The Heritage Brasserie, Bar & Boardroom, Perth CBD

Located among Brookfield Place, you would expect high quality dining. As you enter the two large doors the place definitely looks the part. A reasonably spacious setting and an expensive feel to it. The wines and dishes were on the more expensive side.

For starters we had the: Smoked pork cheek, squid, celeriac & red onion broth 20. There was no crackling on it as I had hoped, just a soggy mess. There was a bit of a wait so we forgot to take photos and we were pretty hungry by then. The dish came out cold, as well as our friends dishes. Our friends had the scallops and it came out with four smallest scallops you would ever find. All the dishes seemed less than average, not what you would expect as this type of place.

For mains we had the: Lamb short loin & belly, pickled cabbage, saltbush, lamb caramel 38 and Duck breast, wild fruits, beetroot & fermented plum 39. I was pretty surprised at my dish actually, I had to re-confirm that it was lamb as it did not look or taste like lamb at all. It tasted a bit like pork. My husbands duck was also average, it was on the drier side and not so tender or succulent as we had hoped. It needed more sauce.

Lamb

Duck

For sides we ordered Confit potatoes, sage, mint, brown butter, saltbush 10. Firstly, we received the charred cos as they gave us the wrong dish. We all just looked at it and thought it was complimentary since no one had ordered this. I then confirmed with the waitress it was in fact an incorrect dish but they still gave it to us complimentary. The potatoes were what you would expect, only large enough for two people to share.

For dessert we had: Chocolate fondant, hazelnut & coffee 16 and Almond parfait, pear, oats, fermented honey 14 . We saw the parfait and it did not resemble parfait at all. It was a big letdown, It was like tiny scoops that didn't resemble anything. The chocolate fondant however, was pretty good, the only dish that I would recommend here. The ice-cream came out a bit melted.

Almond Parfait

Chocolate Fondant

Overall, I would not recommend this place, unless you had no choice. For the price that you pay you can get better food elsewhere.

Duende, Leederville

I have been here on two occasions in the morning and afternoon and I have really enjoyed it both times. Its a really nice casual place to catch up with friends but the decor could probably be updated and it can be a bit cramped if you have a large group. They don't take bookings and open from 7.30am. Its a tapas restaurant and ranges from $14 to $28, or $4 for nibbles.

The menu contained some ingredients that I needed further clarification on but the waitress wasn't too friendly during her explanations, almost talking down upon us which I thought was rude.

Firstly, I started out with strawberry juice and I initially thought that they used fresh pressed juice as stated on the website, but then I later saw it was just purchased in bulk without any labels just like an ordinary drink from the grocery stores. It was still pleasant, but a bit sweet.

For starters we had the Prawn and Chorizo Paella Balls. This came with a creamy dipping sauce on the bottom which complimented the fried texture well. It was tasty and not too salty. I would try this one again.

For my main I had the eggs Benedict and the Hollandaise sauce was light and not too overpowering which was nice with the sprinkle of chives. The prosciutto was generous and worked well with the whole dish. The poached eggs on the other hand was overcooked! So was everyone else's and this included my friend's dish containing one sole poached egg, which I thought was strange that they couldn't get right. The sour dough bread on the bottom was rock hard and I couldn't bite through the crust, so I didn't eat most of the bread. Overall, the flavours were nice. I also tried a bit of my friends vegetarian mushrooms and spinach on sour dough bread. The mushrooms had a char grilled flavour and were excellent. However, the bread was hard in this instance as well.

For dessert we had the Doughnut Balls with Condensed Milk Ice-cream, the restaurants speciality dessert. The ice-cream scoop was so tiny and was enough only for one mouthful. It was creamy not too sweet which I really enjoyed, but I wanted more and I'm not a huge eater. The doughnut balls were light and fluffy on the inside and coated in sugar on the outside approximately 10cm in diameter. This is a must try if you come here and like dessert.

On my previous occasion when I came here in the afternoon I tried the Rabbit Tagine. The meat fell away from the bone and was very filling. Its was also the largest meal on the menu and came with rice. However, the meat contained a lot of fat and I couldn't consume all of it. It came to the table piping hot from the oven.

The chips and chorizo was also very nice and are good for a small starter dish if you are planning on ordering more later on.

You can order wine and cocktails from here too that aren't too bad. Its a great place to relax and socialise with friends.

Mojo's Restaurant, Bunbury

This restaurant looked like the classiest place in Bunbury with modern decor and a wide selection of wine. The menu is European but also contained some Japanese dishes and Sake. We came here for lunch and ordered the Mojo's Steak Burger which came with French fries. It was tasty and the bearnaise sauce and onion jam complimented the burger well. The bun was lightly toasted and crisp.

Mojo’s Steak Burger $26.50 (Béarnaise sauce, tomato, salad, onion jam, fries)

My partner had the Pasta of the Day which he claimed was the best pasta he had tried. I think it contained linguine with chorizo sausage, rocket salad and parmesan cheese shavings topped with olive oil.

Pasta of the Day $29.50

The service was good and the waiter was friendly and able to explain all the dishes. I would definitely come here again.

Fins Cafe, Coral Bay

We came here three times and had breakfast and lunch. The Big Breakfast came with two fried eggs, bacon, half a tomato, toast and a sausage. On day two there was additional tomato sauce. It was cooked well and I would recommend this for a decent breakfast. They are open quite early in the morning as we were there around 8.30am.

 Big Breakfast (Day 1)

Big Breakfast (Day 2)

For lunch we had the Works Dog which had a frankfurt, onions, bacon, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and mustard on a bread roll. This was not as good but it was edible, I felt that it needed a cheese sauce or more mozzarella It reminded me of a typical american hot-dog. The hot chips were good and we chose tomato and aioli sauce to go with it.

Lunch - Works Dog

Great little place that always seemed to be open whether it was early in the morning, lunch time or late at night. Overlooking the ocean, it was very convenient and affordable.

The Ningaloo Reef Cafe, Coral Bay

This restaurant is centrally located and have a wide variety to choose from including pasta to pizza and seafood of course, with snapper arising twice on the specials menu. For entrees I would recommend the squid which came deep fried in a crispy batter and garden salad. It was perfect to share between two people (three pieces each) and it was tasty and fresh.

For the mains the locally caught snapper was fresh and came with a side salad. The snapper was battered and had elements of lemon and pepper accentuating the natural flavours of the fish. The Wynns Coonawarra Estate Riesling complimented this dish well. The crocodile looked similar to the squid which was battered and came with a side salad. Although it looked the same, it tasted completely different to the squid where the batter had different spices and tasted like chicken nuggets with a similar texture. The mains only contained one type of salad which was a Greek salad.

 Entree - Squid

 Mains - Locally caught snapper

Mains - Crocodile

As for the pasta we tried the spaghetti with chicken, mushroom and pepperoni with a white wine sauce which was not overly large but was substantial. I really like the white wine sauce which complimented the other ingredients well and the pasta was cooked al dente with a bit of a crunch. I was suggested a glass of Chardonnay which was okay. I felt that the Sauvignon Blanc was a better choice.

Mains - Spaghetti with chicken, mushrooms and pepperoni with a white wine sauce

For dessert we tried the Baci Bomb Cake with vanilla ice cream which was the restaurant's recommendation. It was very rich and filling encased with thick chocolate icing and filling. It also contained hazelnuts.

Desert - Baci Bomb Cake

The service was good and the place normally dies down around 9pm but they will wait for you to finish till around 10pm. The pizzas run out if you come later and they seemed popular but we did not have a chance to try it. They only open for dinner at 6pm, not breakfast or lunch. This restaurant was on the higher end of the scale which was pricey for Coral Bay but it had good food.

Balthazar, Perth

This restaurant is hidden away and located on The Esplanade on a corner street. It's one of those places that you always pass on your way to the city but never managed to try. As you walk in there is seating similar to a typical pub then further in the restaurant there is a normal seating arrangement however, this was dark and cramped as one of our seat's was next to a walkway and the other was hitting the seat behind. Therefore, it is advisable to book a table next to the wall. Also, there is no parking nearby and from the closest City of Perth Parking area it is about a 5-minute walk.

Entrée: Tasting plate for one

For entrée's we got the tasting plate for one. The cornet with goat's cheese and celery mousse was the best element on the dish but the rest of the elements seemed a but mediocre for the price paid. How hard can it be to warm up a date? - Second from the left. I felt that more interesting techniques and flavours could have been applied to creating this dish.

Palate cleanser: Lemon sorbet

We received a complimentary palate cleanser of lemon sorbet in a shot glass which was nice and refreshing.

Mains: Pork with scallops and crackling

For the mains I ordered the snapper but instead I received the pork with scallops and crackling. This was of concern as such an obvious mix up showed the lack of competence of the waiters as I had even asked the waiter to suggest a wine which I ordered to compliment snapper. They do not take down the order on paper or electronically as they memorise the order however, avoidance this simple procedure has caused failure in their system. The meal was not introduced and was promptly placed on the table by another waiter. I initially thought that the staff were friendly until I told the original waiter of the incorrect dish and I was rudely told that it was what I had ordered which made me feel awkward. 

I had the dish anyway and it was nice with a delightful array of colours and textures in the dish with attention to detail. I especially liked the scallops which were cooked perfectly and the creamy sauce complimented the pork nicely. The pork rounds were wrapped in pancetta. However, I did not like the crackling as it was literally just shop bought similar to Nobbys Pork Crackle that you get from the vending machine (I used to buy this all the time). This was a large disappointment as crackling is what would have appealed to me if I was to choose this dish willingly.

Mains: Beef fillet, mushroom, smoked potato and creme fraiche

I ordered the beef fillet medium cooked. The piece was thicker than to my usual liking; however, this is quite common in fine dining restaurants as opposed to Country Clubs. The mushroom sauce which is my favourite, was overshadowed by other sauces.

Dessert: Strawberries, truffle honey cream, black garlic and licorice ice cream

This dish intrigued me with the unique combination of sweet and savoury flavours of the liquorice and black garlic ice-cream. The black garlic was subtle and could not be tasted but it had a nice texture and was extra creamy. The liquorice flavour was not too overpowering. The truffle honey cream had a thick gelatine layer on the top which I did not like, it had not much flavour and was rubbery in texture. The rest of it was a bit bland. The raspberry sauce was thick and mixed with gelatine but had nice flavours. The strawberries had been preserved in syrup which seeped out with each bite which I enjoyed. Overall, this dish was not fantastic but the ice-cream was nice but there was an overuse of gelatine in the other elements.

Irish Coffee

The Irish Coffee that I tried was too bitter to my liking. I requested a jar of sugar and used about 3 cubes of sugar just to get it to a drinkable state. 

Bathroom

Rifo's Cafe, East Victoria Park

Hoping for a very late lunch around 3:00PM there were not many restaurants or cafés opened around Victoria Park. My partner and I stumbled across Rifo's Cafe almost by accident. You could not miss it with the modern décor and red lights hanging from the ceiling with a retro feel to it. There were plasma's on either side of the walls as well as a spacious seating design.

I tried the 'Spring Lamb' (Grilled lamb cutlets served with Greek salad & mint yoghurt dressing, ($33) which came with five cutlets. I really liked the mint yoghurt dressing as the dipping sauce which was generous.The kitchen can be viewed from the café and we could see that the meal was freshly made.The Greek style salad was also tasty. I tried apple and passion fruit juice which is made from 100 percent juice. This could not be faulted. I also noticed that they serve 'missed breakie' or a late english breakfast from 12:00PM to 9:00PM.

The only downfall was that the waitress was cleaning up and sweeping around our table and the other customers for about 15 minutes, re-arranging our chairs and re-packing the sugar our the tables whilst we were dining. I found this quite rude and annoying. The waitress did not supply us with any water so I suggest that you request this when you place your order. Despite this, I would come here again for a coffee or lunch.

Opening Hours: 7:00AM until late (last orders at 10:00PM), 7 days a week
http://www.rifoscafe.com/img/broshure.pdf

Goose Cafe Restaurant, Busselton

We came here on a public holiday and sat outside. The views were spectacular and it was very relaxing. For entrées we had the the sardines from Fremantle. They smelt very fishy and were soggy. I thought that it should have come with a side at least. For the mains we had the lamb and the grilled crispy skin barramundi which was the special of the day. The lamb was a bit bland however, the fish was full of flavour came with a topping of chopped red onion, tomatoes and lemon butter which accompanied the fish. The skin was crispy indeed and I would recommend this! For dessert I had the pavlova with raspberries which was actually just a meringue not pavlova as it was hard and contained no soft textures on the inside. The raspberry syrup was sickly sweet. Overall, I thought it was pleasant and had the best views overlooking the beach and Busselton Jetty. I would try this place again. Also they do not sell geese and they never have which is a bit deceptive due to the name.

Lamb with beetroot

Location: Geographe Bay Road (adjacent to the base of the Busselton Jetty)

Busselton WA 6280

http://www.thegoose.com.au/contact-location/

Blackbird Restaurant, East Perth

I came here for lunch and the place was pleasant with nice views overlooking the lake leading towards the Swan River. For entrée's we had the duck parfait which was very tasty but wasn't filling as it came with toasted baguette rounds for dipping.

For the mains I had the steak which came with chips. It was carefully crafted however, it wasn't really steak as it was more like small beef strips but surprisingly, it filled me up and was cooked to perfection. The chips were small but thickly cut and had a nice crisp to them. If I had it for dinner I would probably would still be hungry after the meal though as it was a small serve.

For dessert, the berry sorbet was okay and refreshing with cubes of watermelon and candied walnuts that accompanied the dish. The chocolate tart was very rich and smooth. This was better out of the two desserts. There were a few mozzies flying around due to the hot weather and one went into my water, but other than that the service was great and I would come here again.

Duck parfait 

Toasted baguette rounds 

Steak and chips 

Berry sorbet, watermelon and candied walnuts 

Chocolate tart 

http://blackbirdrestaurant.com.au/menu.html