Breakout for Breakfast

Breakfast has got to be the most fulfilling meal of the day. Are you a cereal and milk person? Or do you crave something more satisfying? Do you need that morning cappuccino or are you an OJ person? There are lots of places in Perth you can feast on some sumptuous breakfast or brunch meals.

Leederville is home to many foodie retreats. Little Caesars and Giardini amongst them. But this post is about breakfast so I will focus on two yummy places in Leederville that are sure to brighten your day. I will begin with the most delicious of them all - Sayers

No matter when you show up at Sayers, it is hard to get a table. The restaurant is a blend of indoor and outdoor tables, intimate corner spots and large tables for bigger groups. They also have street facing ones for those that like to watch the world pass by as they eat. And there is so much to choose from.

The Buttermilk Hot Cakes perhaps. The perfect breakfast for anyone with a sweet tooth, or perhaps just a sweet accompaniment to share amongst friends. These hot cakes are perfectly cooked with chocolate chips, chocolate sauce and cream.

If you don't like a sweet breakfast, you can try the Ricotta Crepes with Poached eggs and a fresh and light salad with pine nuts? Or

maybe an open omelette.

Apart from the taste, something else Sayers is great at is presentation. They know how to make your food look and taste irresistible and that is a lethal combination.Their coffee is also quite good. Sayers gets a big tick for the three points any restaurant should check off. Taste, ambiance and presentation.

Another Leederville local is Cranked. I had the Crank-a-licious which is a crispy bagel with mushroom and poached egg. The bagel was fresh and crisp while the egg was poached to perfection. They have a selection of fresh juices and all the usual breakfast drinks. Their coffee is definitely good and the food arrived quickly. This place is worth a try if you cant get a spot at Sayers!

I have also had the full breakfast at Milkd in North Perth. My plate was so full that food threatened to fall off if not eaten with care. It was a good way to make sure I behaved and did not fall upon my food like a starving lunatic. Since I was very hungry that morning, I was in real danger of doing just that!

The full breakfast came with eggs, toast, feta, salad and mushrooms. If you asked for it, bacon was also an option. I had my usual cup of coffee with it and I must say, coffee was good too! As we were eating at our street facing table, flicking through magazines, it was obvious that this cafe is a local favorite. At one point there was quite the queue for takeaway coffee.

Another sweet spot is the crepe stall at the Subiaco markets. Love their creamy chicken and mushroom or chocolate and banana or even the spinach one. They have a nice menu, food is quick to arrive and coffee is also good.

Thats my take on breakfast in Perth. Keep an eye out for coffee and cake!

Malaysian Madness

Perth has a large community of Malaysians so its no wonder that there are many choices when it comes to good Malaysian food. Now Malaysian food is a blend of many different cultures, Chinese, Indian and Malay itself. So it is not surprising to find a variety of tastes in any Malaysian restaurant.

Northbridge is the hotbed of good, cheap food in Perth but on the top of my list of incredibly awesome Malaysian restaurants is Ipoh in Mayaree. Their claim to fame is that the chef is from Ipoh in Malaysia and everything he dishes out is authentic and delicious. Now I don't know how authentic the food here is, having never been to the city of Ipoh myself. But I definitely guarantee that

its lip smackingly yummy.

Everything on their menu is delicious. Make sure you try their Grandma's Herbal Tea, the perfect icy accompaniment to your flavorsome meal. Also, their fried chicken and hor fun have got to be the best. They are also very reasonably priced and the service is fairly good.

Another place I liked was introduced to me by Nikki aka

Sidekick No.1 It is Rasa Nyonya in Victoria Park. We had the fried tofu which was crunchy and sweet. It was not dry although it appears to be. Nikki ordered us one chicken and one fish dish. Both tasted really good but I though they were a little oily. They had the usual asian drinks and I had the Lychee sensation. It was not just pretty but also refreshing!

I also like Tak Chee in Northbridge. Their Hainanese Chicken and Rice is rumored to be the best in town and it really is divine! Their menu is varied and well priced. My personal favourite is the curry chicken with Roti Canai. I also had the sour plum drink which is deliciously tart and perfect accompaniment to the spicy meal! Be warned though, this restaurant is always full and you often have to wait for a table. It is quite a small place but well worth the wait. They have daily and weekly specials and these are listed inside the restaurant

Thats all for now on Malaysian Madness.. Whats next?

One Year On

It has been a year since I moved to Perth and in this year I have been to over 50 restaurants and cafes around the city. Along with my trusty sidekicks Sasi and Nikki and my wonderful friends, I have tried out a variety of cuisines and eaten some amazing food. Some good, some bad, some weird and some that definitely need to be revisited!

I am all for trying new cuisines and tasting new treats. Lucky for me, my friends here are as crazy about food as I am!

I wont catalogue every restaurant I have eaten at but will name a few. Today we decided to eat Kimchi at the local Korean restaurant Took Bae Gee in Perth city. It is a regular favourite of ours and their Kimchi soup is to die for! Sour and spicy at the same time, it is the best thing to have on a chilly day. Also good is the stone pot delicacies. You can have it with spicy chicken, pork, beef or sea food. It comes in a very hot pot into which you mix the spicy sauce. I love their assorted sides including kimchi, lotus root, seaweed, bean sprouts and so on. They are also happy to refill these anytime you ask!

They also have dumplings, pancakes and barbequed meats. See I dont eat meat. I like to say that I eat anything but I dont eat beef or pork or prawn or shrimp. Besides that I am

brave enough to try just about anything. At Took Bae Gee you are guaranteed to like anything you try.

Another restaurant we visited recently was Bonsai in Northbridge. It is fairly high end Japanese fusion food.

Their menu is not very extensive and service is not the best but our food arrived very quickly and was excellent! I have often despaired of finding good Japanese food in Perth but I loved Bonsai.

The sushi and sashimi were fresh and delicious. I also had the chicken steak and it was just perfect. The scallops were perfectly grilled and the eggplant mochi was a wonderful combination of sticky mochi balls and cooked eggplant in a yummy broth.

The third place I am going to rave about today is Georges Meze in Subiaco. This is the place to go to for an extensive menu of authentic Greek food.

Their menu is wide ranging and you will be hard pressed to choose only a few dishes! It is best to go with a large group and try everything that takes your fancy. We had the stuffed tomatoes Yemista, the Seafood claypot and the Kotopoulo stuffed chicken to name a few. They also had a decent dessert menu but sadly not many items on it were available that night.

I did try the traditional greek coffee, served with a piece of Halwa but it was too bitter for my liking. As I said, I like to try out new things and I am glad I tried it even if I did not like it.

The belly dancer was a definite highlight of the night and must be a big drawcard for this place. I must say though, that service was spotty on that night but no one seemed to mind. The place was packed and no one had any complaints about the food.

Coming up next.. A few of my favorite Malaysian food joints