The Aviary: Nest Rooftop Bar

When agonising over dining options for a mid-week dinner, with no spare cash readily available to be casually flung around, a restaurant with enticing vouchers starts to look attractive.

I will accept all cheapskate remarks thrown this way, because I've taken the word poor to a whole new level for a while too long.
I know deep down, secretly, if you took away any social shaming aspect you feel about using vouchers to buy your meals, the feeling of saving a couple of dollars is a very happy feeling :)

So off we went, chirping with 5 freshly printed vouchers in hand to see just what the guys at The Aviary are breeding in their nest.

Lamb, Coriander, Chilli & Yoghurt Pizza - $16

When it comes to eating out nowadays, I am a bit of a loner.
A loner, in the sense of ordering and only eating my own dishes, if the communal dishes on the table are loaded with fat, oil, cheese, or all 3.
Which, ever since I can't (...well, shouldn't) touch them, seem to be pretty much the ONLY things that people eat.

Having said that, yes, I am indeed implying that I actually have to order a whole pizza (without cheese), for me, myself, and I.
After finishing whole pizzas I think to myself, it was probably better off to have eaten the fat I avoided in the first place...

The one slice I finished for them, could have been a lot more meatier.
But then again...you can't speak very loud for just $10, can you?

Chorizo, Tomato & Roquette Pizza - $16

Despite the few vegetarian options available, the girls had firm decisions to order everything that wasn't. Animal enthusiasts, in every way.

They settled with a chorizo pizza, a firm and cheesy pizza base with sliced chorizo, fresh cherry tomatoes and a handful of raw rocket leaves, which was devoured in an amazingly quick time.

Crinkle Cut Chips with Spiced Aioli - $8

Forget everything I said before about not touching oily food.
I had a lot of this. This was good. This was also taken away from me, to stop me from getting a stomach attack.

I don't remember anything from the spiced aioli to be phenomenal, but the piping hot chips are a dieter's/gall-bladderless person's dream. The crinkles make them deliciously crunchier (or that could be a psychological thing).

A thing like this conveniently placed right in front of me, and all my morals go out the window.
Because everything that you can't eat, seem to taste so much better than they probably are.

Prawn, Coriander & Chilli - $16

This is my pizza for one, to which I was commended for finishing :D
I found this quite light and easy to finish, despite the others being unable to finish 3 pizzas amongst the 4 of them.

Ordered without cheese, the pizza is admittedly a little brittle and dry. The place can't be faulted for this, because making a hot dog taste good without the sausage IS difficult after all.

I'm guessing the kitchen substituted my cheese with basil pesto spread over the base, and coriander was mysteriously replaced with fresh snow pea sprouts. Eating this was like eating a salad, but the feeling of munching rabbit food while devouring a pizza, while healthy, is surprisingly disappointing.

...

My one regret of my experience with The Aviary is not heading back to try their advertised Pho Pizza, a westernised take on the Vietnamese beef noodle dish with beef and crushed peanuts. The $10 price tag of these pizzas is of value, considering the standards of the place, but I think I'd rather pay a little more, if it meant even better quality :)

I can't judge too much on the food since I've gone ahead and changed their ingredients to suit my needs because I'm selfish like that, but truthfully I would probably be somewhere else where $16 buys me a bigger, tastier pizza. What I managed to sip from a glass of their homemade mulled wine however, was a sweet stomach warmer from standing at higher altitudes with its colder breezes on the rooftop.

And there ARE lifts, in case the flight of seemingly neverending stairs are too confronting. Especially if you've just ran your marathon up the Perth Underground Station's staircase right below The Aviary.

Boasting Perth's largest outdoor rooftop bar (out of, what, 2?), the atmosphere is trendy and lush from what I could see with my poor night vision, with a strict dress code enforced. With requirements like "no fancy dress" and as detailed as "plain non branded t-shirts permitted", I felt a bit self conscious turning up. But upon seeing all the big shady umbrellas and toasty heaters, snagging a seat next to one became top priority.

I wouldn't mind a revisit, at an hour where there is still enough light to make out what's around me and what I'm actually putting in my mouth. And despite the issues floating around about their service levels, The Aviary is flying high with all the socialites in town and on social media.
I couldn't avoid all the little birdies around town tweeting and tooting about its existence.

***
(08) 9226 0259
Mon - Sat: 11am to midnight
Sun: 11am to 10pm
www.theaviaryperth.com.au

***

The Classroom

Ah, school. The things that seemed to matter the most back then, just don't seem to matter anymore.

I not so fondly remember clearly my pre-school days, when each new school day meant a whole new day of crying, wailing and hiding in the pantry, thinking that was the solution to escape the wrath of school forever.

Alas, that failed and I ended up being educated.
Thankfully, due to my parents' persistence of dragging me out the door kicking and screaming.


After plonking me at school, things usually got worse. From their hiding spot where they had been observing my every move and watching how I accepted my new foreign surroundings (I didn't), Mum and Dad were forced to come out - when I threw up all over myself.


And while I now appreciate how important an investment into education is, I just wasn't made for school back then. I thought schooling was the worse thing that could happen to anyone.
Who needs to know how to read anyway?
What an ungrateful little brat I was.


And stepping into The Classroom, is really stepping into a classroom.
A place you were in X years ago. Or...quite possibly even XX years ago?

Zucchini Fritters, Cucumber & Feta Whip - $14

After immersing yourself in an environment you most likely won't be in ever again, remembering the days when information sources came in hard copy form in the Britannica encyclopedias lining the shelves, and before the internet became God and made the impossible possible, it's time to sharpen the provided pencils (with the provided sharpeners!) and tick the correct boxes on your Canteen Menu.


$4 iced coffees and chocolates are served in classic metal milkshake canisters in the background, but unfortunately could do with a bit more liquid in them.


Freshly deep fried, the fritters resemble 5 delicious ugly ducklings that taste like beautiful golden swans - rough, scraggly, crunchy golden exteriors with contrasting cheesy and soft innards, with slightly hollow centres that are so imperfect but perfect all at the same time. 

Serrano Jamon, fresh Peach, in-house Ricotta & Balsamic Pearls - $16

 This next plate is a flavour, texture and colour combination that celebrates the marriages of sweet fresh peaches, salty rolled cigars of dry cured Spanish ham with the intense vinegary bursts of Balsamic pearls.


Perhaps good for presentation purposes with the leafy specks of greens, otherwise the flecks of vegetables do little to add taste to the overall mouthful.

A work of art!

The Classroom most likely took and aced some art classes in their time! :-)

Pork Sausage Rolls with Fennel & Apple, Apricot Chutney - $14

Never would i have done or would even consider order sausage rolls at an upmarket bar.
4 mini party sausage rolls for $14? Yeah right! Yes they might be gourmet, but actually worth the $14? NEVER in a million years!


Yet I felt a simultaneous acceptance of this, just how the majority of us accept $15 gourmet burgers over their $4 fast food counterparts. Typically a to-go food, sausage rolls usually lay around in the baine marie getting progressively more tanned and cooked while this version retains a crisp, airy casing wrapping a plump, juicy minced pork filling.


The dipping dish of apricot chutney will be a happy addition to those who fancy the fruity + meat combinations, except I like my meats salty thanks :-)

6 Hour Bourbon Beef Short Ribs, Smoked Salt & Chilli Pineapple Wedges (Large) - $32

This scored unexpectedly surprising top marks in my schoolbooks that one chilly night back at school Such a warm, homey, spectacular chunk of meat that you' typically find basting in your oven at home, but had been slow roasting in The Classroom's oven once upon a time before your visit.


Likened to a slab of tar, it is only the moment it goes in your mouth that you witness such a tender, soft and flavoursome cut of beef, too soft to be true. As expected from short ribs, the fat-to-meat ratio might be a bit high, but all is forgiven with ridiculously good protein.


The jar of thick sauce served with the meat is sweet with a strong smokey taste that accompanies the meat really well, as with the golden smoked pineapple wedges, trickling juices infused with hints of chilli and salt.

Hand-cut Crinkle Chips, Sumac Dusting & Chipotle Aioli - $6

Nothing screams old skool louder or gets kids fatter faster than hot chips served in that recognisable yellow paper cup. Disappointingly, I could resist stuffing my face after my first few as this particular batch were evidently a little dry and sad. Not enough crisp from not enough crinkle nor enough dusting of flavour, but chips are ever changing.

The chipotle aioli however, is a different story. Aioli is a godsend, exactly why I borrowed this for other dishes ordered on the night. I'm known for being a sauce addict, and I don't really need anything to eat with sauce. Who needs chips to eat sauce? Not I.

In the background are glimpses blueberry and mango juices, each bottle priced at $6.50. I guess at that price I assumed a freshly squeezed glass would be served instead of bottled juices. Nevertheless, they are of good quality honest ingredients, blended and bottled.

Chermoula Chicken Drumsticks, Roasted Sweet Potato & Eggplant, Zesty Yoghurt - $17

Simple but well made ingredients go a long, long way. The simplicity of chicken drumsticks take on a Moroccan flavour with crackly skin caramelised with a chermoula marinade, with hints of herbs and garlic. Using the chicken leg is wise, to take full advantage of the succulent tenderness.


Roasted root vegetables are always a winner - sweet potato and eggplant chunks with a refreshing yoghurt ladled over the contents on the plate. It balances out the strong flavour of the chicken with a lighter taste but with that much needed creamy texture.

Feel welcome to perve on some leg

Love a juicy, smooth, sexy leg.

...

A welcome addition to Perth's growing trendy chic bar scene to rival its Eastern counterparts, its interior is nothing short of impressive and much kudos go out to the entrepreneurs who brainstormed up this fresh new concept and the eclectic decor. All the effort contributed to creating this real life time capsule complete with nostalgia, decked with old school artifacts high and low - finger paintings, netball rings and even hopscotch on the ground to skip back to your childhood.


The recycled and new furnishings take on a retro style, a true overload on your sight. The whole place has gone crazy at a Bak2Skool themed dress up party. It IS quite excessive itching on kitsch but you can't help but appreciate the nitty gritty details of the place. I even took an unnecessary trip to the toilet just to check out the proposed Spanish lessons while you do your business. Seriously.

The Classroom presents a small but enticing menu, demonstrating a creative flair by creating a gourmet twist on classic canteen food. Designed to share, the unsubstantial dishes remind you that school always taught you that sharing is caring. The teachers here are referring to the staff (cheesy right! :-)) have limited contact with you because you pay at the bar, assigned a buzzer and collect your order from the kitchen canteen, just like the olden good old days ;)


They are big on cocktails here, ranging from the History cocktails paying tribute to classic cocktails, to the imaginative Art concoctions to the downright trippy Food Science cocktails that comes as a smoking, bubbling or flaming science experiment in a cocktail glass. An eye catching display is their alcoholic storage lockers, doing everything BUT lock up the numerous spirits on offer. THIS classroom is definitely not an alcohol free premises!

It might be the last thing on your mind to go back to school, but if you've gone a little bit older but a lot more wiser, it's good to get down and refresh some faded memories. With a very dark carpark and so appropriately having a sex shop as its neighbour, it is indeed a little bit seedy, yet so perfectly reflecting the whole school thing where everybody is running around on hormone highs.


***
(08) 9444 7729
Tuesday - Friday: 4pm to late
Saturday/Sunday: 12pm to late
Monday: Private classes

***

The Botanica Bar and Bistro

The lead up to something is usually more exciting than the actual something, when it eventually happens. I say this subjectively because it always happens to me. Damn you expectations. Always fail me.
One exception: lead up to exams.
They're really horrible and horrific and horrifying and h...mmmmmmmm. =p

I never feel more alone, boxed up in a room on the floor that's acting as my study table. I hate it so much I don't even bother buying a table. The floor suffices. Study doesn't even deserve a table.

With a week's break between my first and second exam, my first one was pretty much my last one. So after my first exam, I felt like king of the world. And really, with True/false questions and Fill-in-the-blanks in my paper, I felt like king of my paper too. (Not really).
However, my results seem to disagree. (As always).
Seriously, I'm humble. Don't give me Credit for what I do. But I'll accept a HD.

So we went to celebrate my newfound position of king. At a bar. Cause they're such classy shits and all. In Innaloo. Cause it's hell classy there.
No really! Quite lush surroundings. Just food pictures here though. I should have photographed more than just the important stuff.

Not much of a celebratory meal though. At all! But that's ok. Like always, it's the attitude that counts.

Fish of the Day, Fries, Tangy Tartare - $29

I wouldn't go for a typical pub like meal in a not-so-typical pub that is Botanica. But this is not my meal so alas, it made an appearance because it was ordered by a very typical, average person. Like father, like son. And here? Like person, like food it seems.

Being the thoughtful friend he is, he offered me ... his salad. And only because he wasn't going to eat it anyway. Even put it on my plate for me. So I looked down and saw a single piece of grated carrot. Never in my life have I felt so degraded before. You are too kind! I devoured it with pleasure.

Surprisingly, the generosity didn't stop there and he proceeded to offer a tomato, a single spinach leaf, and then eventually his humane side took over and didn't stop me from casually eating off his plate. So I finally tried the fish. I liked the tartare? Lol.

The fish earns some points for presentation. It wasn't served like your usual rectangular slab of fish, whether it be A grade or F grade quality. It was sliced open down the middle and then deep fried for a visually crispy batter, which I regretfully have to peel off. The cut down the middle gave it a resemblance to long legs, something I wish I had. This "open" style lets the chips beneath it to breathe, and retain their crunch.

Garlic and Parmesan Ciabatta - $7.5

I did a mental scroll down their menu and nothing shouted my name at me. But when you don't need to pay for your meal, you face 2 options:
a. Pick the most expensive item, or
b. Pick the cheapest item, or
c. Reject the offer.

As C is incorrect, I was weighing up A and B. A would probably be the answer of choice if you asked the audience but of course, B is probablyyyyyy more morally correct. Ultimately I picked B so that I didn't feel like a gold digger. And so that he'd actually buy it.

But really, I didn't pay so I don't like to bust the wallet of the person who does. And neither do they, so they offered to shout me garlic bread a single piece of garlic bread. But they don't come in singles so he begrudgingly had to spend $7.50 on 4 pieces. So I started with this Starter and was left hanging, as I also ended with this Starter.

The Garlic and Parmesan Ciabatta bread came out warm and golden. As usual, I didn't expect to taste the garlic in it, and I expected right. Dots of parmesan cheese on buttered ciabatta and toasted means lots of oil, means I risked eating it all at once and dealing with any consequences later if my body rejected it. So I ate all the crusts. And then ended up eating the bits I left behind anyway.

Tooheys Extra Dry Pint - $9

This is one out of the, like, 5 that (not I) consumed over the course of the night. And because of this mildly excessive alcohol consumption on a tame Tuesday night, I finally now know what TED stands for. I've never been fond of beer that much, which explains why I don't participate in Beer Pong. At all.

Which is convenient, because only when it was a completely empty glass, and only then was I asked, "oh, you want some?"
Thanks sweetheart.

...

Apparently this place was formerly a hotel, which explains how it has made a stylish transformation into this contemporary looking venue now. I've had a friend hold her birthdays at this bar/bistro for 2 years in a row and I always thought it was some dark, hazy, hobo pub place. No bias towards the bar itself, just bias towards her because she is a hobo and that her slave labour wages couldn't pay for a spanking nice place like this.

But boy was I wrong! This place is comfortable for the eyes to look at. Especially the feature smack bang in the middle of the room, being a giant tropical aquarium full of colour and life swimming their lives away. It's crazy how carefree fish actually are. Eat sleep swim die. Hmm. Didn't realise how my life exactly resembles that of a fish's. Except if you throw me in a puddle, I'll drown.

Anyway, back on track, this place would make a really inviting place to hold events and functions. It's classy enough and effortlessly stylish without screaming out a posh and snobby atmosphere. I've noticed the patronage here dress quite smart too, and me being a poor uni student who probably just failed her exam, I couldn't give a damn how I looked. I probably looked out of place for all I know.

Heaps of spacious areas both outdoors and in, complete with a wooden floorboard and shade sails up top the courtyard outside, with lots of nature's natural colour all around you. Greenery everywhere, living organisms in the fish tank...it's a nice change to the usual scenery we are all accustomed to seeing in an average bistro and bar. And this also has a sports bar next to the courtyard for hardcore sport followers.

Having read reviews and hearing comments about how "this is a pretty good bar given its location", I was quite surprised at the negativity about Innaloo. I think the suburb is quite ok and I reckon it deserves more credit..! It has houses, it has trees, it has streetlights...what's so bad about it? Even though most people probably wouldn't know Innaloo if it didn't house IKEA...which has established itself to be somewhat a tourist attraction for locals...which serves like $1.95 big breakfasts...

Yep, I definitely love Innaloo IKEA.