Cuisine Guide

Tuesday 15th December

This is one guy who knows how to throw a party.

Theo Kalogeracos has expanded his empire of gourmet Pizzerias by opening at 127 Oxford Street in Leederville. Mundaring is still pumping along but now I don't have to drive so far.

The who's who of Perth all came to try his vast array of unusual but delicious pizzas. I wish I could pick a fav but it is just too hard. Even the Gluten Free was MMMMM...

Saturday 13 December

It's become a tradition that just before Christmas my girlfriends and I get together for dinner and drinks. This year there was only a few of us but none-the-less we went out anyway, kicking off the night at The Cabin in Mt Hawthorn.

The Cabin's a cool Melbourne-style haunt that's got everybody talking and living only blocks, I'm probably one of the last people to try it out!

Starting with champagne cocktails, we inspected the extensive drinks menu which included wine, spirits, cocktails and beer. The Cabin also has a funky tapas menu or if you want something more substantial they offer that too. It's definitely something Perth was missing and had it not been 37 degrees outside we would have stayed longer.

Mt Hawthorn has a real vibe about it at the moment and another one of the places taking off is The Azure Restaurant. I've been there several times before and am yet to be disappointed with the food, service and ambience - it's just beautiful.

On this occasion I ordered their chargrilled chicken and tomato roulade and for dessert the trio of creme brulee. The chicken was moist, tender and not at all dry and teamed with the tomato and potato gratin was an absolute winner.

The creme brulee trio of mocha, lime & pistachio & vanilla was delightful and very light making it even easier to devour.

All in all my girlfriends enjoyed our dining experience at Azure - in fact we were the last to leave (they had to practically kick us out!). Do yourself a favour and visit them soon!!!

About to devour the delicious chargrilled chicken and tomato roulade.

Wednesday 21 October

The Food Lovers' Guide to Perth Launch

By Danielle Hanrahan

(L-R) Julie Mews, Janet Holmes a` Court, Lisa Hummel-Robson

Held in the leafy surrounds of Hyde Park, the launch by Fremantle Press for the upcoming release of the Food Lovers' Guide to Perth was simply beautiful. The leafy foliage, warm, yet pleasant weather made it the ultimate setting for an afternoon lunch, on the banks of the lake.

The authors of Food Lovers', Julie Mews and Lisa Hummel-Robson were very accommodating, filling me in on what people can expect from their book. It's basically a thorough guide to Perth 's fresh food hotspots and hidden secrets, where you can source the best places to buy your food.

The handy handbag-sized edition was an instant bestseller upon release and is sure to be just as popular this time around.

The lovely wait staff preparing the table

It gives readers the lowdown on where to find the freshest seasonal food in Perth from butchers to bakers and chessemongers, gourmet cafes and greengrocers. It's a great little guide for people who love their food and want to know where to buy the best of the best in different areas.

We were provided with a delectable lunch by Cantina 663 chef, Michael Forde, whose delicious petite servings was enough to make everyone satisfied, yet craving more. The menu included quail escabesche, parsley organic carrot and fennel salad, chargrilled asparagus with romesco, procuitto di san daniele, duck liver parfait and atlantic salmon crudo.

The whole launch was absolutely wonderful, and a great way to introduce a book whose guide to quality seasonal food in Perth is a must-buy. The ultimate stocking-filler for Christmas!

David deBois, Jenny Archibald, Nelson Mews

Tuesday September 8 2009.

On the Terrace Opening a Success.

By: Talitha Marco.

Unfortunately for Belinda, she was not able to attend this great event Tuesday night. I was sent in her place and had a fantastic time at the opening of On the Terrace restaurant in the heart of Claremont.

Walking into the trendy On the Terrace restaurant was like walking into a room filled with family and friends. On arrival, we were welcomed as if we were old friends and were handed glasses of Moet. As we managed to glide through the crowd, a strange sense of serenity could be felt, perhaps dictated by the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant. Drinks flowed freely until 8.00pm and as you would expect from any Claremont eatery, they did not skimp on quality. There were a few platters brought around to the "invitation-only" guests but the simplicity and minimal selection did prove to be one of their downfalls on what would have been and extremely successful night.

The interior was designed with utmost style and elegance. Oak floors and antique chandeliers accompanied the polished crowd quite nicely. Most of the guests commented on the relaxed feel of the restaurant as the main selling point drawing them to the opening, as opposed to the free alcohol of course!

The entertainment on the night was second to none, with an up and coming Perth band Shifty Translation, adding a third dimension of style to the evening. And who could not forget the half time display of a slightly intoxicated guest performing a Latin routine to the crowd. Yes, On the Terrace certainly is a place where people are encouraged to let their hair down and enjoy themselves, I would definitely visit again.

Photos courtesy of my photographer: Angelo Di Benedetto.