Asian pancakes with spinach
Who says pancakes have to be sweet?
Here’s an Asian inspired recipe I just created.
These savoury pancakes are nutritious, low in calories and most importantly, super yummy!
Ingredients:
2 cups of self-raising flour
1 teaspoon of bicarb soda
1 1/2 cups of water
1 egg
2 cups of roughly chopped spinach
1/2 cup of roughly chopped chives
1 crushed garlic
Salt & pepper to season
Alternative additional ingredients:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Chili
1 cup of Chinese style roast duck meat
1/2 cup of fish or pork floss
Method:
1 Grab a big bowl and throw everything in. Mix it all up so you get a nice gooey batter.
2 Use a non-stick frying pan and put it on low heat.
3 Spoon the pancake batter into the fry pan. Make them as big or small as you like.
4 When the pancake starts to bubble, flip it. It takes around 2 minutes on each side.
5 Voila! Yummy savoury pancakes for breakfast.. or whenever you want to eat really.
Who needs an excuse when it’s so healthy and low in calories?
Enjoy!
Love, Pepper
Presotea is bubble tea
Who says you can’t eat bubble tea?
Actually, you can’t. But you can love it like a true Asian, coin it BBT like a real connoisseur and enjoy it like any other good restaurant.
There are a few bubble tea brands in Perth but my favourite is Presotea on Barrack Street. Bubble teas are all the same, I hear you say? WRONG.
A good bubble tea should be refreshing, light and gorgeously fragrant… just the way Presotea makes them.
This small boutique business has created a massive selection of fruit, traditional, milk and all sorts of flavoured beverages where quality tea leaves are used. They brew each order on the spot (no yucky dark bitter taste from pre-made stuff) and the addition of sugar plus ice levels are suited to your preference (no sickening syrups).
Furthermore, Presotea has a fantastic range of toppings. Most people tend to ask for the pearl or sago (those typical black balls which made bubble tea ‘bubble tea’). But have you tried the fruit jellies or aloe vera? Or how about grass jelly? I love this one for its health benefits.
Presotea is also the only place that does perilla toppings. What’s perilla? These things look like tadpoles or fish eggs.. not appetising.. but they’re actually mint seeds. And like grass jellies, have super health benefits such as immunity support. I always add this to my orders.
Try out next time you’re in Perth! Ask for the Signature Milk Tea or be a rebel and indulge in something unique like Honey Aloe Vera with Perilla topping. Go on.. you’ll thank me after
Love Pepper
81 Barrack Street, Perth, Western Australia
Tea 5/5
Toppings 5/5
Price 5/5
The PS score 15/15
Foodie quote
It’s okay to eat fish because they don’t have any feelings.
-Kurt Cobain
Harvest is a little gem
Beautiful morning, at beautiful little Harvest with a beautiful autumn breakfast menu.
Let me tell you about a little treasure in Victoria Park called Harvest Espresso. I’ve driven past the shop on so many occasions and never noticed it. Until recently that is.
If I had slowed down, I would have seen the queue of waiting breaky lovers, the adorable makeshift outdoors seating and of course, the sign that says ‘Harvest’. Duh.
So after many weeks of friends raving about how amazing the current menu is (they change according to season), my girlfriend and I took advantage of Perth’s beautiful sunshine and indulged ourselves with a Harvest breakfast.
Oh boy. How can a shop so obscurely located and small produce such elegant dishes with flavours that SLAP and textures that PUNCH?
I ordered the Harvest Bubble and Squeak. This dish was presented with sophistication and detail. It entices you with colour, texture plus various cooking techniques used on each element.
The poached eggs were cooked to perfection with its sexy yolks oozing onto the generous patty of mash and bacon. Which in itself, was a match made in delicious heaven.
The clever chefs also incorporated seasonal sweet potatoes as a smooth sauce plus get this, a crunchy noodle-net-patty to cap off the plate. Ok, that latter description is weird so take a look at the picture. Makes sense now? It was like eating healthy chips.
Harvest also had a large variety of Chai lattes. Yay for chai tea lovers! The one which caught our attention was the ‘Dirty Chai’. After a sip, my girlfriend summed it up pretty well, “Wow. This is dirty. I love it!”
Fantastic breakfast aside, the shop’s decor is simple yet lovely with flowers from a local florist on each table. It’s bright and airy which compensated for the tight seating.
What impressed me more was seeing the owners serving on the floor and cooking in the kitchen. No wonder each plate they brought out was perfect, and no wonder every diner looked satisfied. And happy.
Harvest’s amazing reviews and reputation in the Perth breakfast scene is truly justified. I can’t wait to go back!
Love, Pepper
Harvest Espresso
629 Albany Highway, Victoria Park, Western Australia
Service 4/5
Ambience 4/5
Food 5/5
Price 4/5
The PS score 17/20
Meze bar Brika
Whoopa! We got our Greek on at Brika.
Let me begin by saying how much I love the non-pretentious menu, rustic food and decent prices. Everything about this newly established restaurant felt genuine, homey and yet so modern retro cool. Out of respect, I need to wear some edgy styles like my Ollie & Sons body suit next time!
Brika is conveniently located on the quieter yuppy end of Northbridge where diners benefit from ample street side parking. It incorporates plenty of undercover outdoors seating, a sectioned bar area plus indoor dining.
Decor is funky with artistic commentaries displayed across the back wall and an awesome muriel across the side wall. Additionally, the use of warm wood furniture plus earthy colours created a cozy ambience where diners felt instantly at home. And ready to e.a.t.
Once you’re seated, the taste senses kick in.
I could smell the wonderful aroma of toasted pita breads and charcoal lamb wafting through the kitchen. Oh baby, oh baby. We have entered into a Greek family’s home where dinner is about to begin.
The Spanikopita was generously filled with 3 kinds of cheeses encased by crispy pastry. The Fremantle Sardines were wonderfully salty against the freshly charred sweetness of the toasted bread and spicy mayonnaise. And how can we not order the sea salted and oreganoed Patates? I couldn’t stop munching these.. yum.
For mains, we tried the Lamb Chops, Calimari and Barramundi. The lamb chops were cooked beautifully with its charred outer coated in so many fragrant herbs and spices. Honestly, the smell of this dish was extremely enticing and I’m salivating just thinking about it.
The Calimari was slightly undercooked for my liking but none the less, the flavours were balanced and fresh. Our crispy skinned Barramundi came on a big smear of fluffy creamy mash and it looked as good as it tasted.
We finished the night with 2 desserts: the Baklava and Ksinotiro. Just like their savoury partners, these sweets were rustic and full of flavour. You can tell the Baklava was made with love because the walnuts mingled so nicely with the honey. And once you mix that with the halva icecream… heaven.
The Ksinotiro was interesting. I’ve never tried this kind of sour cream cheese before yet it went down well with the pita bread and dried apricots. Make sure you try all the components together though or the flavours won’t make sense.
Yummy food aside, Brika service was friendly with smiles all around. Our waitress checked on us every once in a while but not overly interruptive. Cocktails were refreshing and real. No umbrellas, no coloured straws, no gimmicks. Just really good alcohol with gorgeous mixes.
The owner, Simon Psaros, left his law degree to chase his food dreams. Thanks goodness for that. Call me crazy but I prefer good food over a lawyer anyday.
Definitely visiting Brika again soon (in my Ollie & Sons) because the slow cooked lamb was something we missed and calls to be tasted. Perhaps I’ll see you there too…
Love, Pepper
177 Stirling Street, Northbridge, Western Australia
Service 4/5
Food 4/5
Ambience 4/5
Price 4/5
The PS score 16/20
Bonjour Jean Pierre Sancho
No one does desserts like the French.
Jean Pierre Sancho has been around Perth for a number of years now. I still remember stepping into this patisserie on Hay Street, up those stairs to the counter and feasting my eyes (then my belly) on those gorgeous macaroons. Oh such happy memories.
What do I love about this place? Well, everything smells, sounds and tastes French. The staff all speak French (if they don’t, they pull off bloody good accents!), the bakery for all their treats are just downstairs from the cafe, the decor is reflective of an opulent Parisian chateau and the delicacies… How can you resist?
Since I’ve tried the various macaroons with their gooey soft centers and crispy coatings, I decided to try some their other yummies…
Hi chocolate fans, I’ve found the dessert for you.
Forgot its name but I will never forget the taste! It’s like a dense, super velvety ganache in the structure of a slice. The flavours are perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. You can tell that good quality dark chocolate was used.
Everyone, meet the Strawberry Bombe. Gorgeously smooth strawberry mousse encased by a subtle meringue. It’s light, airy and not overly sweet so the flavours are gentle yet well defined. Loved it!
Jean Pierre Sancho on Hay Street is the place to go for beautifully presented and balanced delights. Highly recommend it if you need some rich indulgence to wind off a busy week at work. Plus, each visit will be like a getaway to France where you can even practice your French!
Love, Pepper
878 Hay Street, Perth, Western Australia
Service 3/5
Food 4/5
Ambience 3/5
Price 3/5
The PS score 13/20
Easter love, my friends
Sayers Sister.. more like Sayers MANFOOD
Sayers Sister is an iconic breakfast venue in Perth.
Trust me, every time I ask someone for breakfast recommendations, they always say ‘try Sayers.. try Sayers Sister.. it’s so good.. have you been there before?.. you have to try it’. When that happens, the universe is telling you something right?
I finally visited Sayers Sister and well, the universe must like to talk because the place was packed by 9:30am.. on a Sunday!
Oh my. Breakfast was everywhere! The half awake chatter of friends, the laughter over stories from the night before, the clinking of coffee cups, the tapping of knives and forks as people dug into their delicacies, the rustling of many newspapers being turned, flipped, scrunched, the kitchen dishes being washed, the clanking of pans.. then you smell coffee, fresh toast, warm cake, pancakes, eggs, smoke, fresh fruit.. Senses overload!
Once you absorb that, checkout the retro-victorian layout. I loved the unique detailing, the twist of retro chic furniture and the very cool wall art. So much thought must have been thrown into the interior design.
Now to the food!
Sayers Sister is not a place for those who want to diet. You pay a little more than the standard but you definitely get your money’s worth. We ordered 3 of their well known dishes to try: Bubble and Squeak, Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Ciabatta and Pancakes with Berries. Between 2 people, this was a struggle to finish as portion sizes were massive. No wonder the waitress gave us that warning look after we ordered…
Bubble Squeak is serious. The bottom is not toast but a piece of cured ham steak topped with 2 poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Eggs were cooked beautifully, ham deliciously salty, hollandaise smooth with a nice zing of citrus. Heavy eating in the morning but such a satisfying start to the day. Enough energy to run a full marathon I reckon!
Baked eggs and chorizo with ciabatta toast is a winning combo. The spicy smoked flavours of chorizo balanced nicely to the humbling taste of scrambled eggs. Yum! The thick topping of cheese wasn’t necessary though as it clashed with the other ingredients.
How can you eat a full meal without something beautiful and sweet to finish off? These pancakes are not the usual thin floury kinds. Oh no. These are more like mancakes! At the start, each bite was a joy to eat as they were fluffy, warm, lite and full of berry flavours. But after a few minutes, the cakes soaked up all the syrup which unfortunately made them too sweet. Perhaps serving the sauce on the side is a better option.
Overall, Sayers Sister lived up to their reputation as one of Perth’s best breakfast joints in town. Great ambience, lively vibe and seriously hearty meals to get you up and running. I’d go back in Winter… or when I’m totally hungover.
Love, PS
236 Lake Street, Northbridge, Western Australia
Service 3/5
Food 4/5
Ambience 4/5
Price 3/5
The PS Score 14/20
Charmed by City Farm Cafe
Mining town turned dining town.
Perth has been surprising me lately with all these new and interesting and absolutely wonderful foodie homes. Sometimes they’re located at vibrant hot spots and sometimes, they rock up behind Claisebrook Train Station.. like Perth City Farm!
Before you even sit down and taste the organic breakfast dishes, my senses fell in love with the gorgeous setting. There was a little grower’s market with various wooden stalls of fresh fruits, vegetables, handmade jewelry, home made olive oil and Dean’s Bees Honey from Mt Lawley.. which is divine.
After a bit of sample tastings, I decided to feed my body some more with organic eggs from City Farm Cafe.
Oh boy.. what a treat!
Service was quick, waiters were easy going and provided detailed knowledge on dishes when we got stuck. What’s a puy lentil?
There were plenty of seating undercover and out in the open. If you’re lucky enough to visit on a sunny morning, I recommend sitting outdoors. You will be transported to a beautiful little cottage style garden where all the guests are relaxed as they escape into a simpler little world.
Now to the food. I ordered the eggs florentine with spinach and it was y.u.m. My fresh eggs were poached beautifully with the yolks oozing out, only to be soaked up my house-made ciabatta toasts. Now, these toast crusts are seriously crusty. How a real toast should be right? Serving sizes are good and prices very reasonable. Coffee is fragrant and they can make it a double shot if you need it. I also had a slice of their gluten free coconut cake… usually prefer savories but I’d go back for this cake. It was moist, light and had just enough coconut to not overpower your palette.
So when a lazy morning arrive, I recommend you visit City Farm Cafe. Take your favorite book or paper or iPad and share your morning with the Men of Trees. Feed your body some goodness, breath in pure oxygen and smile at the beautiful day ahead.
Love, Pepper
1 City Farm Place, East Perth, Western Australia
Service 3/5
Food 4/5
Ambience 5/5
Price 4/5
The PS score 16/20
Pepper Silk 