Eating our way around Perth
Every time we come back to Perth for a visit we spent a lot of time eating out. Its always a whirlwind of catch-ups with friends and family which often involve going to restaurants and cafes. We have been missing some of our favourite restaurants and the variety of cuisines that are on offer. In Mexico a large proportion of restaurants serve Mexican food, which is really tasty (a lot better than the Tex-Mex we get here) but I definitely crave other flavours, particularly Asian food.
So, we’ve certainly been eating our way through this holiday, some days out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think we’ll be rolling off that plane in Mexico! We’ve had some great meals, like last night at a Subiaco “institution” with legendary garlic prawns. After arranging to catch up with our friends who are getting married next weekend we belatedly realised it was Valentine’s Day. I am pretty anti-Valentine’s Day. I just can’t see anything remotely romantic about the weight of expectation and commercialisation of a day where it is decreed that you will show your love. I remember years ago in the office I worked in overhearing a telephone conversation between a secretary and her boyfriend. She was loudly berating him for not sending her anything for Valentine’s Day. All the other girls got roses and chocolates, where are mine?
An hour later an enormous bunch of red roses arrived on her desk. She must have felt so thrilled at that expression of love, so satisfied that she had guilted a gift out of her man. To me that sums up all that is wrong about Valentine’s Day. Can you tell I’m not really sentimental? At least not in the traditional way.
Anyway, we were concerned that we’d struggle to get into the restaurants filled with tables for 2, but luckily at the last minute we organised to join up with another friend (and his family) who we haven’t seen for 5 years and is soon moving to Brazil. The friend is a school mate of Rocky’s, but we’d met his Mum before, I went to uni with his brother and we flew to London with his other brother and put him up for the night years ago. Perth’s a bit like that - everyone’s connected somehow.
We’ve also had some ordinary meals, like at a new wannabe restaurant in Como, recommended by a friend. All I knew was that it was tapas, which I love, but on arrival we discovered the only menu choice was a short or long menu - 8 or 12 tapas courses of whatever the chef felt like preparing that night. I think I’m a fairly adventurous eater, but I am not a huge fish or seafood eater. I do like some seafood and fish, but not as obsessively as many people. Despite requesting a fish-lite selection our courses included caviar, fish and scallops. The food was…OK; the whole thing just seemed a bit pretentious to me, and horrendously overpriced - $50 a head for not a whole lot of food!
Every time we come back we are struck again by how expensive Perth has become, particularly eating out. It’s hard to get dinner for less than $30 a head and even lunch costs $15 upwards in a cafe. It’s crazy! When we move back here, I don’t think we’ll be eating out nearly as much as we do on holiday or are able to do in Mexico.
So, gotta go now - off to dinner again! This time to a regular haunt from my uni days, which has changed hands since then, but its still a pretty good feed (at least I hope it still is!)
Tomorrow brings lunch with the in-laws and a very special meet-up…..fill you in soon!! 
P.S. Just watched Gilly get a century at his last match in Perth - what a true blue legend.
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LOL you’ll be able to give us reviews of the best tucker spots around Perth and suburbs before you leave..and the ones to avoid
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[...] You know that special meetup I mentioned in my last post? [...]
there is a difference between eating and dining; one suspects you fit into the former category.
Eating not dining huh? If $50 per head for not a whole lot of food is “dining” than I’m happy to “eat” any day.
Well, she didn’t say she was dining her way around Perth.
I wouldn’t pay $50 a head for Tapas. No matter how good it might be.
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Good on you for sharing your feedback about the restaurant. I thought it was mighty dignified of you to not name the restaurant by the way, but foolish if Charles, is the owner and didn’t take good feedback on board.
This is why Reality TV shows like Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and lately, The Chopping Block are such successes. They have ignorant, know-it-all, owners, or chefs that believe they’re perfect and can’t understand why good people like you don’t come back.
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haha, I have been to that place tapas, and pretty much agree with your review!
I did like all the food, but was surprised by only the long and short menu, and not knowing what was coming. And my friend with us, is very picky, so she didn’t eat much, and was just hoping each time something she liked would come out! We just didn’t expect not being able to choose!
The rest of us though the food was great though, but yeah, *very* expensive for Perth, and the quantity!!
But yeah, I would consider myself more an eater than a diner!
There’s a difference between eating and dining? Charles, please enlighten us.
Personally, I couldn’t see myself eating, nor dining, at a place that served up whatever the chef felt like cooking. Sounds like the restaurant equivalent of Russian roulette.
Actually I just looked up eating and dining in the dictionary:
eating:
–noun
1. the act of a person or thing that eats.
dining:
–verb (used without object)
1. to eat the principal meal of the day; have dinner.
2. to take any meal.
—Verb phrase
3. dine out, to take a meal, esp. the principal or more formal meal of the day, away from home, as in a hotel or restaurant: They dine out at least once a week.
I’m afraid that in the definition of ‘dining’ there is no mention of being charged an exorbitant amount for average food and/or service. The definition of dining does not make any mention of serving up whatever the chef feels like, contrary to the request of the customer.
p.s - the Gilchrist hundred was sensational! I was getting very nervous for him when he was in the 90’s though!
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fact 1: our short menu is $40 per person (11 courses), the long menu $60 per person (16 courses and 3 desserts).
fact 2: the menuyou had that night comprised the following:
caviar of tomato consumme
warm rack salt flat bread and crisp mountain lavosh
preserved elmon hommus
confit of beetroot dip with nigella seeds
marinated mount zero olives
cauliflower with toasted walnuts and queso de cabra
pomegranate cured duck breast wtih roasted pear and wild rocket
parmesan and fresh thyme sable, confit onion and chevre goats cheese
seared king scallops on twice cooked proke belly and drunken raisins
baby whiting fillets on cannelini beans, chilli and lime
saled of shaved daikon radish pea shoots ans french mustardfroze n
lollipop of jasmin and apple tea with fresh apple foam
smoked twice cooked angus sirloin, kumera gratin and tempranillo jus
runner beans braised in tomato oil
chrgrilled chicken thigh wityh spiced pumpkin puree
cost $40 (not $50)
fact 3: we care very much what people think and always welcome feedback but it is clear from your original post your focus was on the price of dining in perth, which incidentally, is merely reflective of economic conditions in perth generally now ie. housing affordability, cost of labour etc.
fact 4: It is clear also from your comments you lack appreciation of the coooking involved and the ingredients used to create these dishes. A person who says they will never pay $50 for tapas unfortunately merely illustrates they do not know what tapas is - taste experiences
fact 5: part of the reason why we have set menus is so we can give the customer as many dishes as possible to sample for the price.
fact 6: if we were to allow a la carte tapas dining in groups it would be impossible to ensure everyone was fed in a timely manner; that would greatly diminish the dining experience for the customer.
fact 7: these menus are not slapped together at the whim of our chefs - an extraordinary amount of time goes into the research, preparation and execution of these dishes. you will never know how much nor do i suspect you care.
fact 8: not having a menu invariably means you will eat things you may not ordinarily order and that is also part of the experience. Given the kitchen size, our maximum seating capacity and the fact we are fully booked most of the time it is a huge effort.
fact 9 : we are acutely aware that for most people, dining without seeing a menu is not something they feel comfortable with. we also understand how that maybe perceived as “arrogant”. It is not intentional. we openly do not profess or pretend to appeal to everyone - when you decide to come you are welcome to enjoy what we have to offer. its as simple as that. When a guest comes to your house do you give them whatever they want?
fact 10: we do not chase publicity, never have. the fact we are full most nights we hope is an indication most people appreciate what we do. if you are a foodie like gail williams you will appreciate the great freedom that comes with letting experienced chefs suprise you then this place will resonate with you and you will enjoy it.
we i am sad you did not enjoy your experience in our restaurant and it is unfortunate that you did not tell us at the time (which would have been the best time) but i do not apologise for the way we do things. There are many other places to eat out, we accept that and wish you well.
I have been debating whether to respond to your first comment, Charles, because, quite frankly I thought it was a rather unprofessional response and a surprising one from the owner of a restaurant who must surely have prepared themself for some negative feedback. I’m glad that you have now taken the opportunity to address my comments in a (mostly) constructive way and to “argue your case”. I think some of your facts above are quite valid and I welcome a polite and reasoned discussion on the topic.
Firstly, let me say my initial post was not intended as a review of your restaurant. I specifically did not name it because it was not my intention to spread negative publicity about the establishment. I don’t beleive your potential customers looking for a review would necessarily find my blog post by searching for the restaurant name. I realise that you found your way here through a general search, although my blog did not appear until the 3rd page of those results.
As you rightly noted, the focus of my post was on the rising cost of eating out in Perth and on the fact that when we come back and visit Perth we spend a lot of time eating in different restaurants around town. I am quite aware of the economic conditions in Western Australia that have led to the rising cost of living and I accept that prices in restaurants all over Perth have risen since we lived here. That doesn’t stop me from wishing I got more value for my money.
It’s interesting to see that the short and long menus are described slightly differently by you than by your waiter on the night. At no time were we informed what we would be served or how much either menu cost. I should point out that when I referred to $50 per head I was talking about the total bill including a bottle of wine and 1 beer. I think many of my concerns about the dining experience could have been overcome if we had been provided with a description of the food to come and a price. I certainly did not mean to imply that the chef does not put any effort into the development of the menu or to the preparation of the food. Although personally I have a problem with paying good money for someone else to decide what I should eat, obviously there are some people who enjoy this.
I don’t have a problem with the concept of a set menu per se, but I didn’t enjoy the experience of wondering whether the next course was something I could eat. I realise that part of the concept of the restaurant is that you are putting your faith in the chef and waiting to be surprised by what’s next, but I think you would have to accept that this will not appeal to all people. If your target customers are only foodies then perhaps you will do well. Obviously Gail Williams was very impressed and I have no dispute with the fact that some people would love the experience and love the food. But I didn’t. And that’s all I was saying in my post. You’ve noted in your point 9 that you realise the concept won’t appeal to everyone. I guess that’s what made your initial comment (about the distinction between eating and dining) so surprising. If you really do accept that some people will not be comfortable with the lack of choice, then some negative feedback is to be expected.
I’m not sure I agree with your analogy with serving guests in your home whatever you want. A commercial restaurant is an entirely different situation, where you have customers paying for product and service, not friends enjoying a private occasion.
It’s seems to me that you took my opinion of my dining experience at your restaurant personally, which is a shame, since it was not intended that way. As I said above, I wrote a post about eating out a lot while on holiday in Perth, about the rising cost of restaurants and with some comments about a dining experience at an unnamed establishment that I did not enjoy. I’m not sure that expressing my views at the time would have made any difference to your reaction, judging by your reaction here.
I had a choice whether to approve your comment to appear here on the post and I chose to do so in the spirit of open debate. To be honest, I think my comments about your restaurant would have gone relatively unnoticed had you not made your initial response, which has obviously sparked its own response from my readers. I’m glad that you have now taken the time to outline your point of view, although I would prefer if you had been able to do it without making veiled insults towards my commenters and me, one of your paying customers who merely expressed an opinion.
Charles, having refrained from responding to your first comment, I was almost pleasantly surprised to read your follow up.
I have worked in the high end of hospitality for years and most of the points you have made are a wonderful defence of your restaurant. In fact, both the menu and the philosophy and commitment you have expressed would make me want to eat there… if you had only refrained from being insulting. Point 4 should have been left out entirely. And the “You will never know how much nor do I suspect you care” line at the end of Point 7 should have been omitted as well. So too your final “if…then…you will enjoy it.”
I think that I genuinely understand where you are coming from and why you have said the things you did but this isn’t a case of a lack, in this instance, in guera. When people don’t appreciate the same thing you do, it isn’t a failing on their part.
People dine/eat (I’m using those words interchangeably) differently. They literally bring to the table different expectations. It is inevitable that you will have customers whose expectations are not met. It is even more inevitable, in my experience, when a restaurant is very popular because it draws in diners from a pool wider than the niche it caters for. Some of those for whom what you do is a different experience will enjoy it. And some won’t.
Because of the passion that this industry requires, when they don’t enjoy it it can be hurtful, or frustrating, or infuriating but you should never blame the customer for that and when you feel that way, the only appropriate place to vent those feelings is back-of-house. Not in a public space, and not with a customer as your target.
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Oh my god.. someone’s a bit desperate aren’t they?
First of all, even finding this post - how did you do that Charles? Got a google alert set for Tapas and Como? She did not mention the name of your restaurant.
The bottom line is, opinions are like a**holes - everyone’s got one. Mine is, I’d never pay $50 for tapas. Not even if the menu contained fancy words like confit, and certainly not if it was as mis-spelt as what you put here. I mean, wtf is -
saled of shaved daikon radish pea shoots ans french mustardfroze n
lollipop of jasmin and apple tea with fresh apple foam
A saled? Seriously!
I suggest you get a life that doesn’t involve bitching at people who ate at your restaurant and went away with the opinion that it was pretentious. And don’t reply to this because it will just make you look worse than you already do - though that doesn’t seem possible right now. I know you want to reply but resist that urge, if you can. You’re not changing anyone’s mind, especially not by including insults.
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Rule 1 for anyone working with the public, be it hospitality, retail, whatever - The Customer Is Always Right, even if they are wrong. Attacking customers for having an opinion is not going to win friends.
And one question, if a restaurant such as this doesn’t wish to provide a menu to their customers, then how does anyone with a food allergy or intolerance fare???? If you have no idea of what you are being served then why risk it? I guess by the sound of it though they are not worried about alienating people. Seems a shame though if that much thought and passion goes into the menu selection. Wouldn’t you want to share that with lots of people, if it is indeed true passion.
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Hee, hee. Now what is it they say about getting your blog posts noticed Guera? Post something controversial.
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I think Charles was very brave for responding and identifying himself as the restaurant owner in view of Guera’s experience and considering his first comment, which perfectly conforms with Guera’s view of the restaurant as being pretentious.
Charles perhaps underestimates the influence of blog posts and how far they reach or he would not have risked this bad publicity.
If you blog or ever consider it it is wise to remember, Charles, that there is a difference between a sentence in a blog post and a blogging network. News travels!
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Amazing replies everyone! I have to admit to not knowing what tapas were, but they sound great.
However, it would seem that a lot of the responsibility in such a restaurant lies with the waiters. A restaurant serving unfamiliar fare owes it to customers that the wait staff has been groomed to do an entertaining spiel as to what to expect. That goes such a long way to making the meal enjoyable.
I recently went to a place in Pyrmont, Sydney, called “A Taste of Brazil”, and the staff, realizing we were newbies, took us under their wing and explained everything we needed to know about Brazilian food. A great night, even for those reluctant to eat unusual, or unusually prepared, food.
Its a good job Charlie boy isn’t in PR. Brave in replying? Just plain stupid, I thought, if thats what he had to say.
Ian
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Snoskred - I think you’re having a go at Charles for a few typos there. I’m sure that its meant to be:
salad of shaved daikon radish pea shoots and french mustard; and then
frozen lollipop of jasmin and apple tea with fresh apple foam
Charles’ first smart arse response deserved shooting down. His follow up was good.
Having said that, I’m with you on not spending that much on tapas … but thats a matter of personal taste.
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i rarely read blogs let alone reply. i don’t use an alias because i am happy to identify myself.
i’m not sure i can add anything to what has already been said other than to add that we always tell people in advance the cost of both menus and
ask if there is anyone with an allergy or anything they cannot consume for whatever reason. a diner who suffers from an allergy will almost always make a point of telling us in advance as well. if people are still unsure of what to expect we are quite happy to give a synposis of the way the menus run. we dont hide anything. when you sit at the bar the head chef prepares your meal in front of you and is quite happy to talk to you.
thanks for all the comments, some of it was very enlightening. it is clear that some people feel very uncomfrotable with the “chef-led” dining experience, maybe because it is naturally hard to enstill that level of trust in someone you don’t know. the way we see though, this maybe 1 of the 1000’s of meals you are likely to have in your lifetime, so take a risk.
gemshist, this to me is NOT an issue over whether or not the customer is right or not.
My first comment, (which i admit deserved to be shot down because i was being a bit of a smart alec SORRY GUERA ) what i was thinking without explaining was that people CHOOSE to come and in so doing they should also submit to whatever that reataurant has to offer - that basic edicate is part of dining in many other parts of the world. I don’t to restaurants and dictate to them how they should operate and would prefer them to tell me what to eat and how to eat it, otherwise what value am i really attributing to their level of expertise?
if you notice a lot of commonality between the menus on offer in most Perth cafe’s and restaurants (for example Vic Park) its because they give up and give people what they want. eg - garlic bread, brushcetta, chicken parmeganna, steak sandwich, chicken salad, ceasar salad, some form of pasta, a risotto etc etc.
“snoskred” (i assume that is not your real name) i maybe going out on a limb and being all personal and stuff and yes this may be broadcast all over the big wide world internet blog community network or whatever but as the good book says “let he who is without fault cast the first stone”… ya feel me bro/sis??
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