Monthly Archives: April 2011

Ecco Pizza @ Fremantle

Posted in Italian, Perth by

What was supposed to be an enjoyable lunch together with the family this ANZAC day turned out to be one of the worst dining experiences we have ever had.

Ecco Pizza in Fremantle looked like a restaurant worth trying given its location and ambiance. Everywhere else was full house on this day so we walked into this restaurant for a quick lunch. The staff was accommodating although most of them could not understand English properly as they are either on working holiday visas or student visas, mostly from France based on their accent. The menu looked interesting but I just wished that I did not expected too much from this place.

We ordered chilli mussels to share but was told that there was none of it left for the day. So we settled for a pizza to share instead – spinaci pizza, with tomato sauce, mozzarella, spinach, olives and pine nuts. I couldn’t make out if this was woodfired pizza or not but I’m leaning towards not because it does not have the “look” or taste of a woodfired pizza. The pizza was overcrowded with toppings and it was only mediocre.

Ecco Pizza: spinaci pizza

One of my cousins had the Osso Bucco with garlic mash. The meal looked delicious at first but we were later told that it was very fatty and oily. I had a little bite of the veal shank and found it to be lacking something and the mash had an overpowering garlic taste. For such a big eater my cousin could not even finish his meal because of the oiliness.

Ecco Pizza: osso bucco with garlic mash

Up next is a dish called Baccala shared by my auntie and my other cousin. Baccala is cod with potatoes and tomatoes. What they forgot to mention in the menu is that the fish is not fresh cod. It is salted cod, the preserved kind. It was super salty it could literally give you a heart attack. Not even the carbohydrates – the potatoes- could take away some of the saltiness. It was also served with a very runny sauce that did not look appetising at all!

Ecco Pizza: baccala

Last but not least was my dish. I had the pasta with chicken, mushrooms, spinach and sundried tomatoes in a wine and cream sauce. This was the only edible dish we had for the day. I think the overall flavours of this dish worked well together and my plate was the only clean plate on the table.

Ecco Pizza: pasta with chicken, spinach, mushroom and sundried tomatoes in cream sauce

Unless I’m in a desperate time, I certainly would not be coming back to this place. The food was mediocre, close to inedible actually, and the presentation was very sloppy. I guess I just expected too much from this place given that it always seem to be full every time I walk past it. And to add salt to the wound, it took us freaking 20 minutes to pay the bill. I don’t know what was wrong on the till but they had every table’s orders wrong. Customers had to tell them again what they had and the staff were also confused. Service in itself was not very bad but it certainly was very uncoordinated. Perhaps they should train their staff better and get their act together.

My rating: 3/10

www.eccopizza.com.au/eccomain.html

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Phong Vinh @ Northbridge

Posted in Perth, Vietnamese by

I came to “Phong Vinh” for lunch one day en route to the post office in Northbridge. I used to frequently dine in “Viet Hoa”, the Vietnamese restaurant next door, but after they have decided not to put anymore coriander in their soup I was on the hunt again for a good Vietnamese restaurant. I love pho. I love soup. I love bean sprouts too. So, mathematically speaking, I love Vietnamese noodle soup. I heard and read great reviews about this food court seating styled restaurant and it seems to be always full every time I walk past it.

The waitress served me tea in a thermos, yes a thermos, not a teapot, as soon as I sat down. They have over 100 menu items including spring rolls, rice dishes, dry noodles, soup noodles, beverages. It took a while for me to decide what to eat since everything looked so delicious. Finally I went for the “chicken beef soup”. I asked the waitress if this had noodles and she said it’s “chicken hofan in beef soup”. Ah well, should have written that in the menu.

I was playing with my Iphone when the steaming hot bowl of noodle soup came. The waitress spilled some of the soup and splashed some onto my arm while transferring the bowl to my table. She apologised and quickly went to get a cloth to wipe her mess. The bowl was literally a bowlful of soup (which was why it spilled) and I already knew then and there that I would not be able to finish the whole bowl unless I wanted to fall asleep at work. As with any other Vietnames restaurant, my noodle soup came with a side of bean sprouts and mint, and also a side of chilli and lemon wedge. Yum yum yum. The soup was very tasty and it had coriander in it. If there’s anything wrong with it it would be that it’s a little too oily. The lady said it came with hofan noodles. I was disappointed with this but due to my own fault really. I was really after the pho noodles, rice noodles not hofan noodles. The hofan was too soft for me. Somewhere close to being mushy in fact. I asked the waitress beforehand if I could change my order when I saw a yummier looking item in the menu that had rice noodles in it but she said the cook/chef had already started making my hofan soup. So no worries I told her. It was my mistake. And the best thing about my noodle soup was the chicken. It was very very tasty and tender. I was thinking of bland sliced chicken breast when I ordered this but they surprised me with uber tasty chicken chunks. Needless to say I was very very full.

Phong Vinh: chicken in beef soup

Then a few weeks later  I came here again with Auntie C, Uncle J and my little cousin. We had springs rolls to start with – a pork one and a vegetarian one. Both were very tasty and crunchy. They serve it as soon as they come out of the fryer so watch your tongue.

Phong Vinh: spring rolls

This time I made sure I ordered the correct type of noodles. I had the Phong Vinh special noodle soup which was divine. Rice noodle in soup loaded with toppings, seafood and meat.

Phong Vinh: special noodle soup

As we always have someone order a braised duck noodle soup in Viet Hoa, we also had Phong Vinh’s braised duck noodle soup to see how it compares. Both were similar in taste and the difference really just came down to the soup. Phong Vinh’s is not as salty as Viet Hoa’s.

Phong Vinh: braised duck noodle soup

Uncle J had the chicken noodle soup, dry style (which basically means that the soup is served on the side). This is utterly similar to the chicken beef soup that I had during my first encounter with Phong Vinh except that the chicken here was fried and served on the side as a cutlet piece. He said the dish was just lovely.

Phong Vinh: chicken noodle soup dry style

Last but not least, my little cousin had the stir fry beef with fried rice. This is definitely not the best dish they are serving. The sauce on the beef tasted like something out of the packet and the fried rice was bland. If you are looking for a dish like this I’d suggest heading to a Chinese restaurant instead.

Phong Vinh: beef stir fry with fried rice

 

My rating: 7/10
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Frisk Espresso @ Northbridge

Posted in Coffee & Desserts, Perth by
A retro style coffee shop in the outskirts of Francis Street in Northbridge, “Frisk Espresso” brings about a different and uber relaxed coffee experience. I came here with the family one lazy Sunday afternoon after our very heavy dim sum lunch. But being the coffee lover that he is and the ‘searching-for-new-places-to-eat’ person that she is, it wasn’t hard at all to convince my uncle and auntie to go to the little cafe with me just down the street.

It wasn’t overly crowded when we went it. Only about 3-4 tables were occupied. They have all sorts of chairs and tables there – cafe style, couch, kids, playground style – giving it a very retro look. There are also various random things displayed there - very old cash register, mini tv box - keeping in tune with the cafe’s theme and a variety of board games to keep the kids, as well as the older generation, entertained. You will be greeted by an orange haired lady on the graffiti wall when you walk in.

I wouldn’t exactly say the staff, who later turned out to be the owners as I have found out, were friendly. It was a bit awkward because they were busy running around but also wanted to smile and talk to you. Weird. They do not seem to be very knowledgeable about their limited menu either; or perhaps they just came across to me as not knowledgeable? So anyway, we placed our orders on the counter and they do not use dockets nor give you any table numbers. Instead, they write the orders on the counter with a white board marker and just remember your face. We had a flat white and a latte, for $3.90 each, made from 5 senses coffee. Coffee was beautifully made although the milk could’ve have been smoother.

To the left of the shop is a section devoted entirely to “Kustom Cupcakes”. I have no idea who owns Kustom Cupcakes but when we asked the owner/barista if they also supply cupcakes to other shops he said yes. I don’t even think he fully understood what we were asking. When asked what the flavours of the cupcakes were he just mumbled some flavours. Strange.

After reading rave reviews about how marvelous these little cupcakes are, they are, in fact, quite a disappointment. These are not the best cupcakes. Icing was way too sweet and the cupcakes were VERY dry. Perhaps they have been sitting out for quite a while?  We had the Raffaelo one and a cookie dough one. Nothing special at all with these cupcakes. I scraped off the icing and when I divided the cake in half it just crumbled. Not worth the $3.50, I’d say. There are some cookies on the counter and just 2 other cakes to choose from, one of which looked like Cookies and Cream cheesecake. Perhaps their supply has not yet been delivered? For me, I’d just go for the coffee and the ambiance and forget about the sweets.

Frisk Espresso: coffee and cupcakes

My rating: 7/10

www.friskespresso.com.au

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1907 @ CBD

Posted in Modern Australian, Perth by

1907, situated along Queen Street, is an almost perfect fine dining experience. The restaurant is located in a somewhat dodgy aisle making it hardly recognisable from the outside with no visible restaurant door. The entrance door looked like a door to a house with a “push” (or was it a “pull”?) sign. We walked in greeted by a french waitress who showed us to our table. I did not even notice that HUGE wooden horse at the door food review sites have been talking about because I was anxious to sit down and order my food as I haven’t eaten for more than 6 hours.

The restaurant was unusually hot and stuffy when we went in. I was about to complain to the waitress to turn the damn aircon on but, thankfully, the place started to become cooler. After we placed our orders we were given a complimentary bread basket. It was a very generous size with 3 bread rolls and 4 slices of bread from a loaf. Dips consisting of olive oil, dukka, salt and a slab of butter were also provided.

1907: complimentary bread basket

1907: for the bread

Finishing almost the whole basket of bread was a terrible idea. It obviously fills you up really quickly so my friend and I decided against eating another piece of bread even though they were very tasty, not the kind you get from, say, Bakers Delight. By this time, the complimentary amuse bouche was served. Today’s dish was “Roast Pumpkin Soup” served in what looked like a flat-bottomed test tube or a long shot glass. Being the FOB that we are, my friend and I looked at each other thinking how we are supposed to eat it. There was no spoon and the fork was too big to fit into the ‘test tube’. So we just drank from it. It was very very delicious with a nutty flavour. Why can’t my homemade roast pumpkin soup taste like this? I wanted more of this – a big bowl of this. My friend made it into a dip for the bread too which was surprisingly good!

1907: complimentary amuse bouche - roast pumpkin

And so we chatted away. It did not take long for the entrees to be served. Mine was a “Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Cucumber and Fresh Coconut Salad and  Watermelon”. I have not tried a half cooked half raw tuna before and this was a very good first experience. It was very fresh and the salad, with a spicy and tangy taste to it, complemented the fish really well. Now I know why that watermelon was there. It was to cool down my palette after eating that spicy salad. My friend had the “Ginger Glazed Berkshire Pork Belly with Prawn Salad”. The dish was presented very beautifully! Great for photos indeed. And the taste did not disappoint either. Pork was tender and the salad fresh and tasty. The only complaint was that the pork skin was very tough. It was hard to cut it with a knife let alone chew and swallow it. If the skin were crispier it would have made this dish even better.

1907: seared yellowfin tuna

1907: ginger glazed Berkshire pork belly

For the mains, we both ordered the “Coq au vin, sous-vide Spatchcock with Mushrooms, Mashed Potatoes and Brioche”. We were craving for mashed potatoes so this was the obvious choice. To start off, the mash was very very smooth and creamy. The brioche was buttery and great for polishing off the sauce from the plate. And the spatchcock? It was delicious. Perfectly cooked and the mushroom sauce went really well with it. If there is any thing wrong with it it would be that it was a tad too salty. But otherwise this was a perfect dish.

1907: 'coq au vin' sous-vide spatchcock

I was already becoming very sleepy from being really full that I left half of my brioche untouched. But I just simply could not pass up dessert. The dessert menu had a “65% Dark Chocolate Marquise with lemon cheesecake ice cream” and anything that has ‘dark chocolate’ in it I have got to try. It’s something like chocolate mousse and the lemon cheesecake tasted like a yogurt-y ice cream. The sourness of the ice cream offsets the sweetness of my marquise. I still found the marquise a little too sweet for a dark chocolate concoction but otherwise good. My friend opted for a “healthier” treat, “Caramelised Orange with saffron ice cream and rose fairy floss”. The saffron ice cream was very exotic. Something different but something that I don’t think I would eat on a normal day.

1907: dark chocolate marquise

1907: caramelised orange with saffron ice cream and rose fairy floss

We paid our bill and walked out the door and that was when I saw that giant wooden horse. Why there is a horse in this restaurant is something I do not comprehend. Perhaps it’s something to fill in the void in the reception area? The place looked like a remodelled living room which made it cozy. Well at the least the table we were at felt cozy. The service was very friendly, too, from the minute we walked in to the minute we walked out. The waitress asked if we enjoyed our meals and wished us a good night when we left. She even offered to take a photo for us without us having to ask ask her – that is someone who is alert, I would say.  Some of the bad reviews I have read freaked me out at first because I really do not want to pay big money just to be disappointed. But I’m glad my friend and I took the chance and now this is one of my favourite fine dining restaurants. I would most definitely come back.

My rating: 9/10

www.1907.com.au

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Fraser’s @ King’s Park

Posted in Modern Australian, Perth by

Known as one of Perth’s poshest place to dine in, Fraser’s offers a variety of interesting dishes and a stunning view of the city. Sadly there were construction going underway when we dined here so the views of the city were blocked by railings and barricades.

You can clearly see why this restaurant is posh as soon as you walk in. The interior is modernly designed and dimly lit giving it a cozy feel. We were led to our table and given the menu. It was really difficult to chose what to order given that most dishes seemed interesting enough for me to want to try everything.

Our table ordered a “Soft shell crab with cumin salt” to share. The serving size of this came as a surprise! We were expecting to be served about 3-4 pieces of crab but it came in a big plateful. Even after sharing this amongst 3 people I already started to feel full. The crab in itself was very good. Nicely deep fried although the cumin salt tended to settle unevenly. I would get bites of really salty crab and other bites of non seasoned crab. It was strange that out of the 3 of us I ate most of the crab pieces where the cumin salt settled. This was served with a side of japanese seaweed and a soy ginger sauce, which was really unnecessary given the crab has full flavour just by itself.

Fraser: soft shell crab

Feeling really hungry, I also ordered an entree of “Wok Fried Fremantle Octopus with chilli dressing” for myself which ended up being shared anyway. This dish had a Thai flavour to it. Octopus was cooked just right and the coriander in the dressing gave it a nice kick.

Fraser: fremantle octopus

And then we waited for our mains. And waited. And waited. Even as chatting/gossiping/catching up with friend made time fly by really quickly, the mains took forever to be served. The restaurant was not overly busy given it was a Thursday night so I don’t know why the food took so long to come out.

Finally the food came. The presentation was not as good as I expected it to be. But of course I had very high expectations from Fraser’s because it is Fraser’s at King’s Park. One of my friends and I had the “Roast Duck Breast and Confit Sausage with Beetroot Puree”. The waitress told us beforehand that this was cooked medium rare but I had mine well done because I cannot fathom eating bloody poultry. The duck breast was tender but it needs more flavour. The skin was not crisp enough making it a little chewy. And the beetroot puree? Well I wouldn’t say that the 2 flavours were complementary to each other. I like beets by itself and I like duck by itself but I am not so sure if combining them together was a great idea. I did like this dish although it could have been better. My other friend had the “Mt Barker Chicken with Baby Turnips” and she did say it was good. I wasn’t able to try it for myself but it did look good.

Fraser: roast duck breast with beetroot puree

Fraser: Mt Barker chicken with baby turnips

The waiter cleared our table after the mains but did not even ask if we wanted to have a look at the dessert menu. So we tried flagging down any waiter/waitress but perhaps they were understaffed? It took a good 10 minutes for someone to finally respond to us.

For dessert my friends and I each ordered a different sweet so we can all share. I had the “Steamed Fig and Ginger Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce and Pouring Cream”. This was very very good! The pudding is a little bit dry but just because I think it could be more moist. So I simply drenched every bite in the butterscotch sauce and the cream, which was really fragrant. Also served with vanilla ice cream and slices of banana that tricked me into thinking it was a tad healthy (because of the fruit). My friend had the “Frangipani Plum Tart”. It had a baked cheesecake texture with sour plums in the middle. My friend said it was too sour but I enjoyed the sweet-sour taste to it. My other friend had the “Pistachio Creme Brulee with fairy floss and vanilla ice cream”. There was nothing special about the creme brulee , to be honest. I can hardly taste the pistachio flavour.

Fraser: Steamed fig and ginger pudding

Fraser: Plum Tart

Fraser: Pistachio creme brulee

Overall, I think Fraser’s is overrated. The menu looks interesting but don’t have high expectations because it does not live up to the hype it has created. Everything could have been better – taste, presentation, and service. Service here is not the friendliest. The staff all seemed too uptight. They dont smile a lot, nor do they pretend, at least pretend,to be happy to serve you. There was only 1 friendlier waiter that night and even then he was a bit clumsy. He spilled red wine on the table next to us! Red wine! Spilling red wine in a fine dining restaurant is an epic fail moment in my opinion. Then when we went to the till to pay the bill it included a bottle of beer that we did not even order. Good thing the clumsy waiter picked this up before I had a chance to tell him off. The only good thing I can say about their service is that they did accommodate my requests for a glass of warm water (because I had a cold and I needed something to relieve my symptoms).

Would I come back? Maybe. But I’d rather go somewhere else that is cheaper but serves much better food and gives better service (for example, “1907” in CBD).

My rating: 7/10

www.frasersrestaurant.com.au

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