Wednesday 6 July 2011

Polly, 6000


Polly wanna cracker?? Polly wants coffeeeee. I'm going to assume this is the inspiration for this pop-up like coffee house that sits in the heart of Perth's cultural center.   Polly Coffee Bar resembles a bird avery in it's structure,  coloured models of birds perch over railings, and the counter cabinet displays an array of beak-friendly snacks such as vege poppy seed bagels and pumpkin seed rye sandwiches (taking the bird association too far?)    

Polly stocks a selection of European packaged treats and drinks including Hansi soda


One regular soy cap take-away

I like the simplicity of gray concrete and steel

Outside of its appearance, the coffee here is really good and I'd definitely recommend it over the Caffissimo just nearby (morning City commuters, a worthwhile detour).


I ordered a smoked salmon sandwich on rye with my coffee which the European chick behind the counter made up new for me instead of grabbing from the display.   I wish this could have meant my sandwich was going to be fresh however and I was disappointed to find the bread a bit dry.   The fillings were good though, plenty of smokey salmon coupled with its usual complementary companions; cream cheese and capers ( I'd have liked a few more capers if were getting picky).  Avocado and baby spinach joined the other fresh fillings too.


Cute stamp, nice touch

Smoked salmon on rye, baby spinach, avocado, cream cheese and capers

More bird motifs

you can see the dryness can't you???
 

Polly is a fitting addition to Perth's developing cultural hub (we try), but next time I'll try the sauteed mushroom and pumpkin version and hope they bothered to buy a fresh loaf that day.
Food: 2.5/5
Coffee: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience/Space: 4/5


<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1588485/restaurant/Perth/Perth-City/Polly-Coffee-Bar-Perth"><img alt="Polly Coffee Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1588485/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>

Monday 4 July 2011

Cookie, 3000

On a recent trip to Melbourne,  I was excited to finally get the chance to try Cookie, the bar and eatery below sister venue The Toff in Town.  The thing I love most about this place is that the decor has absolutely no connection to the food, except for maybe that its f-ing awesome.  Looking at the modern wall art that mixes images of Canadian woodlands with boxy graffiti art, you would never guess this dive serves up superb Thai cuisine.

L: Duck jungle curry with eggplant and bamboo shoots,  R: Crispy fish salad with green mango and pickled crab

The menu at Cookie is pretty extensive and is broken down into dishes of Small, Medium and Large. This makes it great for sharing amongst groups or if you're like me and want to try as many different  recipes possible. Why get one dish when you can try three different small ones? Sweet!   Feeling not overly hungry, my sister and I chose just two mid-sized plates - the Duck Jungle Curry with eggplant and bamboo shoots (we love bamboo shoots) and the Crispy fish salad with green mango and pickled crab.  Both were SO delicious - the salad sweet and zesty and texturally wicked - light crispy flakes of battered fish with the mild crunch of the green mango was an absolute pleasure to eat. The standout was the curry however, and we both ended up literally slurping the remainder of the curry sauce like it was soup.  Our conversation changed from complaints of Chapel Streets growing lacklustre, to repetitive mumbles (mouths full, not wanting to break from the munching) of  "oh my goodd...yummmm, this is amaaazzzinng..."

A picture of a German beer hall-doll hangs above our table; a quirky departure from your typical Buddhas and temples
Tall windows open to bustling Swanston Street

The service here is a admittedly a bit arrogant. Cookie seems to have a slight case of "fit but don't you know it", but I really don't care 'cos the food is that tasty. Egos aside, the staff are very knowledgeable and the waiter  confidently recommended a great wine to enjoy with our food. 

Barely a drop of curry wasted


I  adore the contrast of the the contemporary Thai street food, against the sweet 60s printed crockery, and crochet table pieces.

L: Lime, rum based cocktail, R: Banana coconut cocktail
Cookie doesn't end at amazing Thai cuisine, the cocktails are top-notch too. The bar staff, like the restaurant staff, know their stuff and happily whipped up some rather complex and extremely delicious cocktails after we declared our favourite flavours and poisons.  I think it's obvious I love this place; the buzz, the chatty staff, the kitchy-cool setting and of course the sublime Thai!  I cannot wait to go back when i'm next in Melbs.



Food: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 5/5
Price: $$$

Cookie
252 Swanston Street
Melbourne 3000

<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/760512/restaurant/Victoria/CBD/Cookie-Melbourne"><img alt="Cookie on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/760512/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>

Sunday 3 July 2011

The Brisbane Hotel, 6003


Grilled Tasmanian Salmon, Niçoise Salad

I'm a big fan of The Brisbane Hotel or what is referred to by some as "the Brizzie".  The service is excellent, the food is consistently good and the atmosphere reminds me a little of being in a Balinese resort.   They do salt and pepper squid SO well - tiny pieces of squid rings in light crispy batter, never thick and chewy like some crappy calamari I find too often (Sienas is a good example).   Their modern take on the Salmon Niçoise is my favourite, and I order this almost every time I'm here for dinner, it's that delicious...this is unlike me too, as I usually like to try as many different menu items possible. I'd hate to get in a food-rut...after all variety truly is the spice of life!   The pizzas at The Brisbane are super yummy as well; bases not too thick, not too thin and the toppings are a original, yet restrained (unlike some other pizza places that get a bit carried away with the gourmet toppings - here's looking at you Little Caesars).  I'd highly recommend The Brisbane for get-togethers on lazy Sunday afternoons - it's a great space and the homemade sausage rolls, dips and other shares always go down a treat with groups...the Mojitos are awesome too!

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Price: $$


<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1370115/restaurant/Highgate/Brisbane-Hotel-Perth"><img alt="Brisbane Hotel on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1370115/minilink.gif" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px" /></a>

Friday 1 July 2011

Secret Garden, 6000

'Royale' with a (generous) side of spinach
After reading recently of the benefits of Salmon and it being labeled as a Winter "Happy" food,  I felt the need to start my day with a smoked salmon breakfast whilst in the city one morning.   With this mission in mind I headed for Secret Garden cafe which hides behind Tiger Tiger off Murray St.   I made my way past the indie kids tapping away on their Mac books at Tiger and picked up the menu at the counter before committing to the 'Royale' (poached eggs on toast with Salmon and house-made Hollandaise) with a side of spinach (daily greens, tick).   The staff were really friendly, educating me of the various sandwich and wrap fillings in their counter cabinet, and my picky request for a half serve of eggs and toast, and hollandaise on the side, was met with a chirpy "of course".

Soy Cap

Interior
As the name suggests, this place is peaceful, quietly tucked away from the bustle of Murray St. with a backdrop of non-overbearing art pieces that fit in effortlessly with the surrounding decor.
The meal arrived just as I was coming to the last few gulps of my soy cap (pet-peeve - forced simultaneous eating and coffee drinking ) and was great - egg yolk suitably gooey (#2 pet-peeve - over-poached eggs), toast was tasty, salmon pretty pink delicious and hollandaise sauce that hit the perfect balance of creamy buttery and lemon tangy. The coffee was good too :). 


Art piece leading to outside area


Food: 4/5
Coffee: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5 
Ambiance: 3/5
Price: $$



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