Bivouac

Pardon my deplorable camera skills. I am definitely a better eater than an artist!  We opted for eats at Bivouac before Pedro's Rooftop Party.  Post giggling ensued watching Napoleon Dynamite at Rooftop Movies followed by a dj set by Pedro himself. HILARE. I keep on going back to Bivouac and I would definitely say it is my favourite go to restaurant at the moment.  Honest produce driven food, vibrant staff and a well equipped bar.  They always use organic, free range and local produce wherever possible and it really shines through their tasty offerings.

Thom Yums to start ... whisky sour with a chilli kick.

The latest exhibition on the canteen walls is Milk by Mow Skowz. It reminded me of having a nightmare about teletubbies.

"They're pretty good, except for one little problem. That little guy right there. He is nipple number five. A good dairy cow should have, like, four." Pedro

I LOVE the staff at Bivouac ... so much so I could/should/do call them my friends. I always let them take over and do the ordering.  I never let anyone do the ordering ... so that says something.

Orange & rosemary sicilian green olives ... UM succulent! Patatas bravas are a new addition and oh so salty and flavoursome like the gems at bottom of a chip bag.

Cider braised mussels, chorizo and fennel. Oh so tasty and we ordered another round of turkish bread to mop up all the liquid goodness.  I did think about just gulping down the rest of the sauce ... I totally would have done that at home or if no one was watching.

Greek lamp backstrap, zucchini, kalamata olives, tzatziki and mint pizza. Pan-friend gnocchi, cauliflower, purple basil, stracchino and toasted almonds. Crispy Linley Valley pork belly, broccolini and horseradish cream. Secret Menu Steak ... this was all kinds of awesome! A hunk of beef marinated for 12 hours in home made red wine with smashed potatoes and white bean puree. We did consider ordering one more god damn I could eat it now.  We left full and happy and I still found it in me to eat popcorn.

A bivouac is designed for rest and recuperation and that's what we're all about. 

wish list

We do not realise that it is the little things that make us happy.  When you write wish list we jot down fancy things, diet ambitions wanting to be skinny, the latest phase like a rose gold Marc Jacobs watch but all we really need it more time.  I am going to start blocking out for me to fit in all of these things on my wish list.​

Sayers Food

Sayers Food does the best catering.  You just need to give them a little notice and you can walk away with platters to be proud of.  

French Fries

I know that in possibly a years time I will look at these plates and think ... errr why.But right now I lurve them.

Maylands Fish Chips & Curry

Don't you love it when you both agree on boycotting cooking for comfort food on the couch.

4 curries, 2 rotis, almost got change from a 50 ... win! Yes change from fiddy bones. I think I actually announced this is the best butter chicken of my life and started the spoon the sauce like soup. This little fish chip and curry shop on 8th Ave is absolutely legit tasty Indian and extremely cheap.  You can find their menu here.

Alliance Francaise French Film Festival 2012

Please don't say that Perth is boring. Seek and thou shalt find.  In fact, sometimes if Perth were a little less eventful I would be a rich and skinny lady.  We had the loveliest French film adventures. I just love Paradiso, it is homely, they always show hidden gems and you can drink red wine.  Gosh I have the best bunch of gal friends. 

These are my four favourite movies from this year.​

el PÚBLICO

I have already fallen hard for you el PÚBLICO and we only just met. I know that our future together holds many looooong nights together. We thought we would pop in for a quick bite before French Film Festival (ie. order everything off the menu twice and run late for the movies).

BOTANA (snacks) fried chickpeas burnt tortilla salt, street prawns, guacamole

ANTOJITOS (mexican street snack designed to satisfy a craving) pork tongue butter orange picked onion taco tasajo grilled cheese taco pasilla peanut sauce requeson radish habanero relish taco

POSTRES (desserts) "tequilla slammer" lolly <--- bombs of marshmallow bliss with an injection of tequila ... party in your mouth!

Zambrero

If you want fresh, fast and healthy then Zambrero is your answer.  Jamie and Eli opened their Mt Lawley store just in time for the Beaufort Street Festival. Following in the footsteps of big bro Leederville, the Mt Lawley store is always packed.  The line is full of patient peeps waiting to sink their teeth into quality ingredients and Mex with modern attitude.  I tend to opt for a salad bowl and I always get verde and white sauce. Oh how delish! When life gets busy I probably scoff a salad bol two times a week.

Happiness in a soft tortilla.

These two dudes are the owners!

This is the part about Zambrero that really hits home.

"Our plate4plate initiative has been running since April 2011. We work with Action Against Hunger, to provide high protein, high vitamin meals that help strengthen people suffering malnutrition.

Each quarter, we add up all the meals¹ we have served at Zambrero and deliver the resources to provide the equivalent number of meals to our distribution partner, Action Against Hunger, who provide the logistics to distribute the food relief to the areas most in need.

Why did we choose Action Against Hunger as a partner? Because with thousands of volunteers all over the world, and a 30-year track record of providing non-governmental, non-profit, non-religious humanitarian action, we were totally confident that our plate4plate donations would be distributed to the right people in the right places.

Plate4plate is funded through the profits of Zambrero, which means we’re never going to ask you for money. All you have to do is enjoy any delicious meal from our fresh, healthy menu and we’ll donate a meal in return—a definite win-win!

With your support, as Zambrero grows, the number of people we can feed increases and we hope it goes a little way to helping reduce world poverty. Thank you for helping us to help them!"

Phong Vinh

I am terribly slack with trying new places. I love Lido but sometimes it's a little expensive for a midweek too lazy to cook trek. We walked past Viet Hoa which was packed so ventured on to Phong Vinh. So cheap! So tasty! We ordered chicken pad thai, rice rolls served with spicy dipping sauce and crispy chicken.  Will definitely go back.

Sobrassada and quail egg toasts

Its so nice having friends who love food ... and even better having friends that want to feed you.  Tash had a champagne fuelled birthday celebration complete with all kinds of horsie doovees, copious cheese boards and these amazing toasties by our friend Brad.

Spread some sobrassada (raw cured sausage from Mallorca, Spain) over slices of baguette.  Whack them under the grill until slightly crunchy.  Fry a batch of quail eggs sunny side up.  Assemble and drizzle with truffle oil and a pinch of black sea salt. EAT.

Ciao Italia

Hundreds of people line up every single weekend to get a table. It's the place you drive past and think I really must go there one day.  YES YOU MUST.  Ciao Italia is possibly the best Italian casual restaurant that Perth has to offer and far too many people know about it.  It is full of life, laughter and loads of satisfied smiling customers.  And with the lovely waitstaff and the checked tablecloths you cannot help but fall in love.  We just grabbed takeaway to sit on the couch.  Do yourself a favour and don't wait as long as I did.

Calabrese pizza ~ whole peeled tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, mild Italian sausage, onion, roast capsicum, fresh chopped tomato and chilli Rigatoni buongustaia ~ fresh mushrooms, onions, Italian sausage, peas tossed in a tomato cream based sauce

Luxe / Luxurious

Luxe Bar treated us to a taste of Winter 2012.  Lots of pretty people, gorgeous food and luxurious winter cocktails.  I was caught holding my second serve venison pie (typical).

el PÚBLICO

We were invited by Matt and Marcela to join them at an el PÚBLICO test dinner. Friends with foodie leverage, humour and appetite. My kind of people. Alex, Paul and the whole el PÚBLICO crew were very welcoming. You already get that comforting feeling that the right people are in place to have it running like clockwork. So pleasing to see James Connolly back behind the bar on Beaufort Street. It is always great to get the whole story from venue owners upon you first visit. It makes the venue personable and makes you want to just spread kind words. This investment within all your potential clientele is so important and the guys do it well. Not that they will ever be short on clientele with Cantina 663 and Greenhouse prime examples of being the finest operators.

We are all very good eaters and when I say that I mean when they told us to order EVERYTHING from the menu and report back. Well we did. BEST dinner ever. We had so much fun and we laughed more than we ate.

Spanish "gordita" ~ little chubby girl, me

slow cooked pork belly piloncilo chili oaxacan chocolate - JOY I cannot recall what the two middle dishes ... can anyone help?

pan fried fish chileatole home brewed soda ginger and pink grapefruit YUM Sam's hot sauce DANGER tomatoes smoked avocado tortilla radish arroz local prawn mussel organic epazote achiote

tequila flights with sangrita "tequilla slammer" lolly nicuatole mouse wedding cookies cafe de oila nieves cajeta flan banana peanut butter icecream paleta avocado paleta avocado and chocolate - served in steal-able glasses (don't worry I didnt)

Tako Balls

Tako yaki are Japanese ball shaped dumplings.  Almost like a little pancake ball  full of yummy chopped up eight legged sea creatures, pickled ginger, green onion and tempura scraps. I loved the gorgeous sign and almost militant approach to feeding the masses at the William Street Festival.  The takoyaki pan sure got a work out.

Maggie Beer Verjuice Dinner

My gorgeous friend Karina treated me to a night with Maggie Beer.  Well not quite, but a lovely dinner to celebrate the launch of her new Verjuice Cookbook.  After a few wines and a belly full of lamb we were quite content and didn't need dessert but alas we finished every last bite. Oh so very full, we didn't exactly dance up a storm at Bonobo post feast.

Cantina 663

formaggio

occelli testun di barolo (cow/goat's milk, Italy) petit camembert (cow's milk, France) blue des basques (sheep's milk, Basque) served with fresh apple, fresh fig loaf, heavenly dense biscuits and fruit paste

happy --> dreams

Five Bar

Five Bar is working wonders on the humble sandwich.  Medium rare sliced roast beef atop slaw doused in horseradish and pickles.  Corned beef amidst corned beef, Swiss cheese,  Russian dressing, and sauerkraut aka Reuben sandwich.  Venison chorizo with chutney.  And lastly the dish I simply can never look past ... steak tartare.

Kustom Cupcakes

I still remember my first cupcake by the good folk at Kustom Cupcakes. Every cupcake prior to this paled in significance.  They have mastered this sweet sweet art.  Perfect present.

Marcelita's

I remember first meeting Matt and Marcela at Twilight Hawkers Market in early 2011. I had been following the food tweets and travels of Abstract Gourmet so it was great to put his gorgeous mug to an avatar. Matt and Marcela are always busy educating the good people of Perth with their divine empanadas. Perfect little pillows of labour and love. From Mondo's on a Saturday to Subiaco Farmers Market to feeding the frenzy that was Beaufort Street Festival, there is always a line at Marcelita's and you are never disappointed ... unless they run out. So lovely to know call them both my friends, sharing so many laughs and so much good food. I instantly fell in love with them both (or maybe it was the empanadas).

My first food date with my bf was a trip to Twilight Hawkers Market. It was before he realised how awesome I was. We wolfed down all sorts of dishes but my favorite was sharing empanadas followed by marmite chicken at Hawkers Hut. He had me at double dinner.

Shucking brilliant: Jerry Fraser at Five Bar

JERRY! JERRY!