7/623 Beaufort St
Mt Lawley Western Australia 6050
(08) 9227 5551
http://www.antoniosfresh.com.au/
Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00 - 19:00
Sat-Sun 8:00 - 18:00
Antonio fresh continental store encapsulates the spirit and style of those old Southern-European traditional shops that were in vogue some decades ago. Those shops, like Antonio's, had a bit of everything in them (fresh, cooked and tinned food, a few staples, and some fancy sundry goods). Most importantly, they had something that made them part of your life: the owners and people behind the counter treated you with respect, courtesy, efficiency and, as part of the family if you were a regular. Antonio's continental store has had that since ever, despite the pass of time, and the new ways of selling food sprouting in the city in the last years.
Antonio's offers a great selection of cold meats, cheeses, preserved foods, gourmet and traditional pasta brands and pasta-related products, Italian and Spanish olive oils, wonderful oil-based antipasti, classic Italian dishes to take away, fresh rolls, precooked vegan pizzas, a great selection of packed dry fruits, chocolates, Mediterranean traditional sweets, and a few other things that are Australian-made but still very Mediterranean. They also have some Italian stuff and brands that are very sentimental for an Italian, like Felce Azzurra, Baci, Carmelina, Tilly, or the oh-so-lovable traditional coffee makers.
The prices are similar to those you find at other continental shops, therefore, a bit pricey. However, there a things that are also good-priced, like the dry fruit, or the grated Grana Padano (real Italian), to put just two examples. Nonetheless, they sell fresh good-quality products, and have prices properly displayed, so you don't get any surprise.
Although the old lady owner only goes there a few hours a week nowadays, and some of the youngsters have been leaving the place, the staff are as friendly and familiar as ever.
This shop is part of my sentimental Perth, those businesses that make of Perth home to me. And that is a lot to say.
UPDATE 28/2/2013
Antonio's will be closing down by May 2013, about two weeks after Easter.
Antonio's has been open for about 15 years, and is a favourite among the Lawleyians. Unfortunately, the planned refurbishment of the building, the no-renewal of the leases, and Antonio's family personal illness will be the end of this lovely place, which does not intend relocating or opening elsewhere.
They have such a high standards of service, that it is difficult not to feel sad at the news.
I wish this hard-working family the best. They will be certainly missed.
183 William St
Northbridge Western Australia 6003
(08) 9328 5285
Website
Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sat 9:00 - 17:00
Fri 9:00 - 21:00
Sun 11:00 - 17:00
This is a quintessential part of William St, one of those business without which you can't even think about the street being William St. It is like a real old-style continental shop in Mediterranean Europe or a mini-suq in the Middle East. This sort of shop has been in process of extinction in Europe at the same rate that their old cranky owners have been passing away.
The shop will awaken your senses with its mix of colours, smells and textures, with its old cracked wooden floors, wonderful dark shelves, their cashier counter, their scales, and that mix of harmony, chaos and intimacy that the Kakulas shop has. The shop attendants are usually European backpackers working there, very nice and efficient, always smiling and courteous.
This is a shop to find some spices, beans, herbs and staples that are rarely found in the supermarket and that are basic to cook certain national dishes, the sort of ingredients that some foreigners would use to cook their authentic national recipes at home. They also cater for packed products and brands that people from other cultures identify as theirs, that is, that are part of their culinary culture - identifiers of what they are and what they miss from home. Some of those products can be found in your normal supermarket now, but Kakulas were the first to cater for them.
The old cranky owner is no longer out there at the counter, and many things have changed in the last five or six years, I guess, to make the business more profitable. However, something has been lost in the way. Just two examples.
1/ The selection of olive oil brands has decreased in the last years, and those wonderful real non-mass produced really-tasty and authentic oil oils, those whose taste is real to a Mediterranean, have been replaced by mediocre brands that are, indeed, part of food multinationals and, therefore, can be found in your normal supermarket or continental store.
2/ The same sort of policy brought us the little charming coffee-to-go corner they have opened to the street. The only problem is that the coffee is a watery concoction of OK coffee - as good as the plunger coffee you could prepare yourself at your place for free using good quality ground coffee.
To me, being progressive in the food industry in the 21st century means being authentic and traditional, looking back and seeing what worked in the past food markets and shops and mix it with new "marketing" approaches and policies to adapt it to the needs of our modern society. If this makes any sense to you. It does makes sense to me, though. Cashing in on anything you can replacing good products with others that are managed by food multinationals is not the right way to go,though.
Kakulas is a wonderful place, with lots of authentic products, great service and a great old-fashioned atmosphere. Enjoy their natural charm while it lasts, as we will soon have it tinned and mass produced so we can sniff it and pass out.
