Perth 2016: Food Haunts + A Caffeine-lover's Journey

Is Perth a place with good food? Good coffee? Some say yes, while others have trouble answering. 

I had planned to write a post about what one can do while in Perth, but looking through my photographs from my graduation trip in 2016, I realised that I don't have much to go on so what we're going to do is just collate some good spots together in one post. 

My main goal in Perth was to sample different cafes and the coffees they offered. I also wanted to try out some restaurants or have one my final meals at my favourite spots in Perth before leaving this time since it would be a long time till I go back again. I was able to do coffee hunting only on certain days. Some places may not be around anymore so please do your due diligence before heading down. 

Harvest Espresso, Victoria Park

 

This is a hot favourite, even for locals. The coffee and drinks are spectacular and so is breakfast. The place is abuzz with activity from the moment they open and everything is prepared impeccably. I'd recommend it if you're thinking of heading to Victoria Park. 

Ciao Italia, South Perth

Any student who has spent time in Perth will tell you all about Ciao Italia. While they did have a couple of branches a while back, I did some research for a recent trip and they have two outlets now. One is the main and original shop at Mill Point Road in South Perth, while the other is Ciao Italia Express at Myaree. I'd highly recommend the calamari, the Ciao Italia fettuccine and their famous tiramisu.

The Mallard Duck, Swan Valley

My father recommended this place because he usually dines here with his golfing buddies (there are a couple of golf courses in the Swan Valley area).

Bucking Bull, Multiple locations in Perth mall food courts

Bucking Bull is another one of my father's recommendations for those who love a good roast but don't want to go to the hassle of doing so yourself. They have crackling pork skin if you'd prefer something with more crunch but it can be too salty at times.

Took Bae Gi, Perth City

 

Took Bae Gi is hands down one of my favourite Korean places to dine at in Perth, nay my favourite. It's budget-friendly, fuss-free, and they offer certain dishes which you may have trouble finding outside of Korea or other Korean restaurants/stalls. Every dish is delicious, and everyone leaves with full and happy stomachs. I highly recommend this: particularly to Asians who need some rice/noodles after a few days of vacation in a Western nation.

 

Jaws Sushi, Perth City

 

When my friends and I were studying, we chanced upon the fact that Jaws Sushi had an all-you-can-eat buffet on Saturday evenings. Back then, that was amazing. As much Japanese food as we could eat? And everything tasted good? So worth it. They still have this buffet but you are limited to 50 minutes of dining time. If you're a quick eater though, this is worth trying out. 

Grill'd Burgers, multiple locations around Perth

 

 I never knew the appeal behind grass-fed beef till I tried Grill'd Burgers and you can truly taste the difference. You can choose from a whole range of flavours, buns and their sweet potato fries/chips are hand-cut and FABULOUS. It's a must-eat every time I return to Perth.

 

 

 

Crib Lane, Perth City

 

A hole in the wall spot I found completely by chance. There's some counter seating but most get their coffees to go. They do have some unique flavours too.

The Wolf Espresso, Perth City

 

This shop definitely looks different now in 2023 but they focus on serving raw food and catering to those on the paleo diet too. Coffee was decent and sipping on coffee by the wolf's lane is a real treat.

Lowdown, Perth City

 

Among all the coffee haunts, this was the most efficient and fuss-free, possibly because it's surrounded by office buildings and is located in one. The coffee was good, the service quick yet friendly, and there's ample seating for you. 

And that's it for my recommendations in Perth! These stores still exist so you can visit them if you're planning a trip to Perth or heading there for your studies. 

Till then, 

Fly safe and eat happy, 

V

 

Taipei 2016 (Food Extravaganza): Day 3 (Danshui - Cat Rain Cafe [CLOSED] - Ximending - Raohe Night Market - Shihlin Night Market) + Day 4 (Souvenirs)

 Hey everyone! Welcome to Day 3 - the last day of the foodie adventure around Taipei!

If you missed out on the previous posts, click on the following links:  

• http://vanvanscully.blogspot.sg/2015/07/taiwan-2014-day-1-part-1-singapore.html
• https://vanvanscully.blogspot.com/2023/09/taipei-2016-food-extravaganza-day-2.html
  

This was the last day in Taipei of a very short 4D3N trip, so it meant lots of cramming for the final few food items. 

The morning kicked off with a cloudy morning to Danshui. The skies were not at all promising, but at least they held up for about an hour or so.

One of the gems here is Berliner Landbrot - a German-style bakery. The fragrance of the bread being baked was literally wafting out of the shop.

A delicious cheese bread which was so yummy. The bread was soft too.

After a brief walk around, the drizzle grew heavier, so it was time to head indoors for the main reason I came to Danshui, Cat Rain Cafe (which has sadly closed, but it's okay, my photos live on). 

It was a fun experience, and being the only customers, there was plenty of attention from the cats. Danshui is also known for Oia, an alpaca cafe. It is a distance away from Danshui station, but if you really like alpacas, don't let that hold you back. 

After an early day at Danshui, it was time to head back to Ximending because we didn't get to finish exploring the area. Plus there were two very important snacks I had not tried yet.

Firstly, the pillowy, fluffy, sweet potato balls.

Secondly, this grilled mochi. I love this brown sugar flavour which is more of a sauce
than a powdered topping.

With Ximending items fulfilled, time for the next stop: Raohe Night market again!

Highly recommend this Okonomiyaki stall!

I do not recommend this takoyaki stall. It was not good but I do hope the takoyaki stall there has since changed hands.

The three colour pudding dessert is so refreshing and I really love it. It comes in an ice-cold brown sugar syrup and is slurpalicious.

福島屋圓圓燒 Okonomiyaki
No. 138, in front of No. 174, Raohe Street | 台北市松山區饒河街138號174號前（斜對面攤位地）
Opening Hours: 5pm–11.30pm (daily)

鄉淳布丁豆花 Xiang Chun Pudding Soy Beancurd
No. 192, Raohe Street, Taipei | 台北市松山區饒河街192號
Opening Hours: 12pm–12am (daily)

These are the updated shop details (as of September 2023) if you are looking to head down for a visit. 

One final stop for the night, and that was Shihlin Night Market for some final souvenirs and snacks.

Flame torched beef cubes. Choose from a variety of flavours like pink salt, seaweed, etc.

Prince Cheese Potato for one last time

Back to Zhong Cheng Hao

Taiwanese-style Tempura

One more order of Oyster and Prawn omelette 😍

This charcoal roasted fried chicken line was the longest. The moment you alight from Jiantan station, you can already see this line. It's right outside the area where Prince Cheese Potato is. The chicken pieces are first deep fried. Then, they are dipped in a gravy and grilled over charcoal.

Watching him in action, it was really quite exciting. It made you look forward to the meal.

Many locals in line is a sign that it's a good thing right? Unfortunately, not for us. The chicken still contains many bones so it was not a very convenient/easy street snack to consume. It didn't taste particularly special to us either but maybe you might have different tastes!

That's pretty much the end of this trip since Day 4 was all about checking out and heading to the airport. However, here are some souvenirs I bought! 

Egg puddings which I bought from a souvenir store.

Used up my Taiwan coins to buy these guava juice cans from the airport vending machines.
They are so delicious! I hope they still have them 😂

This was an interesting snack that I bought. A flaky pastry filled with pork floss, covered
with sesame seeds and baked.

Some novelty souvenirs I bought: joke marshmallows and chocolates for my then-colleagues.

My then-obsession: nanoblocks. These are imitation ones from Shihlin. They build just the same and are of good quality too.

 

Till the next trip,

Fly safe and eat happy,

V