The Wandering Gourmet |

Icey Ice is a hit new eatery in Perth, specialising in icy treats, as you can tell by the name of the eatery! We chose Icey Ice as our next Food Stories interview as the Owner agreed to reserve a table for us at the Progressive Dinner that we had a few months back. I thought I’d kind of return the favour by giving her free publicity on our site. Just like I kind of returned the favour to Cuong indirectly who had emailed us last year and quite a few times this year about his exhibition. Who says helping others doesn’t get you any where?

But anyway, I digress. Catherine Teo, the co-owner of Icey Ice, spoke to us recently about her new venture.

WG: When did you first start Icey Ice?
Catherine: We first opened on the 23rd of February 2007.

WG: What inspired you to open Icey Ice?
Catherine: We first started it because my husband (Lesley) liked it. Lesley tried it in Malaysia and introduced it to me, and we were looking to start something different that is not here in Australia. So we thought, why not bring it to Australia?

WG: Is this your first food-related venture?
Catherine: Yes it is. Previously we had a retail store but we are closing that down now to concentrate on Icey Ice.

WG: How many stores to you have in Perth?
Catherine: We have 3 stores in Perth - one in Northbridge, one in the city, and one recently opened in Victoria Park.

There is also a store in Queensland, and someone from Darwin is interested in the franchise. There is also a possibility that we may extend the franchise to NSW and Victoria, and of course the Northern Territory.

WG: Where is Icey Ice originally from?
Catherine: Icey Ice is originally from Taiwan.

WG: In your own words, would you describe Icey Ice to people who haven’t had it before… other than it’s just shaved ice with syrup and other optional toppings on it?
Catherine: It is a unique snow ice product which is hard for people to copy. In the winter, we will be bringing out a new product.

WG: What is the new product?
Catherine: The new product is a fondue. It’s ice which is dipped in a chocolate fondue. It’s $19.90 for a set, and it has biscuits, and marshmallows. There are 3 ice scoops for each set, and there are 4 different flavours.

WG: So the ball scoops are made out of ice? Won’t it melt when you dip it into the fondue?
Catherine: No we have done a lot of food testing and the ice won’t melt.

WG: What are your favourite foods?
Catherine: My favourite foods are healthy foods, like fruit and tofu. I try to incorporate this into our menu, such as using fruits to go with our ice products. I wanted to create a light, healthy dessert. Even with the chocolate fondue, there are fruits with the marshmallows and chocolate fondue.

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I’d like to congratulate the Teo’s on bringing the Icey Ice franchise and its’ tasty yet healthy desserts to Australia. We were also advised that nutritional information is available upon request for anyone who is interested to have a look at it.

To be honest, I personally was a bit amused by Icey Ice when it first started. To me it’s a bit like ice kachang or air batu campur (ABC), a well known dessert found in Malaysia and Singapore, but where the ice has different flavours. But what I find different about the ice at Icey Ice is that it’s a lot softer. I’m not sure whether it’s because they use a commercial-grade ice shaver, or whether there’s just something special about the ice. Who knows. But Icey Ice can be addictive, especially in the summer months when we’re all melting! I haven’t tried the new winter product, but it sounds good. Chocolate fondue is always good.

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Icey Ice Locations
Western Australia

Perth City Location:
Shop G02A Centro, 166 Murray Street
Perth WA 6000
Phone: 9325 9423

Northbridge Location:
Unit 2/297 William Street (next to Fu Restaurant)
Northbridge WA 6003 Australia
Phone: 9328 8058

Victoria Park Location
Shop 2/342 Albany Hwy (near Makan Makan)
Victoria Park WA 6100
Phone: 6252 7070

At this stage, apparently the Northern Territory and Queensland stores are in operation or are due to in the coming months. Please check the Icey Ice website for more details on their locations.

I was on my lunch break at work the other day, and as I do, I sat there eating observing everyone else around me. I noticed that everyone there was eating with someone, but of the few who were eating on their own, the guys were find with it, but the girls (especially the younger ones) were looking very awkward. I think it has something to do with our natural habits. We always need to be included in a group, and for those younger girls, eating alone has the connotations of being ostracized from their friends/group.

I remember the first time I had to eat alone. It was like the weirdest feeling in the world. You have never felt so alone than at that point when you are standing there, lunch in hand, starving, trying to figure out what to do. I don’t know why exactly, but it feels like the eyes of everyone in the surrounding 2km radius is watching you. They probably aren’t, but it sure felt like it. But now, because it is very hard to have the same lunch break as anybody else, I eat alone most days. And I’ve made my peace with it. I sometimes find it very calming. Strange huh?

I notice a lot of the women who eat alone, tend to call someone up on their phones. I do that sometimes, but I then hang up when I have to eat, because I can’t do the phone, hold my food and masticate at the same time. But I think there are some important things when dining alone, that really helps those first time lone diners.

1) Don’t look like it bothers you- If you look scared or worried, other will notice and stare at you more.
2) Find something to do while eating- I usually look around me and watch the people go by, but that’s because I’m weird and I like people watching. But you can bring a magazine or a book, and take your time eating. If you look like you don’t care, people think its normal and carry on their own business.
3) Take your time!!!! Sometimes eating alone can help you calm down and reflect on parts of your life. My only suggestion to this is that don’t think of something too amusing, and then crack out laughing. People will just think you are some looney and get scared of you.
4) Don’t look too angry. There is always someone else who has to dine alone and if you look friendly enough, they may come sit with you, because they don’t want to be alone either. In such situations, you have made a friend. This brings me to the next one.
5) If you do want to sit alone, and don’t want to talk to anyone. May I suggested you sit facing a wall, or at one of those side benches that they tend to have in most food courts/cafeterias. Most people who sit there usually don’t get bothered by other chatty diners.

Basically the main point I’m getting at is that there is nothing to worry about sitting alone. Most people don’t care if you are eating with one or twenty people. They are there to eat too.

Every now and again, certain things, events and information are brought to my attention. Something that recently caught my attention is the Burma Cyclone Appeal. There is an Asian Food Fair coming up this Sunday 20th of July in Fremantle. From what I understand, this event is organised by the Australia Burma Buddhist Association, the Buddhist Council of Western Australia and the Friends of Burma Cyclone Relief Fund. Admission to the event is free, and there will be food stalls with a variety of food both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The proceeds from the food fair will be donated to help those in Burma affected by the recent cyclone. For more information and to see the poster, visit the Buddhist Council of Western Australia website by clicking on the link provided above.

Seeing as this is Perth and we tend to complain about a lack of things to do, how about this event? Come along and show some support. Its for a good cause, and the weather forecast for this Sunday is suppose to be fine and sunny.

By that, I mean I wasn’t always such a coffee snob. I blame it on Italy. Italy took my erstwhile social habit and occasional study enhancing material and fanned it into the raging flames of caffeine retentiveness. That first perfect espresso - with its syrupy sweet golden crema and smooth but robust kick - has ruined me for all lesser coffees. It was truly a Eureka! moment, for me, anyway. Since then I’ve been a lot more interested in the coffee process, from where beans are sourced, to the endpoint where they are turned into the flat white that I’m drinking at the moment. It’s fantastic to know that out there heaps of people share a passion for the humble coffee bean. I’d like to give credit to Matt and Grendel for their excellent and informative blogs on food and all things coffee. Their recommendations are always spot on. The more I learn, the more I realize how little I really know about this very serious business.

Since everyone has an opinion these days on where to get the ‘best’ coffee, I thought I might share my favourite local places to grab a caffeine hit on those days when you’re burning the midnight oil, trying to wake up in time for night shift or simply wanting somewhere to catch up with friends. I guess it’s also a little nostalgic for me, as I’m moving interstate and thus won’t be frequenting these places for a while But that’s fine, as it gives me the opportunity to blog about coffee and food elsewhere These are based on location, but in no particular order. They are all very different from each other, but what they all do share are good beans and baristas who are both knowledgeable and passionate about their art. I apologise in advance for the lack of places beyond the CBD area and western suburbs; these areas are where I spend most of my time. I’d love to hear of any recommended places that I haven’t included. 

Perth

Tiger, tiger: one of my long time favourites. Set in an alleyway, it is slightly grungy yet uber hip. I’ve never been disappointed with their flat whites…and I have bought an awful lot of coffee from them over the past few years. Their breakfasts are a great way to start the day as well.

Murray Mews 329 Murray St Perth www.tigertigercoffeebar.com

Zekka: one of my friends introduced me to this place and now I’m a big fan. It’s pretty new but already serving fantastic coffee made with Campos beans (from the famous Campos in Sydney). It’s also attached to a small but pricey store. So you could have coffee and do shopping at the same time   Kings St, Perth  

Ristretto: This tiny shop in Central arcade in the city is quite hard to find, but well worth the effort. They also use Bannister Downs milk, a great local product.

Central Arcade, St George’s Terrace, Perth  

Velvet Espresso: Rounding out the coffee quartet in the CBD is Velvet. This place has been here for a number of years. I don’t venture here often but I do very much like their espressos; to me, they are bright and potent, with an almost fruity aftertaste.     

King St, Perth

Infusion: One of the few places within easy (ie. unfit trotting) distance of the hospital that makes decent coffee. One can usually smell the enticing aromas long before seeing this little shop. I like the ‘Phantom’ blend, with its smooth chocolately undertones. Also, it has free wifi, as do an increasing number of cafes these days.

Plaza Arcade, Perth

Northbridge

Urbanista: The best place to get coffee in the Northbridge vicinity in my humble opinion. It’s located in a little alleyway off William St, near Kakulas.

William’s Lane, Northbridge

North Perth

Milkd: This is a cute and cheerful café serving up good coffee in North Perth. They used Essenza beans last time I checked.

32 Angove St North Perth

Mount Lawley

Exomod: I guess the drawcards here are the one litre (!!) coffees, the extended opening hours and free wifi. However, I really like the vibe and energy of this place, which is a bit retro and colourful like the rest of the Mt Lawley café strip. And I think that the coffee is surprisingly decent. Although, I only ever get normal sized coffee…   

615 Beaufort St, Mount Lawley

Lincoln’s: Despite only being a short distance from the main café strip in Mt Lawley, this little place has a rather quaint suburban feel. They use Rubra beans and the coffee is reliably good. Their food is usually a twist on the norm, and the cakes are always enticing.

Lincoln St, Mt Lawley

Leederville

Sayers: The music is a little loud, but it’s a trendy place where people line up to get in at lunch time. Interesting food made with great produce, and good coffee.

Carr Place, Leederville

West Perth

Epic Espresso: Great coffee is guaranteed by the talented and industrious boys and girls at Epic. The latte art is probably one of their biggest drawcards, and very pretty it is too, but my friend is always happy with the black coffee here as well.

5/1297 Hay Street, West Perth http://epicespresso.com.au/

Wembley

Mooba: a charming little alfresco place that serves up potent Five-senses coffee.

Shop 5 320 Cambridge St Wembley

Subiaco

Boucla: one of my favourites, this place is crammed to the max with non-matching furniture, pieces of art and kitchenware. The cakes are lovely and the baristas know how to get the best out of the Fiori beans they use.

349 Rokeby Rd, Subiaco

Nedlands

Cimbalino: where I go for coffee when I don’t feel like driving - one of the benefits of having a café about 200m from your house Breakfast is comprised of the usual eggs, pancakes and so forth, but generally well executed. I didn’t use to be a fan of the coffee here, but I am now – it’s definitely improved.

105 Waratah Avenue, Dalkeith

Rocket fuel: This was one of our favourite places during student days to get good strong coffee to power us through hours of immunology and pharmacology…a few years ago I would have thought it the best coffee in Perth. There are so many worthy places now, but Rocket remains a solid performer.

6 Stirling Hwy, Nedlands

Claremont

Lemon lane: The baristas here are kinda hot, and they make great coffee with pretty art. It’s a nice place to chill out after a hard day of shopping, and is rather less cramped than it’s sibling store down the road, Lemon Espresso (which also serves good coffee).

Bay View Terrace Claremont

What’s been great to witness, is the progress of the coffee scene in Perth. Great little cafes are springing up everywhere – no longer do you need to travel for ages to find reliably good coffee.

A few quotes to finish with:

‘I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.’ ~Flash Rosenberg

And one for the inner geek…

‘C:\COFFEE.POT missing (A)bort (R)etry (F)all asleep?’ ~Author Unknown?

Other Links:

Abstract Gourmet

Café Grendel

Yesterday was my birthday. I’m getting old. *tries to fix all those ‘fine lines’ (ie wrinkles)* To celebrate my birthday, my folks bought me the cutest cupcakes! Apparently mum had bought a whole proper cake from them before and it was really nice, so she thought she’d make my birthday different by providing cupcakes.

And how different they were! These are some really cute and nicely decorated cupcakes. My step-dad didn’t see it that way though, he just thought it was a waste of money. Men eh? *shakes head*

Introducing:

Molly

Molly is a gorgeous pink cake, that will make any girl happy. Cos it’s pink. If you’re a girl who doesn’t like pink, well, that’s just too bad. Beautifully decorated just like your little princess might like it, with pink icing and a heart-shaped marshmallow that’s pink on the outside rim of the marshmallow, and white inside.

Jaffa

A chocolate cake, topped with chocolate icing, topped with jaffa chocolates, the Jaffa cake is perfect for chocolate lovers. Especially those who love jaffas!

and Monster!

“Hi I’m the Grouch from Sesame Street. I’m here to eat your cookies. Oh no, you’re going to eat me?!?!?!? Noooooo!” *fear/craziness flashes across his face*

Doesn’t Monster just look liked the adorable little Monster from Sesame Street? (Is that showing my age? :p)

My verdict on the cakes:

The cakes were nice… average. They aren’t the most mind blowing tasting cakes. But I really like and appreciate the hard work and effort that went into decorating these cakes to make them look special.

You can get these cakes from Sweet on Cupcakes. According to their website, the cupcake menu changes weekly.

Sweet On Cupcakes
103 Warratah Avenue
Dalkeith WA 6009
Phone: 6389 1883
WWW: sweetoncupcakes.com.au

Delivery is available.

Last month, we caught up with Cuong Le, the Curator of the travelling ‘I Love Pho’ exhibition, while he was here in Perth for the I Love Pho exhibition at the Breadbox Gallery. The exhibition, as I mentioned in my prior blog about it, is an exhibition combining art, culture, food, and history about the famous Vietnamese noodle soup dish, ‘pho’ (pronounced “fuh” with a curly bit at the end).

WG: What inspired you to create this exhibition?
Cuong: This project aims to combine authenticity, global, and hybrid ideas of pho. In terms of authenticity, it is difficult to find real Vietnamese food here in Australia. People travel to Vietnam and when they return they can’t find the proper food here. The food is also hybrid as they will give you pho with a few extras (such as lemon) but in Vietnam there are 4 - 5 different herbs, steak, and more.

WG: Is this project the first of its kind in Australia?
Cuong: Yes I think this is the first of its kind in Australia combining food, art, and culture. I think it is interesting for people to introduce people to the food. People normally eat food without thinking about the history behind it.

WG: Where does Pho originally come from?
Cuong: Pho originally comes from North Vietnam in Hanoi and they brought Pho down to the south. In 1975 the Vietnamese started going overseas because of the war, and every where they go they bring pho with them.

It is a very popular dish in Vietnam, but no one cooks pho at home in Vietnam - everyone goes out to eat it and no one feels they need to learn it. Outside of Vietnam, Vietnamese people have started to make it in their home and in restaurants. In Vietnam people can show you a specific pho place without any problems. In Australia people will tell you that the best pho is made in their home.

WG: So if people don’t really make it in their home in Vietnam, I guess they can’t really make ‘authentic’ pho overseas when they immigrate to another country? If so, then how can Vietnamese restaurants in Australia make something that is truly an authentic meal that they can share with others?
Cuong: When Vietnamese migrated overseas, immigrants started to prepare this dish at home by exchanging cooking tips, talking about ingredients. When Vietnamese moved to Australia, some have shown courage to start up Vietnamese restaurants - especially in some [Vietnamese immigrants] homes. The first exhibition with the photographs showing shop owners or “pho magicians” show the culture for 1 - 3 generations. It shows generational change and what this means for authenticity.

WG: What do you think is the best Vietnamese restaurant in Australia?
Cuong: I can’t really say where the best Vietnamese restaurant is in Australia because each restaurant has it’s own speciality.

WG: How about in Vietnam? Where would you recommend us to eat pho at?
Cuong: Traditionally people go to eat it at food street stalls. But there is a great disappearance of Food Street Sellers because of development it has stopped because more and more foreign tourists are travelling to Vietnam, the Vietnamese Government wants to clean it up so the country looks more developed.

The photos in the exhibition of food street sellers were taken in Hoi (regional area) which is slightly undeveloped, but I think these food street sellers will disappear in 1 - 2 years time. But something that is interesting is that there are people bringing pho to homeless people in Australia.

WG: Do you have any other tips about eating pho in Vietnam?
Cuong: Also one thing to remember about eating pho in Vietnam is to ask for no MSG!

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So there you have it, our first interview in the hopefully ongoing Food Stories series! Cuong was a really nice and interesting guy. I’m not sure where else the exhibition is going (or if the series is officially over), but if it is still going on I hope that you all venture out to see it in your city. Or maybe you can demand for him to come again, with a different exhibit.

Because Penny and I are Malaysian, he encouraged us to have a Laksa exhibition to showcase people’s love for Laksa and to get people to learn the history behind one of Malaysia’s most loved dishes! Maybe the Malaysian Government and the WA Museum/Art Gallery can help us create the exhibit to showcase Malaysian cuisine. (haha as if they’d do that :p)

Miscellaneous update, blog-wise.

The Wandering Gourmet is now on Loconut. Actually this has been in the works for a while but due to juggling numerous things it has been postponed. I’m pleased to announce that we will be writing articles for the food section of Loconut, a Perth local community website. It’s free to join, and it’s where you can read and chat about stuff with fellow Perth locals ranging from photography to food to the gas crisis we’re having at the moment in WA.

In other news, we will also be featuring those in the food industry in a new ’segment’ called Food Stories. It’s basically a short interview with these foodies - so if you know anyone who is a Restaurant/Cafe Owner, Chef, etc who would like to have some free publicity online, please let us know.

I also want to throw out a personal challenge out there to all Perth Food Bloggers - that we should all meet once in a while. Before I left on my trip to KL, I was researching KL Food Bloggers and noticed that they all regularly meet up with each other. I was to meet Lyrical Lemongrass, but unfortunately due to a very weird mixture of infection/cold/msg & food poisoning I was unable to meet up with them. However, in this absence I wondered why it was that Perth Food Bloggers don’t actually meet up regularly, like the KL ones do. Carol from Oh For The Love of Food who also says that we must be a rare breed. Maybe. But still, am I the only one who would like to meet my fellow food bloggers in this lovely albeit small city of ours?

It may be a mouthful to say the name of this joint, but you won’t regret it if you remember the name of this place – the food here is absolutely fabulous. I have been bugging for people to go with me to this bar ever since I read Gail Williams’ review on Just Espresso, Tapas With A Twist, in the Sunday Times’ STM Magazine as there was something so magnetic about that article that compelled me to eat there.

We ordered the short menu (which is about 12 dishes, costing $40) instead of the long menu (about 15 dishes, costing $60). I was going to go for the long menu, but the Waiter who took our order refused to tell us what was on either menu – so I didn’t want to take a gamble just in case the food was bad. Now I wish I had ordered the longer menu!

The dishes in the short menu included:

* A weird, cold soup thing served in a glass - both my friend and I didn’t like it, but probably because we don’t like the main ingredient in it

* Turkish bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil; and olives

* Melon balls with crème fraiche

* Apple-flavoured Caviar Balls with Apple Syrup – or at least I think that’s what the proper name is. I kid you not, all I heard was “Apple flavoured apple apple caviar balls apple apple”. For those who don’t know, I’m anti-apple – not only in terms of Apple (the company), but in terms of the food itself. Feeling like I had to get my money’s worth, I ate it – and it was surprisingly good.

* Beef with mashed potato and tomatoes

* Melon Lollipops – unfortunately I think it may have been sitting out for a bit as we were having difficulty trying to get the melon to stick to the lollipop stick

We also ordered the dessert which we were told was exactly like the next table’s dessert, but funnily enough it wasn’t. I’m not sure why though. But it was still good. By the way, for those who are wondering what that fluffy thing is on top of the brownie looking thing in the pic below, it’s chocolate fairy floss!

As you can see, their food is most likely inspired by Ferran Adria of El Bulli and other colleagues who are into trying to modernise food.

If you stay long enough for the night, you will get to also meet the nice, friendly Chef(s) if you’re lucky. But just a friendly warning – if you intend to drink more than 1 glass of water on the night, feel free to get the water jug from the Waitpersons don’t seem to notice that diners’ water glasses need refilling. But what the service lacks in, is certainly made amends by the quality of the food.

Just Espresso Wine Tapas Bar
20 Preston Street (next to the Cygnet Theatre/Cinema)
Como WA 6152
Ph: 9474 1977

Fu Restaurant, located on William Street in Northbridge, next door to Icey Ice, recently opened its doors to customers earlier last month. The interiors of the restaurant are bright and contemporary complete with an indoor water feature. At the back of the restaurant is a plush and comfortable looking cushioned bench, perfect for those wanting an intimate dinner with friends. The bar itself is stock full of local and international wines, beers and spirits. The restaurant is described by owner Michael Foo, as the modernisation of tradition Asian food. The menu is loaded with dishes which retain their distinctive Asian flavours, but presented in a western-friendly manner.

Angela and I were privileged to attend a private tasting degustation dinner, where we were able to sample and give feedback about the food and the restaurant. I will now try to recount the dishes for you in the most unbiased way possible.

For our entrées, we enjoyed the Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Chicken Satay, Thai Fish Cakes and Tom Yum Prawn Soup.

The Vietnamese Spring Rolls contained both shaved pork prawns, with fresh lettuce and mint rolled up in a rice paper, served with a hoi sin sauce. I found this to be very simple, very light and very tasty, the perfect opening to the meal.

The chicken satay was very moist and tender and served with few pieces of cucumber, and red onions. The satay sauce itself was very tasty, and had the perfect nutty texture. The part where I thought it could be improved on was if the chicken was left on the grill a little bit longer to develop that smoky charcoally flavour associated with a traditional satay. I also think it would be great to have the little rice cubes which can be used like the cucumber and onion to mop up the satay sauce. We then had the Thai Fishcake which was served with Japanese Mayonnaise which had a sprinkling of bonito flakes.

The fish cakes themselves were very light and fluffy, with a very crunchy crumbed outside. I think this was my favourite of the night.

The Tom Yum Prawn Soup was really tasty. Served up in little ramekins, with a slice of lemon, it had the perfect combination of tang, spice and prawns. Before we continue, may I just say, the prawns are absolutely fantastic!!! It was so fresh when you bit into it; it was like the prawn “exploded”. ^_^ So good. The soup also had a few strands of noodles, which I think made the soup more of an entrée.

Mains

The Hand Rolled Fish Dumplings in Panko crumbs was not my favourite. The dumplings on its own was not that different from the fish cake, but without all the flavourings from the herbs. When eaten with the onions it was served with, it tasted really good. The onions added a sweetness to the dish.

Next came the steak. The steak with vinegar dressing and the prawns wrapped in mint. Yummy. The steak was perfectly cooked, and the vinegar dressing was really good. The prawn wrapped in mint was really good too, by complaint about this, the prawns should be a dish on its own. The two put together, made it hard to distinguish which taste was which.

The next dish was a Beef and mushroom randang pie. By far the most westernised of all the dishes so far. The rendang itself was not as dark as a traditional rendang, and the sauce was a little runny. However after the pastry was mixed in, it soaked up much of the sauce, giving it a nice thick texture.

The Tumeric Prawns, was another dish I was not so fond of. It was a high possibility that it was due to the fact that by then, I was already full and we still had several other dishes to go. I think the freshness of the prawns saved this dish, but again, I was really full by then. The rice in the dish also seemed very filling.

The Lamb with Mongolian sauce and rosemary scented potatoes was really good, but my potato was undercooked, and was still a bit crunchy. My lamb was cooked perfectly with a slight pinkish texture, but I found that the fat wasn’t trimmed off enough. A few others felt that their lamb was undercooked, but I think that is a personal choice.

After the lamb we were served a “surprise” dish. I’m not too sure what this is called, but it is basically a vegetable side of cucumber and eggplant(?) cooked with spicy dried shrimp. It was quite nice, but I think for a first timer, the smell may be a bit strong.

By this stage, I thought I had lost my ability to breathe, but then I realise it was because I was sitting forward and leaning on my stomach. :p There was however one more main dish to go. The Sambal Marinara Fettuccine. It was quite spicy, but I think the smell of this dish may be a bit too strong for newcomers yet again. I can’t say I like this dish, but then again, I was really full and I’m not a fan of fettuccine. So it is a bit hard for me to judge.

The dessert that we had was quite nice though, and finished off the meal nicely. We had a sticky rice with lychee cream filled love letter, with chocolate sauce. I liked the lychee cream, but it was put into the love letter with took away the crispy crunch that is normally associated with it. The sticky rice I think could have been sweeter, but the chocolate sauce made up for it.

Overall I think the place definitely is worth checking out. It is quite refreshing to see an Asian restaurant that is not all Sweet and sour pork or lemon chicken.

Place: Fu Restaurant
Address: 1/297 William Street, Northbridge (Corner Aberdeen Street)
Phone: (08) 9328 3899

NB: Michael Foo is a member of the Wandering Gourmet. No part of this review is biased nor have we been paid to review this eatery

The restaurant, looking dark and mysterious (and semi-dodgy), did not deter DG and I as we walked down the steep stair case into the world of Indonesia Indah Restaurant.

In hindsight, I should have let that deter us but we still went in as I saw a sticker that stated it had won the I Love Food Awards that is run by the Lifestyle Channel on Foxtel. My thought process was that it had to have good food if it’s won an award… right? Plus ‘Indonesia Indah’ literally means beautiful Indonesia. I guess it was only curiosity which really made me go down to this place.

We were guided to a table which had been cleared, but yet when I put my hand on the table while I was talking to my friend, I touched a piece of cold chicken that was still on the table but I didn’t notice. Yuck!! I should have taken that as an omen, as everything went down hill from there.

DG ordered the ‘Pepe’s Seafood “Indonesia Indah”’ ($22.50) which is supposed to have barbecued scallops, prawns, squid, and fish with spices. I noticed that the restaurant claims to be the ‘House of Rendang’ and that the Chicken Rendang ($11.90).

We were both really dismayed by the dishes we ordered. Perhaps the Chef(s) were having a really bad day. They had run out of most of the seafood apart from the fish on the list, so they thought it was ‘alright’ to substitute all of that with fake crab (i.e. sliced crab sticks).

I chose the Chicken Rendang as it stated to have been praised by Bill Thompson, a former Sunday Times Newspaper Food Critic. Unfortunately the Rendang wasn’t that great and the chicken was overcooked.

We also ordered desserts, which came out during the time we were having our mains. I thought desserts were supposed to come after the mains. Or maybe they were just trying to get rid of us quickly, even though the majority of the diners at this restaurant were people from tour groups who were still eating.

Indonesia may be beautiful. Disappointingly, the food at Indonesia Indah certainly is not.

Indonesia Indah Restaurant

118-120 Barrack Street

Perth WA 6000

9221 3970