Aloft

Aloft. Out of the three restaurants I visited, this was my favourite experience. I can't really make a direct comparison with Franklin since I didn't have a dinner sitting there though, so now, Aloft was the one I enjoyed the most as a whole.I actually had some reservations (pun intended) about eating here simply because their style was Asian, and I have a tough time liking Asian food, but it's a hatted restaurant and had great views, and they had kitchen counter seats, so why not! I didn't need a view of the water, I needed a view of the chefs. However, the kitchen was limited to the banquet menu, though I didn't mind that too much. And what a surprise the kitchen was. As we were walking to be seated, I saw a super eye catching thing: fire.I got so excited that as soon as politely possible after being seated, I stood back up and started taking pictures of it. I must have looked so excited that the chef actually told me I could walk into the kitchen and take pictures. Wow, how nice! He even adjusted the flame intensity for us too, but it got pretty hot! That was so amazing, I couldn't believe he let us in!! Already a winner in my eyes!The lighting was great so I took heaps of pictures.It's always nice to see what a restaurant's bookshelf is like. They have Pier, the first restaurant book that I'd ever encountered and got me into fine dining!

Masterstock pig's ear + prickly ash

Okay, onto the food. First up, pig's ears. Oh my goodness. My last pig ear experience (not counting China where they do it they way I like by default) was at a Perth restaurant and it really wasn't nice because it was a single hard, crisp texture. However, these were crispy and flavour packed on the outside, and still crunchy-gelatinous on the inside, just the way I like it! They were seriously addictive!

Pacific steamed oyster , kimchi + sesame

Flirty Bay oysters make an appearance once again! But still, I couldn't make out the exact pronunciation of the word, so I still had no idea if it was Flirty or Floaty. I did try asking the all knowing Google, with various pronunciations that sided to Flirty, then to Floaty, but all I got were tips on how to flirt like crazy, or Flutes on eBay :(These were very good, but I didn't like them as much as I liked them au naturale. Probably just personal preference - nothing except maybe a dash of lemon!I had to make sure to take full advantage of my position at the counter by taking as many action shots as I can! Also, being so close, we had a great conversation about the swarming seagulls in the harbour. We commented that the seagulls were swarming, then one of the chefs said that it was unusual for them to be this close - usually they'd be flocking much further out in deeper water. Who knows, maybe they found some tasty stuff nearby.

Fig leaf + turmeric wafer, BBQ pork belly

Woot! Pork belly tacos! Well, that's what I kept calling them. Royal gala apples were shaved over the top of these, which added great flavour to the pork belly, and they were using a tool that looked like how crinkle cut potato chips are made! The turmeric wafer looked delicate and prone to shattering, but they were actually quite sturdy, which was great. The pork wasn't as soft as I like, so these were just okay.

Drunken chicken wing, buttermilk + avruga caviar

But this next dish. Woah, what a turnaround! A fried chicken wing! I honestly didn't think I'd get to eat fried chicken throughout my trip, especially as I couldn't do Belle's Hot Chicken's fried chicken and waffles since I was busy on the weekend, but lo and behold, fortune favours the... insane? This wasn't just any old fried chicken, it was fried in shaoxing wine, so it was tasty fried AND tasty drunk!!! I love drunken chicken, so this was a win win, then another win because that avruga caviar was super smokey and aromatic.These were eaten with hands (as were the tacos, oysters and pig ears), and we were given the magical towels that start off dry and tablet sized, then just add water and POOF! they turn into wet towelettes!!!Oh, by the way, does this slightly remind you of Rockpool 1989's kombu butter chicken wing? Maybe that's just me haha.LOOK AT THIS ADORABLE CHUNKY KNIFE THAT I DIDN'T EVEN USE FOR THE NEXT COURSE EVEN THOUGH I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT THE CHUNKINESSBut first, another plate up shot, because I can.

Yellow fish curry + coconut pickled fennel

Fried fish!!! Tonight's fish was black trevally, and the curry sauce was really, really mild, so much so that I actually wished there was a teeny tiny bit of spice to it, but no matter. No burning is better than burning. I didn't like the pickled fennel only because it was a little too acidic for me. I would have been happy with just the fish curry since it was light enough.

Chargrilled koji beef, miso + eggplant

I was really, really full, and then this came out! A massive (not really massive, just looked that way because of how full I was) chunk of really incredibly tasty Cape Grim beef, with eggplant and miso mayonnaise. And topped with kale. There was a lot of eggplant, and I think I had to eat my friend's portion of eggplant cause she didn't like it, so I was really, really, bursting full at this point, but that beef. was. so. good. Wow. Yep, I definitely love Cape Grim Beef. The only time David Blackmore's wagyu has been better, is in Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney's David Blackmore full blood wagyu burger. Every other time, a Cape Grim cut will do, it's that good. Absolutely loved this dish.

Our classic condensed milk ice cream, coffee + sable

And finally, dessert. My friend was happy this was an ice cream dish so she wanted one to herself. I was really full, so I didn't really care. What was hilarious is that we saw how the palm sugar curls were made - a couple of chefs took out these trays of palm sugar stuff and started scraping away at it with spoons! Madly scraping! My friend had pointed it out and as soon as I looked, I had that stupid happy face that I get when I'm really excited about seeing food being made, so much so that the chef noticed!So, when he had plated up our dessert and handed it to us, describing it, I asked, "is this meant to be shared?" at which point he said yes, so I asked if we could have one each pretty please, so he was happy to make another one. We must have looked like crazy dessert lovers! Yes, I did manage to eat all of mine. Dessert is a second stomach, after all! It was quite delicious and I loved the sweetness level of the palm sugar. Having the word sugar in it made me worry that it'd be too sweet, but it was actually really balanced with a deep, almost toffee/burnt caramel flavour. Then a hit of bitterness from the coffee syrup was really nice too.All in all, yes, Aloft was my favourite experience because the chefs were so friendly, also the view of the chefs, and because I enjoyed a good number of these dishes. If I came back, I would want the a-la carte menu so that I can order the pig's ears, natural oysters, chicken wing, but also I really wanted to try their dumplings because the dumplings looked absolutely amazing, and I'd not order the fish curry or the pork belly tacos. But as an Asian themed restaurant for someone who doesn't like Asian restaurants (Spice Temple being the exception), this place did really well.And that's my Hobart restaurant adventures done. I'm exhausted from all this writing!

Petition Kitchen

Petition Kitchen is a brand new restaurant that opened in Perth, and so I had to check it out. I didn't know who the head chef was at the time, or the background to this place, and in its first two weeks of opening (up to 11 October), reservations were essential. From my observations of the Perth population, I wasn't sure that reservations were necessary, at least on non-Friday and Saturday nights. Turns out you can walk-in, too, during this time.What I love about visiting a brand new restaurant is actually seeing them seeing what works and what doesn't - watching something come to life and then grow is fascinating. So I booked two sessions, the first was a Sunday brunch (I thought I booked for lunch but they gave me a brunch menu? They didn't seem to be serving non-brunch until after about 1pm or so), and the second was a Friday night dinner. First up, coffee. I wouldn't usually order coffee at a place like this, except that I found out about this place through their coffee provider (Mano a Mano), plus the waiter mentioned their coffee provider too. So why not! The only awkward moment was when I asked for an espresso afterwards, and when it arrived one of the waitresses said "Let me get you some sugar"... at which point I had to tell her I didn't need it. That's a minor detail though.

Smoked sardines, tomato escabeche, salted lemon

Their breakfast menu has a nice range, with the interesting items being: egg white omelettes, pancakes with grilled fruit, a thick-cut slab bacon dish, and sardines on toast. I might have chosen the pancakes or something else, but luckily I was seated in front of the kitchen (like right in front! If I sneezed it would go all over their prep kind of close! Awkward...), so my view was amazing. The waiter recommended the sardines on toast, and after seeing one plated up, I agreed to order it - and I'm so glad I did!What the menu didn't mention was the amazing, bright yellow saffron aioli. I couldn't figure out what the chefs were smearing and piping all over the dish, but the waiter explained it and oh my goodness, that flavour! Lightly fragrant (large amounts of any floral smell enrages me) and superbly garlicky in a mellow way, so that it blended so well with the sardines and toast. The combination of zucchini and tomato were so refreshing, and the sardines had the right amount of saltiness and weren't overly fishy. I didn't like the preserved lemon so much because it stood out, but it had to be there to make the dish work. I've only eaten fish on toast at a few places (Bar 9's tommy ruff escabeche, A Mother's Milk's portuguese sardines on toast), but this by far is the most oustanding version I've had because it's refreshing but doesn't leave you hungry.Here is a shot of them plating up one of the sardines on toast dishes! That's how close I was sitting. I will elaborate further on my observations of the kitchen and staff dynamics later because it will be very gushingly wordspammy, what I will say for now is that it's totally mesmerising and I would come to this place again and again to the point where the staff would probably know I'd always want the kitchen seat!Okay, onto dinner service.

Oysters natural, lemon

Ah, sometimes I miss Adelaide. Perth restaurants seem to always source their oysters from South Australia! These are Smokey Bay oysters, and they were pretty superb. However, at the same cost as a Print Hall oyster, the Print Hall ones stand out - both in the quality and taste of the oyster as well as the condiments. But don't get me wrong - these are amazing - second best!

Organic beef tartare, harissa & sesame, sour cream, grilled bread

Okay, this restaurant has just served me a top 3 tartare in my tartare experiences. I don't have a "favourite" tartare but the ones I would recommend come from Felix, Fix St James, Petition Kitchen, and possibly a small little place in Adelaide called The Corner Bistrot. That's how good this is. Why? Though it's not a traditional tartare, my goodness, that flavour! The crunch was hybridised in the form of harissa shards, which tasted so good - enough heat to excite me but not enough to burn me - my favourite amount! There was a lovely dollop of sour cream to offset the chilli, and also helped to stick the beef onto the grilled bread (served on the side). The beef was more coarsely cut than the last two tartares I've eaten, but the flavour was so good! I totally did not care that this came pre-mixed, the presentation, flavours and textures were just so spot on, I'd recommend this dish as one of the must haves.

Squid, creamed buckwheat, celeriac, fennel & orange

I had totally missed the buckwheat on the menu, I ordered it because of the squid! So that's what one of the chefs was stirring... some black pasty mush thing that actually turned out to be squid ink buckwheat. It was so tender and delicious, but what made it fantastic was the toasted buckwheat that gave a crunchy texture to offset the softness of both the creamed buckwheat and the squid. I think my squid was on for slightly longer than subsequent orders (cause I was observing the whole time), but mine still came out tender. The orange pieces refreshed the palate with every bite, so it was an awesome addition to have!

Another snapshot of the kitchen in action. This guy, Duncan (I think that's his name), appears to be the sous chef. Amazing! I actually really enjoy watching him and his concentration and how he manages all dishes up to and including the pass.

And those are 1kg rib eyes, the special of the night. They were cooking for what felt like the longest time, then rested for the longest time, with I think the head chef coming to check on them every now and again. Due to the time it takes to cook one of these, they were prepared ahead of time, and fired up again once an order came through. And when they were sliced, it was a perfect medium rare. I would love to try one of these if I had people to share with!

Lemon leaf rice pudding, strawberry, pistachio, lavender

Service slowed way down just after my squid dish, as it was now entering the busiest couple of hours for the restaurant. I didn't mind so much, but it was noticeable, mainly because I was alone dining. It was pretty interesting because at first, all the staff would check up on me and ask how the food was, and even commenting about my seat in front of the kitchen, but then they couldn't keep it up anymore. That being said, they do look after "VIPs" - a couple ended up sitting next to me on the bench and looked to have been in the restaurant business, and the chefs and staff knew who they were, so they had a bit more interaction. That was an extra bonus for me because I could overhear their conversations and commentary!

I agonised over desserts because they all looked pretty good, and ended up choosing the rice pudding dish. This was an amazing rice pudding. The rice was super soft, but I believe it was intended that way (I like slightly firm rice), based on my rice pudding experience from Fix St James. That lemon leaf aroma! Wow! It definitely was leaf, and not lemon. I was very impressed. Taking a picture of this was interesting since the strawberry sorbet was melting so fast, it was because the rice pudding was slightly warm. An interesting contrast of temperatures that worked - I liked the rice warm, and the sorbet didn't actually melt all that quickly. And then there was the lavender. Little bulbs of lavender sprinkled sparingly through the dish that I loved it! It gave it such a nice floral fragrance without the flashiness of the currently overused edible flowers (yes I am guilty of that!). It's definitely the most unique rice pudding I've had, and probably my favourite too!

I totally enjoyed every dish I've had here so far, I'm very, very impressed. I don't know what it is, whether the dishes are "safe" or simply familiar to me and appeal to my tastes, but this stands out, and ranks way above Automata and Nel for me. I do have a good idea why, though. The flavours and textures just work. It's good, simple food. Plated with detail, but not trying too hard or having complex elements. Solid, clean flavours that stand up well on their own and also complement the rest of the dish. And how does this all come about? The head chef used to work at Cumulus Inc!

After I learned that vital piece of information, it all made sense to me. Cumulus is the restaurant I would revisit when in Melbourne, again and again and again. It's friendly, accessible, and has amazing food. It also explains the benches at the kitchen, Cumulus Inc had a very similar setup there. It probably also means that an alone dining experience here will be consistently enjoyable.

I definitely have to revisit a while later (Wildflower is next, when it opens!), to see how everything evolves - the food and the staff. There were some brilliant highlights from my prime table:

• Within the first few minutes of me being seated on my initial Sunday brunch visit, the chefs were upset about not having a bread knife because their one went missing. After a chef was having difficulty slicing some bread with a chef's knife, he went and asked for the one from the beer bar. They were reluctant to hand it over, but did so in the end. So I concluded that they only had two bread knives. They were Global knives, and I was happy that I recognised them, since I am now a proud owner of two Global knives. When I returned on my Friday night dinner, they were back to being bread knife-less and were using a regular chef's knife!
• The chefs are quite assertive, especially the sous chef. Most of the interesting dynamics were between Duncan and the waitstaff. The chef watching the pass seems to think like me - when handing the dishes out, the waitstaff had to ask for the table number of one of the plates again, and Duncan replied, "I already called it out, I don't remember which table. Which one did you send the previous dish to? I'll know where this one is going if you can tell me where the other one went." Paraphrased of course since my memory is terrible, but I was so happy inside watching all this! And then another time the waitstaff wanted the chef's marker, and he said he needed it for service. Teehee! I love watching that stuff and figure it's normal during service, and possibly because the restaurant is still within its review period. I know there's a bit of a divide between front of house and the kitchen, and it's great to see how it all works out.
• When Jesse (head chef, I think... I don't actually know what he looks like, I was mainly making an educated guess by his New Zealand accent!) brought out all the rib eyes, he was showing them off to his chefs! So I got a great view of three massive chunks of steak and watched the entire cooking process. I think even he was worried at one point that he'd messed one of his steaks up. There was a little concern that they weren't reaching internal temperature (he was aiming for 50), and he had to put one back on the flame twice before serving.
• Chefs like coffee and chug it. Again, shortly after I was seated, a whole round of coffees went out (milk coffees) and all the chefs grabbed one and literally gulped it down. Then came a combination of espresso shots and milk drinks, and the sous chef was so focussed on his job, he totally didn't realise a second round of coffees came out till Jesse called out the last chance, and he practically rushed to get another cup! It was so hilarious.
• It is absolutely fascinating watching the chefs keep track of all the different dishes that were going. Of course, I was a diner, so while I was eating my attention wasn't on what they were doing, and when I was waiting for a dish, I'd be observing the whole thing, rather than what each individual chef was doing, so I often lost track of what food was where, but they do such a good job of it (of course; it's their job)! It seriously is so fun to watch I could keep doing this forever, so much so that I even enjoyed watching a chef trying to peel potatoes with a cheap, dingy peeler, give up, and switch to a Global peeling knife which was so much faster. Who ever thought watching someone peel vegetables could be so fun!

That's a lot of words and pretty much sums up that my first impression of this place was mindblowingly good. I totally have to come back if it doesn't break the bank. Maybe here instead of having a cafe and barista, I'll have "my restaurant" and "my chef"?!?! One can dream!