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Entertainment Book 10/11: 25% of Total Bill (up to $30)

After church one evening, there was an impromptu decision for us to head for dinner together (and I had to cheekily call the folks up to say “oops sorry!”). Searchin’ through the Entertainment Book, we decided to head to Captain Stirling since it was closeby and we were rather hungry. PLUS! I wanted a good beer. :)

So off we went, and since this was winter, it was all dark and finding a spot to park was a little challenging because the parking area was not properly lit.

In  any case, we found ourselves walking into some function that was going on. Good thing they didn’t take up the whole pub. With a good spacious area to walk around, it wasn’t long before we found ourselves sitting on a high table, with bar stools – added to the feeling of being in a pub! *sheepish grin*

We deliberated on the menu for quite a while because we had conflicting orders, and one wouldn’t want to decide, and the other waited, etc. etc. etc. Girls. How can you expect any less?! :)

In any case, we finally decided on:

• Chicken Parmigiana
• Grazier’s Beef Pie (served with mash and peas)
• Chicken Schnitzel Burger
• Side of Chips
• Pint of Beer (for me of course)
• Rum & Coke
• Coffee & Ice Cream for Dessert

The Grazier’s Beef Pie came out looking to most appetising (other than the peas for me because I don’t fancy them much =X). With the lovely serve of THICK gravy on the mash… YUMMM. A.C. finished it in style, leaving it in a state where you might not even need to wash the dish. I did not have a taste, but from the way she was devouring the beast of a pie, it must have been tasty enough!

The chicken parmigiana was the dish that caused a bit of conflict between myself and S.C. because we were both thinking of ordering this dish. But I like variety and she wanted this, so the compromise was made :) According to her, the good thing about this dish was how they did not overpower the chicken cutlet with too much tomato. Instead they left a side of ketchup for you to enhance the flavour if required. I would have personally preferred more tomato smeared over my chicken, but this is where differing opinions is important because we’ve all got very different tastebuds!

As for my chicken schnitzel burger, it wasn’t the best burger, and quite honestly the bacon spoilt it for me. I thought it wouldn’t make that much of a difference when I ordered, but it actually did. Would have gone better with a beef patty (the bacon that is). At least the serving was nice and the chicken schnitzel was nice and crisp.

The side of chips was probably the most disappointing for us. We thought it lacked quite a bit of flavour, and there wasn’t enough salt sprinkled over the chips. It was quite tasteless to say the least. We miss the days of good ol’ beer battered chips – am actually looking for some good ones. So if anyone knows of any, please drop a line!

The ice cream was something we could have probably done ourselves, but it was to award A.C.’s fiancee for coming all the way down from home in Palmyra to join us in a photo-taking session! :) The coffee was average, but this is a pub, and not a cafe. :)

The overall service was nice and friendly. The atmosphere really casual – just the way I like it on a Saturday evening. I would definitely head back there to try some of their other items because it is quite a great place to hang out!

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T. a.k.a. Miss Egg

Captain Stirling Bar Hotel
Telephone: (08) 9386 2200
Address: 80 Stirling Highway, Nedlands

I always pass by La Galette whenever I frequent Subiaco market and love their pastries. Was really glad when LuckyAl brought me to their newly opened La Galette french crepe place in Nedlands for their awesome crepes last year. My first experience definitely left an impression since they had good coffee, the crepes were fantastic, lots of filling and their crepes were less than $9.00 then.

La Galette is quite a small cafe, with not many seats inside the cafe, but it is lovely to sit outdoors when the weather is beautiful. I frequent the place pretty often last year, but barely went there this year. A week ago(06/08), I decided to catch up for lunch with HC and since both of us have not visit La Galette in a while, we decided to have lunch there.

My experience with La Galette was that it is always crowded during lunch, so it is a challenge to find an empty table. Be patient, or head there slightly before or after lunch hour, and you’ll find one. While standing around, you can admire the cute little petites, the variety of pastries and tarts, and decide on what you will like to have.

Haven’t been there for slightly more than half a year, I was greeted by a price increase. My usual mushroom chicken crepe that was $8.00, was now $9.50, which is quite an increment. Since I have not had that for a while, I decided to order it and a flat white, while HC ordered the ham and cheese crepe.

The flat white came first, and served with a delicious mini palmier. I think all coffee should be served with a little biscuit or a palmier. Sadly, I was disappointed with their flat white. They usually serve a decent cup of flat white, but today’s cup was pretty flat, and had a sour taste.

HC’s ham and cheese crepe had a generous amount of ham, however taste wise, HC found it too salty. The saltiness from the ham and cheese was probably too much for the whole dish considering that crepes doesn’t have a strong taste.

My chicken and mushroom crepe had generous pieces of chicken and mushroom. Taste wise, I felt the mushroom sauce did not stand out, and it was a little blend. I would prefer o have more sauce and smaller pieces of chicken would have been better.

Overall, we found that trip a little disappointing from how we remembered it to be. We decided it might be just that day, and decided to return a week later and have their sweet crepes instead. It is said that their sweet crepes are better anyway.

Today, we decided to head back to LaGalette for their sweet crepe. This time, both of us ordered ham and cheese croissant, HC ordered a strawberry petite four while I ordered a pear “belle hele ne” crepe.

The ham and cheese croissant was served pretty fast after being warmed up. The colour of the croissant looked rich and golden. It also smelled like it was freshly baked, that I had to dig in immediately. It was simply delicious. It was crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Unlike the ham and cheese crepe, this was not overly salty. I thought the ham will be tough but turned out the opposite. It was in fact very tender. The crust was absolutely yum that I was picking up the bits n pieces after finishing my croissant.

Pear “Belle Hele Ne” crepe is crepe served with pear, cream or ice-cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce and roasted almonds. It was a good dessert after something savoury. HC described it as YUM! The pear was not overly sweet, the crepes was done soft and moist. It was served warm, although the crepe could be a little warmer. Love the touch of roasted almonds with the crepes but would love more roasted almonds. However, do share the dessert because the chocolate sauce can get too much at the end of it.

The strawberry petite four was really petite that one is probably not satisfying but for the price, it is probably a little too pricey to go for alot more. HC found the strawberry petite really really good. It wasn’t too sweet and the custard was really smooth. Next time when you feel like treating yourself or someone special, a few of those would definitely do the trick.

Overall, I’m glad I went back and I think I will stick to their pastries and sweet crepes. I am now eyeing their tarts, which I will most likely be getting for a friend’s birthday.

Overall rating: Above average

Will I recommend this cafe: Yes.

La Galette De France
125 Broadway
Nedlands, 6009
Tel: 93865097
Open: Mon – Sat (630am-4pm)
Sun(730am-2pm)

Heard of Rocketfuel from my fellow mate in the office and decided to give it a try today. Located along Stirling Hwy, just beside Commbank, it was just a walk to get there. I did not realise it was Rocketfuel till I walked past it because the logo was inside, or on the sign that could only be seen across the road. Good thing about this place, it has a drive thru for anyone who is on the road.

The inside of Rocketfuel isn’t particularly big, with only a few bar chairs. Pretty obvious it was a takeaway kind of place. Well, placed my order of a medium flat white which was $4.70, pretty expensive considering most places are $4.20 for a medium.

The coffee was good but not great. The first time I went, I felt my flat white was pretty good. It had a heavy body, coffee was mildly strong (I prefer it stronger) and had a mellow taste. The only down side was there was slightly too much foam. However, I went back the second time and was a tad disappointed. I found the coffee watery, not the kind of heavy body that I hope for. The texture was also a little grainy. I guess, the different barista probably played a role in the difference in coffee.

Well, if I would like a decent cup of coffee around uni, I’ll probably drop by again. They have a large variety of juices, which I’ll probably be back to try some.

Overall rating: Average

Will I recommend this cafe to a friend: Yes (if u’re around uni).

Rocketfuel coffee & juice
6 Stirling Hwy
Nedlands, 6009
Tel: 6389 0897

Conveniently located near my uni, whenever I feel like a good cup of coffee, I would make my way there. Today, was the day I felt like a decent cup before a long 3 hours tutoring session. I had coffee at Barrett’s only 2 weeks ago, and they served a pretty good cup that my friend, Brainy, was pretty impressed by it.

I went there about lunch time and thought it might be a bad idea, as lunch time means a pack cafe. To my surprise when I got there, only two tables were taken. Maybe everyone had lunch early. Ordered a large flat white to go.

The barista serving us, was not the same one as previously. He was not as friendly, and when he was told that there was a flatwhite take away, he did not make it immediately. In fact, he walked off to clear some cups, while I was just standing there waiting. Looked around, before getting started with my flatwhite.

I got my flat white and it was HOT! (and I burnt my tongue) I like to be able to drink my coffee when it gets served, not wait awhile later. It was totally different previously. Well, when I finally managed to drink, at least the coffee was not burnt. (They use Fiori beans for those who would like to know, I did not get a look at what milk they use).

How was the coffee? I had better from this place. The coffee texture was rough. I also felt that the flat white was a little too strong for me.Although it was still better than guild’s coffee.

Will I return? Most probably when I want a decent cup. however, coffee there is not cheap (half price if I buy guild coffee). I hope the good barista gets back.

That said, I love the tarts from Barrett’s bread. I bought a few of them last year for friends’ birthdays. I’ve yet to try their bread, but I have heard good reviews from friends.

Overall rating: Below average. (simply base on their coffee and attitude)

Will I recommend this cafe: No (for anyone not near Nedlands)
Yes (if u really want a decent cup of coffee near Nedlands)

Barrett’s Bread
19 Broadway
Nedlands, WA 6009
Tel: 9389 6404
Web: http://www.barrettsbakery.com/

Open: Mon – Fri, 6.30am – 5.30pm
Sat, 6.30am-4pm
Sun and public holidays, 6.30am – 3pm.

Is it me or did I just go on the wrong day?

With great reviews from Perth Coffee Scape, rated number 1, I  thought I had to give this coffee place a shot. It was not walking distance from uni, hence I waited till a weekend to check it out. After a day of shopping with Mos and Will, just before movies, we thought we had a cup of coffee. We ordered take away, my usual flat white, Mos’s usual hot chocolate and Will’s cappuccino. I love drinking coffee from a take away cup.

It was at a good temperature, where the milk was not over steamed. However, after taking a taste of it, it was way too milky (felt like a weak coffee). It seemed as though the portion of milk and coffee was wrong, tasted more like a latte (I wondered if they gave me a weak coffee?) Will’s cappuccino tasted similar to mine. Mos’s hot chocolate was probably the worst as it tasted powdery. The coffees were drinkable, but I did not think it was fantastic.

I’m really pretty disappointed after having such high expectations. I really wonder if I went on the wrong day or had the wrong barista, especially after reading everybody’s reviews that it was THAT good. I’m still contemplating if I should give that place another go. The coffees are quite expensive (where a regular is $3.90 and large $4.60). It is also quite inconveniently located.

Overall rating: Below average.

Will I recommend this cafe: No.

Elixir Coffee Specialists
45a/145 Stirling Highway
Nedlands, WA 6009
Tel: 9389 9333
Web: www.elixircoffeespecialists.com
Open: Mon-Sat, 7am – 4pm

What pork loving person wouldn’t dig a restaurant named Pata Negra? Well, I certainly loved it. The food was thoughtfully put together, perfectly seasonal, and well, just damn good.

Oh, and they do some killer martinis (with preserved lemon), which certainly sweetens the deal, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Left: Ortiz anchovies, red pepper, tomato on sourdough | Right: Seared scallops, leek, cured pork belly, romesco

We both um-ed and ah-ed over the choices. A fatal mistake J and I often make with tapas style food is over-ordering. Because it’s so easy when everything sounds amazing, and you fool yourself into thinking you have a stomach like Kobayashi, the Japanese eating champion.

This time, we spoke to our lovely waitperson, who told us that four dishes was their usual recommended order for two people.

So we started with the anchovies – while I wouldn’t call myself and all out fan (I detest them on pizza, for example), I keep trying them, in an effort to understand them. This time, I think I get it. These anchovies were light in texture, silky but with that briny punch you expect from an anchovy. I’ve read other descriptions of this particular variety as ‘meaty’ and I’d have to agree. They’re substantial – both in flavour and texture. These anchovies were really set off by the tomato and roast pepper combination. On top of the grilled sourdough, they were perfect.

By the time our second dish (and cocktails) arrived, I was well and truly in the mood for more. The seared scallops were so fresh and sweet, and their sweetness was enhanced even further by the bed of wilted leeks beneath them. I loved the cured belly and leek combo – reminded me somewhat of my all time favourite brassica-pig double team of cabbage and bacon, or brussels sprouts and bacon. (I love pork. That is all.) The little blobs of Romesco sauce which adorned the otherwise simple scallops set off their naturally sweet flavour really well.

Left: Buttered leeks, Jerusalem artichoke, cauliflower and egg | Right: Western Plains suckling pig, fennel, parsnips, quince sauce and walnuts

Our meal seemed to naturally progress from light to hearty, and I think our third dish was the perfect meeting point of seafood and meat. While technically meatless, the vegetable dish we chose (Our waitperson said it was their favourite) was rich, and completely addictive. Cauliflower (in my mind) is a very substantial vegetable – you can’t get away eating it without actually feeling like you’ve eaten (something I struggle with when it comes to salad). Combined with the best of winter – jerusalem artichokes and leeks, made for a dish I think I described as being ‘like a warm hug’. The egg which was cracked into the earthenware dish over the mess of vegetables was perfectly cooked with a soft yolk, which made for the most delicious of natural sauces.

Oh. Now we get to the pork. Oh, the pork. I could go on and on about this one dish for days.

Suckling pig. These words were like gold to me. There was no way we would order anything else. Despite seeing fabada also on the meat menu, I decided that there was absolutely no way I would not have the suckling pig. And boy, were we rewarded.

With skin so crisp it shattered and fell away in crunchy shards, and meltingly soft, tender meat, it was pork-lover’s paradise. The roasted fennel and parsnips added bittersweet flavour which cut through the richness of the pork so well. The quince sauce set it off perfectly – sweet, sour, bitter, salty. Loved it. I confess I could have probably eaten the entire $50 dish for two.

Left: Crema Catalana flavoured with mandarin and rhubarb | Right: Portuguese custard tart

Not ready to throw in the towel yet, J and I bravely ate on. We decided on two desserts – Crema Catalana for J, which was turned out beautifully with two crispy Moorish window panes of crispy sweet biscuits (which were a bit like Langues de Chat, Cat’s Tongues).  Beneath the crackly caramelised sugar on top were hidden chunks of soft rhubarb. The crema itself was strongly flavoured with mandarin peel, which was a delicious way to cut through the richness of the creme.

Not to be outdone, I chose the Portuguese custard tart. I love these. I may even plan a day trip to Macau during my holiday in September for these babies. Pata Negra’s version did not disappoint – crunchy on the outside, smooth and velvety on the inside. Speckled with vanilla seeds and sweet.

It was the perfect sweet end to a lovely meal.

Dinner for two (four courses plus two desserts), including two cocktails and mineral water came to $149.00

Figures released by property analysts RP Data show Nedlands and Cottesloe as the only two non-Sydney or Melbourne suburbs to make the top 20 areas for $1 million-plus house sales last year.

The recovery from the global financial crisis showed in the figures.

There were 122 such sales in Nedlands, placing it 10th nationally, while Cottesloe (15th) clocked up 106 settlements.

The number of sales in Nedlands was a record for the suburb, six higher than in 2007 and almost double that of 2008.

But Cottesloe, while recording an almost 50 per cent increase on the previous year, was 15 short of its 2007 record.

Meanwhile, the seemingly never-ending building of apartment buildings in Earth Perth saw it top the state for sales of $1m-plus units.

The suburb shared the honour with South Perth. Both had 33 sales, placing them 17th nationally.

The number of East Perth sales was also a record for the suburb, beating the previous best of 32, in 2007.

That year, there were a record 52 $1m-plus unit sales in South Perth.

The inner-city Sydney suburb of Pyrmont topped the list, with 95 units sold, while just a few kilometres north, Mosman led the country for house sales, with 271 recorded.

RP Data national research director Tim Lawless said premium property markets generally provided stronger capital gains, mainly due to “inherently tight supply”.

However, they could be tricky for investors because rental yields were much lower, leading to cash flow issues.

Source  :  www.watoday.com.au

An acknowledgement that any educational environment is founded on values.

My aim is to create a community (or ‘family’ [day care]) where children will respect and value their families and the society in which they live; where children respect, know and value themselves and are comfortable with the challenges that lie ahead. Therefore, there is an emphasis on the development of interpersonal skills and self regulation, understanding and valuing social justice and mutual respect in everything that is undertaken.

The social constructivist practice of the educators in Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy.

These educators hold an image of the child as strong and capable, unique individuals who are powerful contributors to their own learning, not empty vessels ready to be filled with knowledge. For this reason purposeful learning experiences that touch the child’s interest, curiosity or motivation to learn are pursued. The Reggio educators promote the concept of “100 languages of learning”. I support this by also valuing equally the varied and authentic ways in which children make sense of their learning, wonderings, researches and discoveries. These ‘languages’ may include words, movement, drawing, painting, building, sculpture, dramatic play and music.

The Circle of Security Project.

This work is based upon an interface of object relations theory, attachment theory and family systems theory. Every child comes into the world seeking a secure relationship with her/his caregivers; the Circle of Security theoretical framework helps promote that security. A secure attachment between child and caregiver is critical to a child’s current and future well being. University-based research has shown that secure children have increased empathy, greater self esteem, better relationships with parents and peers, enter school ready to learn, and are able to handle their emotions better than peers who did not receive supportive adult connections early in life.  The Circle of Security® approach is shown to help caregivers and children to develop a secure attachment.  Increasing security among caregivers and children ripples outward to educational, economic and judicial systems, not to mention providing the fundamental ingredients of lifelong emotional health and successful living, and thus will shape current and future generations. “What we do to our children they will do to society.” Carl Menninger

A belief that a place-based and nature-based educative approach plays a critical role in children’s life-learning.

It is increasingly recognised that providing children with positive experiences within their local community and natural surroundings (place based; nature based) can serve to promote the health and well-being not only of the children but our communities both locally and globally. As much as possible I am hoping to connect the children in my child care service with the local community through a regular routine which includes attending local playgroup, kindy gym, dance & music, walks to the shops, walks to the local playground and parks. (see also excursion policy)

The Family Virtues Guide by Linda Kavelin Popov

This is a response to parents and care-givers who want to bring simple spirituality and character education into their children’s lives. It is based on simple universal principles of spiritual growth, and views children as spiritual beings whose purpose in life is to have a life of purpose – to develop all the virtues they have within them in potential. Of particular importance to me is the framework and language provided in this guide that allow a caregiver to make the most of “teachable moments” which each day of living with children brings. The Family Virtues Guide is part of an initiative called the Virtues Project, whose vision is to empower adults and children in diverse cultures around the world to live by their highest values. It is not about the practices or beliefs of any one faith but is sourced in the virtues which are the common elements of spirituality found in all sacred traditions. The 52 virtues (one for every week of the year) include: Love, Kindness, Compassion, Trust, Unity, Peacefulness, and Confidence.

The restaurant itself is quite simple and looks like a typical Chinese restaurant with lots of red chinese decorations and streamers, and tables with white clothes and red napkins.  It also has a small tank of seafood showcased on the side.

One thing I must comment about this place is the restaurant owner whose name is Richard.  He is the friendliest and most attentive restaurant owner I’d encountered so far, taking time to chat to all the customers and explaining the dishes that they offer.  He even remembered us even though we haven’t been back for a good six months or so and asked where we have been which came as a surprise to me!  What good memory!

On this occasion, we had the following dishes:

• Salt and Pepper Soft-shelled Crab - this is a nice alternative to the Salt & Pepper Spare Ribs, it was extra crunchy and you can eat the crab as a whole, delicious!
• Richard’s Vegetarian Stack - one of their specialty dish, it consisted of layers of green vegetables, carrot and mushrooms topped with japanese tofu – another alternative to the Sizzling Japanese Tofu we always order.  It came with a thick gravy which went nicely with the steamed rice.
• Stir-fry King Prawns with Asparagus - tasted as expected but slightly oily.
• Sizzling Fillet Steak - big serving of tender steaks topped with broccoli, cauliflower and onions, great for the meat lovers!

We always have a good meal everytime we go for dinner here and this time is no different - although on this occasion, the service was not as good as Richard was missing and the staff did not seem to know what was going on so they took ages to take our order.  I found out later whilst paying that he had actually went out for a walk to catch some fresh air and fell asleep on the bench!  Poor guy, he must have been too tired!  Anyways he apologised for the slow service by waiving the cost of the fried ice creams we had.  What a champ!  We were quite happy that he even thought of doing that!  Great customer service!  We will definitely be back (well, I know my parents will) with such service and reasonably priced tasty dishes!

Website: http://www.tiamocafe.com.au/

Entertainment Book 09/10: 25% discount (up to $30)

Tiamo sits right in the heart of the famous Hampden Road (well, to those who live in that vicinity anyway!)… and it used to be one of my hangout places when I was residing in good ol’ Currie Hall (a hostel/college of UWA).

They open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and boasts of a really beautiful interior, largely due to its sliding body-length glass panes, letting all that good sunshine into the place, giving it a really nice and natural brightness.

I have been there for breakfast on a number of occassions with family and friends, but never had the opportunity to take some photos. Well not until this occassion. Breakfast with mom. :)

I have tried some of their mains, and do not think too much of them to be honest but I might be wrong of them now since it’s been a while since I came here to have their lunch/dinner meals.

On top of the nice interior, they boast a beautiful bar/cake counter area, which usually has quite a lovely array of cakes (only  tried the carrot cake, which I found average, but hey, I’m not a fan of carrot cakes in the first place…)…so it’s actually quite a nice place to have a cuppa and just sit down to talk to an old friend (for example)… :) I have done this before and it was definitely something lovely.

So onto the things we ordered this morning:

• Big Breakfast
• Eggs Florentine (think Benedict but with spinach instead of ham :))

No coffees this morning for us… it’s a norm for mom, but not for me. I will explain why a little later.

The big breakfast was…. BIG. The mushrooms were an additional side that mom ordered. Just to break this little review up, we were rather displeased with the waitress because of the inflexibility we were shown. Mom never takes chipolatas with her big breakfast, and I have had this changed to mushrooms many a time at other places. So we tried asking for this, and we immediately got a straight “no. sorry. we can’t do that.”. And it wasn’t even a very pleasant “no”. It was a stern why-are-you-even-asking “no”. Left us rather unhappy there. Never mind that.

Back to the food. The plate was well presented, with the large slices of bread a plus. I have tried the big breakfast before, and the bread is usually served warm, and well toasted… by that I mean crunchy on the outside, but still nice a ‘chewy’ towards the centre of the slice. Everything was a-okay for me (I tried a little of everything, and like I said I have tried the big breakfast before)…. except the bacon which was a tad too oily for my liking. Yes, bacon’s meant to be oily but it was literally soaking in oil. not exactly very pleasant.

The mushrooms (despite the little unhappy incident) were rather tasty and so we were happy. Well worth the $3! The serving could have been a tad more generous – that’s for sure.

The eggs florentine were quite a disappontment. One of the egg’s yolk was hard (which is a turn off for me)… and the other was runny. So 50-50 there. The hollandaise sauce was the overall let-down for me with too much egg-yolk taste in it that it became a tad revolting towards the end. Usually I’d be using the egg/bread/muffin to soak the hollandaise sauce, but I was actually trying to avoid it this time around. Not the best experience of a hollandaise dish – that’s for sure.

Now, you would have probably guessed why I did not want to order the coffee.

The service was just a little slipshod, and with that attitude the waitress gave with regards to that change of one ingredient in the big breakfast, that really blew it for me. I would have been happy if she was a tad more pleasant about it – but with the tone she used (perhaps she was havin’ a bad morning, but that’s really no excuse)… it’s a bit harsh.

It was surprisingly empty that morning, which is indicative for me as to whether the standard of the quality of their food has dropped.

Overall, this was a rather disappointing experience, and I wouldn’t be back in a while.

Rating: 2.25 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T (a.k.a Miss Egg)

Tiamo, Nedlands
Telephone: (08) 9386 6611
Address: 57 Hampden Road, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009

Some additional photos from the dinner menu (contribution by N.L.):

• Fettucine Tarantina ($20.90) – Pan fried prawn cutlets and smoked salmon with spinach in a white wine cream sauce
• Rack of Lamb ($29.50) – Char-grilled served with steamed garden vegetables, gourmet potatoes and a rosemary jus
• Spinach Salad ($13.90) – Spinach, avocado, croutons, crispy bacon & parmesan cheese drizzled with Balsamic dressing
• Insalata Tiamo ($24.90) – Char-grilled lamb fillet tossed with feta, marinated mushroom, roasted capsicum, and mixed green

And who can forget the Desserts…

• Baked Cheesecake and Passionfruit Cheesecake

I have always considered this place to be a direct competition to similarly styled restaurant Tiamo at the other end of Hampden Road. I still think it is some form of competition but ultimately they do serve different types of food, and I prefer the ambience in this establishment. In the realm of food, I don’t have the luxury of being able to judge since I haven’t tried the main courses at Tiamo much at all.

In any case, it was Ash Wednesday when the church girls decided to go for dinner together, and we decided to look around for a place where the crowds didn’t seem too much to overcome – and Terrazza was perfect!

 The interior has great lighting because of its open shutters, so the place always has this brightness and liveliness to it even without people populating the restaurant. The cake counter is where all the yummy desserts are sheltered, with a good amount of wine bottles and other alcoholic beverages neatly shelved. Beer taps are on the side of that with even more bottles of liquor decorating the nice wooden shelves.

On this occassion (due to the need to fast/abstain over the day), the three of us decided to go for no-meat. Here were our final choices:

• Turkish Bread (with dips!) - V.A was way too hungry to skip entree, so we got this to share
• Fettucine Al Salmone – S.C’s choice
• Fettucine (something! I can’t remember. DANG) - V.A’s choice (this was served with prawns and some snow peas)
• Seafood Risotto – My choice
• Coke
• Small Becks
• Chocolate Sundae for Desserts

The turkish bread was abit of a disappointment altho’ very nicely presented to us. It was served cold, and the serving of the dip did not exactly compliment the amount of bread given – we even had to eat the last bits of the bread without any dip which was really just eating to fill our tummy :( The plus side tho’ was that the dips were really quite tasty and did suit the taste of the turkish bread. Pity they could not be a tad more generous with the dips.

The mains were definitely a step better than the rather disappointing entree we had. I have tried the two pastas the other two ladies ordered, and thus I knew what to expect (assuming the quality/standard of the cooking hasn’t changed). The fettucine al salmone is always quite a favourite with myself because of of my love for smoked salmon. The pasta’s cooked quite nicely with a good amount of gravy soaking the broad pasta… (why couldn’t they do the same with the turkish bread?!). The sauce itself was tasty and so it wasn’t difficult for S.C to finish the plate.

The other fettucine was a tad more bland due to the missing ‘smoked’ taste that the salmon gave the other dish. The gravy used for this is exactly the same as that of the salmon which is something I thought should be highlighted – lack of variety.

The seafood risotto is by far my favourite dish from this establishment! It was lovely. I was taken by surprise when it came out, smelling oh-so-good, making my mouth water. The texture of the risotto was definitely to my liking… I don’t know what the general standards are but this was just nice, and the taste of it was slightly tangy with a rich composition. The serving of seafood was rather generous as well, and I thought it was great how they included a nice side of salad so that the risotto wouldn’t make you feel as tho’ you were eating something too heavy.

At the end of the mains, we were clearly reaching our tummy limits, but as what many would say… there will always be space for desserts!! It’s no different for V.A who ordered the chocolate sundae.

We got a shock when we saw the tower of cream that stood on top of the little glass containing the ice cream and hot fudge. It was somewhat overwhelming. But upon digging in, we soon realised (or well, V.A soon realised) that the tower of cream was nothing but a cover for the scoop of ice cream that was sitting right underneath it. Think of it as hair to the head.

I did not try this and thus will not be able to speak too much for it, altho’ V.A did mention that she’s definitely had better ones.

Presentation was definitely tops for this. And the amount of chocolate fudge at the bottom of the glass…. WHOA!

The service that night was really good with the girl really paying attention to all the nonsense we were doing. I reckon she did a great job in serving us with patience :) Two thumbs up there!! I am not too sure about the rest of the waiters/waitresses tho’.

The ambience as I have mentioned before is top-notch, something that I love – relaxing and bright (during the day of course). It’s got an ample amount space between the tables as well… which is always a plus for people like myself!! =P

Overall I would go back to eat but it wouldn’t be too frequent. The prices charged for the food they offer is a tad on the steep side in my opinion – but it must cost them quite a bit to maintain too.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T

Terrazza Nedlands
Telephone: (08) 9386 1399
Address: 156 Hampden Road, Nedlands, Western Australia

Lambretta is a personal favourite Italian restaurant that I fell in love with during my uni days about 4-5 years ago (dang I’m old!).

With a really humble size to this establishment, you will get a feeling of intense warmth when you walk in, often greeted by the owner of the place, Maurizio. It resembles a little cottage home, that is open for people to come through for their meals (and pay for them of course *winks*).

The counter breaks the restaurant into the two halves in which the tables populate the area. Towards the end is the kitchen where all the yummy food is prepared! (did I not say that the place is rather small?)

The menu at this joint does not offer a huge range, but each dish is served with great quality. Some of their dishes even exude a certain home-cooked-food aroma which can be quite difficult to forget! A little background on what Lambretta actually is (once again, courtesy of WikiPedia):

Lambretta was a line of motor scooters originally manufactured in Milan, Italy, by Innocenti but also manufactured under licence by Société Industrielle de Troyes (S.I.T.) in France, NSU in Germany, Serveta in Spain, API in India, Pasco in Brazil, Auteca in Colombia, and Siambretta in Argentina. In 1972, the Indian government bought the Milanese factory and the rights to the Lambretta name, creating Scooters India Limited (SIL). Today, the Innocenti brand name rights are owned by Fiat, whereas the Lambretta and Lambro brand names are owned by SIL and are licensed to various companies who want association with the iconic brand, including: Taiwanese manufactured scooters; Indian light vehicle engines; British fashion clothing; and Chinese produced watches.

 In 1922, Ferdinando Innocenti of Pescia built a steel-tubing factory in Rome. In 1931, he took the business to Milan where he built a larger factory producing seamless steel tubing and employing about 6,000. During the Second World War the factory was heavily bombed and destroyed. It is said that surveying the ruins, Innocenti saw the future of cheap, private transport and decided to produce a motor scooter – competing on cost and weather protection against the ubiquitous motorcycle.

 The main stimulus for the design style of the Lambretta and Vespa dates back to Pre-WWII Cushman scooters made in Nebraska, USA. These olive green scooters were in Italy in large numbers, ordered originally by Washington as field transport for the Paratroops and Marines. The US military had used them to get around Nazi defence tactics of destroying roads and bridges in the Dolomites (a section of the Alps) and the Austrian border areas.

Aeronautical engineer General Corradino D’Ascanio, responsible for the design and construction of the first modern helicopter by Agusta, was given the job by Ferdinando Innocenti of designing a simple, robust and affordable vehicle. It had to be easy to drive for both men and women, be able to carry a passenger, and not get its driver’s clothes dirty.

Interesting stuff isn’t it? I know not why Maurizio actually called the little food place Lambretta but I dare bet that it’s got to do with his little remake of the Lambretta in his little place (look to the right!). It is actually the housing for his coffee machine and little espresso cups, with which he makes his rather delicious coffee (only tried them two or three times but it was definitely lovely! :)

Lambretta boasts of its specials-on-a-chalk-board tradition, in which the specials for the day is handwritten onto a nice chalkboard, which is then brought around the restaurant by a waiter, to the table that is the newest addition to the restaurant to have a look. Most of the time, the dishes featured on this board are unique in its own right, with things ranging from goat, to squid ink, and other greats!

The other great thing about this place is the fresh and warm bread that is served with traditionally with olive oil and some balsaimic vinegar to start off the meal. With a nice crispy crust, and a delicate soft finish in the body, this bread is one of my favourite in town and it’s apparently baked right on the premises! Lovely.

Anyway, onto the mains! With a nice group of six people during this occassion, we decided to order the following dishes:

• Calamari with Salad (not too sure what the real name of this is…)
• Lambretta 175 Pizza
• Lambretta 175 Pasta
• Pollo alla Capolatena (spelling might be wrong here)
• Lagsana
• Spaghetti Nero (on the specials board this night!)

The calamari with salad shown in the picture is the ‘large’ portion that’s offered on the menu. With such a generous serving of squid, this dish is definitely worth the money! The best thing about this dish (other than it being really really healthy), is the intense taste of the dish! I honestly did not expect too much from this but it ended up being so yummy! A good amount of seasoning I must say, and don’t be fooled by it’s “only salad and seafood” nature. It’s actually quite filling! Or so I’m told. :)

The Lambretta 175 pizza is my must-have when you visit Lambretta. The reason for this is quite simple – it’s just uniquely yummilicious! Check the description out before you even question my ‘unique’ statement:

Prosciutto, shaved parmesan, rocket, and a balsaimic dressing (there is another ingredient but I can’t seem to read it off the menu photo! boo.)

For those who are not fans of balsaimic vinegar then I’m quite sad to say that this dish might not be for you, but give it a go anyway! Nibble off someone who might be ordering!

The sour and salty of the vinegar and shaved parmesan just goes so well, and the slight bitterness of the rocket just brings the overall and overwhelming I might add taste to the dish. The other thing I love about the pizzas here is the tasty base that they use! For some weird reason, their base actually has a taste to it even when there’s nothing on it!

The Lambretta 175 pasta is another dish that oozes with uniqueness:

Home-made saffron pasta tossed in tomato sauce, ricotta and pine nuts, garnished with fresh rocket salad…

I haven’t had this dish all to myself before (yes, I’m a nibbler =P)… but it is tasty! I don’t know how well it’d sit with just one person eating it, but I personally don’t think I will be able to handle the whole plate with all that ricotta. So a definitely tasty dish but thought will have to be given into whether one or two people should order one serve. The ricotta can get a bit much.

I did not try the Pollo but it was apparently very yummy in accordance to my mate. Served with a generous amount of gravy/sauce, I could tell the chicken was not lacking in moisture. So from my side, that’s the plus!

The Spaghetti Nero was my dish for the night, and was it an order not to forget! Everyone tried a little of that black plate of spaghetti and there was a common applaud for its delicious taste! It comes served with some squid pieces, and some hints of chilli as well (which was a bit on the low side for me, but that might be because I’m asian :)) Overall a great dish to have, if not for the blackness – but then again, there’s the fun of posing for pictures with really blackened teeth!

We didn’t have any desserts but the tiramisu is a recommendation from me based on my previous experiences with this restaurant! They whip up a nice cup of tiramisu that gives a good amount of kahlua and sponge, not too creamy (quite the opposite of Ciao Italia).

I love this place, and would be willing to go back again and again, and again. The prices are pretty reasonable with the pizza costing about $17.50, and the pasta $18.50. The Pollo was about $21… so that gives you an idea of the prices.

Once again, fabulous place!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Rating by: S.T.

Lambretta Cucina Italian Restaurant
Telephone: (08) 9389 5858
Address: 45b Hampden Road, Nedlands 6009

Borsalino

Website: www.borsalino.com.au

Entertainment Card: 25% off the total bill (up to $30 value)

Borsalino Ristorante is a classy Italian restaurant located in Nedlands.  You can’t tell much from the outside but once inside, you know that this restaurant is different.  They spent on their decor, with jarrah floors and everything wooden, you almost feel like you are in an ’olden day’ cottage.  As soon as you arrive, you are greeted by a Host (I reckoned he owns the place!) who was very proper and explained everything to us in detail (he reminded me of a butler for some reason).  You do not get a food menu as he preferred to explain everything in person - as a more personal touch to his service.  

Side note:  In my mind, I was thinking, Great..how am I supposed to write a blog when I don’t know what the dishes are called?  I had to listen very hard and tried to remember all the details! 

Borsalino is a fully licensed restaurant with a wine cellar on display which was very impressive (as shown in the picture).  We ordered a Shiraz and a Sauvignon Blanc Semillon as recommended by the Host which in his word..”will complement the food nicely”.  The only thing to remember is that the “water” did not come free.  The service staff just kept on pouring the San Pellegrino throughout the night which we ended up paying $32 for ($8/bottle)! 

Wine Cellar

Service Station

Castelli Shiraz, Cloudy Bay SBS & San Pellegrino

Coming to the food, Borsalino serves either a la carte or a special Gourmet Dinner which we had to order as they were only cooking the set menu that night, being New Year’s Eve and all.  It was an excellent choice though - the Gourmet Dinner consisted of 3 entrees, 1 main and 1 dessert which means you get to try a bit of everything.  The menu consisted of the following (I cheated and copied the below from their website – tell me honestly, who can remember the whole lot??  The picture descriptions are what I actually remembered):

ENTREE (pictures from left to right):

• Premium ‘AquaTas” Smoked Salmon on a bed of Mesculin Salad accompanied by a fan of Avocado drizzled with tangy Rocket dressing
• Freshly blanched local crispy Green Asparagus Spears lightly grilled Au Gratin until golden brown
• Soft and Light Bocconcini Spinach and Ricotta soufflings baked slowly in the oven until golden served with a creamy Mascarpone cheese sauce (SIGNATURE DISH)
• Special Borsalino bread with Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar (unlimited refill)

Smoked Salmon with Avocado

Asparagus with golden breadcrumb

Boccocini with spinach & ricotta

Bread with olive oil & vinegar

Comments:  The boccocini was awesome, I never like cheese much but I must say that this is my favourite for the night.  No wonder they call it their signature dish.  The boccocini was soft and creamy and very light in taste so you can eat a few without feeling too cheesy.  The bread was also delicious (soft and crunchy at the same time with a salty taste to it).  The Host told us that they do refill the bread basket but warned us that as they were so delicious, some people had filled themselves up with too much bread and was not able to eat the mains.  I knew what he meant though coz I filled myself up as they tasted so good!..but still managed to eat my main *phew*. 

MAIN (choice of either):

• Juicy Pink Snapper grilled with smoked paprika and white wine, served with roast potato, pumpkin and broccoliv OR
• Tender, juicy Beef Fillet, char grilled to perfection finished in a wild porcini mushroom sauce, served with roast potato, pumpkin and broccoli

Pink Snapper with roasted veg

Chargrilled Beef with roasted veg

Comments: I chose the Snapper for main.  The mains were quite ordinary (in terms of comparison with other restaurants) – was a good meal nonetheless.

DESSERT

• Italian Mousse drizzled with passionfruit and cranberry sauce with a sprig of mint (I had to make this up myself as the Host disappeared on us and did not explain the dessert properly) 

Comments:  The dessert was surprisingly good.  I like it as it is very light in taste and the sauces was sweet (cranberry) and sourish (passionfruit) which complimented the mousse.  Dessert was a + for me.

Dessert of the Day

Overall, this is a great place to go to for a nice dinner or for some occassion.  It is a bit on the pricey side as can be expected for Fine Dining but in return, you get good wine, great food and excellent service.  A great place to try. 

Another note:  We were not able to use the Entertainment Card as it was a special occasion that night.  Keep that in mind.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Rating by: N.L.

Borsalino Ristorante
Telephone: (08) 9389 8141
Address: 35 Hampden Road, Nedlands

Curbside Scavenging Report: Nedlands

The astonishingly successful gomi hunting jaunt we undertook in Floreat a month back had us well primed for a curbside scavenging expedition to Nedlands this week. Just thinking about the unpricelessful junk that awaited us in the rich-bastard suburb made our gomi glands fully engorged.

Now, gomi hunting in pairs is a tricky business. It can get nasty if you’re competing for stuff. I choose to go with Madam Fatale because she’s only interested in luggage – nothing else. Doulton jugs? Non! Rice steamer? Mon dieu, non! Chamber pots? Merde, non!

I don’t know why the French have an obsession with cases and travel bags. Maybe after centuries of retreating from invading armies the desire for a quick getaway has imprinted itself permanently on their genome. Anyway, I’m staying put, so her frenzy for travel bags works for me, the only downside being her overexcitement when a raggedy suitcase appears on a verge.

I was browsing the computer crap as usual looking for keyboards. They have a short life expectancy at my place and usually end up ruined from beer/wine/kedgeree/curry/ash/coffee spillages. Having a few spares is handy so you can understand my frustration after I came upon the umpteenth keyboard that appeared perfect but had its cable cut off.

Why would these rich bastard householders cut off the cable before throwing the keyboard out? Why were they all like that? Did a rumour circulate Nedlands that information somehow remains in the keyboard, to be extracted later by a cunning gomi-hacker? “Better cut the cable off before you chuck it Bob, your banking login might still be in there.”

Still, I’d rather think that than the alternative; that they cut the cables off so no one else could use them. Sigh.

Anyway, as it turned out, our haul was pitiful, although my partner was happy with her usual haul of decrepit luggage. I ended up with bugger all. The verdict: poorer suburbs may have richer pickings.