Il Circolo, North Perth

Renée's breakfast - eggs & bacon al circolo

Ross' breakfast - asparagi alla Fiorentina

Coffees & Orange Juice!

Today we visited our favourite street in North Perth and treated ourselves to one of the newer cafés in Perth - Il Circolo. Sitting opposite the Rosemount Hotel its immediate competitors include Milkd and The Pantry Door.

Not that the competition worries Il Circolo - with its Florentine cuisine and quirky old-school wooden school seats and tables Il Circolo will always provide people with a reason to check it out. We arrived just before the end of breakfast at 11:30am, and as all the tables were taken we sat on the low cushioned bench next to the front window. The low table presented a slightly interesting eating challenge, but we managed fine!

The blackboard menu contained items like funghi alla funghetta (think lots of mushrooms - $12). I had the asparagi alla Fiorentina ($12.50) and Renée chose the bacon & eggs al circolo ($12). The lunch menu looked interesting too, with tortelli being one of the dishes on offer - we will have to come back for that! The food was straight forward, but delicious. The asparagus was cooked well, and the borlotti beans on Renée's plate were flavoursome. The crusty toast was cut thinly enough so that it was easy to eat (many a time I have had to cut through 5cm thick crusts, which just gets very tiring!) In fact the toast itself, served on a wooden board, is a rewarding meal in itself. The only disappointment were the poached eggs (which we both had), which although rich in colour, were small and hard.

We both had flat whites that were good, and though they probably wouldn't win any awards they still manage to beat the coffees served in most cafés. Renée also had an orange juice which was tasty, but out of a Goulburn Valley bottle.

Il Circolo also offers some tasty looking cakes. We finished off with a lemon and rosemary slice ($6) which was moist and delicious and the highlight of our meal - yum!

But the most irritating thing about Il Circolo (meaning "the culture" in Italian) is its name - its completely forgettable, and would be mispronounced by 95% of Perthites including Renée who struggles with the name EVERY time calling it "ill circle-o" (it should be said "ill cheer-kolo")! And when said correctly, you kind of sound like a bit of a tosser.

If you can forget about the name (easily!), then Il Circolo is definitely well worth visiting. In fact it has received a rave review from a native Florentine - well I think it's good; I can't read Italian all that well!

The Verdict

Coffee 3/5
The Eggs (the meal!) 3/5
Service 4/5
Atmosphere 3.5/5

Overall 13.5/20

Would we go again?
Yep but perhaps for cake or the tortelli!

Website: could not find one!

Dim Sim Café, Northbridge

BBQ Pork Buns

Sticky Rice

Prawn & Chive Dumplings

Rice Flour Rolls & Steamed Greens with Oyster Sauce

Egg Custard Tarts

I grew up eating dim sum (or yum cha which means 'drinking tea' and is used to describe the whole dining experience) which I guess for a white girl living in the burbs was pretty 'crazy'. My Uncle Jim used to travel to Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore all the time and thought he would culture his super-white niece and nephew by frequently taking us out for sushi (in the 80's kids didn't like seaweed!), Asian noodles and, of course, dim sum. He use to take my family out on a Sunday at 11:30am and my brother and I used to LOVE going, because seriously, what's not to like - lazy Susans, chopsticks and steam baskets - it was novel and totally fun! My brother and I were suckers for the pineapple custard buns and the pork dumplings with the little red blob on top (yeah, we were like 7 years old so we didn't actually know the proper names!)

Ross and I are of course big fans of dim sum! We are always trying different places, so this morning we decided to try out Dim Sim Café (next to Icey-Ice) on William Street in Northbridge. Dim Sim Café is owned by the people who ran Hoi's Kitchen which used to be a renowned dim sum institution until it closed in 2006. I am pleased to report Dim Sim Café is just as amazing!!!

We were a bit early this morning as I had to open the shop so it was quiet and really easy to get a table. Usually at around 11:30am there is a massive crowd out the front waiting for tables! We started with some Chinese tea which was delicious (note: I love their rectangular tea cups...so cute!). We picked the following dishes: BBQ pork buns, sticky rice, steamed prawn & chive dumplings, steamed greens with oyster sauce, rice flour rolls with pork, and egg custard tarts...phew sounds like a lot but its not!

Everything was so fresh and the highlight was the pork which is usually a fluoro-red colour but Dim Sim Café uses a deep rich brown mixture and was quite amazing. My favourite all-time dumpling is the prawn and chive and I am pleased to say it was magnificent!

The service was really professional and since there was only a few tables of people they were really attentive. The decor was simple but really that kind of thing isn't really important as dim sum is a tradition for families to get together and eat and share each other company which I think is really nice :)

Overall we'll definitely go back to Dim Sim Café perhaps with my brother and mum and to try out the squid tentacles- yum!

P.S: I was away in Sydney last week so sorry there was no post! Going out for brekky by your lonesome is just not as fun!

The Verdict

Chinese Tea 4/5
The Eggs (the meal!) 4/5
Service 4/5
Atmosphere 3/5

Overall 15/20

Would we go again?
We'll be back with our families in tow!

Dim Sim Café, 297 William Street, Northbridge WA 6003

T: (08) 9328 9388

Cantina 663, Mount Lawley

Flat whites

Renée's breakfast

Ross' breakfast

This morning we walked to our staple breakfast spot - Cantina 663 on Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley. It is a European-inspired café with wine racks up the length of the exposed-brick walls, and seats and tables crammed not just inside but into the galleria entrance and onto the footpath. Tall marble tables are also available. The place is a hit with the Mount Lawley-ites (yay we're in this club!). We chose a table on the footpath. The vibe is instantly bustling and relaxing at the same time!

Like the interior decor, Cantina's food is based on a European premise with emphasis on quality and seasonal food. The menu changes now and again at the chef's whims, but never to the detriment of quality food. A favorite of mine is the granola with almonds and buffalo yoghurt - a menu item that has recently morphed into muesli with fresh figs and again into bircher muesli with apples ($10.90). Likewise their hotcakes frequently change toppings, but always staying fresh, tasty and interesting ($15.90). Today Renée chose the scrambled eggs on joy toast ($12.90) with a side of chipolatas ($4), and I had the Mamma's Breakfast comprising scrambled eggs, ciabatta, chipolatas, bacon, tomato, mushrooms and hash browns ($20.90). Whilst on paper this sounds everyday ho-hum, it was anything but! The eggs are delicately flavoured with chives, the mushrooms cooked to perfection, and even the tomatoes looked like a feast - they looked nothing like standard fare and more resembled semi-sundried tomatoes. I will not touch a raw tomato but these almost looked edible! There was nothing hashed about the hash brown which was more like a baked potato cake - delicious! Renée went with the intention of ordering the hotcakes but ordered her favourite scrambled eggs combo, she reckons their bread is one the tastiest in Perth!

Service is quick, friendly and unobtrusive. Water was brought to us in one of those brown medicine bottles, and our flat whites came shortly after. The only downside to coffee is that the coffees made during the head barista's smoke breaks are not as good, but today we has the good luck of perfect coffees, served in European-style cups. Today we felt like loitering and I ordered an iced mocha. Now in Perth iced drinks are usually served with generous slathers of icecream and cream, usually with loads of ice and the with the colour of a Brownes Iced Coffee. But continuing with the Cantina's theme (yes, European), the iced mocha was served with a strong shot of coffee made perfectly, a dollop of icecream and chocolate sauce served in a hi-ball glass, and it was DELICIOUS!! And the colour, so dark and rich-looking! Never again will I venture to [insert your local café franchise here] for an iced drink fix!

In short, Cantina offers the kind of food, service and vibe sorely lacking in this city; we hope it never ever closes down as we heart you Cantina and your breakfasts are seriously great nosh!

P.S Renee has downloaded a new app on her iphone and is obsessed hence the polaroid pics- I must admit they do look cool!

The Verdict

Coffee 4/5
The Eggs (the meal!) 4/5
Service 4.5/5
Atmosphere 4.5/5

Overall 17/20

Would we go again?
Ummmmmm - YES!

Website: http://www.cantina663.com/

Mini Espresso, London Court

Just a really sneaky post about a little find I had today! I'm doing a contract in the CBD at the moment so coffee is an important part of my day as I walk to my office. My office all get their coffee from Botticelli's in Forrest Place and I totally do not rate it....not only is it $4.20 which is criminal but I have had burnt, bitter, scolding hot cups...plain wrong!

But today I went for a wander down London Court and discovered this tiny little hole in the wall which was super-duper cute called Mini Espresso- hallelujah! Its $3.80 a cup and insanely delicious! And Luke who owns and runs the little joint is really lovely! Happy times!

Oh I took one of their cards as you can SMS your order ahead if you're in a rush- smartypants!

The Verdict

Coffee 4.5/5

Would I go again?

They will know me by name by the end of the week I'm pretty sure!

Address

Shop 50, London Court, Perth

The Beaufort Street Merchant, Highgate

Flat Whites

Ross' Breakfast

Renee's Breakfast

This morning we woke up ridiculously early to unpack the last of the boxes (whoohoo! and yes, our new house is amazingly great!), but we decided to kick off the morning by exploring our new neighbourhood and stroll around the corner to dine at The Beaufort Street Merchant in Highgate. We've been here before for drinks (they do great Pimm's) and have been for dinner which is super-great (note: get the meatballs...amazing!) but we haven't been for brekky here for yonks.

The atmosphere is laid back and we grabbed a table near the windows in some deluxe comfy chairs - score! Downside: Ross pointed out the terrible music... people its the morning, we don't want to listen to your bass beats! (This is seriously one of our pet-hates...bad techno beats at cafés, we have been known to blacklist places and never return for this reason!) The service was not bad (on previous occasions is has been a little crap...) iced water was delivered to the table, coffee orders taken so off to a great start. But then the coffees came....they were really watery and Ross' was bitter and burnt and mine was average. Ross didn't touch his.

Now, lets get to the food! I ordered the Spanish breakfast which was grilled eggs, chorizo, potato and Spanish beans with bread to dunk ($19) and Ross chose the mushrooms bruschetta ($20). It was a pretty small menu about 8 items - toasted muesli, poached fruit & natural yogurt ($10.50), big belly breakfast (everything for $19), smoked Tasmanian salmon & avocado on grilled brioche with creme fraiche ($17). We agreed that the prices were a little more $ than we were used to...

My dish was impressively presented in a little skillet on a wooden board. The highlight of my meal was the delicious pagnotta bread and the herby eggs. Ross thoroughly enjoyed his - it was loaded with rocket and Danish feta and was well done - not a scrap remained at the end. But regardless of the food we were both a little disappointed with other aspects of The Merchant (coffee, music, etc) and agreed that you can get a better meal for less at other places which is a shame. We reckon we'll stick to dinner at The Merchant!

The Verdict

Coffee 2/5
The Eggs (the meal!) 3/5
Service 3/5
Atmosphere 3.5/5 (onced they changed the music!)

Overall 11.5/20

Would we go again?
Not for breakfast! We we'll be back for Pimms and meatballs!

Website: http://beaufortmerchant.com/

Be right Back!

We are moving house at the moment and are living in a sea of never ending boxes! Alas, we will be munching on some delicous breakfast next weekend! Stay tuned!

Love Renee & Ross

Milkd, North Perth

Super great coffee

Ross & Renée's meal!

I'll be upfront - we both love Milkd North Perth, so this review is not going to be harsh at all. It is a favourite of ours and we'll keep going back there. But it is one of the last times we'll go back as a local, as we'll be moving to Mount Lawley this week!

So now, a review by biased locals.

Milkd is in a tiny premises on busy Angove Street. Luckily someone left as we arrived so we got to sit outside so we could be flâneurs. Milkd offer breakfast all day, except they will not serve poached eggs after midday. Strange. They offer a fresh looking menu with such items like a Milkd melt which is ham, cheese and tomato toasted on ciabatta ($12.90), eggs & sourdough ($12.90), feta & tomato on sourdough (one of Renée's favourite! $6.90).

Today Renée had the Milkd plate ($16.90) which has scrambled eggs, italian sausage, bacon, fresh tomato, and feta on sourdough. It also comes with mushrooms, but Renée not being a fan of the 'shrooms opted for rocket instead, which Milkd were quike happy to do. I had mushrooms, Italian sausage, rocket, feta and a poached egg on sourdough ($14.90).

Despite being busy as usual, the food came out quickly and with generous portions. It was well cooked and nicely balanced. The poached egg was cooked well so it was not too runny but still soft. Renée, who usually opts for the poached egg, said her scrambled eggs were slightly dry but thought everything else was 'super!'! Milkd gets a big tick from us!

Our coffees were delicious. The coffee seems to have a strong body to it, like a slight caramel aftertaste, though i couldn't quite place it. However, one of our friends came by and told us she thought I the coffee at Milkd was 'too milky'. We truly don't know what she was talking about (that's right Jess!) as there is no way that coffee was too milky; we have had much milkier at many a place, i.e. The Naked Fig last week. She is obviously crazy...haha

Their food, delicious and filling, was the perfect way to fill up before heading to the BDO. Hooray, overpriced festival food here we come!

The Verdict

Coffee 4/5
The Eggs (the meal!) 4/5
Service 4/5
Atmosphere 4/5

Overall 16/20

Would we go again?
We already are regulars! Its pretty consistent!

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