Sure it has stunning sunsets and great weather, but MasterChef judge Melissa Leong says Perth’s big drawcard is pasta that’s right up there with the best in Australia.
I flew to Perth the other week, and probably not for the reasons you might assume – it wasn’t to host a dinner, attend a food festival or even to write a review.
No prizes for guessing, though, if you follow me on social media. For a couple of years now, I’ve been a little hooked on UFC (that’s Ultimate Fighting Championship for the uninitiated). There’s something quite cathartic about watching titans of mixed martial arts playing an epic battle of strategy in the octagon and no, Karen, I’m not sorry.
Aside from being super-pumped about being in our fair city to the west to witness combat sports, another reason I love visiting Whadjuk Boodjar country is for its incredible food produce, and the chefs who make it sing.
Touching down in Perth, to me, feels like a holiday in itself. With reliably blue skies, dry heat, and a laid-back vibe, you just get the feeling you’ll be in for a good time, no matter what you’re in town to do. With every hotel room booked in the city on account of a major weekend of events, the city was buzzing, from the shining waterfront to Subiaco.
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Western Australia’s restaurant superstar couple chef Liam and sommelier Sarah Atkinson are a powerhouse of good food and drink in the city, with their nouveau French bistro Le Rebelle consistently pulling in a who’s-who of locals and visitors alike. Their cosy multi-tiered restaurant is a favourite for long lunches, boozy work dos, date night, or just a cheeky solo glass of wine and snacks on any given day.
The snacks in question, by the way, are superlative. A potato scallop might be a potato cake in another Australian state, but here, they’re stuffed with scallop mousse, battered, and fried – and if you’re so inclined, can arrive at your table with a tin of caviar to top each bite off with briny luxury. The crab toast has been a staple since day one – crisp toast squares topped with a generous helping of sweet blue manna crab meat enriched with mayo and spiked with preserved lemon.
Further down the list, a golden, crisp potato rosti is a vehicle for plump pickled mussels and a rouille sauce with the right amount of saffron to make it sing. And if you’re torn between wanting to eat all the next-level snacks, but also one of their excellent cheeseburgers (“le burger avec fromage”, bien sûr), never fear: the kitchen knows your conundrum and will serve yours in bite sized wedges, rendering even le burger un hors d’oevre.
Sarah’s drinks list celebrates cool and classic in equal measure, catering to everyone from mining magnates and their big reds to the cool kids who want something braggably obscure. To keep the good times rolling, head on down the road a few hundred metres and pull up a chair at Le Rebelle’s little sister, Bar Rogue. For sophisticated sipping, Bar Rogue is where you loosen your tie and kick things up a notch. And where Rebelle is more about excellent nosh, with drinks to match, Rogue flips the script with a snack menu to complement liquid refreshment. So let the good times, Rogue!
I’ve been known to take gigs in Western Australia just so I can eat at Lulu La Delizia. Chef-restaurateur-legend Joel Valvasori’s ode to his nonna is a landmark in Perth. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Subiaco, it’s relaxed outdoor seating, nonna-cool lace curtains and chill service belies the detail, deliciousness, and cracking soundtrack that greet you inside.
I’d like to share a little advice given to me by Joel himself on my most recent trip: “Arrive hungry.” Not an easy feat for me when every trip away is usually about catching up with what’s new in town. But believe me when I say it’s worth it. I say leave it to those who know and go with the set menu. It runs the gamut of season delights, with snacks that celebrate Western Australia’s uniquely pristine environment.
Nonna’s meatballs are unmissable, as is any seafood crudo dish, but if you’re not ordering pasta here, what are you doing with your life? From rich ragùs to saffron spaghetti with clams and spigarello, the offering is succinct, seasonal, and simply some of the best pasta you’ll find on the continent. The only downside is its location in relation to where my stomach currently lives.
Whether it’s conti rolls on the waterfront, spicy Margs and spicier Thai cuisine at Long Chim, bougie French bar snacks at Le Rebelle, or a bowl of the best pasta on the west coast, Perth, with its unforgettable ocean sunsets, perfect weather and chilled atmosphere might seem far away for those of us on the east coast, but, like all good things, it’s really worth travelling for.
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