Belgian Beer Café Westende
Cnr of King & Murray St's, Perth
(08) 9321 4094
www.belgianbeer.com.au
Mussels From Brussels
The Belgian Beer Café has become an institution before its time; it feels authentic, despite having opened its doors just five years ago. Old-worlde enthusiasts and culinary connoisseurs alike, rest easy - a pocket of goodness remains at 'The Belgian', where the food is refined, the beer is caressed and robust pleasure is guaranteed.
Inside, it's clearly a place where the staff takes pride in its offerings, namely traditional Belgian beer and food. I was warmed to see the tenderness with which the barman rinsed a specifically chosen glass in icy water, sashayed sideward towards gleaming, golden taps and eased the equally golden beer into my glass. Then, just like King Henry, he cleanly sliced its head off, rinsed the outside of the glass, and passed it to me. C'est tres bon!
The Belgian has five main sections: a bar, brassiere, internal courtyard, lounge bar and the famous streetside tables - some of Perth 's most coveted sunny-day spots. Much of the 1930s Belgian décor is genuine, having been shipped over from Europe and assembled right here in Perth. The dark timber, bronze and peppered memorabilia offer a type of comfort that only grandma's house can provide. Old-worlde cool.
Although most come to the Belgian for its unique beer, Head Chef Craig Jeffries' creative Belgian cuisine should not be overlooked. His meticulousness must border on fastidiousness, as the assembled menu won't disappoint - have a quick look next time you're in for a beer.
Our first entrée was an architectural testament to texture: a salad of firm chorizo sausage on a parsnip puree, bridged with chunky, ready-to-melt-in-your-mouth scallops. It wasn't your Jackson Pollock 'this-goes-here, that-why-not-there' slapdash salad, but rather a carefully constructed feat, replete with columns. The creaminess of the parsnip counteracted the spicy chorizo and the grassy fennel. Salads should be like a chorus of different voices, where the ear is moved from focus to focus; this dish generated such an effect with ease.
Round two involved a Leek and le buche d'affiniois (cheese) tart, sided with a spinach, tomato and avocado salad. Once again, Craig's span of tastes and textures was diverse. An entree should be substantial yet light, and on both counts it was successful. The full-mouth flavours of the sweet short-crust pastry and the sharp cheese, partnered perfectly with an excellent South Australian Shadowood Riesling with its free-flowing sweetness and acidity.
And la pièce de résistance (minus the trumpets): Craig's Roast pork belly with braised fennel, apple and parsnip and a side of mustard cream beans. Juicy and delicious, it said everything a man wants to hear in the same way that Julio Iglesias says everything that a woman wants - and with a cold Chimay Rouge, it only got better. If you want to sample beer with your food (a fast-growing trend), then this is the place. Adventurous Menu readers should grab the Tasting Tray, offering four beers with tasting notes on each.
Chilli mussels came next, served steaming in a rustic Belgian pot, and weighing in at a super heavyweight one kilo. They performed synchronised swimming in a mix of chunky tomato sauce and chilli; simple food at its best and most balanced. A side serve of Pomme Frites, or 'fries' if you prefer English (they originated in Belgium , you know), supplied the necessary salty sturdiness to the dish. A Stella Artois' crisp, 'wake-me-up' bitterness provided a wonderful foil to the spices.
All the Belgian's desserts are hand-made and we were treated to two: a Steamed callebaut chocolate pudding with raspberry-rippled mascarpone (soft cheese), followed by authentic Belgian waffles with vanilla pod ice cream, strawberries and real Belgian chocolate sauce.
While dessert is traditionally the time where beer drinking ends and resignation begins, the Belgian Beer Café drops five aces on the table: the Lindeman's Belle-Vue Framboise (raspberry beer) or the Floris Chocolate Gardenbeer allow the decadence to continue late into the evening - hurrah! You seriously have to try the chocolate and raspberry beers with matching desserts; decadence at its most pure.
It's no surprise that the Belgian's winning combination has been franchised all over the globe, and similarly, no surprise that in Belgium, beer was, and still is, an important part of society. The same can be said for Australia - maybe that's why much of Perth has heard, been to or frequents the Belgian Beer Café. If you haven't been, stroll on in and see what the fuss is about. Sante!
