ANGIEONLINE: food

Mr. Munchies (Mt Lawley) Nom Nom?

07:06

Chapter 88 (Nedlands): The Newest Instalment

11:20

Chapter 88 is nestled in the suburbs of Nedlands and a short walk away from the UWA campus. As a student myself, I am loving that I can now pop into somewhere close by for a delicious foodie treat. The store interior is spacious, with a variety of large and small seating. The dark palette, free of clunky ornamentation, gives the setting a neat and relaxing atmosphere.

Today was my fourth visit and I finally decided to buckle down and do a post on this place. I love to hover towards the couched seating (great lighting!) and have coincidentally been placed at almost the exact same table every time. I really like that the organisation of the menu in the categories of dish size. It's useful for people who know what they feel like and the types of dishes they want to be eating.

My friend and I decided on the following:

Ice mocha, $6.50

Berry Smoothie, $7.50

Potato Rosti, $24

Arborio rice risotto with truffle oil, $26

and of course, their signature tiramisu, $10.50

Unfortunately I cannot locate the menu online anywhere so I will have to go off my terrible memory for the pricing, so keep in mind it is not exact.

Drinks arrived very promptly, very tasty on both accounts. My mocha was how I like it, which is quite intense and bitter. And my friend really enjoyed her beautifully richly coloured smoothie.

My friend really liked the rosti's crispiness. As a potato fanatic, I loved this dish and will definitely be getting it next time! A great variety of ingredients operating on an offering of their small serving dishes.

My pick was the risotto. Slightly less visual appeal than the rest of our picks for the day. It was a very large serving and abundant in cheese and mushrooms (yum!) The dish was an enjoyable blend of flavours. I am usually quite judgemental of pastas and risotto because I have had some seriously traumatic experiences with salty/bland/mushy/hard variations but this dish was nothing of the sort!
I loved it. Very tasty and just the right amount of seasoning. Not only this, but the flavours were varied and I loved the garlic and herbs that pulled the dish together instead of the usual salt. Huge serving that I did not get bored of eating halfway through, and quite possibly the best risotto I've had in a while!

Now moving onto their signature dish, the tiramisu that has plagued my instagram feed ever since everyone and their mothers has latched onto the hype of it.
I've had this before and (I hate repeating this but..) I loved it! It really does not disappoint (but I do remember it being a little more bland this time around- it was still very tasty and worth the price).
It's rich and deep in flavour but also light and fluffy in texture. The sponge layer melts in your mouth and the cushions of cream linger. It packs a bitter and deep punch but lifts you up again as if you're in a whipped cloud full of dreams. It's a seductive kiss that washes over your entire mouth, and then the breath of light air that gives you life right after it.
Before you know it, you've gobbled up the whole thing despite claiming you were so bloody full you could burst only just a few minutes ago.

You can tell I'm really addicted to this...

UNIVERSE: are you listening? Will I ever love another more?

I think the strength of Chapter 88 is not only the great food, but the unbelievably amazing staff. They are so genuine and lovely, welcoming and fun. In reality I think plenty of places that do amazing food, but I only know one place that has such great staff all around. They make you want to walk in and walk out bloody happy with everything. I cannot possibly fault them for anything in regards to their restaurant. It really goes to show that service can really transform a food experience.
I love this place more because every time I visit them, they are happy and seem like they really love their work. It really makes it all the more enjoyable to visit and support such an establishment.

The dishes are pricier than the food you can find on campus but all within a similar range to the other places I've posted about. And the quality of food is no comparison. I've had breakfast here as well and it is equally as amazing as their lunch offerings. It goes without saying that I really dig Chapter 88 by Ciao Italia. It is somewhere I know I'll be going to eat at over and over into my foreseeable future. My past visits have been fantastic- the staff are absolutely fantastic, the food is great, and the setting is comfortable.
I really do love this place and would definitely recommend it to anyone!

Chapter 88 by Ciao Italia

Nedlands/Dalkeith 39/88 Broadway Nedlands, WA 6009

Sayers (Leederville)

09:15

this is a long overdue post, and quite an embarrassingly outdated one at that. I only realised how much so when I made plans to visit Sayers Sister in Northbridge and finally noticed that the snaps of my first visit to Sayers in Leederville had been forgotten and buried somewhere deep down in my computer. Be prepared, this was a few months ago. But I still wanted to share my experience because it was great.

The inner decor is comfortable and a good environment for any type of visit. It's very opening and a little less extreme in comparison to other quirky places which is still nice. I will have to admit that it gets very crowded and a little stiff to move around at their most crowded hours. We were very lucky to be seated at the back near the till which is where the larger tables for groups are located. Fortunate to be at the prime seating with cushions and a separate window sill. Very lovely!

Friends went with an open sandwich. Very artsy and thrown around the plate.

I ordered the gnocchi with pumpkin which I believe is still on the menu. Really loved this! Filling but not excessive, great combination of ingredients that still felt fresh and pleasant to finish off. Probably the most interesting and fun gnocchi dish I've ever had. Very enjoyable plating and display of the dish as well.

(I apologise beforehand because I've revisited their menu and it appears that their menu has changed substantially.) I can't remember the dishes but I do know that overall they were very good serving sizes and filling all in all. Very pleasant experience and good food as well as good value for the prices. Staff were friendly and accommodating despite being constantly busy and occupied due to the sheer volume of customers frequenting the place at lunch hour on a Saturday. Would definitely revisit.

I hope you enjoyed this short snappy post. Again, feel very regretful that I couldn't capture this experience to the best of my abilities in this post.

Sayers

Shop 1, 224 Carr Place Leederville, WA 6007

ENCHANTED BY THE OLD CROW (Northbridge)

02:18

The Old Crow in Northbridge is a place that knows how to hit all my soft spots. Believe a foodie when she says this is undisputedly the best place she has ever eaten at, because I cannot offer many more adjectives of praise higher than this. This is the second time I've visited The Old Crow, and it has quickly clawed its way into my stone cold heart.

The staff offer fabulous service, the interior is engaging but not excessive, and the dining areas are intimate, practical and welcoming.

They score top marks on both aspects of ambience and service, but this does not detract from the show-stealer, which is the menu that keeps us coming back for more. Both times that I have been, the food has been exceptional- large serving sizes, good variety and most of all, displaying an utter creativeness that cannot be found anywhere else. We greatly anticipated the challenge of their new seasonal menu, full of unique and exciting flavours The value and experience of coming to The Old Crow is something I have never encountered at any other restaurant.

Our picks:

Fried potatoes, ranch, Cajun salt………$9

Duck parfait, rhubarb, charred bread………$16

Rye smoked salmon, beetroot remoulade………$17

Lamb rump, crispy belly, lentils, cauliflower puree………$32

BBQ pork hock, mash potato, pickled cabbage………$30

New Orleans Nutmeg Pitcher

I didn't get a chance to snap a pic of the New Orleans Nutmeg Pitcher before it was down our throats. Elderflower is my weakness, it was so good I cannot describe. Definitely recommend this one hands down!

We went with the fried potato side again (above), this offering was minus the spicy seasoning that was on their summer version. Still absolutely delicious for something so simple. I loved the complimentary bread and the fragrant butter was heavenly.

We also decided to try the duck parfait small plate, served on a wooden platter with toasted bread and rhubarb. The parfait was fragrant, smooth and intense. A Great combination with the crusty charred bread. Definitely a unique experience for me. Although I wasn't entirely used to the flavour, I enjoyed sampling it as a side.

The smoked salmon was another intense dish was stimulated my senses. I'm not a huge fan of salmon (unless it's steamed, yes, I'm boring!) but this dish was also great. I became a fan of the beetroot after nibbling on the cubes. There are several elements to this dish that work in perfect harmony together. The smokiness and intense salted salmon is neutralised by the poached egg and several textures were at play with the beetroot and garnish. All of it melted in the mouth.

The lamb rump was beautiful and pink, with two variations- a simple cooked slice contrasted the battered and crunchy strips. Again, another dish with excellent harmony within the elements. Loved the lentils and sauce in this one!

Now what could top off this plethora of flavours? The GIGANTIC piece of pork hock is what! It came out as the stunning finale to our whimsical journey. There was a unanimous silence as we beheld the beast at our table- a thrilling offering of meat that had been prepared perfectly. Each shred off meat that fell of the bone unmasked soft puffs of smoke that was a tribute to its freshness and delicious flavour (My mouth waters even thinking about it now).

Even the mashed potato was perfectly smooth, without the noticeable presence of a sickening creamy flavour.

I cannot praise The Old Crow enough. It is the epicentre of where you want to be on an adventure. Anyone who has a palette for unique flavours needs to come here to experience it done right.The dishes are a perfect blend of classics spiced up with exciting flavours. The Old Crow reminds me of why I love food and the magical quality we experience and the reason I continue to have a passion about food. With it's current popularity, the restaurant still delivers and will exceed your expectations beyond any hype.

You know ain't no body had time to be taking proper pictures when the food is so good. I'm not even going to apologise!

The Old Crow

Northbridge 172 Newcastle Street Perth, WA 6000

http://www.theoldcrow.com.au/

Typika Artisan Roasters (Claremont)

04:34

Typika Artisan Roasters is a large cafe-style establishment located in Claremont. The space is a trendy restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch and other cafe treats. The decor and design of the place itself is similar to Raw Kitchen, with rustic and unique ornaments and embellishments and different varied seating areas placed in an upscale environment.

We were greeted at the entrance by the manager and then seated around the middle on the high tables and chairs. it is evident the space has been designed for sharing despite the large seating areas only occupying 2-3 diners in the relatively quite lunch hour that we decided to visit.

Beverages were latte (above), naked ice coffee (not pictured) and I chose the chai iced beverage and it came with a scoop of ice cream. Tasty, delightful vanilla-ry flavour and authentic chai. Really liked it.

what we ordered:

Onion Rings $6.00 Beer battered onion rings, served with aioli.

Beer Battered Fish & Chips $30.00 Beer battered fish of the day served with beer battered chips and sweet potato wedges and our own delicious tartare sauce.

Petite Steak Sandwiches $25.00 Three mini steak sandwiches on garlic croutes, succulent grilled fillet steak, cream cheese, bacon, asparagus and harissa hollandaise, served with beer battered onion rings and aioli.

We didn't realise the steak sandwiches came with onion rings (our mistake!) but they were delicious and quickly snapped up. We chose dishes that were quite similar in style but they were still very good. My favourite would be the petite steak sandwiches, but I wish the serving size was a little larger.

Despite it's minuscule size, the sandwich is packed with flavour. The steak was cooked perfectly and melted into ones mouth, leaving the crunch of the bacon to contrast with a great mix of fillings. I loved that I could still distinctly taste the garlic croutes amongst all the flavours- wasn't too much at all surprisingly. Would definitely recommend!

The fish and chips were good but not my favourite. The fish was well cooked and enjoyable with the unique and flavourful tartare. I assumed the spray bottle was a vinegar of some sort but there was no real noticeable flavour as I sprayed it onto my fish to test. Not sure what was going on there. I really liked the chips and would order them as a side on my next visit.

Upon entry to the restaurant, we were asked for ID- "this is a licensed venue". A few minutes later, once we had sat down, we were asked by a different staff member for ID again. Although they didn't push the matter once we explained that we had done so upon entry, it did leave us feeling a little puzzled, especially due to the fact that none of us were ordering alcohol anyway.

The restaurant itself was a new experience. Typika does tend to render some polarising opinions from not only my acquaintances but also on sites such as Urbanspoon. I'm fairly sure the staff and management are well aware of the criticisms they face as they seemed weary once they noticed I had brought a dslr camera with me (a very clear indication that I would be publicising my dining experience).

I was honestly quite uncomfortable taking pictures as I was receiving vibes from the staff. They were not rude vibes, but more so that they were extremely aware of my camera... I don't even know really (I can't explain the feeling properly).

I could see how people dislike the style of service as they do appear to approach different customers in inconsistent ways. I don't feel like the place is particularly welcoming and constrasts greatly with the type of service you would get at places such as The Tuck Shop Cafe. I can't help but think that they would've been so much more accommodating at Typika had I been decked out in luxury brands. They were not as rude as a lot of negative reviewers make them out to be though. The girl who handled our bill was lovely and very professional.

I think that their customer service and serving policies need more consistency as it is quite confusing and other diners could feel discouraged to visit. On top of the ID situation, we also had my chai come to the table twice (not sure why) and it ended up being billed twice too despite it being their serving error. Although the issue was resolved quickly, I still find it strange that these experiences occurred in the first place.

I don't think that the polarising views are due to the food. The portion sizes are good and the food is flavourful and plated in a simple but engaging manner. I personally dislike the approach of splattering everything all over the dish in abstract patterns ala Raw Kitchen, so I was relieved when everything came on a clean board and was neatly placed. The dishes I ordered matched my personal tastes very well.

I liked Typika and would recommend it to people who aren't too fussy and like a fulfilling eat with some great flavours. I do think that it's better than it's rating and I prefer the food over other places I've been to in the ninety percentile. Although nothing is unbelievably outstanding, I quite enjoyed the visit. Give it a chance!

Typika Artisan Roasters

Claremont 331 Stirling Highway Claremont, WA