Tag Archives: Fremantle

May’12 in a nutshell

Posted in Photography by

Wow, 5 months have gone past just like that. There wasn’t anything remarkable for me at the start this month except for the fact that I have finished my 1st round of 5 exams.

But before the month ends I have managed to squeeze in some memorable experiences:

Yes, S Club 3. There’s just 3 of them now and it doesn’t have the same ring as S Club 7 so we’ll just leave it at S CLUB. Period. I can’t say that it was a terrific performance. The other act, Big Brovaz, was way better but S Club was a band that I grew up with. And mind you before Big Brovaz and S Club came out the club was playing hits from the 90s from the Backstreet Boys to Spice Girls to Aqua…took me right back to my tween years and I felt no shame belting out to Barbie Girl.

Two days later I went to catch the AFL (Australian Football League) live. It was my first time watching the game live and it sure was an awesome experience. I’m from the West Coast and both teams were West Coast teams playing against each other so that made the match extra special. Needless to say my team won! Hurrah!

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The Red Herring @ Fremantle

Posted in Food, Modern Australian by

Just among the many Christmas dinners and functions that are laid before me in 2011, my company booked 2 tables at The Red Herring in Fremantle. Located along Riverside Drive, there is no question that the view was spectacular. Summer has began so by the time we were all settled comfortably in our seats at 7pm we were able to catch the sunset with hues of orange and purple set against the river and yachts.

I have heard good reviews from friends about The Red Herring so I was delighted when the company sent out the invites with this venue. Finally, I get to see what the fuss was about. But it quickly turned out to be a much ado about nothing. We had the December set menu and, frankly, I was not all that impressed. For such a much talked about fine dining restaurant I expected something different. Something more exciting.

For starters, among the choices were:

  • Snapper and spring onion fishcake, Thai noodle salad

The fishcakes tasted fresh and are lightly seasoned. The outside was fried to perfection and I thought that snapper was a good choice for the cakes. The Thai noodle salad, however, is neither Thai nor a salad. It was more like 5 strands of noodles lumped together to create a salad illusion. I not sure what we were supposed to be tasting here.

  • Warm pork belly salad, bacon, egg and brie

Again, what was the flavour combination supposed to taste like? The combination of pork, brie and egg did not make sense to me as there was not any harmony with the flavours. Worse, the star of the dish, the pork belly, just did not make the cut for what a good pork belly should be. In my opinion, pork belly should only be cooked in either 2 ways: stewed or crispy skinned. Nothing in between. What was wrong with this pork belly was that it did not taste fresh and the skin was chewy. It’s as though the pork wasn’t given enough attention.

For mains, some of dishes included:

  • Crispy skinned salmon, seeded mustard mash, asparagus, lemon beurre blanc

The salmon was perfect. Crispy skin, as it says on the menu, flesh cooked just right leaving it moist and juicy. The mashed potatoes were cold; not sure how long it has been sitting out before they plated up the whole dish. And it looked like someone went overboard with the mustard seeds seeing as the mustard way overpowered the potatoes. Well the beurre blanc looked more like a curd but the zesty lemon taste gave a nice tang to the fish.

  • Grilled sirloin of beef, sweet potato, pancetta, field mushroom

Nothing special about this dish, really. It’s a lump of steak that anyone can cook at home. I asked for medium and got a well done one instead. The sweet potatoes are not my choice of carbohydrates with beef. Best thing about this dish was the field mushroom and that’s only because I love mushrooms.

The menu said that all mains are served with a side of salad. Where was my salad?? Oh wait, there it was in the middle of the table. The bowl of salad was placed in the middle of the table and they expected us to share it. The ratio was 1 bowl to 4 people.

For desserts, we had a choice of:

  • Pavlova, lemon curd, rosewater ice cream, berry compote

This wasn’t my order personally. Based on what my colleagues have told me it’s a mixed review. One says it absolutely delicious, well, because she loves anything pavlova and thinks that the lemon curd made it all the more special while my other colleague thought it was so-so. The dessert was sweet, sour and bitter all at the same time, she said. Meringue was sweet. Lemon curd was sour. Berry compote was bitter. Go figure.

  • Plum pudding, nutmeg ice cream, brandy sauce

When it comes to “fruitcake”, it’s either you love it or you hate it. In my case, I hate it. I was kind of hoping that this would taste something like sticky date pudding but obviously it did not because it is a plum pudding. Putting aside the fact that I do not like fruitcake, which this plum pudding tasted like, one of my other issues with this dessert is that it tasted like it came straight out of the box.

My boss on the, other hand, told me just minutes ago that it was “simply beautiful”.

To me it was sort of a disastrous fine dining restaurant. The seafood was great; I’d give that to them. But just because a restaurant specialises in seafood it does not mean that they can overlook the way other foods are prepared and served hoping that good oysters can make up for a bad steak.

To make it worse than it already was service was not good either. My colleague asked for another basket of bread twice. And twice it never came. We assumed they forgot about it the first time. And the scond time she followed up we were told that it was placed at the other end of the table. Wouldn’t one put the basket in front of the patron who asked for it? On a another note, I asked for a little bit of white wine, about 1/8th of the glass, just to have a taste, while physically showing the waitress how much I intend to drink and still I ended up with half a glass full and it wasn’t even my choice of wine (hence the tasting first).

The evening was only saved by a good company. And the fact that it was a Christmas dinner.

My rating: 5/10
The Red Herring on Urbanspoon

Red Spoon @ Fremantle

Posted in Coffee & Desserts by

My sort of guilt-free dessert in Fremantle. The aren’t a lot of frozen yoghurt shops in Perth so having one right in the heart of Freo is such a good thing for me because, well, I hang out a lot in Fremantle eating churros and Cold Rock ice cream. Frozen yoghurt is my break from all those guilt-full desserts. For $5 I can get a filling and satisfying dessert.

Every time I come here it’s always a good experience (so far so good). The staff will happily give you a tasting spoon and the size of it is huge! Concept is simple – choose your cup size, then your yoghurt flavour, then your toppings. So far my new favourite is chocolate. The natural flavour is good too but after having the chocolate one I now find the natural one a bit too sour. The lemon flavour is too sour and I don’t think I can handle more than 1 spoonful of that.

If there’s 1 thing I can fault about this place is that their counter is too high. I belong to the shorter lot so I can hardly hear what the staff are saying and vice versa. I only know of 3 frozen yoghurt shops in Perth and this is the best one yet.

My rating: 8/10
Red Spoon on Urbanspoon

www.redspoon.net.au

Chocolateria San Churro @ Fremantle

Posted in Coffee & Desserts, Spanish by

Chocolateria San Churro: truffles

Long before Koko Black opened its first chocolate salon in Perth there was Chocolateria San Churro, a chocolate shop selling everything chocolate. Well if you ask me, I guess the differences between the 2 chocolate shops are that Chocolateria San Churro has a Spanish influence while Koko Black specialises in Belgian chocolates and Chocolateria San Churro’s concoctions are definitely not as heavily sugar-loaded as Koko Black’s.

My first encounter with San Churro dates back to 2008 when I went over to Melbourne and my friend took K and me to a churros shop known as Chocolateria San Churro. Since their main attraction were the churros, the 3 of us ordered a plate to share but I was not really impressed at first because I found the churros to be too doughy. It was different from the kind of churros I have grown up with hence the difficulty in adapting to this doughy churros.

The next time I went to San Churro was when they opened in Perth. Even though I was hesitant to try their churros again I ordered a plate regardless because why else would you go to San Churro right? Again, I did not find anything worth raving about with the churros.

But all that changed one winter night. Upon impulsively deciding with Auntie C that we needed desserts after dinner, we headed over to Fremantle for some chocolate fix and Chocolateria San Churro was the only place open at that hour. They were already close to shutting the shop so everything was served take away. We had, yet again, an order of the churros dusted with icing sugar and served with dark chocolate dip. Let me tell you – it was sublime. The churros we had that night was definitely better than the ones I’ve had the previous times. Freshly fried dough that was perfectly crunchy and not doughy at all. The dark chocolate dip made it even better.

Chocolateria San Churro: churros for 1

I am glad that even days after this one fateful night the churros have been consistently good.

For something different, we also had the Black Forest Trifle to share. This one here is even better. Chocolate cake with cherries swimming in cream topped with more cream and chocolate shavings – that, to me, is heaven in a plastic cup (this is served in a glass if not for take-away). I was drawn to it by this poster below, as part of their new winter menu, thinking it’s a small serving. But do not be fooled by the photo. This is one huge dessert! The best part about it is that it’s not too sweet. If only I don’t care about my health whatsoever I would’ve eaten this whole thing by myself.

Chocolateria San Churro: black forest trifle*

Alas, tonight, my family went there again and, after having a few disappointing drinks in the past such as their chocolate frappe and the coffee with condensed milk, I decided to try the famous Classic Spanish hot chocolate with coffee, called Madrid Mocha. A rich and thick hot chocolate drink with a hint of coffee. Mmmm mmmm. Very rich and thick indeed and paired up with other chocolate desserts I think I’m all set for my chocolate fix for the whole year!

Chocolateria San Churro: Madrid Mocha

In addition to the usual churros, we tried something new again called Strawberry Bizcocho which consists of chocolate cake and strawberries with vanilla custard and topped with crushed peanuts. This was good too except for the fact that the cake was one big piece of lump that was too hard to break apart. It is similar to the Black Forest Trifle (the trifle had the chocolate cake already cut into cubes) but I personally prefer the Black Forest Trifle, only because I like cream better than custard. Auntie C loved this.

Chocolateria San Churro: strawberry bizcocho

If you do not like something as heavy as cream or custard, why not try the Mocha and Pear Pudin. This one here is similar to the above desserts although it has less than a shot of coffee waiting for you at the bottom, hence why it’s called mocha, which you wont see until you’ve cleared up most of the big chunks of chocolate cake and the surrounding cinnamon pear slices that are topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. This is definitely a lighter and more refreshing option.

Chocolateria San Churro: mocha and pear pudin

I’m beginning to enjoy this chocolate shop more and more. All their shops have the same decor giving you a homey European feel to it with yellow lighting and wooden furnitures. They are also spacious enough to accommodate big groups. Whilst waiting for your desserts to be served, you can browse through their chocolate (and non chocolate) merchandise ranging from hot chocolate cups to fondue sets to truffles to coffee beans.

Chocolateria San Churro: merchandise

Or you can just simply watch the staff fry those churros to perfection.

Chocolateria San Churro: churros area

Stores are also located in Subiaco (Rokeby Road), Leederville (Oxford Street) and Hillarys.

My rating: 8.5/10

Chocolateria San Churro on Urbanspoon

www.sanchurro.com

*photo from: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150619868455713

The Attic @ Fremantle

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

Walking into The Attic, I may have perhaps just stepped into the bar/restaurant/cafe in Diagon Alley where Hagrid took Harry in the 1st instalment of the J.K Rowling franchise. The Attic is a little cafe tucked in a little street just off South Terrace in Fremantle where it is hardly noticeable.

The Attic: exterior

There are 2 tables outside the cafe and when you walk in all you can see is the counter, a display fridge of sandwiches and an array of muffins. I overheard a lady ask “where do we sit?”, given the noticeable absence of chairs and tables inside. Look to your left and you will see a staircase. The dining area is located upstairs in what looks like, well, an attic! Antique luggages and eerie yellow light bulbs hung from the ceiling. There are couches for comfortable seating as well as a long dining table for communal seating. If you prefer to be left alone while enjoying your cuppa like me there is also a diner style counter where you can take a peek at the barista at work downstairs.

The Attic: dining area

The Attic: the long communal dining table

I was in Freo today to have my photo taken for a US visa and I must have arrived a tad too early as the camera shop was still closed. So I headed to The Attic for a quick breakfast. I have to go to work in less than 2 hour so I was looking for something simple. The breakfast menu is not your typical breakfast menu. No big breakfast here nor was there any eggs benedict and the like. The menu comes across as rustic to me. There’s the arabian style bircher muesli, iranian zucchini and mint frittata, homemade spanakopita and so on. I ended up ordering the avocado, lime, bulgarian white cheese on toast and a skinny latte to go with it.

The Attic: avocado, lime, bulgarian white cheese on toast

The Attic: skinny latte

It was indeed a very simple and hearty breakfast. This is completely different to the usual big and filling breakfasts that I always eat. It’s basically 2 slices of toast topped with lots of avocado slices, crumbles of the bulgarian white cheese and a simple rocket salad and you squeeze the lime over the whole thing. Strange as it may sound but it is actually a very good combination and I loved every bite of it! The avocado made it filling but I wouldn’t say that was very filling. It was just enough to make me not hungry. The coffee was smaller in size compared to other cafes’ serving size making it a stronger coffee for me which is good! Enough caffeine to get me through the day.

I polished up my breakfast and read a few chapters of my book before heading out. The only problem with the attic (dining area) is that it is not very well lit. Well I suppose it is keeping in tune with the ambiance but I find that the lighting is not very conducive for reading. Maybe sitting outside would be better.

Next time I drop by The Attic I would definitely try their homemade zucchini and cranberry bread. Sounds interesting!

My rating: 7.5/10

The Attic Fremantle on Urbanspoon

www.theatticfremantle.com.au

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

Ecco on Urbanspoon

The Mill Bakehouse Cafe @ Fremantle

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

A frequent breakfast spot for me and my family simply because they serve awesome food for an affordable price.

The Mill Bakehouse is located on Norfolk Street in Fremantle at walking distance to the Italian Club and the fish and chips shacks. The indoor dining area is spacious enough for more than 30 people with enough room to move and the alfresco dining area gives you a cooler breeze on bright sunny day. Pets are allowed outside and they are such a joy to watch playing with little kids who just happens to sit at the table next to them.

The cafe serves a traditional breakfast menu: big breakfast, eggs on toast, eggs hollandaise, vegetarian big breakfast, pancakes, french toast, muesli and the like. They also serve omelettes with a variety of fillings. Be sure to check out the specials menu as these specials change week to week. The last time I was here I asked the waiter what time they serve lunch because I was in the mood for an extremely heavy breakfast. His reply was simple: since 6:30am this morning. Wow, you can have absolutely anything in their menu starting 6:30am and that is definitely a big bonus for me as I like to eat the most random meals at the most random times. So for breakfast on this particular Sunday, I had the “Moroccan chicken salad with couscous and sultanas” which was definitely not a bad choice. The chicken was tender, salad fresh and couscous cooked just the way couscous should be cooked — not too dry and with enough moisture to keep it soft. Believe me I have had couscous before that makes you want to choke. And to top the dish off the sultanas gave the salad just that hint of sweetness. The only problem I had was that the serving was not big enough for my appetite.

Mill Bakehouse: Moroccan chicken salad with couscous and sultanas

Coffee here is good too. It does not have a strong bitter after taste that I hate. But the one drink that I always get here is the freshly squeezed (or should I say freshly juiced) fruit juice consisting of orange, apple and carrot. A very healthy and refreshing drink indeed for those days when you just want to stay under a tree.

I would say that this cafe is a must try if you are looking for food that gives you great value for money. Some dishes are even big enough to share. The only downside to this place is that during busy hours food takes a long time to come out, about half an hour for a simple big breakfast to be served.

My rating: 8/10

Mill Bakehouse on Norfolk on Urbanspoon