Welcome to the first edition of The Weekly Special: a weekly column filled with news from Western Australia’s fast-moving food scene.
Some weeks, you’ll find details of chef movements and get the low-down on dishes that need to be on your radar. Other weeks, there might be information about a recent opening or expansion that’s turned my head or – sadly – news of beloved venues saying goodbye. Events will, naturally, feature prominently.
In short, I hope The Weekly Special helps you maximise the return on your eating dime and time. And that the column’s, snack, easily digestible format reveals aspects of the dining scene different to what you might get via my weekly reviews and news stories. Thanks for tuning in.
A Special Delivery for Big Don’s Smoked Meats
Just in case you needed further reason to run the weekly Big Don’s Smoked Meats ticket drop gauntlet, this Saturday’s menu sees the maverick Bayswater barbecue pop-up host the crew from Special Delivery, Anisha Halik and Jacob D’Vauz’s twice-weekly kitchen takeover at the Doubleview Bowling Club. In addition to the usual world-class beef brisket and all the trimmings from the home team, the visitors will bring southern Asian-influenced hits including Milo chocolate crackle crispies and a collaborative sausage between both operations inspired by Hainanese chicken rice and the dish’s garlicky, schmaltzy deliciousness.
Reimagining one of Perth’s favourite Italian dishes
With the opening of Lulu La Delizia’s eagerly anticipated cantina earlier this month, Lulu’s loyal fans now have somewhere nearby for a pre- or post-dinner drink as well as an ideal no-reservations dinner option for when those pasta cravings hit. This expansion has also introduced ciabatta sandwiches to Lulu’s weekday offering. Among these lunchtime treats is a new roll starring chef-patron Joel Valvasori-Pereza’s legendary meatballs. Is an Il Granino ciabatta a better vehicle for our man’s crumbly pork polpette than their traditional buttery polenta? There’s only one way to find out. The meatball ciabatta launches this week.
Rekindling a connection with the land
“That’s a big call.” So said a close friend when I told him that I thought, and wrote, that Forrestdale’s Cubby Cafe was one of the state’s most important food stories. While serving brunch hits cooked with ingredients grown onsite is a key part of the cafe’s appeal, the Erceg family – the owners of Cubby Cafe and the larger 11 Acre Farm that it resides on – have big plans for the property’s food offering. On Saturday night, eaters got a glimpse of some of those plans when guest chefs Kenny McHardy (Shirley’s) and Valerio Fantinelli (Flour & Fire) joined cafe chef Fendi Bong for Kindle: a spirited evening where the trio used transformed estate produce into comforting wintery joys including focaccia studded with pork sausage, slow-cooked pumpkin wrapped in nori, and beef cheeks braised in beer jelly. Stalk the cafe’s social media channels to find out about additional dinners and classes.
The return of black truffle season
Harvesting of black truffles has started in WA’s Southern Forests region with these luxe underground tubers starting to appear on Perth menus. (It’s always a concern, however, when I notice menus including options for guests to add truffle to any dish they like: not every dish benefits from or needs the earthy lift that black truffles, when used well, can bring to the table.)
Truffle season also means truffle dinners, such as Truffle Alchemy (June 24-28): a collaboration and high-end dinner series between Olio’s Fine Foods and experienced chef Jed Gerrard, culinary director of Wills Domain and The White Horse in Sydney. Expect high-end ingredients given Asian and classic French treatments (sauce Périgueux!) plus the chance to sip fancy wines.
Sunsets, the in-house restaurant at The Lodge Wadjemup, is also getting in on the action and holding Truffles East & West on Saturday July 26: a truffle lunch as part of its winter wine series. The event sees Guy Jeffreys (formerly of Millbrook) team up with Sunsets chef Matt Powell to showcase truffles as well as wines from the Fogarty Wine Group, owners of the lodge.
Winter getaways to Rottnest
On the topic of Rotto, The Lodge Wadjemup has completed the development of 46 new poolhouse rooms and a guest pool, the final stage of the property’s accommodation makeover. The rooms are available in different configurations including family-friendly layouts with views of either the pool or the rest of the island. Stays start from $435 per night including breakfast.
Rethinking modern African cooking
Following a successful event in April, Zimbabwean-born chef Dwayne Alexander of Northbridge’s modern African dining Peasant’s Paradice welcomes back South African artist Calvin Thoo and former Kaya Radio host Shoshi Montsitsi for the third instalment of Follicle over the last weekend of June. As the name suggests, Follicle looks at African hair culture and will again weave together art and food to celebrate the diversity of the African diaspora. This month’s series includes a lunch seating (Sunday June 29) or a dinner (Saturday June 28). Tickets are $90 and available online.
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Max Veenhuyzen is a journalist and photographer who has been writing about food, drink and travel for national and international publications for more than 20 years. He reviews restaurants for the Good Food Guide.
