Random & Egg Chicken Creation

The Red Herring Restaurant

Food 3.75/5
Service 2/5
Decor 2.25/5
Bathroom 1/1
X-Factor 0/2
Value 1/2
Total 10/20

Chicken 'n' Stuff

Steak & Broccolini

Rump steak seasoned with mixed pepper medley, sea salt and rosemary, served on a bed of broccolini, topped with field mushrooms sauteed with sparkling brut rose.

Premium 4-Course Menu

The Applecross-Fremantle Lodge Dinner
Saturday October 25th


Garlic Bread

Entrées
Tasmanian Smoked Salmon, Green Leaves, Caper Mayonnaise
Prawn & Avocado Salad
Caesar Salad
Ravioli Filled with Spinach & Ricotta served with a traditional Napoletana Sauce
Fettuccine in a Bacon, Mushroom & Parmesan Cream Sauce
Penne in a Chicken and Saffron Cream Sauce

Mains

Chicken Breast stuffed with Pesto served on a saffron Risotto, with a
Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Fish of the day, served on Spinach with Potato Mash & a Lemon Butter Sauce
Seared Atlantic Salmon, Caramelized Lemon.
Grilled 300g Sirloin Steak, served with spinach Mash & Red Wine Jus
Roast Vegetable & 3 Cheese Filo Parcel
Garden Salad

Dessert

Parfait Ice Cream, Pistachio nuts, Berry Coulis
Profiterole au Chocolat
Tiramisu
Mango, Apple & Coconut Crumble


Coffee/ Tea

The Applecross-Fremantle Social Event

(Please click on the image to enlarge).

Origins, Sheraton Hotel, Perth

Food 4.25/5
Service 4/5
Decor 4.5/5
Bathroom 1/1
X-Factor 0/2
Value 1.25/2
Total 15/20

Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant

Coming...

March Dinner Party (Entree)

My latest creation:

Seasoned organic chicken thigh on a fluffy bed of combination mash, garlic butter, olive oil, cherry tomatoes and parsley, topped with a light creamy mushroom and white wine sauce.

Penfolds 'RWT' Shiraz 2004

Glaetzer 'Annaperenna' Shiraz Cabernet 2006

Barossa Valley, 14.5%, $50, cork, 97 pts, Drink 2009-2019.

A big nose, blackberry and dark plum fruits, aniseed, smoke and clove spice.

Equally huge on the palate with deep brooding dark berry fruits, liquorice, tar, espresso and it finishes with an array of exotic lingering spices and finely grained tannins. The palate is dominated by French oak but there is some creamy vanillins coming through as well. Luscious and mouthfilling, excellent fruit concentration without heading into jammy territory, and with magnificent length. The wine can be drunk now with much pleasure, but in my opinion will really start singing with about 24 more months of bottle age and then for ten years from thereafter.

Tasting notes by Mike.

Pepper Steak

Happs Semillon 2001

Margaret River, 14.5%, $20, cork, 91 pts, Drink Now.

Peter Lehmann 'Eight Songs' Shiraz 2002

Barossa Valley, 14.5%, $40, cork, 93 pts, Drink 2007-2012.

"Deep plum and blackberries, dark chocolate, red earth, dusty pepper and cinnamon and seasoned French oak. A full bodied, very Barossan shiraz which is starting come of age and show real ripeness. Would easily last another 7 years, but I like it how it is now."

Tasting notes by Mike.

Lake Breeze 'Bernoota' Shiraz Cabernet 2003

Langhorne Creek, 14.5%, $20, cork, 91 pts, Drink 2007-2010.

60% Shiraz, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.

"60% shiraz and 40% cabernet from Langhorne Creek. Full bodied, sumptuous and creamy this wine really fills the mouth. Loads of blackberry fruit, mocha, vanilla and some cabernet eucalypt spice to finish. Another wine that could be drunk over the next 3-5 years but for my tastes it is drinking now."

Tasting notes by Mike.

Jaws, WA.

Hay St. Mall
BYO, Bookings not necessary.

Jaws certainly has some of the best sushi in town. As per the photo, the many plates of sushi circle the table on a conveyor belt. The serving size is usually a plate of 2 pieces of sushi that vary from $2.80-5.70 in price (which is quite expensive). Though as the food is prepared right in front of your eyes, you can be assured that everything is fresh. One of the best things about Jaws restaurants is their level of service. It's not the same calibre as that of a fine dining restaurant, but the Japanese place a lot of emphasis on serving their guests well, and being very well-mannered. As for their food, being sushi, it is paramount that the seaweed be of the top quality and freshness, and no other restaurant in Perth appears to have seaweed of the same quality as Jaws. They remain true to their authenticity in Japanese sushi making.

Chestnut Grove Verdelho 2005 ($23 from Vintage Cellars) - they are BYO, with no corkage fee.

Nose: slight smokiness, hints of oak.

Palate: Fresh, well balanced acidity on the mid-palate. Musk, guava, lime, and tropical fruits.

Finish: Acidity proves to be over-powering.

Rating: 91 pts.

Food 4/5
Service 4/5
Decor 2/5
Bathroom 0.25/1
X-Factor 0.5/2
Value 0.75/2
Total 11.5/20

Balthazar, WA.

6, The Esplanade, Perth.
Ph: 9421 1279

It is a rarity finding a good restaurant in Perth these days, so it is comforting to know that there is now one other restaurant that I feel I could safely turn to should the occasion arise. The restaurant is on the small side, though it is dressed up quite smartly, with striking wallpapers in the dining area and bathrooms, and wine bottles everywhere the eye can see.

I'm not sure if the menu we were looking at was their usual menu, or their lunch menu, but it did seem rather limited. Perhaps 5 different entrees to choose from, and likewise with mains (meals seemed to average $20-30). This was definitely not the case when it came to the wine list, filled with page upon page of wines sourced from all over the world, though there seemed to be a particularly strong presence of French wines that were not very familiar to me.

The food arrived promptly, and presentation was A-grade. I ordered the Salmon, and my company the risotto. Both of us were very impressed. I was particularly impressed with my meal, as it was complete in every facet. The presentation was beautiful, the serving portion was perfect, the sauce was full of flavour, yet not overpowering, the skin of the salmon was perfect, as was the flesh (I have never seen such beautiful Salmon in my life, the colour and texture was fabulous). The skin had a very unique taste to it; I suspect they integrated some seaweed into it. The asparagus, everything - was cooked to perfection.

Service was not as good as what I had heard, though being lunch time, I suppose it is expected that service be a little more casual. There was nothing really to fault in that department, though one waiter seemed to be a little arrogant.

We finished off with tea and coffee. I thought the coffee was pretty good. Both came with a pot of white and brown sugar cubes, and extra milk on the side. The flat white was silky and creamy.

Billcart-Salmon 'Brut Reserve' NV ($81 for a half bottle).
Didn't take any notes for this one, though it was a real delight! Probably the best NV I have tried, in fact, I think I preferred this over the '98 Dom, and '97 La Grande Annee. The beads were very fine and consistent. Nose of pear, almond, and gentle yeast. The palate is full-bodied, dry, and savoury. Lovely! (Rating: 94 pts).

Food 4.75/5
Service 4.5/5
Decor 4.5/5
Bathroom 0.75/1 (small)
X-Factor 1.5/2
Value 1.5/2
Total 17.5/20

Tandoori Chicken with Mash and Tomato

Oregano Chicken

Elderton Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Barossa, 14.5%, $28, screw-cap, 92 pts, Drink Now-2014.

The nose is wonderfully light and refreshing, revealing subtle herbaceousness, as well as hints of menthol, eucalyptus, and dark cherries.

The medium-bodied palate is packed with tannins and spice. I’m not sure if it’s Elderton, or me being sick, but the wine is quite unusual, though very pleasing. Considering it is still in its youth, the wine is showing remarkable finesse with its velvet smooth finish.

Despite the criticisms I have heard of Elderton, and this being my first Elderton experience, I think they have done a pretty good job in this instance. It is an A-grade Barossa Cab Sauv, with many years ahead of it, though it is drinking beautifully now.