Perth

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Public House – Perth, City – Wednesday 20 August 2014 – Dinner

Wagyu ribs

Wagyu ribs

I’m a good sport. If you put ribs and rum on your menu for $20 I will take you up on your kind offer. Especially in Perth.

A work colleague put me on to Public House. Often work colleagues treat me as an out-of-towner. Even though I spent 30 years in Perth, I now barely recognises half of it! So I am happy at my decision to follow her lead.

I cannot even remember what was here on the corner across Victoria Avenue from The Duxton? But whatever it was, this is a vast improvement. It is a outdoorsy, South American themed (but not in an over the top way) bar and restaurant that is on relative terms, sparsely populated tonight, but knowing Perth it is absolutely heaving between 5pm and 7.30pm on Friday night. I would happily come for the drinks, but tonight I’ve worked late and it is time for a quick feed.

The menu has a lot of really great sounding dishes which are predominantly to share. There is an oddly informative couple of sentences at the top of the menu giving the story behind the food, and the South American BBQ theme is matched by some excellent and unique wines from that continent, many of which are offered by the glass. There is nothing too crazy here but it’s not safe either. A step in the right direction while the restaurant builds its reputation.

The BBQ wagyu ribs with crispy potatoes is too hard to pass up with a glass of Mount Gay rum thrown in, which I decided to have neat. I also can’t go past the “Solar Viejo Crianza Rioja” for its name, and pretty much name alone. The wine is great but maybe my choice was a bit too easily overpowered by the food, proving the rum to be a good match.

The ribs are beautifully slow cooked, easily coming away from the bone, with a delicate and restrained smokey BBQ flavour. The flavour is not as deep as you can get with more marinating but that isn’t a criticism. The potatoes have a terrific crunch that works with the softness of the wagyu, and the chilli sauce is a good accompaniment but it could have been a little more generous in both spice and quantity, for my taste.

The service is excellent – but it is quiet. In any case the floor staff seem like they’re enjoying themselves and they are well informed on the menu and specials. If they can keep this up at busier times they are very good.

Public House was an unknown. I’d never heard of it and it is on the border of the main CBD heading towards East Perth. There’s a good chance I’ll be here again sometime soon and the chicken ribs are next on my eating agenda.

Public House Kitchen & Bar on Urbanspoon

Peruvian Fried Chicken

Peruvian Fried Chicken

Post script:

Back at Public House again, on a Wednesday again too, and it is an amazing Perth evening. Everyone is outside there is no space left, so I have pretty much the same table as last time. The ribs and rum is now $25 (be warned) which still is pretty good value (if you like rum).

This time I am eating the Peruvian fried chicken ribs (soaked in cola) which comes with an interesting creamy sauce that has a touch of spice. The ribs are good but no more. Some are quite succulent; some are bordering dry. The spice needs to be turned up a notch because I wouldn’t normally be eating the chilli garnish (a Peruvian chilli called aji amarillo) but I am this time. The lime for some reason is so dry it is like it has been squeezed already so I don’t get one drop from it (which would have added a nice zesty kick). What is noteworthy on a positive side is that there is a lot of chicken for $14 and it is a dish that I would recommend for grazing while having a beer without hesitation.

Buttermilk Bun

Buttermilk Bun

I also had the buttermilk bun slider. It is a delicious, light bun with diced pork in the filling. While it is on the border line at $8, I definitely recommend it.

Service tonight is a bit hit and miss, but I am the first (yes, first) customer the waitperson has ever served so there is no critique here other than she needed a lot of help from the more experienced staff. I’ll be back because Public House is a nice spot to enjoy a drink and have some on trend food in a part of the city that is lacking of options. Next on the agenda is a Friday night drinks!

Public House Kitchen & Bar on Urbanspoon

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Lalla Rookh – Perth, City – Saturday 16 August 2014 – Dinner

Pappardelle with sugo di carne

Pappardelle with sugo di carne

The old Emporio has been through some serious facelifts in its time. Unlike personified facelifts that rarely stand the test of time, it looks like Lalla Rookh has been at the hands of an expert team of surgeons with experience and care for detail.

I’ve followed the progress of LR for a while and my interest was particularly piqued by the description of modern Italian with a quirky slant. Personally I don’t see it so much. It is excellent Italian, with great service and superbly executed but it is not really on the edge for me.

Gorgonzola with honey and oysters with pickled shallot vinegar

Gorgonzola with honey and oysters with pickled shallot vinegar

It is by no means standard Italian either. The things you expect from great Italian are here – handmade pasta, top quality ingredients including first rate salumi, desserts that are comforting and sweet.

The service in particular is inspired for Perth which is often fickle at best. I noticed that the first time I had to crane my neck was to ask for the bill. The staff had been so attentive I didn’t have to once stop conversation and look around – that is a quality that I treasure in a restaurant.

Speck

Speck

To begin, the speck, oysters in frosty granita shallot vinaigrette, and Gorgonzola with honey, were simply showing off the respective produce. What followed was exceptional homemade pasta. Several of us had the special pasta which was described as torn, with lamb and peas. The lamb was sensationally slow cooked and captured memories of some of the best lamb I’ve tasted, combined with amazing pasta.

Torn pasta, with lamb and peas

Torn pasta, with lamb and peas

I went quite traditional and chose the beef and pork ragu pappardelle which was exceptional in every sense of two of my favourite words ragu and pappardelle. The depth of flavour, obviously showing skill, experience and patience, was incredible. Every bite was equally brilliant. This is why I eat Italian. I must say that the hazelnut, fennel and pear salad was the best salad I’ve had this year, and may be one of the dishes that give rise to the quirky slant.

Hazelnut, fennel, pear salad

Hazelnut, fennel, pear salad

We were well fed but had to try dessert and their take on a tiramisu was not to be missed, as was their doughnuts which are a fad that I hope lasts for a long, long time. Both desserts were delicious without being to die for. To die for if you happened to live through the pasta, that is.

Tiramisu "corretto"

Tiramisu “corretto”

Lalla Rookh is such an extreme betterment of the old Emporio that anything else is a huge bonus. In a few years to come we will gladly say, “what used to be here” and not remember that well because we will have been to LR several times to drown out the old fumbly experiences at its predecessor. What an incredible demonstration of where Perth has come, and where it is going.

Lalla Rookh Bar & Eating House on Urbanspoon