Lalla Rookh, Perth CBD

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Dianne Bortoletto Travelletto

Would you expect to find good food at a Perth CBD underground bar named after a Kalgoorlie Show Girl? The answer is yes. Let me introduce you to Lalla Rookh, downstairs on St Georges Terrace near the William Street junction.

Walking in, I was immediately impressed with the circular space of the outdoor courtyard complete with vertical gardens framed like expensive artwork. The spacious bar area included a large screen TV but has enough nook and crannies to feel cosy and intimate, and the restaurant has a classy yet welcoming fit. Despite covering 800 square metres, the place didn’t feel big and empty. The different areas flowed from one to the other nicely and on a Friday night, it was busy with city’s after work crowd.

Our party of five was seated in the restaurant, sans booking, without any drama. My chosen aperitif, a Sloely Surely cocktail ($16) with aperol, gin, sparkling wine and soda was not too sweet, not too sour, and didn’t have a strong alcoholic taste. It was smooth, balanced and delicious. Another friend’s margherita had an overly salty taste, and it wasn’t just coming from the salted rim. The wine list has enough options by the glass to suit most palates.

The menu is divided into small share plates, pizzas, pasta, main, and dessert. It promotes two chef’s choice banquets, available for the entire table only at $39 and $49 per person. One of our party has shell fish allergy and is pregnant, so we asked if four could have the chef’s choice for $49 each and the fifth just order a pasta dish. Since we were sitting on a table designed for four, with an extra chair tacked onto the end, we thought our request was reasonable. The kitchen refused and our request declined. With a shrug of the shoulders, we chose a few dishes from the menu to share that ended up costing us $25 per head. Their loss – they could have doubled their money with us had they played nice. Not to worry.

Buffalo mozzarella with mushroom compote

The specials for the night were lard wrapped prawns with aioli, and buffalo mozzarella with mushroom compote. The prawns were cooked perfectly and the aioli complemented them beautifully. The buffalo mozzarella balls were fridge cold and not as soft as others I’ve had. The mushroom compote was deep with mushroom flavour and lusciously smooth, however, none of us felt it was a good accompaniment to the buffalo mozzarella. The mushroom compote would have been lovely with penne pasta.

The baccala al latte with ricotta gnocchi ($16) was a winner. The mix of textures of the soft light dumplings topped with stewed cod fish that was beautifully seasoned was interesting to eat and was our table’s dish of the night.

Ricotta gnocchi with stewed bacala

We also ordered a main pasta dish, pappardelle with wild rabbit, chestnuts and prunes ($25) sounds as interesting as it tasted. The pasta was perfect – silky and al dente. The sauce included small chunks of meat, and sadly, a little bone. The chestnut and prune flavours were blended beautifully but were not pronounced. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Pappardelle with wild rabbit, chestnut and prunes

The service was adequate and polite. I felt a little sorry for the waitress who had to repeat everything she told us because those at the other end of the table couldn’t hear her. The atmosphere is buzzy, if slightly noisy. Perhaps the interior could benefit from soft furnishings to tone down the bouncing noise?

Verdict: A great choice for an after work drink and dinner in the city. Order the ricotta gnocchi with bacala.

FACT FILE

Lalla Rookh Bar and Eating House
Lower Ground Floor, 77 St Georges Terrace, Perth 6000
Tel: 08 9325 7077

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner until late.

About these ads

Gordon Street Garage, West Perth

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Dianne Bortoletto Travelletto

My second attempt to eat at Gordon Street Garage was a success. My first attempt was about six weeks ago for a late breakfast on a Sunday…there was a massive queue out the door and, well, I live in a first-world country and don’t believe in queuing for food.

On a rainy Tuesday night, there was not problem getting a table at the fully licensed ex-mechanics’ garage. The clever fit out pays homage to it’s vehicle roots; old-school bus bench seats with tables for four run down the centre of the main space. The decor is retro-kitsch and that filters down to the gorgeous china, printed with pretty flowers and the camping style enamel water jugs. It’s the little details.

The menu is designed for sharing. Their is a section for nibbles featuring dips, olives and the like, smaller plates, larger plates, and pizzas.

Four of us decided to share everything. Keen to try the Garage Margarita pizza ($23) with burrato cheese (a fresh creamy mozzarella), tomato fondant and torn basil, we ordered this as a starter to share. This pizza was talked up by the perky waitress and backed up by one of my girlfriends who had heard they are good. I am very particular with my pizzas, believing the traditional style of Italian pizzas are best. In my fussy opinion, Gordon Street Garage’s pizza fell short. The base was not crispy, in fact, it was so wet that it was impossible to eat without cutlery. The tomato base sauce also lacked depth and flavour for me. It sounded much better on the menu than it tasted.

Thankfully, the pizza was as bad as it got. The roast chicken with zatar ($32) was cooked beautifully, crispy skin and juicy succulent meat. I loved it.

The lamb with polenta ($33) was also perfectly cooked. The lamb was pink and tender, beautifully seasoned, and the polenta was smooth and slightly cheesy.

The couscous salad ($18) was chosen by my pescetarian girlfriend as our meat-free dish. It’s the first time I’ve had Israeli couscous and I enjoyed it. The dish was well balanced, fresh tasting thanks to the addition of cucumber and herbs, and the little balls of couscous added an interesting and slightly chewy texture to the salad.

To drink, I chose a quart of Wilyabrup shiraz ($13). A quart, how cute. It came in a little glass jug and is the perfect amount for one to have with dinner – it was about two glasses which I thought was good value for the price. This is how house wine is served in Italy and it gets a big thumbs up from me. The wine itself was a typical Margaret River shiraz, robust yet smooth, slight tannin, earthy characteristics, and just a little spicy. Beautiful.

Dessert was our next choice. The big display fridge is the visual menu. I chose the pistachio and white chocolate gateau ($16). What I loved the most was the crunchy biscuit base. It was a generous serve and too much for me to finish. The girls chose the chocolate and sour cherry mouse ($10) and the strawberry and almond cake ($10). They all tasted fantastic and everyone (except me) finished their desserts.

Pistacchio and white chocolate gateaux

The service was good up until the end. We had to literally pounce on a waiter to order dessert, and ask twice for the bill. Besides that, the perky waitress was friendly, and pulled back just at the right time before her chattiness turned into annoying-ness. Good judgement on her part.

Did you know that Gordon Street Garage has a dedicated coffee roaster to make their own special and unique blend? It’s also owned by the same guys that own the fabulous Duende tapas in Leederville.

Verdict: Worth a visit. Good atmosphere and delicious main dishes. Skip the pizza. Choose a less popular time to go so you won’t have to queue.

FACT FILE

Gordon Street Garage
16 Gordon Street, West Perth
Tel: 08 9322 8050

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No bookings. Fully licensed. Get there early for weekend breakfasts or be prepared to queue.

Sayers Sister, Northbridge WA

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Dianne Bortoletto Travelletto

What a delightful find! Walking inside Sayers Sister is a feast for the eyes, while the delectable cakes on display let you know it will be a feast for your stomach also.

I hate to say it (only because I cringe at the term), but it does have a Melbourne feel to it. Beautiful comfy arm chairs in floral fabric at each table, complementary cushions soften the bench seats that run along the painted exposed brick walls, a big central food service and coffee station and delightful wait staff who know a thing or two about fabulous service. It might leave you wondering, ‘are we really in Perth?’

The menu is small, yet adequate. Best of all, if you are a night owl and late riser, breakfast is served until 2.30pm.

We chose the slow roast beef salad with pickled mushrooms and crunchy noodles, and the ciabatta with tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil pesto.

Both dishes were perfectly executed. When it comes to Italian food, I can be a harsh critic, but Sayers Sister got the ciabbatta right. The bread had crunch, the basil pesto was full of basil flavour with just a teeny hint of garlic (good if you have meetings later that day) and I could taste the luscious olive oil.

The beef noodle salad was perfectly balanced with flavour and texture. The addition of pickled enoki mushrooms, coriander and crunchy noodles gave it a definite Asian feel. My gorgeous friend oo-ed and aah-ed with each mouthful. It was fresh and the different textures made it interesting to eat. It felt healthy to eat.

Coffee after lunch was good and smooth. The cakes were delectable also. The nut and maple cake tasted amazing. So syrupy and moist, with chunks of nuts making it slightly chewy. The white chocolate flakes on the top were a nice treat.

The chocolate slice was very rich and heavy with the caramel and bitter dark chocolate flavours. It was too much for my full tummy to handle.

Verdict: Sayers Sister has a wonderful ambience, delicious food and great service.

FACT FILE

Sayers Sister
236 Lake St, Northbridge (Perth)
Tel: 08 9227 7506

No bookings taken. Open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday to Sunday. BYO

Foragers, Pemberton WA

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Dianne Bortoletto Travelletto

Located 6km from Pemberton in Western Australia’s Southern Forest region, the entry into Foragers feels like you are entering somewhere special. Beautiful trees surround the restaurant and flanking the walkway are large raised timber garden beds growing fresh herbs: thyme, basil, parsley, mint, rosemary, and sage, just to name a few.

Foragers’ Head Chef and owner Sophie Zalokar trained in the Barossa Valley under foodie icon Maggie Beer. She shares the same lovely food philosophy as Maggie, from paddock to plate. Her food is fresh, wholesome and delicious. You can learn from Sophie during one of her cooking schools, or simply book in to dine at the restaurant that has regular seasonal dinners ($75pp) and wood-fired dinners ($55pp). Bring your own wine, sit at a long table, and enjoy a relaxing evening.

We booked into a Friday night wood fired dinner. The lovely thing is that you can see the big Italian imported wood oven at work from the restaurant. You can also see the kitchen and the busy staff working hard. The restaurant features long communal tables that feel inviting.

Our dinner started with freshly baked sour dough bread, still warm from the oven. A generous antipasto plate followed that had thin and crispy beetroot slices with feta, baked ricotta, roasted eggplant, marinated olives, roasted cauliflower and cacciatore salami. It was rustic, fresh, and excited our taste buds.

Main course was braised beef cheeks. The beef was amazingly tender – just touching it with a fork, it fell apart. It was so succulent. Zorba absolutely loved it.

Sponge cake cooking in wood fired oven, Foragers

Dessert was a real treat, apple sponge cake cooked in the wood-fired oven. It was light and airy with small chunks of apple at the bottom. It was slightly sweet, yet beautifully balanced when eaten with the cream. I loved it. To follow, Zorba enjoyed a Fiori coffee (skipper), while I sat there wishing we hadn’t finished our bottle of Fraser Gallop Cab Merlot (Margaret River)…

The service was friendly and efficient and the general ambience was relaxed and it felt like you were part of something bigger – a community. A strange ambience for a restaurant I’ll agree, but the communal tables and people chatting to one another is what brought it about.

We sat next to a very friendly couple from Perth, Greg and Cheryl, whom we chatted with all night. It’s a small world – as we learned, there’s only one degree of separation between us. Greg is a motorsport organiser and we know quite a few people in common.

Sophie also heads up the Slow Food Movement in the region and once or twice per year travels to Italy or France for slow food conferences.

You can stay in a chalet at Foragers also. They look lovely. We stayed at the luxurious Silkwood Wines Chalets, about a ten minute drive from Foragers on Chanybearup Road. You can read about it in my previous blog post here.

Foragers
Sophie & Chris Zalokar
1 Roberts Road
(cnr Roberts Rd & Pemberton Northcliffe Road)
Pemberton WA 6260

Tel: +61 (0)8 9776 1580
Email: discover@foragers.com.au

Road trip! Destination Pemberton, WA

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Dianne Bortoletto Travelletto

Australians love a good road trip. What’s not to love? You have freedom to go where you want, when you want. I love that freedom!

Our destination: Pemberton. If you believe google maps, it’s 3 hour 40 minute drive from Perth. My tip, don’t believe google. It took us four and a half hours, because we left Perth during rush hour traffic, and stopped once for a 10-minute break. Also, driving at night, we had to slow it down when visibility wasn’t so good.

Pemberton was an exciting destination for both Zorba and I, mainly because we have not really discovered all Pemberton has to offer. I was impressed with Pemberton when I hosted a short trip last year. Six months later, I’m back but this time it’s a holiday.

What lured us to Pemberton this time instead of the much loved Margaret River was a place to stay I’d been dying to go back to: Silkwood Chalets. I stayed there last year and they are divine. Think luxury spa, leather corner lounge, gas flame fire, a TV that slides up out of the marble topped cabinet, fully equipped kitchen, marri wood floor boards and a huge spa bath. The bed is made up of quality linen including a feather doona and there’s fluffy white robes in the cupboards with matching slippers.

Inside our chalet, Silkwood Wines

There are only four chalets on the Silkwood Wines estate, each named after a wine varietal. We stayed in Chardonnay. The are nicely spread apart, and each chalet overlooks the dam with views of the bush beyond. So quiet and peaceful.

Silkwood Wines Chalets

Pemberton has earned itself a reputation as a foodie hot spot, however, it is still overshadowed by the well known Margaret River region. In and around Pemberton, you’ll find avocados farms, wineries, orchards, marron farms (now we’re talking), and celebrated truffles known as black gold. We bought some apples and avocados from the side of the road and left the money in the honour box.

Fruit shop with honour box

A big bag of each for a total of $5. Zorba and I both commented how crispy, sweet, and juicy the apples were. I haven’t had apples that good in a long, long time. The avocados are a bit hard, so we hope they ripen up in a few days.

Did you know that more grapes are grown in the cool-climate of Pemberton than in Margaret River? That’s what the brochure said. Silkwood gave us a complementary bottle of pinot noir from their estate, and I have to say, the cool-climate obviously works wonders for this varietal. After it breathed, the pinot noir opened up to a smooth, rounded, light red wine.

The town of “Pemby” has a population of under 1000 and it is very cute. It’s an old wood-mill town and along the main road, you’ll see a handful single storey wooden houses. There’s a bakery, a couple of cafés, a lawn bowls club, gift shops, a pub, a butcher, IGA supermarket, a couple of clothes shops, newsagent, and not a whole lot more.

Driving from place to place, we were awed by the beauty of the green rolling hills, some lined with vines, others used for cattle or sheep, and the majestic tall timber karri forests. Every road we turn down, Zorba and I looked at each other and said, “Wow, it’s so pretty!” It reminded Zorba of Sicily. The landscape reminds me more of Tuscany. It’s so nice to see hills – which might sound weird, but when you live in a city as flat as Perth, hills can be somewhat of a novelty.

You can always hire a car if you don’t have one, or get a car loan to buy your own. Once you have wheels, you can say hello to independence! I don’t know how anyone in WA copes without a car.

There are plenty of places to eat. One of my favourites is Foragers, a cooking school, a place to stay, and a great restaurant. Chef Sophie Zalokar trained under Australian food icon Maggie Beer in her home town, the Barossa. She has a wonderful food philosophy – cooking and teaching how to serve good wholesome unprocessed dishes, in fact, Sophie heads up Southern Forests’ slow food branch.

Millhouse Cafe is another good choice for breakfast or lunch. The service is slow, but the coffee and the food are good. They even have fresh local marron on their menu. Our late breakfast was almost perfect. Had my poached eggs been soft, they would have oozed the perfect dressing for my charred bread, crispy proscuito, and the sharp-tasting parmesan flakes. Zorba’s poached eggs were soft and runny and he ate up every mouthful of his classic big breakfast. The tables outside under the veranda over looking a park with an old-fashioned shiny steam train parked under the trees sets the scene for the archetypal Australian country-town cafe.

The Pemberton Hotel (“The Pemby”) looks like a nice spot for a pub lunch, but it aint much chop. My smoked trout was ok, the salad nothing more than a garnish, and the chips tasted like they were fried in old grotty oil. Zorba’s home made chicken burger was huge and he hated it every mouthful. He said he felt like throwing up after it. We met another couple later that day who said they have been coming to Pemberton for years and years and have slowly watched the grand old pub’s food diminish. So much so that after their meal there the previous night, they vowed to never, ever eat there again. What a shame. One positive I can say about the pub, the James Squire Pale Ale was cold and slid down my throat beautifully, and the outdoor area in the sun was a lovely spot to sit and relax. Pity about the food.

Gorgeous autumn colours, the approach to Silkwood Wines

Scallops with truffle on leek puree, Silkwood Wines Cafe

Inside our chalet, Silkwood Wines

Marron with porcini risotto, Silkwood Wines Cafe

Sponge cake cooking in wood fired oven, Foragers

FACT FILE

SLEEP
Silkwood Chalets
Debi Johnson
9649 Channybearup Road, Pemberton, WA
Tel: +61 (0)8 9776 1584
Mob: +61 (0)428 105 075
Email: silkwood@silkwoodwines.com.au
Cost $330 per night, but ask for specials (we received pay for three, forth night free)

EAT
Foragers
Sophie & Chris Zalokar
1 Roberts Road
(cnr Roberts Rd & Pemberton Northcliffe Road)
Pemberton WA 6260
Tel: +61 (0)8 9776 1580
Email: discover@foragers.com.au
Woodfired dinner $55pp; Seasonal dinner $75pp. BYO (unlicensed). Open for dinner Friday and Saturday – check website for details.
There are also chalets onsite at Foragers if you fancy staying there.

Millhouse Cafe
14 Brockman Street, Pemberton Wa 6260
Tel: 08 9776 1122

Disclosure: This post was done in partnership with Westralian Auto Finance.

Coffee experiment

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Dianne Bortoletto Travelletto

This morning, I experimented to see which method would make the best coffee. Using WA’s Yahava coffee, I prepared it three ways:

1. The Vietnamese way using a drip cup I bought from Vietnam recently

2. Plunger

3. Italian cafeteria, electric model

To ensure that my bias didn’t play a role in determining the outcome, Zorba participated in a blind tasting.

The one I thought would come up on top, the Italian cafeteria, was in fact our least favourite. The coffee was watery, lacked robustness and generally would only be the sort of coffee I’d drink if there was nothing else but instant.

The plunger did a nice job, although there was a bit of sediment at the bottom of the cup that wasn’t overly pleasant.

The Vietnamese drip cup made the best brew. The coffee was robust, slightly thick, and tasted rounded. Perhaps is was because the coffee is steamed first? The way it works is that you load two teaspoons of ground coffee inside the cup. Up turn the lid and place a little boiling water in the lid and sit the loaded up drip cup on top for two minutes. This steams the coffee. According to one Vietnamese chef, this step is crucial to making good coffee. After the coffee has steamed (you won’t notice any difference to the coffee – looks just the same), sit the drip cup over a mug, fill it with boiling water, put on the lid on and wait. It takes about four minutes for the luscious coffee to all drip through.

Vietnamese drip cup over a mug

I was surprised, I didn’t expect this little drip cup that cost me $0.50 (yes, 50 cents) to work so well. I should’ve bought a truck load of them!

Vietnam is the world’s second largest producer of coffee. That was news to me until I travelled there. I guess they know a thing or two about making good coffee, and once you go there and witness the coffee culture for yourself, you won’t be surprised either.

Verdict: Vietnames drip cup makes the best coffee.

p.s. sorry that the full post wasn’t on display initially – had a glitch in the system.

Jamie’s Italian, Perth

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Dianne Bortoletto Travelletto

Hype, drama, action! The doors of Jamie Oliver’s first restaurant in Perth, and second Italian restaurant in Australia, were flung open two weeks ago.

Situated in the cool 140 William Street precinct, Jamie’s Italian is large, seating over 200 people. There is a bar area at the front, or out the back, depending on which entrance you use.

We entered from the north William Street entrance at 4pm on a Monday afternoon. Despite all the empty tables, we were not greeted warmly and instructed to walk across the restaurant to see the ‘lady in black’. We obliged, and were told by the said lady in black to see someone else. Sigh.The correct hostess showed us to a table, which was about 10 cm away from the occupied table next to it. I asked if we could be seated at another empty table for two at the end of the booth. Initially she said no because the table wasn’t made up. What? What’s to make up? There’s no table cloths, just bring cutlery and a napkin. I was surprised and taken back by the Gen Y back-chat to my reasonable customer request. The hostess quickly changed her tack and asked us to wait a few minutes while she makes up the table. It took her 30 seconds and we were seated.

Aperol spritz

Despite the clunky start to service, we had a friendly and efficient waiter for the rest of our time there. I’ll go so far to say that our British waiter actually redeemed our initial sour impressions of service. Well done, chap.

Drinks to start; I was excited and delighted to see aperol spritz ($11) on the menu – my favourite Italian aperitivo. In Italy it’s made with equal parts of aperol and prosecco (sparkling wine), over ice with a slice of orange. Some places include a dash of soda. At Jamie’s Italian the balance between the prosecco and the aperol was off, too much prosecco, not enough aperol. What a shame. I’d go there again and again just to have an aperol spritz if they got it right – each sip had the potential to ignite my memories of Rome. It was not to be.

The house red wine was a sangiovese blend from Victoria, priced reasonabley at $37 for the bottle and was easy to drink without being remarkable. Sadly, no WA wines featured on the wine list.

Three kinds of complementary (i.e. free) bread were brought to the table with a freshly poured olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a dipping dish. Love that. The carta di musica bread, from Sardinia, was crispy and I was very excited to see it in a Perth restaurant. The house made grissini and ciabiata were both moorish. A great way to start our meal.

The variety on the menu would cater for most palates and the dishes were reasonably priced.

We had a blackboard special entree of crispy stuffed risotto balls smoked mozzarella and porcini arancini ($9.50). It was texturally balanced; crunchy crumbed outer, soft rice centre with robust cheese and porcini flavours. The side chilli tomato salsa was spicy hot and did not complement the dish in my mind. It was the same side sauce on the smoked mozzarella pumpkin nachos ($7), which were not really nachos as I know them. They were more like deep fried ravioli with very little filling. They were crunchy like the skin of a deep fried wanton, the smoked mozzarella was pronounced and the sweetness of the pumpkin came through. The textures and flavours worked well together, despite the confusing name of the dish.

Pappadelle with sausage

For main, Zorba had a large serve of sausage pappadelle ($18) which was like a thick bolognese with rich deep flavours. The fresh pasta was perfect. A beautiful dish and a generous portion.

I had a small rabbit tagliatelle with lemon marscapone ($12.50). The pasta was perfect but the sauce has very strong lemon flavours that took over the dish. It was not unpleasant, but I wasn’t able to really taste the rabbit. The small size wasn’t that small, and unless you are a big eating Greek, like Zorba, a small size would satisfy, particularly so if you are ordering other dishes.

We both noticed that the grated parmesan didn’t have the usual parmesan bite that we both love.

Rabbit tagliatelle with lemon marscapone

For dessert, we had the chocolate vin santo pot. Vin Santo, a traditional dessert wine that hails from Tuscany, is usually served with very hard and dry biscotti that are dipped into the wine to soften. The chocolate pot at Jamie’s was completely different to the Tuscan tradition. It was rich and creamy and I couldn’t taste any alcohol. The cocoa dusting was a little bitter, but when eaten with the rich creamy mousse like centre, it was fine.

Vin santo chocolate pot

The warehouse-style ceiling has big steel air conditioning ducts is softened by the huge tiered crystal chandelier that illuminates a sense of elegance to the space. The atmosphere is buzzy. Bright red diner-style bench seats line the booths that act as room dividers, as well as giving the place a splash of colour. The music is hip and varied from current top ten chart toppers to Italian classics, but it worked really well. I found myself bopping along to the tunes.

Verdict: The prices are very reasonable, the food is good, some dishes mind-blowing, others were ok. It was the over all atmosphere and the fact we had a great table that wasn’t on top of other diners that made our night memorable. Would I wait two hours for a table? Probably not. We’ll go back again once the hype dies down a bit.

FACT FILE

Jamie’s Italian
140 William St, Perth, WA 6000
Tel: +61 8 9363 8600
Open Monday to Sunday 11am until late.

Woot! Cheap fares to China and beyond

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Dianne Bortoletto Travelletto

China Southern Airlines has introduced new A330-200 aircraft onto Australian routes with the airline’s A330-223 touching down in Perth for the first time yesterday.

It’s great that another full service airline can now give some of the other big players serious competition. Travellers can fly return to Guangzhou, the airline’s modern hub in southern China, from Perth for $760* in Economy and $3230* in Business.

The introductory fares include taxes and are on sale now for travel throughout 2013, but flights need to be booked by 5 April, so you have to be quick!

The new A330 Airbus has flatbeds in Business Class and personal entertainment television sets for everyone.

China Southern’s Canton Route to the world reaches almost 200 destinations in 35 countries and regions using a range of aircraft from its growing fleet of more than 500 planes.

FACT FILE

For reservations call 1300 889 628.

For customer service assistance email customercare@csair.com.au

Website: http://mercury.csair.com/en/index.shtml

China Southern's A330-223 arriving at Perth International Airport

Declaration: Pronto PR (Dianne Bortoletto’s business) is working with Bright Communications to promote China Southern Airlines in Western Australia.

A Vietnamese restaurant worth forking out for

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Dianne Bortoletto Travelletto

Lido Vietnamese restaurant is situated in the heart of Perth’s quasi China Town in Northbridge. Walking in, my eyes had to adjust to the brightness of the lights. The restaurant is big and on a Friday night, the place was packed.

Within seconds of being seated, we were given tap water and handed a menu each.

The menu was big; eight pages of food choices. As we were on a quest for authentic Vietnamese cuisine, I consulted a waitress who pointed out the traditional dishes. For entrée we opted for boneless roast duck rice paper rolls ($8.50) and medium rare veal salad in tamarind sauce ($17).

The two rice paper rolls, served with a peanut hoisin dipping sauce, were fresh and tasty. The duck was tender and the addition of vegetables added some crunch while the mint and coriander intensified the freshness.

Medium rare veal in taramind sauce

The veal salad was delightful. The balanced dressing is what really made this dish stand out. The tender veal was sliced very thin and the crispy salad added texture. It felt healthy to eat and it had me going back for more. The serving size was generous – big enough for a lunch for one.

Beef stew with five special herbs

For main course, beef stewed in five special herbs with mild chilli (19.50) was pleasant enough, but lacked intensity. The beef was tender, however, it was completely overshadowed by our other main dish.

The Patagonian tooth fish with ginger and shallots ($30) was one of the pricier dishes on the menu, but well worth it. The flaky fish texture just melted in my mouth and the flavor of the sauce, which was poured over the fish by our waiter at the table, gorgeous – the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and sour. The sauce had me filling up my bowl with steamed rice ($3) several times just so it could be topped with more sauce.

Patagonian tooth fish with ginger and shallots

Whilst not the cheapest Vietnamese / Asian restaurant, the food makes paying a little extra worthwhile and the service was attentive and helpful. Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience.

FACT FILE

Lido Vietnamese Restaurant
416 Williams Street, Northbridge WA 6000
Tel: 08 9227 5545

Open Monday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Fully licensed, BYO wine only.

This post was also published on Food Wine Sleep and West Australasia Media Network (WAMN).

Progressive Fine Dining – Eat Drink Perth tour

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Dianne Bortoletto Travelletto

The Fine Dining Progressive Dinner as part of the Eat Drink Perth food festival happening in WA’s capital city during the month of March, is a great way to experience three of the city’s finest restaurants.

Led by Perth’s popular walking tour specialists Two Feet and Heart Beat, the progressive dinner itinerary featured entree at the Print Hall, main meal at Lamonts Bishop House, and dessert at the Terrace Hotel.

Firstly, before a decadent dinner, Two Feet and a Heart Beat owner Ryan took our small group of seven on a short secret art walking tour. It’s secret because we saw some art in a secret city alley way that hardly anyone knows exists. I’m not sure I should give Two Feet and a Heart Beat’s secret away by telling you where it is? You might have to message me on Facebook and ask very nicely if you really want to know. We found it interesting and eye opening.

Onto the Print Hall. This was Zorba’s first time to Brookfield Place and he liked it. Thank God. Trying to get him to agree to a night out in the city is a challenge. I think it’s going to be a bit easier from here on. He loved it.

We were spoilt with two entrees; two types of freshly shucked oysters – South Australian (bigger and delicate flavour) and Albany (smaller more intense flavour). It was interesting to compare the two types. My allegiance to WA was put to one side for a moment as my taste buds preferred the South Australian oysters for their delicate flavour. Others preferred the creaminess of the Albany oysters. The two vinaigrettes were beautiful, but I still prefer just a squeeze of lemon when the oysters are as good as these.

Two types of Oysters, Print Hall

Print Hall has an oyster special on Tuesdays, two dozen oysters for $50. That’s just over $2 per oyster. A bargain. Zorba (who loves a bargain) and another tour goer Barry decided to get another two dozen to share. Totally indulgent – I love it!

I thoroughly enjoyed a glass of Pinot Noir from the USA. I know, I know, I should have chosen bubbly or white wine, but the red just sounded (and tasted!) so good. I broke the sacred wine with food rule. Oh well, rules are made to be broken.

Tasting platter, Print Hall

The second part of our entree at the Print Hall was a tasting platter featuring a gorgeous pistachio and pork terrine, serrano jamon, air dried shaved beef, salami, a chorizo like sausage, pickled vegetables, and yummy rye grissini bread sticks as well as fresh bread. The house made butter was a little cold and hard to spread at first, but boy was it creamy and delicious after a few minutes.

The terrine was an absolute standout. Firm texture with the added crunch of the pistachio made it something really special. Beautifully flavoured. Everything on the platter was gorgeous, but fairly standard fare in our house, besides the terrine. It was so good.

Next stop, Lamonts at Bishop House. Bishop’s House is tucked away behind Rigby’s bar between Mill Street and Spring Street in the city. Many moons ago, a fresh spring once ran under neath where the house is built, hence the name of Spring Street. The heritage listed house was built in 1859. It is so lovely and who ever did the interior design really did a outstanding job – it’s beautifully furnished. It has a warm and welcoming ambience – the vibe the building exuded made me feel instantly comfortable, like I had been there before. We sat on the balcony overlooking the gardens that provided a natural shield to the traffic on Mounts Bay Road.

Barramundi at Lamonts

The food at Lamonts, at any Lamonts restaurant, is unbelievably good. Tonight was no exception. Barramundi with a fried zucchini flower and roast pepper and tomato salsa. The zucchini flower, that wasn’t stuffed, was delicate and crispy – as good as any I’ve had in Italy. The barramundi was gorgeous, flakey and soft. The roasted pepper and tomato salsa was amazing. Everything worked beautifully. And we got two pieces of bread and house made butter also. The Germans in our group were very excited about the quality of the bread, saying it was just like bread they got back home.

The Lamonts Shiraz was delicious. Yes, I know, again I had red wine with seafood. Seriously, with red wine this good, I’d have it with cereal. Perfect Shiraz.

Off for another short walk. Tour guide Ryan pointed out some more interesting pieces of art on the corner of the St Georges Terrace and Milligan Street, before leading us into the Terrace Hotel.

Delicious fortified dessert wine

Italian waiter Antonio explained the complex process of how the fortified wine was made; the wine is distilled in one wine barrel for a set time before being moved to a series of older barrels, until it reached the oldest mother barrel, which was made in 1927, which was also the name of the wine. He said it could be called a sherry. Call it what ever you like – but can I have another glass? It was yummy, like a light port.

The dessert wine accompanied a cheese platter. By far the blue cheese and the quince jam was my second favourite. My favourite was the dessert wine, whilst not technically a food group, I’d happily skip dessert just for the wine.

We sat in a private dining room surround by a gazillion dollars worth of wine and champagne. I had cellar envy for sure.

If I was to make any criticism, it would come from my sweet tooth. Cheese I love, but not as much as chocolate. It would have been a fitting end to a delicious and delightful night to have a chocolate dessert or petit fours.

It was 10.15pm and our night came to an end. We were grateful that we had a good group that chatted and gelled well together. This was helped along by tour guide Ryan, a Canadian, who has a really lovely way with people. It’s no surprise that his tourism business is doing so well.

It was a terrific way to experience three of Perth’s newest fine dining establishments in one night, at the cost of having just one night out at one of these venues.

Don’t delay, the progressive dinner is only on again next Monday and Tuesday. It costs $140 per person. A glass of wine or beer is included with each course. The wine was most generous at Lamonts as the friendly waiter continued to top up our glasses. Thanks Lamonts.

We hope Tour operators Two Feet and a Heart Beat are able to continue the Fine Dining Progressive Dinner as part of their tour offerings as planned. A great idea and it was fun to be tourist in my own city. Try it, like me, you might discover some new secrets.

We paid for our own tickets to this event.

FACT FILE

Eat Drink Perth runs for the month of March in the City of Perth.

Two Feet and a Heart Beat offer interesting walking and small bar tours in Perth and Sydney.

Travelletto

Delicious travel adventures by Dianne Bortoletto

Category Archives: Western Australia

Lalla Rookh, Perth CBD

Gordon Street Garage, West Perth

Sayers Sister, Northbridge WA

Foragers, Pemberton WA

Road trip! Destination Pemberton, WA

Coffee experiment

Jamie’s Italian, Perth

Woot! Cheap fares to China and beyond

A Vietnamese restaurant worth forking out for

Progressive Fine Dining – Eat Drink Perth tour

Follow “Travelletto”

Share the love:

Like this:

Share the love:

Like this:

Share the love:

Like this:

Share the love:

Like this:

Share the love:

Like this:

Share the love:

Like this:

Share the love:

Like this:

Share the love:

Like this:

Share the love:

Like this:

Share the love:

Like this:

Follow “Travelletto”