June 2012 ~ TEO DEGAS' REVIEWS

6/28/2012

Zucca Espresso (Murray St, Perth WA)

267 Murray Street Mall
Inside the Java Juice Bar
Perth Western Australia 6000
Facebook

Zucca Espresso spread its wings from its well-known spot on St George's Terrace about two months ago, and settled a little humble corner inside the Java Juice Bar in Murray St. Engulfed by the bright colours, yummy smells, and hecticness of the latter, you might have passed it without noticing it, as two humble blackboards and a wall flat sign are the only indication that the café is at the bottom end of the shop.

I feel tempted to say that Zucca has the best coffee in the CBD. Coffee taste is always a matter of fancy and never a mathematical equation, so, to be safe, I will say that Zucca has my favourite coffee in the CBD, which, coming from me, is a rare statement, because I have just a few places in the city that make my taste buds feel really excited about the coffee they are sipping. Moreover, they have three cup sizes, XL included, and XL coffee makes me always happy.

The coffee is made with Di Bella beans, and is strong without being overpowering, smooth in texture, creamy, the right consistency, and is full of flavour; you will need a bit of sugar or sweetener. It is a coffee that will satisfy the fancy whimsical wishes of any coffee lover who wants his-her coffee to taste of coffee, and his coffee to taste as good as smells. Hallelujah!

The place being so small, has a very limited food offer, reduced to some breakfast fruit breads and muffins, which I have not tried.

The service is matter of fact, still friendly.

This place is mostly for take-away, but, Oh Gosh, what a take-away. If you want to seat, you can use Java Juice's alfresco area or the long table and stools by the wall. It is a real pity that they have not opened a proper café, having such a great coffee.

They have a loyalty card system.

MIND THE SIZE
The XL cup has just two and a half shots of coffee; therefore, the taste is more milky and the coffee not as good as the medium size, which has two shots of coffee. Pity, because the missing half a shot makes a whole difference. Stick to their regular coffee to enjoy the full flavour of the beans.

UPDATE 31/08/2012
The Romance is over - Sigh.

I often go to Zucca Espresso in the Murray Mall during my lunch break, despite being out of my way, to get a nice cup of flavoursome coffee.

Today I got one of those flat-white "weakies" that really annoy me. Two shots (2?) of coffee, half sweetener sachet, and the coffee's taste was missing. On the contrary, the milk taste was quite distinct.

The beans are still the same, so how can we explain a coffee going from flavoursome and strong to weak and average in flavour in a matter of three months? To be honest, I am not sure if the shots are a bit short these days, or the lack of a proper good barista it is causing the change in flavour, as the barista finishes at noon and your coffee is prepared by the girl who happens to be free when you place your order at the Java Juice Bar.

Fact - The taste of my coffee at Zucca changes dramatically depending on the person operating the coffee machine, and the taste goes up and down depending on the days. That is not good enough. A good barista makes the heck of difference - Same beans, different barista, different coffee taste. Tested and retested by me everywhere. So please, have one full time there!

Zucca was my fav coffee in the city, but now seats in the middle with many others. I guess it is time to move on to one of the new cafés that are popping up in the CBD like Mushrooms.

Still, it is disappointing. Like a broken marriage. Sigh

Alannah Hill (CBD, Perth WA)

93 William St, Wesley Quarter
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9481 7766
Website
Online Shop
Hours:
    Mon-Thu 9:00 - 17:30
    Fri 9:00 - 21:00
    Sat 9:00 - 17:00
    Sun 11:00 - 17:00

The Alannah Hill shop on William St has one of the most beautiful and colourful window displays in Perth CBD. The clothing is utterly feminine and stylish, but it is displayed in a way that really makes your eyes pop out of your eye sockets, stop, look up and down, and enter the shop, even if it is just to browse around. It is not only the shop window, the boutique is very glamorous, has divine changing rooms, a nice parlour area with royal chairs, and a nice accessories area around which the racks of clothes are placed. I especially like their knitwear pieces, the range of colours and prints the brand offers, and, among the accessories, the stockings and hair accessories.

The pricing is expensive, especially having into account the quality and finishing of some of the items. Although some of them are truly special and are good quality, a good deal of them are not, still they are very expensive. The hair accessories are pretty, expensive and "plasticky". They have very good sales, but you will not find any bargain here, not even at the end of the sales. If you are lucky, you might get what you want at an affordable price. If you want one of their bargains go to one of their outlet stores. Yes, of course, we have to pay for the brand, but what makes a brand great is not just the design, is the quality of what they sell and the quality of the service in their shops.

When I enter AH in the city I feel invisible, most of the times. There is the occasional nice lady who is genuinely interested in my visit and shopping possibilities, but my experience has always been that most girls decide on arrival that I am not going to buy anything, and I end fulfilling their own prophecy and going to the David Jones' branch, where the girls work harder to sell you their stuff if they see you interested. It is not that the service is bad, it is just lacking at times, and the attitude is, in general, a bit nosey-posey. This is not Burberry, Chanel or even Alex Perry. Having class does not depend on what you wear, but on who you are, and somebody you should teach them that. It wouldn't help if the girls were a bit more smiley and down to earth. Attitude does not help selling anything.

Alannah Hill's website is simply cute, very childish and fairy-tale, with adorable kitsch animations. It is easy to browse around and eye candy; however, it is not updated, and the Western Australian boutiques are not even mentioned. Are we invisible?! You can also buy online; the shopping area is very easy to navigate and has a very good display system.

The Burger Bistro (CBD, Perth WA) - CLOSED

Shop 16, Shafto Lane
872-884 Hay St
Perth, Western Australia
(08) 9485 1729
http://www.theburgerbistro.com.au/index.html
Hours
Mon-Thu 11:00 - 21:00
Fri 11:00 - 21:30

There is a lot of meat love going on around the Burger Bistro at Shafto Lane. You mention the place and somebody you know is going to get excited - for you. On the other hand, Burger Bistro sounds like the wholeymolley of burger royalty, no? In that state of excitement I got to the Burger Bistro, so my expectations were very high.

LOCATION - The Burger Bistro is located in the wonderful Shafto Lane, in the heart of the city, an alley with special atmosphere that puts you in the mood for eating or drinking anything, really. The bistro itself is a small functional place, very minimal in decor, clean lines, and a very comfortable seating area both inside and outside. They have big windows to the alley and the place has a wonderful warm light on sunny days, which really transforms the atmosphere of the indoors area for good.

THE FOOD - They have a wide range of gourmet beef, chicken, lamb and vegetarian burgers. The quality and freshness of the ingredients is undeniable, as they use Mt Baker chicken, Certified Angus Beef and New Norcia buns. Everything looks fresh, is fresh, is popping colourful (if that can be said!), and tastes good. I ordered the gourmet New Yorker, and it was very tasty. Their fries are cheap and the serving generous. Their selection of drinks is also varied and different, not just the usual Coke.

THE SERVICE - The service is very fast and friendly, especially by the girl behind the counter, who was delightful to everybody despite the hordes of burgers hunters and group gatherers arriving when I visited. The place attracts a varied group of burger lovers from all ages and styles, a lot of groups of young people. Eaters at the BB are very excited about their food, and can be very noisy, in a joyful way.

DOWNS OF THE PLACE - The first down of the place is, mostly, how difficult is to eat their burgers. One of the joys of eating a burger with your hands is that everything is manageable, tender, juicy, easy to bite and masticate, easy to to put up and down on the plate. Obvious, no? Well, I found impossible to do so with my burger. The bun is too hard and chewy, the patty was too hard and dry. What is more, I had difficulties halving my burger with a normal knife, so my plate was a bit messy before I had even started eating. Moreover, the size of the buns is a bit small, so the insides can easily slip out, and there we have more mess, Oh dear, I am Lady Messy. I love New Norcia breads, but I don't like my burgers with these buns, sorry. They should tenderise their meat patties, too. Papaya powder makes wonders.

The second down, shared with any other Perth "burgerseries", is the chicken burgers. Can somebody explain to me why we can't have a chicken burger that has a burger patty instead of a fillet?

***

If you visit The Burger Bistro without expectations, you will certainly enjoy your experience and meal much more. The place is located in one of the prettiest areas in the city, the burgers are tasty, good quality and satisfying, but their burgers are hard and difficult to eat. They aren't the best burgers in town, that is for sure. A happy medium.

Location:8.5
Layout: 6
Ambience: 6.5
Pricing: 7
Service: 7.5
Food: 7

The Lucky Charm Express (Perth WA)

378, Wellington St
Concourse Level, Perth Rail Station
Perth WA 6000
(08) 9221 3933
Hours:
    Mon-Thu: 5:45am – 6:00pm
    Fri: 5:45am – 9:00pm
    Sat: 7:30am – 5:30pm
    Sun: 9:00am – 6:00pm

The Lucky Charm Express is a small newsagent kiosk in Perth Central Trail Station that does a super-job at serving the hundreds of people using or passing by the Station every day. Beyond the usual newspapers and magazines, they are official agents of Transperth's multi-rider cards (sale and top-up), and they have different lotto services, a variety of cheap phone cards, greeting cards, wrapping paper, and basic stationary.

They have a good selection of International fashion, gossip and specialised magazines, although some of these are a bit behind, some of them even a month behind, and the fashion magazines usually arrive without the free gifts they give customers in the country of origin.

The Lucky Charm also has a huge selection of International landline and mobile phone cards with very cheap rates. If you are not sure which one to buy, tell them the country you want to call, and they will recommend you the best card for you.

The service is fast and the staff correct and respectful. They barely have time to breathe, so one cannot ask more from them.

378 Wellington St
Perth Western Australia 6000
http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/

Perth Train Station is the heart of the city, literally, the way to connect with people, to wait for people, to buy your newspaper, to have a coffee, to go to the a doctor, and, I forgot!, to catch a train.

There is something special about this station, truly. It is the mix of old and new, the easiness and functionality of the design, the cosiness of the atmosphere, and the good vibe of the space in general. This was one of the first things that caught my attention when I moved to Perth, as most train stations elsewhere are too crowded, too complicated, too ugly, too smelly, to big, too noisy, too "trainy", if you know what I mean. The place is very safe all day around, even at night, a thing you can't say of other train stations in Perth.

The fact that there are a few coffee shops, a newsagent, doctor and physiotherapy practices, a dental practice, a hairdresser, and a few other business and resting places around, makes the place a lively spot, accentuated by the fact that the train station upper level is a pass way between the Cultural Centre and the Shopping area in the CBD.

The trains depart on time almost every time, and the service is terrific even on Sundays. If there are delays or disruptions, you are properly informed and guided to replacement buses.

The are a few ticket machines for individual tickets in front of the entrance area, but better use a multi-rider if you are going to be in Perth for a few days (if you are a visitor), which you can purchase and recharge at the newsagent on the same floor. Do buy your ticket because the security guards at the entrance and exit will stop you, and, if you don't have one, they won't have any pity, no matter you had it and lost it.

The only down in the Station is the size of the information office, which needs to be enlarged, as it is always crowded, especially now that the TransWA office has closed its door and the Transperth information office has taken over the booking and sale of those tickets.

The place is being refurbished at the moment, and it wont be long that we have a completely different space, unfortunately.

"The Girl who Kicked the Hornets' Nest" by Daniel Alfredson (2009)

This is the final instalment of the Millennium Trilogy, and the one in which we finally see Lisbeth Salander confronting those people who unjustly abused her since her childhood. The movie focus on her recovery in hospital, and in the investigation of the Millenium team and the Police to uncover and capture those people who formed The Section, a team of secret agents involved in dark operations and directly responsible for Lisbeth's abuses and jailing.

Like the 2nd movie, this one feels like a TV film not a proper movie. However, this lifts up a bit, mostly because the investigation is very intriguing, and the performance of some of the the actors is very good. We hate some of them with gusto, especially the evil psychiatrist and paedophile Dr. Peter Teleborian who is very well played by Anders Ahlbom. However, the actors playing evil Zalachenko (Georgi Staykov) and his son Dragan (Michalis Koutsogiannakis), overact and underact respectively, and, like in the 2nd movie, they are a caricature of a character. Michale Nyquist and Lena Hendre are still good in their respective performances, especially the latter, but Annika Hallin outshines them with her fresh and down to earth performance as Lisbeth's lawyer Annika Giannini.

Noomi Rapace shines once more, although her character is played down in this movie. Despite the fact the viewer cares about Lisbeth and wants her free and her abusers jailed, there is a lack of empathy with her, mostly because the way the character is portrayed in this movie. The fact that the movie shows not much about her, leads the viewer to feel emotionally detached from her, who appears cold and calculator, lacking of emotion and of any type of kindness, and stripped of the soft core she showed in the 1st movie. The focus of the movie is not Lisbeth's past, but her abusers, and the investigation.

The relationship unfolding between Mikael and Erika is badly explored and explained, especially because Mikael still seems to have a crush on Lisbeth. We do not know what happens to Lisbeth to pass from almost falling in love with Mikael in the first movie to completely ignoring him in this one. Most of the viewers have not read the books, and they will barely understand some of the unfolding events in this last instalment of the series.

The court trial is very entertaining and well performed, although hurriedly developed.

The end of the trilogy is deflated and has no closure. It feels and looks like the end of a TV episode that is to be continued. The director and scriptwriter had already chopped up and hidden many facts that were in the novel, so why not taking a further risk to give the trilogy a good ending? They could have used what we know about Stieg Larsson's unfinished 4th book to do so. Stieg Larsson's unofficial website, summarises a bit what we could have expected from the 4th book:

"Aftonbladet has earlier published the news that the fourth book would take place in Canada, about 75 miles (120km) north of Sauchs Harbour on Banks Island. It is also told that the fourth script would mainly focus on Lisbet Salander, and how her personality changes when she starts to deal with her conflicts from the past. Her tattoos are explained and you are told that each and everyone represent a person who has hurt her throughout her life, both mentally and physically."

Instead, we are left with that sweet & sour taste of not knowing enough about Lisbeth and watching a movie that has no ending. On the other hand, the viewer is happy that there is no continuation, because the enthusiasm, freshness and rawness of the first movie are completely gone in this film.

The cinematography of Stockholm and rural Sweden is gorgeous. The series really makes you want to visit Sweden!

Walking on a Dream is the first Album by the duo Empire of the Sound (Luke Steele & Nick Littlemore), published in year 2008.

Pop electronic music is rarely a hit with critics, who always feel guilty giving more than three stars to pop albums that are successful at the Radio. This is especially evident in the case of Walking on a Dream, which although well-received, received a meagre three-star rating in most reviews. However, the album ended winning seven out of the eleven ARIA awards to which was nominated, including the Best Album of the Year.

Walking on a Dream is not only a good album title, it is a good album that has proven to stand the pass of time and age with grace. The album still sounds fresh and fashionable - a rare quality in contemporary pop albums, which have a couple of good songs, are aggressively promoted through Radio stations, and, once the hype wanes, the album doesn't speak to the listener any more. The music is not only upbeat and danceable, but the lyrics are excellent, and the energy and sound of the whole album very good and unique. One of the things I like the most is how smooth and kinetic the transition between the songs is, so the whole thing flows. The Pacing of the album is also excellent, with the songs combined and organised in a very organic way. This is one of the reasons why the album has become one of my favourite companions for walking and exercising.

"I don't want to talk, All I hear is noise"

SupaIGA Northbridge (Perth WA)

150 Newcastle St
Northbridge Western Australia 6000
(08) 9427 8900
http://www.coles.com.au
Hours:
    Mon-Fri 8:00 - 21:00
    Sat 8:00 - 17:00
    Sun 11:00 - 17:00

SupaIGA Northbridge is a small-sized supermarket located in the outer border of the CBD, perfectly positioned for people living in the northern suburbs on their return home or for tourists staying in the city. It is replacing the former Coles Supermarket, with a few variations in the internal layout, but basically the same structure.

You won't find all the stuff you find in a big supermarket, still their aisles have the basics, plus decent vegetables and meat areas, and a considerable area devoted to packed sandwiches and take-away meals. It is a big convenience store and not a suburban supermarket, but it is one of the cleanest supermarkets I have been lately, and has the bonus of opening every day and having average prices and great specials.

I think the place was planned for certain sort of shoppers, which explains why certain aisles and sections are prioritised over others. In fact, is a popular shopping spot amongst backpackers, students and after-work young professionals, and perfect for emergency shopping on your way home.

Nature Play Space (Perth WA)

Museum Plaza
Perth Cultural Centre
Perth 6000

The Latest addition to Perth Cultural Centre, Nature Play Space, is a funky music playground designed by celebrity gardener Josh Byrne, and located in the Museum Plaza, a few metres away from the State Library of WA and in front of Polly's Café. The playground is placed on an artificial mound elevated over the ground level, and with an Outback sort of design, with percussion and wind instruments scattered over it for anybody to play them.

The Nature Play Space has a terrible name, but it is a creative place spot on at every level regarding visual and conceptual design, location, and originality. It is not only fun, it is beautifully design, and the floor painting faking a river with little animals is just stupendous. There are many little details, artistic, funny and so very joyful. The earthiness of the seating benches has to be praised; they are truly awesome.

This magic garden become very popular right after its opening, and it is attracting an increasing number of parents with their children and school excursions, especially in the mornings. The sounds coming from the playground, both from the instruments and the laughter of the players, have already become part of the ambience of the Museum Plaza.

It is not just the kids who are drawn into this music garden, and that is a lot to say for a playground. Kudos to the designers and to the Cultural Centre for such an awesome space.

Perth Cultural Centre
Perth 6006 WA
http://www.perthculturalcentre.com.au/What%27s-Growing/About-Urban-Orchard/

Photo Courtesy of the Perth Cultural Centre Website.

The Urban Orchard is a green area developed after refurbishing the fringe space beside the Art Gallery and Perth Train Station, of which only the sculpture "Before 1978-1980" remains.

I have a mix of feelings about the Orchard. On one hand, it is great having a public edible garden in the heart of the city used as an educational area, with seedbeds containing a mix of seasonal vegetables and herbs, and scheduled free activities for school children and adults to learn and improve their gardening skills. The harvest & planting days, organised at the start of the summer and winter seasons, are perfect for that. It is also great having a wide green space with a seating area in Northbridge for your lunch, ciggie or coffee breaks, to use as a meeting point, or for the Fringe Festival to set their colourful caravans and vans.

So much thought put into the concept and so little into the design, which is not creative at all. The orchard doesn't feel as an orchard, not even earthy, but more like a lawn and concrete seating area similar to the one in Forrest Chase (now being redeveloped). Besides, and practically speaking, the shading is very limited and the place not good for seating during hot or rainy days - it is perfect for the lettuces and the herbs to look at the sky and enjoy the natural elements.

Perth Cultural Centre
Perth 6006
http://www.perthculturalcentre.com.au/About/Wetland/

The Wetland [sic] is a fresh water pond located in the Cultural Centre, in the space connecting James St Amphitheatre and the Art Gallery of Western Australia, and created by redeveloping the previous water fountain but still including Stuart Green's beautiful sculpture.

The place recreates one of the swamps that were part of Perth natural environment at the arrival of the first European settlers. The area is very small but it is beautifully done. It has a great layout and a terrific mix of native greenery and wooden and metallic elements, a large colourful seating area, and a wooden deck stage. A bunch of happy frogs, native fish, and insects consider the pond home, as well as many seagulls, which come here to perform their bath rituals or have a swim. The fact that the central focal viewpoint of the Wetland has no human movement, but a stone façade as a background really helps to immerse yourself in this little artificial micro-cosmos. The world is left at your back, and it feels far away from the hectic urban surroundings.

The place is a favourite with quiet lunchers and coffee sippers, small children wanting to spot frogs, school groups, loners, and people attending some of the environmental talks and performances that take place at the central stage.

The Wetland is a beautiful special spot, perfect to relax in the middle of the city.

Between Francis Street, William Street and Roe Street
Northbridge Western Australia
(08) 9222 8000
http://www.perthculturalcentre.com.au/

The soul of the city - this is the Cultural Centre. An under-appreciated free heart, taken for granted, by many Perthites. In a five-minute walk you will have free access to the State Library (the most visited public building in WA), the Art Gallery and PICA, two theatres (The Blue Room and the State Theatre), the Museum of Western Australia, a musical playground, an urban orchard, and a wetlands pond, and some nice sculptures. We should be clapping out of joy!

The central plaza with its colourful steps has become a modern sort of agora for concerts and festivals, and also a favourite among open-air lunchers since the setting of the big screen in the middle of the square, which showcases great shorts all day long. You can watch the shorts, read your magazine or book, or watch humans pass by in their colourful dresses, hairdos, and attitudes.

There are gazillion coffee shops, eateries, cafés and pubs in Northbridge and in his area, which is another bonus to stay around.

The only thing lacking for the place to be world class is, a more impacting architecture and sculptures, and, above all, the monetary patronage necessary to bring bigger shows and exhibitions to the city, and to provide better funding for the functioning of these institutions. Hopefully, when the redevelopment project is finished, the place will have a more edgy aura.

The vibrancy of the place is not always evident, as the place has also become a passage way from William St to Beaufort St to the CBD and vice versa, and many of the beautiful spots in the area are passed unnoticed. Still, some of the new developments are attracting an increasing number of people coming to the Cultural Centre to stay, not to pass by.

Fone Ezy (Perth WA)

702 Hay St
Piccadilly Arcade, Shop 24-26
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 6460 1866
http://www.foneezy.com.au/
Hours:
Mon-Sat 9:00 - 18:00
Sun 12:00 - 18:00

Phone Ezy in Picadilly Arcade is the cheapest shop for mobile repairs, and mobile and USB modem unlocking in the CBD. They also sell a few prepaid mobile combos, nothing fancy but modern, convenient and decently priced. They have a small selection of mobile accessories, but it is limited and pricey.

The service has always been OK, matter of fact, but efficient and reliable. I go there mostly for unlocking and repairs, and the guys have always been clear regarding their service, timing and pricing; if they can't do something, they will tell you straight away. If you go a peak times, you will certainly will be asked to leave your device with them and return later. The cues are here, and not in other places at 100 or 200 metres, for a reason.

Repairs start from 30$ and unlocks from 20$.

Best time to visit is early hours of the morning, otherwise the cues can be long and the waiting time ditto.

If you want fancy phones, go elsewhere.

Grill'd Mount Lawley (Mount Lawley, Perth WA)

669 Beaufort Street
Mt Lawley 6050
Ph: 9271 9444
Hours:
Mo-Su: 11AM - 10PM
http://www.grilld.com.au/

Grill'd Mount Lawley is one of those restaurants that succeeds because does things well and keeps it simple. It offers five things that guarantee success once the hype of a new business wanes out: good food, good sizing, good service, good location, and a nice ambience suitable to all sorts of people.

The location is fantastic, with enclosed and balcony areas, very welcoming and spacious, in the heart of Mt Lawley. Seat there and let the world pass by.

The selection of burgers is very good, with a variety of beef, chicken, lamb and vegetarian patties, plus steak sandwiches and salads. They have gluten-free buns, too. The chicken burgers, well, they are not burgers to me, as to be a burger the meat has to be minced and in a patty. It it has a fillet and not a patty, it is not a burger - simple!

I have tried some of their fancy beef burgers in the past, but now I go directly for the Simple Grill'd without cheese, which is a simple burger delicious in its simplicity, filling but not heavy on your stomach. I love their fries, both in serving sizes, cut, crunchiness, and that mix of rosemary and salt that makes them taste so delicious on their own. The size of the burgers is great, even the smallest one will leave you satisfied, and I eat a lot!

If you have any concerns with the preparation of your food, no problem, seat in front of their assembling area and see how they do it. It is also, how to put it?, entertaining!

The service is very good. I have rarely found a nosey-posey guy/gal, no matter how cool or funky they look. They are a bunch of friendly hard-working chaps, and very accommodating about anything.

The visitors are, uhmmm, mostly men, lots of families during the weekends, and burger lovers in general.

They certainly could improve their plating and sides, but Grill'd serves burgers in its wonderful original rusticity and primitive awesomeness.

TIP
They have free Wi-fi.

Location: 8.5
Layout: 7
Ambience: 7
Pricing: 8
Food: 8
Service: 9

Shop 3, 80 Walcott St
Mt Lawley Western Australia 6050
(08) 9272 6708
http://www.scentsoftaste.com.au
Hours:
    Mon Closed
    Tue-Fri 8:00 - 17:30
    Sat 8:00 - 16:00
    Sun 8:00 - 13:00

Scents of Taste is a tiny French Patisserie and bakery managed and operated by two real "Frenchies" Olivier Collas and Franck Gire, selling wonderful sweets, cakes and savoury treats. It is located in the heart of Mt Lawley, squeezed up by the Fat Dragon and Spectacles. The indoors area is very small, and includes both the baking and shop areas, but they have a nice alfresco area spread around the shop's footpath and part of the car park with umbrellas and funky super-cool orange chairs.

I have had a few tasting sessions of sweets, to my surprise!, me being more into savoury stuff, but everything I've tried is very good. Two cakes stand out for me despite being average-looking: the Pear & Almond Tartlet, and the Lemon Lime Broulee Tartlet, especially the latter. They are light, very fresh and full of flavour, with a nice thick creamy texture, constant fruity implosion of flavour in your mouth, and a yummy pastry base. Among the rich and sweeter cakes, I recommend you the gorgeous-looking architecturally-designed mousse-ish Chocolate & Caramel Fudge Tartlet. One of the things I like most about Scents of Taste's tartlets is that their bases are excellent regarding hardness, richness, and flavour. I usually don't eat the tartlets' base as most bakeries make them too hard, too sweet, or too rich, so I feel sickened after the first bite; but Scents of Taste' pastry bases are fine pastry and taste great.

All their pastries are divine, but the Danish pastry is to die for - just heavenly. I thought it has been made just thinking about my own personal taste, with a great mix of textures, flavours, and colours. So satisfying at all levels! The purple macaroons are divine, too, with the filling zesty, fruity and very light, and the macaroon melts in your mouth.

The big cakes look great, especially the colourful macaroon ones. Unfortunately, you have to buy the whole cake, as no slices are served. Sigh! Find an excuse to organise a tea party at your place to buy one of those. I think, they would sell the slices easily, I cannot understand why they do not do so.

Their macaroons are huge and so good! Not the usual ultra-sugary cookie you find elsewhere. They taste divine, and have the flavour of the fruit or ingredient right there, in your mouth, not as an accessory, if you know what I mean.

The savoury section is less aesthetically pleasing but more substantial for your stomach, with an original mix of wraps, pies, sandwiches, quiches and pastries of considerable size and filling, which will make happy any hungry man - manly food!

They also have a few imported foods, coming directly from France: canard cassoulet and tinned blocs of real foie-grass. I am just making a wish list right now!

Service is friendly. One of the guys is very outgoing, extremely friendly and attentive, and the soul of the shop, and he is the one who attends to the customers. The other guy is much more serious, the baker, and the let's do business right of type.

The Pricing is very good for the pastries, which are absolutely divine. Average price for deluxe pastries sounds good to me. However, the mini-tartlets and mini-cakes are pricey: average 7 bucks. Macaroons are 5 bucks. If you want to be satisfied you need at least two or each (or is it just me?). Their savoury food is also pricey. Having said so, comparatively speaking, buying a whole cake is not that expensive.

Their paper bags, for takeaway, are so beautiful! Look at the photo and tell me otherwise!

The main down of the site is, firstly, that they don't have a proper enclosed cafeteria to seat and enjoy their sweets, as their alfresco area is not convenient on rainy cold days. Secondly, the pricing of the small cakes and tartlets; they are very good but a bit expensive too. The main sin of Scents of Taste is, however, their absolutely tasteless coffee (Griffiths'). What a disappointment! A good coffee enhances the flavour of any sweet, but if it tastes of nothing, you better grab the sweets and have the coffee elsewhere, or, my trick in emergency cases, order a topped-up macchiato, and no sugar.

TIP
+ If you are short of money and just want to grab one thing, go definitely for the Danish, it is big, it tastes divine, and it looks divine.

+ If you want just one treat go for the Lemon Lime Brulee Tartlet.

NOTE
They only bake brioches on Saturday, just if the guy has the time, which is rarely - his words! If you get them in the shop, you are lucky.

King Street (Pert WA)

King Street is a flashback of Perth splendorous past and a street listed with the Heritage Council of Western Australia. It traverses the two main arteries of the CBD -Murray and Hay St- and is metres away from the other artery -William Street- but it has a completely different vibe and atmosphere from those.

King Street looks like a piece of old Europe transported to our laid back Perth. Despite its narrowness and short length, the street concentrates a considerable number of high-end fashion shops gracefully mixed with others more accessible, and a few cafés and bistros. However, it is not an ostentatious street per se, but for the brands that have decided to settle here. In other words, the posh shops have settled here because the street has class, it is not that the street has class because it has fancy shops.

I love the fact that, despite being so central and surrounded by busy streets, King St never seems to be too busy or overcrowded. On the contrary, is peaceful, quiet and pleasant to walk around. It is very cinematic, in a way; the sort of little street that you'd see reproduced in Hollywood studios for romantic movie scenes at night. It has a sort of micro climate, too, and it always feels colder than the surrounding area.

King Street attracts an increasing number of newly-weeds, with their lovable joyful aura of happiness, dismounting from their hired limousine or Rolls-Royce, walking hand by hand and kissing while professional photographers immortalise the moment in front of the poshest shops: Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton amongst the preferred. "Oh Gosh of the Tiffanian Olympus bless our union with plenty of Vuittoned family members. Amen". The wedding, and even proposal, love parade on the Street reflects, in a way, the day-dreaming and aspirations of many young well-off people (getting rich fast from mining, building, and land and stock-market speculation) enamoured and obsessed with well-known luxury brands, which give them the look they are looking for their newly-found public persona. I don't want to be hyper-critical. I love "Bally" bags and some jewellery by Tiffany's, but I don't think I would parade in front of any of those shops on my wedding day. Mr Bally is not going to give me what I don't have, make me happier, or make my wedding day more memorable.

If you aren't a local, include King Street in your visit itinerary. Wander around. Seat at any café and get the vibe of the city, especially during the weekends, as this is Perth's G-spot. Right there. Yeah baby. Don't hesitate to enter any shop, even the poshest ones, this is Perth after all, a casual city where rich people can wear flip-flops and talk as if you were deaf. I have always found that if you enter the poshest shop with poise and emitting the vibe "I am a posh in disguise" everybody is going to respect you and bow at you. In fact, I am always surprised at finding those high-end shop attendants and doormen at King St attentive and respectful, while petty shop attendants in the CBD give you the cold shoulder just because they decide that their stuff is not for you.

Morning Glory Perth
Shop 39 Carillon City
680 Hay Street
Perth WA 6000
Phone: 9226 0555
http://www.facebook.com/morninggloryperth

Cuteness elevated to the square, multiplied by two - that is Morning Glory. A Korean franchise gift shop with hyper-cute stationary, toys & plush bears, hair accessories, cartoons miniatures, Vans shoes, school bags, Asian music CDs and posters, among many other things.

Most of their stuff is cartoon or video-game related (Totoro, Pokemon, Mario Bros, Domo, and Hello Kitty, among others). In fact, Morning Glory was one of the first places to give Hello Kitty a throne in Perth before she rose to International stardom.

The ambience of the shop is very child-like, colourful and fun. The music playing is always Asian, Korean I guess, and it really helps the visitor to transport oneself to a cool place in Korea or Japan, and gives it a stamp of authenticity.

The service is friendly if you ask the attendants about anything. Otherwise, they let you wander around without bothering you. However, do so with care, because:
+ if you break something, you pay it. The aisles are narrow, so please ballet your body around, especially if you have a Totoro kind of figure, or are carrying a big bag.
+ Hello Kitty Ninja will behead you if your enter the shop with food and/or drinks.
+ Domo is watching your movements with his spy camera - show him your teeth.
+ Pokemon will fulminate you if you remove the cellophane wrapping from the CDs.

The prices are high, although some of the little things are affordable, and their Vans shoes are average price I would say. To give an example. Those teeny-weeny string accessories you attach to your mobile, with a bell and a cartoon character, may cost you 3-5 bucks in Japan, but you pay here at least 10$, unless they are on sale. The really cheap ones are always ugly, those that I never like. I am saying this because I bought quite a few of them in Japan four years ago at a trifle of the price I had bought them here before my trip.

Morning Glory brings out the child in anybody and it is pleasure to wander around. I cannot pass by without sticking my nose to their shop-window and, if I have the time, browsing around and even buying a little something.

Morning Glory is perfect for children gifts and for adults who want to feed their inner child.

Shop 2, 166 Murray St Mall
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9221 9944
Hours:
   Mo-Thur - 6.30-18.00
   Fri - 6.30-21.00
   Sat - 8.00-17.30
   Sun- 9.30-17.30
Website

Gloria Jean's Murray St in the CBD is fully packed almost every time of the day, every day of the week. One feels tempted to attribute their success to their central location, but there are better-looking cafés in the city that aren't half as crowded. Why, then, is so popular?

Firstly, and most importantly, they have a decent coffee. Their iced and flavoured coffees, are very good. Secondly, the service is terrific. Most of the staff are welcoming, smiley, very funky, willing to please, and fast at serving the crowds even at peak hours, so it is ideal for take-away. You rock guys! I love that the customer's name is asked when you order, so you won't be mydeared, sweethearted, darlinged or madamed, but called by your name instead. Isn't that cool? Thirdly, the place has two small differentiated seating areas: one open (perfect for people watching) and another semi-hidden (sought after by quiet lunchers).

If this was not enough, they have free Wi-Fi, a loyalty card program, they have a small selection of savoury and sweet light food, a varied selection of Gloria Jean's mugs, Thermos, coffee beans & ground coffee, grinders, flavoured syrups, and other little temptations.

Any not-so-good things? Yes, they have a few:
* The place can be noisy at times, and a bit messy at times.
* The space between tables is very small, even for this small reviewer.
* The place is not enclosed.
* They are a bit pricey for both prepared and ground coffee. In fact you will find their ground flavoured coffees at Woolies cheaper than they sell it ;O.
* Their food is average. But you have a Bakers' Delight and a Shimuzu Sushi at a microsecond from the café to quiet the cookie monster in your stomach.

The Pearl of Highgate (Highgate, Perth WA)

189 Lincoln St
Highgate Western Australia 6003
(08) 9228 9011
Hours:
    Mon Closed
    Tue-Fri 7:00 - 16:00
    Sat-Sun 7:00 - 13:00

Don't get distracted by the tiny size of the bakery, its suburban location, and the small display cabinet. This is a decent traditional bakery that has a great range of fussy breads, breadly products, traditional and gluten-free cakes, savoury and sweet pies, cookies and a selection of gourmet jams.

I have had several tasting sessions, and my favourite thing so far, among the sweets, is the gluten-free chocolate & Kahlua slice, which is light and tasty without being ultra-sweet or heavy; you can easily have two of those without realising you are having two of those or feeling bloated.Their chocolate pastry is also delicious. Among their savoury things, their chicken-curry and chilli with carne pies are yummy - full of chunks (and not of that disgusting thick gravy that other pies have), and tastes divine even cold. I would go to the Pearl mostly for the pies. They are worth the trip.

There are so many eye-candy and taste-candy things that is difficult to choose one thing. I am not into sweets, so being tempted so many times is a good sign that the bakery is good. In fact, once you try it, you will find an excuse to make a detour and end at their doorstep, especially if you are at or around Hyde Park. No wonder the place is fully packed at 8am on Sundays!

The service is very fast and friendly, matter of fact most times.

They have takeaway coffee using a pod machine, but that is never too tempting to me. If they had a seating area and a coffee machine, they would make a fortune.

The main downs of the place is that their selection of breads is limited, and that the taste and texture of most tartlets and cakes is somewhat a bit muffin-ish. They are lovely and moist, but not a proper tartlet properly speaking.

Eternal Sunshine is a philosophical analysis of the nature of love and relationships. It reflects very well the changing emotions associated with falling in love and the ups and downs of personal relationships, and how unnecessary it is to erase our emotional past to survive. None of this is said or discussed in the movie, as this is a metaphorical film that uses the visual narrative to approach these points.

Eternal Sunshine is one of those movies that many people would see twice to fully catch all the details, because the editing and what happens in the film is complex. There are three different narrative time moments, narrated in non-chronological order, sometimes overlapping each other. It is not a film for simple minded people or those who have to have everything simply explained and presented to them. The film needs of an attentive attention and mental involvement, but the poetry of the images, the oddity of the story will captivate you very soon and you won't even notice that you are making any effort to understand the whole thing.

Jim Carrey surprises everybody with a role that shows the great actor he can be, and how versatile he is, too. He's superb as Joel, a lonely insecure and depressed guy who tends to get involved with women who are his opposite, who faces love, abandonment, rejection, loneliness, and companionship. Also excellent (and outside of their usual roles) is Kate Winslet in her role as Clementine, a cheeky cheerful girl addicted to flashy hair dyes who is attracted to boring men.

The lyricism of the music, the surreal scenes, the poetic cinematography, the part of the movie showing Joel efforts to preserve the memories of the past he initially wanted to destroy, the fact that the special effects are no such a thing but camera tricks and the result of a meticulous preparation and tampering of the movie sets, adds even more artistic value to this unique piece. The director and the editor of the film really deserve a big praise, as the movie is indebted to them beyond belief.

The only flaws I saw in the movie are the little romance mini-stories related to the technicians and doctor of the Lacuna Clinic (which do not contribute much to a film that, otherwise, would have been perfect), and the outcome linked to those actions could have been presented in a different way.

I would not call this movie a comedy, but a light drama.

Eternal Sunshine is a magical, unique and unforgettable movie. A piece of art, really, and of the best movies by Gondry.

A brilliant Sci-Fic movie. Something that makes the genre proud, but explores new ideas and narrative, and offers a story that is clever, thrilling and entertaining. It had to be a non-Hollywood director, a South African (and some "Kiwis" too) to come up with such a good story and cast.

The narrative of the film is great as the film is presented as a documentary that tells the story of the leading character in the past, with the colours and realistic use of the camera of documentaries, but still developing a fictional story that is presented as real. The use of the faded ochre colours it helps to convey realism and past tense, and gives credibility to the whole setting.

The main character is superbly played by an unknown (at least to me) Shartlo Copley, who has done a tremendous job playing with credibility a demanding character that goes from being a naive a little bit jerky soft-mannered public officer to an action fighter. He has later on being part of the remake of the A-Team for the big screen.

If you want stunning star special effects this is not your movie. This is a movie in which those effects are powerfully developed but subtly and realistically integrated in the story, which is what matters here. The aliens are greatly designed, especially their language, character, social structure and biology, points that are all relevant to the story, never self-indulgent.

The director has done a super-job in directing a movie that could have been cheesy or comic (in the bad sense) irrelevant and unsubstantial, but is nothing of that. We cannot forget Peter Jackson's production and the creative team in New Zealand either, who deserve a great praise for supporting such a great project!

My main problem with the movie was the setting, the fact that the spaceship stops over South Africa and the relationship that the locals establish with the newly arrived. Don't take me wrong, I think it is great that a country that is not the USA or an Anglo-Saxon country is chosen as a set of a movie; that's great! It is also true that the setting is perfect to explain many of the social reactions that we see happening in the story. My concern has to do with the fact that the movie, involuntary demonizes South African society and black people in general, and Nigerians in particular, who are portrayed as a despicable subhuman group. All of this was unnecessary, truly. Imagine how much verisimilar the storyline would have been if the setting was an invented country in which the social groups are not from a certain known country, just humans. Unintentionally, the script has done something that I usually hate in Hollywood movies - that is, that the bad guys are most of the time black, mixed race or dark colour, and/or non-Anglo-Saxon people, while the hero is usually a white Anglo-Saxon person.

The personal relationship between the leading human and alien characters vaguely reminded me of the one shown in "Enemy Mine", although both movies are quite different in story and narrative.

I loved the last scene of the movie, really tender and full of hope. I would say that the movie was left open to a sequel, which I would definitely welcome.

Sci-Fi fans will love the movie, and lovers of good movies in general, too.

N. B.: Oh, I've just realised that I forgot to write the synopsis of the film... well, in cases like this, please visit IMdb. :)

The Grumpy Sailor Northbridge (Perth WA) - CLOSED

212 William St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9227 0930
http://www.thegrumpysailor.com.au/
http://www.facebook.com/thegrumpysailor
Closed Down

A wooden bookshop with a café is my sort of favourite café, the one that invites me to enter, perhaps because I associate both things with nice interesting people. However, I am very picky with my coffee. I like it to taste of coffee, smell of coffee and have consistency or creaminess. We get coffee concoctions in most of the city, not proper coffee, so when I found the Grumpy's I thought my prayers to the Olympus had been heard.

The Grumpy Sailor Northbride had my super-favourite coffee in Northbridge by far regarding taste, consistency and creaminess. They had a great selection of home-made cakes, too, although I never tried them. Not only that, the staff really gave the visitor a genuine friendly treatment and conversation, teamed up in genuine friendliness with the lovely guys attending to the New Edition's bookshop. Winner team! Something that you rarely see nowadays, as you get to a café and your "good morning" is not replied to.

Despite so, the Grumpy Sailor struggled to survive in Northbridge, and closed down its doors a few months after opening. How can that be possible?! I truly can't believe that cafés in the Perth Cultural Centre get all the hype and people cueing for average coffee and poor service, while the Grumpy Sailor struggled to survive. What is wrong with you people?!!!! Well, I know exactly what is wrong with you people...

The place was mostly for take-away coffee, as the seating space was limited to a few benches on the footpath and a little corner inside, so this might be one of the reasons why they did not attract more customers.

Fortunately the Grumpy's are still open in Fremantle.

Please come back grumpys!

194 William St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9227 1684
http://www.iskconperth.com
Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 - 14:30
Mon-Fri 16:00 - 19:00

I hadn't been to Govinda's for about three years or so, before the general overhaul of that part of the street and the restaurant moving a few doors down from its primitive location on William. I had very fond memories of Govindas, so I was looking forward to returning to the place, to enjoy their food and hospitality.

The food hasn't changed much, except for the pricing, but it is still very cheap and very tasty. Indian people say it is real Indian, so Amen! It is certainly not refined Indian vegetarian but still very good. You can have an all-you-can-eat buffet for 10 bucks, or 8 if you have any concession card. The menu consists of a dish with rice, a side (curry or bean dish), salad and one piece of pappadam, plus a mini-bowl of dahl (so good!) and a mini-bowl of their famous custard & halva dessert (yummy, but very sweet). They have yummy samosas, pakoras and other Indian dumplings (always my fav) for which you pay an extra, between 3-1$. If you are hungrier, you can bring your plate back for refilling. You can also buy your food out of a meal.

I am a bit disappointed with the refurbishment. The place looks now bigger, cleaner, wider and also as any other average eatery. Something is missing - that indescribable charm that the former place had, part of it because of the cosy layout and angled counter that created a contained space that was much warmer and more welcoming.

The joy of the place has somewhat gone, too, and the service is more matter of fact, go down to business, so to speak, than anything else. There was a joy in the people serving the food at Govindas in the past. They were really welcoming and hospitable, and you felt that they were there more than serving food. I don't know if anybody who has been going there for a few years has the same feeling. I didn't feel the same while eating at Govinda's this time. I felt more like having food at a cheap quiet eatery than anything else, despite Brahmanic texts, Krishna bibliography and other religious things being on display for sale.

Despite everything, Govinda's is still a local institution on William St and in Perth, a quiet place to eat, a place with cheap good vegetarian food that serves a good cause. You will leave happy with you belly full and a smile of satisfaction written all over your face.

TIP
Budget take-away from 04:00 to 7:00PM

Sassellas Bar & Bistro (Perth WA)

Upper Hay St, Carillon City Arcade
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9322 4001
http://www.sassellas.net.au/
Hours:
Mon-Fri 10:30 - 20:00
Sat-Sun 10:30 - 16:00

Sasellas is a shadow of what used to be - a family friendly unpretentious tavern offering nice pub food, with a nice range of Mediterranean and Australian dishes. The food used to be fresh, well cooked, the portions considerable. This has changed, and nowadays, despite the size being OK and dishes well plated, it is mostly fluffy stuff. The catch of the day is actually frozen food, refried and tasteless surrounded by a humongous serve of fries and salad (the latter very tasty), or minimal meat portions in the same arranged fashion. I mean, if you call a dish "lamb chops whatever" I expect at least two or three, not one. If you call something catch of the day, I expect the fish to be fresh. The traditional pies are good, their pasta OK, their fried food shrinking in size and quality by the year. If I pay +20 dollars for a dish, I want the dish at least to be good in what I am asking, meat or fish, and the sides be just that, sides, not most of the plate. The prices are still considerable, but the quality and quantity of the food is just mediocre.

The only good thing about Sassellas, at present, is mostly the convenience of the place, its atmosphere and the service, which is still fast and extremely friendly. Also great the location and the balcony, although, to be completely honest, the space in the latter has been maximised to the extreme, and the space between tables is minimal. Therefore, if you have a big bottom, mind it, because you could get stuck in there. ;O

I used to love and frequent Sassellas in the past, but after my last two experiences, last year, I am not hurrying to return.

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