Greenhouse (Perth)

Address: 100 St. Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000
Tel: (08) 9481 8333
Website: http://www.greenhouseperth.com

The concept behind Greenhouse is commendable - everything is sustainable, renewable and the shopfitout is made entirely of recycled materials.

I first heard of this restaurant from reading an inflight magazine as a 'highly recommended' by Neil Perry in Perth. My faith in his taste has diminished drastically after my experience at Greenhouse - a good 'concept' is about where the buck stops.

Below: Muddled homemade lemonade

Below: Earl Grey Iced Lemon Tea - strange, commendable for the innovation but I really only drank it because it was 30+ degrees.


Above: Complementary bread with dipping oil - yes that is a jar lid. And random bit of plywood.

Below: Pasta of the day - fettucine, spinach with cherry tomatoes and fetta cheese. This was probably one of the better lunch choices because it was at least served on a plate that looked like they might have washed at least once!


Above: Scotch fillet with a summer salad - this was utterly repulsive - not only was I questioning if I would survive from salmonella/e.coli poisoning eating off this used plywood, but the beef was worse than eating an old leather shoe.

Fortunately the wait staff had a conscience enough not to charge me for the meal, but what utter disappointment.

I don't usually give bad reviews but I have to make an exception here - the menu looks better on paper than on execution. Expect to wait an eternity for your meal, and it appears the only way you can enjoy your meal here is heavily intoxicated or in pitch black darkness which is the peak time for the people with more dollars (or skanky clothing) than sense to hang out on a Friday night.

Fremantle Markets

Address: Corner of Henderson St & South Tce, Fremantle, WA
Website: http://www.fremantlemarkets.com.au/
Trading Hours:
The Yard - Fri 8am-8pm, Sat & Sun 8am-6pm, Mon Public Holidays 8am-6pm
The Hall - Fri 9am-8pm, Sat & Sun 9am-6pm, Mon Public Holidays 9am-6pm

I love market food and Fremantle has been the friendliest part of Perth that I've visited thus far - great beaches and relaxed vibe. The Freo markets are no different - random market food, trinkets and fresh produce from the WA region.


Above & Below: I had never had crepe suzette before but this was just utterly delightful - a thin crepe made with orange juice for that hint of citrus tang, rolled up for a convenient snack. I haven't been to Europe yet so this has certainly been an intriguing precursor for future travels.


Below: Bratwurst (German Sausages) is also on offer here - not bad, but not as good as the ones at Eumundi markets. I think the main problem was that the sausages lacked that extra crispy texture & burst of flavour in the skin, and the accompanying saukraut literally tasted like it just came out of the tin (heat it up, hide the tin - SOMETHING).

Below: Savoury Curry Pies which I got sucked into - but about 2 bites in, I knew that food poisoning was coming if I were to take any more. Be really careful - often pies mean yesterdays (or last weeks) leftovers.


Above & below: Chocolate-dipped strawberries - the best I have tasted so far. They have struck the perfect balance by not using an overly-sweet milk chocolate that highlights the sourness of the strawberries, that being said the strawberries were large, plump and perfectly in season.

Crumpet (Perth)

Address: 8/885 Albany Highway, East Victoria Park WA 6101
Tel: (08) 9355 0901

Ok brace yourselves - I am a self-confessed crumpet hater. I hate the flavourless, cardboard-like texture that doesn't seem to absorb the 0.5kg of honey you just poured on it. Oh whoops - then you discover they get soggy - like a failed pikelet.

That is - until I tried the homemade crumpets @ Crumpet here in Perth.

I stumbled upon this little treasure from one of my friends directing me to another food blogger called The Food Pornographer's website for Perth food ideas. Kudos to you - you have good taste!!!

Below: are the most scrumptious crumpets you will ever taste... on the top 5 list of things I'd like to eat before death row. Simple homemade crumpets served with butter & honey - they were fluffy, melt-in-your mouth yet slightly crispy around the edges to give that extra savoury texture.

That was just the entree - for mains: Beef & Bacon burger with caramelised onion, cheddar and house pickles, served with chips & aioli.


Above: It was about 30+ degrees and I just craved something lighter & more refreshing so opted for the Vietnamese noodle salad with poached chicken, chilli, peanuts & herbs tossed through sesame ginger dressing. This was a really lovely recreation of a classic Vietnamese dish - I loved the crunch of those carrots and the coriander & mint herbiness!

Give me an unlimited ticket around Australia and Crumpet is my Perth institution!

Muzz Buzz Drive-Thru Coffee

Address: Various locations throughout WA, VIC, SA, North QLD
Website: http://www.muzzbuzz.com/au/

I feel quite seedy blogging about Drive-Thru coffee but this was the only passable I coffee (prepared by the right barista) on the way to work I could find. That being said, when prepared by the wrong barista, tasted like dirty dishwater.

I was hauntingly attached to the Cheese & Ham Bagel though - such a guilty pleasure in life - eating something cooked in its own shrink wrap.

Below: the devilish Ham & Cheese Bagel I speak of - the cheese is in between a usual cheddar & that fake American cheese served @ McDonalds, and the ham is a thick cut slab of salty goodness. The bagel itself is a softer consistency (slight stiffer than a brioche) and didn't want to take out half the gums in the top of your mouth like usual bagels do.


I can't quite put my finger on it - maybe its the purple & green logo with subliminal messages - but that bagel was GOOD! Its kind of like when Tony Stark in Iron Man craves an American cheeseburger - I crave this random processed ham & cheese bagel from halfway across Australia!

The Left Bank Cafe Bar Restaurant

Address: 15 Riverside Road, East Fremantle WA 6158

Get Directions

Tel: (08) 9319 1315
Website: http://www.leftbank.com.au



Above: Steak with hand-cut chips and salad - looks the real deal!

Below: My confession is that I cannot recall what this dish was called - but it was thoroughly enjoyable with a tomato-based sauce that was almost a fusion between Morrocan/Italian and I think the protein in this was proscuitto/bacon wrapped pork/scallops or prawns (can't remember).


Above: Bleeding Hearts with fresh strawberries and raspberry coulis - a standout dessert made of heart-shaped ricotta - great innovation & flavour.

Below: Chocolate mousse - I was too overfed to finish my chocolate mousse - the serving size was perhaps too large and the flavour a bit too liquerish for my liking.


I didn't have much luck with the Perth restaurant scene but my meal at Left Bank was one of the more memorable ones - the menu shows great versatility & innovation, showcasing dishes from several nationalities.

If in Perth, stop by The Left Bank Restaurant for a nice, relaxed meal guaranteed to excite your tastebuds.

Cafe Del Pescatore (Scarborough Beach, WA)

Address: 1 Manning Street, Scarborough WA 6019

Get Directions

Tel: (08)9245 3525
Website: http://cafedelpescatore.com.au/ (don't know if this is official because it looks like it needs a bit more work)
Trading Hours: 7 days, for lunch & dinner

Above: WA scallops - these were fantastic and got my tastebuds excited for the next course. Cooked well, tomato bruschetta-esque dressing was a fresh accompaniment to this dish.

Below: Seafood Bruschetta - another great entree. Very rich with a seafood sauce and prawns but tasty and well executed.


Above: Marinara Spaghetti.

Above: Grilled Barramuni with spinach & pumpkin salad - this was terrible, such a let down. The barramundi didn't taste as though it was seasoned at all and was one-dimensional against an undressed spinach leaf and boiled pumpkin salad. I would have liked to see the pumpkin roasted with crisped edges for some texture but I seriously struggled to eat this as a meal.

Apart from being like 50m from the beach - this restaurant has little to offer except for those scallops which I should have ordered as a main and stopped there. Fairly overpriced restaurant for the quality and innovation displayed during my visit - WA has great seafood but they just couldn't bring the best out in the mains.

Cicerello's (Perth)

Address: Fisherman's Wharf, 44 Mews Road, Fremantle WA 6160
Tel: (08) 9335 1911
Website: http://www.cicerellos.com.au/
Trading Hours: 10.00am to 9.00pm, 7 Days A Week

This was the first recommendation to me by Perth locals - best Fish & Chips in WA is a big claim to fame. It is more renowned as a tourist attraction in Fremantle - a scenic picnic lunch on the desk facing the water, hoping your fish came from this very harbour. Indoors is a large fishtank display - that runs throughout the store, and also through the rest rooms!

Below: Grilled Barramundi with Chips & Salad.


Above: Cicerello's delight - this was really a platter for 2, but I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. Clearly I should have ordered the battered fry-up because this was way too much - octopus (hardly flavoured), grilled Barramundi with flavourless octopus rubbed on it, some mussels which I wish were bigger and more intensely flavoured served with salad and tartare sauce. Very lacklustre - I think it was a Greek-style seafood offering but I can't say I've had any good experiences.

Great to go to as a spectacle and if you're in the area but take my advice and order from the deep fry menu as you are less likely to be disappointed.