JoJo’s Cafe

My family and I went to JoJo’s Cafe in Nedlands to celebrate my grandma’s 80th birthday. This was the first of many lunches/dinners, and it was a good thing we starved ourselves prior. It was a beautiful day, the sun was out, and water outside was glistening. I was on the lookout for dolphins but all I could see was jellyfish and seaweed. Anyhow, we went “specials” crazy, ordering two soups of the day – Broccoli & Spinach Soup ($11.00 each), and a Field Mushroom with Anchovies, Chilli, Garlic and Parsley ($20.50) special as entrees, along with some garlic bread ($6.50). Our mains comprised of two fish of the day – King Snapper on Garden Salad ($34.00 each), and two Prawns & Calamari Umberto ($29.00 each).

Our entrees arrived looking fresh and vibrant. The Broccoli & Spinach Soup was smooth and creamy – the broccoli and spinach were pureed and had a large dollop of creme fraiche mixed in. The soup was seasoned well, and the dash of olive oil gave it a nice touch.

Broccoli & Spinach Soup

A fresh green colour complimented with crunchy croutons

Also, the garlic bread was a nice accompaniment to the soup.

Garlic Bread

The grilled field mushroom cut with ease, much like soft tofu. Each bite released the juicy goodness from within. The combination of anchovies, chilli, and garlic added a nice flavour to what would have otherwise been a boring dish.

Grilled Field Mushroom with Anchovy, Chilli, and Parsley

A large piece of field mushroom to taste

After our entrees, the mains arrived. The calamari in the Prawns & Calamari Umberto were cooked perfectly – they weren’t rubbery hula hoops. The prawns were also cooked well, tossed in garlic, chilli, tomato, and anchovies. The pasta was al dente with hints of tomato tossed throughout.

Prawns & Calamari Umberto

Fresh pasta

Calamari and Prawns

The King Snapper mains were huge – two thick and chunky fillets stacked on top of each other, resting atop fresh garden salad, with a drizzling of orange sauce and olive oil around the outer edges of the dish. The fish was juicy and soft, and was cooked perfectly. My grandma normally has a small appetite, but she managed to polish the whole dish off. She loved it. The orange sauce added a bit of sweetness to the fish, and the salad helped take some of the saltiness away – the fish was a little bit too overseasoned with sea salt. But it was not a big thing.

Fish of the Day

Overall we were happy with all of the food. But more importantly, my Grandma enjoyed it. She said she would come back again. This was her first celebration meal. I wasn’t quite too sure how she would fit in her next few meals!

JoJo’s Cafe
JoJo’s Jetty, Broadway (River End), Nedlands
Tel: +61 8 9386 8757
Web: www.jojosrestaurant.com

Opening Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday (11:30am – late)
Sunday (11:30am – 4:00pm)

Vincent Cappuccino Festival ‘09

It was a hot 29 degree day today, and I think my skin changed to a darker shade of brown on the colour chart. Some of us began our Sunday morning with a slight hangover, and others were keen for some caffeine. There was a huge turnout at the Vincent Cappuccino Festival, which actually shocked me. Was Perth culture changing for the better? Well, it looked like it.

The festival had a distinct yuppy feel to it, with all of Angove Street’s cafes packed to the brim with people enjoying cakes, cheeses, tacos, nachos, breakfasts, brunches, and of course, coffee. Stalls were lined up from the halfway point of Angove Street all the way to the Rosemount Hotel. Families were out, dogs were roaming around and possibly suffering in the hot sun, and loads of coffee was being pumped out by baristas at Rubra Coffee, Milk’d, Crema Coffee, Biobean, Five Senses, and The Pantry Door.

For those who were thirsty and needed a substitute for coffee, Juicebox were mixing non-alcoholic cocktails; there was up to a 15 minute wait to get a drink. A large variety of performers walked the street, and helped liven the spirit of the festival even more. On one end of the street live bands played all day, whilst on the other end, performers were dancing to music including songs like “Putting on the Ritz”.

It was a great Sunday! So enough from me, and I’ll let the photos do the talking.

Vincent Cappuccino Festival
29 November 2009
Angove Street, North Perth
10:00am – 4:00pm

Rochelle Adonis Pressed Lime & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

With the heat of summer dawning upon us, I thought it was appropriate to buy a new tub of ice cream. As I was in the Northbridge area on Saturday, I dropped by Rochelle Adonis to pick up a tub of Pressed Lime & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream ($20.00 for 600 ml). A small sign priced a tub at $20.00 for 750 ml. Doh, false advertising.

There were many flavours to choose from, and they do change every few months at Rochelle Adonis. The two standouts on the list were the Pressed Lime & Vanilla Bean as mentioned, and the Sour Cherry & Dark Chocolate. The lady serving me indicated that the former was the most popular selling ice cream from month to month. So I chose it. The lady went out the back to grab a tub, came back out, placed it in a nice dainty stamped paper bag, and then sealed it with a pink sticker. It was a nice cute touch – I liked it. As it was roughly 37 degrees, I was advised to take it home immediately.

When I got home, I had a small taste before placing it into the freezer. I could taste a distinct tartness that was well complimented by the semi sweet vanilla bean flavour. It was also light and fluffy like soft meringue. In my honest opinion, I thought the ice cream was okay but not that fantastic. The price was ridiculously expensive, and I should have chosen the Sour Cherry & Dark Chocolate flavour!

A sealed paper bag of Rochelle Adonis Ice Cream

Rochelle Adonis Stamp

Rochelle Adonis Sticker Seal

Pressed Lime & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Tub

Opening the four flaps…

Tasting time…

Rochelle Adonis
Address: 193 Brisbane Street, Northbridge
Tel: +61 8 9227 0007
Web: www.rochelleadonis.com

Little Stove

Today I ventured down to Bicton for brunch at one of Perth’s best kept secrets, Little Stove. This neat little cafe is situated in a small complex of shops with very very limited parking. As I pulled up my car in the last spot, I could see only one thing: the words “Little Stove” emblazoned on the corner of a building wall – it was cool and funky looking. I walked in and immediately caught sight of two large chalkboards (ceiling high), filled with menu items for food and drink. My eyes glazed across both boards and it was difficult for me to decide what to eat. Everything looked so good. After much procrastinating, I chose the Albany Asparagus with Organic Poached Eggs & Goats Cheese Salad, and a cappuccino, and plonked myself down at a table.

The Little Stove Menu Boards

The cappuccino arrived first and had a surprisingly smooth body and nice dollop of foam on the top. As I took sips from my cup, I glanced at the drinks board again, and took notice of the following chalk scribble: “we heat our milk to 60 degrees & if you would like it hotter please just ask :)“. Yes they were right about that, the coffee had a nice temperature. Overall, it was an okay cup of coffee.

Prima Tazza Cappuccino

Coffee Crema

Soon afterwards, my asparagus dish arrived. The asparagus was so green. For some reason I thought about a squirrel frolicking in bright green patches of summer grass. I cut a small piece of asparagus, poked a bit of goats cheese, and stabbed a bit of the poached egg. I put all three ingredients in my mouth and rolled them in and around my tongue. The silky consistency of the egg yolk combined with the thick juicy stalk of asparagus, tanginess of the lemon dressing, and the milky goodness of the cheese made my day.

Albany Asparagus with Poached Free Range Eggs & Goats Cheese Salad

Plump poached egg with smatterings of goats cheese on top of juicy asparagus

Silky smooth egg yolk…

After I finished my dish, I felt the urge for something sugary, so I ordered a Hummingbird Slice, and Iced Chocolate with Cream & Ice Cream. Renata took my order and was a delight to talk to. She was very passionate about coffee, describing the two different types of blends used there – Espresso bar (dark/strong), Prima Tazza (medium/full body), with the beans packaged in Little Stove branded bags. The third is a Single Origin blend which changes monthly. She told me that my cappuccino was  made from a Prima Tazza, which explained why it had a smooth body.

The iced chocolate was brought out first, and it was a package of delight – loads of thick chocolate syrup falling down an ice cold glass in Bannister Downs milk, with light and fluffy cream perched on top and coloured with chocolate sprinkles. The drink packed a great chocolatey punch. I would go out on a limb to say that this was the best iced chocolate I had ever had. It was so so good.

Ice Chocolate with Cream and Ice Cream

Delicious chocolate syrup oozing down the tall glass

Fresh cream and light chocolate sprinkles

The Hummingbird Slice was a light bodied cake with a tropical taste – large chunks of pineapple embedded in a moist banana cake, with dessicated coconut and pineapple icing. I gobbled it up very quickly, as it was just too tasty.

Hummingbird Slice

I thoroughly enjoyed eating at Little Stove. You really do feel the love, kindness and care taken by Renata and the staff to ensure that every customer is happy and enjoying their meals. The cafe had a cool chic modern look, with its funky black leather couches and small round tables. There was also a definite homely feel to this place.

I’m definitely coming back for another round: to have their homemade Turkish coffee, Spanish hot chocolate, and awesome looking chicken burger with beer battered fries! And their cupcakes look tempting….ah, I’ll take it as I comes on my next visit.

Little Stove
Address: 103 Harris Street, Bicton
Tel: +61 8 9319 9811

Latasha’s Kitchen

Latasha’s Kitchen is a small place situated on Newcastle Street next to the busy Jus Burgers in Leederville. The kitchen cum grocery shop cum cooking studio provides not only Indian cuisine, but in addition to, a broad range of flavours from across different parts of the world. Latasha’s is not just an Indian kitchen – it is a spice kitchen. As you walk in, the smell of fragrant spicy curries emanate with much grandeur from the back kitchen. The side walls are painted in green, and cookbooks and food/ingredients (including spices, bottled preserves and curry pastes) are scattered around the edges of this tiny place.

Latasha’s Kitchen

Wall painting

An abundance of spices

Cookbooks and cooking ingredients

The menus were large, with three to choose from: Kitchen Menu – Individual Portion served with Rice, Kitchen Menu – Served in Bowls for Sharing, and Combo Meals & Thalis Menu. We were hungry, and decided to share different curries. Deviating away from the norm, we chose the Malaysian Beef Rendang ($22.00 sml), and Kerala Red Duck Curry ($22.00 sml) specials, along with sides of garlic and plain naan ($7.00 for 2), bowl of pappadums ($4.00 for 5) and flaky roti paratha ($5.00 for 2). We gasped at the pricing for these dishes as they seemed quite expensive for such small servings, but nonetheless we persisted.

The garlic and plain naan, and flaky roti paratha were cooked to order, with the waitress using an electric stove and pan to lightly pan heat the breads in front of our eyes. The naan were light, fluffy, and thick. The roti paratha was slightly crispy and buttery, and tore apart with ease. The pappadums were crunchy and crackled with each delicate bite.

Bowl of pappadums

Plain Naan

The curries on the other hand were being prepared by Latasha in the back kitchen. As our curries arrived, we couldn’t help but notice how small the servings were. But as we spooned them onto our plates, we began to understand why they were priced a little higher than most other restaurants.

The Malaysian Beef Rendang wasn’t any ordinary curry. It was thick, fragrant, and packed full to the brim with shredded tender beef off the bone. The beef just melted in our mouths like butter. I closed my eyes and savoured the moment; experiencing the wide array of flavours bursting in my mouth. The Kerala Red Duck Curry was even better. The duck pieces were juicy and tender with a flavour accentuated by the strong hints of ginger, garlic, onion, and tomatoes. The coriander added a citrus-like flavour to the tangy dish. It was definitely a favourite.

Malaysian Beef Rendang

Red Duck Curry

As my friend moaned about how full and pregnant he was getting, I was happy to polish off the rest of the curry. The waitress walked by and discovered that we had eaten all the naan, and so offered me a complimentary rice to finish the curry off with.

Red duck curry on top of garlic naan

Red duck curry on top of flaky paratha

All in all, it was a great meal and worth every cent. We were bloated (surprisingly), at which point, proceeded to Greens & Co across the road for a coffee to continue our night.

Latasha’s Kitchen
745 Newcastle Street, Leederville
Tel: +61 8 9328 8184
Web: www.latashaskitchen.com.au

Opening Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday (10.00am – 9.30pm)

Score: 7.5 / 10

Positives: authentic, fresh, and generous with the meat.
Negatives: can be expensive; the dishes do add up.