Harvest (North Fremantle, Perth WA) - CLOSED

1 Harvest Rd
North Fremantle Western Australia 6159
(08) 9336 1831
http://www.harvestrestaurant.net.au
Hours:
    Tue-Fri 11:00 - 15:00
    Tue-Sat 18:00 - 22:30
    Sat-Sun 8:00 - 15:00

When you get to Harvest, you might think that you are trespassing your neighbour's property and catching them, by surprise, eating in their front yard - so familiar, cosy and unpretentious the place is. Once you enter, the suburban home has been transformed into a classy rustic-chic restaurant, with many different seating areas, a wine-heaven private room, a wonderful fireplace foyer, an intimate beautiful corner around the front window (perfect for couples), plenty of unusual decoration elements organically mixed, and a wonderful courtyard. The courtyard has a special energy, which completely separates it from the rest, not just spatially - if the day is sunny and clear, the light cascades in a diffused way, and the place looks and feels dreamy and ethereal. For a moment I thought that those red curtains and those tables were part of a famous scene in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. Oh Gosh, if the light and atmosphere of a place were edible - this courtyard would be a feast!

Their breakfast menu has an interesting mix of edgy egg dishes, some of them mixing savoury and sweet flavours in an unusual way; they also have traditional breakfasts, just in case you do not like surprises on your plate in the morning, but keep in mind that they do not alter the menu to suit your taste. I had a textured mix of eggs mixed with cooked and pureed cauliflower, flaked almonds and raisings - odd looking but tasty.

Serving sizes are small-ish, at least for the cauliflower eggs and the waffle, but the scrambled eggs with sausage & bacon were huge, as well as the bread slices. I cannot understand the reason of the small portions of some of the dishes: Cauliflower or bananas are not rare plants that you need to collect from the Swiss Alps and the other ingredients are not expensive either  - be generous when possible.

Their coffee is  well prepared and creamy but weak in flavour and aroma, and served in a tiny cup. I almost fainted when I was told they did not have skim milk - unacceptable. Pas possible!

The service was fast and courteous.

Pricing for the breakfast was not cheap but not expensive either. Prices for lunch, tasting menu and dinner are pricey, though.

Their tasting, lunch and dinner menus are very interesting and tempting, and the place is definitely worth another visit, not only for the food, but for the place itself. 

Location:6
Layout: 9
Ambience: 8.5
Pricing: 6
Service: 6.5
Coffee: 6.5
Food (breakfast): 6.5

Read More

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
 

Read More

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.

Read More

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

Read More

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.

Read More

Perth Train Station (Perth WA)

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.

Read More

"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!

Read More