Reviewing La Lune and more...

Almost forgot to share my most recent Freo Herald review. I think that I restrained myself a little too much. Yes the food was much better than their attitude. Madame Cattan also had plenty to say about their incorrect spelling of French words on the menu. And no, we should not have both ordered the same dish! I’ve copped a pasting elsewhere for complaining about the lack of hospitality in today’s hospitality industry. I’ll be interested in your thoughts.

A new glow in East Freo

LA LUNE on George St has big shoes to fill. 

It’s in a great location and has been home to a number of excellent establishments. 

Locals will probably recall the George St Bistro run by Soren Koberstein and Sabine Treder, who enjoyed a decade-long tenure before moving to Juniper & Bay. 

Now it is La Lune, which Madame Cattan and I had been meaning to try for a while now and we finally made it there for a leisurely Sunday lunch. 

With an extensive menu to choose from, I’m afraid we both went for the roast chicken. 

I was pretty keen especially since this smartfoodmama has issues roasting chicken. 

There, I said it! 

At $24 the half chicken we each received was a perfectly roasted chicken; tender and juicy. 

We also ordered crunchy fries and a fresh salad. 

This was a perfect Sunday roast. 

La Lune has an extensive wine selection, but we abstained.

Madame was not going to share dessert so we settled for rather good coffees and a stroll around the gorgeous streets of East Fremantle where we “um’d and ah’d” over the gorgeous renovations and beautiful gardens of this picturesque precinct. 

I presume that La Lune like many other hospitality venues is having trouble finding staff because the youngsters on duty seemed a little under the pump and inexperienced. 

Didn’t we get a shock, though, when we went to the counter to find a sign saying: “We do not accept cash payment”. 

There are reasons for doing this, as it’s clearly easier and safer for management. But why not say so on the menu? According to their website they don’t take bookings either.

I could shrug this off as yet another sign that I’m no longer of a relevant generation, but I remain nostalgic for the days when restaurateurs actually embraced the idea of hospitality.

La Lune
73 George St, East Fremantle
6246 6566
Open 7am from Wed-Sun.
Walk-ins only.
Dinner Friday and Saturday.
https://lalunefremantle.com/
Catch me at (smartfoodmama@gmail.com) 

   

With all the issues we’ve been dealing with this year, a good distraction for me has been throwing myself into the activity I love most of all: feeding people!

I only became aware of the breakfast program, run at the Fremantle PCYC in Hilton, when I heard it was being cancelled in one week’s time! Turns out the PCYC had only secured limited funding and it had run out.

When I managed to get there on its last day, I did think it could have been done more modestly, thus extending the time it could have been run. Most of the children went to our local public school, Hilton Primary School, and I had been closely involved with the school P. and C. when my own child attended.

So I popped into the school for a quick chat with School Principal Dr Carmel Bochenek and Deputy Principal Daren Yhap. What they have done with that school is amazing; from the beautiful yarning circle to their zero waste policy this is a school of, and for, our local community.

Unsurprisingly, they were more than happy to see a breakfast club at the school. Yikes, now I had to make it happen! Of course, Foodbank are the obvious choice: they provide food for a number of schools, as do many other charitable groups. Sadly, this help is needed more and more.

But Portcare (https://www.portcare.com.au/home) was recommended to me. They’re in the neighbourhood and they have been providing us with bread, milk, eggs, honey, margarine, cereal, jam and other staples.

It’s a real community project. We have parents dropping in fresh eggs from time to time, which are gratefully accepted; the school chaplain (Mrs Hsieh Hsien (Shen) Lim) provides us, and the school, with a generous box of fruit and veg each week; and more recently they topped up our cereal supplies.

Local Real Estate Agent Lauri Curtain has helped us financially, to purchase what we cannot get donated (https://www.curtainandco.com.au/). Charlie’s Coffee Shop on South Street has been providing cheese.

The community development folks at Fremantle Council have provided us with a jumbo jet of a toaster and an electric frypan, and with another pan provided by the school we have two for faster service on our pancake days. Yes, Anchor Foods (https://www.anchorfoods.com.au/) have also donated some of their shake and bake mixes (well, the kids do love them!). We’ve even had an amazing crêpe morning, all provided by a mystery French chef. Sadly, he has left the country!

So twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we provide the children with a very basic breakfast of a choice of cereals and toast, jam, honey, vegemite, boiled eggs, cheese or baked beans, depends on what we have. We’ve just received a sandwich press, so toasted cheese sandwiches this week!

We offer a sustaining breakfast and a positive social experience for the children. We encourage all families to bring their children, regardless of their situation. There’s a teacher on site at all times, but the noise level is still sometimes quite impressive. We arrive at 7.30am for an 8am start, hence the simple offerings, and we’re generally cleaned up and out by nine.

Maureen Maher (my co-convenor with the Hilton Precinct group) has been organising the roster for us, but we are looking for a replacement as she has other commitments. Mary Barton is our absolute rock, coming in both days each week. Volunteers are local community members, as well as parents of course.

A police clearance and working with children certificate are needed, unless you have a child at the school, but they are easily arranged through the post office. Yes, we are always looking for more volunteers because things go well with three and even better with four!

If you would like to join us, there’s always next year! Please drop an email to hiltonprecinct@gmail.com

   

Eat, Look, Listen, Walk…..and eat some more!

Darwin: Guided Gourmet Food and Street Art Walking Tour https://www.darwingourmettours.com/

A trip to Darwin during the final frost days of Perth’s winter was just what this doctor ordered. Darwin by day is a riot of endless sunshine, vivid tropical vistas and heady aromas. Cooler evenings see a different streetscape come to life. Darwin’s Guided Gourmet Food and Street Art Walking Tour. (https://www.darwingourmettours.com/) gives you a generous serving of both.

I would not have known about this if it weren’t for my good friend, host in Darwin and fellow hospitality survivor Chris Bond, a woman of many talents. I wasn’t surprised to discover she’s an excellent tour guide.

Following our feerless leader

Walking tours are popping up all over the place these days. I’m a bit of a veteran of walking tours myself, but that’s another story. The trick I discovered is to make sure no-one gets run over.

Darwin really is another world: South-East Asian geographically and visually; its multicultural population makes Perth look somewhat bland. I will make my one and only critique (if you can call it that) of Darwin. Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to swim in. Yes, that magnificent Timor Sea be full of creatures you don’t want to meet! Raised as I was in Bondi, salt water you can’t  swim, or even dip your tootsies in, seems like a cruel joke.

Darwin is all about the geography: the Top End just screams “Asia” and this is of course reflected in the city’s foodscape. To enjoy that, there’s nothing like the local knowledge this tour offered. The tour starts in daylight and ends after dark. $179 might seem a lot, but with 3 restaurant visits and so much spectacular street art to take in; we certainly got our money’s worth.

We met up and began at Phat Mango, (https://www.phatmango.com.au) gotta love the name, for what we used to call Modern Australian cuisine, that is, classic European techniques applied (in this case) to local NT produce using bush flavours. Phat Mango offered us an entrée tasting plate which included local NT Eva Valley buffalo chorizo with hummous, fresh baked mini damper using Darwin’s famous One Mile Brewery beer, topped with a bush tomato salsa and Humpty Doo barramundi smoked in melaleuca bark.

If you want to try locally sourced produce paired with bush flavours this is the place for you. We did return to Phat Mango a few days later for dinner. I can definitely recommend their cocktails – how could I go past a “territory showgirl?” Made with vodka, elderflower and apple it was deceptively light and super refreshing, as a good cocktail should be.

Leaving Phat Mango we wandered past young artists working on the final of three huge new murals opposite what must be Darwin’s most famous example of street art. This multi-story representation of the late, celebrated Arnhem Land musician Gurumul:

The tour incorporates augmented reality, much of it is visual but you can hear Gurumul sing in language. You can find out more about that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flMh8iLgfGU

I have enough trouble just coping with my reality but the more tech-savvy members of the group seemed to enjoy it immensely.

Ella by Manoli (https://ellabyminoli.au/) took me by surprise – but then I am so easily distracted that I didn’t immediately twig to the fact that I’d seen (and loved) Manoli on Masterchef. So there’s a confession, I do occasionally tune in to Masterchef, though I find the hoopla nauseating. I remembered that Manoli’s rotis looked outstanding on the tellie, and indeed they were light, as air, crispy and simply the perfect accompaniment to the complex and rich Sri Lankan curries that just kept on coming. I knew I should hold back for the last stop but faced with such delicious choices, I just couldn’t restrain myself.

Manoli’s signature dish, kiwifruit in a mustard seed, coconut and turmeric sauce was divine, smooth, rich and flavourful. Is this how manna from heaven might have tasted? I think I can speak for the group when I say we all ate more than we should have. And subsequently felt very guilty not to do justice to our last stop.

Now it was evening and Chris had led us to the waterfront for our last stop Urban Spice https://www.facebook.com/urbanspicepantry/

I’ve long believed you can get fabulous water views or fabulous food but seldom do you get both. Urban Spice knocks that myth on its head. I’m going to be honest, none of us had much room at this point . But we gave it our best shot and thoroughly enjoyed their food, especially the local barramundi;

lightly spiced, coated in chick-pea flour and fried. 

And finally, crème brulee with a hint of cardamon. I was never allowed dessert if I didn’t finish my dinner, but there was no-one to stop me.

The walking aspect of the tour is every bit as interesting as the delicious food we enjoyed, but less fattening of course. It’s so good to see a city with a local, but especially with an informed and friendly person like Chris and an eager group of food lovers. A tropical night that ended with tales of ice-hotels and the aurora borealis from the couple from Denmark? Only in Darwin.

I enjoyed this tour as a guest of the Guided Gourmet Food and Street Art Walking Tour (https://www.darwingourmettours.com/)

   

THE Little French Nest has popped up in Fremantle and this francophile is very happy. 

With an interstate guest staying and with so many excellent venues in Freo, it was hard to choose somewhere special for brunch, but our third wheel, Madame Cattan, who really knows her brie from her camembert recommended the Nest.

It went well as we arrived late morning on a sunny Sunday and nabbed a window table. 

Their counter display is impressive: Croque Monsieur, super crisp, well-stuffed baguettes and a number of delicious cakes in the window; and what could be more French than madeleines, even if you’ve not read Proust (Google it). 

Like so many other pretentious foodies I’m happy to make the allusion without having read him either!

The Little French Nest is situated in what was the site of Vivisen Asian restaurant and next to Joy Kitchen, in its humbler days.

It really is a case of location, location: a quick walk from the FOMO building and everything else you might need in Freo; and it’s just round the corner from Spotlight. 

And if you have teenagers and want some quiet time, it’s also just down from the Games Workshop. Of course this could turn out to be an expensive option.

So if you’re looking for more than bacon and eggs, this is the place for you with so many tempting menu choices; including for my GF friend and interstate visitor Chris. 

Coffee is not as good as roasting venues, but that’s to be expected.

But the coffee is fine and the service is friendly and efficient Chris thoroughly enjoyed the Pear Belle-Helene ($18), a perfectly poached pear with a rich chocolate sauce, a little too rich for my taste, though I imagine many of you might disagree; and Chris loved it.

I ordered the Crepe Aumoniere ($19.50).  Reminded me of my brief incarceration as crepe maker at the hole in the wall that what was then Falduzzi. My efforts then were a poor imitation. 

This crepe was miraculously light, containing a variety of meaty mushrooms as suggested by the menu and a delicate but smooth and creamy béchamel. 

It’s not often that what I order fits the bill so exactly. I haven’t tried their crepe suzette yet, but there’s time.

Madame Cattan ordered confit salmon served on a brioche with tzadziki, and a citrus dressing ($23) and was also happy with the generous serve of salmon, and the brioche of course.

This is a dog friendly venue, as long as the pooch stays outside with water and abundant shade provided. For those who want more than bacon and eggs, I’m predicting the Little French Nest is a keeper.

Little French Nest
15 Point Street, Fremantle
Open Monday to Sunday 8am – 2.30pm

   

How sweet it is

I JUST love a birthday! In fact I just love a celebration – I’ll drink to that! 

I’ve wanted to try the Sweetwater Rooftop Bar for some time now. 

Asian-style food, cocktails and stunning views, what more can I ask for? 

Zen had made the booking and ticked the box for their birthday and was therefore presented with a glass of very drinkable bubbles on arrival.

Zen had also insisted on an Uber so Mama could try a cocktail or two and I did.

Particularly enjoyed the Singapore Sling while Zen’s Lost in the Clouds sounded like a Pina Colada, tasted like one but did in fact look like a mushroom cloud was about to emerge. 

I have to say the menu was right up my alley and my only regret was not leaving room for either of their duck dishes. 

Being a greedy soul, I would have ordered it anyway and struggled, but Zen wisely suggested we order some smaller dishes and see how we go. 

By the time we got through those, we were done!

So we kicked off with Charred Street Corn Fritters ($14): tasty mashed corn deep fried and served with their own kim chi and nahm prik pao (Thai chilli jam) which was a very suitable accompaniment to the subtle flavour of the fritters. 

Then on to Salt & Pepper Szechuan Cuttlefish ($16): miso mayo Wok-tossed Salt & Pepper Cuttlefish with a chilli & tomato sambal, green onion and coriander. 

I’m a big fan of fried squid, but was unsure of the difference between squid and cuttlefish.

Turns out (thanks Dr. Google) that there is a very slight difference – this was chewier than well-cooked squid should be but certainly not tough. 

Zingy

Apparently cuttlefish has more flavour than squid. The salt and pepper coating was nutty, the sambal zingy; I just loved it.

The Pork and Ginger pot stickers couldn’t compete with our favourite yum cha joint and I could get side-tracked on this “pot sticker” name. Aren’t they the dish formerly known as Shanghai dumplings? 

The Shark Bay Tiger Prawns with a tingling Sichuan dressing, coriander, and spring onion were poached and soaked in a subtle but tangy marinade, “tingly” in fact. 

The five large, juicy steamed tiger prawns, even at $24 for a small plate seemed quite reasonable. Divine!

Heaven

Prawn & Snapper Wontons ($18) Malaysian laksa, fresh herb, crispy shallots, sounded right up my alley, as I believe laksa is what you eat when you go to heaven and any wonton will do me. 

They were tasty, but a little overwhelmed by the very hot laksa. I’m a fan of chilli but a heat warning would be helpful. 

By this stage we had applied ourselves and there would be no room for the duck, just a shared dessert perhaps? 

The Valrhona Dark Chocolate Semi-Freddo ($16) was rich, but not too sweet. 

Grazing from small plates is such a social and relaxed way to eat. 

All in all a great meal and we were more than happy to get an Uber.

Sweetwater Rooftop Bar
Level 6/1 Silas St, East Fremantle WA 6158
9460 9988
Wednesday/Thursdaay 12noon – 10pm
Friday/Saturday noon – midnight
Sunday 11am – 10pm

by FELICITY NEWMAN