Hungry for Bento?

Recently opened Just Bento is a site about making tasty, healthy and quick bento box meals geared toward people who don’t live in Japan. There’s already some super recipes, with easy to follow instruction and great photos. Take a look at this guide to Onigiri for example:

Onigiri (or omusubi, the other name for the same thing), the cute little rice ball, has really become popular outside of Japan in the last few years, in large part it seems due to its iconic status in anime and manga. While the onigiri is not limited in Japanese food culture to just bento use, it’s an indispensable part of the bento maker’s repertoire.

Yum!

Find that Tonkatsu sauce

LovingPerth is compiling a guide to Japanese food stores around Perth, and we need your help to make it as comprehensive as possible. We’re looking to create a listing all the grocers and supermarkets that stock a range of Japanese products, as well as the little local shops with very specific stocklists.

Do you shop regularly for Japanese food or ingredients in Perth? Got a local shop that stocks a particular hard-to-find Japanese delicacy? Always go to a certain place for a certain ingredient because the quaility is better, the price cheaper, or the staff friendlier? We love to hear from you, so drop us a mail at contact@lovingperth.com and we’ll get the guide up as soon as possible.

Mundaring Truffle Festival

If you’re like me, you’ve probably never tried truffle. As the second most expensive food commodity in the world at $2000 a kilogram, they’re certainly not the most economical of vegetables.

It’s a little-known fact that WA is now a major producer of truffles and within 10 years is hoping to challenge Europe for a share of the prestigious market in Japan and China. What better way to celebrate this prized ingredient that with a festival:

The inaugural Mundaring Truffle Festival has been designed as a celebration of this most desirable of edible commodities, and brings together some of Australia’s finest chefs. We also have a wonderful programme of complementary events, including tastings, talks and food-related forums for those interested in learning about not just the truffle itself, but how to make use of its unique culinary qualities.

So please, come and join us in Mundaring, in the beautiful Perth Hills, where we’ll be offering good food, fine wine and a range of activities in celebration of Western Australia’s most glamorous culinary export: the black truffle.

Check out the offical programme on the Mundaring Truffle Festival website for a full run down on all the super gastronomic events they have planned.

Order Coffee in Perth

Sometimes when faced by the bewildering number of coffees on the menu board at cafes in Perth, it’s easy to bug out and just order the first thing on the menu. We thought we’d help guide travellers (and locals) through the intricacies of ordering a coffee, and point out some of our favourite places to get a caffeine fix. It’s the LP guide to coffee in Perth. Cheers.

Types of Coffee

Espresso (Short Black)

A single shot of strong black coffee, ideally with a thick reddish-brown foam, crema, floating on top, and served in a small demitasse cup.

Long Black

A long black is a double-shot of espresso pulled over hot water so as not to disturb the thick crema of the espresso, and served in a long glass.

Cappuccino (Cap)

“The Cap” is an Aussie icon. Made with espresso, hot milk, and milk foam with a sprinkle of chocolate powder on top, it’s been the default take-away coffee in Australia for decades. Long before double-shot lattes, frappes, and flavoured infusions made their presence felt, the cappuccino was available from just about anywhere that served hot drinks. Indeed, most road-side eateries with week-old food simmering in a bain-marie will still be able to whip up a fresh cappuccino with thick, chocolate-sprinkled foam.

Latte (Caffe Latte)

A Latte is a shot of espresso that has been poured into a long glass and filled with steamed milk. It’s then topped off with foamed milk.

Flat White

An Australian original, the flat white is made in the same way as a latte, but served with slightly less foam in a china cup.

Long Macchiato (Long Mac)

This is one of the few coffee orders that will differ greatly depending on the coffee shop you order from. Most trained barista will serve you an Italian-style long mac: a double shot of espresso with a small amount of milk floated on top. Also common is a double shot of espresso in a long glass which is then filled to the brim with heated milk. Try your luck, or ask before you order.

Short Macchiato (Short Mac)

A short black served in a small glass or demitasse cup, with a dash of cold milk added.

Affogato

A shot of espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Great for those with a sweet tooth!

Anything else?

If you’re feeling health-conscious, add “skinny” to the front of any order (“Skinny latte, thanks) to have it made with skim milk. Likewise, “Low-fat” will ensure you get low-fat milk. Most coffee shops also offer soy milk these days, just ask when you order.

For those visiting from overseas, in Australia the French Press is referred to as a “Plunger”. Asking for a French Press will likely elicit blank looks; ask for “plunger coffee”. Americano is also unfamiliar to most Australians.

The Best Coffee in Perth

There’s a lot of great coffee to be had in Perth, here’s a couple of our favourites.

Tiger, Tiger is hidden away, just off Murray St in town. Here’s a great review on Abstract Gourmet.

ExoMod at 615 Beaufort St, Mount Lawley (opposite Planet books) has great coffee, free-wifi, and is super for people-watching on Beaufort St. Try their one litre mega-coffee if you dare. They also have a loyalty card that lets you get your eighth coffee free.

Infusion is in Plaza Arcade in the city and if you’re walking up the arcade you’ll smell it before you see it. They sell all the usual coffees, and also flavoured coffee, biscuits and nougat. There’s not a huge amount of space, but there’s free wifi, plenty of flyers for upcoming music events and a great vibe.

If you’ve got any favourites we’ve missed, let us know in the comments.

Corporate Culture

For those travellers wanting a shot of corporate culture, Starbucks hasn’t yet made its presence felt in Perth, but the Gloria Jean chains are slowly worming their way into shopping centres around Perth. The largest is inside the Borders bookstore opposite David Jones on Murray St. For a slightly more home-grown corporate alternative, try one of the many Dome or Cino to Go franchises scattered around the city.

Free Wifi in Perth

If you’re looking for free-wifi, there’s a map of hotspots in Perth on Hotspotr and Whirlpool has this list of free wifi hotspots for Australia. Two areas of note are the Mount Lawley strip: Exomod, Caffissimo and Pony Club, and the Fremantle South Terrace area.

Coffee Blogging in Perth

We’ll add these as we come across them:

• Cafe Grendel – “is mostly about coffee, about making coffee and drinking coffee. Thus it covers a broad spectrum of life because after all, life is what happens between each coffee.”

Elsewhere in Australia

If you’re in Melbourne, the Melbourne Coffee Review has hundreds of reviews of coffee shops in Melbourne and a neat “3 bean” rating system. Elsewhere, Ozi Barista is certainly passionate about coffee and has notes on coffee making Australia-wide.

Pizza Crimes

I know it’s trendier now to eat gluten-free muffins and calorie-free cola and chocolate-free chocolate, but some nights you just want a quick, cheap meal, but you can’t be bothered cooking, and the answer staring you right in the face is pizza. A large pizza is easily enough for two people, and if you pick it up, take it home and throw it in the oven for another ten minutes, it doesn’t look or feel quite as bad as when you opened the box.

Everyone’s mailbox is stuffed with offers from the big pizza chains for cheap deliveries, but the cheapest way to get a fat pizza is to print out a coupon that lets you eat for $6.95 pick up – that’s about $3.50 a person if you split it. Nice (although until early this year it was $5.95).

Once you’ve registered on the Pizza Hut website, you can just select the coupons menu, plug in your postcode, and a voucher should pop up giving you unlimited $6.95 pizzas.

Domino’s has $6.95 pizzas for uni guild members, but otherwise the best they can do is a pizza and coke for $9.95. We say go PH, but it depends on which store is within easy access. The fact of the matter is, if you pay full price in the future, you are committing a pizza crime.

Fish Japan, Dog Swamp

Fish Japan is Perth’s answer to Japan’s thousands of tiny fishmongers that sell direct to the public. Fish Japan features a huge range of fresh fish, crab, prawns and other shellfish all prepared and sold in Japanese style. For idea of their range, their website contains a list of fresh fish they sell, as well as special cuts and preserved products. There’s also a small store area with a range of Japanese food items.

Fish Japan also serve a range of Japanese take away food from 11am – 8pm every day of the week. Not surprisingly, the Fish Teriyaki and Rice ($7.50) is the best we’ve eaten in Perth. Other recommended fish-based dishes are the Salmon Don – with fresh salmon over rice ($8.70) or the Tuna Don – using tuna served in Japanese style ($6.70.) It’s not all fish though, with Chicken Teriyaki and Rice ($7.80) and there’s also a large range of Sushi made to order including many hard-to-find varieties. The adventurous should try the Saba Sushi, with a slice of marinated mackerel on top of vinegared rice (4pcs – $5.50, 10pcs – $10.50.)

Fish Japan

Where: Shop 25, Dog Swamp Shopping Centre, 6 Wanneroo Rd (Next to Subway)
Map: View Map
Phone: (08) 9242 1995
Website: www.fishjapan.com.au

Fish Japan is open 7 days a week. You can buy fresh fish from 10am – 6pm, Japanese take away and sushi from 11am – 8pm, and the Japanese food section is open from 10am – 8pm.

Feast Perth 2007

This weekend on Sunday 18th of March is the free-to-enter Feast Perth festival, in East Perth:

Set amidst the stunning outdoor setting of East Perth’s gorgeous Claisebrook Cove, Feast Perth celebrates the many wonderful food and lifestyle experiences that are so much a part of Western Australian life, focusing on the broad range of quality products available from growers, producers, restaurants and wineries around WA.

For more information and a timetable of events, check the festival’s website at http://www.feastperth.com.au/

Feast Perth 2007

Where: Claisebrook Cove, East Perth
Map: View Map
Date: Sunday 18 March
Cost: Free
Transport information: The East Perth Redevelopment Authority has published an easy guide on how to get to Claisebrook Cove. Frequent bus services operate to and from East Perth from the Perth CBD, plus, a free CAT bus service runs through the precinct.
Enquiries: info@feastperth.com.au or (08) 9381 4200

Kabuki, Vic Park

Kabuki is a cheap and friendly Japanese take-out in a great location on Albany Highway, Victoria Park. Their prices are very reasonable, with nothing over $10 and most dishes priced between $7 and $9. Sushi averages $6 for 5 pieces or $9 for 10, although this varies according to the ingredients. Highly recommended is the $9.50, 10-piece sushi assortment with a range of both nigiri and maki-style sushi. Sushi party packs with 50 pieces start from $35 and can be made to order.

Kabuki’s tempura dishes are excellent, with a light, crunchy and crispy batter that remains its texture even after being dipped and dunked. Also recommended is the Beef Tataki, a lightly cooked beef served cold with garlic and spring onion. A final recommendation is the not terrifically authentic but extremely delicious fried Teriyaki Tofu which makes an awesome starter. Avoid their udon dishes though, as the noodles can be clumpy and the soup-broth is far too watery.

Kabuki’s decor is clean and inviting and during the lunchtime rush, you’ll be lucky to grab a table. If you’re coming in for dinner, hit up a bottle-shop first and BYO.

Kabuki

Where: 356 Albany Highway, Vic Park
Map: View Map
Phone: (08) 9362 3550
Licensed: No
BYO: Yes

Kabuki is open Mon-Sat 11:00 – 9:00 and Sun and Public Holidays 5:00 – 9:00pm. You can dine in or take away and their long hours make it a great place to pick-up a cheap Japanese meal when you’re in the area.

Perth Chilli Festival, Araluen

This weekend the Perth Chilli Festival comes to the beautiful Araluen Botanical gardens in the hills behind Perth:

And you thought Araluen couldn’t get any hotter!! The Perth Chilli Festival will make global warming look like a non-event so come and celebrate everything Chilli.

The festival features a huge range of wonderful, taste-tingling Chilli food, Chilli teas, beers, wines and vodka. Live music, dance, competitions and much more.

Perth Chilli Festival

Where: Araluen Botanical Park, Roleystone
Map: View Map
Date: Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 March
Cost: Adults $10.00, Children $5.00, Family pass $25.00
Transport information: For information on how to get to Araluen, check the details on their website.
Enquiries: info@araluenbotanicpark.com.au or (08) 9496 1171

Gelare - Half Price Waffles

Everyone has their favourites. It can be tough to beat the old classics – vanilla, choc chip, strawberry, banana. Maybe you’re a mint kid? Do you go nuts for nuts? Whatever your preference, the fact is that we all love icecream. What we don’t love is the cost. Heck, even the good ol’ Bucket is moving out of range of silver coins!

And wouldn’t you like a waffle too? With whipped cream and syrup? You know you would. And, if you don’t already know, the place to get it is Gelare, and the time is Tuesday every week, when dine-in waffles are half price all day long, for everyone. That means a small waffle (with syrup and cream) is just $2, and a large just $3!

But how about the icecream? Throw on a scoop for $2.50 extra, or $4.70 for two. That means that treats like the little sucker below (large waffle and one scoop) will set you back just $5.50 – perfect to eat alone or, even better, with someone special!

Gelare has 17 stores all over Perth. Cash in and “your taste buds will love you”, as they say – and your wallet will too!

This is not a paid advertisement – we’re just trying to let you know all the discounts and specials that Perth has to offer so you can enjoy our city as cheaply as possible!