The Fez Cafe, Mount Lawley

If I had to sum up the food at Mt Lawley’s Fez café I would say, simple wholesome food done well. Anthony and I had The Fez café on our foodie list for a while now and after trying their pancakes, I am glad we did.

As we entered the café I immediately got a sense of what this family owned café is all about. The décor was a mixture of colourfully eclectic pieces. One side of the café has a large mural of an eagle being painted over a bright green wall. It wasn’t finished yet but it still looked really impressive. It was also great to see that they used a young local artist.

Corned Beef Hash – mixed potatoes, herbs, onions & garlic, kale, house pickles, fried eggs and horse radish cream $22

Buttermilk Pancakes – berry compote, mascarpone and maple syrup $18

For our breakfast we ordered Corned Beef Hash – mixed potatoes, herbs, onions & garlic, kale, house pickles, fried eggs and horse radish cream $22 and Buttermilk Pancakes – berry compote, mascarpone and maple syrup $18 . The Corned Beef Hash was a perfect hearty option for the cold winters morning. Anthony loved how they kept the flavours on the corn beef simple. It was nice n’ salty and cooked perfectly. The mixed potatoes and salty corned beef married well with his oozy runny fried eggs. It was definitely a comfort food dish. My buttermilk pancakes consisted of three golden pancakes with a side of berry compote, maple syrup and mascarpone. This unassuming plate of pancakes turned out to be an absolute delight! The pancakes were light and fluffy as well as being scrumptiously crispy on edges. I wanted the cooks recipe because my buttermilk pancakes never comes out like that! I generously dolloped the berry compote and mascaparone all over my pancakes. I loved the tartness of compote along with the creaminess of the mascarpone. Deeelish!

Snickers Cake

Got Milk Donuts

After we finished our breakfast we definitely wanted to take home some of their sweet treats we had seen earlier. Placed on one of their cabinets opposite the main counter was a huge mouth-watering Snickers cake annnnd a tray of fresh doughnuts that had just been delivered by Got Milk Donuts. We ended up ordering a slice of Snickers cake and three donuts (one of each flavour) to take home. If you are a fan of Snickers bars you will love this cake! This was also the first time we had tried Got Milk Donuts and it won’t be our last! These doughnuts were golden brown, lightly crispy on the outside and soft n’ fluffy inside. My favourite was the luscious Vanilla Brulee.

We’d definitely be back to eat at The Fez café. We enjoyed the meals and loved the sweet treat selection! Big thumbs up!

Mac & Three Cheese Recipe

Ingredients
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tsp Salt
2 Cups Macaroni
Water
50g Butter
4 Tbsp Plain Flour
2 ½ Cups Milk
1 Garlic Clove Grated
½ Tsp Nutmeg
2 Tsp Dijon Mustard
2 Shallots Finely Chopped
50g Honey Glazed Ham Cut into Strips
2 Tbsp Semi Dried Tomatoes Chopped
1 ½ Cups Tasty Cheese Grated
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
3 Tbsp Danish Feta Crumbled
¼ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs (optional)
Salt and Pepper to season

Method
1. In a medium saucepan fill with water 2/3 of the way add salt and olive oil and bring to boil over a med – high heat, add macaroni and cook until a little soft but still a bit firm as the pasta will finish cooking in the oven.

2. In a separate pot melt butter over a med – low heat, add flour and whisk it and remove from heat, put back over heat and add garlic keep whisking, once the garlic is aromatic slowly start adding milk bit by bit constantly whisking to get a smooth consistency.

3. Once the Bachamel sauce is smooth and creamy add nutmeg, Dijon and salt and pepper to taste, keep whisking for a further 2 minutes. Add shallots and 2/3 of Tasty Cheese and 2/3 of Parmesan Cheese and whisk until cheese has melted through and smooth.

4. Pre heat oven at 200 Degrees Celsius on bake, add Ham, Semi Sun Dried Tomatoes and Macaroni and stir to combine and cook for a further 2 – 3 minutes over a low heat.

5. Transfer mixture to oven proof dish and top with remaining Tasty cheese, Parmesan Cheese and Danish Feta. Sprinkle over Panko Bread Crumbs if you like extra crunch. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

 

 

Serves: 4-6

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion Sliced
500g Beef Mince
1 tsp Crushed Garlic
1/4 tsp Crushed Chilli
1 tbsp Malt Vinegar
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Jelly Cube of Beef Stock (we use Continental Stock Pot)
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp Bbq Sauce
1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce
Good pinch of raw sugar ( or normal sugar )
1 cup of Water
1 packet of Maggi Roast Meat Gravy
1/2 cup of Mixed Frozen Vegetables
Salt and pepper

6 – 8 potatoes (Peeled)
1 Jelly Cube of Chicken Stock (we use Continental Stock Pot)
2 tsp Butter
1/4 cup Milk
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup of Grated Extra Tasty Cheese

 

Method:

1. In a large pot heat olive oil on medium heat. Add your onions, garlic and chilli and cook for 2 minutes.

2. In another medium pot, fill with water and add your chicken stock and bring to boil

3. Add your peeled potatoes and cook until they break apart with a fork.
4. Add your mince to the onions/garlic/chilli mixture and break it up as fine as you can with a wooden spoon.
5. Add your malt vinegar, tomato paste, beef stock, whochestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, a good pinch of sugar and water. Turn heat to low and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes.
6. Add mixed vegetables and maggi roast meat gravy. Let it simmer for 15 minutes but stir every few minutes making sure the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
7. Pre heat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
8. Drain the potatoes but leave about a tbsp of stock. Mash the potatoes.

9. Add the 1 tbsp of stock (from the potatoes) and butter. Mix and add a little bit of milk at a time until you get a nice creamy texture.

10.Season with salt and pepper.

11. In a 30cm x 15cm oven proof dish make a layer of mince 3cm deep, evenly spread mash potato over the mince.

12. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top of mash.Put in oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Enjoy!

The Rabbit In The Moon Cafe, North Fremantle

We’ve had a few bad weeks come crashing down on us lately and because of that Anthony and I have been hibernating. Whenever I’ve had a rough day or in this case, a rough couple of weeks I’ve always sort the comfort of home to make me feel better. This past weekend though, we were ready to get back into the swing of things. We both were eager to dust ourselves off and carry on with the things that we really love doing.

We decided to check out Rabbit In The Moon Cafe on Saturday morning for brekkie. I wasn’t particularly hungry but the thought of checking out a new cafe sounded like fun. Arriving at the cafe my first thought was that we made the right decision. The cafe had a laid back and cheery vibe about it. On our way to our table we were greeted with a warm friendly smile from a staff member behind the counter. We decided to share a dish and get a couple of coffees. Perusing over the menu Anthony’s attention immediately went to the ‘Kumara Rosti, Poached Eggs & Mushrooms’ $18.50. Whilst waiting for our meal and drinks, I took the time to check out my surroundings. The decor was exactly my taste. I love the bursts of yellow throughout. It was so uplifting and so cheerful. Even their coffee machine was well suited to the decor with its matching bright yellow exterior. A short time later our dish arrived at our table. It looked so pretty and appetising! My first bite was ok, although we both agreed it needed something. The missing ingredient was seasoning. The dish although looked and smelt delicious was lacking a little flavour. I sprinkled some salt and pepper over dish and took another bite…deeeelicious! Seasoning brought out all the beautiful flavours of the rosti together with the mushroom and the beautifully cooked eggs.

Overall our experience with The Rabbit In The Moon Cafe was a positive one. The staff was welcoming and the cafe had a cool laid back vibe. We shrugged off the lack of seasoning as a small oversight in the kitchen that was easily fixed. It’s a little out of the way from the heart of Fremantle but we thought it was worth the journey!

Taste of Perth 2015, Langley Park

Don’t get me wrong…I love Perth weather. I love the colourful autumn sunsets, rugging up in warm jackets and most of all the smell of rain, but… for this years Taste of Perth I wish the rain would of stopped just for the day. The weather was cold, wet and miserable but that didn’t stop us. We braved the weather to taste the creations from Perth’s leading chefs and restaurants as well as sample gourmet delights from Perth local producers.

Anthony and I opted for the platinum tickets $55ea. This gave us general admission and 30 crowns each. We thought this was a better option for us as we had to get crowns anyway and this way we saved a lil cash at the same time (1 crown = $1 if you purchased them once you get inside)

By the time Anthony and I got inside we were starrrrving so the first thing on our minds to was to check out the restaurants and grab something tasty to eat before we perused around all the gourmet food stalls.

El Publico – Pork Belly Taco, grilled belly served with pineapple, salsa picante and chicharon cost: 8 crowns. Perfect start to the Taste of Perth! My taco was delicious, the pork belly was tender and juicy and I loved the super crunchy bits of pork crackling sprinkled all over.

Lalla Rookah – Ricotta Gnocchi, sugo di carne: organic beef and pork ragu cost: 8 crowns. The gnocchi was definitely the highlight as it melted in your mouth but one thing we were disappointed in was the portion size. We walked away thinking it was a little overpriced for what we got.

Asado – Lomito, BBQ’d rump cap, loose leaf chimichurri, chipotle mayo, salsa criolla cost: 8 crowns. The BBQ meat was so juicy and tender and the chimichurri sauce was the bomb! Anthony loved this dish so much he went back for seconds!

Bib & Tucker – Rotisserie suckling pig slider with kimchi slaw, kewpie cost: 8 crowns. This slider went down well and was gobbled up in seconds! The shredded suckling pig was amazing! soft, tender and was a tasty match with the kimchi slaw.

Next Door at No.4 – Valhrona Chocolate Garden, salted caramel, peanut dacquoise, sandalwood rocks cost: 18 crowns. This dessert was deliciously decadent. Each spoonful gave a delectable rich, smooth chocolately caramel hit.

We brought home some goodies from the Taste of Perth. Honey Cake and cupcakes from Sweetly Baked

We had a great time at the Taste of Perth this year despite the weather. We didn’t end up spending the whole lunch service there as a couple of hours in we were so cold and drenched from the rain. I sympathise with the event organisers because you could see that there was so much effort and planning put in to make this a great event for Perthgoers but unfortunately we can’t plan the weather (I learnt that lesson on my wedding day. We had a beautiful vintage garden ceremony in late October and it rained most of the day!) If you love food and get a kick out of trying new flavours the Taste of Perth is definitely an event you shouldn’t miss. Cant wait for next years!

Good Things Cafe, Mosman Park

Over the past month we watched Good Things cafe grow on social media from a vacant shell into trendy cafe. This new edition to Perth’s cafe scene is located in suburbs of Mosman Park. Walking into the cafe I was immediately drawn to the simple neutral decor. Theres is a cool mural created by local artist Jae Criddle on one side of the cafe that gives the cafes minimal surroundings an interesting edge. We grab some menus and take a seat. The menu has a good balance of savoury and sweet dishes to choose from.

Good Things uses local coffee roasters Micrology. We decided to get two lattes and try both blends they had on offer. I chose the ‘House Blend’ and Anthony had the ‘Yirgacheffe’. The coffee was awesome! Our shots were extracted at the right time and the milk was textured perfectly. My house blend tasted  deliciously rich and Anthony’s tasted like there was hints of berry.

In the mood for something sweet I chose the ‘Caramelised Banana-Nut Hotcakes, Honey and Labneh’ $16 I was sooo happy with my decision! This dish really hits the spot. The hotcakes were soft and moist. The caramelised banana-nut along with the honey added a delicious sweetness to the dish but it wasn’t too sweet as the labneh balanced everything out.

‘Dukkah Roast Pumpkin, Maple Bacon, Fried Egg, Pesto & Flakey Roti’ $20 Each element used in the dish all married well together into one flavourful breakfast. Anthony’s sunny side up eggs were cooked perfectly as well as his roasted pumpkin. He also found the pesto was a great addition with the other elements, as with each bite it enhanced the flavours in his mouth. He didn’t think he would like maple bacon but after trying it for the first time, he was pleasantly surprised. The dukkah sprinkled over the entire dish brought another level of flavour and spice.

All in all we enjoyed ourselves at Good Things cafe. The coffee was great. We didn’t have to wait long to be served or for our food and drinks to come out. Also we thought the portion sizes were valve for money. We would highly recommend this place.

Architects & Heroes, Subiaco

A typical weekend ritual for Anthony and I is to wake up early and go to a nice cafe for a relaxing breakfast. I love this little weekend routine of ours as it gives us a chance to unwind from the craziness of our working week. The cafe we were headed to this particular morning was Subi’s Architects & Heroes.

When we arrived at this trendy little cafe, we grabbed ourselves a seat inside. Craving for our next caffeine fix we ordered our coffees before perusing over our menus. Once the order was placed, the barista was onto making our coffees straightaway. A very short time later my latte and Anthony’s flat white was brought to our table. Our drinks looked really good and more importantly it tasted heavenly. This barista really knows how to make a great cup of coffee. Great extraction of the shot, my latte was served at what seemed to be just the right temperature and there was just the right amount of microfoam on top. I noticed that they used Coffee Roasters from Melbourne called Code Black Coffee. We’ve bought some coffee from their online store previously and liked the quality of their coffee beans.

Flat White

Latte

Crumpets with macerated strawberries & vanilla mascarpone, pecan butterscotch mixed nuts and popping candy

Happily satisfied with our drinks, we had a look through the menu. Anthony and I, both, wanted to try the Crumpets with macerated strawberries & vanilla mascarpone, pecan butterscotch mixed nuts and popping candy $16.00  The only crumpets I have had in the past was the prepackaged kind you buy at the supermarkets. The thought of freshly made crumpets intrigued me and I couldn’t wait to have a taste! When our fresh crumpets arrived at our table I was really impressed with the presentation. It looked sooo delicious. The colours of the food really popped against the dark matte plate. This dish looked like it was going to be a very sweet dish but it wasn’t at all. They cleverly balanced the dish out by having a dollop of vani
lla mascarpone and macerated strawberries to cut through the sweetness of the pecan butterscotch sauce. As for the crumpets…they were light, soft and moist inside. Soooo good! Overall, the crumpets was a big thumbs up from us!

We really enjoyed our breakfast at Architects and Heroes. This place is a hotspot, so if you want to eat here for brekkie get in early as Architects and Heroes gets packed out fast!

Anthony’s Spicy Chicken Curry

In the mood for a spicy aromatic Curry? Try Anthony’s Spicy Chicken Curry. Its got flavour, spice and just enough heat to keep you wanting more!

Heat Rating: Medium

 

25g Unsalted Butter

500g Boneless Chicken Thighs

1 Onion Diced

1/2 Green Capsicum

2 Small Potatoes Diced

1 tsp Crushed Garlic

1 tsp Crushed Ginger

1tsp Garam Masala

1 tsp Leaf Masala (if you do not have this add an extra tsp of Graham Masala)

1 tsp Tumeric

1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds

2 Dried Chillis or 1/4 Ground Chilli

1 Cinnamon stick

1 Star Anise

1 tbs Tomato Paste

1 Tomato Diced

2 Cups of Chicken Stock

Coriander to garnish

 

1. Heat up medium sized saucepan on medium heat

2. Add butter

3. After butter has melted add chicken and brown. Once chicken is brown remove and set aside

4. Add onion, capsicum and potato to saucepan. Cook until onions and vegatables have browned

5. Add Garlic, Ginger and all other spices and cook until fragrant approximately 1 or 2 mins

6. Add Chicken, tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Stir.

7. Add stock

8. Bring to boil and then turn down to medium heat

9. Cook until curry has reduced by half (approx 30-45mins)

 

Serve with a side of cooked rice. If its too hot,  we like to add a dollop of sour cream on top

 

Enjoy!

Welcome!

Welcome to our Blog. My name is Michelle and my husband’s name is Anthony. We are newlyweds from Perth that absolutely love coffee and all things food related.

On our weekends, we love visiting new places to eat and drink in our wonderful city of Perth.

As I finish work late in the week my husband cooks our meals, which he loves to do, as cooking is his passion and it gives him a chance to experiment with new dishes. In fact right now. While I am sitting typing away our first blog, I’m eagerly handed a teaspoon, ‘Try this babe’. I take the teaspoon and taste. Anthony waits patiently to here what I think. ‘Tastes great babe!’ With an expression of satisfaction across is face he walks back to the kitchen to finish making his salted caramel sauce to drizzle over his mini white chocolate cheesecakes.

Anthony and I hope to share our foodie finds with the people of Perth. We hope our blog brings enjoyment as food and coffee brings to us.