Will Street

When chef Will Meyrick announced the opening of an eponymous restaurant in Leederville many wondered whether it would be a facsimile of his Balinese eateries, Sarong and Mama San.

Instead, what he and chef Tim Bartholomew serve at Will Street is more in step with Thai cuisine. You’re likely to find a note-perfect version of sai oua, Chiang Mai’s famous pork sausage, served with traditional accompaniments of fresh basil, sliced ginger, nam prik num (a spicy green-chill relish) and jaew bong (a sweeter red-chilli relish). Also, a Thai-inspired dish of smoked eel wrapped in betel leaves.

A roving focus on Asia is evident in springy Japanese-influenced fish-and-scallop dumplings, and the Indian Muslim-style nihari curry that makes a compelling argument for the pleasures of slow-cooked goat. It’s a good-sized menu and one that’s best tackled in numbers.

The former La Vida Urbana space – reimagined by Mata Design Studio – is now a sophisticated den of dark timber and texture. Bottles of wine and spirits line the walls. Dried wildflowers from Yamatji country around Geraldton hang overhead. It’s a fun, high-energy, grown-up place to be.

A drinks list heavy with spice-sympathetic wines and cocktails has been assembled by Laurie Eaton, a former bar manager at Melbourne cocktail den Eau de Vie. Will Street has also teamed up with Fremantle brewery Running with Thieves on a signature rice lager and gin, both served exclusively at the restaurant.