Tag Archives: claremont

Duchess (High Tea) @ Claremont

Posted in Food, High Tea by

The second venue for my high tea scouting around Perth – Duchess in Claremont. It’s a restaurant with a bar that serves high tea, or Elegant Tea as they call it, on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

I dropped them an email a few weeks before coming and got an immediate response from one of the staff to confirm my booking. I called them up a second time to amend my booking and the staff on the line was very friendly and helpful. They have already given me a good impression by then.

Being in the precinct of the Claremont Quarter shopping centre, Duchess is very accessible whether by car or by train. Then after the high tea you can easily go for a quick round of shopping.

Me and 3 other people were shown to our table marked with “reserved” when we arrived. The table was set for 3 people but I brought along 1 extra person and there was no fuss about it. The waitress quickly got another set of cutlery and gave us the menus. The most basic package, just tea and nibbles without bubbles, is $30 per person. Quite a reasonable price, I reckon.

So we chose to have the basic package. Tea of choice was English Breakfast and it came in a huge vintage teapot alongside a jar of milk and sugar cubes.

Then came the tier of goodies. Bottom tier were 3 types of sandwiches – smoked salmon, chicken, and cucumber – and quiche. Out of all the sandwiches the smoked salmon was everyone’s favourite. The chicken one hardly had any chicken while the cucumber one could do with more seasoning. The quiche, well can I just say that the quiche I make is better. This one tasted like those store bought frozen ones.

Middle tier was full of mini scones.  Traditional plain ones and cheese and chive ones with thickened cream and jam on the side. We found the scones a bit doughy but taste was ok.

Top tier contained the sweet treats. Mini cupcakes and Jean Pierre Sancho’s macarons. I was not a fan of the cupcakes. They were too dense and the lemon flavoured one was too strong. The macarons, well it’s hard to fault Jean Pierre Sancho macarons. We got the jackfruit (we all agreed it tasted like jackfruit though at one point I was more inclined towards passionfruit but it lacked the tanginess), pistachio, and coffee flavoured ones.

If you ask me this was an ok high tea experience. Food is edible but not spectacular and the serving was generous. For someone who didn’t eat the whole day for this high tea I left feeling very full. Service was slow, sometimes painfully so, but once you get someone to come over your table you have their full attention. Requests were served immediately and all the waitresses who served us were all smiles and chatty but not invasive.

To finish off we were given a serve of strawberries with a hint of Grand Mariner and thickened cream.

The overall venue is not too shabby. It is modern inside with a vintage-y feel but from the way it’s facing the sun, it can get really glaring on late afternoons for most parts of the restaurant. The bride is a sucker for vintage china tea sets so if we do chose this venue for her hen’s night at least we know she’ll love the cups and saucers.

My rating: 6/10
Duchess on Urbanspoon

www.duchessbar.com.au

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Grill’d @ Claremont

Posted in Food, Modern Australian by

I have been having burger brains these past few days and weeks due to some massive burger cravings. As I have professed before, Grill’d is one of the many burger joints in and around Perth that I love. Hey, if Usher (yes, the music artist Usher) has been to one of the Grill’ds then it must be good enough to try, right? There are 4 Grill’ds in Perth at the time of writing – Claremont, Subiaco, Mount Lawley, and Hillary’s – and heaps more over east. But since I frequent the Claremont joint the most this will just be about Grill’d Claremont.

That’s pretty much what you get when you eat at a burger joint: burger and chips (for extra cost), unless you order salad of course. Some would say simplicity is best. This is also applicable to burgers. I almost always get the Simply Grill’d burger with lean beef patty, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, tomato relish and herbed mayo on a wholemeal bun.

It’s really the combination of flavours that make this such an enjoyable burger for me. The beef is lean, juicy and not too thick which oftentimes leaves you feeling way too full. It is always well seasoned too so it is very tasty. The tomato relish and Grill’d's famed herbed mayo work really well together to create one of the tastiest burgers out there. Throw in some pineapple rings, or bacon, or beetroot and they bring the burgers to another level.

Nothing too fancy over here at Grill’d. The look and feel of all their joints are pretty much the same: wooden tables and hanging board menus. It looks and feels minimalistic.

If there’s one thing to improve on it’s the consistency.

Here at the Claremont shop I find that consistency is a problem. Sometimes you get really amazing burgers and sometimes you get mediocre ones. It should all be from the same recipe given that it is a burger chain but some days you don’t get enough relish or some days the buns are not their 100% best.

Consistency is also something to be improved on service-wise. On some days the wait is just unreasonable. Or sometimes you see your burger sitting on the counter waiting to be delivered but out of the 6 or more staff they have no one really cares to deliver it to your table fresh. I’ve been lucky to get some friendly and fast service these past few visits.

My rating: 7/10
Grill'd Claremont Quarter on Urbanspoon

www.grilld.com.au

Crepe Cherie @ Claremont

Posted in Food, French by

Welcome to Paris in Perth. For weeks Auntie C has been bugging me to find a creperie in Perth and I finally managed to find one this fine Saturday morning. A trip to Claremont has found us indulging in this French delicacy and it sure made my day off from work absolutely worth it.

Located amongst the many shops at Bayview Centre, Crepe Cherie is tucked away at one of the corners of the centre, towards the rear away from the busy Stirling Hwy, but is far from forgotten. The ambiance and the setting looks very French and I love how the alfresco area has enough wind and light whilst hidden away from the sun without noisy cars zooming past.

We arrived early in the morning around 8am and the creperie was still quiet. Just another couple was there and I really enjoyed the quiet morning with my cuppa and magazine. Crepe Cherie serves both savoury and sweet crepes, some pastries like eclairs and almond croissants and macaroons. The menu is simple so it was a breeze choosing what to feed my growling tummy. I went over to the counter and was instantly greeted by a friendly bonjour. C’était un vraiment bon jour!

We had both a savoury and sweet crepe that are to be shared, of course. For the savoury one we had the Crepe Julien that had champignons, spinach, potato mash and tomato and onion jam. The crepe was not something I expected at all. It was too thin for my liking and missing the chewiness that I prefer. If there’s one thing good with thinner crepes it’s that it feels lighter in the stomach. The filling, although with potatoes, was not too heavy (also given that Auntie C and I shared one) and very tasty; served pipping hot. The  tomato and onion jam was sweet and tangy that sent my taste buds jumping for joy. It’s either Auntie C had the half where all the mushrooms were or they simply just forgot to put enough mushrooms. I had but one piece of mushroom.

After the savoury it’s off to polish the sweet crepe. We had the Crepe Celine with strawberries, jam, icing sugar dusting with a side of whipped cream. Now this is the chewier crepe that I preferred. Different types of crepes for different kinds of filling and this sweet one here reminded me all over again why I love crepes. Folded into a triangle with sliced strawberries and jam inside, this crepe tasted amazing. The jam may be a bit too sweet for me but I enjoyed every single bite regardless.

The crepes were, again, lighter than the usual ones I have so it doesn’t leave you too full. I washed it down with Crepe Cherie’s own blend of coffee that went really well with the sweet crepe. Very robust and acidic on the first sip but this was just perfect to mellow out the sweetness of the crepe.

Needless to say we have found a little gem in Claremont and we’ll surely be coming back for more French madness. French cafe music in the background makes it très parisien too.

My rating: 7.5/10
Crepe Cherie on Urbanspoon

www.crepecherie.com.au

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

Koko Black @ Claremont

Posted in Coffee & Desserts, Perth by

The Place Somewhere in the middle of very posh shopping centre called Claremont Quarter, the chicest shopping centre I’ve seen and shopped at so far in Perth. For such an upscale cafe or chocolatier or, how Koko Black calls itself, a chocolate salon, Claremont is the perfect venue for it. There’s the whole range of chocolates and chocolate merchandise for sale as soon as you step into the salon. Go towards your left and there are ample seats inside if it’s not very busy but there are seats outside the salon as well should you arrive at around 8:30pm-ish on a Friday or Saturday night.

Koko Black: salon interior

The Occasion/s I’ve been here 4 times since Koko Black opened in Perth in March 2011. Three out of 4 times was to catch up with friends and this is the hippest place to be for coffee (er, I mean chocolate) nowadays. The other time I was here was just to satisfy my craving for good chocolates.

The Good Why the hot chocolate, of course! Why else would you go to Koko Black if not for their hot chocolate – made with couverture chocolate and cream and milk giving it that awesomely rich satisfying drink? I first had this drink in Melbourne and the hot chocolate was sooooo rich it gave me a sore throat. So now I just settle for the light version of it. Still as good but without the full fat cream and full fat milk I suppose? There is an obvious difference in taste between the full fat and the light hot chocolate. If the richness of the chocolate and the cream does not give you a sore throat then go for the full fat version. It is totally worth it…unless of course you plan to have a cup every day.

Koko Black: signature hot chocolate

The salon also serves desserts, as in cakes and tarts and even sandwiches. I haven’t tried all the desserts yet but the ones that I find worth trying are the chocolate moelleux and the chocolate orange mousse dome (although both are too sweet for my liking).

Chocolate moelleux is like a chocolate fondant with gooey molten chocolate coming out when you slice the cake in half. This is served with a raspberry espuma and some ground pistachio. The cake was warm and gooey and the raspberry espuma’s sourness was able to tone down the sweetness of the cake.

Koko Black: chocolate moelleux

The chocolate orange mousse dome is, well, orange flavoured chocolate mousse shaped like a dome served with orange compote topped with cream and  a chocolate gondola of pistachio nibbles. Nothing very special about the mousse but it’s one the salon’s better desserts.

Koko Black: chocolate orange mousse dome

Dont forget the main attraction too: chocolates – in bars, flakes, pieces and other shapes. The 54% dark chocolate bar is to die for! Before they opened in Perth I brought back a bar of 54% dark chocolate from Melbourne and I had to eat it nibble by nibble trying to save the bar until I can go back to Melbourne to replenish my stick. I bought a bar last night in Claremont and I am already halfway through it today! Yum!

The Could Have Been Better Okay, food wise the petit tarts could have been much better. I was having a bonding time with my auntie one day and we decided to get the Trio of Desserts that consisted of your choice of petit tarts. We had the lemon tart, chocolate tart and chocolate opera cake. The crusts of the tarts are quite bland and too moist and not flaky enough. The lemon curd for the lemon tart was very eggy with a little hint of lemon. It’s mostly the egg taste that really bothered me. The chocolate tart was more edible since I’m guessing they use Koko Black chocolate for that. I have had better lemon tarts and chocolate tarts elsewhere. The chocolate opera cake was just plain dry. I’d much rather pay a little more for a satisfying chocolate moelleux.

Koko Black: trio of tarts

Service could have also been much better. This is not like other cafes where you place your order at the counter and take a number. You walk in, choose a seat and someone will attend to you…a long time after you have seated specially when it’s very busy. Perhaps the salon is still young and more training is needed to cope with the hype that the name Koko Black has created. One of the times I was here a young staff member did not even know the products well enough. Asked her what this was and all she could say was “I’m not sure”. Not good enough, in my opinion. And just last night it took forever for a staff to take our orders and it was not even very busy when we arrived. By the time something was being served it was not even what we ordered. They apologised for having a mix up in the kitchen because the computers were somehow now coordinating with each other. To me it looks like they need more floor staff. The kitchen is busy with a lot of staff but, hey, someone needs to be outside looking after the customers too. There was like 2 or 3 staff looking after what could be about 50-60 customers on a busy day.

The verdict Given this is the only place I know in Perth that serves decent hot chocolate or just chocolate for that matter, I would most definitely come back. I have already gone the effort of driving 20 minutes to get to Claremont for a cup of hot chocolate 4 times for the past month so that says a lot already. If only they would open another salon closer to home…

My rating 8.5/10
Koko Black on Urbanspoon

www.kokoblack.com