Darlings Supper Club

Welcome back, Darlings. Darlings Supper Club was one that was opened with a bang that slowly fizzled out. Rest assured, it's back now, hand in hand with Sam Astbury's voice booming "Warm Sake!"

For many of us in Perth, the notion of a late night eatery that actually serves good food is laughable and an idea that never eventuates past late night talks at McDonalds going "wouldn't it be great if an actual restaurant was open until 3am?" So when Darlings Supper Club first came on the scene, many of us were excited and eager to try this new late night eatery that boasted dumplings until the wee hours. The appeal was there but the flavour in the foods served was not.

I had gone to Darlings with Iris a few months before their menu makeover and although the food was sub-par, I am now glad that I had visited. The review was never posted because I didn't feel that it was worth posting about - it was a check in on Facebook before the night began and nothing else. The dumplings were watery, flavourless and didn't have that little pocketful of juicy goodness that exploded into your mouth as soon as you bit into them. The squid was too salty and tough and the chicken and mushroom noodles, although possessing all the right ingredients, just didn't get past bland on the tastebud scale. We didn't stay there for dessert.

After a complete revamp and an almost 180 degree turn around, this late night Asian Fusion eatery now welcomes new Head Chef Joel Robert, Thailand Iron alum by the nickname "The Chopper" and Youngwoo, "Sashimi King" from South Korea. The food is rich in flavour and character, beautifully presented and wonderfully done. Darlings is finding its feet again.

Don't let their previously poor reputation deter your, you'll be missing out on their lovely outdoor alfresco area and their new and delicious array of dishes. The blogger's lunch was kicked off with a new take on the Japanese Slipper - the Hanzo, a mix of whisky, lemon, dandelion bitters, orange oil, midori, absinthe and lemon. Simon Hough, the resident mixologist,  handed me the Hello Kitty Spritz, a tasty and girly mix of sake, coconut and blueberry jam, citrus, peychaud bitters and prosecco. Even teh tarik came along for the show.

The first dish was a deep fried quail egg with a thin layer of crisp crumbs on the outside, starkly complementing the softness of the purposely half cooked egg inside. I would have loved a bit more runniness of the yolk though. The lap cheong provided that bit of saltiness it needed, but it was sadly gone in one bite. After the egg, the dishes flowed smoothly. The sashimi was good - I love sashimi, but I was a little disappointed that there was only one type of fish on the plate and no wasabi. However these minor things aside, the wakame salad was delicious and the atlantic salmon itself was expertly cut into heavenly slices.

I'm not used to eating Vietnamese spring rolls in peanut sauce, I'm more a hoisin kind of gal but nonetheless it mixed together well enough. The scallops were cooked beautifully, the flesh being tender and smooth. The coriander and blood pudding gave the contrast in taste and colour it so desperately needed. They worked very well in terms of texture and flavour, complementing the scallop but I wasn't convinced with the potato foam.

The octopus was cooked well, crunchy and just the right amount of salt if you picked it off the rest of the dish and ate it alone. However, as I got to the noodles I found them a bit too salty for my liking. The pork belly came out in ribbons atop of a coconut, lychee and beansprout salad. Luckily for me, Jenelle and Em weren't too fond of lychees so I got to ravish those up. The pork meat was soft but taught at the same time, the fat almost melting in your mouth, I found myself trying to discreetly wriggle off the stuck pork crackle that had somehow opted for a career change and had become stuck candy.

Almost everyone went quiet as the braised beef cheek came out and was placed on our respective tables. We waited patiently as each took photos and then slowly picked up our chopsticks, armed and ready to dive into the meat before us. And did we dive. The braised beef cheek was layer upon layer of interesting flavours that simply worked with the coriander pesto and red cabbage marmalade. The meat seemed to fall off of itself when you so much as prodded it with your chopsticks, collapsing in a tender heap of deliciousness that was devoured almost instantly.

Almost everything is designed to share (although let's be real here, I'm probably able to have an entire plate of the braised beef cheek to myself - it's almost too good to share) and I would recommend each person ordering 1 - 2 dishes, but this depends on how many of you there are and how much you can eat collectively.

With the mains done, a cart of macarons and the Darling's take on the Snickers bar was wheeled out before us. The salty sweet peanuts in the middle of the bar with the spiced condensed milk were a highlight, however the bar was a bit rich for my liking. Matthew ate the whole thing so he must have liked it, he then took my peanut butter macaron out of my hands and in one fell swoop scoffed that down too before I could take my second bite. From what I had taken though, the macaron was a nice sweet crafted by ex Vue de Monde pastry chef Brendan Owen.

I'm really pleasantly surprised at how keen the driving force behind Darlings were to reset their eatery back on track. I'm happy to say that it's definitely taken a step up since the last time I visited. Although I haven't been able to try any dumplings, I have been assured they've also had a sincere revision. The team have done a good job. Do be aware that it's very Westernised. You won't be finding authentic Asian cuisine the way the locals do it, perhaps a forewarning for any taking Asian families to Darlings. But if anyone needs me, I'll be at Darlings, a plate full of braised beef held in my hands.

Address:
47 Lake Street, Northbridge

Opening Hours:
Wednesday - Saturday: 3pm - 3am
Sunday: 12pm - 10am

Pasta Fiends

I thoroughly enjoy Jamie's Italian. Furthermore I enjoy it most with my lovely friend Annie. Jamie's is often jam packed full of people and for the first few months of its opening you would be incredibly fortunate to get a table during normal lunch and dinner hours. Of course we were incredibly delighted when the waitress told us she had a little table available.

It's still fairly booked out for dinners and requires bookings in advance. Sometimes you do get lucky and going for a slightly earlier dinner will find you waiting about ten minutes before you soon find yourself tucking into the food on offer on their menu.

Fabulous food and even better company, Jamie's Italian provided a great backdrop to our Friday date-night catch up. We weren't disappointed and enjoyed a super evening. Note: the Tagliatelle Bolognese and the Spaghetti Alla Norma are especially yummy. For some reason every time Annie and I venture out, it's pasta we find sitting in front of us.  I loved the way the assorted bread was presented in a little noodle box with just the right amount of balsamic and olive oil, I was almost tempted to order another box.

Dinner was followed with a trip to Superstar Waffles, hand in hand with a green tea latte. It was a fantastic night full of thigh slapping laughs, the talk of travel plans and hilarious discussions surrounding incidents at work. We found ourselves engrossed in deep conversation, the type where we forget where we are and what perhaps we should or should not allow for public consumption. But oh well!

Bill's Bar and Bites

It's not often we manage to pull together our ex-Chinese Language class to grab a bite to eat. That's not to say that tonight was an exception to the rule either - it certainly wasn't. We were still missing faces from the large cohort of our beginners class we had all met in three years ago, but it's still quite a triumph if we manage to round up more than four people for a feast!

Bills Bar and Bites was a great pick by Chantel. I had previously only known of its existence from the type and hand lettering work shops that Stacey had organised with The Articulate. Once walking up to it, I realised that in a past life, Bill's Bar and Bites was infamously known as Seedy Leedy, a hotel/bar you never particularly wanted to visit, especially on a Wednesday night. Once you enter you can barely tell that it was once a shabby raucous pub. Under new management and accompanied with a sweet make over, Bills Bar and Bites is exactly what its name heralds.

Mostly a bar but also home to a few yummy bites (try the duck cigars and the ceviche, yum!) it's a great option for sharing among friends. You also have sriracha hot chilli sauce for that little extra kick if you want it - and for Chantel it's almost a prerequisite to most of her tapas foods. The grilled bread is a cheeky addition for $2 and you may find yourself slathering on excess condiments and spreads from plates of food you've ordered that somehow hadn't made it into your mouth and are now doing so on bread.

Roomy, open and with a great soundtrack playing in the background, Bills proves to be a place worth returning to, albeit a little after saving up. The tapas does start to add up (especially where concerned with the duck cigars or the courgettes at $6 each) but it isn't the most expensive place that I've had tapas. Bills boasts a large dining area with a warm atmosphere and outside seating.

It was the first time having ceviche and we were urged to try it by Mark. There's a first time for everything and this ceviche was delicious. I kept coming back to it and tried my hardest to share with my friends but found it so difficult. The fish was so fresh, wonderfully cut and the slivers of onions added bite and texture to the smoothness of the meat. I practically stole two thirds off of Meng's plate.

Meng and I had a dessert each (probably over stuffed ourselves too). Unfortunately it was the only dessert offered on the menu and the very fact that there weren't any other choices firmly reminded me of the fact that this place was exactly that, a bar with some bites. I was naive to think they would do a smorgasbord of desserts. That being said the brioche was quite nice, although the chocolate got quite heavy with the bread after a while but luckily the mascarpone and caramel apples (now pears on the menu) were sweet reprieves.

Sometimes all you need is a big wooden table, a couple of candles and some good food and good drinks to spark deep conversation. Bills provides that and I'll definitely be suggesting it as a place to go next time my friends are looking for somewhere to hit up. Bill's.

Address: 

742 Newcastle Street, Leederville

Opening Hours:

Monday - Thursday: 4:00pm - 12:00am
Friday: 2:00pm - 12:00am
Saturday: 12:00pm - 1:00am
Sunday: 12:00pm - 10:00pm

Pappa Rich

Pappa Rich is seemingly one of Dan's favourite spots for food. The staff are fast and efficient, friendly and welcoming. The way food is ordered is the same system as you'd find in most restaurants in Asia and for many people who have every had to order bubble tea in Perth, will find their ordering systems are quite familiar... The food is of course, very good.

The food portions were big and I do feel we went a little over board, but we could take it home for take away. When a restaurant lets you get take away with no extra charge for containers, it gets a big tick in my books. We couldn't actually fit all of what we had ordered on the table and resulted in using the nearby window sill to place a dish or two. 

In Perth it's quite hard to find authentic Malaysian food. Although quite close to it - and actually much better than most other Malaysian restaurants I've eaten at, Papa Rich is missing that little something. I can't quite put my finger on what it is. The satay is some of the best I have had, the peanut sauce is thick but not too thick that it resembles peanut butter and the nasi lemak was really good also. Maybe the missing rice with the satay dish was it, or perhaps it was the lack of colour in the ice kachang, however I still sense that its flavours are catering to a more western palate. For a go-between, it's super great food. 

Nonetheless we all left Pappa Rich with very contented bellies and extra food to take home. 

Address:

101 James Street, Northbridge

Opening Hours:

Monday - Thursday and Sunday: 10:30am - 9:30pm

Friday - Saturday : 10:30am - 10:30pm

Sunday Saloon

Unpretentious, honest food is always a good idea. Good food with good people is an even better one. Meet Chantel, an old soul with the warmest of hearts. It's been too long and far between catch ups with this lovely girl. We often find ourselves asking each other why it's taken so long to finally manage to lock in some one on one time and more often than not it's because of clashing and competing schedules, the daily grind (not the good coffee kind) and a bad case of terrible timing. 

It's always wonderful to catch up with Chantel. Hands are placed on the table, sometimes held, other times hitting each other with laughter. Our conversation hopped from topic to topic - love, loss and new achievements. Goals we promised ourselves we'd reach and obstacles we hadn't realised we had overcome. All of which were discussed of course, over Low Key's delectable delights. 

Low Key was buzzing, the warm lights from inside shone out the windows along the Oxford Strip and was a recluse from the cool Sunday evening. Tables had been snaffled up but Chan had the forethought to book ahead and we found ourselves in the corner of the restaurant by the window. 

Some pondering was done and recommendations were made from someone who seemingly frequents Low Key a little too often. New dishes were tried and tested, wine was had and snaps to jealous friends were taken. The gyoza was placed on our table first. Next came the mantou buns (seriously too good although I don't think anything will beat the first time I tried them) and our satay and kimchi salad soon followed. The lovely night was wrapped up with an azuki and strawberry crepe and a five spice sticky date pudding with warm butterscotch and a generous dollop of ice cream. 

The rest of the night was spent discussing men, awkward situations and the good old days. Words were read and giggled about and boosts of earnest encouragement from both parties along the lines of "If she can do it, I can do it too!" were expressed with fists clenched. Chantel is an avid writer and I know that in the future she will wonderfully affect the hearts of all those who are lucky to have her words grace them. Until her inevitable best seller is published it's journal scribblings and notepads from here. 

Thank you Chan for putting the time aside for such a lovely night, one that ended in hard goodbyes and promises of funny pictures of men making bad decisions. 

Low Key Chow House

Low Key Chow House is a new eatery in Leederville, a few doors down from 50ml and smack bang in the middle of the food strip along Oxford Street. It's completely unsuspecting from the outside, marked by an "Open" sign with mahjong pieces and a good luck charm.

The restaurant isn't as quiet as it looks in the photos above, it was actually really buzzing when Matthew and I got there although we had missed the lunch crowd at about 1.30 in the afternoon. We also hung about for so long that we were the last customers there, which was okay for me since it gave me free reign to take whatever photographs I wanted, with the permission of the manager of course.

The stripped back walls and floorboards bode well with the new and refined china, tables and wine glasses. The menu is a fun reflection of the attitude of the guys serving the food and the chow house itself. Famous lines from famous kung fu movies are coupled with cool Asian gangsters - icons from all sorts of Asian countries and dishes that go hand in hand with them.

I would suggest between two people, two or three shares and a main with dessert, or four or five shares and dessert, whichever dessert that is you choose. Matthew and I couldn't do that so we went with "3rd Base" which was probably the best idea and we got to sample three out of the four desserts on offer. All of which were delicious. However a head's up with the fried ice cream, that thing is messy! Gula melaka with sago, 5 spice sticky date pudding and salted caramel fried ice cream made 3rd Base.

As it was Matthew's birthday lunch (Happy 21st ya buttface) he chose the main and we both agreed steadfastly on our shares. You would be out of your mind if you gave the Mantou buns - candied caramel pork belly in the most beautiful steamed bun I've ever had, a miss. When you have it you'll know what I mean. We also had the Sangyeopsal and Ssamyang (you can tell it's Korean influenced) with pork belly yet again, lettuce cups, spicy dipping sauce and pickled celery. Although fried rice is an obvious and seemingly ordinary pick it was far from it, but beware of chilli!

Ever since my visit I've been dreaming about those pork mantou buns and I know there's not much stopping me from waltzing right back in for more.

Address:

140 Oxford Street, Leederville

Opening Hours:

Wednesday - Sunday: 5.30pm - 10pm

Friday - Saturday: 12pm - 10pm

Sunday: 12pm - 10pm