3 months ago
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If a supermarket takeaway chicken is in the forest and no single bloke is around to pick it up after MMA training, is it still a bachelor’s handbag?
Although WA has long appreciated the pleasures of roast chook – we are, after all, the home of both Red Rooster (1972) and Chicken Treat (1976), plus Nando’s opened its first Australian store here in 1990 – there’s been considerable movement in roast chicken circles of late: a response, perhaps, to both cost of living pressures as well as a craving for simpler pleasures.
In addition to last year’s debut of Palestinian-owned chicken shop Pauly’s Chicken & Ribs, Como’s On Fire Charcoal Chicken added a second outpost in Harrisdale to its roster; the opening of Six Streets in Karawara gave local eaters another Thai-style gai yang (roast chicken) option other than Victoria Park’s Bangkok Street Thai Bistro; while Persian-style charcoal grilled chooks are part of the offering at Vic Park’s Sindbad Kebab.
The latest chook offering to turn my head can be found at Sunsets, the all-day restaurant at The Lodge Wadjemup on Rottnest Island.
Chef Mat Powell takes number 14 chickens and brines them in a mix of the classics – black peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, garlic and lemon – before giving them a turn on the rotisserie.
Add a silver sauceboat of drippings plus stubby, yellow chips spiked with ras el hanout and life seems very fine indeed.
Perth’s finest knafeh is coming to Beckenham this weekend
Knafeh – a baked cheese pie soaked in sugar syrup that’s synonymous with the Palestinian city of Nablus – is regarded by many as one of the Arab food world’s greatest gifts to eaters.
This Saturday (August 3) is your chance to sample one of the city’s finest examples when Omar Saadeh, the founder of Knafeh by Omar, brings his roving pop-up to Big Booley’s, a cafe in the Beckenham Shopping Centre, for another instalment of the duo’s knafeh and coffee collaborations.
Saadeh’s knafeh (make sure you eat it hot) will be available from 11am till 2pm or until sold out.
A Malay food feast with a cause
Padbury’s Al Majid Mosque – a Sunni Muslim mosque with a strong Malay influence – is hosting a jualan amal (the Malay word for fundraiser) this Sunday (August 3) to help build new facilities at the mosque.
Members of the community will prepare beloved Malay halal dishes including satay, Malay-style nasi briyani and sup ekor (oxtail soup). The event is open to Muslims and non-Muslims alike and, based on my previous jualan amal experience here, will be a very delicious day. The event runs from 9am to 2.30pm.
Great Southern winter wine marker
Scattered throughout a wine region that’s roughly the size of Switzerland, the winemakers of the Great Southern region produce some of the state’s most thrilling wines. A group of 16 Great Southern vignerons including key figures from Plantagenet, Frankland Estate and Swinny are coming to Print Hall on Saturday, August 23 for an afternoon of tastings matched with canapes including pork shoulder croquettes with piccalilli, and tuna crudo miso mayonnaise. Tickets are $80 and include all tastings and snacks.
Cherubino City Cellar launches producer wine dinner series
Or perhaps you’d prefer a more intimate wine tasting format? August sees the launch of Cherubino City Cellar’s Producer Dinner Series: a monthly event in which winemakers lead intimate tastings for 12 people matched with antipasti, handmade pasta and stories straight from the maker.
Unsurprisingly, the first dinner featuring renegade winemaker Nic Peterkin of LAS Vino sold out in a flash: keep an eye out for future events including September’s event with Denmark’s Singlefile Wines. Even better, join Cherubino’s wine club for early access to the these events and discounted ticket prices.
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