10/30/2013

BROTHER (Menora, Perth WA) = CLOSED

300 Walcott Street
Menora Western Australia 6050
(08) 9272 5787
Hours:

      Mon - Fri: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
      Sat: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
      Sun: 8:30 am - 1:30 pm

 
Under new management, BROTHER is a decent unpretentious well-priced café away from the buzz of Beaufort street.

There is nothing flashy or new vogue about BROTHER. The place is small, with comfortable indoor and alfresco areas.
The ambience is a bit mismatched and uninspired, still welcoming, the main decoration being the photos for sale on the walls; the woody corner on the right upon entrance is, on the contrary, truly charming, and it is a pity that the whole place is not like that. 

Brother's coffee is very good. I am not a fan of Toby State beans in general, but they do a great job with them here, and the coffee is well-prepared, smooth and creamy.  Mugs available!

Their food is a mix of Australian favourites with a emphasis on Mediterranean dishes for lunch. I love their specials, which are the ones that bring me back to Brother. I loved their White Wine Seafood Linguine, which were not only tasty, but full of chunky pieces of seafood. Their old-style home-made bowl pies were absolutely tasty and filling, although a bit soggy. Their Feta and Spinach Ravioli were also lovely. On the contrary, I found their Peas & Scallop Risotto bland. Serving sizes vary depending on the dishes.  

They have also have a nice selection of cookies, cake slices and muffins baked on the house, sometimes still warm when you order, like the strawberry friand in the photo.

The service has always been terrific regarding friendliness, speed, modifications and adjustments of the menu. All the staff and the young couple of owners are truly welcoming, humble, honest and hard-working.

The place attracts a varied group of people from all ages, families included, but mostly quiet people looking for a place where you can eat and talk at the same time without having to yell. They have several copies of the daily newspaper available for customers, which is always a big tick in my list.

One of the main downsides of the place is their limited opening hours during the weekend, days that usually bring more customers to any restaurant. I have gone on a Saturday and the kitchen was closed at 2.30pm, and 1pm on a Sunday, so I went and spent my money elsewhere. They open the whole week, and it is understandable, but perhaps closing another day of the week and having extended hours during the weekends might pay off.
MIND - They are starting to open in the evenings for dinners some days of the weekend.

BONUS - Free WIFI.

FIX IT - Last time I was there, the knob lock of the toilet self-opened. My bottom is sacred. Yelp!  

ACTIVATE IT - The former website is no longer operational. Their Facebook account has been untouched or very quiet for months. They could easily post here the specials of the week or extra info about events, change in opening times, hours when the kitchen closes and so on.