and combined with my usual level of clumsiness, my cakes crumbled apart after the first bite making them very messy to eat.
As I dunked the last half of my Moroccan cake into the cashew mint aioli it crumbled into numerous pieces and fell into the bowl of dip. The Boy could barely stifle his chortle as he grinned and watched my useless attempts to scoop out my crumbs. They still tasted just as good!
Raw nachos $29.90 (GF, raw, vegan)
Thankfully I managed to eat my raw nachos much more elegantly as my house made corn chips had enough strength and substance to withstand a decent amount of toppings. The added sweetness of the pineapple into the salsa was a winning element and you would have never guessed the cashew sour cream was actually dairy free.
Raw nachos $29.90 (GF, raw, vegan)
In the dim lighting of the evening I struggled to get a good shot of the eggplant lasagne. This was a vegan version of the Boy’s favourite meal and yet wasn’t missing any flavour despite the lack of any meat. I was actually inspired a few days later to make my own grain free, dairy free lasagne at home.
Eggplant lasagne $26 (GF, vegan)
The lasagne was packed full of veggie goodness with layers of pumpkin, eggplant, mushroom and zucchini flavoured with a rich tomato and black olive marinara and house made macadamia ricotta. I loved the sweet potato crunchy curls tumbled on top.
Chilli chocolate slice ($3 each GF, raw, vegan)
For dessert we ordered a small selection of the raw desserts. One of the slices I ordered was the chilli chocolate slice but I nearly got in trouble for ordering it by the Boy. He is not a fan of chilli at all and cannot handle anything more than the most mildest of mild heat; lucky for us this slice had just a subtle hint of oomph in it and so thankfully there were no complaints.
Banana creamcake $8.90 (GF, raw, vegan)
The banana cream cake was decadently indulgent and for once I was happy it was only a small serve. Raw desserts can be very rich and even someone with a huge an appetite like me can be easily satisfied with smaller portions.
Lemon raw slice ($3 each GF, raw, vegan)
For someone who must eat gluten free, CNR Kitchen is a welcoming reprieve from all the gluten ladened dude food and Asian eateries located around in Northbridge. I will definitely be reminding myself of their presence next time I’m out partying and become tempted to risk eating a taco or burger. I know that my body will thank me in the morning.
CNR Kitchen are active participants in Eat Drink Perth festivities and hosted a raw dessert teaching class a couple of weeks ago when the Festival began. Attendees were taught how to make a number of delicious sugar free, dairy free and gluten free raw desserts. Of course this was accompanied by taste testing everything.
CNR’s second raw food class is held this week on Tuesday April 7th and for this session they will making dairy free cheese, milk, cream and ice cream using nuts. To find out more head to the Eat Drink Perth website.
Disclaimer: Chompchomp is an official blogger for Eat Drink Perth ’15. Whilst the Eat Drink Perth blogging team are kindly each gifted a number of event tickets from the City of Perth, Chompchomp just cannot help but get into the Perth City mood and attend more than just what she is given. I mean who doesn’t love food festivals! Consequently, she paid for this meal in full.
CNR Kitchen
Northbridge Piazza, 44 Lake Street, Northbridge WA 6003 | (08) 9228 8861 | cnr.net.au
The Creatives Autumn Table for Eat Drink Perth
Posted by | Categories: Featured, Food and Wine Festivals, Modern Australian, Perth
The Creatives is a new networking platform in Perth launched by Stacey Clark Stylist early last year and this vibrant team have been responsible for running a number of workshops in addition to hosting stunning sell-out long table dinners. Their gorgeous boutique dinners work on following the seasons and focus on showcasing local produce and wine in a wonderfully relaxed and positive atmosphere.
Each dinner has been held in a beautiful space in Perth and it is no surprise that tickets come in high demand. As part of the Eat Drink Perth festival this year, The Creatives held their Autumn Table dinner in the City in the historic Moana Chambers building.
It is an impressive space with a stunning jarrah staircase with wrought iron balustrades leading into a wide open plan area with massively high ornate ceilings. Our long table was set out on the balcony overlooking Hay Street Mall, with an aptly timed cool autumn breeze.
We started off our evening with some pre-dinner drinks by Whipper Snapper Distillery. I found the lime and ginger moonshine cocktails gorgeously refreshing such that I probably went a little too hard too fast and had to pace myself afterwards. Old habits seem to die hard!
The night had such a friendly vibe with a distinct lack of the pretention and elitism that I can sometimes see at such events. Guests were there with open hearts and minds with strangers being treated like dear friends. As we mingled amongst ourselves, the lovely team from Stacey Clark Stylist handed around some scrumptious nibbles provided by Kent Street Deli.
Prosciutto & zucchini pies with feta (GF)
My favourite was the prosciutto & zucchini pies with feta. They were obviously a hit with the Boy too as I’m sure I saw him gobble a number before turning to me with wide eyes and nodding “These are really good!”
Beetroot, goats curd and honeycomb with spinach & walnut toast (Not GF)
Our second rounds of starters were spinach and walnut toasts with smears of creamy goats curd and topped with beetroot and a sprinkling of honeycomb.
Beetroot, goats curd and honeycomb with spinach & walnut toast (GF version)
I was so appreciative that the chef made some separate gluten free versions of these using some toasted gluten free multigrain bread. I love it when I don’t miss out!
Following with the casual feel for the evening, our mains were served in a shared manner giving the feeling you were actually at a family get together rather than a ticketed event. I wished I wasn’t working the following morning otherwise I could have easily drank the night away with our friends new and old.
Bridgetown lamb (GF)
For mains there were a couple of meats and a couple of vegetarian options. The Bridgetown lamb was wrapped around chorizo and roasted to a gorgeous ruby red. The meat was beautifully tender and moist.
Rack on black with babaganoush & lavender jus (GF)
The ribs were a particular hit amongst the meat eaters and as I glance down our table I was impressed to see most guests had a significant sized pile of bare bones of each of their plates. Good company, a light autumn breeze and simple but delicious food is enough to ramp up anyone’s appetite.
Zucchini noodle, tomato and olive salad (GF)
Whilst I did enjoy the meats, it isn’t something I eat much off these days and I’m happy to enjoy a small serve accompanied by a much larger serve of something more plant based.
The zucchini noodles filled this green need for me and were literally dripping in flavour with pesto, tomatoes and olives. I make a mean version of zucchini noodles at home which is hard to beat but I will humbly say these noodles came damn close.
Cassis poached pears, honeycomb and ginger crisp
Desserts were provided to us by Sugar and Nice and consisted of a collection of autumn tarts, pies and other delights. Focusing on seasonal fruits not all were fructose friendly, but in the love of the moment I swallowed a couple of glucose tablets and joined in the fun.
Fig pistachio frangipane tart (not GF)
Carrot cake Pavlova with candied heirloom carrots (GF)
The carrot cake Pavlova was the eye-catcher of the evening with candied heirloom carrots and a hint of spice in the gooey meringue centre. It was hard to participate shamelessly in the crooning and gushing over this beauty as it was brought to the table.
Apple ribbon, hazelnut tart and butter milk caramel (GF)
The apple ribbon hazelnut tart was gluten free and yet it had a crust that would fool any Coeliac; it was buttery, firm and far from crumbly. Having had many an argument with gluten free shortcrust pastry over the years, I admired the perfect execution and had to stop myself going back for seconds so I could save room for the rice pudding.
I consoled myself with a single serving of apple tart by drizzling my slice with generous lashing of thick buttermilk caramel.
Coconut creamed rice pudding, cardamom and blood plum (GF)
The final dessert was a creamy rice pudding made with coconut milk, cardamom and dark coloured blood plums. If I had the room I would have eaten the whole bowl but sadly I had to accept that all good things come to an end. More to the point, one person can only eat so much.
The dinner had been more than adequately catered and at the end of the evening as guests were leaving we each received a little doggy bag of left over morsels to enjoy the next day. I was once again reminded how warm and welcoming it was, just like a family gathering.
I love secret pop-up dinners and have been an obsessed follower of WA-based Fervor for a number of years. Having attended my first Creatives long table dinner, I can now happily say I have another crew to stalk on social media and I look forward to trying to secure tickets to the next Creatives event.
Disclaimer: Chompchomp is one of the official bloggers for Eat Drink Perth this year however she chose to purchase her tickets to The Creatives Dinner at her own expense. It was worth every cent 😉
Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant
Posted by | Categories: Burgers & Snags, European, Featured, Perth, Restaurants
Invited blogger events can be unpredictable; some events are so well organised and thoroughly enjoyable such that we end up staying for the evening and then there are some events that end up being total fizzers resulting in us slinking off elsewhere to find better food and fun. I recently attended one of the later type of events which left me with two other blogger friends Kristy from Queen of Bad Timing and Carly from Perth Munchkin desperate for some decent eats. Each accompanied by our better halves we only had to utter the words “German Beer House” and all boys were super keen to make a night of it.
After taking our seats at the newly opened Brotzeit German Bier Bar, there was a bit of confusion with respect to their menu. My first impression was that ordering would be an easy task as there are a number of “GF” marked options. However, after being asked by our waiter “how severe is your gluten intolerance?” I realised that people like myself need to be a bit more careful. A number of the GF marked dishes on their menu are actually only made gluten free by adaptations illustrating how important it is to explain to the waiter dietary requirements before ordering.
Ripperl (Honey Bavarian Pork Ribs, $35.90, GF)
The Boy and I are mostly vegetarians and always feel a little apprehensive when confronted by a menu filled with meat. Brotzeit do not offer many non-meat options so accepting defeat we ordered the waiter’s recommendation of the Ripperl; Honey Bavarian Pork Ribs. Unlike my peers, my knees do not buckle at the mere mention of pork and it takes a decent porky dish to win me over. Our Bavarian ribs were not overly fatty with plenty of tender meat on the bones. The sauce was finger licking good and although I haven’t be converted to a die hard pork fan just yet, I would happily eat these again.
Würstelplatte (Sausage platter, $36, GF on request)
Our second dish was the Würstelplatte; a sausage platter that can be made gluten free on request. We received a generous portion of authentic German sausages including flavours like spicy chicken, grilled pork, pork cheese, pork and veal, and garlic pork. It came with some salad and sauerkraut. No one believed that we could finish both dishes but in true style we did, albeit we could barely walk afterwards.
Schweinshaxe (Oven roasted pork knuckle, 900 grams, $44, not GF)
The most impressive looking dish on our table was Carly’s husband’s pork knuckle; a behemoth sized 900 grams of oven roasted ham hock served with potato salad, sauerkraut and their highly touted special sauce. There was no way one man could eat all that pork surely? I was totally impressed with his efforts but could see the relief on his face when our waiter offered him a doggy bag to take the left overs home.
Lamm Haxe (Slow roasted lamb shank, 400 grams) (not GF)
Kristy ordered the slow roasted lamb shank, this was also a large serve with 400 grams of lamb, but her plate appeared pint-sized beneath the shadow of the pork knuckle. The meat collapsed effortlessly off the bone and was served with cranberry red cabbage and napkin dumplings.
Before we all slipped into a protein induced coma on the floor of the restaurant, we staggered up to the counter to split the bill before journeying home. But things were not end for the Boy and I so soon. As we slowly rolled down back William Street to our car with stomachs bursting at the seams we walked past the new Koko Black chocolate store. Before I could stop myself I was wandering around the store like a princess in a diamond store; eyes wide, hands waving about in excitement and thoughts of my meaty fullness cast far, far aside.
The Boy and I made a small selection of hand made chocolate truffles with the wise idea of having some for now and saving some for later. Of course when we pulled into our driveway at home there was not a single chocolate left. We will never learn!
Disclaimer: Chompchomp paid for her meal in full. This post was also published on the Eat Drink Perth 2015 website.
Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant
140 William Street, Perth WA 6000 | (08) 9321 6654 | www.brotzeit.co
Koko Black Perth City
140 William Street, Perth WA 6000 | (08) 9226 3929 | www.kokoblack.com
Chompchomp’s Top 10 Picks for Eat Drink Perth 2015
Posted by | Categories: Events, Featured, Food and Wine Festivals, Perth
This year I am very excited to come on board again as one of the official bloggers for Perth’s biggest food festival Eat Drink Perth. This year the festival runs for five fun-filled weeks and kicks off on the 18th of March. All across the City of Perth there will be loads of foodie events with something to suit everyone’s budgets and tastes.
There are a number of gluten free friendly events for Eat Drink Perth 2015 meaning there will be no time for any dieting for me! Here’s my Top Ten Picks for this year!
1. Night Noodle Market
Wednesday 18th-Sunday 29th March, Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge | Free entry| Evenings, start and finish times vary | EDP program details
Night Noodle Markets have taken off on the Eastern Coast and now it’s time we joined in the fun. This family friendly outdoor event will be held over twelve consecutive night so you will have no excuse to miss it!
2. Coles Gluten Free Food & Healthy Living Expo
Saturday 21 & Sunday 22nd March, Perth Convention Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Rd, Perth | Pre purchase tickets: Adult $12+booking fee, Coeliac WA member $5 | 9.30am-4pm | EDP Program details | www.glutenfreeinwa.com.au
Being gluten free, it is a rare occasion for me to be able to eat everything on offer at a food expo! There will be over 50 exhibitors this year with seminars and cooking demonstrations too. I will be the official blogger for the Gluten Free Expo again this year and will be running a very exciting competition in the lead up to the event.
3. Food Truck Rumble
Sunday 12th April, Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge | Free entry | 11am-8pm | Facebook | Twitter
Last year’s Food Truck Rumble was a scorching hot day and many punters were left waiting in long queues for their food in the sun. Now in its second year, the dedicated Rumble team have ensured to address all the issues that came up last year. There will be nearly twice the number of food trucks, live entertainment and most importantly, there will be plenty of shade.
4. Chef Collaboration Dinner
Thursday 26th March, Print Hall, 125 St Georges Tce, Perth | Free entry | 6pm-11.45pm | EDP Program details | www.printhall.com.au/events
This one-off collaboration dinner brings celebrity chefs Adriano Zumbo, Matt Stone and Shaun Presland together for a night to remember. The evening will be held on all three levels of Print Hall giving you an amazing foodie experience you will never forget.
5. Bar Wars
Saturday 18th April, Chung Wah Laneway (Northbridge Piazza) | Free entry | 2pm-10pm
Come and see the bar teams from Enrique’s School for to Bullfighting and Angel’s Cut by the Trustee battle it out to see who really IS the best bar of them all.
6. Buddha’s Birthday & Multicultural Festival
Saturday 18th to Sunday 19th April, Langley Park, Perth | Free entry | 11am-8pm | Website | Facebook
This annual event has been running for seventeen years and its popularity has increased steadily over more recent years. There will be a variety of activities for everyone including a multicultural vegetarian food fair, cultures and arts, ceremonials, rituals, music and dance.
7. Martinis & Oysters
Every Thursday, Frisk Small Bar, 103 Francis St, Northbridge | $20 | 3pm-midnight | No bookings required | EDP Program details | www.frisksmallbar.com.au
Frisk Small Bar churns out some of the best cocktails in Northbridge and I can vouch their martinis are the bomb. Why not drop into to see them any Thursday during Eat Drink Perth and you can enjoy a Martini with some succulent fresh oysters?
8. The Creatives Long Table Dinner
Saturday 28th March, Secret Location | $190 | 6pm-10pm | Bookings essential | EDP Program details | Book tickets
I love secrets but I am absolutely useless at keeping them. Kinfolk are well known around the world for hosting boutique secret pop-up dinners. They will create an evening that will focus on using local and seasonal produce in a long table shared style of dinner. Each dish will be matched with handcrafted wines, ciders and beers.
9. Fervor
Saturday 11th April, Secret location to be disclosed just before the event | $160 | 6pm | Bookings essential | Book tickets
I have been a massive fan of Fervor ever since I attended one of their amazing degustations at last year’s Eat Drink Perth. Fervor’s dishes are centred on using native Australian plants and other locally sourced WA produce. I love that Fervor’s vision is not just to showcase what amazing flavours are out there in the Australian bush but to also always ensure sustainability of what they harvest whilst respecting our environment and supporting our local communities. The night includes a 10-12 course degustation with matched wines, beers and cider.
10. Desserts Class: Paleo, Vegan & Raw
Tuesday 17th March, CNR Kitchen, Northbridge Piazza | $127 | 6.15pm | Bookings essential | EDP Program details | cnr.net.au
The raw dessert trade has really taken off in Perth with many cafes offering a raw option in their cake cabinet. But did you know that raw desserts are actually really easy to make yourself? Learn how to make delicious desserts free of sugar, dairy and gluten including rumballs, Ferraro Rocher ice-cream pots, tiramisu and banana cream pie. You will get to taste test everything and take all the recipes home to try for yourself.
Eat Drink Perth is a food and beverage festival that runs from March 18 to April 24 2015. For more details of events head to their website at visitperthcity.com.au/eatdrinkperth.
Disclaimer: Chompchonp is one of the official bloggers for Eat Drink Perth 2015. See the full list of bloggers here. She is also the official blogger for the Coles Gluten Free & Healthy Living Expo 2015.
