Falafel Omisi
Conti Roll
Cinnamon Scroll, North Street Store
The Perth restaurant scene pulled out all the stops in 2022, with a seemingly endless amount of new restaurants, new bars, and new cafes operating side by side with our existing favourites.
And yet, despite the number of Perth openings we’ve seen this year, two Broadsheet editors chose the exact same sandwich as their best bite of the year.
Of all the delicious food we ate this year, these are the dishes our editors and writers couldn’t stop thinking about. From pastries and pizza to fine-dining dishes, here’s what we loved in 2022.
All the things, Falafel Omisi
This year, I made an effort to eat a little less meat and a lot more vegetables and things that weren’t meat. The discovery of Falafel Omisi at the end of May – thank you, Google – made my mission a little easier and a lot more delicious. In a town where falafels are so often an afterthought at kebab joints and Middle Eastern restaurants, the falafels at Omisi – fried-to-order, about the size of a 20-cent piece, and crunchy and soft everywhere they ought to be – were a revelation and a reminder of how pleasurable eating your veg can be. Over the year, I’ve enjoyed the falafels in a variety of ways, including crammed into pita pockets; as part of a shakshuka platter; as an excellent garnish to a platter of hummus with mushroom and caramelised onions; and straight out of the fryer – a generous gesture Falafel Omisi owner Maor Mentin has a habit of making when he notices a new face at his casual eatery next to Joe Rosen Oval in Perth’s Jewish heartland. The sabich – a Jewish-Iraqi sandwich comprising sauteed eggplant, salad and a hard-boiled egg crammed into a pita pocket – is just as worthy of your attention.
Max Veenhuyzen, Perth editor at large
Conti roll, Re Store Northbridge
I eat a lot of sandwiches, but 2022 was a landmark year for my two-handed habit. After years of longing, I finally managed to get my mitts around Perth’s legendary conti roll. That may seem trite to most Perth readers, but I’m from Sydney, and I’m not kidding when I say these deli delights carry mythical status. Sydneysiders know about the conti roll. We have things like them. But it feels like the name alone carries so much more gravitas than any pale east coast imitation. So when I touched down for a whirlwind trip in WA a few months back, I literally went straight from the airport to the Re Store in Northbridge. I ordered the lot: several layers of meat, provolone, a fistful of olives, and lord knows what else jammed into a golden ciabatta roll. It damn near weighed a kilo and cost $18. It did not disappoint. But when I told my Perth friends where I scored, they chastised me without mercy: “You should’ve gone to Leederville!”
Dan Cunningham, directory editor
The Works continental roll, Re Store – Leederville
I know, I know. Re Store’s conti roll is about as predictable as you can get for one of these lists in Perth, but you have to understand – I’m from Melbourne! And I only ever read about the thing from afar. So: landed at the airport, dumped bags at the hotel, went straight to Re Store. (Leederville, naturally.) I got The Works (the one with artichokes), found a table outside and unwrapped the roll as if it was a rare and special gift from a long-lost someone. You all know what’s inside it and how good it tastes, so instead of describing it, I’ve got some questions. Why is this roll so much better than every other cold-cut, cheese and vegetable filled roll in Australia/ Earth? How do they get the balance of all the different ingredients so, so right? When did it become okay for a sandwich to be this good without a condiment?
Katya Wachtel, editorial director
Cinnamon scrolls, North Street Store
We all make mistakes in life. For over 20 years, I mistakenly bought cinnamon scrolls that weren’t doused in syrupy glaze icing. Luckily, North Street Store rescued me from my arid cinnamon scroll purgatory. Their gooey, doughy, sweet cinnamon scrolls would be enough on their own. But just before they hand it to you, they douse it with an extra layer of sweet glossy icing syrup. It’s a condiment queen’s dream. I often find myself sitting on the kerb outside North Street, tearing off the wide, soft strips of cinnamon scroll, drenching them in icing and shovelling them into my mouth. It’s become a past-time and one that’s undoubtedly worth copping the line for (it moves quickly, promise). When they’re in the rotation I’d also vouch for North Street’s lamington, which my then-105-year-old nanna said was the best lamington she’d ever eaten.
Holly Bodeker-Smith, directory app editor
‘Nduja Pizza, Canteen Pizza
Any pizza with burrata on it immediately gets my vote. But Canteen’s ‘nduja pizza takes things up a notch. I love the theatre of slicing the burrata right down the middle and smearing it all over the loaded pizza. The base is blistered and fluffy with just the right amount of chew. And the ‘nduja spread provides the perfect amount of spice against the fresh and sweet tomato base. Book a table ahead and time your sitting with the sunset to achieve peak life happiness.
Holly Bodeker-Smith, directory app editor
Rotisserie chicken, Wild Hop Brewing Co
The first thing you have to know about Wild Hop’s free-range rotisserie chicken is that it takes 48 hours to brine it. Then you drive three hours from Perth to Yallingup to eat it. Before you baulk at the commute, I promise you that every minute of that drive is worth it for that perfect combination of juicy, crispy, salty, and melt-in-your-mouth meat. On a sunny afternoon, I like to pair it with duck fat potatoes, a crisp green salad and a cold beer. Honestly, this may be the most perfect meal in WA.
Bri Whitton, writer
Crab crespelle, Si Paradiso
I’m all up for shared plates, but when it comes to Si Paradiso’s crab crespelle, I’m inclined to order one all to myself. It’s a Si Paradiso classic that’s been on the menu for some time, and for some reason all I’ve been craving in 2022 is this bundle of blue swimmer crab. It’s light, crunchy and dripping in brown butter, which is my idea of pure happiness. It’s pretty rich, but totally worth the indulgence. Perfectly portioned, the creamy dish is slightly addictive. There’s something mesmerising about Si Paradiso … is it the atmosphere? The flattering red lighting or the twinkle from the restaurant’s iconic disco ball? Or could it be the crab crespelle? I think it just might.
Clare Ryan, writer
Black Angus tartare, Testun
This new-ish bar is almost indescribable. Those who have been would be tempted to use words like “mad” or “crazy”, but when it comes to Testun, this is meant in the very best way. The kitchen isn’t afraid to take risks, and it was there that I ate the most original, memorable and finest dish of 2022.
Black Angus tartare, green mango, lychee, pickled ginger, pepper oil and peanut sauce may sound like a bizarre combination, but in the hands of the Testun crew it was a triumph of flavour, texture and balance. The menu may change frequently, but the kitchen’s creativity and flair are always on show.
Martin Eade, writer
Coffee eclair, Re Store – Leederville
I ate at some brilliant restaurants when I visited Perth in May, but it was at Re Store that I encountered two things I haven’t stopped thinking about since. (See my other entry in this list for the second encounter.) I love coffee eclairs. They are the top of my dessert and sweet treat food chain. The ones they sell at Re Store are old-school, milk-bar-style: no daintiness or softish choux pastry here. No, Re Store’s eclairs are chunky and enormous, with thick pastry and a thick, thick layer of latte-coloured, coffee-flavoured icing on top. The only dainty thing about it is the four ultra-thin stripes of chocolate icing atop the coffee icing layer. Inside, coffee custard – not too sweet, not too bitter, just right.
Katya Wachtel, editorial director
Wagin duck livers with beetroot and horseradish, Wines of While
Of course, I’m not quite ready to do away with animal flesh just yet: especially when there are so many talented cooks around town doing thoughtful things with offcuts. Some of the best offal I’ve eaten this year has been at Wines of While, the inner-city wine bar where the dining is as much a draw as the drinking. The food has always been good, but since the arrival of head chefs Jack Botha and Branden Scott in the kitchen – the best co-head chef duo, in your correspondent’s decision, since Simon Kruger and Nick Malanczak teamed up for the criminally underrated Mary’s – has paid real dividends among eaters. While the terrine and lamb’s brain with sauce gribiche are fond memories, my favourite Wines of While moment was the excellent duck livers the guys were doing mid-year. Plump, quickly sauteed and more than a little pink in the middle and sharpened with creamed horseradish, it was the perfect embodiment of the bar’s farmhouse style of cookery.
Max Veenhuyzen, Perth editor at large
19 Jul 2023
18 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023