Inner Solace

{022} A Japanese cheesecake with azuki from Halu, Mt Hawthorn.

In the past, we’ve had trouble finding a Chinese restaurant that is able to maintain a high standard of dishes during the rush of the first week of Chinese New Year.  Stuff is under done, over done, mushy, dry, slow, blah blah blah.  So this year my family had reunion night dinner at a Japanese restaurant instead.

We weren’t the only Chinese in the restaurant, so evidently we’re not the only ones who have this problem.

I do miss the lion dance and fire crackers though. So if anyone in Perth can recommend somewhere that’s up to scratch, let me know.

oldperth:

Public baths, Riverside Drive, Perth. Date unknown.

I love all these photos of Perth that people have dug up from the archives.  The public baths is my favourite.  If only the structure still existed and was turned into a ball room or function centre or something.

This was long before my time, but IIRC, the public baths burned down in a fire.

(via runamuk)

{084} of 365.

Spotted: A flyer for an Asian Church food fair.

Who wants to take bets that it’ll be better than that joke of a night market put on by Eat Drink Perth?

I firmly believe that the night market would have turned out infinitely better had the organisers just contacted the local Asian churches and temples and said ‘have at it’.

That and there wouldn’t have been that atrocity of a satay place that put red beans in the satay sauce. Red. Beans.

{036} of 365.

Apricot and saffron macaron from Emmanuel Mollois’ Choux Cafe in Claremont.

It looks dangerous, but the flavour is delicate and you’re not overwhelmed with sugar like with other commercially available macarons.

Now I want to go through and nom the rest of his collection. :/

{035} of 365.

Chocolate croissant pudding at Valentino Cafe, Northbridge.

I haven’t been particularly impressed with Valentino at all really.  They’re pricey and the desserts are quite ordinary mass produced things, or over ambitious and sickly sweet.  Such a pity that there isn’t much choice for a coffee/dessert place in the area.

This bread and butter pudding wasn’t too bad though, it’d be nicer if they hadn’t used that horrid red syrup to decorate the plate.

So… Sunday looks like it’ll be interesting.

PS. That’s Tropical Cyclone Bianca.

The other great thing I found at Maruyu Pato-chan - sakura denbu!  It’s a sweet fish floss/powder that can be used like a sprinkle (furikake) or sushi roll filling.

This stuff was also one of those special items we discovered at Takashimaya.  It was pretty expensive at the time (and generally still is from what I hear) so the few packets we brought back were always precious.

Since Perth seems to be getting pretty good at getting Japanese food products now, I was hoping that one of the Asian supermarkets would start bringing it in.  But it doesn’t look like it.

So pleased that I’ve found a source now though, sweet fish flakey sprinkle filled sushi rolls for meeeee!

Found these and other fantastic things on Friday at Maruyu Pato-chan on 2/33 Barrack Street.  It’s only a tiny Japanese shop with some home-wares you’d normally get at the 100¥ shop, and Japanese food and bathroom basics, but it’s got some great little things[1].

Such as these fantastic crackers that I haven’t seen for years.  The last time I had them I was in high school and mum and I had brought a stash back with us from Takashimaya in Singapore.  There’s just something so tasty about the sweet cheesy crackers, especially that almond one. Yum.

Last time I went in they had a taiyaki and takoyaki iron as well, but not this time. :(

[1] Like laundry mesh bags for delicates that don’t cost the ridiculous amount they try to charge at lingerie shops.