10 Things Our Team Ate, Drank and Loved in WA This Year

Being a Broadsheet er is hungry work. Our team is constantly out and about trying local dishes. Here are the dishes we can’t get out of our minds.

Lángos from Mom Said at the Hungarian Association of WA

The lángos from Mom Said at the monthly dinner night at the Hungarian Association of WA was a revelation. Its crunchy fluffiness illustrated the lovely crossover in the Venn diagram of fried food, community food and hangover cure. In a bite? It's deep-fried batter, slathered in sour cream and topped with shredded cheese. – Ange Yang, contributor

Jerusalem shakshukit, Inara

In the heart of Busselton in WA’s south-west is Levantine restaurant Inara. Led by chef Daniel Johnson, you’ll be taken on a sensory journey through bold flavours and thoughtful storytelling. A standout is the Jerusalem shakshukit, slow-roasted Valley Spring lamb shoulder paired with hawaij, pine nuts, cured lemon and tahini yoghurt. It’s rich, balanced and utterly tender, a dish that melts on the tongue and lingers in my memory. I recommend a visit to Inara to anyone going down south and always tell them to get this dish. – Sarah Schmitt, contributor

Portuguese tart, Cafe Pastel

I’m a big fan of a pastel de nata. I once smuggled six of them home in my suitcase from Lisbon to Alsace. Cafe Pastel is run by a mother-daughter duo: Armanda da Luz and Mell van Wichen. Da Luz is a Portuguese-born pastry chef, so my expectations were high from the get-go. Cafe Pastel exceeded them. Warm, buttery, gooey and rich – I had four tarts in two days. And I wish I had more. – Lucy Bell Bird, national assistant editor

Vegetarian laksa, The Red Chair

The Red Chair ’s vegetarian laksa has been on the menu for years, quietly holding icon status. Somehow it still gets overlooked, but every time I post a photo of that giant, creamy bowl of laksa on Instagram, the DMs roll in. The broth is rich and spicy, the tender tofu soaks up all the creamy coconut goodness, and it’s loaded with a mix of thick and thin noodles. The fresh vegetables have just the right amount of crunch, and there is a generous stack of fresh herbs on top. I haven’t been able to finish the whole bowl yet... but one day I will! – Clare Ryan, contributor

Vamos Martini, Bar Love

I live in Sydney, which is unfortunate for me because it means I live bloody ages away from one of my favourite bars in the country: Bar Love. The team, the atmosphere, the decor are all perfection. When I was in Perth earlier this year, I tried the Vamos Martini. It’s a mash-up of an Espresso Martini and a Mont Blanc. It’s got a caffeinated kick and is topped with cold oat foam and dusted with orange zest and nutmeg. I’d make the 3800-kilometre journey to Perth just to try another. – Lucy Bell Bird, national assistant editor

Ancient sourdough, Big Loaf Bakery

The ancient sourdough from Big Loaf Bakery in O’Connor has opened new frontiers of brekkie enjoyment for me. It’s got a delicious grainy crust and the perfect chewy texture. I like mine lightly toasted with some Pepe Saya cultured butter and homemade fig jam. – Chelsea Seale, contributor

Katsu, Ginza Nana Alley

I trust Ange Yang’s food opinions implicitly. She writes our Local Knowledge column and she always has a take on where we can find the best and most authentic dishes in Perth. So, when Ange suggested we get lunch at Ginza Nana Alley, I knew it would be good. It was great. We both had the chicken katsu, which came with a side of rice, miso soup, slaw and pasta salad. The chicken itself was tender and covered in a thick coat of crumbs and a generous lashing of sticky sauce. – Lucy Bell Bird, national assistant editor

Ricotta malfatti, Fleur

The plate of freshly plumped ricotta pillows at Fleur is the kind of winter dish that could cure your seasonal depression. Sort of like ravioli minus the pasta or gnocchi without the potato, malfatti translates to “badly made”, which feels wildly unfair to something so completely and utterly perfect. The featherlight clouds are cloaked in parmesan cream with tsukudani and a whole cured egg yolk boosting the umami. Then, because it seems this year’s truffle season has me in a chokehold, I added the optional fungi shaved tableside, the delicate fragrant flakes falling onto the plate like comestible confetti. So soft, so savoury. Something badly made never tasted so goddamn good. – Mads Wallman, contributor

Bread and butter, De’sendent

I was recently in Margaret River and dined at De’sendent, one of the region’s fine-dining offerings, which opened early last year. This will sound a bit obscure considering I ate ceviche, oysters, venison and lobster as part of the tasting menu, but the bread and butter is the dish that’s stuck in my mind. Sourdough bread is served with egg white garum-infused butter. The umami flavour was a revelation. I’d go back just for the butter. – Carmen Jenner, contributor

Mont Blanc, Kith

I was on a real two-toned coffee kick when I was in Perth. It started with the Bar Love Vamos Martini and ended with the more AM-friendly version at Kith. The drink was rich and balanced and kept me going all day. A real winner! – Lucy Bell Bird, national assistant editor