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Sonny, Hobart CBD

Paul
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0
Sonny, Hobart CBD

HOBART | When you haven’t been to a city since before the pandemic, it’s no surprise that things will have changed. What it comes to Hobart’s hospitality scene, I was struck, but I suppose not surprised, to notice that many of the venues that I visited during my whirlwind eight hours in town, were in places where old favourites once stood. Where one door closes, another opens I suppose.

When I walked up to entrance of Sonny, I immediately had flashbacks to many a good time at the space’s previous venue, Kaiju Can Bar. No relation to Kaiju Brewing, the tiny venue was a very random places – a couple who really loved craft beer and Japanese manga, cinema, and pop culture. The space reflected them and didn’t follow any rules. I loved popping in whenever I was in town.

While it was sad to see Kaiju gone, Sonny, which has ben on my list for a while now, is one hell of a replacement. From the cosy 20 seat layout, to the friendly staff, the food and drink, and the general vibe of the places, many boxes are ticked.

Sonny is one of those venues where everything comes together just so. Owner/chef Matt Breen has created a venue that’s evocative of times spent at Bahama Gold and Gerald’s in Melbourne, at Leigh Street Wine Room in Adelaide, and several little tapas bars in Spain and Portugal. Whatever ‘it’ is, Sonny has it.

An open kitchen, well more of a tiny cooking station, lies at the end of the bar. A small menu of bar snacks and a pasta or the like are on offer, along with a handful of wines by the glass and bottle, and a few cocktails.

The food and drinks menu is constantly changing. When I visited I only had space for a few snacks. The bresaola toast, chorizo in wine, and oyster were all outstanding. I’m still thinking about that toast to this day. The fun size Americano and ‘mystery wine’, also great.

If you come hungry, which I would have if I didn’t have to leave town in 90 minutes with a stop into Mary Mary on the way, you can work your way through its entirety between two. And if you don’t have to leave town that night, I recommend settling in for what will be a memorable, joyful evening. I can’t wait to return.

Sonny

120A Elizabeth Street
Hobart
Tasmania 7000
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Thu – Mon: 4:00pm to 11:30pm

Teeter Bakery, Perth

Paul
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0
Teeter Bakery, Perth

PERTH | Teeter Bakery is a tiny bakery in Perth where you’ll find some of the city’s best baked goods. A keen baker since high school, owner Natasha Brownfield has trained at some of the best bakeries in Perth, Melbourne, and New Zealand.

Upon returning to Perth, Natasha spent time further honing her craft, running pop-ups and doing baking consultancy work around the city. In early 2023, she opened Teeter, her first bricks and mortar bakery.

The small space is open Thursday through Saturday, with a variety of pastries baked in small batches throughout the morning. It’s things like croissants, loaves of bread, and kouign amann. There’s traditional flavours, and rotating limited creations like a danish with Basque blue sheep’s cheese, grapes, honey, sesame, and herbs de Provence; and a yuzu sugar brioche bun with vanilla cream diplomat and yuzu marmalade.

There’s usually a selection of fresh sandwiches on house made bread at the counter, and you can also get coffee made using Twin Peaks beans. Orders can be made in advance online for pastries, as well as whole cakes.

Teeter Bakery

145A Claisebrook Road
Perth
Western Australia 6000
Australia

Telephone: (08) 6113 8959
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Thu – Fri: 7:30am to 2:00pm
Sat: 7:30am to 1:00pm

Petra Restaurant, Perth

Paul
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0
Petra Restaurant, Perth

PERTH | Petra is an unassuming family-run Jordanian restaurant in Victoria Park, serving up an array of delicious regional Middle Eastern dishes. Walk inside, and you’ll find a humble, homely interior, popular with locals and families keen for a delicious home-style feed. Owner Radi and his team are friendly and welcoming, and you’ll often find Radi walking around the restaurant, having a chat with customers and asking if there’s anything that he can do to ensure that they have a great experience.

On the menu, you’ll find a whole lot of tasty Jordanian dishes. It’s a cuisine that’s not well represented in Perth, but will be familiar to those who have tried Lebanese or Syrian food before. Meat skewers are tender and smoky and well represented, with things like lamb shish kebab, chicken tawook, and chicken shawarma.

Vegetarians are well catered to as well, with things like hummus bowls, fatoush, dolmah, spiced potatoes, baba ghanougj, and lentil soup.

Go for a combo plate which gets you a selection of meat and sides, or one of the signature large dishes. Mansaf, a Jordanian dish of lamb that’s been slow-cooked in yoghurt (jameed), is served atop a mountain of fluffy rice and nuts, with the yoghurt sauce on the side to mix in with it all. It’s a must order. Also a must try is the mandi. It’s a smoked half chicken or lamb, served atop flavoursome smoked rice, with salad, pickles, and sauce.

Servings are big, and there’s a lot worth trying at Petra. If you can, come with a group so you can order a whole lot of things. Don’t worry if you can’t eat it all either. The team will happily provide you with containers so you can take away any left overs. There’s a buffet available on Saturdays, which gets you an all-you-can-eat selection of favourites from the menu.

Petra Restaurant

1/361 Albany Highway
Victoria Park
Western Australia 6100
Australia

Telephone: (08) 6238 1573
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Sun – Sat: 12:00pm to 12:00am

Cuccini Gelato, Northbridge

Paul
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0
Cuccini Gelato, Northbridge

PERTH | Architect Hesam Mizan and his brother Hossein grew up in Iran, enjoying the ice-cream that his father and his uncle made as one of the country’s largest ice-cream producers. They moved to Australia to study, but always felt the pull of gelato calling them to open their own gelato shop in Perth.

At the start of 2023 they made it a reality, opening Cuccini Gelato in Northbridge. It’s a small, minimalist spot, with a focus on the big board of flavours and the stainless steel pozetti that hold the duo’s creaions.

Flavours include classics like pistachio, fior di latte, and chocolate, along with options that nod to the brothers’ Persian heritage like saffron bastani, and a chocolate chilli creation infused with pomegranate.

There’s also flavours like hojicha, and rum and raisin, plus sorbets and vegan options. Keep an eye out for limited edition flavours and fun collaborations. A Halloween collaboration saw Cuccini teaming up with Croff Bakehouse to create a buttery croissant filled with fior di latte gelato, strawberry sorbetto, and a chocolate swirl.

Cuccini Gelato

276 William Street
Northbridge
Western Australia 6000
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Sun – Thu: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 11:00pm

Mane Liquor, Osborne Park

Paul
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Mane Liquor, Osborne Park

PERTH | Since opening in 2006, Elliott Moore and Josh Daley’s Belmont liquor store Mane Liquor, has built a reputation as one of Perth’s best places to find quality beer, wine, and spirits in Perth. In 2023 they upped the ante by opening a second store, three times larger than the original, in Osborne Park.

The large, warehouse-like space is filled with fridges and shelves full of local and international drinks, including interesting stuff from small, independent producers and one of Australia’s biggest selections of craft beer.

It’s not just about booze at Mane Liquor Osborne Park, either. There’s a sizeable non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic selection, along with an extensive hot sauce range, and things like gourmet cheese, seafood from Fins, and meat from Troy’s Meats.

At the rear of the space, there’s a commercial kitchen that hosts rotating pop-ups from some of Perth’s best chefs and food trucks on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. There are also regular events where producers and suppliers can showcase their wares. The last time I visited the venue was filled with customers enjoying chardonnay tastings from winemakers around the globe.

Mane Liquor

3/392 Scarborough Beach Road
Osborne Park
Western Australia 6017
Australia

Telephone: (08) 6185 1110
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Sun: 11:00am to 6:00pm
Mon – Sat: 9:30am to 8:00pm

Yip AU, East Victoria Park

Paul
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0
Yip AU, East Victoria Park

PERTH | The art of making southern Chinese zhu sheng noodles the traditional way is a dying one. One family in Perth is keeping the traditional alive, however, at new Victoria Park restaurant, Yip AU.

Chef and noodle master Erich Wong opened Yip Au late last year with his wife Chee Ling Low and son Everson. Named after Erich’s dad, who taught Erich how to make zu sheng main, you’ll find Erich and Everson in the temperature controlled noodle room (visible from the restaurant) bouncing up and down on thick bamboo poles, turning dough into some of the best, springiest noodles in town.

The unassuming 60 seat restaurant gets busy, and there’s usually a small to large line. The lines moves fast, though, and the food at Yip Au is well worth the wait.

On the menu, you’ll find things like Malaysian laksa, chee cheong fun, and mee pok. The latter, a dish of Chaoshan origin is a particular stand out. The version here is served ‘dry’ with thin flat noodles cooked chili, oil, vinegar, and light soy sauce. They’re se red with a bowl of fish ball soup, and a bowl of minced chicken soup. Mix it a together and it’s something special.

If you want to do your own thing, there’s the option to build your own bowl. Your choice of thick or thin noodles, a dry (with light or dark sauce) or soup (clear or laksa) base, and your choice of several toppings. Things like beef rendang, chicken curry, and pork trotters with pork belly.

Beyond noodles, there’s also fantastic sides like fried or soup pork and prawn wontons, fried or soup veggie, pork and prawn dumplings, and fried crab claws. To drink, it’s classic hot and cold Malaysian drinks like teh tarik, kopi, and Milo.

Yip AU

915 Albany Highway
East Victoria Park
Western Australia 6101
Australia

Telephone: (08) 6150 7781
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Tue – Sun: 11:00am to 12:30pm, 5:00pm to 8:30pm

JollyGood Diner, Collingwood

Paul
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0
JollyGood Diner, Collingwood

MELBOURNE | When you’re a fine dining chef working at Gimlet, and you pivot to sandwiches (and unexpectedly help to start a trend) during lockdown, what’s the next step? For chef Raphael Exton Pery, the answer is JollyGood Diner.

Whereas sister venue JollyGood Sandwiches (now JollyGood Junior), focuses on sandwiches, Jolly Good Diner is a take on the classic US diner, with a dash of Melbourne wine bar, and contemporary flair. There’s booths, there’s a communal table with high seating, and a long bar with stools.

It makes for a casual, approachable, fun spot that’s open from morning through lunch and into the night. it’s a space that works whether you’re popping in for a coffee and bite to-go before work, lunch with a colleague, or dinner and drinks with friends.

The menu features diner favourites, informed by Raph’s travels through the US, refined by his experience working in some of Melbourne’s top kitchens. At breakfast, there’s things like buttermilk pancake stacks with maple syrup, butter, and maple bacon; a grilled three cheese toastie; and a breakfast sandwich filled with fried egg, maple bacon, a hash brown, and sauce.

At lunch and into the evening, you’ll find things like JollyGood’s signature French dip sandwich; a stacked New York deli sandwich; and two burgers. One contains a smashed beef patty that’s grilled with Raph’s excellent curry ketchup, while the other features a thicker beef patty.

If you have a sweet tooth, there’s doughnuts, root beer floats, and a rotating selection of daily pies, with flavours like key lime, apple, and cherry. To drink, its coffee by Supreme (yes you can opt for unlimited refills), house beer on tap brewed by The Mill Brewery around the corner, fun wines, and house cocktails. Try JollyGood’s take on the Arnold Palmer – peach iced tea with lemonade and bourbon.

JollyGood Diner

27 Johnston Street
Collingwood
Victoria 3066
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Wed: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Thu: 11:00am to 10:00pm
Fri – Sat: 9:00am to 11:00pm
Sun: 9:00am to 4:00pm

Goodwater, Northcote

Paul
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0
Goodwater, Northcote

MELBOURNE | There’s a new bar in Northcote called Goodwater, and it’s from a team of friends who have worked at some of Melbourne’s best bars. It’s a neighbourhood bar with a cosy, unpretentious local’s vibe, and a focus on American whiskey.

That team consists of Nate White (Bar Margaux), Fred Siggins (Whisky and Alement, The Black Pearl), Cara Devine (Bomba), April Hudson (The Keys), John Hallett (The Everleigh), Yao Wong (The Elysian) and Kia Rasteh (Honey Barrel).

Named for the Algonquian word for the Mississippi River, you’ll find maps of ‘Goodwater’ on the exposed brick walls of the venue, with warm lighting, timber tables floors, and a big red rug. Out the back, is a surprisingly spacious courtyard, weatherproofed to be enjoyed year-round. It’s a fitout that goes well with the ethos of Goodwater. A serious drinks list for whiskey aficionados, but also approachable spot for those who just want a drink and to chill.

About that drinks list. Behind the bar you’ll find one of Australia’s best whiskey selections. Over 200 bottles of the good stuff, keenly priced at all levels of the price spectrum. There’s your go-to core range bottles from the likes of Mitcher’s and Maker’s Mark, experimental whiskeys from up-and-coming distillers the likes of which haven’t been seen in Australia before, and old rare bottles that are no longer in production.

Tell the knowledgeable bar staff what you like, and they’ll happily guide you towards something you’ll enjoy, telling you the story of the bottle, the distiller, and why they think you’ll like it.

If whiskey isn’t your thing, there’s still plenty of reasons to visit Goodwater. There’s a smaller, but no less considered, selection of other spirits behind the bar, and a cocktails list featuring the classics and house creations. All house cocktails are designed to work three ways – short and strong, tall and refreshing, or non-alc. There’s also beer, wine, and other non-alc options.

If you’re feeling peckish, the food menu features snacks inspired by regional American dishes and flavours. Think crinkle-cut fries with Old Bay seasoning, French onion grilled cheese sandwiches, and sticky glazed General Tso’s chicken ribs.

Goodwater

300 High Street
Northcote
Victoria 3070
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Wed – Thu: 5:00pm to 1:00am
Fri – Sat: 5:00pm to 2:00am
Sun: 5:00pm to 11:00pm

Gildas, Surry Hills

Paul
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0
Gildas, Surry Hills

SYDNEY | Just up the road from chef Lennox Hastie’s temple to fire and smoke, Firedoor, you’ll find his more low-key wine bar, Gildas. It opened in 2022, inspired by the Basque Country, and the five years that Lennox spent living and cooking there. And, unlike Firedoor, it’s easy to get a table (half of the tables are set aside for walk in guests).

Gildas is the place to visit if you’re looking for pintxos and small plates. It’s a casual space well suited to popping in for a quick drink and a snack, or a full meal of assorted small plates. The menu features elevated Basque dishes, and creations inspired by the flavors and culinary traditions of the region, showcasing the best Australian and Spanish ingredients.

A good example of Gildas’ approach is its Rita Hayworth-inspired namesake item. Start with the classic gilda, a skewered Spanish olive, guindilla pepper and Olasagasti anchovy, before moving on to the ‘Grillda’ and the ‘Matilda’. The former features blue mackerel, pickled carrot, and finger lime; the latter charred kangaroo, native lemon, and sweet onion.

Other dishes include things like retired dairy cow tartare with rock oyster cream, and sorrel; baby corn with sobrasada and honey; and a deconstructed seasonal tortilla of sorts (oyster mushrooms were the key ingredient when I visited). Be sure to order a serve of the pimento infused house bread with smoked butter to mop up any sauces.

For sweets, it’s rotating selection of things like a tart of the day, burnt Basque cheesecake, and buffalo milk soft serve.

To drink, there’s a short Australian and Spanish wine list, with many options available by the glass and carafe, along with a few beers and cocktails. Be sure to check out the sherry list, which features red and white drops from independent distillers, as well as interesting sherries, like an ‘orange’ sherry.

Gildas

46-48 Albion Street
Surry Hills
New South Wales 2010
Australia

Telephone: (02) 8275 8285
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 7:30am to 3:30pm

Emil’s Cafe, Pascoe Vale South

Paul
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0
Emil’s Cafe, Pascoe Vale South

MELBOURNE | Emil and Houda El-Khoury opened their suburban milk bar in Pascoe Vale South in 1978. Behind the milk bar, in a small two bedroom house, they raised their six children. Two of these children, brothers John and George, had a long held desire to open a cafe in the neighbourhood they grew up (and still live) in, and late last year they converted the family milk bar and house into Emil’s Cafe. I was recently invited to check it out.

Talking to John and George as they showed me through the cafe, it’s clear that Emil’s is a place that’s genuine and comes from the heart. Photos on the walls show every-day family moments in the house over the years, and it’s not uncommon to see the cafe’s namesake, Emil, hanging out there. Along with seats and tables, the milk bar section is where you’ll find the coffee counter and grab-and-go cabinet. There’s also a few shelves lined with nostalgic Aussie and Middle Eastern pantry items, informed by the brother’s Australian/Lebanese upbringing.

Behind, in the old house, each room has a story and many of the original fittings and furnishings have been repurposed. Mum and dad’s bedroom and the living room are distinct dining space, while the backyard is a pet-friendly courtyard. The kitchen is in what used to be one of the kid’s bedrooms.

On the menu, designed by consultant-chef Sam Pinzone, you’ll find a selection of modern Australian/Middle Eastern dishes. Family recipes, and creations inspired by the food that the El-Khoury’s cook at home. Houda helps out in the kitchen, making things like falafel wraps, toum, and knafeh. There’s a focus on honest flavours, local ingredients, and independent suppliers.

If you want a bit of everything, ‘Emil’s Big Breakfast’ is a great option that gets you poached eggs, za’atar grilled flatbread, sujuk, haloumi, shakshuka sauce, sauteed spinach, and hash browns. The shakshuka, with a twist of hummus and roasted pine nuts, is another great choice, as are the Turkish poached eggs with lime yoghurt, sujuk, dill, buerre noisette, smoky Aleppo pepper, and simit.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, the knafeh with pistachio crumbs, vanilla bean ice-cream, rose syrup, and fairy floss, is a top choice. To drink it’s Code Black coffee served any way you like, tea, fresh juices, smoothies, and kombucha. There’s also a small cocktail, wine, and beer selection if you wanting something boozy.

Emil’s might only be a few months old, but given its story, and the El-Khoury family’s long involvement in the local community, it feels like the kind of warm, genuine place that’s been around for decades.

Emil’s Cafe

347 Reynard Street
Pascoe Vale South
Victoria 3044
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9384 6004
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sat: 7:00am to 4:00pm
Sun: 8:00am to 4:00pm

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