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: