BROTHER.

BROTHER.

Menora, Perth.

Wednesday Luncheon.

So on this awfully overcast and humid day I meet two of my fellow food foragers at BROTHER.

BROTHER is located on of the busiest streets in what we can call Mount Lawley, Walcott st. Adjunct to a bottle shop, I have driven past it several times before but have not noticed it. Only the night before, I had performed the random Urbanspoon troll through maps and happened to find this little gem of a cafe.

ATMOSPHERE.

BROTHER's interior is fairly small but has a pleasant alfresco area where one can enjoy a good brew, breakfast or lunch. Greeted with a warm welcome we were the only other table besides an elderly couple which we could tell were regular Food Foragers of BROTHER. A high chair large share table  was located in the right corner next to a interesting feature wall with an inlaid staggered bookcase holding magazines and newspapers. The left side of the cafe however was quite stark in comparison. With basic cafe seating and a large mirror, it could do with the same coat of paint or extra fixtures to create an equal flow throughout the cafe. We did choose to sit outside as there was a slight breeze blowing making it quite pleasant to be enjoy our meal outside rather than in. 

Throughout our meal we had several people pop in and out for coffee and a catch up. Many an old couple and group of elderly ladies gathered for gossip and a good coffee. We placed our order at the counter laden with clear domes filled with cakes and slices to satisfy sweet cravings.

FOOD.

Informed that both lunch and breakfast menus were available, indecision set in quickly as many items seemed to wrestle to win my favour. I enjoyed the sounds of the Specials of the Day, Zuppa di Pesce, Lamb Ragu with Penne and the Steak Sandwich with onion jam, mustard and salad. 

However BROTHER's enticing breakfast selections including the omelettes (Goat's feta, spinach and pine nuts/ Ham, mozzarella, Parmesan and herbs) and the apple pancakes with maple syrup butter, were also big contenders.

BAKED EGGS

I settled on the Baked Eggs however which was greeted with a resounding 'good choice'. Imagine eggs which are perfectly poached in a shallow pan filled with homemade baked beans in a rich tomato sauce. Beautifully topped off with melted vintage cheese and served with crusty sliced soft bread pieces toasted off with butter to add the extra flavour element to the dish. Complete satisfaction ensues. Tomato and cheese make for a perfect combination which many a food forager find hard to pass on.

BLUEBERRY AND MAPLE FRENCH TOAST

And as always my sweet desire gets the better of me and so I also ordered  the French toast. If you judge me to be over zealous then by all means I am but with no regrets. I was told it was a big serve and when it came out it was so. However as always, I share. Forcefully.

Given the option of banana or blueberry (also a tough decision) I chose the latter. Out comes said dish laden with a mountain of glistening blueberries on a tower of french toast drizzled in maple syrup which was already beginning to form a sweet pool around two dollops of freshly whipped cream. The thick slices of toast had a delicious crispy outside and soft egg soaked cooked interior. Combined with the sweetness of the maple syrup and blueberries and lightness of the cream, I say c'est bon!My only regret was not finishing it as I was already carrying a food baby from my first dish.

LINGUINE CARBONARA

My two fellow food foragers had chosen the smoked salmon salad and the linguine carbonara. I had not a chance to taste either of their dishes (as I was happily devouring my own) but both had left their dishes picked clean. 

SMOKED SALMON SALAD

I had also had a accompanying skinny cappuccino which was slightly bitter as first but disappeared as I gave it a stir and kept with it.

SERVICE.

The owners were present to take our order and after placing our order our our coffee and tea came out quite promptly.

We had time to enjoy our drinks before our food arrived all at the same time. We did have lunch mid week so I would not expect anything less with only one other table dining already and no other orders.

Our plates were cleared at an appropriate time and both owners and waiter present were polite, prompt and courteous.

OVERALL.

With substantial portions and reasonable prices, I would gladly come back to BROTHER to have brunch/luncheon. However, I am unsure whether the weekend experience will be the same as mid week. Our meal was delicious and just the thought of their blueberry french toast makes me lick my lips.

BROTHER is calling out your name. 

Bib and Tucker

LEIGHTON BEACH PERTH WA

Bib and Tucker.
Leighton Beach, Perth Western Australia.
Wednesday Luncheon.

On this beautiful warm Autumn April day  we continue our food foraging to Bib and Tucker.

Officially open to the public on March 30th 2013, the buzz was apparent among fellow food foragers about this new restaurant owned by Australian sportsmen: swimmer Eamon Sullivan, pole vaulter Steve Hooker and hockey player Jamie Dwyer.
                                           

BIB AND TUCKER EXTERIOR 

                        ATMOSPHERE.

Upon walking up to Bib and   Tucker,  the sign itself gives  an indication for the feel inside the restaurant.

Beach goers are quite welcome with appropriate footwear of course. The view is spectacular on a clear day as seen above. However it is quite far away from the heart of the Fremantle dining scene which can dissuade some prospect customers from travelling to its relative remoteness.

BIB AND TUCKER VIEW FROM TABLE 1

The interior of Bib and Tucker as described by Eamon Sullivan (owner) does denote 'elegant rascality'. You are brought past the adequately staffed and stocked bar to a variance of tables, both small and large share. I myself always prefer a hard seat to a soft one and the quality and sturdiness of the slightly vintage looking blue chairs with the wooden tables compliments the venue. The light fixtures were an interesting touch, quite large but not overbearing.

The veranda deck was packed on arrival and so we were greeted promptly and guided to one of the large share tables. Menus were given to us straight away set on brown paper attached to a clipboard. Water served in a old tank glass bottle and glasses were brought out straight away.

The kitchen itself is very open and in full view of customers with chefs pushing through the start of a lunch rush. I have always enjoyed the idea of an open kitchen in a restaurant. I believe it adds to the whole experience, seeing how your food is prepared and served. A live cooking show if you will. Not only is it some form of entertainment if dining alone, you get to eat the food you've just watched as well.

BIB AND TUCKER VIEW FROM TABLE 2 

            FOOD.

From memory, perusing the lunch menu, Bib and Tucker have combined a mix of bites, Pizzas, Small options, Large options, salads, sides and desserts.

Also imperative to mention for those up to a 'man vs. food' challenge there is also the 2kg pizza challenge. Just imagining the contents of a 2kg pizza inside my stomach is enough to make me feel slightly queasy. However if you choose to accept such a challenge your feat is polaroided and pinned to the corridor wall as you enter the restaurant.

Although you eat with your mouth, it is usually your ears, eyes and sense of smell that determine your food forage decision. The way a dish is described on the menu or what other food foragers are feasting on already can result in severe indecisiveness, food anxiety and over ordering. Bib and Tucker's simplistic menu achieved this. Certain things that caught my eye were the use of fresh fish and seafood and large selection of pizzas.

Hunger becoming an overwhelming thought in my mind my eyes flickered straight to the Smalls and Large options. The Smalls included Charred Squid with chorizo and fennel (as shown below). I would have also been inclined to sample the fish tacos and assortment of fresh fish (I assume sashimi like) with green apple.

The Large options seemed more enticing with a vegetarian choice of Haloumi with accompanied salad, Steak Pomme Frites, Chermoula Rotisserie Chicken with pumpkin and harissa, Fish and Chips and salad (Barramundi- Fried or Grilled), and a Beef Burger (Double Pattie, served on a brioche bun with lettuce tomato Aioli Gruyere cheese and handcut chips and salad).

CHARRED SQUID WITH  CHORIZO AND FENNEL

Salad choices include Iceberg, Avocado and from memory a Quinoa  and possibly Corn.

Drinks included a variety of mix juices, coffee and milkshakes (Banana and Nutella and Salted Caramel  are noteworthy choices).

I chose a skinny Cappuccino which I thoroughly enjoyed. Good coffee is savoured without any sugar. The blend and roast of the coffee beans should blitz the tongue without the need for added flavours or sweetness. 
My two fellow food foragers chose a mixed juice and a salted caramel milkshake. 

My coffee came out promptly whilst the milkshake and juice took a while longer. Feedback given for the juice was it was an interesting mix of flavours whilst the milkshake was predictably satisfyingly sweet.

SALTED CARAMEL MILKSHAKE/JUICE

The charred squid with chorizo and fennel arrived within a reasonable amount of time. The squid was grilled, cut well and had little chew, indicating the freshness of the seafood quality. Chorizo was sliced thin and scattered throughout the dish with the shaved fennel and drizzled with a light dressing. The garnish of parsley came through quite strongly but enhanced the other flavours in the dish.







For mains we all came down to ordering the Fish and Chips. The beef burger that many of the diners seem to have ordered was apparently sold out (see note about service later).

GRILLED BARRAMUNDI (FISH AND CHIPS)

After a while to wait, our mains finally arrived all at the same time. Served on a wooden board, the barramundi was grilled to a flaky tenderness and seasoned well. The homemade tartare sauce was a  satisfying welcome accompaniment and the salad of rocket pomegranate and semi sundried tomatoes with a lemon vinagrette cut through any residual oily aftertaste. A good slice of lemon was also given which I abundantly squeezed over my meal.

My fellow food foragers also had hand cut potato chips which looked crispy cooked and were completely consumed with no offerings to share.

 After much silence (which is a good indication of delicious food) we resumed chatting and discussing life matters and group gossip.

Dessert is a course I rarely miss and if I do its generally to do with fullness (regrettably). The saying 'There is ALWAYS room for dessert.' comes up frequently when I am out with fellow food foragers that decided to decline dessert. If they do, I generally then force them to share. They eventually agree with supposed begrudging acceptance.

DESSERT- PARFAIT

The waiter was eager to sell the dessert pictured to the left. Called a parfait it is layered dessert consisting of Chocolate Brownie top and bottom layers with a Raspberry Sorbet and creamy Vanilla Ice cream filling and what tasted like a fine sweet honeycomb nut dust. The mixture of flavours worked well whilst the dust added a great dimension of texture to the dish. The only thing I might have let down the dish was that the raspberry sorbet was relatively hard and icey in comparison the softer vanilla ice cream. Perhaps it was not set properly?

This was quite a welcome dessert and satisfying end to a sampler of lunch menu they have available at Bib and Tucker. Overall the food served was great quality, well presented, beautifully cooked with a fine blend of ingredients and flavours.

SERVICE.

Unfortunately as with all new establishments it does take a fair while for a routine to be established and good waitstaff are hard to find. For a lunch service I noted plenty of waitstaff (around 6) serving customers. Eamon was there himself making sure any food that left the kitchen was well presented.

We were greeted and seated straight away and after a satisfactory amount of  time one of the waiters did come around to take our order with a polite and courteous manner. We were not however ready yet and so he said he would come back later.

This never happened.

We were left waiting for our order to be taken for a significant amount of time. The table next to us were seated well after us and their order was taken before ours. One of the other waiters did come around with cutlery, query whether we had placed our orders which we replied no and said that "this cutlery isn't meant for you then" and proceeded on her way.

Our order was then eventually taken by another waiter who I think was the 'front of house' as he was in normal attire with a rushed " What would you like?" with no apologies for the delay. There was no mention of basic waitstaff etiquette i.e. "Would you like any drinks or any starters?" which I had to add myself after. No repetition of the order was said and it seemed like he was quite eager to leave our table as soon as he possibly could. Our cutlery was however brought out promptly after our order was taken.

When our starter had arrived we had already started picking at it with given cutlery. A short while after, one of the waiters then decided to bring us our entree plates. If it was mentioned we would be getting plates I would have delayed starting the dish instead of having all three of us try to eat off the same plate.

It was some time before our mains did arrive. We could tell that the restaurant was fairly busy but was not a full house. It seemed like a lot of the time the waiters were chatting to customers but weren't doing very much else. There seemed to be a delay in bringing out food, taking orders and clearing dishes from tables.

During our wait for our mains the same waiter who was meant to come back and take our order came around to check whether we okay besides the fact we were hungry. An odd comment to make. If a customer is waiting for their food to come out and it has been a while, waitstaff should check to see how far along it is in kitchen and report back to the customer rather than commenting on how hungry they are. Being a noticeable hungry customer I'd like to know how much longer I would have to wait for my food with a small " Sorry its taking so long, the kitchen is really busy."

The mains were brought out all at once which can require great coordination. Once placed down, the same waiter who never took our order asked if we would like salt and pepper. Which I agreed to with a please and thank you. Once again, this never came. Instead we were left sitting there once again. I then noticed the same waiter chatting to another table and then after, taking another tables order with no gestures to return. My friend then had to flag down the 'front of house' as he was whizzing past to ask for some tartare sauce which was meant to come with our meal in the first place. Brought our promptly with apologies he then offered salt and pepper which I mentioned was already offered but never came. He was then quick to do so still in a flurry. Once we finished our mains, it was a while before any of the waitstaff decided to clear our table. It was only performed after they walked past our clearly finished table to then decide to double back.

Dessert was then quickly offered which was not so eloquently described to entice most customers. It would be ideal to liken it to a layered sweet terrine rather than a parfait. My friend had envisioned the dessert to come in a clear glass rather than the slice it was as most parfaits do. Nonetheless it was a delicious dessert, served well and promptly.

After dessert was cleared the very first waiter who never seems to come back, was quick to interrupt to see if we wanted anymore coffee or the bill. There was very little lull in between and it seemed a bit rushed.

Also important to note that we were told when our order was taken the beef burger was not available. However it seemed to still keep coming out of the kitchen after we had ordered, finished our mains and our dessert. This left me confused. To tell a customer one thing but to see the wanted dish come out after you had finished your entire meal? One would assume the orders processed after our meal came were taken after ours. My friend did mention he did see an order delivered to the kitchen, but if this was the case why was there not an offer to switch mains? It leaves a customer disappointed to see the dish they originally wanted and told not available to keep coming out of an open kitchen to be served to other customers after they have finished their meal.

COST:

The total came to $117 for three people. Not a cheap lunch.

The Small options vary in price around the $15-20 mark whilst the Large options are $20-35.

The Charred Squid Chorizo and Fennel salad was  $16. Reasonably priced.

The Fish and Chips were $28. Although a beautiful meal, I'm not too sure whether the attached price is worth it for the given portion size with both fish and salad served. Perhaps if I chose the chips as well it would swayed me a little. Also with a meatier fish like Barramundi I prefer a whole fillet rather than smaller individual pieces.

The dessert was $15. Most high end restaurants are charging around this mark for desserts nowadays. I would still have preferred an added option of double cream as a side garnish.

The overall portion sizes were a bit on a small size however by the end of the meal we were all satisfied and quite content. And to have a small starter and dessert to share did make it a semi-three course meal.

I am unsure about how much the juice was but the salted caramel  milkshake was $7. For the small cup size that came out I was quite glad I did not order it. It may just be the packaging but milkshakes in most cafes and restaurants for that price do come in a much taller glass full to the brim.

THE VERDICT.

Bib and Tucker are in a great beachfront location with a beautifully designed interior and relaxed atmosphere. Leighton beach visitors will frequent this new restaurant if they fancy something more than the kiosk food found next door.

The food is without fault. Cooked perfectly and aesthetically pleasing to the eye it ticks all boxes of food satiety.

However with the lack of good customer service in my experience and the slightly higher price tag for lunch I would think twice about returning in the near future. Perhaps after waitstaff have settled into a set routine or are actually given set tables to look after it may prompt me to reconsider it sooner.


#bibandtucker #perth

Starters.

Initiative.

Something I have not undertaken until now to start this food blog. However my food forage today and given time off has finally compelled me to initiate the birth of the food forager.

To all who know me personally food in a very important part of my life. Many an occasion is celebrated over a table laden out with generous morsels and tasty treats. Many of my friends are fellow food foragers who are always seeking out the next pit stop in their own food journey in life.

Food.

Service.

Atmosphere.

A blend of all three defines every dining experience with a varying importance factor of cost determines whether the meal is worthy of your time.

I hope my musings, reviews and rants will help you decide whether such places should be a part of your own food journey.

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