Over the last six months, we’ve welcomed a bevy of hot new restaurants, bars and cafes to Perth, but we still have our old favourites. Your regular, where you can order without looking at the menu, you know the floor staff by name, and where you’ve got your favourite table. Those are the sorts of places that stick in your mind more than anything else. This list is made up of plenty of dishes from those stalwarts – and a few new hot venues, too.

Here are the 13 best things our team has eaten in Perth this year so far.

Potato agnolotti at Vin Populi, Fremantle

With a menu that changes daily, getting attached to a single dish at Vin Populi is a dangerous game. But whenever I’m back home in WA, I book in for my visit, secretly hoping the potato agnolotti is on the menu.

The soft pillows of pasta are generously filled with potato, leek and cheese, then finished with a rich buttery sauce that makes sharing feel like a deeply unreasonable suggestion. If it’s not available, I’ll happily pivot to the gnocchetti alla vodka with stracciatella, which comes a very close second. Then I order the tiramisu for dessert. It’s a must. – Emmanuelle Lee, social media coordinator

Tallow-fried hash browns at Corner 33, South Perth

I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like. But Corner 33’s “Marry Me” hash browns take the (potato) cake for my all-time favourite starchy snack. They’re served in a tight row of Jenga-like sticks alongside house-made aioli. The outer layer, which is so crisp it rivals pork belly crackling, contrasts with the fluffy, glossy centre. The secret is beef tallow – a stable hard fat that fries the surface rather than soaking through like vegetable oils do. If, like me, you grew up after 1990, you missed the golden era of McDonald’s tallow-fried fries (the corporation famously ditched the animal fat that year). If you did grow up in the Maccas tallow era, this dish will take you right back to those glory days before the backlash against saturated fats. I dare any diner not to lap up every last golden-fried crumb. – Holly Bodeker-Smith, newsletter editor

Conti roll at Deli’s Continental, Inglewood

Explosive crusts and slapdash assembly be damned – the continental roll is a perfect sandwich in my mind. Gimme cold cuts, olives and iceberg dressing in a piquant vinaigrette. But how do you improve on perfection? The Deli’s Continental crew knows how. The lovingly assembled Classico was a masterclass in balance. Savoury strokes from salami and mortadella. Richness from provolone. Uniform shards of shaved ’berg for some freshness; pickled chillies for a little kick. The Michaelangelo’s David of subs. I don’t know if anyone’s ever said this before, but heaven is a place on earth, and it’s on Beaufort Street in Inglewood. – Dan Cunningham, food and drink features editor

Tea Eggs from Walson Foods, Perth CBD

I’ve grown up drinking Walson Foods’ soy milk, cooking with its firm tofu and savouring its tau foo fah (soy bean tofu pudding) for dessert, so I was delirious with joy when the team re-opened its Northbridge store after a brief hiatus. It meant I was re-united with my favourite tea eggs. Dark, more-ish and bobbing in a cauldron of dark soy sauce and tea beside the door, these eggs are my absolute favourite. Grab a youtiao and hot soy bean drink on your way out and you’ve got a quintessential Chinese breakfast to go. – Ange Yang, contributor

Spicy fish burger from Gwelup Fish & Chips, Gwelup

There are certain cravings that can only be satisfied by something deep-fried. The Gwelup Fish & Chips spicy fish burger is beyond satisfactory. It’s comforting but packs a flavourful punch. The batter is just so crispy, and the coleslaw, the chilli and pickles complement the burger so perfectly. – Danica Zuks, photographer

Tofu parfait at Beaconsfield Wine Bar, Beaconsfield

When Matt Sharples, owner of Beaconsfield Wine Bar, suggested we order the tofu parfait, I wasn’t convinced. But with a little persuasion, we ordered it anyway. I was immediately made to eat my assumptions. With its firm, creamy texture and imaginative cooking, it comes surprisingly close to a traditional parfait, minus the liver. Paired with house-made crostini and whimsical toppings, it’s enough to convert even the staunchest tofu sceptic. – Cyndal Petty, contributor

The Rialto from Dolce Venezia, Fremantle

Ever since a fateful Euro summer detour led me to a sandwich from Florence institution All’Antico Vinaio, I’ve been chasing that sandwich high. Plenty have come close, but none quite captured the magic until Dolce Venezia’s Rialto landed in my hands. At the tiny shop just outside Fremantle Markets, mortadella, stracciatella, pistachios and salted pistachio cream are tucked between slices of focaccia so good they would be worth ordering on their own. Before I’d even taken a bite, I was transported straight back to Florence: thick Italian accents drifting from behind the counter, the scent of freshly baked focaccia hanging in the air. Our enjoyment of food is far more tied to time and place than we’d like to admit, so I figured there’s no way this sandwich would recapture the holiday hype of the All’Antico schiata, but it proved that sometimes a perfect bite really can live up to a memory. – Madeleine Wallman, contributor

Scandi plate from Kith Eatery, Nedlands

The Scandi plate from Kith is a show stopper made for Instagram, your tastebuds, and long, lingering brunches. Gin-cured salmon comes with a perfectly soft-boiled egg, green beans, sliced gouda, pickled onion, zucchini pickle, two slices of Danish rye toast and a smear of whipped butter. Breakfast, brunch or lunch, all I know is I need to eat this again. – Sue Yeap, contributor

Bakmi from Bakmi Kochan 88, Myaree

Noodles are a breakfast food and the bakmi at Bakmi Kochan 88 proves it. Chewy noodles topped generously with minced pork, tender poached chicken and a side of greens. All I need to start my ideal weekend is a bowl of these noodles. – Ange Yang, contributor

Gigli with ’nduja and burrata at Vin Populi, Fremantle

This is a pasta so delicious that it sparked a turf war between siblings. My sister and I arrived at Vin Populi with the intention of splitting our meals, but upon first bite of this gigli, I became fiercely possessive. The spicy kick of the ’nduja, paired with creamy burrata, all caught within the ruffled pasta, is perfection. Luckily, my sister was just as territorial over her vodka pasta, so there were no tears (this time). – Maisy Geddes, graphic designer

Fish’n’chips from Gwelup Fish & Chips, Gwelup

I’ve long been on the hunt for the perfect fish’n’chips. There was a time when my quest got so extreme that I was buying fish in Mount Lawley and driving to Inglewood for chips. I’ve tried plenty of renditions in the northern suburbs, so was excited when Gwelup Fish & Chips opened not far from home. Anisha Halik’s secret fish batter, a careful selection of local and imported fish, and those crisp-on-the-outside-but-soft-on-the-inside chips from Choice Chips make Friday fish’n’chips a treat. I switch between shark and snapper and always ask about the specials. – Sue Yeap, contributor

Khao soi from Long Chim, Perth CBD

In 2014, I spent three months living in Chiang Mai. I rented a pink bicycle and became obsessed with khao soi. If there was a bowl of it within cycling distance, I ate it. At its best, khao soi one of the great one-bowl meals: springy wheat noodles swimming in a fragrant coconut curry, topped with crisp fried noodles and served alongside pickled mustard greens, shallots, lime and chilli. Every bowl is a balancing act between richness, spice, acidity and texture.

After eating dozens of versions, I thought I had a reasonably fixed idea of what khao soi should look like. Then I ordered the beef khao soi at Long Chim. The first surprise is the colour. Instead of being orange-tinged, Long Chim’s arrives dark and glossy, the surface shimmering with chilli oil and spice. Then there’s the beef. Brisket is marinated in dark soy sauce before being deep-fried until it’s heavily caramelised and fall-apart tender. It finishes cooking in coconut milk, lending the broth a savoury richness that pushes the dish closer to stew territory. The result is a khao soi that feels less bright and playful than many Chiang Mai versions, but more layered and contemplative.

I’ve eaten many bowls of khao soi since parking that pink bicycle for the last time. Some have been more traditional than Long Chim’s. A few have been better in individual respects. Yet I keep finding myself back at Long Chim, chasing another bowl of that dark, smoky broth. – Jessica Rigg, contributor

Khanom Tokyo from Cha Guu, Northbridge

Cha Guu has brought Khanom Tokyo, the crispy pancake often found at Thai street markets, to Northbridge. While the custard filling, with its smooth creaminess, is a classic, I’m a huge fan of the savoury option: egg and sausage wrapped in a huddle of mayo. – Ange Yang, contributor