Category Archives: Perth

places to eat in Perth and surrounds

For 2012, I choose to be happy

Posted in People, Perth by

Oh gosh. I realise that it’s only the beginning of the year and already I am a few days late in joining the bandwagon of making annual resolutions that would probably not even make it to the end of January. But this year I promise myself I am going to make them happen and see them through to the 31st of December 2012 (and onwards).

If you read around (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, what have you…) everyone wishes you the same thing: a happy new year. That, my folks, is my overly cliched resolution for two thousand and twelve, the year of the dragon. Happiness is such a pleasantly joyful emotion that I’d want to feel this way 366 days out of the year. Hey that’s one extra day to be happy, isn’t it? Of course, being a woman, emotions come and go but generally speaking there shouldn’t be any reason to hold me back from being happy in good times and bad.

Underlying this happiness resolution are 3 sub-resolutions that I am aiming for this year: eat less, spend less and exercise more.

Here’s how they all tie up to being happy…

  • Eat less

There is no doubt that I am in dire need to shed a few kilos. Five kilos would be good and anything more than that is my icing on the cake. Mmmm, cake. I think it’s about time to admit that I do have a semi unhealthy relationship with food. I eat because I see food and it’s not necessarily because I’m hungry. Too much food thought has accumulated in excess kilos that are currently preventing me from fitting properly into my favourite old pair of jeans and that’s not all that I am having a hard time fitting into.

The goal is to eat less sweets, eat less junk and eat in less portions. That, together with the other 2 sub-resolutions, will hopefully help me reach my target weight loss of 5 kilos and every gram I lose prior to that will make me a happy camper.

  • Spend less

There is also no doubt that I spend way too much money on food. Unnecessary spendings at McDonald’s, Hungry Jacks and Nandos. These, I know, are bad for you and I have come to the conclusion that I do not want to pay some conglomerate to make me unhealthy. Relapses are sometime inevitable when I get cravings for fried food like fries and nuggets but I am limiting myself to just 1 relapse per month.

There are quite a few things I want to save up for like buying a house and traveling in the next few years so I figure I better cut back on unnecessary expenses ASAP and start saving up for things that are of real value to me. Seeing constant savings makes me happy on so many level.

  • Exercise more

I was never an active person and yet my resolutions every year since I started making such a list always involve being active – more sports, more gym time, try new fitness classes. Yeah, I am able to keep that resolution for 1 month tops. I know it’s gonna be a long and hard journey given my 20+ odd years of a sedentary lifestyle but let me just say that 2012 will be the year I start living a healthier lifestyle and I am full on determined to make it happen. Four days into the year and I have been keeping active every single day.

Here is my logic: if I can wake up at 5am for work I can also get up at 5am to go jogging. I’m looking at it as an investment for my health and my future. Exercising releases endorphins, the feel good happy hormones, so by nature I should be happy after exercising, right? :)

I hope that you, too, will have a happy and fantastic year ahead!

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Thank God for casual Fridays

Posted in People, Perth by

photo courtesy of Computer Clip Art

“Today I don’t feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don’t feel like picking up my phone, so leave a message at the tone
‘Cause today I swear I’m not doing anything”
– The Lazy Song, Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars pretty much sums up in that chorus what I was feeling this morning when I opened my eyes. I want to do nothing but stay in bed. Sadly, that really is not an option for people who work for a corporate body. There is that commitment to show up for work the moment you signed that contract (except for the days when you are faking actually sick or on self-imposed approved leave).

Like most people my favourite work day is Friday because

“It’s Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody’s looking forward to the weekend, weekend”
- Friday, Rebecca Black

Not only that, the company I work for is very casual. So by the time we get to Friday it is over-the-top casual and I am very thankful for such casual Fridays – it makes this particular work day so much more bearable.

Let me just point out at this stage that I do love my job. I get the occassional usual “why do I have to go to work” syndrome every morning but I still happily drag myself out of the house and into the office because my job and my workplace are awesome. Mondays to Thursdays are alright. Some days time just stands still. Some days I cannot get hold of enough work hours in 1 day.

But casual Fridays are the bomb! I don’t know what’s going on in your workplace but in mine I see these things happening on this particular day:

  • Everyone in the office is even more laidback than usual
  • More people are snacking on chocolate bars
  • More gossiping chatting sessions are happening than actual work
  • Everyone is particularly nicer to everyone else
  • Work environment is not as tensed and/or stressed
  • People come in later and go home earlier
  • Smiles are everywhere

I seriously think those are due to the power of the jeans. Yes, jeans. Levi’s, Diesel, Just Jeans, Mossimo – whatever brand it is you’re wearing jeans make Fridays feel like Saturdays; and who doesn’t like Saturdays?

Then top that with a T-shirt. Round-neck, V-neck, plunging, rainbow coloured, Christmas-themed – T-shirts make a person appear less authoritative and more approachable hence the less tension in the office air.

The way I see it casual Fridays produce more happier employees so, really, more companies should adopt it then we can start paving our way to world peace.

Happy Friday everyone!

Exploring Perth 2: Perth Hills

Posted in Adventures, Perth, Travel by

Thanks to a car breakdown incident, I have discovered a new place in Perth. It’s not new per se but it’s unchartered enough that it brings me all kinds of excitement whenever I pay it a visit. Of all the years I have lived in Perth, I have not once set foot in this part of town; a town called Kalamunda, part of what is otherwise known as the Perth Hills.

Left crippled without a car, I decided to ask the company I work for, after being fed up with public transportation, if we had any spare vehicle that I may borrow while my car is being fixed. Luckily, there were quite a few spares! A colleague and I drove up to Kalamunda to pick up the spare vehicle – it’s also safe to say that I can now cross out driving a pick up truck from my bucket list – and it was the conversation I had with her during the ride that sparked my interest in exploring Perth Hills. The drive up made me realise that Kalamunda is not that inaccessible from where I live (as I previously thought); about 30 minutes from home and 15 minutes from the office by car without traffic jams.

My quest to look for a decent cupcake shop in Perth made me trek my first official visit to Kalamunda. That visit was enough to make me want to come back for more. I was pressed for time then so I only took about half an hour or so to stroll around. The shopping area, located along Haynes Street and its surrounds, is not that big but also not that small. It is small enough that it has a very close-knit community feel to it yet big enough to provide you with whatever you need (supermarkets, Bunnings, cafes, restaurants, shopping…).

One Sunday, after much Googling about Perth Hills, I went to the Kalamunda Farmer’s Market. This market is open until 12pm every Sunday so Auntie C and I rushed off after an early breakfast to get there before it closes. Big mistake regarding that breakfast. There was so much to eat at the markets that we should’ve just eaten breakfast there! A few cafes were open and there was also a creperie stall. Being full would not stop us from eating more anyway; it would just make us extremely full and skip lunch altogether. A few of the things you’ll find at the market are:

  • specialty bread
  • fresh fruits and veg
  • seafood
  • olives/olive products
  • crepes
  • plants for sale
  • honey
  • macarons

So after a stoll on a fine spring day, we decided to cool down with some homemade ice ceam at Collodel. This is one of the best homemade ice creams I have had in  a while. It was smooth and not too sweet. Just perfectly divine. I had the creme caramel flavour and it was yum yum yum.

Since we were already in the area, Auntie C and I headed out to Gooseberry Hill; a neighbouring suburb that is like a 2-minute drive. The main reason for going there was to go to this French cafe and patisserie called Le Croissant du Moulin. It is tucked away in a very small village shopping centre along Railway Road that I missed it while cruising down the street. Thankfully there was a round-about nearby. All the cakes looked enticing that I really really want to buy them all. Okay, we limited ourselves to just 3 (because we didn’t have enough cash left). Two words for the sweets – tres delicieux! I have concluded by now that Perth Hills houses some of the city’s best kept food secrets.

On the way home, we drove through the scenic zig zag drive that is worth a visit too. I never knew Perth had a scenic, let alone a zig zag, drive. It is a sight of the city from a different point of view.

That’s half a Sunday well spent.

Just another day in Perth with The Queen

Posted in Adventures, Perth by

I know this post should’ve been made 1 week ago but I have to be honest with you – life got crazy with work, expiring coupons/voucher that I had to use, social life. Phew. It’s just one of those weeks where life caught up with me.

Another thing I was busy about was chasing Her Majesty, The Queen. No biggie. This was just another day in Perth where we get to see Her Majesty, The Queen and HRH Prince Philip. Except it was a very big deal. A very big deal to me because I willingly waste my time chasing celebrities/famous people that I like if I know they are going to be in the same city as me. For other people as crazy as I am and the city of Perth, the 29th of October 2011 is one to remember. After all, how often do you get to see the Queen in person and hear her speech live? Not that often right? So pardon me for getting way too excited. And also because Perth never gets to be chosen for anything.

No I won’t go through the arguments of why monarchy should be kept or abolished like some people do because, quite frankly, I have mixed emotions about this. But seeing the Queen brought back so many happy memories from my Uni days. You see, I used to do a course called European Studies back in the olden days. We were taught about European history, European governance of selected countries including the UK, European economics, international laws and things like that. At some point in time during the course, my thesis partner and I became obssessed with UK politics because there is so much history (and let’s face it, I’m a sucker for history) and it was so interesting that almost all our research work were based on this topic. People at home think I’m crazy for wanting to go see the Queen who wouldn’t even have a fraction of a clue as to who I am but only my thesis partner would understand my joy of seeing Her Majesty in person. Really.

You may be wondering by now why The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh decided to set foot in our city. Well there is something called CHOGM (the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) and the venue for such a meeting this year was Perth. I know nothing about what went on in that meeting and it really does not interest me. All I know is that one of the issues they talked about was abolishing the law that only males can inherit the throne.

For the rest of us non politically inclined people, the fun started on 29 October 2011 at 9am. If you were an early bird it could’ve started at 6am. Perth hosted the Big Aussie BBQ in a park overlooking the river to welcome the Queen and Prince Philip to our city. Auntie C and a little cousin went with me because they, too, are a tad crazy. By the time we got to Downtown Perth it was already quite busy. Sausages are sizzling and people were already lining up along the railings to catch a glimpse of royalty. It was a fine day I might add. A fine day to start with that turned out to be a very hot day. We stood in the burning sun for 2.5 hours squashed amongst everyone else and for a minute there I swear the railings were going to topple over and I was going to be crushed.

So finally after the VERY long wait the Swan Bells started chiming indicating Her Majesty’s arrival. It all went by so quickly. As in in a blink of an eye. Security cars went ahead of her and then there she was. The Queen riding down along the streets of Perth waving at us. With a big camera on one hand, I waved back with the other oblivious to the fact the she doesn’t really care who I am. For a moment there I was awestuck. And starstruck. In front of me was a lady who has been the head of state for decades, obviously aged with history written all over the lines on her face. And I caught a glimpse of her for a mere second. The photo below is the sole photo I have of her because, like I’ve said before, it all went in a flash and Prince Philip was blocking her face.

Then she took to the stage and gave her only public address to the people of Perth. With the crowd and the very open air I could hardly hear what she was saying but it all ended with a roaring crowd.

And that was it. She headed back to the UK that very same day. This could well be her last visit to our city and all I could be was happy. Happy to have been part of history.

A little update

Posted in Perth by

Hi all, I trust that you’re having a fantastic Friday (or Thursday if you’re on the other side of the world).

I just want to thank you for being patient with me while I was trying on new themes, colours and layout for this blog. I wanted it to have a clean yet fun look but I was not truly happy with the old themes I’ve used. Finally, after months of frustration, I have decided to fork out some moolah and purchase a theme that provides what I am looking for. I am in no way savvy about those web design stuff so I had to rely on what’s out there.

I’m really happy with the new look of my blog and I hope you are too.

Have a fantastic day ahead!

Exploring Perth 1: Perth Zoo

Posted in Adventures, Perth, Travel by

Kicking things off with my commitment to exploring Perth, I have started with somewhere common; somewhere most visitors go to when they visit a new city – the zoo.

Having a zoo right in the middle of a suburban area seemed odd to me. I’ve always pictured zoos to be located somewhere in the mountains or jungles where you have to drive for hours to reach your destination – to me that seemed more logical because the mountains or the jungles are closer to home for the animals. Plus, the drive there is always an adventure in itself, specially when you are just sitting in the car enjoying and taking in the sights.

But now that I am the one doing the driving, I am very much thankful that Perth Zoo is so close to home that it’s a mere 15-20 minute drive without any traffic jam and is fairly easy to find. From the freeway just take 2-3 turns and you’re there. Located in, what some would say, a posh suburb that is South Perth, the zoo is just big enough that you won’t feel too overwhelmed and tired after a day spent there.

Bright and early on one Sunday during school holidays, I rounded up my troop and we arrived at the zoo just after 9am (opening hours: 9am to 5pm, every day of the year). The zoo was still fairly empty on this fine winter morning with no more than 20 families roaming around. For an additional $1 you get a zoo map which you can then give to the kids so they learn how to read maps and navigate. For the most part we did stay on track but with the occassional arguments about going right or left and heading up or down. I was more pre-occupied with snapping photos so I just went with wherever everyone’s going.

The zoo is divided into 4 main sections wherein animals from the same region are housed together. The African Savannah houses the ferocious lions and tigers; Asian Rainforest the playful primates; South American jungle the singing birds; and Australian Bushwalk the koalas and the kangaroos. These are just some of the animals that are in the zoo and I could give you a long list of the other ones but it would just be easier for you and me if you visit Perth Zoo’s website for a complete list. After all, they know more about animals than me and they can give you the correct names whereas I would probably just give you a description.

But what I can tell you is that being in the zoo brings out the kid in me. I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a hardcore animal lover -the most animal loving thing I’ve ever done is cuddling other people’s dogs. There’s something about zoos, though, that excites and interests me. It’s probably because I get to see animals that don’t just randomly appear in the streets and you get to observe them knowing you’re at a safe distance. Actually, it does not just bring out the kid in me. It brings out the kid in everyone. No matter which way you look you will see both the young and the old all getting giddy about spotting an animal.

The only places in the zoo I’d try to avoid whenever possible are the indoor exhibits for nocturnals and reptiles. The nocturnal animals in the likes of bats and some sort of rats always give me an eerie feeling whenever I look at them. The red beam light also made it all the more difficult for me to appreciate them. I walked out feeling light headed and lost in space. As for the reptiles, well, they are not as eerie as the nocturnals but they do give me the goosebumps, specially that humongous python that was curled up into a ball at the corner of its housing. Mind you, though, that the kids absolutely loved those bats and snakes and spiders that I didn’t. What’s gross for me is fascinating for them.

The highlights of my day at the zoo included seeing the beautiful red panda and pelicans. Also there to make my day even better was the cheeky baby orangutan who was scarily almost exactly like a human toddler. It was really breath-taking to observe how human-like it is. For a good half an hour it played with a crate climbing on top of it and then falling over and then climbing again and falling over again. When it got tired it curled up beside its sleeping mother under a “blanket” that made everyone watching go naaaaw. That was such a heart-warming sight to see.

Towards the end of our adventure, we walked past this super cute kangaroo, who was sleeping in a very quirky position. I almost laughed out loud at the sight of this because, by nature, the kangaroo’s legs really can’t touch the ground when it’s lying on its back. This is how relaxed I want to be when I’m sleeping.

Perth Zoo is definitely a fun place to be for everyone. Whether you’re bringing the whole family or going alone there sure are activities for everyone to enjoy. The zoo also has a big picnic area where you can bring in your own food and have a barbie. If nature is not your thing then there are cafes around as well. For me, though, the $5 hotdog with onions on a bun was enough to keep me going for the rest of the day.

*more photos on Flickr

EOFY consolidation

Posted in Perth by

The end of the financial year is here and that means only 2 things: tax refund and consolidating my blogs. And please note the use of consolidating, just because I am a cliche accountant. :)

Instead of having various web presence here and there, I’ve decided to buy my own domain http://wenakins.com and put all my blogs and other what nots into this ONE address. So this means that it wouldn’t be purely a food blog anymore as I would, from time to time, post random things too.

Because of this consolidation you will see some changes over the next few days, or weeks even (EOFY is a busy time for us accountants ;P). Taste of Perth wouldn’t be too appropriate anymore and I have to twick some things around. I do ask for your patience as I figure out how to revamp my blog.

Cheers!

Pancake Pantry @ Guildford

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee & Desserts, Perth by

New job, new places to eat. I thought, at first, that there weren’t any decent places to eat near my new office but after quite an extensive research I have made a list of places to try out during my lunch break. My first stop was at Pancake Pantry in Guildford. It was only a 5 minute drive from the office so I thought I’d give it a try after reading good review about this place.

Pancake Pantry

The Pancake Pantry is located in a little ‘business centre’ on the corner of Queen Street and Great Eastern Highway with ample parking spaces. I walked in and there was no one, not even the staff, so I immediately freaked out. But the owner walked in behind me soon enough (she was chatting with the people next door) and helped me choose which pancakes to order. I don’t usually eat pancakes for lunch so I just had this mentality that they will not fill me up thus I ended up ordering 2 kinds of pancakes – 1 savoury, 1 sweet. Each order had 2 reasonably sized pancakes and so I had 4 pancakes that day. Phew. It was already very filling after the 3rd pancake.

Pancake Pantry: interior

Generally speaking, I absolutely loved their pancakes. They were light and fluffy and certainly better than the ones I have attempted to make from scratch. They were already very tasty on their own (i.e without toppings and fillings) without being overly sweet. More of a buttermilky taste I’d say.

For the savoury one I had the Bruschetta pancakes, with diced tomatoes, diced red onions, few leaves of basil and cheese and a little container of whipped butter on the side.

Pancake Pantry: bruschetta pancake

This is one of their “specials” flavoured pancakes. It was so-so for me. The tomatoes were fresh but I, personally, would prefer to have the red onions cooked a little bit to make them sweeter. I would like to have more cheese in the pancakes too. I’ve never had a savoury pancake before and this was a good introduction to it.

Then for “dessert” I ordered the Banana, walnut and maple syrup pancakes plus ice cream on the side. I think the owner took the wrong order because my pancakes did not have any walnuts in them. What a bummer. But it was still good without the nuts. For $8 per serving, dont expect to be given real maple syrup. Well regardless of the fake maple syrup, this was a classic pancake made perfectly.

Pancake Pantry: banana and maple syrup pancakes

After receiving a comment from Rob and reading heaps of good reviews about their special Korean pancake and Cookies and Cream pancake, I knew it was time to make a trip to the Pantry again. So I journeyed off last Thursday and ordered my usual 2 lots of pancakes. I was battling between cookies and cream and the pineapple coconut flavours but the owner would most definitely not help you choose which flavour to get when you ask her which one she recommends. It’s like asking her which child her favourite is. I ended up getting the cookies and cream which was great specially when you get a bite of big chucks of Oreos. Then top that with vanilla ice cream and it was just perfect.

Pancake Pantry: cookies and cream pancakes

My boss dropped by my desk and saw my humungous pancakes and almost drooled. She asked for the directions to the Pantry and I happily gave her the directions. I wouldn’t want to deprive people of a delicious pancake fix.

I decided to have my Korean pancakes for dinner. They were already cold come dinner time and I had no means of heating them up but they were still mighty tasty. Who knew that simple ingredients like tomatoes, spring onions and cheese would make such good pancakes? Rob was right – the Japanese mayo just brought this pancake to another level. This was definitely better than the bruschetta flavoured one.

Pancake Pantry: R.C. korean pancakes

4 flavours down. And more than 10 to go.

 

A word of caution: Pancake Pantry is only open from Thursdays to Sundays.

My rating: 8.5/10

Pancake Pantry on Urbanspoon

www.facebook.com/PancakePantry

Took Bae Kee @ CBD

Posted in Korean, Perth by

You know that little Korean restaurant along Pier Street that you can never get into? Well, after months of “trying to get there early” to get a table, I finally got the chance to sample their wonderful dishes. In fact, I’ve been to the Took Bae Kee Pier Street restaurant twice now and once to the newly opened Took Bae Kee 2 restaurant in Barrack Street.

The restaurant in Pier Street is a tiny little shack, hence why you have to be there early to get a table. There are always people waiting outside – even when it’s chilly – and if you happen to be one of them you can’t help but stare at the people eating inside, hoping it would induce them to eat faster. I usually come with a big group and this is clearly not the way to go. Unless they join all the tables together, Took Bae Kee Pier Street can only accommodate groups of 4 people max or less so better head to the Barrack Street one if you want space.

Took Bae Kee 2: Barract Street restaurant interior

Took Bae Kee offers us, Perthians, wonderful Korean dishes that closely mirrored what I had sampled in South Korea a few years ago. The only difference is that meals in South Korea are served with WAY more side dishes. Took Bae Kee gives you a selection of 4 side dishes which changes from time to time and which includes kimchi, bean sprouts, soy beans, nori strips, sweet pork cubes and more.

Took Bae Kee: side dishes

I went with L once to the Pier Street restaurant and had beef bulgogi served in a claypot that keeps your food warm and sizzling. The dish was simple and good.

Took Bae Kee: beef bulgogi

L had the spicy pork, served with rice, which she said was very good.

Took Bae Kee: spicy pork

And because it was a cold night, we decided to share a hot and spicy soup to keep us warm. We had the tofu soup and it was, indeed, very hot and spicy.

Took Bae Kee: spicy tofu soup

Then the next time I came here with Auntie C I had the same dish again just because it was delicious while she had something light – Jap Chae, which is a dish of sweet potato noodles stir fried with vegetables. This dish was very tasty but quite salty. It wasn’t as good as the ones I had in South Korea.

Took Bae Kee: Jap Chae with vegetables

At the Barrack Street restaurant, I had the sliced beef soup with noodles. The soup was a touch bland but they give you salt and pepper on the side so you can season it yourself.

Took Bae Kee 2: sliced beef soup with noodles

I haven’t been to many Korean restaurants in Perth but Took Bae Kee is surely one that I will always go back to.

My rating: 7.5/10

Took Bae Kee (Pier Street)
Took Begi Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Took Bae Kee (Barrack Street)
Took Bae Kee II on Urbanspoon

Good Fortune Duck House @ Northbridge

Posted in Chinese/Asian, Perth by

My old boss has this habit of explaining ideas through metaphors. We have endured long talks about 3-dollar Coke cans and that “little shop at the corner of the street” serving ham and tomato sandwiches. Then, one day, the Coke hype suddenly died down and he started talking about ducks. One place he kept referring to was “Good Fortune Roast Duck” (which I later found out was really Good Fortune Duck House). I can only assume that he loves this place since he has mentioned it in our morning “meetings” for a good 1 month – something about roast duck and peking duck and minced duck meat. I spaced out after 2 minutes of him talking about roast duck daydreaming about having roast duck for lunch.

I finally found a good reason to head to Good Fortune Duck House to get some duck action. My family and I were celebrating the fact that I am a finally a resident of Australia. Yay! We use the most random happenings as reasons to eat out a lot. It was a Friday and I called to make reservations for 8 people. The restaurant is not big at all and they only had 2 big tables to accommodate big groups so it was important that everyone in the group arrived on time. Otherwise, they won’t let you take the table. It was a busy night in Northbridge so parking was a nightmare. I walked from the city so I arrived first. The rest of the group took half an hour to find a parking spot and the waitresses were ready to shoo me out of the restaurant. They kept asking me every 2 minutes when the rest of the party will arrive and all I could say was “soon”. Though I do understand why they wanted to kick me out (there were quite a number of people waiting for a table outside), the waitresses could have told me or explained to me nicely that there were other patrons waiting outside instead of giving me that cold look. Well, good and friendly service is not exactly what you’ll find in most Asian restaurants.

By the time my family arrived, food was served because I ordered beforehand. But even on a busy night, food came out in about 10 minutes upon ordering. We had the roast meat combination consisting of bbq pork and roast duck. Honestly, the roast duck was not as good as I expected it to be. Given that they specialise in roast duck it was rather disappointing. The pieces they gave us were not very meaty but at least the duck was not very fatty. Truth be told, I have had better roast duck elsewhere.

Good Fortune Duck House: bbq pork and roast duck

I don’t usually order fried rice when eating out but we had a fussy eater with us so I did end up ordering the special fried rice. The fried rice was so-so, definitely nothing special about it.

Good Fortune Duck House: special fried rice

The rest of the dishes we had were quite tasty. The seafood were cooked just right – not overcooked and not chewy – which was great. We had salt and pepper squid, prawns with snowpeas and toothfish with soy sauce. The squid and the fish were definitely our favourites.

top to bottom: salt and pepper squid, prawns with snow peas, toothfish with soy sauce

 

 

 

Then to complete the meal, we had kangkong with garlic and sizzling Japanese tofu with seafood sauce.

Good Fortune Duck House: kangkong with garlic

Good Fortune Duck House: sizzling Japanese tofu

When you step inside Good Fortune Duck House, it really does take you back to China, or, at least, those typical Chinese restaurants in Asia where chairs are very oriental (and by that I meant chairs that I saw in China at my grandparents’ old house) and some menu items plastered all over the walls. The place is a bit murky too – dim lighting and it had that “sticky” feel inside where months of grease seemed to have infused the place.

Good Fortune Duck House: interior

But I hope this has changed. I was passing by one day and saw them taking all the furniture out on the street. Perhaps they were doing a general cleaning? One can only hope. Despite the shabby ambiance, there is good reason though why people are willing to line up to sample some of Good Fortune Duck House’s dishes. They are tasty, affordable and generous in portions. You do get that bang for your buck.

My rating: 7/10

Good Fortune Duck House on Urbanspoon

www.goodfortuneduckhouse.com.au/index.html

Brownhaus @ Subiaco

Posted in Coffee & Desserts, Perth by

It’s our weekly fruit and veg run at Station Street Markets and it was unbelievably busy down that area because a footy match just ended. Roads closed, cars stuck in traffic and people here and there. It was a nightmare finding parking so my auntie and I parked at the first spot we found along Rokeby Road, not too far from the markets but seemed like a mile away when you’re carrying 2 heavy boxes of fruits and veg.

It just so happened that we parked outside Brownhaus and, Auntie C and I decided to have something little to eat on our way back. Brownhaus is a coffee and dessert bar serving freshly made waffles, cakes, macarons, Swiss chocolates, coffee, chocolate drinks, mocktails and cocktails (based on what I gathered from the menu). It shouldn’t be hard to miss when you walk along Rokeby Road, near the corner of Hay Street.

Brownhaus: view from the street

I had a little chat with the owner and based on what he told me Brownhaus has been in Subiaco for about 2.5 years now. He, the owner, studied in Switzerland hence the Swiss/European theme of the cafe adorned with bright yellow lights. All chocolates are Swiss and the cakes they have are made in Perth by their French suppliers. I was very hungry so everything looked really appetising. Auntie C and I originally thought of sharing something sweet so as not to spoil our appetites for dinner but she wanted to get the Belgian waffles to see if they are better than Gelare’s while I wanted something savoury. We couldn’t agree on which one to get so we got both!

We had a Doubtfire Belgian waffles that came with bananas, pineapple, desiccated coconut, cream, ice cream, chocolate syrup and maple syrup. We chose not to have the ice cream and this is how it looked like -

Brownhaus: doubtfire Belgian waffles

The waffle was definitely not as crunchy as Gelare’s and this one here actually has substance, i.e. dense and very filling. Even without any toppings the waffle itself was quite tasty – milky and eggy – and not overly dry. It wasn’t overloaded with syrup so the sweetness was just right. I was a little hesitant about the pineapple on top of the waffle but it was quite a nice surprise. All the waffles are $9.

For my savoury stuff, I had a spicy Cajun chicken wrap. The staff told me it was not overly spicy and that “it has a nice taste to it” so I went ahead and ordered that instead of a chicken and cheese wrap. I had it toasted so it was steaming hot when it was served. The wrap was simple – a little bit of lettuce, shreds of carrots and a generous amount of Cajun chicken with a tangy dressing, for $7.50. Maybe I was hungry but this is one good wrap, though it was a little spicier than I expected it to be. The chicken was very tasty and the dressing complemented it well.

Brownhaus: spicy Cajun chicken wrap

For drinks, Brownhaus’ specialty is their Belgian hot chocolate and Dutch coffee. Auntie C had the Belgian hot chocolate and you can choose to have a textured one or a layered one. The staff told us the layered one (called a wallbanger) had more cocoa and that it has layers – as the name suggests – 1 layer for cocoa, 1 layer for milk, 1 layer for froth. Dark chocolate is used for this drink but it was quite sweet for a dark chocolate. Nonetheless, it was very rich and it had a nutty taste to it. Auntie C said that the more you drink it the more you come to like it. The nutty taste might have something to do with it, she reckons. I had a sip and I wouldn’t mind ordering that again.

Brownhouse: Belgian hot chocolate wallbanger

I had the Dutch coffee latte and I did not taste anything special about it. Tasted like regular coffee to me. This cup here was moderately acidic. Good enough but not the best. The nutty French biscuit it came with was pretty good though.

Brownhaus: Dutch coffee

So before finally heading out the door, I bought some macarons to take away – coconut & passionfruit and fig & apricot flavoured ones. It is a little pricey for its size, $2.80 each but a little bit cheaper if you get more than one. These ones here were very delicately fragile. More fragile than the other macarons I’ve had elsewhere and they crumble really easily. The fig & apricot one tasted like dates. The coconut & passionfruit is, by far, the best flavoured macaron I have had. It is uniquely refreshing and the coconut was not overpowering. They could do with a firmer shell but other than that they were good.

Brownhaus: macarons

Service was relatively okay. Our coffees came out slow even though there weren’t many patrons at that time. The wrap took a good 15 minutes to come out too but I’m trying to convince myself that this was made from scratch that’s why it took that long to come out. Somewhere I’ve worked before, wraps were pre-wrapped so they shouldn’t take long at all to be toasted and served. The waffle was freshly made so that took quite some time to come out too. On a regular day I really wouldn’t mind waiting for my food but I was very hungry so I was really conscious of time, counting down the seconds til I can get something to sink my teeth into.

Brownhaus is a good place to go to when you are craving for something sweet. Certainly did give me a good first impression so I would come back and try the smoothies and other chocolate concoctions that they have on offer.

My rating: 6.5/10

Brownhaus on Urbanspoon

Recipe: noodles with fish flakes and mushroom

Posted in Perth, Recipes by

From my kitchen: noodles with fish flakes and mushrooms

Remember how I bought a large container of fresh noodles from Big Bowl Noodles? Well, here is one of the ways I’ve cooked the noodles. Pasta noodles would work perfectly with this dish too.

Ingredients

noodles that serves 2-3 people

1 fish fillet

olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup white wine

1 – 1 1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup cream or half a block of Philly cream cheese

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper

Method

1. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions, drain and set aside.

2. In a large pan, panfry the fish fillet until crisp then, using a fork, flake it.

3. In a same pan, heat the oil and sautee garlic and mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Then add in the flaked fish.

4. Add in white wine, chicken stock, cream (or cream cheese) and lemon juice. Stir until well incorporated. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

5. Add in the drained noodles and mix until all of the noodles are covered with sauce. Let the noodles soak up the sauce. Note that the this recipe is meant for dry-type noodles with only a hint of sauce on the plate.

6. Serve hot and enjoy.

Pronto @ Claremont

Posted in Italian, Perth by

Having bought clothes sizes too big online has found me hanging about in Claremont trying to exchange my items for the correct sizes. After roaming around Claremont Quarter I ended up exchanging my coat and shoes AND buying 2 more to tops on my way out (which was clearly not in the agenda for today). I also ended up with a massive craving for pasta. In fact, I have had this crazy craving for pasta for a few weeks now and you can’t imagine the satisfaction I felt when I stepped into Pronto, along Bay View Terrace just across Claremont Quarter. From the outside it looked like a restaurant of small capacity but it actually is quite big inside. Modern looking with framed photographs for sale by a man named Paul (based on my assumption only because it says to contact Paul if you want to buy the photographs), Pronto has an unusual mix of having a homey yet modern feel to it. It is like an upscale casual dining Italian restaurant.

Pronto: interior

The waitstaff, when I came here, was a group of middle aged Italian men. I was given a lunch menu consisting of entrees, salads, pastas and pizzas. The menu was not overly complicated consisting of dishes that you would find in most Italian restaurants. I ordered the Spaghetti alla Nolana that was supposed to have mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and chilli. Then the waiter asked if I wanted any drinks so I said “just a glass of hot water, please” because I had a cold. And he said, playfully, “with lemon”? Oh yes please! A thumbs up from me for paying attention. A glass of boiling hot lemon water was just what I needed.

Service was fast too. My pasta was served in less than 10 minute waiting time. But when the plate came it was spaghetti swimming in a sea of tomato sauce. It was obviously not what I had ordered and I fished around for my mushrooms just to check if I read the menu incorrectly or they actually stuffed up my order. No mushrooms nor sundried tomatoes were found but I am not the type of customer who would actually send food back to the kitchen unless it is really inedible. I am a believer of blessings in disguise so I happily ate my Spaghetti Napolitana – spaghetti with tomato sauce topped with parmesan cheese and a few leaves of basil.

Pronto: Spaghetti Napolitana

Getting an order wrong on a not-too-busy lunch is in any way a big turn off for me. But I’m happy to let this one go because it was indeed a blessing in disguise. The spaghetti was cooked al dente and the tomato sauce was very rich but not too acidic with just the right amount of cheese to give it that kick. There is only 1 other Italian restaurant (that I have been to so far) that cooks tomato-based sauces just the way I like them (as described above) but that restaurant, called Green Tomato, happens to be in the Philippines. On a side note, not even Ciao Italia, one of my favourite Italian restaurants in Perth, can whip up this kind of tomato-based sauce. Their’s is too acidic. Anyways, Perth-wise, Pronto is at par with Green Tomato, if not, even better because the tomatoes tasted fresher. It has been quite a while since I last had a Green Tomato pasta so upon taking that first taste of Pronto’s Spaghetti Napolitana I was taken back home, even for just a good 20 minutes that it took me to finish my plate of pasta. I was happy that there was plenty of sauce because I savoured every spoonful of it long after I chowed down the pasta.

The downside? Price and serving size. It costs $20 for such a small plate of pasta. Upon seeing that $20 on the menu I was expecting a big bowl/plate of pasta that would really fill me up until I have no more room for dessert. Sadly that wasn’t the case. I was left wanting for something more. I asked the waitstaff if they had tiramisu but he said that they did not make it today (but that they usually had it). In my opinion, tiramisus are a staple in Italian restaurants so they should be available all trading days. If it was sold out for the day I would understand but not making it is unacceptable. The other cakes in the fridge did not look appetising enough so I just asked for the bill. They wanted to charge me $25 for what was originally the Spaghetti alla Nolana order but I told them they gave me the wrong dish. The waitstaff showed me what he wrote in the order ticket and it proved that the kitchen got it wrong. He did apologise profusely about the mistake and asked if I did enjoy my meal anyway and I said yes.

The pricing and the size definitely makes me hesitant to come back to Pronto because I can get just as good a pasta elsewhere for 3/4 of the price or the same price for a much bigger serving enough to share between 2 people. Well if I get that Green Tomato nostalgia again I know now where to go (and that would probably be the only reason why I would come back).

My rating: 6.75/10

Pronto on Urbanspoon

Jean Pierre Sancho @ CBD

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee & Desserts, French, Perth by

I have an inexplicable relationship with anything French. Perhaps it has something to do with me taking up French history some odd years ago that France, or anything French really, has left such an impression in my life. Naturally, every time I step into Jean Pierre Sancho Boulangerie et Patisserie on Hay Street and walk up its glass stairs I am reminded of my said relationship with the French, and also those chic little cafes that you see in movies.

Jean Pierre Sancho: cafe interior in a glass enclosure

It is a very spacious cafe with a few tables on the sidewalk too. When you step in you can hear quaint French music playing in the background. The cafe does need a little more ventilation though or turn up air conditioning. If you wear long sleeves clothing you will no doubt start sweating within the next 5 minutes, even in winter. Stuffiness aside, head over to the counter and you will be greeted by none other than the French speaking staff. I have yet to encounter a staff there who doesn’t speak the language. They are friendly, and most importantly, patient enough to allow me to practice my French with them and correct me if I use the wrong gendered articles.

Owned by 3 partners, one of whom is my friend’s brother, all the products they sell are handmade in store every day. There is a wide variety of savoury and sweet goods to choose from and don’t forget the breads as well. Over the past year that I have been coming here, prices have also gone up with inflation but, given the size, quality and consistency of the products, I am inclined to overlook this.

The croissants and chocolate croissants here are one of the bests I’ve had in Perth. Croissants that taste like what they should taste like (that’s to say not factory made) – very buttery and rich. Other pastries that I have come to love include -

The lemon tart, tangy just the way I like it but it has the tiniest hint of egginess which is a little turn off for me but that which doesn’t stop me from eating it.

The chocolate mousse, very smooth and very rich chocolate mousse. Not much to complain about that one.

And the blueberry and almond tart. This is by far my favourite. Sweet blueberries sandwiched between 2 almond based cakes, now what could possibly go wrong with that? It was a great afternoon treat after a long day of walking. The tart was pretty big for me to eat in 1 sitting. So I asked one of the staff if I could have it sliced in half and have the other half to take away. She gladly did this for me. People who stereotypically think of the French as a stuck up bunch should really come over to Jean Pierre to experience for themselves just how friendly they can be.

Jean Pierre Sancho: half of a blueberry and almond tart with coffee

Then you wash down all the sweets with a cup of organic fair trade coffee. Coffee is not the best there is but has improved significantly over the past year. They serve it with a bite-sized, buttery and nutty biscuit on the side too.

Jean Pierre Sancho has been in the Perth cafe scene for over a year now and they have already expanded by opening a smaller shop in St. Georges Terrace catering for the busy corporate people. If that’s not enough for you, they do catering as well as deliveries in the CBD area using a characteristically French delivery bike.

Jean Pierre Sancho: delivery tricycle*

My rating: 8/10

Jean Pierre Sancho on Urbanspoon

www.jpsancho.com.au

*photo from http://www.jpsancho.com.au/cmspages.php?pageid=7