Mr K and I have been to Ha-Lu on Oxford St (Scarborough Beach Rd end) a few times, but the last two times we have rocked up without a reservation we have been turned away (even though once it was at 6pm for an early dinner and the place was EMPTY, literally…). The Cinnamon Club has been getting the fall-out business because of it’s geographical proximity (and the food is fabulous but that’s another story). We decided to give it one more try before we gave up, and last night, on a rainy Wednesday, they let us eat there.
The fit-out is modern and unobtrusive, the chairs are comfortable (although they tend to shriek terribly when moved across the wooden floor), and the service is excellent. We both love Japanese food, the emphasis on fresh ingredients and clean flavours draws us back to good Japanese restaurants again and again, but Ha-Lu is slightly different in that it is more of a tapas-style arrangement. The menu states that most parties order 2-3 dishes per person, and from our experience this is about right. We started by ordering the Special of the Day – Tuna Tataki with a citrus soy sauce, Agedashi Tofu, Crumbed Oysters, Dorper Lamb Cutlets and Okonomi-yaki.
The wine list is adequate, if not particularly thrilling, and on previous visits we have had the Alkoomi Sauvignon Blanc ($41) which is unobtrusive with the style of food. This time we ordered a bottle of Otuwhero O:Tu Sauvignon Blanc ($44, Marlborough NZ), just for a change. It was more mineral toned than fruit, and contrasted well with the mouth feel of some of the dishes we ordered. I would like to try their Shochu or Sake menu (which is extensive), but the waitperson put us on the spot so we went with the wine by default.
The Tuna Tataki ($14) was just warm, the tuna meaty and tender and the citrus soy sauce tangy but not over-powering. I could have used a little wasabi mayo for dipping variety, but I could justify wasabi mayo with just about any seafood dish, so it was in no way necessary.
The Agedashi Tofu ($8.5) was homemade silken tofu very lightly deep fried in broth with bonito flakes and spring onion. The broth was flavoursome, but the tofu quite difficult to eat as it was incredibly soft and so lightly fried. It would have been better if it had spent a moment or two longer in the oil to develop more of a chopstick-able crust.
The Crumbed Oysters ($16) came out in a multiple of 5, which seemed a bit strange and like the chef is trying to buy-six-get-one-free. Individually, they were larger than we remembered, we recall them being more tempura-like on a previous visit (Mr.K maintains it was the deep fried oysters at Ha-Lu that led to the production of our own version at home), but the mild chilli sauce was excellent despite my reservations and the oysters meaty and juicy. Mr K kindly sacrificed the last oyster to me, as he had ordered a side of rice (no, I don’t get it either) and despite a superficial protest, I took him up on the offer promptly. Excellent.
We went with two Dorper Lamb Cutlets ($16) but you can order four for $30. They came with two small triangles of crumbed camembert (we are not sure why) and a bit of mixed vegetable, as well as the world’s smallest spot of mustard and a artfully swirled reduced sauce of some unknown variety (tasty in any event). The cutlets themselves were meaty, tender and flavourful and reminded us of our plan to buy a side of lamb for home consumption.
Mr K and I first ate Okonomi-yaki at a Japanese restaurant in Queenstown NZ, and loved it (although it was nearly indiscernible under a mountain of bonito flakes). We have not seen it appear on menus of the Japanese restaurants we normally patronise, and when I spied it tacked on the end of the menu, we had to sample it. We were not disappointed with the Ha-Lu version ($16)– this is such a homely comforting dish; a cross between a pancake and an omelette, containing small pieces of octopus mixed with cheese and cabbage and of course Okonomi-yaki sauce and Japanese mayo. The only minor kvetch I can summon up in relation to this dish is that Mr K and I both thought it had a tiny excess of ginger; some mouthfuls bit back.
At the end of this line of adorable dishes and the bottle of wine we decided we were still a tiny bit peckish, and ordered two favourites from previous visits; the ‘tartar style sashimi of the day’ ($10.5), and the crumbed camembert with blueberry sauce ($9.8). We also ordered two glasses of the Lenton Brae Semillon Sauvignon Blanc ($10.5 per glass, never had it before, don’t bother), which we saw the server pour into a measuring cup before it went into our glasses, amusing but eerily in keeping with our 5-oyster half dozen. Dangerous ground…
We assumed that the sashimi would precede the cheese, which would be a nice finishing touch. We were wrong, but it ensured our evening ended on the highest possible note. The cheese was nice and soft, but the blueberry sauce has evolved from a sweet syrup to very tiny tinned blueberries, quite tart, and we won’t bother with this dish again. The tartar style sashimi was exquisite, and I wish we had ordered it in our first lot as we were considering. The sashimi of the day was salmon, tuna and pearl perch, and this is tiny pieces of each mixed with lightly spicy chilli sauce and formed into a mound, then topped with sliced pear, spring onion and served with wasabi mayo (hurray!) for dipping and fried tortilla (slightly incongruous I know) for easier scoopage. Absolutely brilliant, and reminded us why we had persisted in returning a third time after being knocked back twice. You could logically argue that we could have returned at any time if we had thought to book first, but I believe I have explained the mostly-disorganised nature of our dining pleasure (or lack thereof) in previous posts.
Total bill was $164.30 pre-tip, and worth it. You may wish to ensure the pleasure of dining there by booking first. Their number is 9444-0577.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
(No more) the Cream of the crop..
For Mr K’s birthday recently, I booked a table at one of my long-standing favourite restaurants, Cream. Its tucked away in East Perth, and I have been going there regularly since it opened - I have always loved the furry walls and mood lighting, as well as the food and wine list. The service has always been solid as well. You can therefore see my logic; Birthday + Romantic Dinner a deux = Cream. My mathematical genius is clearly an inverse of how often I use Excel, because my calculations were well out of alignment (perhaps I forgot to carry the one?).
We booked into the 8pm dinner service (they only do two, 6:30 and 8pm), therefore arriving around the same time as everyone else did. We had been placed at a table right at the front of the restaurant, directly opposite the cash register, so as people came in to be seated, or went to pay, their bottoms were perching on the edge of our table (this could have been an edifying view for some, perhaps I just wasn’t in the right mood) . The front door does not close properly, and all night as people left or went out to smoke we were treated to gusts of frigid air amidst the SLAM of the door in the wind. Our drinks orders were taken reasonably quickly, and we got a bottle of sparkling, Stefano Lubiano NV Brut ($70) to share over entrée. It wasn’t anything special, but their bubbles list is n0t extensive, and it did the job.
Occasionally, the wait for food at Cream has become a little tedious, and knowing this, when we ordered dinner I ordered bread, olives, and their very more-ish homemade pate ($3.5pp for bread, $5.5 for pate) so we didn’t starve to death. It took 45 minutes to get out to us, and only arrived after one of the staff asked why a bread plate was still sitting on the pass after half an hour (we were close enough to hear). During this wait, the rest of the restaurant had their orders taken, and were served their entrée courses, and ours was the only table that missed out - I must have accidentally worn my Invisibility Cloak (I normally keep it for when my Mum drops around). Despite the arduous and frustrating wait, I very rarely complain in a restaurant, and it was Mr K’s birthday, so we waited it out until I finally cracked and asked a passing staff member whether we might be having dinner…
An hour and a half after we arrived at the restaurant, after everyone else was finished their main course, our entrees of a Fried Parmesan Polenta ‘Egg’, with a ‘Molten Gorgonzola Core’ and Spanish Salt Cod & Potato Croquettes (both $23.5) were delivered to our table. My polenta egg was tasty, but I found no gorgonzola ‘core’ in it, molten or otherwise. I ended up trading with Mr. K, because he was bitterly disappointed with his Salt Cod croquettes (if you want excellent specimens of this genre, may I suggest Duende?). As you can imagine, after the wait, these were very speedily disposed of, and only 15 minutes after our entrees made their grand entrance, our main courses of Marinated Lamb Fillet and Braised Baby Beef ($36.5 and $35.5 respectively) were served.
Mr K lucked out there – the baby beef was absolutely superb, melt in your mouth gorgeousness accompanied by potatoes, green beans and a beautiful jus. The marinated lamb was tender and flavourful, but no comparison, and although I adore garlic, the sweet potato mash tasted of it to the point of bitterness. We had ordered a bottle of Te Whare Ra (pronounced: Teh Ferry Rah) Pinot Noir ($75) to go with our mains, and after its 90 minute breather on the table, it was fabulous. We stumbled across this winery on our NZ holiday, and it was so lovely to see it on a menu, even if the waiter did keep looking at me as though I was pronouncing the name wrong (helpful hint: they tell you how on the back of the bottle if you’ve not had the good fortune to pay a visit to the vineyard).
Due to the speediness of the main course, the bottle was only half drunk by the time the last morsel of beef had been eaten, but we waited in vain to be given a cheese or dessert menu. It eventually appeared, but wasn’t followed with anyone to take an order until well after our patience was exhausted. Finally a lovely waitperson appeared who apologised profusely for the service and blamed it on a ‘function’ of twelve. I gently (honestly!) explained that as everyone else in the restaurant was served and satisfied prior to us even receiving entrees, I had difficulty accepting that as a suitable excuse, particularly as the table of two behind us had service and food all evening. She was unable to fault our logic and credited the cost of our entrees off the bill without us asking for recompense but as you know, this rarely reconciles one to the loss of what should be a fabulous dining experience. The feeling of loss is all the more bitter when you have had wonderful experiences in the past, and it’ll be awhile before I am brave enough to try again, if at all.
Verdict? Have a snack before you go, or borrow a high visibility vest (with a whistle and a light for attracting attention).
We booked into the 8pm dinner service (they only do two, 6:30 and 8pm), therefore arriving around the same time as everyone else did. We had been placed at a table right at the front of the restaurant, directly opposite the cash register, so as people came in to be seated, or went to pay, their bottoms were perching on the edge of our table (this could have been an edifying view for some, perhaps I just wasn’t in the right mood) . The front door does not close properly, and all night as people left or went out to smoke we were treated to gusts of frigid air amidst the SLAM of the door in the wind. Our drinks orders were taken reasonably quickly, and we got a bottle of sparkling, Stefano Lubiano NV Brut ($70) to share over entrée. It wasn’t anything special, but their bubbles list is n0t extensive, and it did the job.
Occasionally, the wait for food at Cream has become a little tedious, and knowing this, when we ordered dinner I ordered bread, olives, and their very more-ish homemade pate ($3.5pp for bread, $5.5 for pate) so we didn’t starve to death. It took 45 minutes to get out to us, and only arrived after one of the staff asked why a bread plate was still sitting on the pass after half an hour (we were close enough to hear). During this wait, the rest of the restaurant had their orders taken, and were served their entrée courses, and ours was the only table that missed out - I must have accidentally worn my Invisibility Cloak (I normally keep it for when my Mum drops around). Despite the arduous and frustrating wait, I very rarely complain in a restaurant, and it was Mr K’s birthday, so we waited it out until I finally cracked and asked a passing staff member whether we might be having dinner…
An hour and a half after we arrived at the restaurant, after everyone else was finished their main course, our entrees of a Fried Parmesan Polenta ‘Egg’, with a ‘Molten Gorgonzola Core’ and Spanish Salt Cod & Potato Croquettes (both $23.5) were delivered to our table. My polenta egg was tasty, but I found no gorgonzola ‘core’ in it, molten or otherwise. I ended up trading with Mr. K, because he was bitterly disappointed with his Salt Cod croquettes (if you want excellent specimens of this genre, may I suggest Duende?). As you can imagine, after the wait, these were very speedily disposed of, and only 15 minutes after our entrees made their grand entrance, our main courses of Marinated Lamb Fillet and Braised Baby Beef ($36.5 and $35.5 respectively) were served.
Mr K lucked out there – the baby beef was absolutely superb, melt in your mouth gorgeousness accompanied by potatoes, green beans and a beautiful jus. The marinated lamb was tender and flavourful, but no comparison, and although I adore garlic, the sweet potato mash tasted of it to the point of bitterness. We had ordered a bottle of Te Whare Ra (pronounced: Teh Ferry Rah) Pinot Noir ($75) to go with our mains, and after its 90 minute breather on the table, it was fabulous. We stumbled across this winery on our NZ holiday, and it was so lovely to see it on a menu, even if the waiter did keep looking at me as though I was pronouncing the name wrong (helpful hint: they tell you how on the back of the bottle if you’ve not had the good fortune to pay a visit to the vineyard).
Due to the speediness of the main course, the bottle was only half drunk by the time the last morsel of beef had been eaten, but we waited in vain to be given a cheese or dessert menu. It eventually appeared, but wasn’t followed with anyone to take an order until well after our patience was exhausted. Finally a lovely waitperson appeared who apologised profusely for the service and blamed it on a ‘function’ of twelve. I gently (honestly!) explained that as everyone else in the restaurant was served and satisfied prior to us even receiving entrees, I had difficulty accepting that as a suitable excuse, particularly as the table of two behind us had service and food all evening. She was unable to fault our logic and credited the cost of our entrees off the bill without us asking for recompense but as you know, this rarely reconciles one to the loss of what should be a fabulous dining experience. The feeling of loss is all the more bitter when you have had wonderful experiences in the past, and it’ll be awhile before I am brave enough to try again, if at all.
Verdict? Have a snack before you go, or borrow a high visibility vest (with a whistle and a light for attracting attention).
Monday, August 3, 2009
RIP...La Bruschetta
Once upon a time, two adventurers headed off into the Perth suburban blackness, in search of a decent meal close to home. They stumbled across La Bruschetta in Tuart Hill, and they saw that it was good. As a replacement for mid-week dinner cooking (and associated washing-up), it was frequented with embarrassing regularity – so much so that said adventurers had a standing discount, and when the owners changed prawn providers for their Linguine Gamberi, they were asked to provide feedback (and their opinion listened to!). After many months of happiness, the establishment changed hands….
The first time we went back to La Bruschetta after the change in ownership, the only thing missing was the owner and the chef – the menu and décor were exactly the same. Hesitantly ordering our old favourites (Linguini Gamberi and the Lamb Salad), everything seemed to be fine, and Mr K and I heaved a great sigh of relief. And that, unfortunately, is the last time this establishment was blameless (in our eyes at least). In the months since the sale, we have seen the food quality and service plummet, and the prices remain the same. We have tried on a number of occasions to recapture the magic, and I recount for you our most recent, and final dining experience.
On a Wednesday night, Mr K and I needed a quick dinner before another engagement, and decided to give La Bruschetta a go. Neither of us was starving, and the last time one of us had ordered Linguine Gamberi, it was truly awful, so we each went with a pizza. I should make very clear to you, Dear Reader, that neither Mr K nor myself are of Italian origin, far from it. To further disclaim, neither of us is a professional chef, and we are not possessed of a commercial kitchen or a pizza oven. That said, we could easily (and regularly do) produce better quality pizzas with far better ingredients than these two offerings, anyone could…even the spotty employees of Eagle Boys. The crusts were dry and tasteless on both, and for some reason known only to the cook (I hesitate to pronounce him chef) laden with pepper. The BBQ Chicken pizza ($19) was smeared with a commercial BBQ sauce, which I am certain can be found in a brown bottle with a yellow cap on your supermarket shelf. The La Bruschetta Special (tomato, bocconcini and prosciutto, $23.00) was bland and tasteless (apart from the pepper); liberally spotted with a very poor quality cheese and with ‘Italian prosciutto’ that was most definitely not prosciutto as we know it, Jim. The best thing about the entire meal was the bottle of Evans and Tate Classic we purchased to wash it down with. The owner gave us a 10% discount without us complaining, whether as an enticement to future dining or a standard apology, I am not sure. It wasn’t enough - mid-week dinner or not, it is simply not worth the frustration or the indigestion.
It’s a pity really, under the old owners, the place was always packed, and the food of reassuringly decent quality. The specials were interesting, the staff pleasant, and I once had a banana pudding that was simply spectacular. That often seems to be the problem though; new owners come in and try to make more profit out of the same type of offering that made the establishment successful in the first place. It doesn’t work, and I really wish they’d stop trying. Most of us are not stupid, and I resent being treated as though I am. If you aren’t either, maybe give La Bruschetta a wide berth…
The first time we went back to La Bruschetta after the change in ownership, the only thing missing was the owner and the chef – the menu and décor were exactly the same. Hesitantly ordering our old favourites (Linguini Gamberi and the Lamb Salad), everything seemed to be fine, and Mr K and I heaved a great sigh of relief. And that, unfortunately, is the last time this establishment was blameless (in our eyes at least). In the months since the sale, we have seen the food quality and service plummet, and the prices remain the same. We have tried on a number of occasions to recapture the magic, and I recount for you our most recent, and final dining experience.
On a Wednesday night, Mr K and I needed a quick dinner before another engagement, and decided to give La Bruschetta a go. Neither of us was starving, and the last time one of us had ordered Linguine Gamberi, it was truly awful, so we each went with a pizza. I should make very clear to you, Dear Reader, that neither Mr K nor myself are of Italian origin, far from it. To further disclaim, neither of us is a professional chef, and we are not possessed of a commercial kitchen or a pizza oven. That said, we could easily (and regularly do) produce better quality pizzas with far better ingredients than these two offerings, anyone could…even the spotty employees of Eagle Boys. The crusts were dry and tasteless on both, and for some reason known only to the cook (I hesitate to pronounce him chef) laden with pepper. The BBQ Chicken pizza ($19) was smeared with a commercial BBQ sauce, which I am certain can be found in a brown bottle with a yellow cap on your supermarket shelf. The La Bruschetta Special (tomato, bocconcini and prosciutto, $23.00) was bland and tasteless (apart from the pepper); liberally spotted with a very poor quality cheese and with ‘Italian prosciutto’ that was most definitely not prosciutto as we know it, Jim. The best thing about the entire meal was the bottle of Evans and Tate Classic we purchased to wash it down with. The owner gave us a 10% discount without us complaining, whether as an enticement to future dining or a standard apology, I am not sure. It wasn’t enough - mid-week dinner or not, it is simply not worth the frustration or the indigestion.
It’s a pity really, under the old owners, the place was always packed, and the food of reassuringly decent quality. The specials were interesting, the staff pleasant, and I once had a banana pudding that was simply spectacular. That often seems to be the problem though; new owners come in and try to make more profit out of the same type of offering that made the establishment successful in the first place. It doesn’t work, and I really wish they’d stop trying. Most of us are not stupid, and I resent being treated as though I am. If you aren’t either, maybe give La Bruschetta a wide berth…
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