Il Padrino Cafe

One of my friend's love this place and eats at this place weekly.  For lunch one day I joined him.  Il Padrino Cafe has been an institution in Northbridge for a while now and fairly recently moved on to James Street due to construction work at its old location.

Expect to be seated quickly and your drinks order taken by an abrupt lady.  Some may be slightly shocked but she's been there a while now and the regulars are used to it.  Pizza and pasta are the main fare here and there is quite a selection of pizzas to choose from.  Pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired oven, clearly visible from the dining area.  I order the Il Padrino pizza.

The Il Padrino pizza comes after a brief wait.  The Il Padrino pizza is topped with mushroom, prosciutto and chilli flakes.  I tuck in and the pizza and the combination of ingredients and the way it is cook is a great combination.  The pizza isn't too cheesy or too greasy and the small amount of chilli gives it a tiny kick.  A pizza can feed two but take note that the pizzas are on thin pizza bases.

The pizza is eaten as a whole in short while, polished off by a refreshing Peroni.

Il Padrino Cafe is a great place to go for pizza for lunch, dinner or a late night snack after a night on the town.

The service is quite friendly and you will be asked if everything is OK and if you need new drinks.

Ratings:
Food - 7.0 - Pizza is great.  Won't find many better.
Value - 1.0 - Lunch specials, watch out for drink prices.

Final rating: 80%

Finer Details:
 

Tra Vinh

For those who read this blog (is there anyone out there?) one can conclude that I like my Vietnamese food, especially pho.  One of the places I usually go to is Tra Vinh.

Tra Vinh is a casual and popular Vietnamese eatery in the north of Perth.  When seated expect a menu and complimentary chinese tea.  The menu is quite extensive but I order my usual, pho with raw beef and beef ball.  I also order some stuffed chicken wings.

 Since I am here for lunch, all dishes arrive at the same time.  I get stuck into the chicken wings which are pretty ugly.  The inside contains several items, chicken, pork and herbs are in there.  However it is dry and even dipping in the accompanying dipping sauce doesn't take the edge of.  A disappointment.  The pho comes with the obligatory vietnamese mint, bean sprouts and chilli.  I throw in the sprouts and chilli, give the bowl a bit of a stir and have a taste.  The pho is tasty, unfortunately the chilli wasn't hot so it's missing the kick that I like.  There are plenty of noodles, beef and beef ball.  The pho gets tastier as you eat more of it but it seems to be lacking something.

The service is pretty good if not engaging.  I use to like this place better and the stuffed chicken wings had tarnished the meal.  I think the chef has changed which as resulted in a slight drop in quality and taste.


Ratings:
Food - 6.0 - Pho is good.  Skip the stuffed chicken wings.
Value - 1.0 - typical prices.

Final rating: 70%

Finer Details:

Dragon Palace - Dinner at a dim sum favourite

It was a cold and wet night so off to Northbridge for a bite.  Dragon Palace was the choice for tonight and we were seated in the noisy restaurant (courtesy of a wedding).  Tea was served as we waited for our courses to arrive. 

The first course served was large steamed oysters dressed in soy sauce, shaoxing wine and spring onions.  The oysters were large, at least 2 inches in length.  With that sort of marinade it was cooked in, the dish was very tasty and a nice and light way to start the meal.

Next course was Peking duck, a traditional dinner opener.  The crispy fried duck skin was carved from the duck itself on a trolley brought to the table and before too long, 10 tasty pancakes were on our dinner table.  All the elements were there, spring onion and hoi sin sauce along with the duck skin on top of a delicate pancake.  The whole thing was a bit chewy, the culprit being the duck skin.  Also watch out when eating this dish as the hoi sin sauce was leaking from the edges.

The second half of Peking duck soon arrived, much quickly than we had expected.  Sang choy bao was served which is a lettuce leaf with a filling of stir fried duck mince and vegetables.  Usually the mince is from the same duck but due to the how quick this dish was served, I believe this wasn't the case here.  This is slightly disconcerting as I don't think some people will get the rest of the duck when they order Peking duck.

The rest of dinner arrived soon after.  One of these dishes was prawns fried in a salted egg yolk batter.  The texture of the prawns along with the saltiness and egginess of the batter was a great combination.  I recommend you order this if you ever come to this restaurant.  The prawns didn't feel like plastic and the batter wasn't just an after thought (a problem I've had at other places with a similar dish).

The other dish was the kang kong in sambal.  The amount of kang kong was disappointing and the dish was quite salty.  I prefer this vegetable simply stir fried with garlic.  No one went back for seconds.

The staff and service were OK but got worse as the night went on.  A ordered a simple lemonade which did not arrive at all.  Our chinese teapot was not refilled in the last hour which was another disappointment.

To conclude, Dragon Palace is best known as oen of the best places for dim sum.  I whole heartedly agree but on the otherhand, dinner is not the best.  The place is average with some stand out dishes but would not be somewhere I would take people for a special dinner.

Ratings:
Food - 5.0 - Food is average.
Value - 0.8 - Some dishes not as generous as others.

Final rating: 58%

Finer Details:

Lido - Vietnamese (not lemonade)

For those expecting a review of the cheap lemonade of the same name, I apologise but this is a review of the Vietnamese Restaurant in Northbridge.

Struggling to decide where to go for lunch, the decision was finally made to go to Lido.  Good things have been heard of this place and we were quickly seated upon arrival.  The menu was quite vast with some dishes I have not seen in other similar Vietnamese eateries.  I decided to go with my staple choices of raw beef and beef ball pho and a ice cendol.  Breaking out of the mould I ordered the stuffed chicken wings too.

The wait for food was short and my pho was soon delivered with a side dish containing the usual bean sprouts, chilli and vietnamese mint.  In went the sprouts and chilli as the stuffed chicken wings arrived, but more on the chicken later.  The pho was different from other places and was quite pleasant.  However it could have been a little bit hotter, maybe it was the wintery weather outside making me wanting something hotter.  The raw beef was now cooked and tasted great.  The beef ball was the best version I've had in Perth and its tenderness suggested it was quite fresh and not stored in a freezer (well not for long anyway).

The stuffed chicken wings were hot so we let them rest for a while.  When the eager wait was over I eagerly bit into the stuffed chicken wing goodness.  Inside was chicken, ground pork and some carrot.  The inside was tasty and moist and the wings were not greasy.  This suggested the wings were fresh and cooked at an appropriate temperature oil.  Vietnamese dipping sauce was also provided which added some nice balance.  I think next time I come to Lido, I'll try the broken rice with a serving of these stuffed chicken wings (just) for myself!

The staff were very friendly and the restaurant inside looked much cleaner and modern than other similar places.  I do recommend a visit, for dinner or for lunch, if you are out for some Vietnamese.  Bookings I assume will be essential.

Ratings:
Food - 7.0 - Quality of food is higher than other similar places.
Value - 1.0 - Average prices.

Final rating: 80%

Finer Details:

To To - For your Pho fix

I don't know about you, but when the topic of Vietnamese food comes up, two things immediately pop in my head.  Pho and Vietnamese spring rolls.  These two dishes are light and nothing beats a light lunch.  Luckily for me Toto in Victoria Park is on hand to supply my Pho fix.

There are several types of Pho combinations to choose from.  Raw beef, cooked beef, tripe and beef ball are mixed and matched in several combinations.  Not one partial to offal, my choice of pho is the raw beef and beef ball combination.
The tasty pho is served with a narrow flat rice noodle and the said beef.  Most of the raw beef is cooked through by the time it arrives the table.  Bean sprouts, mint and a sauce are served in a accompanying bowl, to add at the diner's discretion.  The pho itself is tasty and the taste of cloves is clearly evident.  The once raw beef and beef balls and nice but fifferent textures.  I usually just only add the bean sprouts to add a different texture and pass on the mint.  I'm sure the mint would add some extra depth but I now ask for some cut chilli to give me a heat kick instead.  I definitely recommend adding the chilli for people who like a bit of heat.  There is a disappointing aspect of the pho though and that is the addition of MSG.  I know when there is a MSG in a dish as my mouth feels a bit numb on the inside and I am thirsty.  Depending on the day, the MSG is sometimes more or less evident than another day's pho.

Toto also has extensive drinks list.  The Vietnamese iced coffee is definitely something to try.  Other classics such as cendo are on the menu but most of the drinks are not made from fresh ingredients.

The service is quite good and friendly and the kitchen seems to be able to keep up with the popularity of this place.  I haven't had the chance to have dinner at Toto but bookings are recommended as I know this place gets very busy.

So next time you are in Victoria Park and need your Pho fix, give Toto a try.  It may not blow you away like a tornado in Kansas but it's pretty good.


Ratings:
Food - 6.0 - Good tasty food  Minus points for MSG use.
Value - 1.0 - Average prices.

Final rating: 70%

Finer Details:

Jackson's

Another fine dining institution of Perth which I was dying to try out finally came to fruition one quiet Saturday night.  After a short and cool leisurely stroll along Beaufort Street, we entered with due expectation.  Expectation duly met and more.

Degustation was the choice of fare for the night and after a wickedly refreshing champagne cocktail I was ready for a good meal.  A serving of bread and butter tempered my hunger before the actual degustation began.

First thing not on the menu was a Greek salad in a cornet.  Small cones were filled with a filling of cone, filled with Persian feta, gazpacho sorbet, anchovy, smoked salmon, red onion,a little lettuce topped with a olive tapenade.  Packed with lots of flavour and creamy goodness, this was a great start to the night.

First course was an interpretation of a chicken caesar salad.  Baby cos lettuce leaves, shaved parmesan, white anchovies, jamon and quail egg ticked all the boxes of a caesar salad

Second course was poached salmon with a vanilla dust topped with horseradish alongside a beetroot risotto.  The salmon was warm and I could taste the vanilla but something was missing.  The beetroot risotto was however divine.

Next thing not on the menu was two chicken parfaits. Pate fans this is your dish.  The chicken liver flavour was strong and lingered.  Insert refreshing alcohol beveridge here.

Back to the menu was the "steamed bun".  The "steamed bun" was actually scallop mouse in the classic shape of a steamed bun.  Light and sweet, are two words that describe heaven and I wouldn't be surprised they munched on these up there.

The bisteeya was next.  A tasty dish, flavours true to its Morrocan roots.

Next course was the main.  Beef or Pork were the two choices available and I chose the pork.  Crispy belly pork was accompanied with crispy pig's tails and deboned pork trotter.  Black pudding added for extra adventure.  All the components were delicious.  A letdown was that the pork trotter was not completely deboned.

To perk up spirits again, another dish not on the menu was served.  Beetroot ice cream on a chocolate torte, garnished with a mint leaf was the perfect entree to the sweet section of the meal.  Beetroot is a great food item and doesn't just belong in burgers!

The much anticipated pumpkin cheesecake came next.  The cheesecake itself was silky smooth.  Small cubes of sweet pumpkin were delicious not to mention the accompanying dollop of hazelnut ice cream.

More adventure was next with the curry creme brulee.  Yes it was a creme brulee.  And yes it did taste like curry.  I'd like it better to had this as the pre-dessert as having a curry taste in the mouth at the end of the meal wasn't all that pleasant.

I took the gambit and ordered the coffee.  Disappointment again.  It seems great food and great coffee do not mix.

The degustation was great and some would say be better that the one served at Restaurant Amuse.  The service was great, best in Perth I have experienced.  All the meals were the expected high quality and meal flowed well from beginning to end.  Some of the wait staff need to work on their knowledge of each dish but that did not really detract from the experience.  Jackson's set the bar high and maintained this standard throughout the meal.  All the bonus courses would leave many a diner that much satisfied.  The edge that Restaurant Amuse has is most of its dishes are truly out there.  Jackson's does that to much smaller degree but you are guaranteed a great tasty experience as a whole.

Ratings:
Food - 7.6- Consistently great food.
Value - 1.7 - Bonus dishes mean great value.

Final rating: 93%

Finer Details:

Restaurant Amuse

Being a foodie who is trying to be hip in the world of fine dining in Perth, Restaurant Amuse was a long time coming.  We were seated in a side room near the main entrance, dimly lit, which seems to be ambience fad these days.

A waiter took our drinks order and after a while, first course was served which was an Amuse Bouche consisting of frozen foie gras,white chocolate ganache and a combination of lumpfish caviar and salmon roe.  The combination of flavours was a match made in heaven and at the end of the night, thia was my favourite course.

Next was blue fin tuna sashimi served as small cubes with watermelon cubes on top of a horseradish granita.  Being a big fan of most things raw, I very much liked the dish, especially the contrast between sweetness contributed by the watermelon and the spiciness of the horseradish granita.  A perfect summer day's dish.

The next course delivered was the barrramundi, squid and mojama served on arroz negra.  I've had arroz negra many times before and suggest those who haven't tried it, to look past the black colour and give it a go.  The dish was cooked well but lacked the wow factor for me of the previous two courses.

The main course was up next which consisted of a medallion of MSA graded Cape Grimm beef with baby carrots, marrow ball with a borderlaise sauce.  The beef was cooked to perfection and the bordelaise sauce was indeed tasty.  A contender for best dish.

The pre-dessert was the next to be served.  This course consisted of vanilla and walnut ice cream with white chocolate and walnut shavings.  I'm sure the last sentence would have made many mouths water.  Even better when you actually try it yourself

The dessert course came next. Passionfruit bavarois with coconut espuma was served nestled closely to guava sorbet elegantly wrapped in a passionfruit strap.  A very good looking dessert which didn't taste too bad either.

Petit fours concluded the food portion of the meal. Two delicious chocolate truffles and a chocolate brownie each sweetened the deal, so to speak.

Coffee was served but like most other fine dining places in Perth, one should pass on the coffee and go to a better barista.

The meal as a whole was worthwhile experience, albeit a long one.  Thirty minute waits between each course was too long and the night seemed to drag out.  Maybe it was our seats in the quiet side room which may have made the wait between courses seem long and drawn out.  Make sure you take someone you can chat to a lot!  The waitstaff were attentive to ones wishes but the experience was better when someone from the kitchen served a course, their passion behind the dish obvious and warming.  I wish I had more of that or if the non-kitchen waitstaff shared the passion of their kitchen-side compatriots.  Instead of being a bunch of short stories told one after the another, the meal could have been an thrilling adventure with the audience eagerly awaiting the next scene.  With the food up to a high standard, hopefully the service will soon catch up.

Ratings:
Food - 7.7 - Hard to find better in Perth.
Value - 1.5 - Good value for the quality of dishes.

Final rating: 92%

Finer Details: