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March

The Bonsai Restaurant and Cafe Lounge - http://www.the-bonsai.net/
Cuisine: Japanese Fusion
Address: 30 -36 Roe Street, Northbridge, Western Australia

I always seem to walk by the Bonsai Restaurant in Northbridge but never got around to dining in there. It was one of those places you put on the never-ending list of “Things to try” which BF and I have finally ticked off. Even from the outside, I thought that the decor is really something. Very spacious and open due to the high ceilings, and gives a warehouse feel due to exposed brickwork and a/c duct. It seems like a relaxing place to just chill.

We arrived about 8:30pm with no reservation, it was quite busy but thankfully there was still a table available.

Bonsai Unagi Sushi and Prawn Tempura Sushi Unagi Sushi and Prawn Tempura Sushi
Bonsai Chilli Crab Claws
Chilli Crab Claws

Our Order:

Unagi Sushi and Prawn Tempura Sushi: It wasn’t bad but nothing too exciting, I would rather go back for Tansawa Tei’s much tastier sushi.
Chilli Crab Claws: The dish reminds me of the crab claws you get in Chinese restaurants but with more texture in the stuffing. I think you can get similar ‘Crab Claws’ in the frozen section of Emma’s Seafood and fry it up at home. This isn’t really “Chilli Crab” Claws but “Crab Claws” with Chilli sauce.
Fried Chicken Tosazu: This is basically crispy fried chicken, but in all honesty I think KFC is tastier. Recommend you dip in the sauce provided as it adds a lot more flavour to it.
Takoyaki: Although BF prefers it without, I prefer my Takoyaki with bonito flakes. These were ok, not undercooked on the inside although I thought it was a bit on the small side. I would much prefer the ones found in the Singapore Ion shopping complex food court which you can select egg topping.

Bonsai Teri-Angus Steak Teri-Angus Steak
Bonsai Mango Cheesecake
Mango Cheesecake

Teri-Angus Steak: Call me lazy but I loved the fact that it was pre-cut. I thought it was a little odd that they didn’t serve it with a steak knife, but was pleasantly surprised to see it all pre-cut. The Teriyaki sauce was ok, but nothing compared to the one we had from Ha-Lu. I’m not a big meat lover, so like the Chicken Tosazu, I thought it was nothing special.
Mango Cheesecake: This was served with cream, chocolate vanilla sauce and Green Tea ‘Makaron’ topped with some chocolate flakes. I do like my desserts and this slice wasn’t too bad. Personally I would have liked it to be less cheesy and more mango (though BF seemed to like it), and it could have been served a little more chilled. The base could have been a bit more crummy – it seemed like it was extremely dense, and the macarons were a bit too much on the sticky side.

The service was very good despite our waiter not putting through one of our orders even though she verbally confirmed the order. The drinks were promptly served and plates cleared efficiently, so efficiently that we had to ask for another set when the main came. I would have liked my tea to have been refilled a lot more throughout the night, instead I alternated between green tea and still water. The bill totaled to just under AUD$45/person which was okay though I think Ha-Lu was a much nicer and filling meal.

Category: Food, Photo Blog, Reviews Tags: japanese Leave a Comment

InContro

March

Selina Lai

InContro - http://www.incontro.com.au/
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Address: Corner Mends Street and South Perth Esplanade, South Perth, Western Australia

Incontro is positioned with a beautiful view of the Swan River and Perth City skyline. I can’t be sure what we ate because we had the Chef’s recommended course where the Chef cooks and prepares multiple tapas-styled dishes. Aside from the 1/2 dozen freshly shucked natural oysters BF could not help but request, we had no clue what the Chef would be serving up (so please excuse my lame descriptions!!). The Oysters by the way were super fresh and delicious, though I prefer it less salty and with that yummy sauce Rockpool Bar and Grill had…

They first served (King?)fish served with toasted bread and a lobster or crab Salad. The fish was almost like sashimi but I suspect it was lightly seared (too dark to see) and coated in a sinfully delicious sauce served with croutons. We ate it like bruschetta, and it was beautiful! Although I would have liked the Salad to be served cold, it was still yummy.

Incontro King fish and Lobster/Crab Salad

We also had 3 hot entrees: Asparagus and <something> Tempura which must be a prawn or something similar but I just can’t recall… What I do remember is that the asparagus was cooked to perfection! I was amazed at how delicious asparagus could be. The Freshly Baked Scallop was of course beautifully tasty, decently sized though maybe could have been juicier. I was a bit confused with the Inverted Gnocchi Ravioli, but the waiter explained it was ‘inverted’ because the pasta surrounds the sauce instead of the other way around. Points to the Chef for being creative, though I think Cream Restaurant has better Gnocchi since I prefer mine with more potato.

Asparagus and <something> Tempura, Freshly Baked Scallop, Inverted Gnocchi Ravioli

The last 3 dishes served were Lamb Shanks, Veal Cutlets topped with Wild Mushroom, and (Snapper?) Fish with Prawn and Gourmet Tomatoes.

The Lamb Shanks were tender, juicy and medium done as requested. The meat wasn’t old and didn’t smell, and was served well with caramelised onions and special herbs. The Veal cutlets were very crispy, and kind of reminds me of Japanese katsu. It would have been nice to have a bit more mushroom or some kind of sauce with it as I found it a bit dry. Fish was fresh and well cooked, not dry and still a bit juicy. The side of prawn and tomatoes were just as fresh and juicy and we were completely stuffed by the end of it.

The service was amazing, the view could have been better (but that was our fault for not booking in advance), and the staff were very attentive and met our every need. For example, the waitress repeated the specials for the day (and there were quite a few of them) with no prompts, as each of our courses came out they explained what each one consisted of, our glasses were never empty, cutlery and plates were promptly cleared and replaced, and they enquired about our satisfaction without being intrusive.

I can’t remember what the total was since BF paid, but it was roughly around the same as Rockpool Bar and Grill around the AUD$250 mark. Next time I’ll try to remember to use the Entertainment Book Gold Card. We considered dessert but just didn’t have any room left, so we’ll definitely be going back for more!

Category: Food, Photo Blog, Reviews Tags: Mediterranean Leave a Comment

Rockpool Bar and Grill

March

Selina Lai

Rockpool Bar and Grill – http://www.rockpool.com.au/rockpool-bar-and-grill-perth/
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Address: Great Eastern Highway, Perth, Western Australia

Rockpool Bar and Grill newly opened up in Burswood this year(?), it’s in the Hotel side of Burswood near the hotel service desk. The impressive doors lead you down a very narrow candle lit hall, nice to look at but definitely not practical as the glass encasing the candles had obvious signs of being knocked over due to the lack of space (there’s only room for one person or two very very small people to walk side-by-side) and the hall can get quite stuffy with all those candles lit!

Despite hearing terrible things about their service, BF was keen to try their famous Wagyu Beef… me on the other hand, being more of a seafoodie and vegetarian, looked through the menu and didn’t find anything that stood out.

Rockpool Kitchen

Since we were staying at the Intercontinental Hotel at Burswood, BF and I went a day before Valentines day during lunch hour to make a dinner reservation. It seemed to be quite busy at the service desk with patrons hanging around and staff looking busy, so we approached staff at the bar. We were told that reservations were unlikely to be available as they were fully booked, though we could book for about 9pm.

We were then directed to the service desk to make a reservation and were then told that they couldn’t make any reservations at all, but we were welcomed to try our luck at 9pm and dine at the Bar side where they don’t take reservations.

Come 9pm we walked into Rockpool prepared to dine at the Bar only to be seated at the restaurant side. Our section had plenty of empty tables but we were seated next to another couple. I find the tables are quite narrow and does not give enough privacy, I could literally touch the patron sitting next to me. We could also over hear the clear dissatisfaction of the patrons next to us, they were not happy with their Rockpool experience and made sure the floor manager knew about it.

Rockpool Entree

Our Entrees:
Mussels Steamed with Chilli, Peppers and Vermouth $21
Charcoal Roast King Prawns, Split and Marinated $30
Freshly Shucked Oysters with Mignonette Sauce $3.50 each

The seafood was super fresh, the Mussels were a bit spicy and tasted so delicious I was soaking up the bread with the broth it sat in. The Oysters were so good that even I had to admit it (but only with the sauce). The King Prawns were surprisingly small (only a few prawns), despite it tasting decent I wasn’t that impressed with it.

Our Mains:
Crab Prawn Pasta (Rockpool has since changed their menu and I can’t recall exactly)
David Blackmore’s Dry Aged Full Blood Wagyu Sirloin $110

I really can’t remember much about my Pasta other than it being a bit spicy and tomato-y. The BF seemed to enjoy his piece of meat but he did say that although it was a scrummy piece of meat, “.. it’s not as good as NoBu”.

We ordered Tea instead of dessert since we were both quite full and BF was eager to try the Chinese Tea’s that they had.

Rockpool Mains

Despite the number of staff lingering around the place, when it came to payment, we had trouble hailing down one of them. We thought our waiter pretty good, she was very friendly, changed our cutlery as the meal progressed, helped us with our menu choices, cleared and wiped the table swiftly.

Our conclusion is if you want to have a good experience at Rockpool, avoid the peak periods. And although people believe Rockpool to be a fine dining experience (with fine dining prices), they actually don’t have any star rating, and under all the tapestry and trimmings it IS only a bar and grill.

Category: Food, Photo Blog, Reviews Tags: Australian Leave a Comment

Ha-Lu

February

Selina Lai

Ha Lu - http://halu.net.au/
Cuisine: Japanese
Address: Shop 4/401 Oxford St, Mt Hawthorn, Western Australia

Ha Lu is in Mount Hawthorn, it isn’t really fine dining in that the restaurant presentation is quite casual but modern with a cafe-like feel. I assume that the choice of dining outside (street side) is because there’s not much space internally.

They explained their menu was something like tapas, each person orders a few dishes to share. The waiter was very helpful, even suggesting we select a few cold dishes so we wouldn’t have to wait too long for food to arrive. Unlike some restaurants I’ve been to, the waiter actually told us the rough number of dishes we would need to order (definitely handy if you’ve never been to the restaurant before).

The Cold Dishes we ordered included: Fresh Springroll, Duck Breast with whole grain Mustard, Home made Tofu & Mizuna Salad with Wonton crisps.

The Springrolls are like salad wrapped in rice paper but a lot more appetizing than in my description. Personally I’m not much of a fan of Duck as I find the meat has a bit of an odour, but for some reason the Ha Lu Chef prepared the Duck so well it could have been mistaken for some other animal, you just have to try it yourself. I’m a big fan of the typical Japanese Salads you find at the fake sushi stalls (the ones run by non-Japanese) so you can only image how much nicer this Tofu Salad was~

Halu’s Fresh Springroll

The Deep Fried Dishes included: Chicken Kara-age with Iwanori Sauce, Vegetable Tempura, Gold Coast Tiger Prawn Tempura, Soft Shell Crab Tempura, Scallop Nanban

Firstly, I’m not a huge fan of deep fried dishes so this whole section may be under-appreciated. The chicken Kara-age was super crisp, and the Iwanori Sauce on top gave it an edge over it’s other dry competitors. The batter on the Tempura is actually tasty and crisp, not too heavy or thick either. There’s nothing too special about the Vegetable & Tiger Prawn Tempura, but the Soft Shell Crab was a bit of a let down. The crab itself was just difficult to eat… it needed to be uber crispy so we could bite through it, instead it’s like you’re chewing on a bit of juicy plastic. The Scallops on the flip side were delicious! It could have been a little more tender, otherwise it’s pretty perfect~

Halu’s Scallop Nanban

Yaki Mono – Grilled Dishes included: Succulent ‘Teriyaki’ Chicken, Duck and Aubergine Madeira Sauce

The Teriyaki Chicken as the BF described “..is the best Teriyaki I’ve had” (and he’s had a lot of teriyaki in his time). I wonder if the Chef changed something in the Teriyaki sauce to make it stand out? The Duck and Aubergine Madeira Sauce again, like the Cold Duck, is just delicious!

Halu’s Duck and Aubergine Madeira Sauce

Ni Mono – Simmered Dishes included: Kingfish Belly Nitsuke

The Kingfish… to be honest I can’t remember if it was the one where they pour the sauce over the pillar of meat. If it is, then I can say that it’s definitely worth ordering and tasting for yourself!

We ordered a a lot more than we probably should have, and it turned out to be quite a filling meal for 4 people. We couldn’t even fit in ice cream! In the end it cost about AUD$50 per person, a bit on the pricey side but I think I would still go back.

The staff is helpful, the food came out promptly, the presentation is beautiful and most importantly the food is scrummy!

Category: Food, Photo Blog, Reviews Tags: japanese Leave a Comment

The Globe Wine Bar and Restaurant

June

Selina Lai

The Globe Restaurant J picked The Globe Wine Bar and Restaurant on at the Parmelia Hilton Hotel as our meetup, and typical me did a quick google of it. The Globe didn’t have as many reviews as some of the other restaurants I usually look up (that gives me the impression it’s not as popular), and from the reviews I read it seemed like a love-hate relationship. Despite the hesitation, we still went since it’s in the entertainment book!

The Globe Restaurant Alfresco – Tapas Menu

Entree: Cardamom spiced duck breast, layered with avocado, roasted peppers, sweet corn & caper salsa | $24.00 and Salmon with seaweed and carrot salad $24.00

The Duck Breast itself was okay, I couldn’t taste spice and I thought it was a bit dry… but maybe it’s supposed to be like that? The Salmon w/ Seaweed Salad was very refreshing, simple and tasty. I’m personally more inclined to like any kind of salmon, no matter how it’s cooked (or not cooked) so it was a pretty good entree besides the fact that we found a few bones which they didn’t remove… big NO NO!

South west beef fillet, stuffed with foie gras wrapped in prosciutto, field mushroom, ratatouille, vine ripened tomatoes | $44.00

Snapper fillet (forgot the region) topped with wagyu beef and potato scales $42.00

Best thing about the Snapper was probably the red onion marmalade and wagyu, the worst was the fact that there wasn’t much beef and the presentation just wasn’t appetizing.

Degustation of chocolate desserts to share $30: Cognac and Nougatine Affogato, Warm Chocolate Goujons, Rich Chocolate Fudge Dacquoise, Mini Chocolate Creme Pyramids
The Globe Restaurant: Dugustation of desserts

The Cognac and Nougatine Affogato was by far the favourite! The Goujons were a little lacking in flavour even with the coffee sauce. The Fudge Dacquoise tasted like a cookie… I think I bake better cookies! And the Mini Pyramids were alright… again, nothing special

The service was pretty good, they were very attentive… keep in mind the restaurant was mostly empty with only a handful of patrons, so I can’t say what the service would be like on a busy night though. The main issue would be the fact that they forgot to give us our coats after we paid the bill, the staff seemed to be scarce after payment (think they were packing up?)

The Globe Restaurant: END
At the end of the night I ended up forgetting to use the Entertainment Card (complements of the wine)!! So the bill was on the pricey side $278 … could have saved $40! Taking consideration to everything, Globe Wine Bar and Restaurant is only okay for me 6/10. I’ll have to dine there again to reconsider, and it would definitely be with the Entertainment Card.

Category: Food, Reviews Tags: restaurant, Reviews Leave a Comment

Happy Mum Day! s2~

May

Selina Lai

I got my hands on my bro-il’s fancy camera and took a couple of quick random shots pre-mother’s day. Happy Mum Day!

hearts=s2 s2 s2 s2 s2 s2 s2=hearts

-s2-s2-s2-

For Mother’s Day Dinner we went to eat at Mela Indian Sweets and Eats

Mela Indian Sweets & Eats
428 William St
Northbridge 6003
(08) 9227 7367

Mela is a pretty big restaurant already, but now they’ve extended it even more.
The new section is more modern as opposed to the casualness of the original section of the restaurant.

The curries taste fantastic, although not as spicy as we normally have it (but that was our fault for not ordering the hot ones).
The naan and paratha were fresh, so was the curry puff and donut-looking thing.
The chicken byriani is without doubt better than a lot of other byriani we’ve had, it’s still lacking that x-factor for me though…

The service was good although our naan and paratha weren’t cut like ordered, they forgot to give us a serve of papadums, and they didn’t have enough high chairs available.